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DICTIONARY 
 
 OF 
 
 EVERY-DAY WANTS 
 
 CONTAINING 
 
 TWENTY THOUSAND RECEIPTS 
 In Nearly Every Department of Human Effort 
 
 BY 
 
 A. E. YOUMAN, M. D. 
 
 I 
 
 ST. LOUIS, MO., 
 
 continental publishing CO., 
 
 513 North 6th Street, 
 
 1872. 
 
Entered according to Act of Congress in the year 1872, by 
 
 ALEXANDER E. YOUMAN, 
 
 in the office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington. 
 
 All rights k£S£RV£d. 
 
URL 
 
 PREFACE. 
 
 In these days of steam and electricity, when every man is jostling and 
 crowding his neighbor in the race for wealth and independence, every 
 hour, every minute has its money value. To economise time by its 
 admirably arranged contents; to save money by its multitudinous hints 
 and aids; to relieve perplexities that are ever occurring in our daily plans 
 of life by its numberless suggestions ; to promptly offer remedies when 
 sudden death is threatened, as in accidental poisoning, will be found to be 
 embodied in the following pages, and so be an aid to the progressive 
 hurrying spirit of the age. 
 
 In its editing and compiling, the principal aim has been to render it as 
 extensively useful as possible, and no exertion has been spared to make 
 the work a correct, comprehensive and conveniently arranged manual of 
 reference to the Housekeeper, Manufacturer, Tradesman and Agriculturist. 
 It will be found to contain directions for the preparation of several thou- 
 sand articles of interest and utility, many of which have never appeared in 
 print before. 
 
 Care has been taken to avoid all difficult, technical and scientific terms, 
 and to make It so simple in language and arrangement, as to insure its 
 value 2LS a useful and reliable work for every-day reference. 
 
 A. E. y. 
 
TABLE OF CONTENTS. 
 
 Page 
 
 Accidents and Emergencies 1 1 
 
 Apiary . , 20 
 
 Carpenter and Builder 24 
 
 Cements, Glues and Pastes 32 
 
 Cooking and Baking ..,«.. 40 
 
 Drttggist and Chemist 63 
 
 Domestic Animals , 87 
 
 Farm, Orchard, Garden and Dairy ., 118 
 
 Household Miscellany 15 1 
 
 Household Pets 164 
 
 Household Pests 173 
 
 Hunting, Trapping and Tanning 176 
 
 Inks and Blacking 197 
 
 Medical and Surgical 207 
 
 Ornamental Work 242 
 
 Painting and Papering (Includittg Varnishing, Polishing, Staining 
 
 and Gilding) 250 
 
 Photography and the Fine Arts 272 
 
 Preserving and Storing 293 
 
 Soap and Candles 312 
 
 Toilet 323 
 
 Wardrobe , 333 
 
 Washing, Bleaching and Dyeing 338 
 
 Wines, Liquors and Vinegar 362 
 
 Workers in Glass 389 
 
 Workers in Metals ♦ 397 
 
 Miscellaneous 447 
 
 When an article cannot be found hy its proper alphabetic arrangement^ 
 under any of the above sections, a reference to the very copious index at t/te 
 tnd of the tuork, will lead to its discovery. 
 
 / 
 
 to 
 
A DICTIONARY OF EVERY-DAY WANTS. 
 
 ACCIDENTS AND EMERGENCIES. 
 
 ACCIDENTS, To Avoid and Prroent.—ln 
 walking the streets keep out of the line of cellars, 
 and never look one way and walk another. 2. 
 Never ride with your arm or elbow outside any 
 vehicle. 3. Never alight from a steam-car 
 while in motion. 4. In stepping from any 
 wheeled vehicle while in motion, let it be from 
 the rear, and not in front of the wheels ; for 
 then, if you fall, the wheels cannot run over 
 you. 5. Never attempt to cross a road or street 
 m a hurry, in front of a passing vehicle ; for if 
 you stumble or slip you will be run over. Make 
 up the half minute lost in waiting until the ve- 
 hicle has passed by increased diligence in some 
 other direction. 6. In a run-away, it is safer, 
 as a rule, to keep your place and hold fast than 
 to jump out. Getting out of a carriage over the 
 back, provided you can hold on a little while, is 
 safer than springing from the side. 7. Be par- 
 ticularly cautious when upon or in the vicinity of 
 water. 8. During a time of lightning avoid the 
 neighborhood of trees, or any leaden spout, 
 iron gate, or other conductor of electricity. 9. 
 Lay loaded guns in safe places, and never imi- 
 tate firing a gun in jest. 10. Never sleep near 
 lighted charcoal ; if drowsy at any work where 
 charcoal fires are used, take the fresh air. 11, 
 Never blorw mit the gaslight, but turn it off, and 
 before retiring see that none of it escapes. 12. 
 "When benumbed with cold beware of sleeping 
 out of doors ; exercise yourself vigorously ; rub 
 yourself, if able, with snow, and do not hastily 
 approach the fire. 13. If caught in a drenching 
 rain, or if you fall in the water, keep in motion 
 sufficiently vigorous to prevent the slightest 
 chilly sensation until you reach the house; then 
 change your clothing with great rapidity before 
 a blazing fire, and drink instantly a pint of some 
 hot liquid, not spirituous. 14. Before entering 
 vaults or dry wells see if a lighted candle will 
 bum at the bottom ; for if not, animal life can- 
 not exist, and the foul air in it should be re- 
 placed by pure air before entering therein. 15. 
 Never leave saddle or draught horses, while in 
 use, by themselves ; nor go immediately behind 
 a led horse, as he is apt to kick. 16. Ride not on 
 footways, and walk not on carriage roads or rail- 
 road tracks. 17. Be wary of children, whether 
 they are up or in bed, and particularly when 
 they are near the fire, an element with which 
 they are very apt to amuse themselves. 18. 
 Leave nothing poisonous open or accessible, and 
 never omit to write the word •' Poison" in large 
 letters upon it, wherever it may be placed. 19. 
 Never throw pieces of orange peel on the side- 
 walk, or throw broken glass bottles into the 
 streets. 20. Never meddle with gunpowder by 
 candlelight. 21. Never trim or fill a kerosene 
 
 lamp while lighted, and ttever light a fire with 
 kerosene or coal oil. 22. Keep lucifer matches in 
 their cases, and never let them be strewed 
 about. 23. During frosty weather take extra 
 care in walking. 24. Have your horses' shoes 
 roughed directly there are indications of frost. 
 25. Before retiring tor the night, carefully look 
 through the house to see that everything is as it 
 ought to be. 
 
 BITES, Haivest Bug. — The most effectual 
 remedy is benzine, which immediately kills the 
 insect. — A minute drop of tincture of iodine has 
 the same effect. — Many sufferers prevent the at- 
 tacks by sprinkling a little benzine over the 
 stockings before walking. 
 
 BITES, Insect. — Such as bees, wasps, hor- 
 nets, scorpions, etc., may be instantly relieved 
 by the immediate and free application of spirits 
 of hartshorn as a wash to the part bitten. The 
 part may afterward be covered with a little sweet 
 oil. See Stings. 
 
 BITES, Mad Dog. — I. Take immediately 
 warm vinegar or tepid water ; wash the wound 
 clean therewith and then dry it ; pour upon the 
 wound, then, ten or twelve drops of muriatic 
 acid. Mineral acids destroy the poison of the 
 saliva, by which means the evil efifects of the lat- 
 ter are neutrahzed. — 2. Many think that the only 
 sure preventive of evil following the bite of a 
 rabid dog, is to suck the wound immediately, 
 before the poison has had time to circulate with 
 the blood. If the person bit cannot get to the 
 wound to suck it, he must persuade or pay an- 
 other to do it for him. There is no fear of 
 any harm following this, for the poison entering 
 by the stomach cannot hurt a person. A spoon- 
 ful of the poison might be swallowed with impu- 
 nity, but the person who sucks the place should 
 have no wound on the lip or tongue, or it might 
 be dangerous. The precaution alluded to is a 
 most important one, and should never be omitted 
 prior to an excision and the application of lunar 
 caustic in every part, especially the interior and 
 deep-seated portions. No injury need be antici- 
 pated if this treatment is adopted promptly and 
 effectively. The poison of hydrophobia remains 
 latent on an average six weeks ; the part heals 
 over, but there is a pimple or wound, more or 
 less irritable ; it then becomes painful, and the 
 germ, whatever it is, ripe for dissemiftation into 
 the system, and then all hope is gone. Never- 
 theless, between the time of the bite and the ac- 
 tivity of the wound previous to dissemination, 
 the caustic of nitrate of silver is a sure prevent- 
 ive ; after that it is as useless as all the other 
 means. The best mode of application of the ni- 
 trate of silver, is by introducing it solidly into 
 the wound. 
 
12 
 
 DICTIONARY OF EVERY-DAY WANTS. 
 
 BITES, Snake. — ^The poison inserted by the 
 stings and bites of many venomous reptiles is so 
 rapidly absorbed, and of so fatal a description, as 
 frequently to occasion death before any remedy 
 or antidote can be applied ; and they are ren- 
 dered yet more dangerous from the fact that these 
 wounds are inflicted in parts of the country and 
 world where precautionary measures are seldom 
 thought of, and generally at times when people 
 are least prepared to meet them. I. In absence 
 of any remedies, the first best plan to adopt on 
 being bitten by any of the poisonous snakes is to 
 do as recommended above in Mad Dog Bites 
 — viz., to wash off the place immediately ; if 
 possible, get the mouth to the spot, and forcibly 
 suck out all the poison, first applying a ligature 
 above the wound as tightly as can be borne. — 2. 
 A remedy promulgated by the Smithsonian In- 
 stitute is to take 30 grs. iodide potassium, 30 
 grs. iodine, I oz. water, to be applied externally 
 to the wound by saturating lint or batting — the 
 same to be kept moist with the antidote until the 
 cure be effected, which will be in one hour, and 
 sometimes instantly. — 3. An Austrahan physi- 
 cian has tried and recommends carbolic acid, di- 
 luted and administered internally every few min- 
 utes until recovery is certain. — 4. Another Aus- 
 tralian physician, Professor Halford, of Mel- 
 bourne University, has discovered that if a proper 
 amount of dilute ammonia be injected into the 
 circulation of a patient suffering from snake-bite, 
 the curative effect is usually sudden and start- 
 ling, so that in many cases men have thus been 
 brought back, as it were, by magic, from the 
 very shadow of death. The method finally 
 adopted by Professor Halford, after many exper- 
 iments, and approved by his associates, is this : 
 As soon as possible after a bite, which, without 
 treatment, threatens life, thirty drops of the 
 liquor ammoniac (not liquid ammonia) in water 
 — one part of the ammonia and two parts water 
 — are injected, by a hypodermic syringe, directly 
 into some superficial vein of the patient. Of 
 course, none but a skilled or practiced hand 
 should undertake the operation, since the acci- 
 dent of injecting a small bubble of air with the 
 solution might be fatal. There is no stage of 
 exhaustion, so long as life remains, in which 
 there is n.ot hope of success by this remedy. A 
 small syringe with a sharp point, for the purpose 
 of making the injection, is manufactured and 
 sold in Melbourne, and now few travel in that 
 country without one. 
 
 BITES, Of the Cobra.— T\\^ bite of the co- 
 bra, says an experienced surgeon of India, or of 
 any other poisonous snake or reptile, can be 
 cured by administering a few drops of a prepa- 
 ration of the gall of the cobra, which should be 
 prepared as follows : Pure spirits of wine, or 95 
 
 f)er cent, alcohol, or the. best high wines that can 
 )e procured, 200 drops ; of the pure gall, 20 
 drops ; in a clean two-ounce phial, corked with a 
 new cork; give the phial 150 or 200 shakes, so 
 that the gall may be thoroughly mixed with the 
 spirits, and the preparation is ready for use. In 
 case of a bite put five drops (no more) of the 
 -preparation into half a tumblerful 6f pure water ; 
 pour the water from one tumbler into another, 
 backwards and forwards, several times, that the 
 preparation may be thoroughly mixed with the 
 water, and administer a large tablespoonful of 
 the mixture every three or five minutes until the 
 whole has been given. In case the violence of 
 
 the pain and hemorrhage or swelling of the bit- 
 ten part should be but slightly alleviated after 
 the whole has been taken, repeat the dose, pre- 
 pared with the same quantity of the preparation, 
 in the same way, and administer as before. In 
 curing upwards of fifty cases of snake bites I 
 have never been obliged to repeat the dose ex- 
 cept in two instances, and have never lost a case. 
 The cobra poison is no more deadly than that of 
 a great variety of snakes found in South Amer- 
 ica, of which may be named the CascCtbel, or 
 Rattlesnake ; Boqtii-dorada, or gilded mouth ; 
 Mapana-sapo, or frog-headed Mapana; Mapa- 
 na-fina, or Lachesis ; Niger, Birri, and Verr»- 
 gosa, or wart snake. The poison of all these 
 varieties produces death (under certain condi- 
 tions — atmospherical, physical, climaterical, and 
 electrical) in from fifteen minutes to two or three 
 hours ; but it is found that the gall of each va- 
 riety (administered as previously indicated) is 
 the perfect antidote for its own poison. The 
 gall of the most deadly kind may be used in 
 cases of bites of those less virulent, and is also 
 applicable in cases of bites of the centipede, 
 scorpion, stingray, star-lizard, or lacerta stella, 
 and IS also very effective in dog-bites. 
 
 BLEEDING OF WOUNDS.— Set Cuts. 
 
 BLEEDING AT THE NOSE.—i. Roll 
 up a piece of paper, and press it up under the 
 upper lip. — 2. In obstinate cases blow a little 
 gum Arabic up the nostrils through a quill, 
 which will immediately stop the discharge ; pow- 
 dered alum is also good. — 3. Pressure by the 
 finger over the small artery near the ala (wing) 
 of the nose, on the side where the blood is flow- 
 ing, is said to arrest the hemorrhage immedi- 
 ately. 
 
 BLEEDING FROM THE LUNGS.— K 
 New York physician has related a case in which 
 inhalation of very dry persulphate of iron, re- 
 duced to a palpable powder, entirely arrested 
 bleeding from the lungs, after all the usual rem- 
 edies, lead, opium, etc., had failed. A small 
 quantity was administered by drawing into the 
 lungs every hour during part of the night and 
 following day. 
 
 BURNS AND SCALDS.— 1. By putting 
 the burned part under cold water, milk, or other 
 bland fluid, instantaneous and perfect relief from 
 all pain will be experienced. On withdrawal, 
 the burn should be perfectly covered with half an 
 inch or more of common wheaten flour, put on 
 with a dredging box, or in any other way, and 
 allowed to remain until a cure is effected, when 
 the dry, caked flour will fall off, or can be soft- 
 ened with water, disclosing a beautiful, new and 
 healthy skin, in all cases where the burns have 
 been superficial. — 2. Dissolve white lead in flax- 
 seed oil to the consistency of milk, and apply 
 over the entire burn or scald every five minutes. 
 It can be applied with a soft feather. This is 
 said to give relief sooner, and to be more per- 
 manent in its effects, than any other application. 
 — 3. Make a saturated solution of alum (four 
 ounces to a quart of hot water). Dip a cotton 
 cloth in this solution and apply immediately on 
 the burn. As soon as it becomes hot or dry, 
 replace it by another, and continue doing so as 
 often as the cloth dries, which at first will be 
 every few minutes. The pain will immediately 
 cease, and after twenty-four hours of this treat- 
 ment the burn will be healed, especially if com- 
 menced before blisters are formed. The as- 
 
ACCIDENTS AND EMERGENCIES. 
 
 n 
 
 tringent and drying qualities of the alum will en- 
 tirely prevent their formation. — 4. Glycerine, 
 five ounces ; white of egg, four ounces ; tincture 
 of arnica, three ounces. Mix the glycerine and 
 white of egg thoroughly in a mortar, and grad- 
 ually add the arnica. Apply freely on linen rags 
 night and morning, washing previously with 
 warm castile soapsuds. — 5. Take i drachm of 
 finely powdered alum, and mix thoroughly with 
 the white of 2 eggs and i teacup of fresh lard ; 
 spread on a cloth, and apply to the parts burnt. 
 It gives almost instant relief from pain, and, by 
 excluding the air, prevents excessive inflamma- 
 tory action. The application should be changed 
 at least once a day. — 6. M. Joel, of the Chil- 
 dren's Hospital, Lausanne, finds that a tepid 
 bath, containing a couple of pinches of sulphate 
 of iron, gives immediate relief to young children 
 who have been extensively burned. In a case of 
 a child four years old, a bath repeated twice a 
 day — 20 minutes each bath — the suppuration de- 
 creased, lost its odor, and the little sufferer was 
 soon convalescent. — 7. For severe scalding, car- 
 bolic acid has recently been used with marked 
 benefit. It is to be mixed with 30 parts of the 
 ordinary oil and lime water to i part of the acid. 
 Linen rags saturated in the carbolic emulsion 
 are to be spread on the scalded parts, and kept 
 moist by frequently smearing with a feather 
 dipped in the liquid. Two advantages of this 
 mode of treatment are, the exclusion of air, and 
 the rapid healing by a natural restorative action 
 without the formation of pus, thus preserving 
 unmarred the personal appearance of the pa- 
 tient — a matter of no small importance to some 
 people. 
 
 CRAMP. — Spasmodic or involuntary contrac- 
 tions of the muscles, generally of the extremi- 
 iies, accompanied with great pain. The muscles 
 of the legs and feet are those most commonly 
 Affected with cramp, especially after great exer- 
 tion. The best treatment is immediately to 
 stand upright, and to well rub the part with the 
 hand. The application of strong stimulants, as 
 spirits of ammonia, or of anodynes, as opiate 
 liniments, has been recommended. When cramp 
 occurs in the stomach, a teaspoonful of sal vola- 
 tile in water, or a dram glassful of good brandy, 
 should be swallowed immediately. When cramp 
 comes on during cold bathing, the limb should 
 be thrown out as suddenly and violently as pos- 
 sible, which will generally remove it, care being 
 also taken not to become flurried nor frightened ; 
 as presence of mind is very essential to personal 
 safety on such an occasion. A common cause of 
 cramp is indigestion, and the use of acescent 
 liquor's ; these should be avoided. 
 
 CUTS. — First stop the bleeding, by bringing 
 the edges of the wound together, if the flow is 
 but trifling. If, on the contrary, it is large, of a 
 bright Vermillion color, and flows in spirts or 
 with a jerk, an artery is severed, and at once 
 should pressure be made on the parts by the 
 finger, (between the cut and the heart, ) until a 
 compress is arranged by a tight ligature above 
 the wounded part. Then the finger may be 
 taken off, and if the blood still flows, tighten 
 the handkerchief, or other article that forms the 
 ligature, until it ceases. If at this point the at- 
 tendance of a physician or surgeon cannot be 
 secured, take strong silk thread, or wax together 
 three or four threads, and cut them into lengths 
 of about a foot long. W'ash the parts with 
 
 warm water, and then with a sharp hook or 
 small pair of pincers in your hand, fix your eye 
 steadfastly upon the wound, and directing the 
 ligature to be slightly released, you will sec the 
 mouth of the artery from which the blood 
 springs. At once seize it, draw it out a little, 
 while an assistant passes a ligature round it, and 
 ties it up tight with a double knot. In this way 
 take up in succession every bleeding vessel you 
 can see or get hold of. If the wound is too high 
 up in a limb to apply the ligature, do not lose 
 your presence of mind. If it is the thigh, press 
 firmly on the groin ; if in the arm, with the 
 hand-end or ring of a common door-key make 
 pressure above the collar-bone, and about its 
 middle, against its first rib, which lies under it. 
 The pressure should be continued until assist- 
 ance is procured and the vessel tied up. If the 
 wound is on the face, or other place where pres- 
 sure cannot effectually be made, place a piece of 
 ice directly over the wound, allowing it to re- 
 main there until the blood coagulates, when it 
 may be removed, and a compress and bandage 
 be applied. 
 
 After the bleeding is arrested the surrounding 
 blood should be cleared away, as well as any ex- 
 traneous matter; then bring the sides of the 
 wound into contact throughout the whole depth, 
 in order that they may grow together as quickly 
 as possible, retaining them in their position by 
 strips of adhesive plaster. If the wound be 
 deep and extensive, the wound itself and the ad- 
 jacent parts must be supported by proper band- 
 ages. The position of the patient should be 
 such as will relax the skin and muscles of the 
 wounded part. Rest, low and unstimulating 
 diet, will complete the requirements necessary to 
 a speedy recovery. 
 
 DROWNING, To Restore the Apparently.— 
 Lose no time. Handle the body gently, carry- 
 ing it with the head slightly raised, and never 
 holding it up by the feet. While medical assist- 
 ance is being sent for, remove the clothing from 
 the body, rub it dry ; then roll it in hot blankets 
 and place it in a warm bed in a warm room. 
 Cleanse away the froth and mucus from the nose 
 and mouth. Apply warm bricks, bottles, bags 
 of sand, etc., to the arm-pits, between the thighs 
 and at the soles of the feet. Rub the surface of 
 the body with the hands inclosed in warm, dry 
 worsted socks. To Restore Breathing. — While 
 the patient is lying with the face downwards, 
 place one of the arms under the forehead, as in 
 this position fluids will more readily escape by 
 the mouth, and the tongue itself will fall for- 
 ward, leaving the entrance to the windpipe free. 
 Assist this oi^eration by wiping and cleansing 
 the mouth. If there be only slight breathing, 
 or no breathing, turn the patient on the side, and 
 excite the nostrils with snuff, hartshorn, or 
 smelling salts, or tickle the throat with a feather, 
 etc. Rub the chest and face well, and dash 
 warm and cold water alternately on them. If 
 there is still no success, try to imitate breathing 
 by replacing the patient with face downwards, 
 raising and supporting the chest on a folded coat 
 or other article. Then turn the body very 
 gently on one side and a little beyond, and 
 briskly back again, repeating these measures 
 cautiously and perseveringly about 15 times a 
 minute. By placing the patient on his chest, 
 the weight of the body forces the air out. When 
 turned on one side the pressure is removed, and 
 
«4 
 
 DICTIONARY OF E VERY-DA Y WANTS. 
 
 air enters the chest. When the body is replaced 
 on the face, use uniform pressure between the 
 shoulder-blades or bones on each side, and let 
 one person attend solely to the movement of the 
 head and of the arm placed under it. Dry the 
 hands and feet, and as soon as dry clothing or 
 blankets can be procured, strip the body and re- 
 clothe it, taking care not to interfere with the ef- 
 forts to restore breathing. 
 
 Should these efforts not prove successful in 
 five minutes, grasp the arms above the elbow, 
 and draw them gently upwards above the head, 
 keeping them stretched upwards for two sec- 
 onds. By this means air is drawn into the 
 lungs. Then turn down the arms, and press 
 them gently for two seconds against the sides of 
 the chest. By this means air is pressed out of 
 the lungs. Repeat these motions perseveringly, 
 about fifteen times in a minute, until a spontane- 
 ous effort to respire is perceived. 
 
 After the natural breathing is restored, pro- 
 mote warmth and circulation by rubbing the 
 limbs upwards by means of flannels, etc. By 
 this process the blood is propelled towards the 
 heart. Apply hot flannels, or bottles of hot 
 water, to the pit of the stomach, the arm-pits, 
 thighs, and soles of the feet. If the power of 
 swallowing be restored, small quantities of wine, 
 ■warm brandy and water, or colTee, should be ad- 
 ministered. Keep the patient in bed, and let 
 sleep be encouraged. This treatment should be 
 persevered in for hours, as it is a mistake to 
 fancy that persons are irrecoverable because life 
 does not soon make its appearance. Do not al- 
 low any crowding round the body, and under no 
 circumstances hold it up by the feet, or put it in 
 a warm bath, unless under medical directions. 
 Cautions. — Never rub the body with salt or 
 spirits. Never roll the body on casks. Con- 
 tinue the remedies for 12 hours without ceasing. 
 The appearances which generally accompany 
 death by drowning are suspension of the motion 
 of the heart, the eyelids half closed and the pu- 
 pils dilated, the jaws clenched, the fingers half 
 contracted, the tongue approaches to the under 
 edge of the lips, and these, as well as the nos- 
 trils, are covered with a frothy mucus, and cold- 
 ness and pallor incre ase. 
 
 DROWNING, To Afford Assistance to a 
 Person in Danger of . — If the spectator is unable 
 to swim, and can make the sufferer hear, he 
 ought to direct him to keep his hands and arms 
 under water until assistance comes ; in the 
 meantime throw towards him a rope, a pole, or 
 anything that may help to bring him ashore or 
 on board ; he will eagerly seize whatever is put 
 within his reach ; thus he may, perhaps, be res- 
 cued from his perilous situation. 
 
 The best manner in which an expert swimmer 
 can lay hold of a person he wishes to save from 
 sinking, is to grasp his arm firmly between the 
 shoulder and the elbow; this will prevent him 
 from clasping the swimmer in his arms, and thus 
 forcing him under water, and, perhaps, causing 
 him to sink with him. 
 
 DRUNKENNESS, Apparent Death from. 
 — Raise tlie head, imloose the clothes, maintain 
 warmth of surface, and give a mustard emetic as 
 soon as the person can swallow. 
 
 EYE, Cinc.:^ or Dirt in the. — The cinder or 
 other foreign substance will usually be found just 
 underneath the margin of the upper lid, where 
 there is a groove or gutter for the flow of tears 
 
 to the inner angle of the eye. Foreign bodies 
 tend to fall into this groove, and if they are an- 
 gular, like a cinder, they adhere in spite of the 
 current of tears which now flow in greater 
 abundance, and sooner or later carry off smooth 
 substances. To remove it, take, say a lead pen- 
 cil, in the fingers of the right hand, and with 
 the thumb and forefinger of the left hand seize 
 the eyelashes of the upper lid, and drawing the 
 lid gently out from the ball, press the point of 
 the pencil downward upon the upper surface of 
 the lid, about one-fourth of an inch from its 
 margin, and at the same time carry the margin 
 upward over the pencil by the eyelashes, when 
 the lid will readily roll over the pencil so as to 
 expose completely the gutter described, when 
 the cinder or grain of sand may easily be re- 
 moved with the point of a pencil, or with the 
 finger covered by a handkerchief. The person 
 operated upon should look downward when the 
 lid is being reverted, and upward when the ope- 
 rator wishes to restore the lid. As soon as the 
 substance is removed, bathe the eye with cold 
 water, and exclude the light for a day. 
 
 FAINTING. — If a man faint away, instead 
 of yelling out like a savage, or running to him 
 to lift him up, lay him at full length on his back 
 on the floor, loose the clothing, push the crowd 
 away, so as to allow the air to reach him, and 
 let him alone. Dashing water over a person in a 
 simple fainting fit is a barbarity. The philos- 
 ophy of a fainting fit is that the heart fails to 
 send the proper supply of blood to the brain. 
 If the person is erect, that blood has to be 
 thrown up hill ; but if lying down, it has to be 
 projected horizontally, which requires less pow- 
 er, as is apparent. 
 
 FROST-BITE.— TakQ the person frost-bit- 
 ten into a cold room in which there is no fire, 
 and rub the parts frozen with snow or cold wa- 
 ter. After a while friction with flannels and the 
 hand is to be used, and warmth very gradually 
 applied. If a limb is frozen, the cold applica- 
 tions should be continued longer, and warmth 
 be more gradually applied than when the whole 
 body is frozen. Care should be taken to handle 
 the parts carefully, so as not to break off any 
 part, as can so easily be done in its frozen state. 
 Frozen Feet are said to be permanently relieved 
 by two or three applications of a boiled lye of 
 wood ashes, made so strong as to be quite slip- 
 pery between the fingers. This lye should set- 
 tle, be drained off, and have a large handful of 
 salt to each quart of lye mixed with it. It 
 should be quite warm, and the limbs be sub- 
 merged for one or two hours. 
 
 FIRE IN A CHIMNEY, To Extinguish. — 
 One of the simplest methods is to scatter a hand- 
 ful of flowers of sulphur over the dullest part of 
 the burning coals, the mephitic vapors arising 
 from which will not support combustion, and 
 consequently extinguish the flames. Another 
 method is to shut the doors and windows, and 
 to stop up the bottom of the chimney with a 
 piece of wet carpet or blanket, throwing a little 
 water or flowers of ^ulphur, or salt, on the fire 
 immediately before doing so. By this means the 
 draught is stopped, and the burning soot must 
 be extinguished for want of air. If the chimney 
 be stopped at the top, instead of the bottom, the 
 whole of the smoke must, of course, be driven 
 into the apartment. If every fireplace were pro- 
 vided with a damper, or shutter of sheet-iron or 
 
ACCIDENTS AND EMERGENCIES. 
 
 IS 
 
 tin plate, sufficiently large to choke it thoroughly, 
 fires in chimneys would become of little conse- 
 quence, as it would only be necessary to apply 
 this damper to put them out. 
 
 FIRE, To Bring Horses Out of a Stable on. 
 — Throw the saddle or harness, etc., over them, 
 and they will come out immediately. 
 
 FIRE, Escaping from. — i. Be careful to 
 acquaint yourself with the best means of exit 
 from the house, both at the top and bottom. — 2. 
 On the first alarm, reflect before you act. If in 
 bed at the time, wrap yourself in a blanket or 
 bedside carpet. Open no more doors than are 
 absolutely necessary, and shut every door after 
 you. — 3. There is always from eight to twelve 
 inches of pure air close to the ground ; if you 
 cannot, therefore, walk upright through the 
 smoke, drop on your hands and knees, and thus 
 progress. A wetted silk handkerchief, a piece 
 of flannel, or a worsted stocking, drawn over 
 the face, permits breathing, and to a great ex- 
 tent excludes the smoke. — ^4. If you can neither 
 make your way up^vvard or downward, get into a 
 front room; if there is a family, see that they 
 are all collected here, and keep the door closed 
 as much as possible, for remember that smoke 
 always follows a draught, and fire always rushes 
 after smoke. — 5. On no account throw yourself, 
 or allow others to throw themselves, from the 
 window. If no assistance is at hand, and you 
 are in extremity, tie the sheets together, having 
 fastened one side to some heavy piece of furni- 
 ture, and let down the women and children one 
 by one, by tying the end of the line of sheets 
 around the waist, and lowering them through 
 the window that is over the door, rather than 
 the one that is over the area. You can easily 
 let yourself down after the helpless are saved. 
 
 FIRE, Clothing on. — If a woman's clothes 
 catch fire, let her instantly roll herself over and 
 over on the ground. If a man be present, 
 let him throw her down and do the like, and 
 then wrap her up in a tablecloth, rug, coat, or 
 the first woollen thing that is at hand. 
 
 FIRES, Suggestions to Prevent. — i. Be care- 
 ful to keep lucifer matches in metal boxes, out of 
 the reach of children. — 2. Wax matches are 
 particularly dangerous, and should be kept out of 
 the way of rats and mice ; be careful in making 
 fires with shavings and other light kindling. — 3. 
 Do not deposit coal or wood ashes in a wooden 
 vessel, and be sure burning cinders are extin- 
 guished before they are deposited. — 4. Never 
 put firewood upon the stove to dry. — 5. Do not 
 put ashes or a light under a staircase. — 6. Fill 
 kerosene lamps only in the daytime, and never 
 near a fire or light. — 7, Be cautious in extin- 
 guishing matches, and never throw them on the 
 floor. — 8. Do not throw a cigar stump upon the 
 floor, or into a box containing sawdust, without 
 being certain that it is not on fire. — 9. Do not 
 blow out a candle, or put it away on a shelf or 
 anywhere else, until sure that the snuff has gone 
 entirely out. — 10. A lighted candle ought not to 
 be stuck up against a frame wall, or placed near 
 any portion of the wood-work in a stable, man- 
 ufactory, shop, or any other place. — II. Never 
 enter a barn or stable at night with an uncovered 
 light. — 12. Ostlers should not be allowed to 
 smoke about stables. — 13. Never take an open 
 light to examine a gas meter, or to search for an 
 escape of gas. — 14. Do not put gas or other 
 lights near curtains. — 15. Do not read in bed. 
 
 either by candle or lamp light ; place glass shades 
 over gaslights in shop windows, and do not 
 crowd goods too close to them. — 16. No smok- 
 ing should ever be permitted in warehouses, es- 
 pecially where goods are packed or <jptton stored. 
 — 1 7. Stove pipes should be at least four inches 
 from woodwork, and well guarded by tin or 
 zinc. — 18. Rags ought never to be stuffed into 
 stove-pipe holes ; openings in chimney flues for 
 stove pipes which are not used, ought always to 
 be securely protected by metallic coverings. — 19. 
 Never close up a place of business in the eve- 
 ning without looking well to the extinguishment 
 of lights and the proper security of the fires. — 
 20. When retiring to bed at night, always take 
 every precaution to see that there is no danger 
 from your fires ; that the gas, if you use it, is 
 properly extinguished ; and take care that your 
 lights are safe. 
 
 POISONS, General, Antidotes and Rules to 
 be Observed. — ^The first thing to be done, when a 
 person has swallowed a poison of any kind, is 
 to empty the stomach, by taking a teaspoonful of 
 common salt and the same quantity of ground 
 mustard, stirred rapidly in a teacup of water, 
 warm or cold, and swallowed instantly. Next 
 give water to drink, cold or warm, as fast as 
 possible, a gallon or more at a time, and as fast 
 as vomited drink more ; tepid water is best, as 
 it opens the pores of the skin, and thus gives 
 the speediest cure to the poisonous article. If 
 pains begin to be felt in the bowels, it shows 
 that part at least of the poison has passed 
 downwards ; then large and repeated injections 
 of tepid water should be given, the object in 
 both cases being to dilute the poison as quickly 
 and as largely as possible. Do not wait for 
 warm water — take that which is nearest at hand, 
 cold or warm, for every second of time saved is 
 of immense importance. It has been found 
 that there is hardly any poison which, being di- 
 luted in a sufficient quantity with water, may not 
 prove inoffensive. This virtue, coupled with its 
 universal availability, makes it a valuable reme- 
 dial agent in poisoning. 
 
 POISONS, Special, and their Antidotes. — 
 The following are some of the more common ar- 
 ticles of poison by which human life is endan- 
 gered or destroyed, either by accident or design, 
 together with the symptoms attending their use, 
 and the articles and measures which may be used 
 to destroy their effects and save life. Alcohol. 
 — Symptoms — Confusion of thought ; inability to 
 walic or stand; dizziness; stupor; highly flushed 
 or pale face ; noisy breathing. Treatment. — Ex- 
 cite vomiting by large draughts of warm water, 
 by tickling the throat, and by emetics ; use 
 stomach pump; pour cold water on head and 
 back of the neck ; keep up motion ; whip the 
 skin, palms of the hands and soles of the feet, 
 with small cords or rods ; give strong stimulants, 
 as ammonia. Ammonia. — Symptoms — Strong 
 acrid and burning taste in the mouth ; heat in 
 the throat and stomach; nausea; vomiting; 
 great prostration; cold, clammy skin;, small, 
 frequent pulse. Treatment — Antidote, vinegar 
 and water, or any dilute vegetable acid, excite 
 vomiting ; give mucilages, emetics, cathartics, 
 clysters, opiates. Aquafortis or Nitric Acid. 
 — Symptoms — Lips, mouth and throat of yellow 
 color ; pain, burning and strangulation in swal- 
 lowing ; retching ; vomiting of dark-colored flu- 
 ids, with shreds of mucous membrane ; swelling 
 
i6 
 
 DICTIONARY OF E VERY-DA Y WANTS. 
 
 of the throat; difficulty of swallowing and of 
 breathing ; skin cold and clammy ; pulse quick 
 and small. Treatment — Calcined magnesia, 
 carbonate of magnesia, chalk or whiting in wa- 
 ter; soap and water; ashes and water; milk; 
 white of eggs ; oil and mucilages. Perhaps use 
 a stomach pump. If suffocation is threatened, 
 open the windpipe. Arsenic. — Symptoms— 
 Sickness; fainting; burning pain in the stomach; 
 vomiting; excessive thirst; dryness, heat and 
 tightness of the throat ; diarrhoea ; slow and in- 
 termitting pulse ; palsy; lethargy; insensibility; 
 convulsions, etc. Treatment — Hydrated sesqui- 
 oxide of iron ; emetics of 3 to 5 grs, of sulphate 
 of copper ; 10 to 15 grs. sulphate of zinc ; ipe- 
 cac; mustard seed; tickle the throat with the 
 finger or a feather ; white of eggs ; milk ; gruel; 
 flaxseed tea ; warm water largely ; oil and lime- 
 water ; calcined magnesia ; stomach pump. 
 Bismuth. — Symptoms — Metallic taste in the 
 mouth ; heat and dryness of the throat ; severe 
 burning heat in the stomach and bowels ; violent 
 vomiting, sometimes of bloody matter ; profuse 
 diarrhoea ; pulse small, frequent and irregular ; 
 skin cold and clammy ; respiration difficult ; 
 fainting; convulsions, etc. Treatment — Large 
 portions of milk, white of eggs, oil ; promote 
 vomiting by large draughts of sickening drinks, 
 and by tickling the throatf with the finger or a 
 feather ; use stomach pump. Blistering 
 Flies. — Symptoms — Burning in the throat and 
 difficulty of swallowing; violent pains in the 
 stomach and bowels ; nausea ; vomiting of 
 bloody mucus ; pain in the loins ; desire to void 
 urine, and passage of bloody water, with great 
 pain. . Treatment — Emetics ; copious draughts 
 of warm water, milk, mucilaginous drinks ; tick- 
 ling the throat with the finger or a feather. 
 Blue Vitriol {Sulphate of Copper — Verdigris.) 
 — Symptoms — Strong metallic taste in the mouth ; 
 belching, violent vomiting and purging ; griping 
 pains ; cramps in the thighs and legs ; frothing 
 at the mouth ; headache, giddiness, convulsions, 
 insensibility, etc. Treatment — Early vomiting 
 by large draughts of warm Avater and by tickling 
 the throat ; strong coffee, milk, white of eggs, 
 wheat flour and water, mucilages; stomach 
 pump. Carbolic Acid. — ^The best antidote for 
 carbolic acid, after the stomach pump, is large 
 doses of olive or almond oil, with a httle castor 
 oil. Carbonic Acid Gas. — Found in wells, 
 cellars, mines, etc., and largely given off in the 
 burning of charcoal in close rooms. Symptoms 
 — Drowsiness, difficulty of respiration, suffoca- 
 tion ; face swelled and more or less discolored ; 
 sensation of great weight in the head ; vertigo, 
 loss of muscular power, and insensibility. 
 Treatment — Admission of fresh air ; friction, es- 
 pecially over the lungs ; artificial respiration, by 
 inflating the lungs by the mouth or bellows ; ap- 
 plication of strong stimulants to the mouth or 
 nose ; cold water poured upon the head and back 
 of the neck. If the body be cold, a warm bath. 
 Cobalt. — Of importance from its extensive use 
 as fly-poison, children having eaten it and thereby 
 been poisoned. Symptoms — Heat and pain in 
 the throat and stomach ; violent retching and 
 vomiting; cold and clammy skin ; small and fre- 
 
 auent pulse ; respiration hurried, anxious and 
 ifficult , diarrhoea, etc. Treatment — Give freely 
 milk, white of eggs, wheat flour and water, nau- 
 seating teas, mucilages, emetics and clysters 
 Corrosive Subumate. —Carelessly noade use of 
 
 in many families as a bed-bug poison. Symp' 
 toms — Strong metallic or coppery taste in the 
 mouth; burning heat and constriction of the 
 throat; severe pain in the stomach and bowels; 
 violent vomiting and purging; countenance 
 swollen and flushed, or anxious and pale ; pulse 
 small, frequent and irregular ; skin cold and 
 clammy ; tongue white and shriveled ; respiration 
 difficult ; fainting, convulsions and insensibility. 
 Treatment — Albumen, which is contained in the 
 whites of eggs, abundantly ; wheat flour in wa- 
 ter ; liquid starch, milk, iron filings ; excite vom- 
 iting early by large draughts of warm water ; 
 mustard seed, tickling the throat, and emetics; 
 use stomach pump. Deadly Nightshade. — 
 Children are sometimes poisoned by eating the 
 berries, which have a sweetish taste. Symptoms 
 — Dryness and stricture of the throat; nausea, 
 vertigo, dilated pupils, dimness of sight, laugh- 
 ter, delirium ; redness and swelling of the face ; 
 convulsions, general paralysis, and insensibility. 
 Treatment — Emetics of sulphate of zinc, (10 to 
 15 grs.,) or copper, (3 to 5 grs. ;) large purga- 
 tives, and clysters ; take vinegar and water, or 
 other vegetable acids, freely ; bitter infusions ; 
 lime-water ; stomach pump ; cold water poured 
 on the head, and strong stimulants. Fool's 
 Parsley. — Taken by mistake for common pars- 
 ley. Symptoms — Heat of throat, and thirst; 
 oppression at the stomach ; nausea, vomiting, 
 and occasionally purging ; cold and moist skin ; 
 small and frequent pulse ; headache, vertigo and 
 delirium. Treatment — Emetics of zinc or cop- 
 per ; warm water ; milk ; flaxseed or chamo- 
 mile tea ; purgatives, clysters, warm bath, stim- 
 ulants and opiates. Foxglove. — Symptoms — 
 Intermitting pulse, vertigo, indistinct vision, 
 nausea, vomiting, hiccough, cold sweats, delir- 
 ium, syncope and convulsions. Treatment — 
 Emetics, followed by strong stimulants, (brandy, 
 ether, ammonia,) opiates, counter-irritation; 
 mustard-seed poultices or blisters to the pit of 
 the stomach ; cold effusions. Funguses. — Or 
 poisonous mushrooms, (Fungi,) taken by mis- 
 take for eatable mushrooms. Symptoms — Pain 
 in the stomach, nausea, vomiting and purging ; 
 great thirst, colic pains, cramp, convulsions, 
 vertigo, delirium. Treatment — Emetics, purga- 
 tives, mucilages, acid drinks, stimulants, (ether, 
 brandy, ammonia,) opiates, bitters. Hellebore 
 (^Indian Poke. ) — Sometimes used in a poisonous 
 quantity as a dressing for a sore. Symptoms — 
 Violent vomiting and purging; bloody stools; 
 great anxiety; tremors, vertigo, fainting, sinking 
 of the pulse, cold sweats, and convulsions. 
 Treatment — Excite speedy vomiting by large 
 draughts of warm water, molasses and water, 
 tickling the throat with the finger or a feather, 
 and emetics ; give oily and mucilaginous drinks, 
 oily purgatives, and clysters, acids, strong coffee, 
 camphor and opium. Hemlock. — Symptoms— 
 Dimness of sight, delirium ; swelling of the ab- 
 domen, with pain, vomiting and purging. 
 Treatment — Emetics of sulphate of zinc or cop- 
 per, assisted by copious draughts of warm water, 
 milk, flaxseed tea, chamomile, etc. ; stomach 
 pump ; pouring cold water on the head and 
 back ; stimulants and acids. Henbane. — 
 Symptoms — Appearance of intoxication ; sickness, 
 stupor, dimness of sight, delirium, great dila- 
 tion of the pupils, insensibility. Treatment — 
 Emetics, with strong stimulants, as sulphate of 
 zinc or copper, tartar emetic or ipecac, with 
 
ACCIDENTS AND EMERGENCIES. 
 
 17 
 
 mustard-seed or cayenne, acid drinks, ammonia, 
 brandy, ether, strong coffee, cold affusion ; 
 stomach pump and stimulating the skin. Lime. 
 — Symptoms — Heat in throat and stomach, nau- 
 sea, vomiting, pain in the stomach, violent colic 
 pains, diarrhcea, sometimes constipation. Treat- 
 vient — Vinegar, lemon-juice, or any vegetable 
 acid, freely ; demulcent drinks, opiates, warm 
 bath, etc. Lunar Caustic {Nitraie 0/ Silver.) 
 — Symptoms — Burning pain in the stomach, nau- 
 sea, retching, vomiting ; sometimes extreme 
 purging ; cold and clammy skin ; small, fre- 
 quent, and irregular pulse ; respiration difficult ; 
 fainting, convulsions. Treatment — Common 
 salt in solution abundantly ; warm water ; irri- 
 tation to the throat ; emetics, warm bath, pur- 
 gatives, opiates. Meadow Saffron. — Symp- 
 toms — Nausea, vomiting, pain in the stomach, 
 griping pains in the bowels, with violent purg- 
 ing ; cold sweats ; small, frequent and irregular 
 pulse. Treatment — Excite vomiting (if not al- 
 ready free enough) by the use of nauseating 
 drinks, tickling the throat, and emetics, muci- 
 lages, opiates, with stimulants. Monk's Hood 
 {^see Opium.) — Symptoms — Nausea, violent vom- 
 iting and purging; vertigo, cold sweats, delir- 
 ium, convulsions. Treatment — Excite vomiting 
 (if not already free enough) by emetics, large 
 quantities of warm water, molasses and water, 
 milk, flaxseed and chamomile teas, etc. ; acid 
 drinks, stimulants, brandy, ether, ammonia, opi- 
 ates. Mountain Laurel. — Of great import- 
 ance, as honey made from its flowers is poison- 
 ous, and birds which feed upon its buds in win- 
 ter are likewise poisonous. Symptoms — Giddi- 
 ness, violent flushings of heat and cold, sickness 
 at the stomach, with repeated vomiting and purg- 
 ing; delirium, frequent and weak pulse, extreme 
 debility, profuse perspiration, convulsions, etc. 
 Treattnent — Emetics, mucilaginous and nausea- 
 ting drinks, warm water, or molasses and water, 
 tickling the throat, purgatives, clysters, strong 
 stimulants, ammonia, coffee, cold affusion, stom- 
 ach pump. Muriatic Acid. — Symptoms — Ex- 
 treme irritation ; burning and sense of strangu- 
 lation in swallowing; discharge of shreds of 
 mucous membrane; swelling of the throat; dif- 
 ficulty of swallowing and breathing; skin cold 
 and covered with clammy sweat ; pulse quick 
 and small ; lining membrane of the mouth and 
 throat partially destroyed. Treatment — Carbo- 
 nate of magnesia, calcined magnesia, chalk, or 
 whiting in water ; soap and water, ashes and 
 water, white of eggs, milk, oil, etc. Plaster 
 from the wall may be beaten down to a paste 
 with water and given ; carbonate of soda, with 
 barley-water, slippery elm. If suffocation is 
 threatened, open the windpipe. Muriate of 
 Barytes. — Symptoms — Pain, burning, weight 
 in the stomach ; vertigo, dimness of vision, ring- 
 ing in the ears, pain in the head, throbbing in 
 the temples, paralysis, convulsions. Treatment 
 Epsom or Glauber's salts in solution, emetics, 
 large draughts of warm water, tickling the 
 throat, flaxseed tea, stomach pump ; opiates in 
 large doses. MuRlATE of Tin. — Symptoms — 
 Strong metallic (coppery) taste, sense of tight- 
 ness in the throat, difficult respiration, violent 
 vomiting, with cramp in the stomach ; severe 
 colic pains, with purging; cold, clammy skin; 
 small, frequent pulse; paralysis, convulsions, 
 J 7-eatment — Milk, largely administered , emet- 
 ics, large draughts of warm water, tickling the 
 
 throat, hotr cloths to the stomach and bowels, 
 soothing and opiate clysters. Nitre. — Some- 
 times taken by mistake for some other salt. 
 Symptoms — Intense pain in the stomach, nausea, 
 vomiting, profuse purging, bloody stools, severe 
 colic pains in the lower part of the bowels, diffi- 
 cult breathing, great prostration, fainting, con- 
 vulsions. Treattnent — Flaxseed tea, barley-wa- 
 ter, molasses and water, tickhng the throat, 
 emetics, opiates, stimulants, brandy, ether, etc. 
 Nux Vomica or Strychnia. — Symptcms — An 
 extremely persistent bitter taste in the mouth, 
 muscular spasms, great rigidity, limits fixed and 
 stretched out, jaws spasmodically shut, drowsi- 
 ness. If the symptoms are prolonged, nausea, 
 vomiting, difficulty of respiration, asphyxia. 
 Treatment — The Cannabis India (a variety of 
 the hemp plant) has been recommended as an 
 antidote ; emetics, to produce immediate vomit- 
 ing ; stomach pump ; vinegar, and other vege- 
 table acids, in water. Oil of Cedar. — Symp- 
 toms — Heat in the stomach, followed immedi- 
 ately by convulsions, with frothing at the mouth; 
 pulsation ceases early. The body is warm a 
 long time after death. Treattnent — Vomiting to 
 be excited as early as possible by large draughts 
 of warm M'ater and other nauseating drinks, by 
 ground mustard-seed, and tickling the throat ; 
 use the stomach pump as early as possible. Oil 
 OF Rue. — Sytnptoms — Dryness of mouth and 
 throat, thirst, heat and pain in the stomach and 
 bowels, headache and delirium. Treatment — 
 Vomiting to be excited as quickly as possible by 
 large draughts of warm water and other nause- 
 ating drinks, by ground mustard-seed, tickling 
 the throat, emetics, acids, stomach pump. OiL 
 OF Savin. — Symptoms — Headache, strong gen- 
 eral excitement, delirium, acute pain in the 
 stomach and bowels, nausea, vomiting, purging, 
 convulsions. Treatment — Vomiting to be ex- 
 cited by copious draughts of warm water, mus- 
 tard-seed, tickling the throat, and emetics of 
 sulphate of zinc or copper ; acid drinks, muci- 
 lages, stomach pump. Oil of Tansy. — Symp- 
 toms — Heat in the stomach, followed immedi- 
 ately by convulsions and frothing at the mcuth ; 
 pulsation feeble, and soon lost. Treattnent — 
 Vomiting to be instantly excited by copious 
 draughts of warm water and other nauseating 
 drinks, mustard seed, tickling the throat, sul- 
 phate of zinc or copper, acid drinks, mucilages, 
 stomach pump. Oil of Tar. — Symptctns — 
 Speedy insensibility ; laborious, rattling breath- 
 ing ; coldness of the extremities ; contracticn of 
 the pupils; suflusi( n of the eye; feeble pulse. 
 Treatment — Vomiting to be instantly excited by 
 copious draughts of warm water, etc. Oil of 
 Vitriol. — Sytnptotns — Extreme irritation, pain, 
 burning, and sense of strangulation in swallow- 
 ing ; retching, vomiting, discharge of dark-col- 
 ored fluids and shreds of membrane from the 
 stomach ; swelhng of the throat ; difficulty of 
 swallowing and breathing; cold, clammy skin ; 
 quick and small pulse. Ihe lining membrane of 
 the mouth and throat is partially destroyed, and 
 is of a white color. Treattnent — Carbonate of 
 magnesia, calcined magnesia, chalk or whiting, 
 mixed with water, soap, or ashes and water; 
 lime from the plastered wall beat into a paste 
 with water, white of eggs, milk, oil; perhaps 
 the stomach pump, but with great care. If suf- 
 focation is threatened, open the windpipe. 
 Opium. — Sytnptotns — Giddiness, drowsiness, in- 
 
l8 
 
 DICTIONARY OF E VERY-DAY WANTS. 
 
 sensibility, stupor ; pulse at first quick and ir- 
 regular, and breatHing hurried; afterwards 
 breathing is slow and noisy, and the pulse slow 
 and full. In favorable cases there is early nau- 
 sea and vomiting. Tteatinent — Excite instant 
 vomiting by mustard-seed, copious draughts of 
 warm water, and tickUng the throat ; give sul- 
 phate of zinc (id to 15 grs.) or copper (3 to 5) ; 
 use the stomach pump early. Give strong stim- 
 ulants, ether, brandy, ammonia, strong coffee 
 and tea. Pour cold water on the head and back 
 of the neck, and whip the skin, the palms of the 
 hands, and soles of the feet with small cords or 
 rods. Phosphorous. — Hot taste of garlic or 
 onions in the mouth, violent pains in the stom- 
 ach, nausea and vomiting, followed by great ex- 
 citement of the arterial vessels ; convulsions. 
 Treatment — Fill up the stomach with magnesia 
 and water ; give emetics and nauseating drinks 
 to keep up the vomiting. Oxalic Acid. — Gen- 
 erally taken accidentally from its resemblance to 
 Epsom salts. Symptoms — Hot, burning taste in 
 svyallowing ; immediate and constant vomiting, 
 the matter thrown up being of a greenish or 
 brownish color, and extremely acid ; sometimes 
 severe pain ; collapse ; pulse small, irregular, 
 and scarcely perceptible ; numbness and spasms. 
 Treatment — Carbonate of magnesia, calcined 
 magnesia, chalk or whiting, made into a cream 
 with water, and administered freely ; lime-water 
 with oil ; emetics, mucilages ; stomach pump. 
 Potash. — Symptoms — Strong acid taste in the 
 mouth ; burning heat in the throat and stomach ; 
 sometimes vomiting and purging, with colic 
 pains; cold, clammy skin; small, frequent 
 pulse. Treatment — Vegetable acids, vinegar, 
 lemon-juice, or tartaric acid in water ; emetics, 
 clysters, opiates. Prussic Acid. — Symptoms — 
 Instant sensation of weight and pain in the 
 head ; nausea, quick pulse. In large doses, in- 
 stant insensibility, stupor, convulsions ; loss of 
 pulsation, very slow and convulsive breathing. 
 Treatment — Application of strong ammonia to 
 the nostrils, and stimulating liniments to the 
 chest; cold water poured upon the head and 
 spine ; chlorine gas ; a dilute solution of chlo- 
 ride of soda or lime. Poison Ivy. — A running 
 vine which is found covering walls, shrubs, 
 trees, and in meadows. This plant, by contact, 
 and upon many without contact, produces vio- 
 lent erysipelatous inflammation, particularly with 
 the face and hands. The symptoms are itching, 
 redness, burning, swelling, watery blisters, and 
 subsequently peeling of the skin. These effects 
 are experienced soon after exposure, and usually 
 begin to decline within a week. Treatment — 
 Bathe the parts freely with spirits of nitre. If 
 the blisters be broken, so as to allow the nitre to 
 penetrate the cuticle, more than a single applica- 
 tion will rarely be necessary. Another remedy 
 is to take a handful of quick-lime, dissolve it in 
 water, let it stand half an hour, and then paint 
 the poisoned parts with it. Three or four ap- 
 plications will generally cure. Another is to 
 bathe the affected parts well with sweet (or olive) 
 oil, taking internally 2 tablcspoonfuls 3 times a 
 day. Anointing the face and hands with sweet 
 oil will prevent poi-oning by the ivy. Poison 
 Dogwood. — A smill but beautiful shrub or 
 tree, from 10 to 15 feet high, having a dark gray 
 bark, its smaller branches of a lighter color, and 
 its extreme twigs red. Its effects are similar to 
 those of Poison Ivy, but more powerful. The 
 
 poisonous principle is most energetic during the 
 burning of the wood. Symptoms and treatment 
 the same as for the ivy. Sugar of Lead or 
 \Vhite Lead. — Symptoms — A burning, prick- 
 ling sensation in the throat, with dryness and 
 thirsty uneasiness at the pit of the stomach ; 
 nausea, vomiting; colic pains, constipation of 
 the bowels, cold skin, feeble and irregular pulse, 
 great prostration of the strength, cramps, numb- 
 ness, paralysis, giddiness, torpor, insensibility. 
 Treatment — Epsom or Glauber salts, (sulphates 
 of magnesia and soda, ) mucilages, milk, white of 
 eggs, wheat flour with water, emetics ; stomach 
 pump. Tartar Emetic. — Symptoms — Nausea, 
 severe vomiting, hiccough, burning heat and 
 pain in the stomach, colic pains, violent purg- 
 ing, small, frequent and hard pulse ; cramps, 
 vertigo, fainting, and great prostration. Treat- 
 ment — Tea made of oak bark or Peruvian bark, 
 strong green tea, mucilages, warm drinks, opium, 
 opiate clysters. Tobacco. — Symptoms — Severe 
 nausea, vomiting, headache, sudden sinking of 
 the strength, cold sweats, convulsions. Treat- 
 ment — Emetics, copious draughts of warm wa- 
 ter, tickling the throat with the finger or feather, 
 purgatives, acid drinks, stimulants, brandy, 
 camphor, etc. Thorn Apple or Stramonium. 
 Symptoms — Vertigo, dehrium, stupor, convul- 
 sions, paralysis, cold sweats, feeble and irregular 
 pulse. Treatment — Emetics of sulphate of zinc 
 or copper, mustard-seed, tickling the throat, 
 stomach pump. White Vitriol or Sulphate 
 of Zinc. — Symptoms — Bitter taste in the mouth, 
 with sensation of choking; nausea and severe 
 vomiting ; pain in the stomach and bowels ; 
 purging, dilihcult breathing, quick and small 
 pulse, coldness of the extremities. Treatment — 
 Albumen, white of eggs, \vheat flour and water, 
 milk abundantly, infusions of tea, oak bark, etc. ; 
 emetics, purgatives, and opiate clysters. 
 
 POISONOUS DRUGS, Labels for.—\exy 
 many cases of accidental poisoning would be 
 prevented if druggists would print labels that 
 would not only give the name of the poison and 
 the dose, but would also give the antidote. A 
 transcript for such a label might be as fol- 
 lows : 
 
 laudanum — ^POISON. 
 
 Dose — For an adult, from twenty to forty 
 drops. Should not be given to children except 
 in very small doses. 
 
 Antidote. — In case of accident, use active 
 stimulants. Coffee, tea, brandy, and ammo- 
 nia. 
 
 THUNDER STORMS, Safety During.— 
 I. The opening of the doors and windows of a 
 house, or the keeping of them closed, will in 
 neither case influence the passage of the electric 
 current. — 2. Sitting by a window is not only as 
 safe, but probably more safe, than some other 
 parts of the house. It is, however, less safe to 
 sit near the fireplace. The chimney, being the 
 most prominent part of the house, is the point 
 generally on which the lightning strikes. The 
 best place is to sit or be as near the middle of 
 the room as convenient. — 3. If in bed, and the 
 bed be as far as any other part of the room from 
 the fireplace or its metallic furniture, it would 
 probably be safer to remain in it during the 
 storm. — 4. It is often recommended to go down 
 stairs, it being supposed that a cellar, being be- 
 low the surface of the earth, is the safest place of 
 
ACCIDENTS AND EMERGENCIES. 
 
 19 
 
 refuge. This is a popular error, for it must be 
 understood that the lightning rises out of the 
 earth as well as proceeds from the clouds ; the 
 cellar, therefore, or the ground floor, may ac- 
 cordingly, in some cases, be nearer the point at 
 which the electricity ascends ; and the effects are 
 as violent at the place from which the electricity 
 takes its departure, as at the place which it strikes 
 on its arrival at the earth. — 5. Lying down, as a 
 general rule, is a safer position than an upright 
 attitude.— 6. When out of doors, avoid standing 
 under trees, especially tall trees, to escape from 
 the rain during a thunder storm ; but boldly ex- 
 pose yourself to the wet; and if on high ground 
 where there are no trees, the human body itself 
 becomes a good conductor, and the safest course 
 under these circumstances, however inconvenient 
 it may be, is to lie down, instead of maintaining 
 an erect position. — 7.. Avoid standing close to 
 any metallic bodies, as lead pipes, iron rail- 
 ings, etc. 
 
 LOCKJAW.— T\iQ: symptoms are, at first, 
 difficulty and uneasiness in turning the head, 
 with inability to open the mouth easily ; gradual 
 closure of the jaws with great firmness, followed 
 by difficulty in swallowing and pain in the breast, 
 shooting to the back. Remedies for the prompt 
 and permanent cure of this disease are unknown. 
 The spasms can be controlled by the use of 
 chloroform or ether, taken into the stomach or 
 by inhalation. The bowels should be freely 
 moved by warm-water injections. Rapid friction 
 of the whole body by attendants will be advan- 
 tageous. It is said that the application of spirits 
 of turpentine to the face and neck will eflect a 
 cure. When the jaws are firmly closed, the 
 drawing of a tooth will allow the passage of 
 food ; but failing this, food in a fluid state can be 
 passed by injection into the rectum. These re- 
 quirements, necessary to the nourishment of the 
 patient, can be avoided if, when the disease is 
 noticed coming on, two small pieces of soft wood 
 are placed between the upper and lower jaw, one 
 on each side, so that they may be kept asun- 
 der. 
 
 SCALDS. — See Bmns. 
 
 STINGS OF BEES AND WASPS.— 
 T. These stings, though very painful, are not 
 dangerous to a healthy person, unless in the 
 mouth, throat, or eyelid. The sting of a bee, 
 being barbed at the end, is always left in the 
 wound, and should, when possible, be carefully 
 removed. That of a wasp is pointed only, so 
 that they can sting more than once, which a bee 
 cannot do. If, after the sting of the bee is ex- 
 tracted, the wound be sucked, very little inflam- 
 mation will follow ; and if spirits of ammonia be 
 then applied, a prompt healing will result. — 2. 
 Common whiting, moistened with water, and ap- 
 plied immediately, and in a few minutes washed 
 off, will prevent pain and swelling from following 
 the sting of a bee or wasp. — 3. The slice of a 
 common onion rubbed on the sting of a wasp, or, 
 if in the throat, chewed slowly and the piece 
 swallowed, will result in a certain cure. See 
 Bites. 
 
 SUFFOCATION FROM NOXIOUS 
 GASES, E — Remove to the fresh air; dash 
 
 cold vinegar and water in the face, neck, and 
 breast ; keep up the warmth of the body ; if nec- 
 essary apply mustard poultices to the soles of the 
 feet, and try artificial respiration as in Drown- 
 ing. 
 
 SUNSTROKE. — In every instance where 
 ope is found fainting in the street on a hot day, 
 the first thing is to remove the person to as cool 
 and shady a place as can be found, and, if possi- 
 ble, to where a draft of air is blowing at the 
 time. Bystanders and mere curious idlers should 
 be kept from crowding around. It should be 
 understood that there are two morbid conditions 
 resulting from excessive heat. These differ 
 somewhat in their symptoms, and require a 
 somewhat different treatment. The first of 
 these occurs during hot weather, after undue ex- 
 ertion on the part of the person thus affected. 
 The man is faint, perhaps unable to move, al- 
 though he can generally be roused; he has a 
 feeble pulse and a cool and moist skin. Here 
 there is simply a loss of nervous power, and re- 
 lief is promptly aflbrdecl by removing him to a 
 cool, shady place, applying cold water or ice to 
 the head, and administering iced brandy and 
 water, iced wine and water, or other stimulant. 
 In the other and more fatal form of this affection 
 a different set of symptoms show themselves. 
 Here the patient suddenly falls to the ground, 
 completely unconscious, his skin is pungently 
 hot and dry, his breathing hurried, convulsions 
 are not uncommon, and, if proper treatment be 
 not promptly resorted to, death soon takes 
 place. In this, also, the patient should be 
 promptly removed to a shady and cool spot, per- 
 fectly private, so that the crowd may be kept off 
 without fail. His clothing should be stripped 
 off, and his whole body should be rubbed with 
 ice from head to foot, and pieces of ice should 
 be kept under the arm-piis. This should be 
 steadily persevered with until the patient is re- 
 stored, or until a doctor arrives, or until it is 
 plain that the patient is beyond recovery. 
 
 THROA T, Forcigti Bodies in ///^.—Persons 
 are frequently in danger of suffocation from fish- 
 bones, pins, etc., which stick to the throat. 
 The moment an accident of this kind occurs, de- 
 sire the patient to be perfectly still; open his 
 mouth, and look into it. If you see the obstruc- 
 tion, endeavor to seize it with your finger and 
 thumb, or a long, slender pair of pincers. If it 
 cannot be got up, and is not of a nature to do 
 any injury in the stomach, push it down with the 
 handle of a spoon, or a flexible, round piece of 
 whalebone, the end of which is neatly covered 
 with a roll of linen, or anything that may be at 
 hand. If you can neither get it up or down, 
 place six grains of tartar emetic in the patient's 
 mouth. As it dissolves, it will make him exces- 
 sively sick, and, in consequence of the relaxa- 
 tion, the bone, or whatever it may be, will de- 
 scend into the stomach, or be ejected from the 
 mouth. If a pin, button, or other metaUic or 
 pointed body, has been swallowed, or pushed 
 into the stomach, make the patient eat plentifully 
 of thick rice pudding, and endeavor to prevent 
 him from going to stool for at least twelve 
 hours. 
 
DICTIONARY OF E VERY-DAY WANTS. 
 
 APIARY. 
 
 NATURAL HISTORY OF THE BEE. 
 — ^A community or family of bees is generally 
 understood to contain from twelve to thirty thou- 
 sand individuals. About nine-tenths of the 
 whole number are common or working bees, and 
 the remaining tenth male or drone bees, and at 
 the head of the commonwealth there is a person- 
 age who is entitled " the queen" or mother 
 bee. 
 
 The Queen, or the Mother Bee. — 
 This important individual differs in her appear- 
 ance and her functions from all the other mem- 
 bers of the family. She is darker, longer, and 
 more taper in figure than the common bee ; her 
 legs are longer, although her wings are shorter, 
 and underneath her color is tawny or yellowish 
 brown. She is furnished with a sting like the 
 working bees, which, however, she uses, it is 
 said, only on very important occasions. She is 
 the mother of the whole community; all the 
 working bees, the drones, and those intended to 
 be future queens, proceed alike from her eggs, 
 of which, according to some writers, she has 
 sometimes been known to produce a hundred 
 thousand in one year ; a number not too large 
 when new swarms are considered, as well as the 
 deaths and casualties continually occurring 
 among the members of the hive. The mother 
 bee not only occupies the maternal relation to 
 her immense family, but exercises over them an 
 influence analogous to that of a sovereign, a cir- 
 cumstance from which her appellation of queen 
 
 ' is justly derived. On her presence depends not 
 only the prosperity but the very existence of the 
 bee nation ; and with this influence exercised by 
 the queen herself, a corresponding instinct is in 
 operation in all the then members of the com- 
 munity, which may justly be compared with 
 what we understand by the term "loyalty." 
 The absence of the insect monarch, whether 
 from death or any other cause, speedily entails 
 disorder, confusion and anarchy ; all labor is ter- 
 minated, and the bees disperse. 
 
 The Working Bees. — ^These are distinct, 
 both from the queen and the drones, being 
 smaller, and having the charge of making inces- 
 sant provision for the well-being and sustenance 
 of the whole family. Their daily toils are an il- 
 
 ■ lustration of what is called the "division of la- 
 bor," the value of which was unknown to man 
 for centuries after the bee had been taught to 
 avail herself of the system. Some of the work- 
 ers occupy themselves in making the combs 
 from the vvax, which is a natural secretion ; oth- 
 ers keep the eggs warm which are to produce 
 future members of the hive ; others engage in 
 feeding the queen and the larvae or young brood; 
 others take charge of the ventilation and clean- 
 sing of the hive ; some take on them the duty ol 
 guarding the common habitation from attack, 
 nnd warning its inhabitants of impending dan- 
 ger ; others wing their way to the fields and 
 gardens, and collect with indefatigable industry 
 the farina and honey that are so imperatively re- 
 quired. 
 The Drone Bees,— These are larger, darker, 
 
 and more hairy than the workers ; they have no 
 stings, their motions on the wing are heavier, 
 and the sound of their humming so much deeper 
 as to give rise to their characteristic appellation. 
 The drones take no part in the process of col- 
 lecting or storing honey, nor, indeed, in any of 
 the various industrial occupations in which the 
 workers engage. Neither their instincts nor or- 
 ganization adapt them to these offices ; but Infi- 
 nite Wisdom has called them to the performance 
 of functions no less important. Some highly in- 
 teresting and marvelous instincts are illustrated 
 in the history of the drones. They are, as al- 
 ready stated, unproductive — that is to say, they 
 do nothing to add to the wealth of the commu- 
 nity. As mere consumers, the drones seem at 
 certain periods to be regarded by the working 
 bees as an expensive as well as a useless class, 
 only worthy of being destroyed or expelled. 
 Accordingly, if the necessity of swarming ceases, 
 and no royal cells are constructed, or the royal 
 brood have been prematurely destroyed, the in- 
 stinct of the workers prompts them to the ex- 
 pulsion of the drones, against whom a fierce war 
 is declared, ending in their extermination. On 
 the other hand, if the queen bee is forcibly taken 
 from the hive, the instinct of the workers leads 
 them to spare the lives of the drones, who con- 
 tinue to be boarded and lodged at the public ex- 
 pense, in consequence, apparently, of the pre- 
 sumption, that although the cost of their support 
 may be considerable, circumstances may arise to 
 render the very existence of the community de- 
 pendent upon them. 
 
 Swarming. — The instinct that prompts these 
 wonderful insects to issue from the hive and es- 
 tablish new colonies, is called into exercise when 
 the hive contains too great a number of inhabi- 
 tants, and there is not a sufficient space either 
 for breeding young bees or storing honey. The 
 crowded state of the hive renders emigration in- 
 dispensable, and arrangements are made for the 
 important event. Royal cells are formed, and 
 young queens are anxiously and tenderly fostered 
 in them, since without them emigration is im- 
 practicable. In these circumstances the bees 
 cease to gather honey, and a period of idleness 
 occurs which terminates with swarming. The 
 owner of the bees, therefore, must either multi- 
 ply the number of his hives, by allowing them 
 to swarm, or he may prevent the swarming by 
 furnishing additional accommodation for breed- 
 ing and collecting honey ; for it has been found 
 that bees can be controlled perfectly in this mat- 
 ter, divided as much as the owner finds desir- 
 able, or swarming prevented entirely if he wishes 
 it. 
 
 Artificial Swarming. — This should be un- 
 dertaken only when honey is abundant in the 
 fields and the n'ghts warm. To divide them, 
 have a hive at hand of the same size and pattern 
 as your others. Then from four hives take each 
 two frames and pl.ice them in the new hive, sup- 
 plying their place in the old with emptjr frames. 
 Then move a hive which you have not disturbed, 
 a rod or more away to a new place, and place 
 
APIARY. 
 
 21 
 
 the new hive where that one stood. This should 
 be done in the middle of a fine day, when many 
 bees are absent in the fields. These will come 
 in loaded to their old place, and find it strange ; 
 and as it contains stores and young bees hatch- 
 ing, and eggs from which to rear another queen, 
 they will at once proceed to rear one, and remain 
 and work as contented as ever. This process 
 may be repeated every two weeks until you have 
 secured sufficient increase. The hives from 
 which you take the combs, and the ones which 
 you move to a new place, will lose so many bees 
 that they will not think of swarming, but will 
 energetically make up their loss, and be better 
 than if nothing had been taken from them. 
 This is the safest of all ways to divide bees, and 
 can be safely practiced by beginners. 
 
 To Prevent Swarming. — Immediately after 
 the issue of the first swarm open the hives, (you 
 must have movable frames for this,) destroy ev- 
 ery royal cell but one. If at the end of five days 
 this has not hatched, look over the combs again, 
 and destroy every royal cell that may now ap- 
 pear, excepting the one saved at first. But if 
 the oldest of the young queens is allowed to 
 hatch and begin piping before anything is done, 
 the fever of swarming will rise to such a pitch 
 that you cannot allay it, and the old hive may 
 even be left destitute. The best way is to make 
 the first swarm an artificial one before or soon 
 after queen cells are started. Then at the end 
 of nine days, destroy all cells but one, as above. 
 To prevent first swarms, clip the wings of the 
 queen, and put a " queen yard" in front of the 
 hive — a shallow box some two feet square, with 
 edges of tin projecting inward, so that no bee 
 can get out and away from the hive without fly- 
 ing. This will, of course, prevent the escape of 
 the queen, and swarms will return. 
 
 Swarms Going to the Woods — maybe pre- 
 vented from doing so by keeping the hive shaded 
 and cool and close to ihs bottom board, except a 
 half inch in front. If a. difficult case, set in the 
 cellar for 48 hours, and give, perhaps, a pound 
 of honey. 
 
 Establishment of an Apiary. — The proper 
 time for this purpose is about February, or the 
 beginning of March, as the stocks have then 
 passed through the winter in safety; the combs 
 are then empty of broods, and light of honey, 
 and may be removed with safety and ease. 
 Stocks should be selected by a competent judge, 
 as the weight alone cannot always be relied on ; 
 such as weigh 12 lbs. and upwards, the number 
 of bees being also observed, and that they are 
 well combed to near the bottom, may be safely 
 chosen. As soon as they are brought home 
 they should be set in the bee house, care being 
 taken to keep them dry and free trom the attacks 
 of vermin. The best time for removing stocks 
 is in the evening. S'lUaf'ms should be brought 
 home the same evening they are purchased, for 
 if delayed a day or two the combs will be worked, 
 and subject to be broken in removing. 
 
 How TO Make a Hive. — Take any good, 
 soft wood lumber — pine is best — and dress it 
 upon both sides. The boards should be 15 
 inches wide and a plump inch in thickness after 
 it is dressed. For the sides of the hive, cut the 
 boards into pieces 21 in. in length ; for the back 
 end, I3_^ inches, and for the front end the same 
 length, and 11 inches wide. The end pieces 
 should be rabbeted I inch by yi upon the inside 
 
 of their top edges to receive the frames. Now 
 nail these pieces together, and we have a box 
 13^ ^y 19 inches upon the inside, with neither 
 top nor bottom. The bottom board is 12,% by 
 26 inches, is fitted inside the hive, the back end 
 placed 4 inches from the bottom, forming an in- 
 clined plane, and extending in front of the hive, 
 making a convenient alighting board for the bees. 
 An inch auger hole is bored in each upper cor- 
 ner of the bottom board, and covered upon the 
 under side with wire cloth, for ventilation. A 
 strip 13^ by 3 inches is fitted in the aperture at 
 the front of the hive. The Movable Frames are 
 each composed of 4 pieces — the top piece being 
 I by 1J4 inches by 20 inches long; the end 
 pieces are 1% hy i inch, and 10^ inches in 
 length ; the bottom piece ihy % an inch, and 
 18 inches in length. The bottom edge of the 
 top piece is beveled to an edge ; the end pieces 
 nailed to it an inch from each end, and the bot- 
 tom piece is nailed on the end of these. This 
 gives us a frame 17 inches long by 10 deep, in- 
 side measurement. Nine of these will go into 
 the hive, leaving a }i inch space all around, and 
 between each frame. This gives us a hive hold- 
 ing 2,295 cubic inches in the main apartment. 
 The Cap 0/ the Hive should be made 16 by 21^ 
 inches and 9 inches in depth; nail upon top of 
 this a board 20 by 26 inches for a cover. Now 
 we have a cap which will fit over the top of the 
 hive, and is held in place by strips an inch 
 square, nailed upon the outside of the hive, j^ 
 an inch below its top. The form of this hive is 
 similar to that used by many of the most suc- 
 cessful bee-keepers in our country. 
 
 Another Excellent Beehive. — The prin- 
 cipal object in making a beehive should be to 
 make it a non-swarmer, and secure the largest 
 amount of surplus honey in the best shape for 
 the market. This point can be attained by the 
 use of a device called a " queen-yard," made as 
 follows : Nail together strips of boards to make 
 a box 18 or 20 inches square, by 3 or 4 inches 
 deep, with a floor of thin boards, except a strip 
 4 inches wide, which should be of wire-cloth, 
 for sifting out dirt, and for ventilation. Fasten 
 strips of tin 2 inches wide around the inside at 
 the top, parallel to the floor ; and make an 
 opening in the side next to the wire cloth, in the 
 floor, corresponding to the entrance of the hive. 
 Paint the upper side of the tin some light color. 
 In swarming-time place this yard in front of the 
 hive. Previously examine the hive, and clip the 
 wings of the queen. When a swann is disposed 
 to issue, all the bees are obliged to pass through 
 this yard, and the queen, being unable to fly, or 
 crawl over the projecting tins, will return to the 
 hive, where the bees will soon follow her. To 
 prevent their raising a young queen which can 
 fly, the hive must be opened and all queen cells 
 cut out once a week, unless it is desirable to su- 
 persede the old queen, in which case one cell 
 may be left ; and after she has hatched and com- 
 menced laying, which will be in about 10 days, 
 find her and clip her wings as above directed. 
 The old queen should be removed just before 
 the young one hatches. The inside of the hive 
 is simple, consisting of 8 movable frames, sup- 
 ported by a device which clears them from any 
 patent. The frames are 11 by 18 inches, inside 
 measurement, and are held in place by a piece of 
 hoop-iron fastened on the outside of one of the 
 end pieces, near the bottom, and bent at a right 
 
DICTIONARY OF E VERY-DAY WANTS. 
 
 angle to project under the end of the frame ^ 
 of an inch, to form a sort of hook. There 
 should be space enough between the hook and 
 end of frame to allow it to slip over a piece of 
 hoop-iron fastened across the bottom board of 
 the hive, which has a slight channel cut under it 
 to give the requisite room. One end of each 
 frame being thus secured they remain perpen- 
 dicular, and are kept at the right distance from 
 each other — ^ of an inch — by nails partially 
 driven in the sides of the frames. There are va- 
 rious other items in the construction, such as 
 ventilators, etc., which I cannot take room to 
 describe. At the sides and top of these frames 
 there is space enough to place surplus boxes of 
 over lOO lbs. capacity, holding from 2^ to 4 lbs. 
 each. Top boxes are placed directly on the 
 frames ; side boxes with the partially open ends 
 against the main combs. If the honey is de- 
 signed for home consumption, extra frames may 
 be used instead of boxes. A large box, which 
 is joined at the corners with hooks, incloses the 
 whole, and can be readily opened at any time. 
 The space devoted to boxes in summer can be 
 filled with dry hay or straw, and the hives re- 
 main safely on the summer stand during winter. 
 Those who prefer to increase their colonies by 
 natural or artificial swarming to securing large 
 amounts of surplus honey, can use these frames 
 to advantage by omitting the extra space designed 
 for boxes, and inclosing with a box just large 
 enough to accommodate the frames, leaving suf- 
 ficient room to prevent the bee^from waxing the 
 outside combs fast to the hive. 
 
 Position of the Hives. — For an apiary, or 
 even a single hive of bees, the best position is a 
 sheltered place on a low level, instead of an el- 
 evated and exposed situation, and as free as pos- 
 sible from damp, noxious smells, and disturbing 
 sounds. A plot of well-kept grass, or a space 
 covered with dry gravel, is frequently very de- 
 sirable. There seems to be no definite rule as 
 to the best position for the hive as regards the 
 points of the compass ; the bees have been 
 found to thrive whether their abode fronts the 
 south, the north, or any intermediate point. On 
 this subject so much depends on the locality, the 
 climate, and various other considerations, that it 
 is difficult, or rather impossible, to prescrilje any 
 rule of universal application. 
 
 Changing Hives. — The best time to change 
 bees without loss from common to movable 
 frame hives is about the season of swarming, 
 which varies with the latitude and climate. 
 About the time when swarms are expected nat- 
 urally, take the hive which you wish to transfer, 
 and, blowing a little smoke into the entrance, 
 remove it a rod or more from its stand, leaving 
 an empty box or hive in its place, into which the 
 bees that are out in the field may gather. In- 
 vert the hive which you liave moved, and put 
 over it an empty box or hive, as near the same 
 size and shape as possible, and stop all holes or 
 cracks between the two with grass or weeds that 
 may be at hand, leaving no hole large enough 
 for a bee to escape. Then with sticks keep up a 
 sharp drumming on the bottom hive, at which 
 the bees, alarmed, will fill their sacs with honey 
 and mount into the upper hive. In from 20 to 30 
 minutes most of the bees, with their queen, will 
 lie in the empty box on top. The beginner need 
 not fear driving too many ; let all go that will. 
 Then carefully set tlie box containing the bees in 
 
 a shady place, and take the old hive back to the 
 place whera it stood. While you have been 
 driving, many bees will have come back to their 
 home, and finding it gone, will be roaming in 
 and out of the empty hive in distress. These 
 will at once rush into the old hive when it re- 
 turns, and gladly adhere to it. Then remove it 
 to a location some yards off, when, as it contains 
 many hatching bees and eggs, tlie bees will at 
 once rear a new queen to replace the one just 
 driven out, and in a short time be as prosperous 
 as ever. Now place your new movable comb- 
 hive, with its entrances all open, on the old 
 stand, and spread a sheet before it ; on this sheet 
 empty the bees you have driven into the box, 
 and they will at once take up a line of march for 
 the entrance of the new hive; if they gather 
 there, brush a few in with a wing or twig, and 
 they will call the others, who enter in a body 
 and accept the new hive as their home. 
 
 Food for Bees. — It must be sufficiently ob- 
 vious that no artificial food can be so acceptable 
 or suitable to the bee as pure honey — the kind 
 of nutriment which the instinct of the creature 
 itself induces it to provide ; refuse honey may 
 therefore, in preference to any other kind of 
 food, be given to the bees whenever it is really 
 required ; but in many instances artificial food is 
 supplied. In spring it is recommended by com- 
 petent judges that even strong hives be fed, in- 
 asmuch as they are stimulated by the increased 
 temperature which the feeding occasions ; but 
 that tliere ought to be no feeding — unless there 
 exists an unavoidable necessity for it — till the 
 hive exhibits some degree of animation ; for the 
 bees often are tempted to go forth prematurely 
 in quest of flowers, and numbers in this way 
 perish, being unable to return home. As al- 
 ready observed, honey furnishes the best because 
 the most natural element, and it may very prop- 
 erly be rendered more liquid by a slight admix- 
 ture of water ; but various substitutes for honey 
 have been resorted to, and by no means unsuc- 
 ces'fefully. 
 
 Bee Feeder. — An excellent bee feeder, and 
 one not covered, I believe, with a patent, is made 
 thus: Make a wooden box without a bottom, 
 somewhere about 8 by 10 inches, and 2 inches 
 deep. Nail over the top a piece of good muslin, 
 leaving it loose enough to sag down in the mid- 
 dle nearly or quite to the lower edges of the 
 sides of the box — if intending to use it on the 
 top of box hives, it ought not to hang down 
 quite so low. Now you can set this feeder, 
 muslin side uppermost, on the top of a box hive, 
 having opened the holes, or directly on the tops 
 of the frames of a movable comb hive. Pour the 
 honey or syrup on the concave muslin, and the 
 bees will take It from the under side. Cover the 
 whole apparatus so as to secure it from rob- 
 bers. 
 
 Pasturage FOR Bees. — Districts of country 
 where grain is extensively cultivated are less fa- 
 vorable to bees than those in which fields abound- 
 ing with wild flowers exist, and where clover, 
 peas, beans and similar plants are largely grown. 
 The blossoms of fruit trees of all kinds, and the 
 flowers of the broom, the furze, and the bram- 
 ble, all afford the bee great advantages for the 
 collection of honey and farina. The planting, 
 too, in the neighborhood of the hives, of the cro- 
 cus, the blue hepatica, the black hellebore, and 
 mignonette, is also found to be favorable. 
 
APIARY. 
 
 23 
 
 Supply of Water. — When the season is dry, 
 and during the period of breeding, water is nec- 
 essary to the bees, in order not only to the se- 
 cretion of wax, but the due preparation of honey 
 and farina. If there be no natural supply of the 
 needful element within easy reach of the little 
 architects, a shallow vessel must be placed near 
 them, which may be frequently filled to the brim. 
 As a precaution against the danger of drowning 
 some of the bees, a thin piece of wood, perforated 
 vith holes, may be placed so as to float on the 
 surface, covering every part of it. The holes 
 will be so many wells from which the bees can 
 draw their supphes without the danger of their 
 falling into the water. 
 
 Sunshine and Shadow. — Too much heat is 
 always injurious to bees; they ought not to be 
 left exposed to the sun in sultry weather. It 
 renders the insects extremely initable, and ex- 
 poses the combs to the danger of being more or 
 less softened, and even melted. It is very im- 
 portant, therefore, to protect the hive by shelter- 
 mg it from the direct rays of the sun. A screen 
 adapted to the purpose is very suitable, or a mat, 
 which may be thrown over the hive. In our 
 opinion tlie screen is to be preferred, as causing 
 a grateful shade, and at the same time permitting 
 a better ventilation. On this subject an excellent 
 writer remarks, that bees "delight best in thick 
 forests, because thei'e they find a imiform tem- 
 perature and a propitious shade;" and he adds, 
 " It is a mistake to suppose that bees exposed to 
 the sun produce the earliest and strongest 
 swarms ; I have often experienced the reverse. 
 Bees like the shade when working, and the sun 
 only when in the fields." 
 
 Enemies of the Bees. — Domestic fowls are 
 destroyers of bees, and also some birds,' from 
 whose attacks as they range the fields at a dis- 
 tr.nce from the hive they cannot be protected. 
 Among these is the titmouse, or blue tomtit, 
 which devours the bees, and feeds his young 
 with them ; and in winter is said to endeavor to 
 force his way into the hive itself. Mice are crften 
 very troublesome, and even rats sometimes make 
 their way into the hive. Slugs and snails often 
 occasion much trouble ; and especially in warm 
 summer evenings, the attacks of wasps and hor- 
 nets are a great annoyance to the bees. In all 
 these cases care and vigilance can do much. 
 Wasps' nests ought to be destroyed wherever 
 met with ; insects of all kinds, such as earwigs, 
 woodlice, ants, etc., should be cleared away. 
 In a word, the hives and stands for them ought 
 to be kept as clean and neat as possible. 
 
 Wintering Bees. — A good plan is to quilt a 
 mat of cotton batting, and place it on the frames 
 upoji a cross strip, so securing winter passages 
 each side between the frames, and the quilt 
 against which the bees cluster and winter well 
 out of doors, the side honey-cases filled with cut 
 straw, or some other absorbing material. In 
 box hives an upper chamber or box should be 
 filled with straw, and the entrance contracted to 
 keep out mice. To winter bees successfully, only 
 three things are necessary — ventilation in the 
 right place, plenty of food where they can reach 
 it, and sufficient bees in number to maintain the 
 requisite animal heat. In colder latitudes, bees 
 are most safely wintered in dry, dark cellars, and 
 should be set on shelves, with the entrance 
 closed with wire cloth. The holes through the 
 tqp of bo.\ hives should be covered with wire 
 
 cloth, and the hives inverted and set on ^ inch 
 strips. They should not be put into the cellar 
 until cold weather comes on in earnest. A warm 
 and pleasant day should be chosen to put them 
 out again, for they will be attracted by the light 
 and fly out, when, if it be chilly, some will per- 
 ish. 
 
 Rearing Queens. — Premising that you use 
 movable frames, make a number of small frames, 
 as near 4 or 5 inches square as may be, to just 
 fit inside one of your large ones. Fill with clean 
 worker comb — that which has been frozen is the 
 best, because the eggs of the moth will have 
 been thus destroyed — and put the large frame 
 containing these small ones in the middle of some 
 stock witli a fertile queen from which .you wish 
 to breed. Provide also some small boxes on the 
 plan of a simple movable frame hive, with loose 
 top and rabbeting for the frames, and just the 
 size to accommodate three or four of them. 
 When eggs have been deposited in the combs, 
 set up one of your small boxes with them as a 
 hive in miniature, and confine in it between a 
 pint and quart of bees. They will immediately 
 construct queen cells, and may then be opened. 
 In this way any number of queens may be pro- 
 vided. 
 
 How TO Change Colonies of Black Bees 
 TO Italian. — Since the queen is the mpther of 
 all the bees in the hive, and deposits all the eggs, 
 it follows that they will all be like her. If then 
 the queen be taken from a colony of common 
 bees, and an Italian queen be put there in her 
 stead, all the eggs thenceforth laid will produce 
 Italian bees ; and as the life of the worker bee is 
 short, in from two to three months the old bees 
 will all have died out, and be replaced in greater 
 numbers by the beautiful Italians. These Italian 
 queens are now reared for sale by scientific api- 
 arians, and sent to any part of the world with 
 perfect safety. If a pure queen purely impreg- 
 nated is purchased and introduced to any colony « 
 of black bees, an Italian stock is secured in the 
 best and least expensive way. 
 
 The Safest Way TO Introduce an Italian 
 Colony. — Take away the queen of the colony to 
 Avhich the Italian is to be given. To find her 
 most easily, open the stand in the middle of a 
 fine day, when many bees are absent from the 
 hive. Disturb the bees as little as possible, and 
 have an assistant to look on one side of the frame 
 while you examine the other. Look first on the 
 combs near where the bees cluster, as the queen 
 is apt to be there. As soon as you have found 
 and killed her, put the Italian queen, with three 
 or more of the bees that come with her, into a 
 wire cage which always accompanies her when 
 sent, and lay this over the frames near the clus- 
 ter, or, if the weather be cool, the cage may 
 be laid between two frames. Leave her there 
 48 hours, and then, without disturbing the bees, 
 withdraw the stopper, and allow the queen to go 
 into the hive at her pleasure. 
 
 BEESWAX, To Whiten.— In March or 
 April melt yellow wax without boiling ; then 
 having several pewter dishes ready, dip the out- 
 side bottom of each dish in fair watSr ; then dip 
 them into the wax, and take up a very thin plate 
 of wax — the thinner the better ; take them off", 
 and expose them upon the grass to the sun, air, 
 and dews, until they be milk-white, turning 
 them often. 
 
 BEESWAX, To Bleach {Italian Method.)— 
 
24 
 
 DICTIONARY OF E VERY-DAY WANTS. 
 
 The yellow wax is first melted in a kettle, and 
 then is dipped out into a long tin vessel that will 
 hold two or three gallons, and which has a row 
 of small holes, about the diameter of a knitting- 
 needle, in the bottom. Tliis vessel is fixed over 
 a cylinder of wood 2 feet in length and 15 inches 
 in diameter, which is made to revolve like a 
 grindstone, in one end of a trough of water, 2% 
 feet in width, 10 to 15 feet in length, and I foot 
 
 in depth. As the melted wax falls in small 
 streams on this wet revolving cylinder, it flattens 
 out into a thin ribbon, and floats off toward the 
 other end of the trough of water. It is then 
 dipped out with a skimmer (that may be made 
 of osier twigs,) spread on a table with a top 
 made of small willow rods, covered with a clean 
 white cloth, and then exposed in this way to the 
 sun until bleached. 
 
 CARPENTER AND BUILDER. 
 
 BUILDING HOUSES, Hints on.—x. Build 
 solid, substantial foundations laid up in cement 
 or mortar, with footing-course projecting 6 inches 
 on either side, as this is a preventive against rats 
 burrowing under the foundation and entering the 
 house from the outside. Plaster the walls on 
 the outside flush and smooth with cement where 
 coming against the earth ; this prevents the sur- 
 face-water from percolating through the joints 
 of the walls and making your cellar wet and damp. 
 If it is a clay soil, and your house is situated 
 on a side hill, sub-drain your cellar, lead the 
 drain out to the lowest part of your ground, and 
 let it discharge on the surface. If your ground 
 slopes in all directions away from the house, the 
 above precaution is not necessary. — 2. Do not 
 support the interior partitions to your house upon 
 brick piers in the cellar, with a timber girder 
 running from pier to pier, and the floor-beams 
 resting thereon. This is very faulty construc- 
 tion, as it admits of the shrinkage of the timber 
 girder and the floor-beams above it, producing 
 setting and cracks throughout the building. 
 These interior partitions sustain full as much, 
 if not more, weight than the exterior walls, and 
 therefore should have eight or twelve-inch walls 
 under all bearing partitions. Build these sup- 
 porting walls up to the top of the floor-beams, 
 so as to permit the stud partitions above to rest 
 directly on the brick- work, and thereby avoid the 
 shrinkage of the beams. All stud partitions 
 above the first story should, if possible, rest on 
 the heads of the partitions beneath, thus again 
 avoiding shrinkage and consequent settling. — 3. 
 It is false economy to use light floor-beams, as 
 their constant vibration when walked upon is ex- 
 cessively annoying and unpleasant. They should 
 never be placed more than 16 inches apart be- 
 tween centres, and for ordinary spans should be 
 at least 2 by 10 inches, and 2 by 1 1 and 2 by 12 
 inches for spans not over 18 feet. All beams 
 should be thoroughly cross-bridged, and all 
 floors should be deafened. This deafening 
 is not only for the purpose of deadening the 
 sound, but it also prevents any water that may 
 be spilled on the floor above staining the ceiling 
 underneath. It also prevents the rapid spread 
 of fire. — ^4. All ceilings should be cross-furred, 
 the purpose of which is to bring the ceiling to a 
 true level and to prevent cracking. — 5. It is a 
 very good plan to have all doors hung on loose- 
 jointed butts, so as to allow of their being easily 
 lifted off the hinges, should they require at any 
 time to .be eased or planed off. This is also a 
 
 great convenience on occasion of r.n entertain- 
 ment, as the doors can be removed and stored 
 away, and the house thoroughly thrown open to 
 the company. — 6. All first-class houses should 
 have double floors. The first flooring may be of 
 mill-worked boards, and the finishing floor 
 (which may be of any wood desired) should not 
 be put down until the plastering is complete, and 
 the base and casings to the door are up; by 
 adopting this plan a very thorough floor is ob- 
 tained, as we avoid all the dirty and wet work of 
 the plasterer, and the wear and tear incident to 
 the passing to and fro of the workmen. The ef- 
 fect of the shrinkage of the base from the floor 
 is also avoided, giving the work a better finish. 
 It makes a much more rigid floor, and ties the 
 building together much better, to lay the second 
 floor at right angles with the first floor. — 7. Al- 
 ways see that tlie plastering is carried down to 
 the floor, and by this means avoid as far as pos- 
 sible having any space at the back of the base- 
 board, wherein cockroaches and other vermin 
 may find refuge. Also plaster behind panel- 
 backs, under windows, and where the sub-sill 
 rests on the stone sill, to prevent the cold air and 
 snow from drifting in. — Jj. In wooden houses, 
 be careful to have all of the cappings and tops to 
 the windows and doors covered with tin, the tin 
 to be carried up underneath the outside covering 
 or clap-boarding.— g. In conclusion, put yourself 
 at the outset in the hands of a good, thorough 
 architect, and be governed by him in the mode 
 of construction. Listen to his suggestions, for 
 he has had much more experience than you. Do 
 not desert him because he tells you candidly 
 what your building will cost, and go to others 
 who seek to persuade you that they can produce 
 the same amount of room at much less cost ; for 
 this can only be done by the process oi skinning, 
 which means leaving out those matters which are 
 contained in the above suggestions, and very 
 many more, all of which greatly contribute to 
 the durability of the house and the actual corQ- 
 fort of existence within it. In this, as in many 
 other cases, the best economy does not lie in the 
 fancied saving of money at the outset, but in the 
 adoption of wise plans. 
 
 BRICK-MAKING, Application of the Ask 
 and Small Coke of Gas Works for. — Mix from 
 10 to 12 parts of the ash and cinders with i part 
 of lime, after having first taken care to break up 
 the small pieces of coke, so as to be of no more 
 than about 5 centimetres cubical size. The mass 
 is mixed with some water, and next mixed in a 
 
CARPENTER AND BUILDER. 
 
 2; 
 
 pug-mill, and, after having become stiff enough, 
 formed into bricks by a brick-making machine. 
 The bricks are slowly but carefully dried, and 
 are, after drying, fit for use, making very solid 
 walls, while the material is very light, and es- 
 pecially suited for partition walls. 
 
 BRICKy To Wet. — Very few people, even 
 builders, are aware of the advantage of wetting 
 bricks before laying them, or, if aware of it, too 
 often neglect to practice it. A wall 12 inches 
 thick, built of good mortar and bricks well 
 soaked, is stronger than one 16 inches thick 
 built dry. The reason of this is, that if the 
 bricks are well saturated with water, they will 
 not abstract from the mortar the moisture neces- 
 sary to its crystallization ; and, on the contrary, 
 they will unite chemically, and become as solid 
 as a rock. On the other hand, if the bricks are 
 put up dry, they immediately take up all the 
 moisture from the mortar, leaving it to dry and 
 harden, and the consequence is that, when a 
 building of this description is taken down, or 
 tumbles down of its own accord, the mortar 
 from it is like so much sand. 
 
 BRICK WALLS, Coating for.— \. Take of 
 fresh Rosendale cement 3 parts, and of clean, 
 fine sand i part; mix with fresh water thor- 
 oughly. This gives a gray or granite color, 
 <lark or light, according to the color of the ce- 
 ment. If brick color is desired, add enough 
 Venetian red to the mixture to produce the color. 
 If a very light color is desired, lime may be used 
 with the cement and sand. Care must be taken 
 to have all of the ingredients well mixed to- 
 gether. In applying the wash, the vail must 
 be wet with clean, fresh water, then follow im- 
 mediately with the cement wash. This prevents 
 the bricks from absorbing the water from the 
 Avash too rapidly, and gives time for the cement 
 to set. The wash must be well stirred during 
 the application — the admixture to be made as 
 thick as can be applied conveniently with awhite- 
 Avash brush. It is stated that this cement wash 
 will stand for years, that it is admirably suited 
 for brick work, fences, etc. , that it is nearly wa- 
 ter-proof, but that it cannot be used to advantage 
 over paint or whitewash. — 2. Sylvester's process 
 for repeUing moisture from external walls, is 
 easy of application and very effectual. It con- 
 sists in using two washes or solutions for cover- 
 ing the surface of brick walls — one composed of 
 Castile soap and water, and one of alum and wa- 
 ter. The proportions are : ^/ of a lb. of soap 
 to I gallon of water, and ^ a lb. of alum to 4 
 gallons of water, both substances to be perfectly 
 dissolved in the water before being used. The 
 walls should be perfectly clean and dry, and the 
 temperature of the air should not be below 50° 
 Fahrenheit, when the compositions are to be ap- 
 plied. 
 
 The first or soap-wash should be laid on when 
 at boiling heat, with a flat brush, taking care not 
 .to form a froth on the brick work. This wash 
 should remain 24 hours, so as to become dry and 
 hard before the second or alum wash is applied, 
 which should be applied in the same manner as 
 the first. Four coatings will render the bricks 
 impenetrable imder a very heavy pressure. 
 
 BRICK OVENS, How to Make.—\ brick 
 'Oven built in the old style, out of doors, entirely 
 separated from the dwelling-house, is more de- 
 sirable and more safe, so far as danger from fire 
 •was concerned, than if built by the side of the 
 
 fireplace, in the house. A good brick oven for 
 baking bread, pies, and cakes is worth all the 
 ranges and cook-stoves that one could store in 
 his kitchen. In such an oven every thing will 
 be baked just right, above and below, through 
 and through. After a foundation has been pre- 
 pared, let two courses of hard bricks be laid for 
 the bottom of the oven. Then build the mouth 
 and part of the sides, until it is desirable to be- 
 gin to draw the sides inward, when sand or mel- 
 low earth may be placed on the foundation, and 
 the surface smoothed off and pressed down to 
 the desired form of the oven. Now let the 
 brick work be built over this form of sand. Let 
 two courses of hard bricks be laid over the form 
 with the best mortar. After the last bricks have 
 been laid the sand may be removed. The bricks 
 should be soaked for several hours previous to 
 being laid, so that they will not absorb the mois- 
 ture of the mortar until it has set. Such an oven 
 will cost but a few dollars. Many people can 
 collect a sufficient number of loose bricks and 
 pieces around their dwellings to build a brick 
 oven. Besides this, any intelligent man, though 
 only half a mechanic, can build such an oven 
 about as well as a mason. 
 
 BRICK BUILDINGS, How to Famt.—lo 
 prevent the disintegration of exterior brick sur- 
 faces, caused by moisture of the atmosphere and 
 change of temperature, paint should be used to 
 cover the surface ; and it must be borne in mind 
 that paints are durable mainly because of the 
 water-proof quality of the oil in which they are 
 used. The natural pigments — called ochres cr 
 earth-paints — do not in any degree act upon the 
 oil ; while others, as white leads and the chro- 
 mates of lead, do affect the oil chemically, and 
 impair in a measure its tenacity or water-proof 
 quality ; for these reasons it follows that the nat- 
 ural pigments are not only the most economical, 
 but the most durable, for painting brick houses. 
 It has been demonstrated that the most durable 
 paint for brick painting is a mixture of finely- 
 ground French yellow ochre, mixed with an 
 equal quantity, by weight, of American white 
 zinc. The color is a soft shade of buff, most 
 pleasant to the eye, and permanent to the last 
 degree, both in color and material. Venetian 
 red, an artificial ochre, or red oxide of iron, is 
 in common use ; but it does not hold oil like the 
 yellow ochre, and makes a coating far less water- 
 proof. It is a seemingly durable paint, because 
 the stain which it imparts to a porous surface re- 
 mains long after the oil has been washed away. 
 It cannot be used with white zinc, because of the 
 unsuitable pink tint which it produces, and be- 
 cause this pigment, (Venetian red,) when tinted 
 with white, becomes highly fugitive in color. 
 
 The condition of the wall is also very import- 
 ant in painting brick surfaces. The work should 
 be done in dry, warm weather, when the moist- 
 ure which bricks absorb during the winter and 
 spring seasons has dried out; otherwise the 
 paint will not be apt to adhere tenaciously, but 
 wnll scale or peel off. The joints in the stone 
 coping on brick walls require constant looking 
 after. These should be made absolutely imper- 
 vious to water by the application of a mass of 
 soft paint-skins both on the top and edges; and 
 when this hardens to the point of cracking, it 
 should be removed and renewed. Mortar and 
 cement for such purposes are altogether useless. 
 The joint, too, between the wall and the coping 
 
26 
 
 DICTIONARY OF E VERY-DAY WANTS. 
 
 tinderneath should be well filled with paint- 
 skins before painting ; for, no matter how wa- 
 ter-proof the surface may be, if the water be al- 
 lowed to percolate through the joints in the co- 
 ping, the integrity of the wall will be de- 
 stroyed. 
 
 CELLARS, To Keep from Freezing. — A novel 
 plan for this purpose is to take either old news- 
 papers or coarse brown paper, and with a strong 
 size paste them four or five thicknesses down 
 thoroughly to the stone walls of the cellar and 
 to the bare joists overhead, leaving an air space 
 between them and the floor. Before pasting, it 
 will be better to sweep down the walls and joists 
 thoroughly. It will not be necessary to press 
 the paper down into all the depressions of the 
 wall ; every air space is an additional defence 
 against the cold. If this plan is adopted and 
 carefully executed the cellar will be frost-proof, 
 even if it is left unbanked. 
 
 CHIMNEYS, To Build.— Y^vexy chimney 
 ought, if practicable, to extend clear to the bot- 
 tom of the cellar, and rest there on a substantial 
 foundation, covered with a broad, flat stone, to 
 
 Erevent the absorption of dampness by the 
 ricks. This will not only prevent accidents 
 from fire, but will prevent the superincumbent 
 weight from injuring the wall in any way. More 
 than this, whcH a chimney rests on a foundation 
 in the attic, or even in an upper room, during 
 long and severe storms such a large volume of 
 water usually falls directly into the chimney that 
 the bricks at the bottom become thoroughly sat- 
 urated. Consequently, the surplus water soaks 
 down through the wall below ; whereas, if the 
 chimney had extended to the bottom of the cel- 
 lar, the walls would not have been injured by 
 the great fall of rain. 
 
 By building chimneys ^vith double walls, leav- 
 ing an air space between them, an excellent 
 means of ventilation is secured, from the top or 
 bottom of rooms, as desired, by inserting venti- 
 lators in the outer chimney. The heat from the 
 inner, when fires are used, will always make a 
 good draft upward. 
 
 To build a chimney so that it will not smoke, 
 the chief point is to make the throat of the 
 chimney not less than 4 inches broad and 12 
 long; then the chimney should be abruptly en- 
 larged to double the size, and so continue for i 
 foot or more ; then it may be gradually tapered 
 off as desired. But the inside of the chimney, 
 throughout its whole length to the top, should 
 be plastered very smooth with good mortar, 
 which will harden with age. If salt is mixed 
 pretty freely with the mortar used, moisture 
 enough will be imbibed to prevent the soot from 
 adhering. The area of a chimney should be at 
 least half a square foot, and no flue less than 60 
 square inches. The best shape for a chimney is 
 circular or many-sided, as giving less friction, 
 (brick is the best material, as it is a non-con- 
 ductor,) and the higher above the roof the bet- 
 ter. 
 
 CHIMNE YS, Remedy for Smoking.— From 
 experience it has been found that by the use of 
 fine wire gauze of from 36 to 40 wires to the 
 inch, as a screen blower, or guard, judiciously 
 applied to registers, stoves, ranges, or stove 
 doors, little if any smoke will come into the 
 room. The atmospheric pressure prevents the 
 smoke entering the room through the gauze, and 
 if applied immediately to the fire more smoke 
 
 will be consumed than by any other means. In 
 that case the wire should be kept two inches 
 from immediate contact with the hot fire. 
 
 COVERING BUILDINGS, Few's Compc 
 sition for. — Take the hardest and purest lime- 
 stone, (white marble is to be preferred,) free 
 from sand, clay, or other matter ; calcine it in a 
 reverberatory furnace, pulverize and pass it 
 through a sieve. One part, by weight, is to be 
 mixed with two parts of clay well baked and 
 similarly pulverized, conducting the whole oper- 
 ation with great care. This forms the first pow- 
 der. The second is to be made of one part of 
 calcined and pulverized gypsum, to which is ad- 
 ded two parts ©f clay, baked and pulverized. 
 These two powders are to be combined, and in- 
 timately incorporated, so as to form a perfect 
 mixture. When it is to be used, mix it with 
 about a fourth part ot its weight of water, added 
 gradually, stirring the mass well the whole time, 
 until it forms a thick paste, in which state it is 
 to be spread like mortar upon the desired sur- 
 face. It becomes in time as hard as stone, al- 
 lows no moisture to penetrate, and is not cracked 
 by heat. When well prepared it will last any 
 length of time. When in its plastic or soft state 
 it may be colored of any desired tint. 
 
 DARK ROOMS, To Lighten.— U the glass 
 in the window of a room — the darkness in which 
 is caused by its being situated in a narrow street 
 or lane — is placed within the outer face of the 
 wall, as is the custom in building houses, it will 
 admit but very little light, what it gets being only 
 the reflection from the walls of the opposite 
 houses. If, however, for the window be substi- 
 tuted another in which all the panes of glass are 
 roughly ground on the outside, and flush with 
 the outer wall, the light from the whole of the 
 visible sky, and from the remotest parts of the 
 opposite wall, will be introduced into the apart- 
 ment, reflected from the innumerable faces or 
 facets which the rough grinding of the glass has 
 produced. The whole window will appear as if 
 the sky were beyond it, and from every point of 
 this luminous surface light will radiate into all 
 parts of the room. 
 
 DOOR-STEPS, of Concrete.— Make square 
 boxes at the door where the steps are wanted. 
 Then mix up coarse gravel or cement and make 
 a mortar or concrete, mixing in cobble-stones, 
 and fill the boxes or moulds. After a time re- 
 move the moulds, and place boards on the steps 
 for people to walk over till the concrete haj 
 thoroughly hardened. If rightly made, these 
 cement steps will remain hard and perfect, and 
 neither the frost nor weather will injure them. 
 They should be made in the spring of the year, 
 so that they can have the summer and fall to 
 harden in. 
 
 FLOORS, Oiled. — Oiling improves a floor in 
 several ways. Grease-spots, of course, will not 
 affect the wood thus treated; and much less 
 scrubbing than is necessary for a plain floor will 
 suffice to keep it clean. Moreover, the appear- 
 ance is improved by the oil. Many of our na- 
 tive woods, prepared in this manner, become 
 positively handsome. Finally, it gives the sur- 
 face a harder texture, which makes it wear longer 
 and more uniformly. 
 
 Paint costs more, takes longer to dry, and 
 
 cr •\ • ••II- 
 
 wears off more easily, since it simply forms a 
 crust or coating upon the surface ; while oil pen- 
 etrates the wood. Hence an oiled floor looks 
 
CARPENTER AND BUILDER. 
 
 27 
 
 better than a painted one, especially if a little 
 color, such as Van Dyke brown, umber, or 
 burned sienna is added to the oil. 
 
 To prepare a floor in this manner, take raw 
 linseed oil, or some cheap oil, not offensive in 
 odor, and capable of drying ; mix it, if desired, 
 •with some such transparent color as those men- 
 tioned above; and apply it with a common 
 paint-brush. Lay it on smoothly, so that it will 
 strike in uniformly over the whole surface, and 
 not stand in spots. This may be done at night, 
 after the day's work ; and the place will be ready 
 for use again the next morning. As far as the 
 oiled surface is concerned, it might be stepped 
 upon at once without injury ; but there would be 
 danger in that case of tracking the grease to 
 other parts of the house. A new coat of oil, ap- 
 plied in this way once or twice a year, is suffi- 
 cient to keep a floor in perfect order. 
 
 FLOORS, Soluble Glass for.— \n%\&zA of the 
 old-fashioned method of using wax for polishing 
 floors, soluble glass is now employed to great 
 advantage. For this purpose the floor is first 
 well cleaned, and then the cracks filled up with 
 a cement of water-glass and a powdered chalk or 
 g)-psum ; afterward a water-glass of 60 to 65'', 
 of the thickness of syrup, is applied by means of 
 a stiff brush. Any desired color is to be im- 
 parted to the floor in a second coat of the water- 
 glass, and additional coats are to be given until 
 the requisite polish is obtained. A still higher 
 finish may be given by pummicing off the last 
 layer, and then putting on a coating of oil. 
 
 FLOORS, Cellar.— When it is inexpedient to 
 go to the expense of cement, an excellent sub- 
 stitute is secured by taking coal-ashes and mix- 
 ing it with water to the ordinary thickness of 
 mortar. It does not matter how many lumps or 
 stones there are. Put it on about 4 inches 
 thick; let it lay 24 hours, and then stamp it 
 with a heavy block of Avood 3 or 4 times a day 
 until it is perfectly hard. It will be found to be 
 as good, if not better, than cement, and \vill not 
 crack or scale off. 
 
 FLOORS, for Basements. — In the prepara- 
 tion for laying the floor, the ground underneath 
 is dug out, so as to leave what is termed an "air 
 space" between it and the joists. The airing of 
 the under side of the floor is procured at the ex- 
 j>ense of the comfort of the upper surface, and 
 consequently of that of the house itself; for the 
 inch flooring is but shght defence against the 
 cold, which must necessarily find its way be- 
 neath. A far better mode of flooring basements, 
 cottages, dairies, etc. , is to spread on the ground 
 a bed of air-slacked lime, on which the joists 
 should rest and be sunk, say an inch or two 
 deep, so as to leave no chance for air to enter, 
 and at the same time effectually keep out all ver- 
 min, as they will not attempt to burrow in lime. 
 At first sight this seems to be an expensive mode 
 of securing comfort, but it is quite the contrary. 
 Ten bushels of lime is ample for a square of 10 
 feet, (100 square feet,) and there are very few 
 localities in which lime is not cheap and plenty. 
 Such an underlaying of lime will prove a most 
 desirable preservative of basement floors, and 
 render a dwelling sanitary, warm and sound. 
 
 GRA VEL COA^CRETE, for Houses.— TUs 
 is the best building material in the world. 
 ^Miere gravel is abundant, it is 4 times cheaper 
 than wood, 6 times cheaper than stone, and im- 
 mensely superior to either. Proportions for 
 
 mixing : To 8 barrows of slacked lime well del- 
 uged with water, add 15 barrows of sand, (do 
 not use river or beach sand, as I have observed 
 this will absorb damp ; ) mix these to a creamy 
 consistency, and then add 60 barrows of coarse 
 gravel, which must be worked well and com- 
 pletely. You can throw stones into this mixture 
 of any shape or size, to 9 or 10 inches in diam- 
 eter. Form moulds for the walls of the house 
 by fixing boards horizontally against upright 
 standards, which must be immovably braced, so 
 that they will not yield to the immense pressure 
 of the material as it settles ; set the standards in 
 pairs around the building where the walls are to 
 stand, from 6 to 8 feet apart, and so wide that 
 the inner space shall form the thickness of the 
 wall. Into the moulds thus formed throw the 
 concrete material as fast as you choose, and the 
 more promiscuous the better. In a short time 
 the material will get as hard as the solid rock. 
 If the gravel is free of dirt, the sand also clean, 
 and the weather dry, the walls can be raised one 
 foot each day, if you have help to do that amount 
 of labor. 
 
 Some prefer to make the gravel and sand into 
 mortar and press it into bricks, and then lay into 
 walls ; but the wall must be stronger if laid up 
 solid in board frames made to raise up as re- 
 quired. 
 
 Many persons argue for the eight-square or 
 octagon house ; but I like the square form much 
 the best, carrying up the hall and main partition 
 walls of the same material. The eight-square 
 house looks like an old fort or water-tank, and is 
 very expensive to finish, costing much more 
 than the same room with square angles ; for me- 
 chanics cannot put up cornices, outside or inside, ' 
 in less than double the time required for making 
 the common square mitre. 
 
 HOUSES, IVhen to Pa /«/.— Repeated ex- 
 periments prove that paint applied between No- 
 vember and March will last twice as long as that 
 applied in warm weather. The reason is tliat in 
 cold weather the component parts of the paint 
 form a hard substance on the surface, as hard al- 
 most as glass. But in warm weather the oil 
 penetrates the boards, and the paint soon wears 
 off". 
 
 HOUSES, Choice of Color for.— Tht choice 
 of color for country houses requires the exercise 
 of taste, judgment, and an eye for harmonious 
 combinations. It is laid down as a rule by Cal- 
 vert Vaux, that every building requires four tints 
 to make it a pleasant object in the way of color. 
 "The main walls," he remarks, "should be of 
 some agreeable shade of color, the roof-trim- 
 mings, verandas, and other wood-work, being 
 either of a different color, or of a different shade 
 of the same color, so that a contrast, but not a 
 sharp one, may be established — a third and 
 fourth color, not widely different from the other 
 wood- work, should be applied to the windows, 
 blinds, etc." 
 
 The greatest defect in the generality of coira- 
 try buildings is the too frequent use of white. 
 Another most decidedly objectionable color is 
 unmodified red, or those brown-stone tints, ap- 
 proaching to chocolate color, which are so fre- 
 quently used in the construction of town dwell- 
 ings. 
 
 The simplest practical rule in the painting of 
 houses, is to choose paint of some neutral tint 
 that is quiet and satisfactory, and let the facings 
 
28 
 
 DICTIONARY OF EVERY-DAY WANTS. 
 
 of the windows, cornices, etc., be painted sev- 
 eral shades darker of the same color. 
 
 LIGHTNING RODS, Haw to Erect— I. 
 The rod should consist of round iron of about I 
 inch in diameter ; its parts, throughout its whole 
 length, should be in perfect metallic continuity, 
 by being secured together by coupling ferrules. — 
 2. To secure it from rust the rod should be 
 coated with black paint, itself a good conductor. 
 — 3. It should terminate in a single platinum 
 point. — ^4. The shorter and more direct the 
 course of the rod to the earth the better ; bend- 
 ings should be rounded, av.d not formed in acute 
 angles. — 5. It should be fastened to the building 
 by iron eyes, and may be insulated from these 
 by cylinders of glass, (I do not, however, con- 
 sider the latter of much importance.) — 6. The 
 rod should be connected with the earth in the 
 most perfect manner possible, and nothing is 
 better for this purpose than to place it in metal- 
 lic contact with the gas pipes, or, better, the wa- 
 ter pipes, of the city. This connection may be 
 made by a ribbon of copper or iron soldered to 
 the end of the rod at one of its extremities, and 
 wrapped around the pipe at the other. If a con- 
 nection of this kind is impracticable, the rod 
 should be condnued horizontally to the nearest 
 well, and then turned vertically downward until 
 the end enters the water as deep as its lowest 
 level. The horizontal part of the rod may be 
 buried in a stratum of powdered charcoal and 
 ashes. The rod should be placed, in preference, 
 on the west side of the building. A rod of this 
 kind may be put up by an ordinary blacksmith. 
 The rod in question is in accordance with our 
 latest knowledge of all the facts of electricity. 
 Attempted improvements on it are worthless, 
 and, as a general thing, are proposed by those 
 who are but slightly acquainted with the subject. 
 
 LIME, to Burn, Without a Kiln. — Make a 
 pyramidal heap of large lime stones, with arched 
 furnace next the ground for putting in the fuel, 
 leaving a narrow vent or funnel at the top ; now 
 cover over the whole pile with earth and turf, in 
 the way that charcoal heaps are covered, and put 
 in the fire. The heat will be more completely 
 diffused through the pile if the aperture in the 
 top is partially closed. This produces a superior 
 article of lime. 
 
 AfORTAR.—hiwch of the mortar used in 
 building is said to be imperfectly made. Four 
 parts coarse and three parts fine sand, with one 
 part of quick-lime, well mixed with but little 
 water, makes mortar which soon becomes as 
 hard as adamant ; resisting all atmospheric action 
 as durably as the material it unites ; and with the 
 addition of a portion of manganese, it will harden 
 under water. 
 
 MORTAR, HYDRAULIC— kn ^a.sy way 
 of making hydraulic mortar out of ordinary lime 
 consists in adding to burned lime as much water 
 as it will take up without becoming pasty, and 
 allowing it to stand in heaps for 8 days, and 
 swell up. It is then passed through a wire 
 sieve with meshes about the fifteenth of an inch 
 in diameter, for the purpose of separating the 
 hard particles. The residuum of preceding sift- 
 ings, that have been exposed to water or moist 
 air, are to be rubbed up and added to the mass, 
 the whole to be well mixed together and then 
 piled up in heaps, protected from rain, till 
 needed. It may be preserved thus for years, 
 ready for use at any moment. 
 
 PARTITIONS. — There is nothing so con- 
 cerns the actual strength of a house, internally, 
 as those division walls which are called ' ' parti- 
 tions." They relieve the external walls of much 
 of their burden, and, more than that, they act as 
 braces or binders for the whole skeleton of the 
 house. Even the roof is dependent in a very 
 great degree on these partitions, as it is owing to 
 their presence and strength that the general con- 
 struction of a dwelling is more or less strong. 
 
 In view of permanency, partitions should al- 
 ways be well braced, and the braces so disposed 
 as to throw the superincumbent weight naturally 
 toward the walls. This office of the brace is one 
 on which its utility chiefly depends. Economy 
 is a reason for the employment of the brace in 
 parts of Europe, and in all countries where labor 
 is scarce and dear; for it affords a chance to use 
 up stuff that might otherwise be wasted. Par- 
 titions, after being put up, should be suffered to 
 remain exposed for a sufficient time to the action 
 of the atmosphere to give a chance for shrinkage 
 before lathing and plastering on them. The 
 shrinkage of the joists on each floor, though but 
 one-eighth of an inch, is considerably increased 
 in the partition up through the house, where the 
 joists lie on the partition-heads ; for one-eighth 
 of an inch on the ground floor makes a quarter of 
 an inch on the next floor, and so on in the same 
 multiplying ratio ; for this reason some builders 
 have considered it more advisable that partitions 
 should have no sills, but the studs be carried 
 down between the joists, and framed into the 
 head of the partition immediately below. Al- 
 though this is correct in theory, nevertheless the 
 sill is advantageous as making the partition much 
 stronger. This, with bridging, is apt to make 
 strong partitions. Where a partition is to be 
 framed so as to have a door leading from the 
 stairs into the drawing-room, and also with fold- 
 ing or sliding doors between the front and back 
 parlors, or other rooms, the head of the parti- 
 tion in this case should be well trussed with oak, 
 having a straining beam in the middle, two 
 queen posts, and two braces, with lead at the 
 abutment joints ; these pieces are then to be 
 forced together with bench screws, and kept in 
 their places by wedges passing through the aux- 
 iliary heads. 
 
 Some authorities think that all plates and 
 cross-ties of such partitions should be made to 
 camber very considerably, the curve gradually 
 increasing as the stories ascend; and all the 
 floors, ceilings and door-heads should conform 
 to this camber, which should not be less than 
 half an inch on ihe first floor, and an inch on the 
 second floor, and an inch and a half on the third 
 floor, and so on in proportion. If this precau- 
 tion be not taken, in less than two years (think 
 those authorities) the floors and ceilings must 
 fall out of level at their centres, as much both 
 from the shrinkage of the timber as from the 
 strain upon it from burden. The door-jambs 
 fixed in such partitions invariably strain out of 
 square at their angles, more or less, in propor- 
 tion to the dryness of the timber, the skill exer- 
 cised in trussing the work, and the degree of 
 burden cast on the partition. Therefore all such 
 jambs should have their heads fixed somewhat 
 out of level, so as to settle permanently to a cor- 
 rect square form, instead of^ being level, so as to 
 settle permanently out of square. In general, 
 plates immediately above the floors should be 
 
CARPENTER AND BUILDER. 
 
 29 
 
 omitted, as the more horizontal timber there is, 
 tlie more shrinkage there will be, and conse- 
 quently the more settlement ; and as such plates 
 mostly require to be cut through for doorways, 
 they are rarely of use as ties to the work. Un- 
 der each end of each truss a granite or any hard 
 stone templet, 3 or 4 feet long, should be set ; 
 these should be strongest and longest where the 
 trusses act with most energ)'. 
 
 It may be added to this, that in many houses, 
 as at present built, the shakiness of all the floors 
 is caused by the cellar having no partitions, al- 
 though its ceiling supports all the partitions and 
 staircases of the whole house. We have often 
 corrected this entirely by placing cross-beams 
 and props in the cellar under the beams support- 
 ing the partitions, and, as nearly as possible, ex- 
 actly under the partitions and staircases them- 
 selves, and by wedging these props up till they 
 had raised the beams one-half or one whole 
 inch, and even more, if necessary. Floors 
 ■which were so shaky before that they vibrated 
 at every step, may sometimes be made solid and 
 firm in this way. Of course, the effectiveness 
 of the remedy depends a great deal on the man- 
 ner in which the house was originally built. 
 
 PLASTERING, Walls and Ceilings.— Pzr- 
 ticular care should be used in selection as to the 
 strength and length of the hair to be used in the 
 plaster for ceilings, and also as to the substance 
 of the laths, which should in all cases be double. 
 The plaster should be laid on with the minimum 
 of thickness, a point much neglected. 
 
 With regard to the quality of the sand, it can- 
 not be too good. Sand is apt to make the plas- 
 ter too " short" only when there has been too 
 much employed, and that with weak chalk-lime. 
 It is impossible that the admixture of loamy 
 earth in any proportion can benefit any descrip- 
 tiDU of mortar or plaster, and therefore clean 
 grit must be preferable to either pit or road 
 sand, for loam in any shape is detrimental in 
 proportion to its amount. 
 
 One word with regard to a possible substitute 
 for hair, as hair is becoming every day more dif- 
 ficult to obtain. In the pulling down of portions 
 of old work for the reparation of the Lollards' 
 Tower at Lambeth lately, some plaster of re- 
 markable hardness was found ; it was far supe- 
 rior to any of the rest, and upon examination 
 ■was discovered to have been mixed with chopped 
 rye-straw (recognized by several of the heads 
 ■which had been mixed up) instead of hair. This 
 
 Elaster was wonderfully sound and firm. Possi- 
 ly other descriptions of straw might be found 
 equally suitable for the purpose, and at any rate 
 it would be quite ■worth while making some ex- 
 periments on this subject 
 
 Having obtained a really good plaster to work 
 •with, it is much to be wished that it might be 
 applied in a somewhat more solid and durable 
 manner than is usual, and that instead of flimsy 
 laths nailed under the joists or on each side of 
 partitions to receive it, short pieces of wood 
 were fixed in between the joists or quarters, and 
 the plaster trowelled on from front and back, so 
 as completely to envelope these pieces of wood. 
 By this means the plastering on partitions and 
 ceilings would not be merely suspended coats, 
 but integral portions of the structure, which, 
 when dry, would become almost imperishable 
 and incombustible. Thus, instead of being 
 flimsy, ill-connected things, inviting fire to de- 
 
 stroy them, and the means of conducting that 
 destroying element to all the other portions of 
 the building, they would be, as it were, thin 
 vertical or horizontal shields to prevent fire from 
 spreading and touching the timbers. 
 
 PLASTER ORNAMENTS, Composition 
 for, — Molds for casting plaster ornaments for 
 ceilings maybe made of a composition composed 
 in the following proportion : Rosin, 3^ of a lb. ; 
 tallow, ^ a lb. ; beeswax, 6 oz. The object to 
 be copied is first oiled, and this composition 
 poured upon it until there is enough when cooled 
 to make a strong mold. Or a mold can be made 
 from plaster-of- Paris itself, by pouring it upon 
 the object to be copied. If the latter be wood 
 or metal it should be well oiled, but if it is also 
 made of plaster-of-Paris it should be moistened 
 with water, but no drops must stand on it. The 
 plaster-of-Paris may be colored, while being 
 mixed, with oxide of copper (dissolved) for 
 blue ; with ashes for pearl gray ; with the vari- 
 ous ochres for red, yellow and green. Red and 
 yellow oxides of lead are used for red and yel- 
 low colors. Real mastic is made of say 14 parts, 
 by measure, of clean, sharp sand ; 14 parts, by 
 measure, of pulverized limestone or marble dust; 
 of litharge one-fourteenth in weight of the united 
 weights of the sand and stone, and one-seventh 
 of the whole weight of the three in linseed oil. 
 The sand, marble dust, or limestone powder, are 
 well dried before mixing. Then mixed into a 
 mortar or plaster and applied to an oiled sur- 
 face. 
 
 ROOTS, Composition for. — Take I measure 
 of fine sand, 2 of sifted wood-ashes, and 3 of 
 lime, ground up with oil. Mix thoroughly, and 
 lay on with a painter's brush, first a thin coat 
 and then a thick one. Tliis composition is not 
 only cheap, but it strongly resists fire. 
 
 ROOFING, A Cheap.— Y\x%\. cover the roof 
 with ordinary tongued and grooved floor-boards, 
 the same as you would lay a floor ; then take 
 roofing-paper, to be obtained in any large town 
 or city, and cover the boards with that, to be 
 laid on as shingles are laid, to lap over each 
 sheet about an inch, and fastened down with 
 large tacks. Over the paper spread raw tar. 
 Raw tar is that which is not heated to render it 
 thicker. It can be spread with a trowel made 
 of a shingle, about the sixteenth of an inch 
 deep. Next take a sieve, fill it with sand, and 
 sprinkle as much over the tar as it will absorb, 
 sifting on the sand as each course of tar is laid 
 on, beginning on the upper side of the roof, 
 about half an inch thick. 
 
 Such a roof should have a slight descent — say 
 I foot in 12, more or less ; and the tar should 
 be laid on when the heat of the sun will not 
 cause it to run out of its place before the sand is 
 put on it. 
 
 A mortar made of tar and sand, like a thick 
 paste, will stop any leaks in roofs, especially 
 around chimneys, that can be covered by it. 
 
 ROOFS OF TIN— Tot a flat roof, tin is, 
 beyond question, the most economical covering 
 that can be applied. If not neglected, it is ab- 
 solutely indestructible by external influences, 
 and will last a hundred years, in as good condi- 
 tion as when first laid on, if kept well painted. 
 Tin on a house-top should be well painted once 
 in 4 years. 
 
 For roofs, light, cool colors are preferable, be- 
 cause they reflect the warm rays of light, and 
 
30 
 
 DICTIONARY OF E VERY-DAY WANTS. 
 
 thereby lessen the expansion and contraction of 
 the metal, and the shrinking of the boards un- 
 derneath, and so lessen the liability of the tin to 
 crack in the seams. The temperature of attic 
 rooms in summer will be materially lower if the 
 roof be painted with a light rather than with a 
 dark color. 
 
 The writer has learned, from long experience, 
 that the finest French ochre is the most econom- 
 ical pigment that can be used for that purpose. 
 If, as is sometimes the case in country houses, 
 where the roof is a conspicuous object in the ar- 
 chitecture of the building, a dark color be indis- 
 pensable, the use of pure Venetian red, dark- 
 ened with lamp-black, is recommended as the 
 most durable and economical. If, by some pro- 
 cess, the oil used in roof-painting could be pre- 
 vented from becoming hard and brittle, it would 
 be a great gain. 
 
 The poorest oil-paint, however, is better than 
 neglect ; and the best economy consists in keep- 
 ing tin entirely and thoroughly protected from 
 tlie corroding influence of dampness. Old paint, 
 which has become " fatty" from exposure to the 
 atmosphere, is better than new for roof-painting. 
 Not a drop of turpentine should be used for 
 such work. 
 
 ROOFS OF THATCH, How to Make.— 
 Rye or wheat straw only should be used, and 
 must be carefully threshed with a flail to leave 
 the straws unbroken. Bind in bundles, distrib- 
 uting the butts of the straws equally to each end 
 of the bundle. A good roof cannot be made if 
 the straws all lie one way. It was always cus- 
 tomary to make the band three feet long, as this 
 gave a bundle of convenient size for handling. 
 In a dry time we sat the bundles on end and 
 threw water upon them a day or two before we 
 used them. 
 
 The rafters are placed in the usual way, and 
 crossed by slats two by two, nailed 14 inches 
 apart, though 12 inches will do equally well. 
 
 Begin at the eaves and lay a row of bundles 
 across. Have an iron needle 18 inches long pre- 
 pared and threaded with oakum 8 feet long. 
 Fasten the thread to the slat and pass the needle 
 through the bundle to a boy stationed under the 
 rafters, making 3 to 4 stitches to the bundle. 
 The boy draws the cord up tight, and passes the 
 needle up through again, but on the other side 
 of the slat. By this means the first course is 
 sewed on. Succeeding courses are treated in the 
 same way, being laid so as to overlap the stitch- 
 ing. Lay the heaviest row of straw at the eaves 
 to make it look well. When you come to the 
 ridge, fold the tops of the straw over until you 
 bring up the other side, then get some thin 
 sods, 10 by 14 inches, and lyi, inches thick, and 
 lay them neatly upon the top, using a small 
 piece of board to clap them all slick and smooth. 
 Boards put on like ordinary ridge boards will do 
 instead of sods, if preferred. • 
 
 Get the point of an old scythe, about 18 inches 
 long ; attach a handle, so that it will be like a 
 long knife, and with it "switch down" the roof 
 all over, to carry off all the loose straws, and 
 ti-im the others off smooth. If well done, the 
 roof will be as smooth as a board. Stretch a 
 cord along the eaves the whole length of the 
 building, and trim off straight by it, leaving the 
 outside a little lower than the inside, which will 
 prevent its looking thick and heavy. 
 
 A roof made in this way will not be injured 
 
 by wind or rain, and it will last from 25 to 30 
 years. 
 
 SCREWS in Soft Wood. — Screws, when 
 subject to strain, are apt to work loose in soft 
 wood, and the screw-hole should be first filled 
 with thick glue. ' If no glue is handy, pui pow- 
 dered rosin around the hole, and heat tlie screw 
 before driving. 
 
 SHINGLES, To Prevent Decay of.— The 
 following is said to effectually prevent the decay 
 of shingles : Take a potash kettle, or large tub, 
 and put into it 1 barrel of lye of wood ashes, 5 
 lbs. of white vitriol, 5 lbs. of alum, and as much 
 salt as will dissolve in the mixture. Wake the 
 liquor quite warm, and put as many shingles in 
 it as can be conveniently wet at once. Stir them 
 up with a fork, and, when well soaked, take 
 them out and put in more, renewing the liquor 
 as necessary. Then lay the shingles in the usual 
 manner. After they are laid, take the liquor 
 that was left, put lime enough into it to make 
 whitewash, and, if any coloring is desirable, add 
 ochre, Spanish brown, lamp-black, etc., and ap- 
 ply to the roof with a brush or an old broom. 
 This wash may be renewed from time to time. 
 Salt and lye are excellent preservatives of wood. 
 It is well known that leach tubs, troughs, and 
 other articles used in the manufacture of potash, 
 never rot. They become saturated with the al- 
 kali, turn yellowish inside, and remain impervi- 
 ous to the weather. 
 
 SHINGLES, Fire-proof Wash for.— A wash 
 composed of lime, salt, and fine sand or wood 
 ashes, put oh in the ordinary way of whitewas^h- 
 ing, renders the roof 50 per cent, more secure 
 against taking fire from falling cinders, in case 
 of fire in the vicinity. It pays the expense a 
 hundred fold in its preserving influence against 
 the effects of the weather. 1 he older and more 
 weather-beaten the shingles, the more benefit 
 derived. Such shingles generally become more 
 or less warped, rough and cracked; the applica- 
 tion of the wash, by wetting the upper surface, 
 restores them at once to their original or first 
 form, thereby closing up the space between the 
 shingles, and the lime and sand, by filling up the 
 cracks and pores in the shingle itself, prevents 
 its warping. 
 
 STONE, Artificial. — The new process, ac- 
 cording to the method of Sorel, of making arti- 
 ficial stone, consists in mixing magnesia cement 
 with suitable material ; with sand it gives brick j 
 with flint, whet-stones and oil-stones; with ka- 
 olin, ornaments of all kinds, statuettes, etc. ; 
 with sawdust it gives a good material for cover- 
 ing floors ; with carbonate of lime imitations of 
 marble. 
 
 The cement is applied in a liquid form, and 
 the mass sets in a few hours. The magnesia 
 must be carefully calcined and the materials well 
 mixed. 
 
 STONE, Preseming the Surface of. — The use 
 of oil for this purpose is not only difficult of ap- 
 plication, but, perishable as it is, it would quickly 
 change its nature, oxidize, ard thicken, until it 
 attracted the floating impurities in the atmos- 
 phere, and would only conceal the hastening 
 work of decay. A new method, devised by Mr. 
 F. Ransome, aflTords a rapid and eiTectual means 
 of successfully preserving the stone, hitherto a 
 thing never accomplished. It consists in the 
 successive application ■ of three solutions — the 
 first containing soluble phosphate of lime ; the 
 
CARPENTER AND BUILDER. 
 
 31 
 
 second, baryta ; and die third, a solution of sili- 
 cate of potash, rendered neutral by the late Pro- 
 fessor Graham's well-known process of dialysis. 
 These solutions successively applied combine, 
 and form an insoluble and imperishable mineral 
 compound, which effectually resists the action of 
 the atmosphere, and, by indurating the stone, 
 at once arrests its disintegration. I'he extensive 
 experience which has been gained by the adop- 
 tion of this method places it far beyond the re- 
 gion of experiment, and justifies its recommend- 
 ation under nearly all circumstances. 
 
 TOOLS, To Preserve from Rust. — A coating 
 of 3 parts lard and i part resin, applied to tools 
 of iron or steel, will effectually prevent rust. 
 
 TOOLS, Art of Grinding. — More than one- 
 half of all the wear and tear, and breakage and 
 bother of dull tools comes from a lack of proper 
 knowledge and practice in grinding. All steel, 
 however refined, is composed of individual fibres 
 laid lengthways in the bar, held firmly together 
 by cohesion ; and in almost all farm implements 
 of the cutting kind the steel portion which forms 
 the edge, if from a section of a bar, is laid in 
 welded to the bar longitudinally, so that it is the 
 side of the bundle of fibres hammered and 
 ground down that forms the edge. Hence, by 
 holding on the grindstone all edge-tools, as axes, 
 drawing-knives, knives of reapers, scythes, 
 knives of straw-cutters, etc., in such a manner 
 that the action of the stone is at right angles 
 with the plane of the edge, or, in plainer words, 
 by holding the edge of the tools square across 
 the stone, the direction of the fibres will be 
 changed, so as to present the ends instead of the 
 side as a cutting edge. By grinding in this man- 
 ner a finer, smoother edge is set, the tool is 
 ground in less time, holds an edge a great deal 
 longer, and is far less liable to nick out and to 
 break. 
 
 Plane irons should be ground to a bevel of 
 about 35 degrees — chisels and gouges to 30. 
 Turning-chisels may sometimes run to an angle 
 of 45. Molding tools, such as are used for 
 ivory and for very hard wood, are made at from 
 50 to 60 degrees. Tools for working iron and 
 steel are beveled at an inclination to the edge of 
 from 60 to 70 degrees, and for cutting gun and 
 similar metal range from 80 to 90. 
 
 WINDOIV SASHES, to Prevefit Rattling. 
 — ^The unwelcome music of rattling windows 
 will often arouse and electrify nervous and timor- 
 ous persons quite as effectually as if a band of 
 burglars were making an entrance into the dwell- 
 ing. 
 
 The remedy is by no means difficult or expen- 
 sive. Let the sashes be taken out of the window 
 frames, and every part of the window examined. 
 If the jamb-casings have been sprung, or are 
 warped and twisted, the first step will be to re- 
 move the stops and straighten the face of the 
 casings, which may be done more conveniently 
 with a large rabbet; plane and a smoothing 
 plane. 
 
 In case the sashes should be much too naiTow 
 for the frame, let one edge be dressed off true, 
 and a thin strip fitted neatly and glued and nailed 
 to the edge of one stile. See that the outside 
 edge of such stile is not tapering, even by the 
 thickness of a heavy shaving. "When the stiles 
 are tapering only a trifle, the sashes cannot be 
 moved up and do-wn easily. Now put the upper 
 sash in its place, and fasten the central stop with 
 
 two or three long, slender wood-screws, after 
 which remove the outside stops, and place them 
 so closely to the stiles of the sash that the win- 
 dow will not rattle. Then let the stops be se- 
 cured on the inside so closely to the stiles of the 
 sash that it will move up and down easily, with- 
 out having so much play that the wind will rat- 
 tle it. When ^he sashes have been fitted as di- 
 rected, there will be no more need of " weather 
 strips" of any kind to exclude dust and cold air, 
 and the expense of refitting a window as directed 
 will be much less than the cost of weather 
 strips. '^ 
 
 WOOD, to Prroent Decay in. — To prevent 
 the common occurrence of decay in wood, take 
 20 parts of resin, 46 parts of finely-powdered 
 chalk, some hard sand, a little linseed oil and 
 sulphuric acid ; mix all together, and boil for a 
 short time. This composition, if applied while 
 hot, forms a kind of varnish, thereby preserving 
 the wood. 
 
 WOOD, SamueVs Method of Presetving. — 
 The wood to be operated upon is first placed in 
 an air-tight cylinder and thoroughly steamed, in 
 order to vaporize the sap in the wood ; the air 
 is then withdrawn from the cylinder, by means 
 of an air pump, until a perfect vacuum, or nearly 
 so, is created, which opens and frees the pores 
 in the wood, when a solution of sulphate of iron 
 is forced into the cylinder, under a pressure of 
 175 lbs. to the inch, which forces the solution 
 through the pores. This pressure is kept up for 
 half an hour, giving the solution time to perco- 
 late or permeate every portion of the wood, when 
 a solution of carbonate of lime is forced into the 
 cylinder, which has the effect to precipitate the 
 iron, and in this manner forming a sulphate 
 of lime, thus coating or filling all the minute 
 cells of the wood with a mixture of oxide of iron 
 and sulphate of lime. The wood is then thor- 
 oughly cleansed and dried, when it is found to 
 have attained an extraordinary degree of tough- 
 ness, and capable of receiving a beautiful polish, 
 besides being rendered completely impervious to 
 rot of any kind, and impenetrable to insects. 
 
 WOOD, Stofie Coating for. — ^40 parts of 
 chalk, 50 of resin, and 4 of linseed oil, melted 
 together ; to this should be added I part of oxide 
 of copper, and afterward I part of sulphuric 
 acid. This last ingredient must be added circ- 
 fully. The mixture, while hot, is applied with a 
 brush. 
 
 WOOD, to Render Incombustible. — Many 
 conflagrations might be prevented, and much 
 property saved, by rendering the w'ood work of 
 houses secure against ignition. This can be 
 done at an insignificant cost, and with little 
 trouble. Perfect immunity is secured by saturat- 
 ing the wood-work with a very delicate solution 
 of silicate of potash, as nearly neutral as possi- 
 ble, and when this has dried, applying one or 
 two coats of a stronger solution. Another 
 method is to simply impregnate the wood with 
 a concentrated solution of rock salt. Water- 
 glass will act as well, but it is expensive. The 
 salt also renders the wood proof against dry rot 
 and the ravages of insects. Another method is 
 to immerse the wood in a saturated solution of 
 borax, heat being gradually applied until the, so- 
 lution reaches 212" Fahrenheit, and is then left 
 for 10 or 12 hours, according to the nature of 
 the wood and size of the planks. 
 
 WOOD, to Projent its Cracking. — Wooden 
 
32 
 
 DICTIONARY OF E VERY-DAY WANTS. 
 
 stop-cocks, and other objects of wood, are liable i its point of congelation, and remove the wood 
 to crack. To prevent this lay them in a bath of I and wipe off the adhering wax. Objects treated 
 fused paraffine heated to 212' Fahrenheit, and | in this way are not likely to crack. The process 
 leave them as long as bubbles of air are given could be used advantageously for inlaid woods 
 off. Then allow the paraffine to cool down to j and fine furniture. 
 
 CEMENTS, GLUES AND PASTES. 
 
 CEMENTS. 
 
 APPLYING CEMENTS, Manner of— QmiQ 
 as much depends upon the manner in which a 
 cement is applied as upon the cement itself. 
 The best cement that was ever compounded 
 would prove entirely worthless if improperly ap- 
 plied. Good common glue will unite two pieces 
 of wood so firmly that the fibres will part from 
 each other rather than from the cementing ma- 
 terial. Two pieces of glass can be so joined 
 that they will part anywhere rather than on the 
 line of union. Glass can be united to metal, or 
 metal to metal, or stone to stone, and all so 
 strongly that the joint will certainly not be the 
 weakest part of the resulting mass. The rules 
 to be observed to effect this are: i. Tlie cement 
 itself is to be brought into intimate contact with 
 the surface to be united. The obstacles to this 
 junction are air and dirt. The former is univer- 
 sally present ; the latter is due to accident or 
 carelessness. Unless the adhering layer of air 
 is displaced, the cement cannot adhere to the 
 surface to which it is applied, simply because it 
 cannot come in contact with it. The most effi- 
 cient agent in displacing air is heat. Therefore, 
 the two surfaces to be joined are to be thor- 
 oughly heated before the cement is applied. 2. 
 Use as little cement as possible. When the sur- 
 faces are separated by a large mass of cement, 
 we have to depend upon the strength of the ce- 
 ment itself, and not upon its adhesion to the sur- 
 faces which it is used to join ; and, in general, 
 cements are comparatively brittle. 
 
 ARMENIAN CEMENT.— The jewelers of 
 Turkey, who are mostly Armenians, have a sin- 
 gular method of ornamenting watch-cases, etc., 
 with diamonds and other precious stones, by 
 gluing or cementing them on. The stone is set 
 in silver or gold, and the lower part of the metal 
 made flat, or to correspond with the part to 
 which it is to be fixed ; it is then gently warmed 
 and the glue is applied, which is so very strong 
 that the parts thus cemented never separate. 
 This glue will strongly unite pieces of glass and 
 china, and even polished steel, and may be ap- 
 
 J)lied to a variety of useful purposes. Tlie fol- 
 owing is the recipe : 
 
 Dissolve 5 or D bits of gum mastic, each the 
 size of a large pea, in as much rectified spirits 
 of wine as will suftice to render it liquid ; and, 
 in another vessel, dissolve as much isinglass, 
 previously a little softened in water, (though 
 none of the water must be used,) in French 
 brandy or good rum, as will make a two-ounce 
 vial of very strong glue, adding two small bits 
 of gum galbanum or ammoniacum, which must 
 be rubbed or ground till they are dissolved. 
 
 Then mix the whole with a sufficient heat. 
 Keep the glue in a vial closely stopped, and ev- 
 ery time it is to be used set the vial in boiling 
 water. 
 
 ALABASTER CEMENT~-\. Finely pow- 
 dered plaster-of-Paris, made into a cream with 
 water. — 2. Melt yellow resin, or equal parts of 
 yellow resin and beeswax ; then stir in half as 
 much finely powdered plaster-of-Paris. The 
 first is used to join and fit together pieces of al- 
 abaster or marble, or to mend broken plaster 
 figures. The second is used to join alabaster, 
 marble, porphyry, and any similar substances 
 that will bear being heated. 
 
 ARCHITECTURAL CEMENT— \. Re- 
 duce paper to a smooth paste by boiling it in 
 water ; then add an equal weight each of sifted 
 whiting and good size ; boil to a proper consist- 
 ence. — 2. Paper paste and size, equal parts; 
 finely powdered plaster-of-Paris to make it of a 
 proper consistence. Use it as soon as mixed. 
 Can be used in making architectural busts, stat- 
 ues, columns, etc. It is very light, receives a 
 good polish, but will not stand the weather. 
 
 BRUYER'S WATER CEMENT— U\x 
 3 gals, of clay with i gal. of slacked lime, and 
 expose them to a full red heat for 3 hours. 
 
 BUILDING CEMENT— This is made by 
 exposing a mixture of clay or loam, broken pot- 
 tery, flints, silicious sand, or broken bottle-glass, 
 with wood-ashes, to a considerable heat in a fur- 
 nace, until it becomes partially vitrified. It 
 must then be ground to a fine powder, sifted, 
 and mixed with one-third its weight of quick- 
 lime, also in fine powder, after which it must be 
 packed (tight) in casks to preserve it from the 
 air and moisture. For use it is mixed up with 
 water and applied like Roman cement. 
 
 BOTANY BA Y CEMENT— \c\\ov.' gum 
 and brick-dust equal parts, melted together. It 
 is used to cement coarse earthenware, etc. 
 
 CEMENT FOR AQUARIA.— M^r\y per- 
 sons have attempted to make aquarium, but 
 have failed on account of the extreme diff.culty 
 in making the tank resist the action ot water for 
 any length of time. The following is a recipe 
 for a cement that can be relied upon; it is per- 
 fectly free from anything that can injure the ani- 
 mal or plants ; it sticks to glass, metal, wood, 
 stone, etc., and hardens under Mater. A hun- 
 dred different experiments with cements have 
 been tried, but there is nothing like it. It is the 
 same as that used in constructing the tanks of 
 the Zoological Gardens, London, and is almost 
 unknown in this country : I part, by measure, 
 (say a gill,) of litharge; I gill of plaster-of- 
 Paris ; 1 gill of dry, white sand ; ^ of a gill of 
 finely-powdered rosin. Sift and keep corked 
 
CEMENTS, GLUES AND PASTES. 
 
 3J 
 
 tight until required for use, when it is to be 
 made into a putty by mixing in boiled oil (lin- 
 seed) with a little patent dryer added. Never 
 use it after it has been mixed (that is with the 
 oil) over 15 hours. This cement can be used 
 for marine as well as fresh water aquaria, as it 
 resists the action of salt water. The tank can be 
 used immediately, but it is best to give it 3 or 4 
 hours to dry. 
 
 CEMENT for Attaching Metal to Glass.— 
 Take 2 oz. of a solution of glue, and mix it with 
 I oz. of linseed-oil varnish, and ^ an oz. of pure 
 turpentine; these articles are then boiled to- 
 gether in a close vessel. The two bodies should 
 be clamped and held together for about 2 days 
 after they are united, to allow the cement to be- 
 come dry. The clamps may then be removed. 
 CEMENTfor A ttaching Brass Work to Lamps. 
 — A cement particularly adapted for attaching 
 the brass work to petroleum lamps, is made by 
 boiling 3 parts resin with i of caustic soda and 5 
 of water. This composition is then mixed with 
 half its weight of plaster-of- Paris, and sets in 
 from half to three-quarters of an hour. It is said 
 to be of great adhesive power, not permeable to 
 petroleum, a low conductor of heat, and but su- 
 perficially attacked by .hot water. Zinc white, 
 white lead, or precipitated chalk may be substi- 
 tuted for plaster, but they harden more slowly. 
 CEMENTfor Broken Marble.— Tskc gum 
 arable, lib.; make into a thick mucilage; add 
 to it powdered plaster-of-Paris, i^lbs. ; sifted 
 quick-lime, 5 oz. ; mix well; heat the marble 
 and apply the mixture. 
 
 CEMENT for Brick IFalls.— Cement for 
 the outside of brick walls, to imitate stone, is 
 made of clean sand, 90 parts ; litharge, 5 parts ; 
 
 f)laster-of- Paris, 5 parts, moistened with boiled 
 inseed oil. The bricks should receive 2 or 3 
 coats of oil before the cement is applied. 
 
 CEMENT for China, Glass, Crockery, 
 Afetals and IVood. — i. An excellent cement for 
 mending china may be made as follows : Take 
 the white of an egg and a little flour, which 
 make into a light paste ; clear the parts to be 
 joined from all dust and dirt; spread some of the 
 paste on each piece and press them together; 
 while wet, wipe off the exuding portions, both 
 inside and out ; then let it remain until quite 
 dry. — 2. The following recipe we know from ex- 
 perience to be a good one, and, being nearly 
 colorless, it possesses advantages which liquid 
 glue and other cements do not. Dissolve ^ an 
 oz. of gum acacia in a wine-glass of boiling wa- 
 ter; add plaster-of-Paris sufficient to form a thick 
 paste, and apply it with a brush to the parts re- 
 quired to be cemented together. Eor Mending 
 Broken China, Glass, etc. — 3. Take i lb. white 
 shellac, pulverized ; 2 oz. clean gum mastic ; 
 put these into a bottle, and then add ^ a lb. 
 pure sulphuric ether. Let it stand /^ an hour, 
 and then add ^ a gal. 90 per cent, alcohol. 
 Shake occasionally till it is dissolved. Heat the 
 edges of the article to be mended, and apply the 
 cement with a pencil brush ; hold the article to- 
 gether until the cement cools. This makes a 
 transparent cement. — 4. An Indian Cement for 
 Glass and Metals. — Dissolve 5 or 6 pieces ot 
 gum mastic, each about the size of a large pea, 
 in just as much spirit as will render it liquid. 
 Soften some isinglass by steeping it in water ; 
 having dried it, dissolve as much of it in good 
 brandy as will fill a two-ounce phial; add 2 
 
 small bits of gum ammoniacum, previously rub- 
 bing them until they are dissolved. Mix the 2 
 solutions ; keep in a close phial, and when it is 
 to be used set the phial in boiling water. — 5. 
 Take a thick mucilage of gum arable and stir 
 into it plaster-of-Paris — the broken images are 
 best — made very fine, to form a thick paste, and 
 apply to the edges with a brush, and press firmly 
 together and confine there two or three days. I 
 have pulled over 30 pounds with a wine-glass, 
 the stem of which had been broken and mended 
 with the cement. — 6. Dissolve i oz. common 
 salt in I quart of water ; bring to a boil, and 
 put in i^lbs. gum shellac. When it shall be 
 dissolved pour into cold water and work like 
 wax. Make into small sticks. This will make 
 crockery as good as new. — 7. Steep Russian isin- 
 glass 24 hours in white brandy ; gently boil and 
 stir the mixture until it is well compounded, and 
 a drop of it, cooled, will become a very thick 
 jelly ; then strain it through a linen cloth, and 
 cork it up closely. A gentle heat will dissolve it 
 into a colorless fluid. Broken dishes, united 
 with it, will break elsewhere, rather than sepa- 
 rate in the old fracture. To apply it, rub the 
 edges, place them together, and hold them 2 or 
 3 minutes. — 8. A durable cement is made by 
 burning oyster shells, and pulverizing the lime 
 from them very fine ; then mixing it with white 
 of egg to a thick paste, and applying it to the 
 china or glass, and securing the pieces together 
 until dry. — 9. Take 4 lbs. of white glue, ij^ 
 lbs. of dry white lead, J!^ a lb. of isinglass, I 
 gal. of soft water, I quart of alcohol, and ^ a 
 pint of white varnish. Dissolve the glue and 
 isinglass in the water by gentle heat, if prefer- 
 red; stir in the lead, put the alcohol in the var- 
 nish, and mix the whole together. — 10. A ce- 
 ment that will mend marble, china, and orna- 
 mental ware, is made by taking water I gal., 
 nice glue 3 lbs., white lead 4 oz., alcohol, i 
 quart. Mix. Directions — If it is cold weather, 
 warm the bottle until the cement is dissolved ; 
 then with the finger or a brush rub it on the 
 broken parts, (both edges,) put together, and 
 retain in their places until dry. — 11. A cement 
 withstanding both heat and moisture is simply 
 pure white lead or zinc white, ground in oil, and 
 used very thick. It is excellent for mending 
 broken crockeryware, but it takes a very long 
 time to harden sufficiently. The best plan is to 
 place the mended object in some store-room, and 
 not to look after it for several weeks, or even 
 months. After that time it will be found so 
 firmly united that, if ever again broken, it will 
 not part on the line of the former fracture. 
 
 CEMENTfor Chemical Glasses. — Mix equal 
 parts of flour, finely-powdered Venice glass, 
 pulverized chalk, and a small quantity of brick- 
 dust, finely ground; these ingredients, with a 
 little scraped lint, are to be mixed and ground 
 up with the whites of eggs ; it must then be 
 spread upon pieces of fine linen cloth, and ap- 
 plied to the crack of the glasses, and allowed to 
 get thoroughly dry before the glasses are put to 
 the fire. 
 
 CEMENTfor Coi'cring the Eroftts of Houses. 
 — 50 parts, by measure, of clean, dry sand; 50 
 of limestone (not burned) reduced to grains like 
 sand or marble dust, and 10 parts of red lead, 
 mixed with as much boiled linseed oil as will 
 make it slightly moist. The bricks, to receive it, 
 should be covered with 3 coats of boiled oil, 
 
34 
 
 DICTIONARY OF EVERY-DAY WANTS. 
 
 laid on with a brush, and suffered to dry before 
 the mastic is put on. It is laid on with a trowel 
 like plaster, but it is not so moist. It becomes 
 hard as stone in a few months. Care must be 
 exercised not to use too much oil. 
 
 CEMENT, C^//^n-««V/4' J.— Bullock's blood 
 thickened with finely-powdered quicklime. It is 
 used to secure the edges and rivets of copper 
 boilers, and to mend leaks from joints, etc. It 
 must be used as soon as mixed, as it rapidly 
 gets hard. It is extremely cheap and very du- 
 rable, and is suited for many purposes where a 
 strong cement is required. It is frequently 
 called blood cement. 
 
 CEMENT for Cloth or Belting.— Izkt ale I 
 pt. ; best Russia isinglass 2 oz. ; put them into 
 a common glue kettle and boil until the isinglass 
 is dissolved ; then add 4 oz. of the best com- 
 mon glue, and dissolve it with the other ; then 
 slowly add i^ oz. of boiled linseed oil, stir- 
 ring all the time ,while adding, and until well 
 mixed. When cold it will resemble India-rub- 
 ber. When you wish to use this, dissolve what 
 you need in a suitable quantity of ale to have the 
 consistence of thick glue. It is applicable for 
 earthenware, china, glass, or leather; for har- 
 ness ; bands for machmery ; cloth belts for 
 cracker machines for bakers, etc. If for leather, 
 shave off as if for sewing, apply the cement with 
 a brush while hot, laying a weight to keep each 
 joint firmly for 6 to 10 hours, or over night. 
 
 CEMENT for Cutlers.— \. A material for 
 fastening knives or forks into their handles, 
 when they have become loosened by use, is 
 a much-needed article. The best cement for 
 this purpose consists of i lb. of colophony, (pur- 
 chasable at the druggists,) and 8 oz. of sulphur, 
 which are to be melted together, and either kept 
 in bars or reduced to powder. One part of the 
 powder is to be mixed with half a part of iron 
 filings, fine sand, or brick-dust, and the cavity of 
 the handle is then to be filled with this mixture. 
 The stem of the knife or fork is then to be 
 heated and inserted into the cavity ; and when 
 cold it will be found fixed in its place with great 
 tenacity. — 2. Black resin 4 lbs. ; beeswax i lb. ; 
 melt them, and add I lb. of finely-powdered and 
 well-dried brick-dust. 
 
 CEMENT for Cisterns:'— Take equal parts 
 of red and white lead, and wash them into a 
 paste with boiled linseed oil. It hardens slowly, 
 but afterwards acquires a flinty hardness. To 
 be applied it should be made thin, and the metal 
 thoroughly smeared with it. 
 
 CEMENT for Engineers. — I. Mix ground 
 white lead with as much powdered red lead as 
 will make it of the consistency of putty. — 2f 
 Mix equal weights of red and white lead, with 
 boiled linseed oil, to a proper consistence. This 
 is employed by engineers and others to make 
 metallic joints. A washer of hemp, yarn, or 
 canvas, smeared with the cement, is placed in 
 the joint, which is then "brought home" or 
 screwed up tight. It dries as hard as a stone. 
 
 CEMENT for Fastening Chamois and other 
 Leather to Iron and Steel — Dr. Carl W. Hcin- 
 ischen, of Dresden, gives the following recipe 
 for the above purpose : *' Spread over the metal 
 a thin, hot solution of good glue ; soak your 
 leather with a warm solution of gall-nuts before 
 placing on the metal. If fastened in this way it is 
 impossible to separate the leather from the metal 
 without tearing it. 
 
 CEMENT for Fastening to Metals.— Any 
 fibrous material can be stuck to metal, whether 
 iron or other metal, by an amalgam composed of 
 glue dissolved in vinegar, hot, and one-third of 
 its volume of white pitch pine, also hot. 
 
 CEMENT for Fastening Rubber to Wood 
 and Metal. — As rubber plates and rings are 
 now-a-days almost exclusively used for making 
 connections between steam and other pipes and 
 other apparatus, much annoyance is often expe- 
 rienced by the impossibility or imperfectness of 
 an air-tight connection. This is obviated en- 
 tirely by employing p. cement which fastens alike 
 well to the rubber and to the metal or wood. 
 Such a cement is prepared by a solution of shel- 
 lac in ammonia. This is best made by soaking 
 pulverized gum shellac in 10 times its weight of 
 strong ammonia, when a slimy mass is obtained, 
 which in from 3 to 4 weeks will become liquid 
 without the use of hot water. This softens the 
 rubber, and becomes, after volatilization of the 
 ammonia, hard and impermeable to gases and 
 fluids. 
 
 CEMENT for Floors.— Tskc % of lime and 
 ^ of coal-ashes welf sifted with a small quantity 
 of loam clay; mix the whole together, and tem- 
 per it well with water, making it up into a heap ; 
 let it lie a week or 10 days, and then temper it 
 over again. After this, heap it up for 3 or 4 
 days, and repeat the tempering very high, till it 
 becomes smooth, yielding, tough and glossy. 
 The ground being then levelled, lay the floor 
 therewith about 2|^ or 3 inches thick, making it 
 smooth with a trowel ; the hotter the season is 
 the better ; and when it is thoroughly dried it 
 will make the best floor for houses, especially 
 for malt-houses. If any one would have their 
 floors look better, let them take lime of rag- 
 stones, well tempered with whites of eggs, cov- 
 ering the floor about % an inch thick with it, 
 before the under flooring is too dry. If this be 
 well done, and thoroughly dried, it will look, 
 when rubbed with a little oil, as transparent as 
 metal or glass. In elegant houses, floors of this 
 nature are made of stucco, or of plaster-of Paris 
 beaten and sifted, and mixed with other ingre- 
 dients. 
 
 CEMENT for Gas-Fitters.— Mix together 
 resin 4^ parts ; wax l part, and Venetian red 3 
 parts. 
 
 CEMENT for Gas Retorts. — A new cement, 
 especially adapted to the retorts of gas works, is 
 very warmly recommended in a German gaslight 
 journal. It consists simply of finely powdered 
 barytes and soluble water-glass ; or the barytes 
 and a solution of borax. The joints are to be 
 coated several times with this cement by means 
 of a brush. The addition of two-thirds of clay 
 improves the cement, and the retorts will then 
 stand a red heat very well. Instead of the wa- 
 ter-glass a solution of borax may be used, or 
 even finely powdered white glass. 
 
 CEMENT for Gutters and Leaky Places.— 
 A good cement for gutters and leaky places may 
 be made of boiled paint-skins, if while hot and 
 thick, a portion of sand and fine lime be sifted 
 in. It must be used while hot, and when dry 
 will be as hard as iron, and as durable. 
 
 CEMENT for Iron.— Take 16 parts of steel 
 filings, 3 parts sal ammoniac, and 2 parts flow- 
 er of sulphur. This mixture can be preserved 
 any length of time in dry packages. In order to 
 lute with it, add to I part of the mixture 12 
 
CEMENTS, GLUES AND PASTES. 
 
 35 
 
 parts of iron filings, and enough water, previ- 
 ously acidulated with sulphuric acid, to form a 
 paste. This is now ready to be applied to the 
 perfectly clean surfaces of the metal to be luted. 
 For iron castings and small holes, the pulverized 
 iron (^etrum pidveratuni of apothecaries) can be 
 substituted for iron fiHngs. — 2. To 4 or 5 parts 
 of clay, thoroughly dried and pulverized, add 2 
 parts of iron filings free from oxide, I part of 
 peroxide of manganese, \^ of sea salt, and y^ of 
 borax. Mingle thoroughly, and render as fine 
 as possible ; then reduce to a thick paste with 
 the necessary quantity of water, mixing thor- 
 oughly well. It must be used immediately. 
 After application it should be exposed to warmth, 
 gradually increasing to almost a white heat. 
 This cement is very hard, and presents complete 
 resistance alike to a red heat and boiling water. 
 — 3. 60 parts of pulverized cast-iron turnings 
 are mixed with 2 parts sal ammoniac and i part 
 flower of sulphur ; and water is added till a paste 
 is formed. A cement is thus obtained which 
 spontaneously becomes hot, evolving sulphureted 
 hydrogen, and becoming* soon very hard. Of 
 course it must be prepared immediately before. 
 4. Another cement is to mix equal parts of sifted 
 peroxide of manganese and well pulverized zinc 
 white ; add a sufficient quantity of commercial 
 soluble glass to form a thin paste. This mix- 
 ture, when used immediately, forms a cement 
 quite equal in hardness and resistance to that 
 obtained in any other way. 
 
 CEMENT for Iron, Mothcr-of- Pearly etc.— 
 Dissolve I part of isinglass and 2 of white glue 
 in 30 of water ; strain and evaporate to 6 parts. 
 Add one-thirtieth part of gum mastic, dissolved 
 in ^ a part of alcohol, and i part of white zinc. 
 When required for use, warm and shake up. 
 
 CEMENT for Iron Boilers. — This cement is 
 used to stop the cracks and leaks in iron boilers, 
 stoves, etc. i. Dried clay in powder, 6 lbs, ; 
 iron filings, i lb. Make a paste with boiled 
 linseed oil. — 2. Take 2 oz. of muriate of ammo- 
 nia, I oz. of flower of sulphur, and 16 oz. of 
 cast-iron filings or turnings ; mix them well in a 
 mortar, and keep the powder dry. When the 
 cement is wanted, take I part of this and 20 
 parts of clean iron filings or borings, grind them 
 together in a mortar, mix them with water to a 
 proper consistence, and apply them between the 
 joints. 
 
 CEMENT for Leather.— 1:0 10 parts bisul- 
 phide carbon and i part spirits turpentine add 
 enough gutta-percha to make a tough, thickly- 
 flowing liquid. The surfaces to be joined must 
 be perfectly free from grease, which is accom- 
 plished by laying a cloth upon them and apply- 
 ing a hot iron for a time. The coat is applied 
 to both surfaces, and pressure made till the 
 joints are dry. 
 
 CEMENT for Leather Belting.— Taks of 
 common glue and American isinglass, equal 
 parts ; place them in a boiler and add water suf- 
 ficient to just cover the whole. Let it soak 10 
 hours, then bring the whole to a boiling heat, 
 and add pure tannin until the whole becomes 
 ropey or appears like the white of eggs. Apply 
 it warm. Buff the grain off the leather where 
 it is to be cemented ; rub the joint surfaces sol- 
 idly together, let it dry a few hours, and it is 
 ready for practical use ; and, if properly put to- 
 gether, it will not need riveting, as the cement is 
 nearly of the same nature as the leather itself. , 
 
 CEMENT for Leather and Cloth.— An ad- 
 hesive material for uniting the parts of boots 
 and shoes, and for the seams of articles of cloth- 
 ing, may be made thus : Take I lb. of gutta- 
 percha, 4 oz. of India rubber, 2 oz. of pitch, i 
 oz. of shellac, 2 oz. of oil. The ingredients are 
 to be melted together, and used hot. 
 
 CEMENT for Mahogany.— MqM /^ ^axi% of 
 beeswax or shellac with I of Indian red, adding 
 as much yellow ochre as is requisite to give 
 color. This cement will be found most suitable 
 for stopping holes and rents in mahogany furni- 
 ture. 
 
 CEMENT for Patent Fuel,— On& of the best 
 cements for the agglomeration of coal dust and 
 the manufacture of patent fuel is that used in 
 several European establishments, consisting of 
 coal tar, gluten and starch. The quantities of 
 these substances are altered according to the 
 quality and property of coal dust ; but they are 
 very easily ascertained by a few experiments. 
 About 2 per cent, of this mixture (say containing 
 2^ parts of tar, l part gluten, and yi part of 
 starch,) would be suitable for coal dust of an 
 average quality of bituminous coal. 
 
 CEMENT for . Preventing Leaks About 
 Chitnneys. — Dry sand, I part ; ashes, 2 parts ; 
 clay, dried and pulverized, 3 parts. All to be 
 pulverized and mixed into a paste with linseed 
 oil. Apply it when soft, and when it becomes 
 hard water will have no effect upon it. 
 
 CEMENT for Roofs of Houses. — Slake stone 
 lime in a large tub or barrel with boiling water, 
 covering the tub or barrel to keep in the steam. 
 When thus slaked, pass 6 quarts through a fine 
 sieve ; it will then be in a state of fine flour. 
 To this add I quart rock salt and i gal. water. 
 Boil the mixture and skim it clean. To every 
 5 gals, of this carefully skimmed mixture, 
 add 1^ of a pound of potash, and 4 quarts of 
 fine sand or wood-ashes sifted. Both of the 
 above will admit of any coloring you please. It 
 looks better than paint, and is as durable as 
 slate, 
 
 CEMENT for Pooms.—M. Sarel, of Paris, 
 has made an invention which is pronounced bet- 
 ter than plaster-of- Paris for coating the walls of 
 rooms. It is used thus : A coat of oxide of 
 zinc, mixed with size, made up like a wash, is 
 first laid on the wall, ceiling, or wainscot, and 
 over that a coat of chloride of zinc applied, pre- 
 pared in the same way as the first wash. The 
 oxide and chloride effect an immediate combina- 
 tion, and form a kind of cement, smooth and 
 polished as glass, and possessing the advantages 
 of oil paint without its disadvantages of smell. 
 
 CEMENT for Steam Pipes.— i. White lead, 
 mixed, 2 parts ; red lead, dry, i part ; grind or 
 otherwise mix them to a consistence of thin 
 putty ; apply interposed layers with one or two 
 thicknesses of canvas or gauze wire, as the ne- 
 cessity of the case may be. — 2. (Stephenson's.) 
 If 2 parts litliarge are mixed with i part dry- 
 slaked lime and i part fine sand, well rubbed 
 together, and mixed with such a quantity of hot 
 linseed-oil varnish as to form a pasty mai^s, an 
 excellent cement for iron steam-pipes is ob- 
 tained, which soon sets hard. Conse(]uently, it 
 must be prepared fresh every time, and applied 
 when still hot. 
 
 CEMENT for Stopping Cracks in Jars.— Pi. 
 good cement for stopping cracks in jars may be 
 made as follows : Take equal quantities of white 
 
 / 
 
36 
 
 DICTIONARY OF E VERY-DAY WANTS. 
 
 lead and white sand, and as much oil as will 
 make it of the consistency of putty ; in a few 
 weeks it will become as hard as stone. 
 
 CEMENT for Stone. — Bottger informs us 
 that a cement of extraordinary binding power is 
 made by using infusorial silica in place of quartz 
 sand. This infusorial earth is found in Germany 
 onlyj but it has been imported into this country 
 in considerable quantities. It consists of hy- 
 drated silica, which combines with bases much 
 more readily than silica in the anhydrous condi- 
 tion, as in quartz sand. The infusorial silica is 
 mixed in about equal proportions with oxide of 
 lead ; about ^ a part of freshly slaked lime is 
 then added, and the whole is then made into a 
 paste with boiled linseed oil. The cement thus 
 made quickly becomes as hard as sandstone, and 
 will be found extremely useful in such work as 
 fixing iron in stone for balusters and railings. 
 It is not likely, we think, to expand in setting, 
 and thus no risk of splitting the stone will be 
 incurred. In this respect alone it offers a great 
 advantage over Portland cement, sometimes used 
 for the purpose we have mentioned, which, ac- 
 cording to some authorities, does expand, and in 
 consequence of which one very serious accident 
 is supposed to have resulted, 
 
 CEMEN'T for Stoves. — i. Good wood-ashes 
 are to be sifted through a fine sieve, to which is 
 to be added the same quantity of clay, finely 
 pulverized, together with a little salt. The mix- 
 ture is to be moistened with water enough to 
 make a paste, and the crack of the stove filled 
 with it. — 2. An excellent cement for iron stoves 
 or furnaces is a paste of soluble glass and ba- 
 rytes, with or without some fine fire-clay, and 
 the soluble glass may be replaced by a solution 
 of borax, and both these and barytes by a mix- 
 ture of clay and powdered glass. 
 
 CEMENT for Tile ^^^/jr.— Equal parts of 
 whiting and dry sand, and 25 per cent, of lith- 
 arge, made into the consistency of putty with 
 linseed oil. It is not liable to crack when cold, 
 nor melt, like coal tar and asphalt, with the 
 heat of the sun. 
 
 CEMENT, Cast-iron. — Clean borings, or 
 turnings, of cast iron, 16 ; sal ammoniac, 2 parts ; 
 flour of sulphur, l part ; mix them well together 
 in a mortar, and keep them dry. When re- 
 quired for use, take ot the mixture, i ; clean 
 borings, 20 parts ; mix thoroughly, and add a 
 sufficient quantity of water. A little grindstone 
 dust added improves the cement. 
 
 CEMENT, Colored.— Professor Bottger pre- 
 pares cement of diverse colors and great hard- 
 ness by mixing various bases with soluble 
 glass. 
 
 Soluble glass of ^3" B. is to be thoroughly 
 stirred and mixed with fine chalk, and the col- 
 oring matter well incorporated. In the course 
 of 6 or 8 hours a hard cement will set, which is 
 capable of a great variety of uses. Bottger 
 recommends the following coloring matters : 
 
 1. Well sifted sulphide of antimony gives a 
 black mass, which, after solidifying, can be pol- 
 ished with agate, and then possesses a fine me- 
 tallic lustre. 
 
 2. Fine iron dust, which g^ves a gray-black 
 cement. 
 
 3. Zinc dust. This makes a gray mass, ex- 
 ceedingly hard, which, on polishing, exhibits a 
 brilliant metallic lustre of zinc, so that broken or 
 defective zinc castings can be mended and re- 
 
 stored by a cement that might be called a cold 
 zinc casting. It adheres firmly to metal, stone 
 and wood. 
 
 4. Carbonate of copper gives a bright green 
 cement. 
 
 5. Sesquioxide of chromium gives a dark 
 green cement. 
 
 6. Thenard's blue, a blue cement. 
 
 7. Litharge, a yellow. 
 
 8. Cinnabar, a bright red. 
 
 9. Carmine, a violet red. 
 
 The soluble glass, with fine chalk alone, gives 
 a white cement of great beauty and hardness. 
 
 Sulphide of antimony and iron dust, in equal 
 proportions, stirred in with soluble glass, afford 
 an exceedingly, black cement ; zinc dust and 
 iron in equal proportions yield a hard, dark- 
 gray cement. 
 
 As soluble glass can be kept on hand in liquid 
 form, and the chalk and coloring matters are 
 permanent and cheap, the colored cements can 
 be readily prepared when wanted, and the ma- 
 terial can be kept in stock, ready for use, at lit- 
 tle expense. Soluble glass is fast becoming one 
 of our most important articles of cliemical pro- 
 duction. 
 
 CEAIENT, Curd. — Add ^ a pint of vinegar 
 to ^ a pint of skimmed milk; mix the curd 
 with the whites of 5 eggs, well beaten, and suf- 
 ficient powdered quick-lime to form a paste. 
 This cement will resist water and a moderate 
 degree of heat. 
 
 CEMENT, Chinese. — i. Dissolve shellac in 
 enough rectified spirit to make a liquid of the 
 consistency of treacle. — 2. Boil borax, i oz., and 
 shellac, i oz., in water until dissolved, 
 
 CEMENT, Diamond. — i. Isinglass, i oz. ; 
 distilled vinegar, 5^ oz. ; spirits of wine, 2 oz. ; 
 gum ammoniacum, ^ an oz. ; gum mastic, Vz 
 an oz. Mix well. — 2. Soak isinglass in water 
 till it is soft ; then dissolve it in the smallest 
 possible quantity of proof spirit, by the aid of a 
 gentle heat ; in 2 oz. of this mixture dissolve 
 10 grains of ammoniacum, while still liquid add 
 yi a drachm of mastic dissolved in 3 drachms of 
 rectified spirit ; stir well together. When to be 
 used, liquify the cement by standing the bottle 
 in hot water, and use it directly. The cement 
 improves the oftener the bottle is thus warmed, 
 and resists the action of water and moisture per- 
 fectly. — 3. (Ure's. ) Take I oz. of isinglass, 6 
 oz. of distilled water, boiled down to 3 oz., and 
 l^ oz. of rectified spirit. Boil for 2 minutes, 
 strain, and add, while hot, ^ oz. of milky emul- 
 sion of ammoniac, and 5 drachms of tincture of 
 gum mastic. This recipe, carefully followed, 
 results in an excellent cement. 
 
 CEMENT, English Roman. — Take a bushel 
 of lime slacked, with 3%' lbs. of green cop- 
 peras, 15 gals, of water, and j^ of a bushel of 
 fine gravel sand. The copperas should be dis- 
 solved in hot water ; it must be stirred with a 
 stick, and kept stirring continually while in use. 
 Care should be taken to mix at once as much as 
 may be requisite for one entire front, as it is 
 very difficult to match the color again ; and it 
 ought to be mixed the same day it is used. 
 
 CEMENT, Eniomolo^st's.—EQfi:>]. parts of 
 thick mastic varnish and isinglass size. 
 
 CEMENT, Elastic Collodion.— Ordmary 
 collodion is made by dissolving 8 parts of gun- 
 cotton in 125 parts of ether and 8 parts of al- 
 cohol. When used as a cemept or varnish, it 
 
CEMENTS, GLUES AND PASTES. 
 
 37 
 
 becomes very hard, cracks easily, and peels off. 
 It may be rendered elastic by the addition ot 4 
 parts of Venetian turpentine and 2 parts of cas- 
 tor oil. \Vhen intended for surgical purposes, 
 as a varnish, which, when dry, forms a perfectly 
 close-fitting plaster, it has been found that the 
 addition of some glycerine to the ordinary collo- 
 dion, in which it is dissolved to a small extent, 
 makes a varnisli which adheres strongly to the 
 skin, does not crack, and, on account of its elas- 
 ticity, does not crease the skin. 
 
 CEMENT, ^^^.— White of egg, thickened 
 with finely-powdered quick-lime. Used to mend 
 earthenware, glass, china, marble, alabaster, 
 spar ornaments, etc. It does not resist mois- 
 ture. 
 
 CEMENT, Electrical and Chemical. — (Sing- 
 er's.) I. Resin, 5 lbs. ; wax and dry red ochre 
 in fine powder, of each i lb. ; plaster-of-Paris, 
 4 oz. ; melt the first two, then add the ochre, 
 and lastly the plaster. — 2. Black resin, 7 lbs. ; 
 well dried red ochre and plaster, of eacla l lb. ; 
 as above. Used to cement the plates in voltaic 
 troughs, join chemical vessels, etc. 
 
 CEMENT, French. — Make a thick mucilage 
 vith gum arabic and water, then add starch in 
 fine powder to thicken it. Employed by natu- 
 ralists and French artificial-flower makers. A 
 little lemon juice is sometimes added. 
 
 CEMENT, German. — For glass or earthen- 
 ware. I. Take 2 parts of gum shellac, and i 
 part of Venice turpentine ; heat them together 
 m an iron pot, taking care to keep the lid quite 
 close, as the turpentine is very inflammable. 
 When partially cool form into sticks ; when it is 
 •wanted for use melt near a gentle fire. — 2. 2 
 measures of litharge, and i each of unslaked 
 lime and flint glass ; each to be pulverized sep- 
 arately before mixing ; then, to use it, wet it up 
 with old drving oil. 
 
 CEMENT, Glass-grinder's.— \. Melt pitch, 
 and add thereto ^^ of its weight each of finely- 
 powdered wood-ashes and hard tallow. For 
 coarse work. — 2. Melt 4 lbs. of black resin, and 
 then add i lb. each of beeswax and whiting, pre- 
 viously heated red hot, and still warm. Intended 
 to fix articles while grinding. 
 
 CEMEA^T, Glycerine. — Glycerine and lith- 
 arge, stirred to a paste, hardens rapidly, and 
 makes a durable cement for iron upon iron, for 
 two stone surfaces, and especially for fastening 
 iron in stone. The cement is insoluble, and is 
 not attacked by strong acids. 
 .'CEMENT, Hani.— I. To 4 or 5 parts of 
 clay, thoroughly dried and pulverized, add 2 
 parts of fine iron filings free from oxide, I part 
 of peroxide of manganese, yi. of sea salt, and ^2 
 of borax. Mingle thoroughly and render as 
 fine as possible, then reduce to a thick paste 
 with the necessary quantity of water, mixing 
 thoroughly. This should be used immediately. 
 After application it should be exposed to heat, 
 gradually increasing almost to white heat. This 
 cement is very hard, and presents a complete re- 
 sistance alike to red heat and boiling water. — 2. 
 To equal parts of sifted peroxide of manganese 
 and well pulverized zinc white, add a sufficient 
 quantity of commercial soluble glass to form a 
 thin paste. This mixture, when used immedi- 
 ately, forms a cement quite equal in hardness 
 and resistance to that obtained by the first 
 method. 
 
 CEMENT, IfydratiIk.—{Qa.(rs.) Mix 3 
 
 lbs. of well-dried and powdered clay with i lb. 
 of oxide of iron; then add as much boiled oil 
 as will reduce them to a stiff paste. Used for 
 work required to harden under water. 
 
 CEMENT, Ilatiielin^s. — To any given weight 
 of the earth or earths, commonly pit sand, river 
 sand, rock sand, or any other sand of the same 
 or the like nature, or pulverized earthenware or 
 porcelain, add % of the given weight of the 
 earth or earths, commonly called Portland stone, 
 Bath stone, or any other stone of the same or 
 like nature, pulverized. To every 560 lbs. of 
 these earths, so prepared, add 40 lbs. of litharge, 
 and with the last-mentioned given weights com- 
 bine 2 lbs. of pulverized glass or flint stone. 
 Then join to this mixture i lb. of mintum and 2 
 lbs. of grey oxide of lead. 
 
 When this composition is intendeH to be made 
 into cement, to every 605 lbs. of the composition 
 are added 5 gals, of vegetable oil, as linseed oil, 
 walnut oil, or pink oil. The composition is then 
 mixed in a similar way to mortar. 
 
 When this cement is applied to the piirpose of 
 covering buildings intended to resemble stone, 
 the surface of the building is washed with oil. 
 
 CEMENT, Iron-rust. — Take 100 parts iron 
 fiUngs, pounded and sifted ; add i part sal am- 
 monia. When it is applied, give it suf&ciency 
 of water to make it of paste consistency. This 
 cement is used for filling up seams of iron. 
 
 CEMENT, Ii-on. — To make an iron cement 
 suitable for making rust joints, mix thoroughly 
 112 lbs. of clean cast-iron borings, or turnings, 
 with 8 oz. of sal ammonia, and i oz. of flower 
 of sulphur, and add sufficient water. Keep wet 
 when not to be immediately used, or it will heat 
 and be spoiled. 
 
 CEMENT, India Rubhcr.—Tf\iio\s^ I lb. of 
 pure India rubber, divided into small fragments, 
 in 4 gals, of rectified coal-tar naphtha, with fre- 
 quent stirring. After 10 or 12 days double the 
 quantity, by weight, of this liquid is added of 
 shellac. This mixture is heated in an iron ves- 
 sel having a discharge pipe at the bottom, and 
 when the whole has become liquid it is drawn 
 out upon slabs where it cools in the form of 
 plates. When required for use it is heated in 
 an iron vessel to a temperature of 258^*, and ap- 
 plied with a brush to the surfaces to be joined. 
 It is so strong that wooden beams and posts 
 joined with it will break elsewhere before being 
 divided at the place of splicing. 
 
 CEMENT, yapanese. — Intimately mix the 
 best powdered rice with a little cold water, and 
 then gradually add boiling water until a proper 
 consistence is acquired, being particularly care- 
 ful to keep it well stirred all the time; lastly, it 
 must be boiled for i minute in a clean saucepan 
 or earthen pipkin. This glue is beautifully 
 white and transparent, for which reason it is 
 well adapted for fancy paper work, which re- 
 quires a strong and colorless cement. 
 
 CEMENT, Jeweller's. — Take 6 pieces of 
 gum mastic the size of peas, and dissolve in the 
 smallest possible quantity of alcohol. Soften 
 some isinglass in water, and saturate strong 
 brandy with it till you have 2 oz. of glue ; then 
 rub in 2 small pieces of sal ammoniac. ^lix the 
 2 preparations at a heat. Keep well stoppered. 
 Set the bottle in hot water before using. It is 
 said by the Turks that this preparation will unite 
 2 metallic surfaces, even polished steel, so that 
 they cannot be separated. 
 
38 
 
 DICTIONARY OF E VERY-DAY WANTS. 
 
 CEMENT, Kourie. — A new gum, obtained 
 from trees in New Zealand, has been introduced. 
 It is called kourie, and has been found to be a 
 most excellent,, strong, and waterproof cement 
 for caulking tanks and cementing pieces of glass, 
 stone or wood together. Before using it is fused 
 and mixed with ]A, part of its weight of castor 
 oU. 
 
 CEMENT, Liquid.— Qax\. gum shellac in 70 
 per cent, alcohol ; put it in phials, and it is 
 ready for use. Apply it to the edge of the 
 broken dish with a feather, and hold it in a spirit 
 lamp as long as the cement will simmer, then 
 join together evenly, and when cold the dish 
 will break in another place first, and is as strong 
 as when new. 
 
 CEMENT, Microscopic. — ^Isinglass, 2 parts ; 
 gum, I part; water, 2 parts. Dissolve, then 
 mix in alcohol, i part. 
 
 CEMENT, Optician's.— \. Shellac, softened 
 with rectified spirits or wood naphtha. For fine 
 work. — 2. Melt wax, i oz, and rosin, 15 oz. ; 
 tlaen add whiting, 4 oz., previously made red 
 hot, and still warm. Used to fix glasses, stones, 
 etc., while polishing and cutting. 
 
 CEMENT, Parabolic— Q,\xxS[t. skim milk, 
 press out the whey, and dry the curd by a gen- 
 tle heat, but as quickly as possible. When it 
 has become quite dry, grind it to powder in a 
 coffee or i>epper- mill, and mix it with one-six- 
 teenth of its weight of finely-powdered quick- 
 lime, and a piece of camphor the size of a pea, 
 also reduced to powder, to every ounce of the 
 mixture. Keep it in wide-mouth I oz. phials, 
 well corked. When to be used, make it into a 
 paste with a little water, and apply it immedi- 
 ately. 
 
 CEMENT, Plumber's.— Wi.€lt black resin, I 
 lb. ; then stir in brick-dust, I to 2 lb. ; some- 
 times a little tallow is added. 
 
 CEMENT, Peasley. — Prepare a solution of 
 200 parts of white glue in water ; another one 
 of 50 parts of isinglass, 3 of gum arable, and 3 
 of tragacanth ; and finally, another of i part of 
 bleached shellac in alcohol. Then pour these 3 
 solutions together, mix them with 24 parts of 
 white lead, and, at the last, 12 parts of the best 
 glycerine, and 200 parts of alcohol. The mastic 
 thus obtained should be immediately put up in 
 bottles and well corked. 
 
 CEMENT, Rice Flotcr. — An admirable ce- 
 ment may be made from rice flour, which is at 
 present used for tTiat purpose in China and Ja- 
 jjan. It is only necessary to incorporate the 
 rice flour intimately with cold water, and gently 
 simmer it over a fire, when it readily forms a 
 delicate and durable cement, not only answering 
 all the purposes of common paste, but admirably 
 adapted for joining together paper, cards, etc., 
 in forming the various beautiful and tasteful or- 
 naments which afford much employment and 
 amusement to the ladies. When made of the 
 consistence of plaster clay, models, busts, bas- 
 relievos, etc., may be formed of it, and the ar- 
 ticles, when dry, are susceptible of a liigh poU 
 ish, and are also very durable. 
 
 CEMENT^ Red. — ^This cement, which is em- 
 ployed by instrument makers for cementing 
 glass to metals, and which is very cheap, and is 
 very useful for a variety of purposes, is made by 
 melting 5 parts of black resin, i part of yellow 
 wax, and then stirring in gradually 1 part of red 
 ochre or Venetian red, in fine powder, and pre- 
 
 viously well dried. This cement requires to be 
 melted before use, and it adheres better if the 
 objects to which it is applied are warmed. 
 
 CEMENT, Roman. — Genuine Roman ce- 
 ment consists of puzzolene, (a ferruginous clay 
 from Puteoli, calcined by the fires of Vesuvius, ) 
 lime and sand, mixed up with soft water. The 
 only preparation which the puzzolene undergoes 
 is that of pounding and sifting ; but the ingredi- 
 ents are occasionally incorporated with bullock's 
 blood and oil, to give the composition more te- 
 nacity. 
 
 CEMENT, Seal Engraver' s. — Common resin 
 and brick-dust melted together. Used to fix the 
 pieces of metal while cutting, and also to secure 
 seals and tools in their handles. The older it 
 gets the harder it grows. 
 
 SCHIOICA O. — A new Chinese composition, 
 which has the property of making wood and 
 other substances perfectly water-tight. It con- 
 sists of 3 parts of blood, (deprived of its fibrine,) 
 4 parts of lime, and a little alum. 
 
 CEMENT, Water and Fire-proof .—1:0 y^ a 
 pint of milk put an equal quantity of vinegar, in 
 order to curdle it ; then separate the curd ■ from 
 the whey, and incorporate the whey with 4 or 5 
 eggs, beating the whole well together. When it 
 is well incorporated, add a little quick-lime 
 through a sieve, until it has acquired the consist- 
 ence of a thick paste. With this broken vessels 
 may be united. It resists water and, in a meas- 
 ure, fire. 
 
 CEMENT, Wafer.— Good gray clay, 4 
 parts ; black oxide of manganese, 6 parts ; good 
 limestone, reduced to powder by sprinkling it 
 with water, 90 parts ; incorporate, calcine and 
 powder. 
 
 GLUES. 
 
 GLUE, Cement. — Take of isinglass and 
 parchment size, each i oz., sugar candy and gum 
 tragacanth, each 2 drachms ; add to them i oz. 
 water, and boil the whole together till the solu- 
 tion appears (when cold) of the consistency of 
 glue ; then pour it into any form you please. If 
 this glue be wet with the tongue, and rubbed on 
 the edges of paper, silk or leather that are to be 
 cemented, they will, being laid together, pressed 
 slightly, and suffered to dry, be as firmly united 
 as other parts of the substance. 
 
 GLUE, Flexible. — A German chemist has 
 discovered that if glue or gelatine be incorpo- 
 rated with about ]^ of its weight of glycerine, 
 it loses its brittleness, and becomes useful for 
 many purposes for which it is otherwise unfit, 
 such as dressing leather, giving elasticity to por- 
 celain, parchment or enameled paper, and for 
 bookbinding. 
 
 GLUE, IIow to Use It. — To do good gluing, 
 the work must be well fitted, the parts to be 
 glued well warmed, and the glue well cooked 
 and brought to the proper consistency. Having 
 clamps, hand-screws, etc., ready, after applying 
 the glue put together immediately, l^ringing the 
 parts firmly together, leaving no body of glue 
 between. Finally, use only the best glue. 
 
 GLUE, its Manufacture. — Glue is principally 
 prepared from the parings and waste-pieces of 
 hides and skins, the refuse of tanneries, and the 
 tendons and other offal of slaughter-houses. 
 All these should be preferably obtained and kept 
 in the dry state, to prevent decomposition. For 
 use, they arc first steeped for 14 or 15 days in 
 
CEMENTS, CLUES AND PASTES. 
 
 39 
 
 milk of' lime, and then drained and dried ; this 
 constitutes the cleaning or the preparation. Be- 
 fore conversion into glue, they are usually again 
 steeped in weak milk of lime, well washed in 
 v/ater, and exposed to the air for 24 hours. 
 They are then placed in a copper boiler ~/^ filled 
 with water, and furnished with a perforated 
 false bottom, to prevent them from burning, and 
 as much is piled on as will fill the vessel and 
 rest on the top of it. Heat is next applied, and 
 gentle boiling continued until the liquor on cool- 
 ing forms a firm gelatinous mass. The clear 
 portion is then run off into another vessel, where 
 it is kept hot by a water-bath, and allov/ed to re- 
 pose for some hours to dqiosit, when it is run 
 into the congealing boxes, and placed in a cool 
 situation. The next morning the cold gelatinous 
 masses are turned out upon boards wetted with 
 water, and are cut horizontally into thin cakes 
 with a stretched piece of brass wire, and then 
 into smaller cakes with a moistened flat knife. 
 These cakes are then placed upon nettings to 
 dry, after which they are dipped one by one into 
 hot water, and slightly rubbed with a brush 
 wetted with boiling water, to give them a gloss ; 
 they are lastly stove-dried for sale. During this 
 time the undissolved portion of skins, etc., left 
 in the copper is treated with fresh water, and the 
 w-hole operation is repeated again and again, as 
 long as any gelatinous matter is extracted. The 
 first runnings produce the palest and best glue. 
 The refuse matter from the tanners and leather 
 dressers yields on the average, when dried, 50 
 per cent, of its weight of glue. 
 
 LIQUID GLUE.— I. Dissolve bruised or- 
 ange shellac in ^ of its weight of rectified 
 spirit, or of rectified wood naphtha, by a gentle 
 heat. It is very useful as a general cement and 
 substitute for glue. — 2. Another kind may be 
 made by dissolving i oz. of borax in 12 oz. of 
 st)ft water, adding 2 oz. of bruised shellac, and 
 boiling till dissolved, stirring it constantly. — 3. 
 Dissolve 1000 parts of glue in looo parts, by 
 weight, of water, in a glazed pot over a gentle 
 fire. When it is melted, add nitric acid (sp. gr. 
 I "32) 200 parts, pouring it in very gradually. 
 An effervescence is caused by the escape of hy- 
 ponitrous acid. When all the acid is added, al- 
 low the solution to cool. — ^4. Dissolve I part of 
 powdered alum in 120 parts of water; add 120 
 parts of glue, 10 of acetic acid, and 40 of alco- 
 hol, and digest. Prepared glue is made by dis- 
 solving common glue in warm water, and then 
 adding acetic acid (strong vinegar) to keep it. 
 Dissolve I lb. of best glue m 1% pint of water, 
 and add i pint of vinegar. It is ready for use. 
 
 LIQUID GLUE, for Labeling upon 7m.— 
 Boiling water, i quart; borax, pulverized, 2 oz.; 
 put in the borax ; then add gum shellac, 4 oz., 
 and boil until dissolved. 
 
 MARINE GLUE. — Mix together gum san- 
 daric, ^ lb. ; gum mastic, % lb., and methy- 
 lated spirit, 8 lbs. When the gums are dis- 
 solved, add ^ lb. turpentine, and incorporate 
 this with a thick, hot solution of the best glue, 
 (to which a little isinglass has been added to 
 clarify it,)' and filter through muslin. The ma- 
 rine glue will be impervious to moisture, and 
 will not soften in any ordinarily hot weather. 
 
 MOUTH GLUE.—ThAS. article affords a 
 very convenient means of uniting papers, and 
 other small, light objects ; it is made by dis- 
 solving, with the aid of heat, pure glue (as gel- 
 
 atine or parchment glue) with about ^ of its 
 weight of coarse brown sugar, in as small a 
 quantity of boiling water as possible ; this, when 
 perfectly liquid, should be cast into thin cakes on 
 a flat surface very slightly oiled, and as it cools 
 cut up into pieces of a convenient size. When 
 required for use, one end may be moistened by 
 the mouth, and it is then ready to be rubbed on 
 any substances it may be wished to join ; a piece 
 kept in the desk or work-box is very convenient. 
 
 PARCHMENT CZC/^.— Parchment shav- 
 ings, I lb. ; water, 6 quarts. Boil until dis- 
 solved, then strain and evaporate slowly to the 
 proper consistence. Use a water-bath if you 
 want it very light colored. 
 
 PORTABLE GLUE, for Draughtsmen, etc. 
 — Glue, 5 parts ; sugar, 2 parts ; water, 8 parts. 
 Melt in a water-bath, and cast it in moulds. 
 For use, dissolve in warm water. 
 
 SPA ULDING'S GLUE.— First soak in cold 
 water all the glue you wish to make at one time, 
 using only glass, earthen or porcelain dishes ; 
 then by gentle heat dissolve the glue in the same 
 water, and pour in a little nitric acid, sufficient 
 to give the glue a sour taste, like vinegar, or I 
 oz. to each lb. of glue. 
 
 WA TER-PROOF GLUE.—i oz. of gum 
 sandarac and I oz. of mastic are to be dissolved 
 together in a pint of alcohol, to which i oz. of 
 white turpentine is to be added. At the same 
 time a very thick glue is to be kept ready, mixed 
 with a little isinglass. The solution of the res- , 
 ins in alcohol is to be heated to boiling in a glue 
 pot, and the glue added gradually with constant 
 stirring, so as to render the whole mass homo- 
 geneous. After the solution is strained through 
 a cloth, it is ready for use, and is to be applied 
 hot. It dries quickly and becomes very hard, 
 and surfaces of wood united by it do not sepa- 
 rate when immersed in water. 
 
 MUCILAGES. 
 
 MUCILAGE. — I. Put 3 oz. of gum arabic 
 in an earthenware vessel containing ^ a pint of 
 cold water. If the liquid is occasionally stirred, 
 the gum in 24 hours will be dissolved and the 
 mixture ready for use. Cloves will keep it from 
 moidding. — 2. Fine clean glue, i lb.; gum ara- 
 ble, 10 oz. ; water, I quart ; melt by heat in a 
 glue kettle or water-bath ; when entirely melted, 
 add slowly 10 oz. strong nitric acid, and set off 
 to cool. Then bottle, adding a couple of cloves 
 to each bottle. 
 
 MUCILA GE, SALEP.—YoT a 6 oz. mixture, 
 place into a flask i oz. of cold water, and 30 grs. 
 of powdered salep ; shake well together ; then 
 add 7 oz. of boiling water, with which the whole 
 is shaken until nearly cold. 
 
 PASTES. 
 
 PASTE, That Will Keep a Year.—i. Dis- 
 solve a teaspoonful of alum in a quart of warm 
 water. When cold, stir in as much flour as will 
 give it the consistency of thick cream, being par- 
 ticular to beat up all the lumps ; stir in as much 
 powdered resin as will stand on a dime, and 
 throw in half-a-dozen cloves to give a pleasant 
 odor. Have on the fire a teacupful of boiling 
 water ; pour the flour mixture into it, stirring 
 well all the time. In a very few minutes it will 
 be of the consistency of mush. Pour it into an 
 
40 
 
 DICTIONARY OF E VERY-DA Y WANTS. 
 
 earthen or china vessel ; let it cool ; lay a cover 
 on, and put it in a cool place. When needed for 
 use, take out a portion and soften it with warm 
 water. Paste thus made will last 12 months. 
 It is better than gum, as it does not gloss the 
 paper, and can be written upon. — 2. Prepare in 
 the ordinary way a good flour or starch paste. 
 It can be preserved by adding to it a small quan- 
 tity of brown sugar, then corrosive subhmate in 
 fine powder in the proportion of about a tea- 
 spoonful to the pint of paste ; add also a tea- 
 spoonful of oil of lavender, or rosemary, or 
 cloves, or any of the essential oils, and a few 
 drops of carbolic acid, and stir well with a 
 wooden spaiula. This paste will keep for any 
 length of time perfectly pure. The 7-ationale is 
 this : The corrosive sublimate insures it against 
 fermentation, and the essential oil and carbolic 
 acid against mold. Corrosive subhmate in the 
 above is a poisonous agent, but it is not expected 
 that the paste is to be eaten because of its con- 
 taining sugar ; and in the use of it as paste it is 
 not in the least dangerous, as we all handle with 
 impunity many things more poisonous than this. 
 
 PASTE, for Scrap ^^(?>&j.— Take the best 
 of laundry starch in a clean dish, wet it with 
 sufficient cold, soft water, to permit it being stir- 
 red smoothly. Pour on boiling water, slowly 
 stirring until the starch is clear and jelly-like. 
 Ready for use as soon as cool. For many uses 
 preferable to a mucilage of gum Arabic. 
 
 PASTE, That Will Adhere to Any Substance. 
 — Sugar-of-lead, 720 grs., and alum, 720 grs. ; 
 both are dissolved in water. Take 2|^ oz. of 
 gum arabic and dissolve in 2 quarts of warm 
 water. Mix in a dish i lb. of wheat flour with 
 the gum water cold, till in pasty consistence. 
 Put the dish on the fire, pour into it the mixture 
 of alum and sugar-of-lead. Shake well, and 
 take it off the fire when it shows signs of ebul- 
 lition. Let the whole cool, and the paste is 
 made. If the paste is too thick, add to it some 
 gum water, till in proper consistence. 
 
 PUTTY. 
 
 GLAZIER'S PC/rrF.— Whiting, 70 lbs. ; 
 boiled oil, 30 lbs. ; water, 2 gals. Mix. If too 
 thin, add more whiting; if too thick add more oil. 
 
 PUTTY, to Soften. — To remove old putty 
 from broken windows, dip a small brush in nitro- 
 muriatic acid or caustic soda, (concentrated lye,) 
 and with it anoint or paint over the dry putty 
 that adheres to the broken glass and frames of 
 your windows ; after an hour's interval, the 
 putty will have become so soft as to be easily re- 
 movable. 
 
 SEALING-WAX. 
 
 SEALING-WAX.— {^&^.) i. Shellac (very 
 pale) 4 oz. ; cautiously melt in a bright copper 
 pan over a clear charcoal fire, and when fused 
 add Venice turpentine, i^ oz. ; mix, and further 
 add vermilion, 3 oz. ; remove the pan from the 
 fire, cool a little, weigh it into pieces, and roll 
 them into circular sticks on a warm marble slab 
 by means of a polished wooden block ; or it may 
 be poured into moulds while in a state of fusion. 
 Some persons polish the sticks with a rag till 
 quite cold. — 2. (Fine.) Shellac, 3 lbs. ; Venice 
 turpentine, 19 oz. ; finest cinnabar, 2 lbs. ; mix 
 as before. — 3. (Fine.) As the last, but use just 
 half as much vermilion. — 4. Resin, 4 lbs. ; shel- 
 lac, 2 lbs. ; Venice turpentine and red lead, of 
 each \y^ lbs. Common. 
 
 (Black.) I. Shellac, 60 parts ; very fine ivory- 
 black, reduced to an impalpable powder, 30 
 parts; Venice turpentine, 20 parts. — 2. (Fine.) 
 As the last, but using lamp-black for ivory- 
 black. — 3. (Fine.) Rosin, 6 lbs.; shellac and 
 Venice turpentine, of each 2 lbs. ; lamp-black 
 q. s. Inferior. 
 
 (Black Bottle-Wax.) 1. Black resin ()% lbs. ; 
 beeswax, y% lb. ; finely-powdered ivory-black, I 
 lb. ; melt together. — 2. (Red.) As the last, but 
 substitute Venetian or red lead for ivory-black. 
 
 (French.) Shellac, (pale,) 3 lbs.; Venice 
 turpentine, l^ lb. ; vermillion, 3^^ lbs. ; di- 
 vide into sticks 12, 24, 36 or 40 to the lb. Fine. 
 
 (Gold.) By stirring gold-colored mica span- 
 gles or talc, or aurum musivum into the melted 
 resins when they begin to cool. Fine. 
 
 ( Marbled. ) By mixing 2 or 3 different col- 
 ored kinds just as they begin to grow solid. 
 
 (Soft). I. (Red.) Beeswax, 8 parts ; olive 
 oil, 5 parts; melt, and add Venice turpentine 15 
 parts; red lead to color. — 2. (Green.) As the 
 last, iDut substitute powdered verdigris for red 
 lead. Both are used for sealing certain official 
 documents kept in tin boxes ; also as a cement. 
 
 All the above forms for "fine" wax produce 
 " superfine," by employing the best qualities of 
 the ingredients ; and " extra-superfine," or 
 "scented," by adding i oz. of balsam of Peru or 
 liquid storax to the ingredients when consider- 
 ably cooled. The variegated and fancy-colored 
 kinds are commonly scented with a little essence 
 of musk, or ambergris, or any of the more fra- 
 grant essential oils. The addition of a little 
 camphor or spirit of wine, makes sealing-wax 
 burn easier. Sealing-wax adulterated with rosin, 
 or which contains too much turpentine, runs into 
 thin drops at the flame of a candle. 
 
 COOKING AND BAKING. 
 
 COOKING SUITABLE FOR INVALIDS IS MARKED* 
 
 ANCHOVY BUTTER.— ^cr3.-pe the skin 
 from a dozen fine anchovies, take the flesh from 
 the bones, pound it smooth in a mortar ; mb 
 through a hair-sieve, put the anchovies into the 
 mortar with ^ of a pound of fresh butter, a 
 
 small quantity of cayenne, and a saltspoonful of 
 grated nutmeg and mace ; heat together until 
 thoroughly blended. If to serve cold, mould 
 the butter in small shapes, and turn it out. For 
 preservation, press the butter into jars ; keepcooL 
 
COOKING AND BAKING. 
 
 41 
 
 APPLE BREAD.— K very light, pleasant 
 bread is made in France by a mixture ot apples 
 and flour, in the proportion of i of the former 
 to 2 of the latter. The usual quantity of yeast 
 is employed as in making common bread, and is 
 beaten with flour and warm pulp of the apples 
 after they have boiled, and the dough is then 
 considered as set ; it is then put in a proper ves- 
 sel, and allowed to rise for 8 or 12 hours, and 
 tlien baked in long loaves. Very little water is 
 requisite — none, generally, if the apples are very 
 fresh. 
 
 APPLE SAUCE. — Pare and core 3 good- 
 sized baking apples, and put them into a well- 
 tinned pint saucepan, with two tables poonfuls of 
 cold water ; cover the saucepan close, and set it 
 on a trivet over a slow fire a couple of hours h&- 
 fore dinner ; some apples will take a long time 
 stewing — others will be ready in 15 minutes ; 
 when the apples are done enough, pour off the 
 water, let them stand a few minutes to get dry ; 
 then beat them up with a fork, with a bit of but- 
 ter about as big as a nutmeg, and a teaspoonful 
 of powdered sugar. Some add lemon-peel, 
 grated or minced fine, or boil a bit with the ap- 
 ples. Some are fond of apple sauce with cold 
 pork. 
 
 APPLE PUDDINGS.— \ lb. of flour, 6 oz. 
 of very finely-minced beef suet ; roll thin, and 
 fill with i^'lbs. of boihng apples; add grated 
 rind and strained juice of a small lemon; tie it 
 in a cloth; boil i hour and 20 minutes, or long- 
 er, in the water. A small slice of fresh butter 
 stirred into it when it is sweetened will be an ac- 
 ceptable addition ; grated nutmeg, or cinnamon 
 in fine powder, may be substituted for lemon- 
 rind. For a richer pudding use ^ a lb. of but- 
 ter for the crust, and add to the apples a spoon- 
 ful or two of orange or quince marmalade. — 2. 
 Pare 4 or 5 large, tart apples, and gi-ate them 
 fine ; then make the following custard, into 
 which stir the grated apple: Flour, 4tablespoon- 
 fuls ; I pint of milk, 5 eggs, and a little grated 
 orange-peel. After you have these ingredients 
 well mixed, pour them into your pudding-dish, 
 and bake about ij^ hours. 
 
 APPLE PUDDING, Baked.— ^ large ap- 
 ples boiled, some grated bread, 4 oz. of butter, 
 4 yelks and 2 whites of eggs well beaten, sugar 
 to taste ; edge a dish with puff-paste, and bake 
 ^ an hour. 
 
 APPLE CAKE.— Take 2 cups of dried ap- 
 ples, stew just enough to cut easily, chop about 
 as fine as raisins, and simmer in 2 cups of mo- 
 lasses 3 hours ; I cup of sugar, I cup of sour 
 milk, I of butter, 2 eggs, 5 cups of flour, 2 tea- 
 spoonfuls of soda, some salt, cloves and cinna- 
 mon. Mix with molasses warm. Put apples 
 and molasses in before the flour. Bake in large 
 cake dishes ; it makes I large one, or 2 small 
 ones. 
 
 APPLE CUSTA PD.— I pintof good stewed 
 apples, a X of a lb. of butter, J4 a pint of 
 cream, 3 eggs beaten light, sugar and grated 
 nutmeg to taste. Mix the ingredients together, 
 and bake in a puff-paste in a moderate stove. 
 
 APPLE CPEAAI.—BoW 12 apples in water 
 till soft ; take off the peel and press the pulp 
 through a hair sieve upon }4 ^ l^J- of pounded 
 sugar ; whip the whites of 2 eggs, add them to 
 the apples, and beat all together till it becomes 
 very stiff and looks quite wltite. Serve it 
 heaped up on a dish. 
 
 APPLE SNOW.—VvX 12 good tart apples in 
 cold water, and set them on a slow fire ; when 
 soft, drain off the water, strip the skins from the 
 a]iples, core and lay them in a large glass dish. 
 Beat the whites of 12 eggs to a stift" froth, put y^ 
 a pound of powdered white sugar to the apples ; 
 heat them and add the eggs. Beat the whole to 
 a stiff snow, and turn into a dessert-dish. 
 
 APPLE SLUM. — Pare good cooking apples, 
 put in an earthen dish with sugar, butter, and 
 water enough for juice. Make a paste as for 
 biscuit, only thin enough to spread easily with a 
 spoon. Spread over the apples and bake ^ of 
 an hour. Berries and prunes may be used in- 
 stead of apples, and make an equally palatable 
 dish. Serve with a nice sauce. 
 
 APPLE SOUFFLE.— d or 8 apples, some 
 white sugar, yelks and whites of 3 eggs, ^ of a 
 pint of cream or new milk, sugar to taste. Peel 
 and cut the apples ; boil them with a little white 
 sugar, and mash them smooth. Make a custard 
 with the yelks of 3 well-beaten eggs, a ^ of a 
 pint of cream or new milk, and white sugar to 
 taste. Have the apples and custard ready; make 
 a ring rovmd the dish with the apples, and put 
 the custard in the middle. Whisk the whites of 
 the eggs to a stiff froth, and put them over the 
 custard and apples. Sift sugar over it, and bake 
 it in a moderate oven. 
 
 APPLE FRITTERS.— Vote and core some 
 fine large pippins, and cut them into round 
 slices. Soak them in sugar, moistened with wa- 
 ter, and nutmeg for 2 or 3 hours. Make a bat- 
 ter of 4 eggs, a tablespoonful of rose-water, and 
 one of milk ; thicken with enough flour, stirred 
 in by degrees, to make a batter ; mix it 2 or 3 
 hours before it is wanted, that it may be light. 
 Heat some butter in a frying-pan ; dip each slice 
 of apple separately in the batter, and fry them 
 brown ; sift pounded sugar and grate nutmeg 
 over them. 
 
 APPLE TRIFLE.— Stew 6 large apples; 
 sift them, and add sugar, butter and nutmeg as 
 for pies. Put in a deep dish. Take a pint of 
 cream and i of milk and boil them. When 
 boiling, add the beaten yelks of 6 eggs, and 
 sugar. Stir until thick. When cold, pour it 
 over the apple, bake, and when nearly done 
 spread the whites of the eggs, beaten with lemon 
 and sugar, on the top, and let it brown deli- 
 cately. 
 
 APPLES, Floating Island ^/— Bake or 
 scald 8 or 9 large apples ; when cold, pare them 
 and pulp them through a sieve. Beat up this 
 pulp with sugar, and add to it the whites of 4 
 or 5 eggs previously beaten up with a small 
 quantity of rose-water. Mix this into the pulp 
 a little at a time, and beat it until quite light. 
 Heap it up on a dish^ with a rich custard or jelly 
 round it. 
 
 ARTICHOKES.— Soak them in cold water, 
 and wash them well ; put them into plenty of 
 boiling water, with a handful of salt, and let 
 them boil gently for i^ or 2 hours ; trim them 
 and drain on a sieve ; send up melted butter 
 with them, which some put into small cups, i 
 for each guest. 
 
 ARTICHOKES, Boikd.—Twht off the 
 stalks and wash them in cold water. When the 
 water boils put them in with the tops down. 
 They will be done in l^ hours. Serve with 
 melted butter. 
 ARROWROOT BLANCMANGE —A. tea- 
 
42 
 
 DICTIONARY OF E VERY-DAY WANTS. 
 
 cupful of arrowroot to a pint of milk ; boil the 
 milk with 12 sweet and 6 bitter almonds blanched 
 and beaten ; sweeten with loaf sugar, and strain 
 it ; break the arrowroot with a little of the milk 
 as smooth as possible ; pour the boiling milk 
 upon it by degrees, stirring the while; put it 
 back into the pan, and boil a few minutes, still 
 stirring ; dip the shape in cold water before you 
 put it in, and turn it out when cold. 
 
 ASPARAGUS.— ?,cra.^Q the stalks till they 
 are clean ; throw them into a pan of cold water ; 
 tie them up in bundles of about 25 each ; cut off 
 the stalks at the bottom all of a length, leaving 
 enough to serve as a handle for the green part ; 
 put them into a stew-pan of boiling water, with 
 a handful of salt in it. Let it boil, and skim it. 
 When they are tender at the stalk, which will be 
 in from 20 to 30 minutes, they are done enough. 
 Watch the exact time of their becoming tender ; 
 take them up that instant. If too much boiled 
 they lose both color and taste. While the as- 
 
 I)aragus is boiling, toast a round of a quartern 
 oaf, about ]4 an inch thick ; brown it delicately 
 on both sides; dip it lightly in the liquor the as- 
 paragus was boiled in, and lay it in the middle 
 of a dish, and lay the asparagus round the dish, 
 the tops inwards. 
 
 ASPARAGUS SOUP.— 2 quarts of good 
 beef or veal steak, 4 onions, 2 or 3 turnips, 
 some sweet herbs, and the white parts of lOO 
 
 ?roung asparagus ; if old, half that quantity ; and 
 et them simmer till fit to be rubbed through a 
 tammy ; strain and season it ; have ready the 
 boiled green tops of the asparagus, and add them 
 to the soup. 
 
 BAKING POWDER.— The following are 
 the baking powders in general use: i. Tartaric 
 acid, 4^ oz. ; arrowroot or rice-flour, 5 oz. ; 
 mix. — 2, Alum, 5 oz. ; bicarbonate of soda, 2% 
 oz. ; bicarbonate of ammonia, ^ oz. ; arrow- 
 root, 4 oz. 
 
 BEANS, To Cook. — The usual way p)eople 
 cook beans is to parboil them ; put them in a 
 kettle or pan, set them in the oven to bake, with 
 a piece of fat pork in them. The grease oozes 
 cut into the beans, causing a most unwholesome 
 and indigestible mass, destroying all the good 
 flavor of the beans. Now the method for cook- 
 ing them (which all who have tried it pronounce 
 excellent) is as follows : Parboil as usual, putting 
 • in salt to suit the taste. Then put them in a 
 pan and set in the oven to bake, put^.g in a 
 piece of good, sweet butter — the size of *a butter- 
 nut will answer. Bake until tender and nicely 
 browned over on top. Beans are very nutri- 
 tious, and cooked in this way are palatable, di- 
 gestible, and can be eaten by any one. If you 
 want the pork, cook it in a dish by itself. 
 
 BEANS, Green. — (French style.) Choose 
 small, young beans, and strip off the ends and 
 stalks, throwing them, as prepared, into a dish 
 full of cold spring water, and, when all are fin- 
 ished, wash and drain them well. Boil them in 
 salted boiling water, in a large saucepan, and 
 drain them, after which put them into an enam- 
 eled stewpan, and shake them over the fire until 
 they are quite hot and dry; then add about 3 oz. 
 of fresh butter, and a tablespoonful of veal and 
 chicken broth ; the butter must be broken up 
 into small lumps. Season with white pepper, 
 salt, and the juice of half a lemon strained. 
 Stir them well over a hot fire for 5 minutes, and 
 serve them in a vegetable dish very hot. 
 
 BEEF, To Judge of its Quality. — The grain 
 of ox beef, when good, is loose, the meat red, 
 and the fat inclining to yellow. Cow beef, on 
 the contrary, has a closer grain, a whiter fat, but 
 meat scarcely as red as that of ox beef. Infe- 
 rior beef, which is meat obtained from ill-fed an- 
 imals, or from those which had become too old 
 for food, may be known by a hard, skinny fat, 
 a dark, red lean, and, in old animals, a line of 
 homy texture running through the meat of the 
 ribs. When meat pressed by the finger rises 
 up quickly, it may be considered as that of an 
 animal which was in its prime ; when the dent 
 made by pressure returns slowly, or remains 
 visible, the animal had probably passed its 
 prime, and the meat consequently must be of 
 inferior quality. 
 
 BEEF, To Roast.— The noble sirloin of about 
 15 lbs., (if much thicker the outside will be done 
 too much before the inside is enough, ) will re- 
 quire to be befoVe the fire alx)ut 3^ or 4 hours. 
 Take care to spit it evenly, that it may not he 
 heavier on one side than the other ; put a little 
 clean dripping into the dripping-pan ; (tie a 
 sheet of paper over it to preserve the fat ;) baste 
 it well as soon as it is put down, and every % 
 of an hour all the time it is roasting, till the 
 last }i hour ; then take off the paper and make 
 some gravy for it ; stir the fire and make it 
 clear ; to brown and froth it, sprinkle a little 
 salt over it, baste it with butter, and dredge it 
 with flour ; let it go a few minutes longer, till 
 the froth rises ; take it up, put it on the dish, etc 
 
 BEEF, Rump of. To Bake.—QvX out the 
 bone and break it, and beat the flesh with a rol- 
 hng pin ; season with pepper, salt, and cloves, 
 and lard the meat across. Put the meat into an 
 earthen pan, with the broken bones, some but- 
 ter, bay leaves, whole butter, i or 2 shalots, and 
 sweet herbs ; cover it close, and place it in the 
 oven ; it will require 6 hours to bake. Skim off 
 the fat, dish the meat, and serve with dried sip- 
 pets and its own liquor. 
 
 BEEF, Leg of. To Bake.—Cy\t the meat off 
 and break the bones. Put them all into an 
 earthen pan with 2 onions and a bundle of sweet 
 herbs, and season with whole pepper, cloves, 
 and blades of mace. Cover it witn water, tie 
 the top close w ith brown paper, and put it in 
 the oven. When done, take out the pieces of 
 meat, lay them in a dish, and return them to the 
 oven to keep hot. Skim off the fat and strain 
 the liquor ; pick out the bones and sinews, and 
 put them in a saucepan with a little of the gravy, 
 and butter rolled in flour. WTien hot pour it 
 into the dish with the meat. 
 
 BEEF, Fillet of. — Take the sirloin or second 
 cut of the ribs ; take out the bones with a shaqj 
 knife, and skewer it round in good shape ; lay 
 the bones in a large saucepan, with 2 onions, I 
 carrot, and 12 cloves ; add the meat, just cov- 
 ered with water. Let it cook slowly 2 hours ; 
 dish the meat ; skim all the fat from the gravy, 
 add some flour mixed with cold water, and 2 
 spoonfuls of walnut catsup ; give all a boil. 
 Turn part of the gravy over the meat, and serve 
 the rest in a gravy tureen. 
 
 BEEF COLLOPS.—CvX the fillet from the 
 under part of a rump of beef into thin shces, and 
 broil until nearly done ; put into a stew-pan 
 with a little beef stock : add slices of lemon, 2 
 tablespoons of catsup, and stew till tender ; ^ a 
 pint of oysters is an improvement to this dish. 
 
COOKING A ND BAKING. 
 
 43 
 
 DRKF, Fillet of, with Mushrooms. — Cut the 
 fillet into slices, and pour over them some 
 melted butter, seasoned with pepper and salt; 
 let them stand for an hour ; then put them in a 
 frying-pan over a quick fire to brown lightly ; 
 take them out, and put in the pan flour enough 
 to thicken and brown ; mix smoothly, and add 
 some stock. 
 
 BEEF, Cur7i£d.—{M3,(i.xz% style.) Place 2 
 tablespoonfuls of butter in a saucepan, with 2 
 small onions cut in thin slices ; fry until brown ; 
 add a tablespoonful and a half of curry powder, 
 and mix all together. Take 3 pounds of beef; 
 cut in pieces an inch square ; pour over them 
 the milk of a cocoanut, and a }l of the meat of 
 the nut grated fine and squeezed through muslin 
 with a little water ; this softens the taste of the 
 curry, and no curry is ever made without it in 
 India. If there is not liquor enough, add yi a 
 teacupful of boiling water; let the whole sim- 
 mer for 30 minutes. Serve in a dish with sliced 
 lemon, and a wall of mashed potatoes or boiled 
 rice around it. 
 
 BEEF RISSOLES. — Mince some cold roast 
 beef fine, add rather more than % as much 
 bread-crumbs as meat, a little minced lemon- 
 peel and chopped parsley, with salt, pepper, and 
 sweet herbs minced, to taste. IMake into a 
 paste with 2 or more eggs, according to the 
 quantity of meat ; roll up into balls, and fry a 
 rich brown ; thicken a little good brown gravy ; 
 add to it a dessert spoonful of Worcester sauce, 
 and pour it round the rissoles in a very hot 
 dish. 
 
 BEEF, Steivcd zoith Onions. — Cut some ten- 
 der beef into small pieces, and season with salt 
 and pepper ; slice some onions and add to it, 
 with water enough in tlie stew-pan to make a 
 gravy. Let it stew slowly till the beef is thor- 
 oughly cooked, then add some pieces of butter 
 rolled in flour, enough to make a rich gravy. 
 Cold beef may be cooked before adding them to 
 the meat. Add more water if it dries too fast, 
 but let it be boiling when poured in. 
 
 BEEF HASH. — Take nice slices of cold sir- 
 loin or ribs of beef; cut off all the outside 
 brown and gristle ; make with these and the 
 bones a brown gravy as directed ; cut a good- 
 sized carrot and turnip in small pieces ; stew till 
 tender ; lay the slices of meat in a stew-pan 
 with the carrot and turnip; pour over a pint of 
 the gravy, thickened with a bit of butter rolled 
 in flour, 6 pickled mushrooms, and 3 pickled 
 walnuts CUT in half. Set the stew-pan by the 
 fire until the meat is thoroughly heated, but do 
 not let it boil. 
 
 BEEF, CORNED, To Boil.— Wash it thor- 
 oughly, and put it in a pot that will hold plenty 
 of water. The water should boil when the beef 
 is put in, and great care should be taken to skim 
 it often ; ^4 an hour for every lb. of meat is 
 sufficient time. Corn beef, to be tender and 
 juicy, should boil very gently and long. If it is 
 to be eaten cold, take it from the pot when 
 boiled, and lay it in an earthen dish or pan, 
 with a piece of board upon it, the size of the 
 meat. Upon this put a heavy stone or couple 
 of flat irons. It greatly improves salt meat to 
 press it. 
 
 BEEF, FoUed—Salt 3 lbs. of lean beef, with 
 J4 a lb. of salt and }4 an oz. of saltpetre. Let 
 it stand 3 days. Divide it into pieces weighing 
 a pound each, and put it in an earthen pan of 
 
 just sufficient size to contain it; pour over it ^ 
 a pint of water, cover it close with a plate, and 
 set it in a slow oven for 4 hours. When taken 
 from the oven, pour the gravy into a basin, 
 shred the meat fine, moisten it with the gravy 
 poured from the meat, and pound it thoroughly 
 in a marble mortar, with fresh butter, until it 
 becomes a fine paste ; season it with black pep- 
 per and allspice, ground cloves, or grated nut- 
 meg; put it in pots, press it down as closely as 
 possible, put a weight on it, and let it stand all 
 night; next day, cover it a X of an inch thick 
 with clarified butter, and tie paper over it. 
 
 BEEF CUTLETS.— Cut the inside of a sir- 
 loin or rump in slices }4 an inch thick ; trim 
 them neatly ; melt a little butter in a frying- 
 pan ; season the cutlets ; fry them lightly ; serve 
 with tomato sauce. 
 
 * BEEF TEA. — Take i lb. of juicy rump 
 steak, cut into oblong pieces an inch or two 
 long by about ^ of an inch wide, place them in 
 a saucepan and just cover with cold water ; set 
 it on top of the stove, if there is a good fire, 
 and with an iron spoon keep pressing out the 
 juice from the meat, which at the end of 10 min- 
 utes will be almost perfectly white and tough as 
 leather. 3 to 5 minutes boiling will finish it ; 
 then draw off" the broth and rinse the meat with 
 a little boiling water, to get off the nourishing 
 particles which remain ; add salt the last thing 
 (on no account do this while the meat is cooking) 
 and pepper to taste if allowed, and in 15 min- 
 utes you have a bowl of as good beef tea as was 
 ever made. 
 
 BEEF BROTH.— Wash, a leg or shin of 
 beef; crack the bone well; (desire the butcher 
 to do it for you ; ) add any trimmings of meat, 
 game, or poultry, heads, necks, gizzards, feet, 
 etc. ; cover them with cold water; stir it up well 
 from the bottom, and the moment it begins to 
 simmer skim it carefully. Your broth must be 
 perfectly clear and limpid, for on this depends 
 the goodness of the soups, sauces and gravies of 
 w^hich it is the basis. Add some cold water to 
 make the remaining scum rise, and skim it again. 
 When the scum has done rising, and the surface 
 of the broth is quite clear ; put in I moderate- 
 sized carrot, a head of celery, 2 turnips, and 2 
 onions ; it should not have any taste of sweet 
 herbs, spice or garlic, etc. ; either of these fla- 
 vors can easily be added after if desired ; cover 
 it close, set it by the side of the fire, and let it 
 simmer very gently (so as not to waste the 
 broth) for 4 or 5 hours or more, according to 
 the weight of the meat; strain it through a 
 sieve into a clean and dry stone pan, and set it 
 into the coldest place you have, if for after use. 
 
 BEEFSTEAK, Hmo to Cook.—Tc^'^ frying- 
 pan being wiped dry, place it upon the stove and 
 let it become hot. In the meantime mangle the 
 steak — if it chance to be sirloin, so much the 
 better — pepper and salt it, then lay it on the 
 hot, dry pan, which instantly cover as tight as 
 possible. When the raw flesh touches the 
 heated pan, of course it seethes and adheres to . 
 it, but in a few seconds it becomes loosened and \ 
 juicy. Every 30 seconds turn the steak ; but be 
 careful to keep it as much as possible under 
 cover. AMien nearly done lay a small piece of 
 butter upon it. In 3 minutes from the time the 
 steak first goes into the pan it is ready for the 
 table. 
 
 BEEFSTEAK AND ONIONS.— Q^x'i the 
 
44 
 
 DICTIONARY OF EVERY-DAY WANTS. 
 
 steaks about )^ of an inch thick ; put a good 
 lump of dripping or lard into your pan, and 
 when it is hot lay in the steaks ; turn them fre- 
 quently, so that they may not burn ; let them be 
 nicely browned all over, and when cooked lay 
 them in a hot dish before the fire ; meantime 
 have in readiness a plateful of onions, sliced 
 very thin, and sprinkled with pepper and salt ; 
 put them into the pan, and lay a dish over them 
 to keep in the steam ; turn them about, and let 
 them be cooked thoroughly. They will require 
 along time; they should be soft and brown; 
 when done, pour them over the steaks and serve 
 up hot. 
 
 BEEFSTEAK ROLLS.— Qwt nice, small, 
 thin steaks, anu fry them shghtly ; make a stuf- 
 fing as If for roast veal or turkey ; roll up the 
 steaks, putting the stuffing inside each roll; 
 skewer or tie them neatly, stew them in a rich, 
 brown gravy for 20 minutes, and serve. 
 
 BREAD, Yeast for. — Take 9 medium- sized 
 potatoes, boil in 2 quarts of water, and mash 
 them fine. Steep I cup of hops in ^ a pint of 
 hot water, and strain off, pressing the hops. 
 Add together the potato-water, hop-water, the 
 mashed potatoes, 2 tablespoonfuls of salt, 2 of 
 good ground ginger, i cup of sugar, and when 
 blood-warm add i cup of stock yeast, (such as 
 here described, ) or for first start use brewer's 
 yeast; put in a jar and keep in a cool place, 
 where it will not freeze, and it will keep good 
 about 2 weeks. Let it stand at least 24 hours 
 before using. 
 
 BREAD, To Make. — To make the sponge, 
 which should be in the evening, take a deep ves- 
 sel, put in 3 quarts of warm water, i cup of the 
 above yeast, stir in flour enough to make a stiff 
 batter, and set in a warm place. In the morn- 
 ing put in 2 quarts of warm water, salt it (if the 
 dough inclines to be running, from bad flour, 
 put in I teaspoonful of powdered alum dissolved 
 in warm water.) Knead the dough till it is 
 smooth, and cover it with a cloth in a deep ves- 
 sel; keep it warm, (not hot,) let it rise, and 
 then mold into 6 loaves, let it rise again till 
 light, and then bake.' 
 
 BREAD, French. — Put I pint of milk into 3 
 quarts of water. In winter let it be scalding 
 hot, but in summer little more than milk-warm ; 
 put in salt sufficient. Take i_^ pints of good 
 ale-yeast, free from bitterness, and lay it in i 
 gal. of water the night before. Pour off the 
 yeast into the milk and water, and then break in 
 rather more than % lb. of butter. Work it well 
 till it is dissolved ; then beat up 2 eggs in a ba- 
 sin, and stir them in. Mix about l)^ pecks of 
 flour with the liquor, and, in winter, make the 
 dough pretty stiff, but more slack in summer ; 
 mix it well, and the less it is worked the better. 
 Stir the liquor into flour, as for pie-crust, and 
 after the dough is made cover it with a cloth, 
 and let it lie to rise while the oven is heating. 
 When the rolls or loaves have lain in a quick 
 oven about a ^ of an hour, turn them on the 
 other side for about a ^ of an hour longer. 
 Then take them out and chip them with a knife, 
 which will make them look spong)', and of a 
 fine yellow, whereas rasping takes off this fine 
 color, and renders their look less inviting. 
 
 BREAD, Un/cnuettted. — Take the iron pans 
 now in use, and which can be obtained at almost 
 any hardware store ; or, if not obtainable, com- 
 mon patty tins will do; saturate a clean cloth 
 
 with oil or butter, with which rub the iron or 
 tins, and set them on the stove to heat ; then 
 take sweet skim milk (not more than 24 hours 
 old) warmed to the temperature of new milk or 
 warm water, with 2 spoonfuls of cream to i pt. 
 of water, and stir in fine flour until you have a 
 batter a very little thicker than for griddle cakes ; 
 or if unbolted flour (which is much better) is 
 used, until it will heap up slightly on the spoon ; 
 heat your dishes so that they will siss when the 
 batter is put in, and have your oven well heated, 
 until the cakes are puffed up and Hghtly browned. 
 Then close the draft and bake slowly for 15 or 
 20 minutes, and you will have the best bread 
 made. 
 
 BREAD, Graham. — Take I qt. of warm wa- 
 ter, I teacupful of good yeast, and I tablespoon- 
 ful of salt. Put into a pan, make a stiff batter 
 with flour, which has been sifted, and keep it 
 very warm until it is light ; then take flour which 
 has been half sifted to thicken it ; knead it well, 
 but do not let it get cold; let it rise again. 
 Then work it down, and put in i teacupful of 
 sugar and a piece of butter the size of an egg. 
 Knead it ^ an hour, put it in pans, and let it 
 rise very light. Bake ^ of an hour in a mod- 
 rate oven. 
 
 BREAD, Oxygenated. — An article of diet 
 termed oxygenated bread has of late been intro- 
 duced into England, and found considerable fa- 
 vor. For its preparation the bread is placed un- 
 der an air-pump, and the carbonic acid gas and 
 atmospheric air exhausted, and then oxygen ad- 
 mitted in sufficient quantity to fill the pores of 
 the bread. An inconvenience attending its use 
 is its tendency to become mouldy.' This can be 
 obviated by avoiding the use of yeast, or by 
 placing a paper saturated with a solution of car- 
 bonic acid on the top of the box in which the 
 bread is preserved, this scarcely affecting the 
 taste of the bread. A single mouthful of oxy- 
 genated bread is said to remove the want of ap- 
 petite, and to induce an agreeable sensation m 
 the epigastrium in dyspeptic attacks. In the 
 case of gastric disturbances arising from nervous 
 depression, incomplete assimilation, or scrofulous 
 affections, it is said that the use of this bread 
 produces a very sensible improvement in the 
 course of i or 2 weeks. 
 
 BREAD, To Make Without Flour.— \ 
 Frenchman named Sezille has discovered a method 
 of making bread from unground wheat, with- 
 out first grinding and bolting it into flour. The 
 making of bread by this new system is a three- 
 fold process — namely, washing the wheat, fer- 
 mentation, and the final admixture and flavoring. 
 The grain is put in a vessel, covered with water, 
 and stirred until the lighter grains and extrane- 
 ous particles are either dissolved or left floating 
 on the surface. The mass is then freed from 
 the water and put into a cylinder, like a nutmeg- 
 grater, whose revolutions remove the outer skin 
 of the grain. This is all that is really necessary 
 to remove. Next, the wheat thus cleansed is 
 immersed in twice its own weight of water, 
 heated to 75"', to which has been added i part 
 of half-dry yeast, and 5 or 6 oz. of glucose to 
 200 parts of water. A day's exposure to this 
 bath secures the necessary degree of absorption 
 and fermentation, and the color will also have 
 jjeen extracted from the exterior surface of the 
 grain. The water being then removed, the 
 wheat will be not far from white in color. Next 
 
COOKING A.VD BAKING. 
 
 45 
 
 the stiffened mass is put through rollers, which 
 mash it into a glutinous pulp, and mix regularly j 
 through the whole bulk all the remaining par- 
 ticles of skin or bran. Tlie dough — for such it 
 now is — is then put into a trough, flavored with 
 salt which has been dissolved in water, and given 
 an opportunity to absorb more v/ater if neces- 
 sary, and then thoroughly kneaded by hand. 
 Nothing, now, is needed but to treat it just as 
 flour-dough is treated, and, when sufficiently 
 light, hand it over to the oven. It is claimed 
 that by this process the eater secures the entire 
 nutriment of the wheat, and that it produces ^ 
 more bread than under the present system. It 
 is probable that the bread thus made will lack 
 that whiteness which is so much sought after by 
 modest housewives, but then the result will be 
 most nutritious. Owing, however, to the time 
 consumed in preparing the grain for the oven, it 
 is not likely that this new process will for some 
 time to come supersede the old-fashioned method 
 of setting a sponge over-night for the next day's 
 baking. 
 
 BREAD, To Discover luhether it is Adulte- 
 rated with Alum. — The bread must be soaked 
 in water, and to the water in which it has been 
 soaked a little of the solution of muriate of lime 
 must be added, upon which, if any alum be 
 present, the liquid will be pervaded with milki- 
 ness ; but if the bread be pure the liquid will 
 remain limpid. Rationale : Sulphuric acid has a 
 stronger affinity for lime than for the alumina 
 and potass, with which it forms alum ; it there- 
 fore quits those bodies to form sulphate of lime 
 ■with the lime of the test, which produces the 
 milkiness. 
 
 BREAD, Apple.— {Yxcndx method.) Put >^ 
 of boiled apple pulp to % of wheat flour, and 
 ferment it with yeast for 12 hours. It is said to 
 be light and palatable. 
 
 BREAD, Brozuji. — (Oneida.) i qt. of Indian 
 meal, i qt. of rye meal, i teaspoonful of soda, ^ 
 a cup of molasses, with a slight sprinkling of 
 salt. A little sour milk improves it. Mix to 
 the consistency of pancake batter. Bake from 
 I hour to 1 j4 hours, according to the heat of 
 your oven. 
 
 BREAD, Corn. — Take I pt. of com meal 
 (white is best,) and stir into it I teaspoonful of 
 dry saleratus and ^ a teaspoonful of salt ; then 
 add 2 eggs, I pt. of sour milk, and 3 tablespoon- 
 fuls of sour cream ; beat about 5 minutes, and 
 put it (about }i an inch deep) in the pans to 
 bake. Use pie pans to bake it in. If you have 
 no cream, use about a tablespoonful of butter, 
 drippings, or Jard. 
 
 Bread, Potato. — Tade 4 or 5 good mealy 
 potatoes, and after boiling peel and niash well ; 
 add a large spoonful of flour and enough hot 
 water to make a thin batter ; when cool enough 
 add a small quantity of good yeast-and a spoon- 
 ful of sugar; set to rise in a moderately warm 
 place, say by the stove or fireplace; it ris^es very 
 (^uiclky. When risen, take 2 large spoonfuls of 
 it for I pt. and a )4 of flour, a small spoonful of 
 lard or butter, a }^ pt. of milk, and hot water 
 enough to make into a stiff batter, (over night;) 
 beat well ; next morning work it well into a 
 smooth dough and make into rolls or loaves ; 
 set in a warm place to rise again, and bake in a 
 quick oven. Do not forget a teaspoonful of salt 
 and I of yeast powder sifted in the dry flour 
 that you work into the batter in the morning ; a 
 
 tin bucket is best, with a tight cover, and a 
 towel between it and the bucket. If your flour 
 is good, there is no better recipe than this ; no 
 hops are needed. 
 
 BREAD, RICE.— Take I lb. of rice, and 
 boil it gently to a thick paste, which, when 
 mixed with the usual quantity of yeast, will be 
 sufficient to make 5 pounds of wheat or barley 
 meal into a dough. When risen, bake it in the 
 usual way. 
 
 BREAD, RVE.-SctiU I cup of flour with i 
 cup of boiling water, J^ a teaspoonful of salt, 4 
 tablespoonfuls of molasses, a large cup of yeast, 
 3 cups of rye, 6 cups of flour, 3 cups of warm 
 water ; stir well with a spoon, set it to rise 12 
 hours. 
 
 BREAD, 6'^G^C>.— This light and nutritious 
 article for invalids is made in the following man- 
 ner : 2 lbs. of sago to be well soaked in water 
 or milk for several hours ; mix it with as much 
 flour ; add saleratus and good yeast, (a little In- 
 dian meal, if liked ;) when well raised give it a 
 handsome bake. It is delicious, healthy and 
 cheap. 
 
 BREAD, IFILLO IF.— The leaves of our 
 common or basket willow, {Salix A'igra, Mar- 
 shall,) treated the same as is usual for hops, 
 make an excellent yeast or leaven for light 
 bread. The discovery was made this summer, 
 and after thorough trial I was convinced that 
 there is nothing equal to it, as it rises much 
 quicker than hops — in half the time — imparts 
 none of that hop flavor so disagreeable to some, 
 and, in fact, makes better bread every way. The 
 thing is well worthy the attention of every good 
 housewife; and lest some should hesitate in con- 
 sequence of not knowing the medical properties 
 of the willow in question, I will add that it is a 
 healthful tonic from which no harm can possibly 
 arise. 
 
 BREAD, To Keep 3Ioist.—Vlace in the 
 bread pan a board pierced with holes, and so 
 supported as to be a couple of inches from the 
 bottom of the pan ; let there be an inch depth of 
 water in the pan ; put the bread on the board, 
 and cover the pan with the lid. The inclosed 
 air will then prevent the bread from becoming 
 too dry. 
 
 BREAD, To Serc'e at Taile.—YiTst, the 
 bread-plate should be of wood, perfectly round, 
 and with a flat surface. They cost at the shops 
 from 75 cts. to $6, or more. The high-priced 
 ones are beautifully carved. Next a bread-knife, 
 which has a wooden handle to match the plate. 
 The blade should be thin and long, and the edge 
 ke]it well sharpened. Bread dulls a knife very 
 much. 
 
 Place on the table the bread-plate with a loaf 
 of bread on it — 2 loaves are better, I of white 
 bread, the other of brown — and the knife. 
 When it is time to serve the bread, the one 
 nearest the bread-plate asks each one what kind 
 is preferred, and if thick or thin slices. Where 
 the table is large, a small plate is used to pass it 
 on. In this way every one at the table has the 
 bread cut to his or her liking. The bread is cut 
 only as wanted, and no more cut than is used. 
 The outside piece of either bread or meat must 
 not be served, unless some one manifests a pref- 
 erence for it. Not much strength is required to 
 cut meat and bread. The muscles of the wrist 
 and hand should do the work, and not those of 
 the arm, elbow, or shoulder. 
 
46 
 
 DICTIONARY OF E VERY-DAY WANTS. 
 
 BREAD PUDDING.— I pt. of grated bread 
 crumbs, I qt. of milk, yelks of 6 eggs well 
 beaten, i grated lemon, and sugar to taste. 
 Bake. When cold spread a layer of jelly over 
 the top, then make an icing of the whites of the 
 eggs and white sugar, and spread smoothly 
 over the jelly. To be eaten cold without sauce. 
 
 BROSE, Athol. — This is a beverage peculiar 
 to the Highlands of Scotland. Honey is dis- 
 solved in whisky to the consistence of cream ; 
 the drink is then taken with a teaspoon. A 
 quantity sufficient to fill a wine-glass, taken at 
 night, will be found of benefit in colds and ca- 
 tarrhs. In preparing Athol Brose oatmeal is 
 occasionally added. 
 
 BROSE, Scotch. — Put a few handfuls of oat- 
 meal into a wooden dish ; then pour in a little 
 boihng water, and mix thoroughly. Add a lit- 
 tle salt. This dish is frequently used as a sub- 
 stitute for porridge, when it is inconvenient to 
 cook the latter. Fresh milk added is a great 
 improvement. 
 
 BEETS, Boi/ed.— Beets must not be cut be- 
 fore boiling, as the juice will escape and the 
 sweetness be destroyed. Select small- sized, 
 smooth roots, wash them nicely, and boil in 
 clear water until tender. When sufficiently 
 cooked, skim them into a pan of cold water, and 
 slip off the skin. Cut them in thin slices, and, 
 while hot, season with butter, salt, pepper and 
 vinegar, and serve. If preferred cold, slice 
 lengthwise and lay in strong, cold vinegar. 
 
 BISCUITS, mnc.—Take 2 lbs. of flour, 2 
 lbs. of butter, and 4 oz. of sifted loaf sugar. 
 Rub the sugar and butter into the flour, and 
 make it into a stiff paste with milk ; pound it in 
 a mortar, roll it out thin, and cut into sizes or 
 shapes to fancy. Lay them on buttered paper in 
 a warm oven, on iron plates, having first brushed 
 them over with a little milk. When done, you 
 can give them a gloss by brushing them over 
 with a brush dipped in egg. A few caraway 
 seeds may be added, if thought proper. 
 
 BISCUITS, English Seed.—i lb. of flour, % 
 lb. of sugar, % lb. of butter, yi oz. of caraway 
 seeds, 3 eggs. Roll out, cut round, and bake 
 in a moderate oven. 
 
 BROTH OF FRAGMENTS.— W'hen you 
 dress a large dinner, you may make good broth, 
 or portable soup, at a very small cost, by taking 
 care of all the trimmings and parings of the 
 meat, game and poultry you are going to use; 
 wash them well and put them in a stew-pan, 
 with as much cold water as will cover them ; set 
 your stew-pan on a hot fire ; when it boils, take 
 off all the scum, and set it on again to simmer 
 gently ; put in 2 carrots, 2 turnips, a large onion, 
 2 blades of pounded mace, and I head of celery ; 
 some mushroom parings will be an addition. 
 Let it continue to simmer gently for 4 or 5 hours, 
 and then strain it through a sieve into a clean 
 basin. This saves much expense in buying 
 gravy^meat. 
 
 BROCOLI, To Boi/.— Strip off the leaves 
 till you come to the top ones ; peel oft all the 
 outside skin from the stalks and small branches, 
 and throw them into water. Boil in accordance 
 with the general directions. When the stalks 
 are tender it is done. Serve in the same man- 
 ner as asparagus. . 
 
 BUNS. — ^ a cup of butter, % a cup of 
 yeast, Y^ a cup of sugar, i cup of milk, and 
 flour enough to make a batter like griddle-cakes. 
 
 Let this rise till light, then add )^ oi -x cup of 
 sugar, I cup of currants or stoned raisins, cin- 
 namon or nutmeg to taste, a little more flour ; 
 let it rise again, put in ^ of a teaspoonful of 
 soda, cut in cakes, let them rise a third time, 
 and then bake. 
 
 BUNS, Bath.—X X of a lb. of flour, 4 
 yelks and 3 whites of eggs, with 4 spoonfuls of 
 solid, fresh yeast. Beat in a bowl, and set be- 
 fore the fire to rise ; then rub into i lb. of flour 
 10 oz. of butter ; put in ^ of a lb. of sugar and 
 caraway comfits ; when the eggs and yeast are 
 pretty light, mix by degrees all together, throw 
 a cloth over it, and set before the fire to rise. 
 Make the buns, and when on the tins brush over 
 with the yelk of egg and milk ; strew them with 
 caraway comfits ; bake in a quick oven. 
 
 BUTTER, To Clarify.— Tzike butter, melt it 
 in a warm bath, then let it settle, pour off the 
 clear, and cool as quickly as possible. Butter 
 prepared in this way will keep a long time good. 
 BUTTER, Rancid. — Rancid butter, if boiled 
 in water with a portion of charcoal, (say a tenth 
 part, ) will be entirely divested of its rancidity, 
 and may be used for cooking purposes, although 
 its fine flavor will not be restored for the table. 
 CABBAGE, ToStcw.—V^xhcM in milk and 
 water, and drain it ; then shred it, put it into a 
 stew-pan, with a small piece of butter, a small 
 teacupful of cream, and seasoning, and stew till 
 tender. 
 
 CABBAGE SALAD.— This is a wholesome 
 dish, as raw cabbage is much sooner digested 
 than when cooked ; a dressing of vinegar or 
 sweet cream ; shred it finely as for slaw. 
 
 CABBAGE (Cold Sla-u>.)—Toke fresh cab- 
 bage — white is preferable — wash, drain it, and 
 cut off the stalks. Shave the head into very 
 fine shreds with a cabbage cutter or sharp knife. 
 Place it in a deep china or earthen dish, and pre- 
 pare for it the following dressing : To ^ a pt. of 
 cider vinegar add a X of a lb. of butter, cut in 
 5 or 6 bits and rolled in flour ; add a small salt- 
 spoon of salt. Stir well together, and boil in a 
 saucepan. Have ready the yelks of 4 eggs, 
 well beaten. When the mixture comes to a boil, 
 remove it from the fire, and stir in the eggs. 
 Pour this boiling -hot over the cabbage, stir it 
 thoroughly through with a spoon, and set it in 
 ice or snow, or some cool place, to get thor- 
 oughly cold before being served at the table. 
 
 CAKES, ALMOND.— \. Take some sweet 
 almonds, flour, and powdered sugar, of each ]^ 
 lb., 7 eggs, and the outside yellow peel of 4 
 lemons shredded small. Pound the almonds, 
 previously blanched, until they are very smooth, 
 adding gradually the sugar and lemon-peel ; then 
 take them out, add the eggs, and beat the whole 
 until it is as white as sponge-paste ; next add the 
 flour, work well, put it into well-buttered pans, 
 and bake in a slack oven, with 8 or 10 thick- 
 nesses of paper under them and I over them. 
 
 CAKE, APPLE SHORT.— Tare and slice 
 tart apples enough to fill 2 round pie plates ; then 
 make a crust of i teacupful of cream, salt and 
 soda; roll an upper crust, and put on and bake; 
 when done turn bottom upwards ; put on sugar 
 enough to taste; then turn again, and so on. 
 To be eaten warm. 
 
 CAKES, BANBURY.— 'Work I lb. of but- 
 ter into the same weight of dough, made for 
 white bread, as in rpaking puff paste; then roll 
 it out very thin, and cut it into oval pieces, or as 
 
COOKING AND BAKING, 
 
 47 
 
 the cakes are wanted. Mix some good moist 
 sugar with an equal weight of currants, and wet 
 them with water ; then put a httle upon each 
 piece of paste; close them up, and place them 
 on a tin with the closed side downwards and 
 bake them. Flavor some powdered sugar with 
 candied peel, grated, or essence of lemon, and 
 sift a little over the cakes as soon as they come 
 out of the oven. 
 
 CAKES, BA TH.—Uxx well together % a lb. 
 of butter, i lb. of flour, 5 eggs, and a cupful of 
 yeast. Set the whole before the fire to rise, 
 which effected, add 4 oz. of finely-powdered 
 sugar and l oz. of caraways ; roll the paste out 
 into little cakes. Bake them on tins. 
 
 CAKE, BREAKFAST.— \ cup of sour 
 cream, i teaspoonful of soda, I egg, i lump of 
 butter the size of a hen's egg, a small teacupful 
 of sugar, I cup of rye flour, and I cup of In- 
 dian meal ; make and bake as stifred cake. 
 
 CAKES, CINNAMON.— \ cup of sugar; 
 3^ of a cup of molasses; I cup of butter; 1^2 
 tablespoonfuls of ground cinnamon ; 2 level 
 spoonsfuls of soda, dissolved in 6 large table- 
 spoonfuls of warm water ; stir well, and add 
 flour enough to allow to roll quite thin ; cut out 
 with a biscuit-cutter, and bake in a quick oven. 
 
 CAKE, CORN— I. I pt. of buttermilk, i 
 pt. of corn meal, 2 beaten eggs, i teaspoonful 
 of soda ; beat well together and bake in shallow 
 tin pans. Increase quantities for more than 4 
 or 5 persons. — 2. A pt. of buttermilk or sour 
 milk, a pt. of corn meal, I egg, a teaspoonful of 
 soda, I of salt, 2 of sugar or molasses. Dis- 
 solve the soda in a little warm water, and add it 
 the last thing. Bake ^ an hour in a quick oven. 
 
 CAKE, BREAD.— ly^ cups of dough, i 
 cup of sugar, ^ a cup of butter, 2 eggs, ^ tea- 
 spoonful of soda. Raisins and spice to suit the 
 taste. Mix with the hands until the dough 
 seems thoroughly worked in, adding a little more 
 flour if the dough is thin. Let |it rise % an 
 hour. It rises slowly and but little before going 
 into the oven, 
 
 CAKES, GRIDDLE (IVAea/fnea/.)— 'Make 
 a porridge with about 3 heaping spoonfuls of 
 oatmeal, hominy, rice, or very coarse corn meal, 
 in a pint of water. Boil 20 or 30 minutes, or if 
 you have either of these articles already cooked, 
 it can be made much quicker. Add I pint of 
 cold water and wheat meal, sifting it slowly, 
 enough to make a batter a little thicker than for 
 raised griddle cakes. Bake on a slightly oiled 
 or a soapstone griddle, spreading out with the 
 spoon as you put them on. Bake them brown, 
 and put them on each other as fast as cooked. 
 Keep them close and warm, and let them stand 
 10 or 15 minutes before serving. If soft and 
 sticky after standing, you have made them too 
 thin. 
 
 CAKES, GINGER.— Make a paste with 
 sugar, I lb. ; powdered ginger, 4 oz. ; flour, 2 
 lbs. ; water, I pt. ; butter, ^ lb. ; and I cup of 
 candied orange peel, grated; form them into 
 cakes, and prick them with a fork before baking 
 them. 
 
 CAKE, CHOCOLATE PASTE.— 2 cups 
 of sugar, I cup of butter, 3 eggs, 3 cups of flour, 
 % of a cup of milk, yl a teaspoonful of soda, i 
 teaspoonful of cream of tartar. Paste : Choco- 
 late, 2 oz., I cup of sugar, Jijf of a cup of sweet 
 milk; boil half down. This makes I cake of 4 
 layers with paste between. 
 
 CAKES, ICING FOR.—V.ea.\. the wjiite of 
 eggs to a full froth, and flavor with lemon or 
 rose ; then add gradually as much finely pow- 
 dered sugar as will make it thick enough, beat- 
 ing it well all the time. Dust the cake over 
 with flour, then gently rub it off, lay on the 
 icing with a flat knife, stick on the ornaments 
 while it is wet, and place it in the oven for a few 
 minutes to harden, but not long enough to dis- 
 color it. 
 
 CAKES, yOi^AWK— Scald a quart of In- 
 dian meal with water enough to make a very 
 thick batter, add 2 or 3 teaspoonfuls of salt, andk* 
 mould it into small cakes with the hands. The 
 hands must be well floured, or the batter will 
 stick. Fry them in nearly sufficient fat to cover 
 them. When brown on the under side turn 
 them; cook them about 20 minutes. When 
 done, split and butter them. 
 
 CAKES, LEMON.— Y\o\xx and sugar, of 
 each I lb. ; eggs, I dozen ; grated peel and juice 
 of 4 lemons ; whisk the eggs to a high froth, 
 and then gradually add the rest. Bake in small 
 oval tins, well buttered, and place 6 thicknesses 
 of i^aper beneath each tin. Thinly ice them. 
 
 CAKE, SPONGE.— Take 5 eggs, and >^ a 
 lb. of loaf sugar sifted ; break the eggs upon the 
 sugar, and beat all together with a fork for yi 
 an hour. Previously take the weight of 2j^ 
 eggs, in their shells, ot flour. After you have 
 beaten the eggs and sugar the time specified, 
 grate in the rind of a lemon, (the juice may be 
 added at pleasure,) stir in the flour, and imme- 
 diately pour it into a tin lined with buttered pa- 
 per, and let it be instantly put into rather a cool 
 oven. 
 
 CAKE, SPONGE, CHEAP.— i cup of 
 white sugar, i egg, butter the size of a walnut ; _ 
 beat together ; then take i cup of sweet milk; 
 add y^ teaspoonful of soda, 2 cups of flour, I 
 teaspoonful of cream of tartar ; flavor with any- 
 thing you wish ; mix well, and bake in pie pans 
 20 minutes, 
 
 CAKE SAADWICHES.—/[ eggs, ^ a lb. 
 of pounded lump sugar, ^ a lb. of fresh butter, 
 ^ a lb. of flour. Beat the butter to cream, 
 dust in the flour, and add the eggs well whisked; 
 beat with a fork for a J;^ of an hour, butter a tin, 
 and pour in half of the mixture. Bake from a 
 }l of an hour to 20 minutes. Remove from the 
 tin, butter again, and add the other half of the 
 mixture. Bake as before. When cool, spread 
 jam thickly over I portion of the cake, place the 
 other part over it, and cut into whatever shape 
 you can. 
 
 CAKE, WEDDING.-/^ lbs, of fine flour 
 well dried, 4 lbs. of fresh butter, 2 lbs. of loaf 
 sugar, a ^ of a lb. of mace pounded and sifted 
 fine, and the same c^ nutmegs. To every lb. 
 of flour add 8 eggs ; wash 4 lbs, of currants, 
 and let them be well picked and dried before the 
 fire ; blanch I lb. of sweet almonds, and cut 
 them lengthwise very thin ; a lb. of citron, I lb. 
 of candied orange, the same of candied lemon ; 
 % a pint of brandy. WTien these are made 
 ready, work the butter with your hand to a nice 
 cream, then beat in your sugar for a ^ of an 
 hour ; beat the whites of your eggs to a very 
 strong froth, and mix tham with your sugar and 
 butter ; beat your yelks % an hour at least, and 
 mix them with your cake ; then put in your 
 flour, mace and nutmeg; keep beating it well 
 till your oven is ready; pour in the brandy, and 
 
48 
 
 DICTIONARY OF E VERY-DA Y WANTS. 
 
 beat the currants and almonds lightly in. Tie 3 
 sheets of white paper round the bottom of your 
 hoop to keep it from running out, rub it well 
 with butter, put in your cake, lay the sweetmeats 
 in layers, with cake between each layer, and af- 
 ter it is risen and colored cover it with paper 
 before your oven is stopped up j it will require 
 3 hours to bake properly. 
 
 CAKE, YEAST. — Good-sized potatoes, i 
 dozen ; hops, i large handful ; yeast, ^ a pint ; 
 corn meal, a sufficient quantity. Boil the pota- 
 toes, after peeling, and rub them through a cul- 
 lender ; boil the hops in 2 quarts of water and 
 strain into the potatoes ; then scald sufficient In- 
 dian meal to make them the consistence of emp- 
 tyings, and stir in the yeast and let rise ; then, 
 with unscalded meal, thicken so as to roll out 
 and cut into cakes, drying quickly at first to pre- 
 vent souring. They keep betier, and soak up 
 quicker, than if made with flour. 
 
 CANDIES, To Clarify Sugar /or.— To ev- 
 ery lb. of sugar put a large cup of water, and 
 put it in a brass or copper kettle, over a slow 
 lire, for J4 an hour ; pour into it a small quan- 
 tity of isinglass and gum Arabic dissolved to- 
 gether. This will cause all impurities to rise to 
 the surface ; skim it as it rises. Flavor accord- 
 ing to taste. 
 
 All kinds of sugar for candy are boiled as 
 above directed. When boiling loaf sugar, add 
 a tablespoonful of rum or vinegar, to prevent its 
 becoming too brittle whilst making. 
 
 Loaf sugar when boiled, by pulling and mak- 
 ing into small rolls, and twisting a little, will 
 make what is called rock or snow. By pulling 
 loaf sugar after it is boiled, you can make it as 
 ■white as snow. 
 
 CANDY, CHOCOLATE CREAM.— Choc- 
 ■ elate, scraped fine, ^ oz. ; thick cream, I pint ; 
 best sugar, 3 oz. ; heat it nearly to boiling, then 
 remove it from the fire, and mill it well. When 
 cold add the whites of 4 or 5 eggs ; whisk rap- 
 idly and take up the froth on a sieve ; serve the 
 cream in glasses, and pile up the froth on top of 
 them. 
 
 CANDY, GINGER.— '2,o\\ a pint of clarified 
 sugar until, upon taking out a drop of it on a 
 piece of stick, it will become brittle when cold. 
 Mix and stir up with it, for a common article, 
 about a teaspoonful of ground ginger ; if for a 
 superior article, instead of the ground ginger, 
 add the white of an egg, beaten up previously 
 with fine sifted loaf sugar, and 20 drops of the 
 strong essence of ginger. 
 
 CANDY, GINGER LOZENGE.— Dissolve 
 in ^ of a pint of hot water, i oz. of gum Ara- 
 bic ; when cold, stir it up with ij^ lbs. of loaf 
 sugar, and a spoonful of powdered ginger, or 12 
 drops of essence of ginger. Roll and beat the 
 whole up into a paste ; make it into a flat cake, 
 and punch out the lozenges with a round stamp. 
 Dry them near the fire or in an oven. 
 
 CANDY, EVER TON TA FEE.— To make 
 this favorite and wholesome candy, take I % lbs. 
 of moist sugar, 3 oz. of butter, a teacup of wa- 
 ter, and I lemon. Boil the sugar, butter, water 
 and half the rind of the lemon tggether, and 
 when done — which will be known by dropping 
 into cold water, when it should 1^ quite crisp ; 
 let it stand aside till the boiling has ceased, and 
 then stir in the juice of the lemon. Butter a 
 dish, and pour it in about a. % oi 2x1 inch in 
 
 thickness. The fire must be quick, and the taf- 
 fee stirred all the time. 
 
 CAADY, ER [/IT.— Take i lb. of the best 
 loaf sugar ; dip each lump into a bowl of water, 
 and put the sugar into your preserving kettle. 
 Boil it down and skim it until perfectly clear, and 
 in a candying state. When sufficiently boiled, 
 have ready the fruits you wish to preserve. 
 Large white grapes, oranges separated into very 
 small pieces, or preserved fruits, taken out of 
 their syrup and dried, are very nice. Dip the 
 fruits into the prepared sugar while it is hot ; 
 pu t them in a cold place, and they will soon be- 
 come hard. 
 
 CAADY, FIG.— Take i lb. of sugar and I 
 pint of water, and set over a slow fire. When 
 done, add a few drops of vinegar and a lump of 
 butter, and put into pans in which split figs are 
 laid. 
 
 CANDY, LEMON— TSke 3 lbs. of coarse, 
 brown sugar ; add to it 3 teacupfuls of water, 
 and set it over a slow fire for y^ an hour ; put 
 to it a little gum Arabic, dissolved in hot water ; 
 this is to clear it. Continue to take off the scum 
 as long as any rises. WTien perfectly clear, try 
 it by dipping a pipe-stem first into it and then 
 into cold water, or by taking a spoonful of it into 
 a saucer ; if it is done it will snap like glass. 
 Flavor with the essence of lemon, and cut it into 
 sticks. 
 
 CANDY, MOLASSES.— \. 2 cups of mo- 
 lasses, I of sugar, I tablespoonful of vinegar, a 
 piece of butter the size of walnut. Boil con- 
 stantly for 20 minutes, stirring all the time; 
 when cool enough to pull, do it quickly, as it 
 will come white rapidly. — 2. Take a clean tin or 
 porcelain kettle of large size, so that there will 
 be no danger of boiling over ; put in a sufficient 
 
 Quantity of good molasses, place it over a good 
 re, and boil briskly until it will be brittle when 
 cooled — which may be known by dipping a little 
 of it into a dish of cold water ; then pour into 
 well buttered pans not over an inch thick. Let 
 it cool until it can be handled, then pull smartly 
 until white. Draw out on a clean table into 
 sticks. 
 
 CANDY, Scotch Butter.— Take i lb. of sugar, 
 and I pint of water ; dissolve and boil. When 
 done, add I tablespoonful of butter, and enough 
 lemon juice and oil of lemon to flavor. 
 
 CANDY, Common Twist.— Boil 3 lbs. of 
 common sugar and i pint of water over a slow 
 fire for ^ an hour without skimming. When 
 boiled enough take it off; rub the hands over 
 with butter ; take that which is a little cooled 
 and pull it, as you would molasses candy, until 
 it is white ; then twist or braid it, and cut it up 
 in strips. 
 
 * CALF'S-FOOT BROTH.— Boil 2 feet in 
 3 quarts of water to ^ ; strain and set it by for 
 use. WTien required, take off the fat, put a 
 large teacupful of the jelly into the saucepan 
 with ^ of a glass of white wine, a little sugar 
 and nutmeg ; heat it up till nearly boiling ; then 
 with a little of it beat up the yelk of an egg, add 
 a bit of butter, and stir all together without al- 
 lowing it to boil. A little fresh lemon peel may 
 be grated into it. 
 
 CARROTS— Let them be well washed and 
 brushed, not scraped. An hour is enough for 
 young spring carrots. Grown carrots must be 
 cut in half, and will take from l^ to 2^ hours. 
 When done rub off the peels with a clean, 
 
COOKING AND BAKING. 
 
 49 
 
 coarse cloth, and slice them in 2 or 4, according 
 to their size. The best way to try if they are 
 done enough is to pierce them with a fork. 
 
 CA ULIFLOVVER, To j^c?//.— Having cut off 
 the green part, divide it into 4 parts ; put it into 
 boiling milk and water, and skim the saucepan 
 well. When the stalks are tender, take them 
 up carefully and put them to drain. Then put a 
 spoonful of water into a stewpan, with a little 
 flour, ^ ]ii oi z. lb. of butter, and pepper and 
 salt mixed well together. Take half the cauli- 
 flower and cut it as for pickling ; put it into the 
 stewpan for 10 minutes. Place the stewed caul- 
 iflower in the middle, and the boiled round it, 
 and pour over it the butter in which the one-half 
 was stewed. 
 
 CA ULIFLOWER, in Mili.— Choose those 
 that are close and white, cut off the green leaves, 
 and look carefully that there are no caterpillars 
 about the stalk ; soak an hour in cold water 
 with a handful of salt in it ; then boil them in 
 milk and water, and take care to skim the sauce- 
 pan, that not the least foulness may fall on the 
 flower. It must be served very white and rather 
 crimp. 
 
 CHARLOTTE DE RUSSE.—TzkQ a little 
 less than i oz. of gelatine, and dissolve in I pint 
 of new milk. Strain into i pint of thick cream 
 made very sweet, and set this in a cool place or 
 on the ice. Take the whites of 7 eggs and beat 
 to a froth; then add them to the cream, and 
 beat light. Flavor with vanilla, and keep on the 
 ice until wanted. Line the moulds with very 
 light spotige cake, and fill with the above when 
 wanted. 
 
 CHICKEN, To Fricasee. — Boil a chicken; 
 joint it ; lay it in a saucepan with a piece of but- 
 ter the size of an egg, a tablespoonlul of flour, 
 a little mace or nutmeg, white pepper, and salt. 
 Add a pint of cream, and let it boil up once. 
 Serve hot on toast. 
 
 CHICKEN, BONELESS.— Tiiczssee your 
 chicken, taking care to brown the skin nicely ; 
 season to taste. When done set by to cool ; 
 then remove all the bones; put back into the 
 dish in which it was cooked. Take a chopping 
 knife and chop finely, leaving in all the oil of the 
 fowl ; if not enough of that, add a piece of but- 
 ter. Then pack closely in a dish, as yovi wish it 
 to go to the table, and when your friends come 
 to taste it, their approbation will more than re- 
 pay you for the little extra trouble it has taken to 
 prepare it. 
 
 CHICKENS, To Fry. — Cut up the chickens 
 and lay them in cold water to extract the blood. 
 Wipe them dry, season with pepper and salt, and 
 dredge them with flour. Fry in lard to a rich 
 brown ; take them out and keep them near the 
 fire ; skim the gravy carefully in which the chick- 
 ens have been fried, mix with it ^2 a pint of 
 cream; season with mace, pepper, salt and 
 parsley. 
 
 * CHICKEN BROTH.— Cxxt a chicken into 
 small pieces, and remove the skin and any fat 
 that is visible ; boil it for 20 minutes in about a 
 quart of water, with a blade of mace, a slice of 
 onion, and 10 corns of white pepper. Simmer 
 slowly till the flavor is good. Beat a ^ of an 
 oz. of sweet almonds with a little water; add it 
 to the broth, strain it, and when cold take off the 
 fat. 
 
 CHICKEN POT-PIE.— Cle^n, singe, and 
 joint a pair of cluckens. Pare and slice 8 white 
 
 potatoes ; wash the slices, and put with the 
 pieces of chicken into a stewpan lined with pie- 
 crust ; season with salt and pepper, dredge with 
 flour, and cover with water. Cover with paste, 
 making a hole in the centre ; cover the kettle, 
 and either hang it over the fire or set it in the 
 oven. If in the oven, turn occasionally to 
 brown evenly. 2 hours' cooking is sufiicient. 
 When done, cut the upper crust into moderate- 
 sized pieces and place them on a large dish ; 
 with a perforated ladle take up the potato and 
 chicken, and put it upon the crust ; cut the lower 
 crust and put on the top. Serve the gravy hot 
 in a gravy tureen. 
 
 CHOCOLA TE BLANC-MANGE.— K % 
 of lb. of sweet German chocolate, ^ a box of 
 gelatine, i quart of milk, one coffeecupful of 
 sugar. Put it all in a dish, set in a kettle of 
 water, and let it boil an hour. When nearly 
 cold, turn into the mould. 
 
 CHOCOLATE CARAMEL.— Yz a lb. of 
 chocolate, 3 lbs. of dark brown sugar, ^ of a 
 lb. of butter, a small teacup of milk ; season 
 with vanilla, or grated lemon or orange-peel. 
 Boil it very quickly over a hot fire, stirring con- 
 stantly. When it becomes hard on being drop- 
 ped in water, take it off the fire, and stir for a 
 few moments before pouring into buttered dishes. 
 Before it is quite cool cut into little squares. 
 Those who like the caramel very hard need not 
 stir it, as this makes it "sugary." The grated 
 peel should not be put in till the caramel is taken 
 from the fire. 
 
 CHOCOLATE CREAMS.— Tttkefrtsh. milk 
 enough to fill 12 glasses, and boil with it 2 oz. 
 of grated chocolate and 6 oz. of white sugar ; 
 then beat the yelks of 6 eggs, to which add 
 slowly the chocolate milk, turning slowly one 
 way. Flavor with vanilla boiled in milk ; when 
 quite mixed, fill your cups and place in water 
 and boil for an hour. Serve when cold. 
 
 CHOWDER, IVEBSTEKS.— Daniel Web- 
 ster was famous for the excellence of his chow- 
 der, and the following is his recipe for making 
 it : 4 tablespoonfuls of onions fried with pork ; i 
 quart of boiled potatoes, well mashed ; i }4 lbs. 
 of ship biscuit, broken ; i teaspoonful of thyme ; 
 ^2 bottle of mushroom catsup ; i bottle of port 
 or claret ; ^ a nutmeg, grated ; a few cloves, 
 mace, allspice, and slices of lemon, and some 
 black pepper ; 6 lbs. of blue or white fish, cut 
 in slices ; 25 oysters. The whole to be put in a 
 pot, covered with an inch of water, cooked 
 slowly and stirred gently. 
 
 COCOA. — Boil 2 large spoonfuls of ground 
 cocoa in a quart of water % of an hour ; skim 
 off the oil, pour in 3 gills of milk, and boil it up 
 again. It is the best way to make it the day be- 
 fore it is used, as the oily substance can be more 
 perfectly removed when the cocoa is cold. 
 
 COCOA SHELLS.— Fut a heaping teacupful 
 to a quart of boiling water. Boil them a great 
 while — say 2 or 3 hours. Scald milk as for cof- 
 fee. If there is not time enough to boil the 
 shells long enough before breakfast, it is well to 
 soak them over night and boil them in the same 
 water in the morning. 
 
 COCOA NU^T PIE.— Cut off the brown part 
 of the cocoanut, grate the white part, mix it with 
 milk, set it on the fire, and let it boil slowly 8 
 or 10 minutes. To I lb. of the grated cocoanut 
 allow a quart of milk, 8 eggs, 4 tablespoonfuls 
 of sifted white sugar, a glass of wine, a small 
 
50 
 
 DICTIONARY OF E VERY-DAY WANTS. 
 
 cracker pounded fine, 2 spoonfuls of melted but- 
 ter, and ^ a nutmeg. The eggs and sugar 
 should be beaten together to a froth, then the 
 wine stirred in. Put them into the milk and 
 cocoanut, which should be first allowed to get 
 quite cool; add the cracker and nutmeg, turn 
 the whole into deep pie-plates, with a lining and 
 rim of puff paste. Bake them as soon as turned 
 into plates, 
 
 CODFISH BALLS.— Vicliwp as fine as pos- 
 sible a teacup of nice white codfish. Freshen 
 all night, or, if wanted for any other meal than 
 breakfast, from the morning. Scald it once, and 
 drain off the water. Chop and work it until en- 
 tirely fine. Put it in a basin with water, a bit 
 of butter the size of an egg, and 2 eggs. Beat 
 it thoroughly, and heat it until it thickens with- 
 out boiling. It should, when all is mixed, be 
 about I quart. Have some potatoes ready pre- 
 pared and nicely mashed. Work the fish and 
 potatoes thoroughly together as above, make it 
 in flat cakes, and brown both sides. 
 
 CODFiSII, PICKED-UP.—Tm% is an old- 
 fashioned dish and name, but none the less to 
 be admired on that account, being with most 
 persons, when properly prepared, a great favor- 
 ite. Pick up the fish in small particles, separat- 
 ing the fibres as near as possible, the finer they 
 are the better. Freshen by leaving it in water 
 1 hour. Pour off the water and fill up with 
 fresh. Bring it to a scald, pour it off, and put 
 on the fish just water enough to cover it. Add 
 to a quart of the soaked fish a bit of butter the 
 size of half an egg, a very little flour, and a dust 
 of pepper. Beat up 2 eggs, and after taking off 
 the fish thicken it by stirring in the egg. Some 
 let it boil after the egg is added, but if this is 
 done the egg will be curdled. 
 
 COFFEE, To Make Good. — In order to make 
 good coffee, a practical cook says that the first 
 thing necessary is to never allow an ounce of 
 ground coffee to come into the house. If no one 
 understands the art of roasting coffee, then buy 
 it ready roasted, and try and find a dealer who 
 has not soaked all the essential juices from the 
 coffee before putting it into his oven. If the 
 roasted berry is qbout twice as large as when 
 in its green state, depend upon it you have been 
 defrauded. Get an earthen pot — you cannot 
 make good'coffee or tea in a tin vessel — and put 
 the ground coffee in a clean white flannel bag, 
 and be sure to put enough in, and drop the bag 
 into the pot. Pour on boiling water and let it 
 steep ; do not boil it. The coffee will steep in 
 20 minutes. Never break an egg into coffee, and 
 never fill up with water the second time. Pour 
 on in the beginning the amount of water needed. 
 An ordinary teacupful of ground coffee is suffi- 
 cient for 3 persons. Use Java, Mocha, or Java 
 and Rio mixed. Follow this recipe, and you 
 will never complain of poor coffee. 
 
 COFFEE, Substitutes for. — Roasted acorn, 
 the chick pea, beans, rye, and other grains; 
 nuts, almonds, and wheaten bread ; the dried 
 and roasted roots of turnip, carrot, and dan- 
 delion. 
 
 CORN STARCH BLANC-MANGE.— V,o\\ 
 I quart of sweet milk ; stir into it gradually 5 
 tablespoonfuls of corn starch, mixed with milk; 
 add salt, and only 2 large spoonfuls of loaf 
 sugar, and stir until thoroughly cooked. When 
 done, take it from the fire, and when cooled add 
 lemon and vanilla, and pour it into moulds. 
 
 Serve with jelly or fresh fruit, and whipped 
 cream flavored like the pudding. 
 
 COOKIES. — I large cup ol butter ; 2 cups 
 of sugar ; 3 well beaten eggs ; Y^ a cup of sour 
 cream ; I level teaspoonful of soda ; cinnamon 
 or caraway seeds, and flour enough to roll. 
 
 COLLOPS, MINCED.— K favorite Scotch 
 dish. Take 2 lbs. of good beefsteak, mince it 
 quite fine, and free from fat or skin ; put into a 
 deep frying-pan with a good-sized piece of but- 
 ter. As the butter melts, stir the mince about 
 with a silver fork, so as to separate the particles 
 and give the mince a granulated appearance ; as 
 soon as the meat looks white, put in a teacupful 
 of clear gravy, a little pepper and salt, and either 
 mushroom catsup or Worcester sauce enough to 
 flavor it ; a minced onion may be used if there 
 is no objection to its taste. Stir the mince 
 about till the gravy begins to boil, then serve 
 with toasted sippets. 
 
 COOKING UTENSILS, Caution About.— 
 Cleanliness has been aptly styled the cardinal 
 virtue of cooks. Food is more healthy as well 
 as palatable when cooked in a cleanly manner. 
 Many lives have been lost in consequence of 
 carelessness in using brass, copper, and glazed 
 earthen cooking utensils. The two first should 
 be thoroughly cleansed with salt and hot vine- 
 gar before cooking in them, and no oily or acid 
 substance, after being cooked, should be allowed 
 to cool or remain in any of them. 
 
 COOKING, Average Loss by.— It is we 11 to 
 know that 100 lb. of beef, loses 6 lb. in boiling 
 and in baking, 30 lbs. Mutton, by boiling, 21 
 lbs. and by roasting, 24 lbs ; or, in another form 
 of statement, a leg of mutton costing, raw 25 
 cents, would cost, boiled and prepared fo^f the 
 table, 28^ cents per lb; boiled fresh beef would, 
 at 15 cents per lb., cost 19"^ cents; a sirloin of 
 raw beef, at 30 cents, costs, roasted, 42 cents; 
 while a leg of mutton, at 1 5 cents, would cost, 
 roasted, only 22 cents. 
 
 CRANBERRY SA UCE.—To stew cranber- 
 ries, a quart of berries, a pint of brown sugar, 
 and a pint of water ; place all in a porcelain 
 kettle, cover closely, and allow them to cook 8 
 minutes after coming to a boil, without stirring; 
 remove from the fire, and empty into an earthen 
 dish to cool. 
 
 CRACKERS, Wheat Flour.— 1 qt. of flour, 
 4 oz. of butter or lard, ^ a teaspoon of soda, 
 and the same of salt; sweet milk. Rub the 
 butter thoroughly into the flour and salt ; dis- 
 solve the soda in the milk, and enough more to 
 take up the flour, which should be made into a 
 very stiff dough ; the more the dough is pounded 
 or kneaded the better the crackers ; roll out to 
 the desired thickness — ^ of an inch — and bake 
 quickly. 
 
 CREAM, ICE. — Have rich, sweet cream, 
 ^2 a lb. of loaf sugar to each quart of cream or 
 milk. If you cannot get cream, the best imita- 
 tion is to boil a soft custard, 6 eggs to each 
 quart of milk, (eggs well beat.) Or another is 
 made as follows : Boil I quart of milk, and stir 
 into it, while boiling, i tablespoonful of arrow- 
 root wet with cold milk; when cool, stir into it 
 the yelk of i egg to give it a rich color. 5 min- 
 utes' boiling is enough for either plan. Put the 
 sugar in after they cool ; keep the same propor- 
 tions for any' amount desired. Or thus: To 6 
 qoarts of milk add % lb. of Oswego starch, first 
 dissolved; put the starch in I quart of the milk; 
 
COOKING AND BAKING, 
 
 51 
 
 then mix altogether, and simmer a little (not 
 boil) ; sweeten and flavor to your taste ; excel- 
 lent. The juice of strawberries or raspberries 
 gives a beautiful color and flavor to ice creams, 
 or about ^ oz. essence or extracts to i gallon, 
 or to suit the taste. Have your ice well broken; 
 I quart of salt to a bucket of ice. About Y^, an 
 hour's constant stirring, with occasional scraping 
 down and beating together, will freeze it suffi- 
 ciently. 
 
 CRULLERS,— Yz a lb. of butter, % of a lb. 
 of sugar, 2 lbs. of flour, i nutmeg, _J^ a tea- 
 spoonful of soda dissolved in ^ a teacup of wa- 
 ter or milk ; 6 eggs. 
 
 CUCUMBER SALAD.— To 100 cucumbers 
 add a X of a peck of small onions. Peel both 
 and cut them into thin slices ; cover with salt, 
 and stand in the sun for 6 hours ; rinse clean, 
 and stand in clear cold water for i hour. For 
 the dressing take a box of the best mustard, put 
 into it a little salt, pour in sufficient olive oil to 
 stir it easily, and add vinegar and oil alternately 
 till thin enough to pour smoothly. Put the cu- 
 cumbers in jars, cover with the dressing, and 
 cover closely. Seal the jars. 
 
 CUSTARD, Bak^d.— Boil in a pint of milk a 
 few coriander seeds, a little cinnamon and lemon- 
 peel ; sweeten with 4 oz. of loaf sugar ; mix 
 with it a pint of cold milk ; beat 8 eggs for 10 
 minutes ; add the other ingredients ; pour it 
 from one pan into another 6 or 8 times ; strain 
 through a sieve ; let it stand ; skim the froth 
 from the top, fill it in earthen cups, and bake im- 
 mediatelyin a hot oven; give them a good color; 
 15 minutes will do them. 
 
 CUSTARD, Boiled.— BoW a quart of milk 
 with a little cinnamon, and half a lemon peel ; 
 sweeten it with nice white sugar, strain it, and 
 when a httle cooled mix in gradually 7 well 
 beaten eggs and a tablespoonful of rose-water ; 
 stir all together over a slow fire till it is of proper 
 thickness, and then pour it into your glasses. 
 This makes good boiled custard. 
 
 CUSTARD FRITTERS.— Ben.t the yelks of 
 4 eggs with a dessert spoonful of flour, a little 
 nutmeg, salt and brandy ; add half a pint of 
 cream; sweeten it to taste, and bake it in a 
 small dish for a ^ of an hour. When cold, cut 
 it into quarters, and dip them into a batter made 
 with a X of a pint each of milk and cream, the 
 whites of the 4 eggs, a little flour, and a good 
 bit of grated ginger; fry them brown; grate 
 sugar over them, and serve them as hot as pos- 
 sible. 
 
 DOUGHNUTS.— UaXi a cup of butter, 234: 
 cups of sugar well rolled and sifted, 4 eggs, i 
 teaspoonful of saleratus, i cup of sour milk, i 
 nutmeg, flour enough to roll ; cut in any shape 
 desired, either in strips or twisted ; have the 
 lard hot enough for the cakes to rise to the sur- 
 face as soon as put in. This is an excellent fried 
 cake. 
 
 EGGS, Hard a>td Soft Boiled. — It is under- 
 stood that eggs are more easily digested if " rare" 
 than "well" done; but which portion of the 
 egg resists digestion — the "white," which is 
 nearly pure albumen, or the yelk ? Lately, ex- 
 periments have been made in tliis direction, with 
 ample opportunity of demonstrating that healthy 
 gastric juice, which the stomach secretes for pur- 
 poses of digestion, will not act readily on coag- 
 I ulated white of egg, even if cut in pieces not 
 larger than ordinary peas, (and that is as fine as 
 
 people usually chew their food, ) while it acts 
 with facility upon the more brittle yelk. The 
 reason is that the coagulated albumen is very 
 compact and tenacious, and would need to be 
 " ground to powder" to accept the chemical af- 
 finities of the gastric juice. 
 
 Pour into a basin boiling water sufficient to 
 cover the eggs, put the eggs into the water and 
 let them remain 10 or 15 minutes, according to 
 circumstances and your own taste ; keep the wa- 
 ter nearly up to boiling temperature, but do not 
 boil the eggs. Fresh eggs will cook more 
 quickly than old ones, and, of coyrse, small ones 
 quicker than large ones. By this process you 
 will find the yelks well cooked, while the white 
 is left in a condition to digest readily. 
 
 EGGS, BROILED.— Cut a large round of 
 bread; toast it on both sides, and butter it. 
 Carefully break 6 eggs, and arrange them upon 
 the toast ; sprinkle over them some salt and pep- 
 per, and slowly pass a red- hot shovel up and 
 down over them until they are well set. Squeeze 
 upon them the juice of an orange, and strew 
 over a little grated nutmeg. Serve as quickly as 
 possible. If preferred, the toasted bread may 
 be dipped into some warmed cream, and some 
 poached eggs placed upon it, and then glazed 
 with a red-hot shovel. 
 
 EGGS, To Poach. — The beauty of a poached 
 egg> like a fried one, consists in having the 
 white just sufficiently hardened to form a trans- 
 parent veil for the yelk. Pour from a tea-kettle 
 as much boiling water as you shall need, through 
 a clean cloth into a stew-pan; it should be half 
 filled. Break the eggs separately into a cup or 
 saucer, and when the water boils remove the 
 pan from thS heat, and gently slip the eggs in ; 
 when the white is set replace the pan over the 
 fire, (which should be moderate,) and as^oon as 
 the water boils the eggs are done ; remove them 
 with a slice and trim off the ragged edges. If 
 served on toast, cut the bread in pieces a little 
 larger than the egg, and about |^ of an inch 
 thick; brown only on one side, and just enough 
 to give a yellow color ; too much browning 
 yields a bitter flavor. The toast may be moist- 
 ened with a little hot water. Some sprinkle on 
 it a few drops of vinegar or essence of anchovy 
 sauce, 
 
 EGG OMELETTE.— \Jn\c?,s a great omel- 
 ette is to be made, a small frying pan should be 
 used, so as to insure thickness. 5 or 6 eggs 
 will make a good sized omelette. Beat them 
 well with a fork or egg beater ; add a salt spoon 
 of salt ; put 2 oz. of butter in the frying pan ; 
 when melted pour in the omelette (beaten eggs,) 
 stir with a spoon until it begins to set, then turn 
 it up all around the edges, and when it is of a 
 nice brown it is done. To take it out, turn a hot 
 plate over the omelette, and turn the pan upside 
 down. Double it over like a turn-over, and 
 serve hot. If not sufficiently done on the top, 
 brown with a salamander or a heated shovel. 
 To have the omelette particularly fine, about as 
 many whites as yelks should be used. 
 
 EGGS, To Test.— Owe way to tell good eggs 
 is to put them in a pail of water, and if they are 
 good they will lie on their sides always ; if bad, 
 they will stand on their small ends, the large 
 end always uppermost, unless they have been > 
 shaken considerably, when they will stand either 
 end up. Tlierefore, a l)ad egg can be told by 
 the way it rests in the water — always up, never 
 
.52 
 
 DICTIONARY OF EVERY-DAY WANTS. 
 
 on its side. Any egg that lies flat is good to 
 eat, and can be depended upon. An ordinary 
 way is to take them into a room moderately 
 dark, and hold them between the eye and a can- 
 dle or lamp. If the egg be good — that is if the 
 albumen is still unaffected — the light will shine 
 through with a reddish glow ; while, if affected, 
 - it will be opaque or dark. 
 
 FISH, To Choose. — All fish, of whatever spe- 
 cies, may be known to be perfectly fresh by 
 their being rigid and having bright eyes. 
 
 FISH, To Boil. — The proper sign that fish is 
 done by boiling is that the flesh separates readily 
 from the bone, and has lost all appearance of 
 redness and transparency. It is important that 
 this should be kept in view, as fish underdone is 
 unwholesome. The opposite extreme, however, 
 must also be carefully guarded against. 
 
 FISH SA UCE.—TakQ }i a pint of milk and 
 cream together, 2 eggs well beaten, salt, a little 
 pepper, and part of the juice of a lemon- Put 
 it over the fire and stir it constantly until it be- 
 gins to thicken. 
 
 FISH CHOJVnER.— Haddock and Striped 
 Bass are generally considered the best fish for 
 chowder. Cut the fish in pieces about I inch 
 thick and 2 inches square. Cut 5 or 6 good 
 slices of the best salt pork, lay them in the bot- 
 tom of an iron pot and fry till crisped, but do 
 not scorch; take out the pork, leaving the fat, 
 and chop the pork in small pieces ; put into the 
 pot a layer of fish, a layer of split crackers and 
 some of the chopped pork ; a little red and 
 black pepper; a little chopped onion; then an- 
 other layer of split crackers, fish and seasoning, 
 and so on till all the fish is used. Then just 
 cover all with water, and stew slowly till all is 
 tender. Thicken the gravy with cracker crumbs 
 r and catsup it you like ; take out the fish, boil up 
 the gravy once, squeeze in the juice of a lemon, 
 and pour the gravy over the fish. Add salt if 
 necessary. 
 
 FISH, To Freshen Salt. — Many persons who 
 are in the habit of freshening mackerel, or other 
 salt fish, never dream that there is a right and 
 wrong way to do it. Any person who has seen 
 the process of evaporation going on at the salt 
 works, knows that the salt falls to the bottom. 
 Just so it is in the pan where your mackerel or 
 white fish lies soaking; and, as it lies with the 
 skin side down, the salt will fall to the skin, and 
 there remain ; when, if placed with the flesh 
 side down, the salt falls to the bottom of the pan, 
 and the fish comes out freshened as it should be. 
 In the other case it is nearly as salt as when put 
 in. 
 
 FRUIT CAKE.— I lb. of flour, i of sugar, 
 I of butter, 12 eggs, 2 lbs. of currants, 2 of rai- 
 sins, I of citron ; lemon, nutmeg, and mace to 
 taste. Beat it very light. The fruit should be 
 floured and stirred in last, and more flour added 
 if necessary. Bake in I large pan in a steady, 
 well-heated oven for 4 or 5 hours, letting it cool 
 gradually in the oven. When perfectly cold it 
 may be frosted. 
 
 FRUIT AND VEGETABLES, To Take 
 Frost out of. — When a tliaw approaches put the 
 frozen articles in cold water, allowing them to re- 
 main in it until, by their plump, fair appearance, 
 the frost seems to be out. 
 
 FRYING. — This is one of the worst methods 
 ,. of cookery that can be adopted. It cannot be 
 ' accomplished without the aid of oil or fat, which 
 
 beyond question tends to render the meat very 
 indigestible. It is no less injurious to vegeta- 
 bles. As an example of this it may be stated 
 that the potato when fried becomes waxy in its 
 texture, and often produces derangement of the 
 stomach in healthy and vigorous persons. 
 
 FLOUR, Hffw to Know Good. — i. When 
 flour is genuine or of the best kind, it holds to- 
 gether in a mass when squeezed by the hand, 
 and shows the impressions of the fingers, anj 
 even of the marks of the skin, much longer than 
 when it is bad or adulterated; and the dough 
 made with it is very gluey, ductile, elastic, and 
 easy to be kneaded ; and may be elongated, flat- 
 tened, and drawn in every direction without 
 breaking. — 2. Adulterated flour will be found to 
 be heavier than pure flour — that is to say, a pint 
 of pure flour would be overbalanced in the 
 scales by a pint of adulterated flour. — 3. Knead 
 a little between your fingers ; if it works soft, 
 sticky, it is poor, — ^4. Put some flour on a table 
 and blow it gently with your breath. If little 
 heaps remain upon the table, resisting the action 
 of your breath, and differing manifestly from the 
 indications given by other portions when blown 
 upon, the substance thus remaining is impure. — 
 5. Place a thimbleful in the palm of your hand 
 and rub it gently with the finger. If the flour 
 smooths down, feeling smooth and slippery, it is 
 of an inferior quality.' But if the flour rubs 
 rough in the palm, feeling like fine sand, and 
 has an orange tint, purchase confidently. — 6. 
 Bake a small quantity of the suspected flour (in 
 its dry state) until it is a full brown; then take 
 it and rub it in your hands or on a table, and 
 white particles will be seen if either chalk or 
 plaster-of-Paris should be present in the flour. 
 
 FLOUR, To Restore and Improve Alusty. — 
 Carbonate of magnesia, 3 parts ; flour, 760 
 parts. Mix, and use the flour in the usual way. 
 This will not only greatly improve bad flour, but 
 the bread will be much lighter, more wholesome, 
 and keep longer than when alum is used. 
 
 FO WLS, Choice of. — If a cock, choose with 
 short spurs, observing that they have not been 
 pared or cut ; if a hen, her comb and legs must 
 be smooth; when old they are rough, and on 
 the breast long hairs are found instead of feath- 
 ers; smell them whether they are fresh, and feel 
 whether the breast-bone is well-covered ; if not, 
 they have probably died from disease. 
 
 FOWL, To Broil.— Slit the fowl down the 
 back, and score to the bone all the thicker parts, 
 as the thighs and breast, in order to its being all 
 equally done. Brush over the inside and the 
 places scored with catsup and pepper, and broil 
 over a clear fire. A sauce should be made of 
 butter and flour melted brown, into which, when 
 taken from the fire, should be put capers or but- 
 ton mushrooms. 
 
 FOWL AND CHICKENS, To Roast.— 
 Put them down to a good fire, and baste them 
 well with butter. A fowl will require nearly an 
 hour to roast, and a chicken about a ^ of an 
 hour or 20 minutes. For the fowl let a gravy 
 be made of the neck and gizzard, and when 
 strained put in a spoonful of browning. Serve 
 the chicken with parsley and butter. 
 
 FOWLS, Haw to Cook <9A/.— Prepare as for 
 roasting ; then boil 3 hours in a covered pot, 
 with I quart of water, to which add 2 tablespoon- 
 fuls of vinegar ; after which put into a pan in a 
 hot oven for about l hour to brown. The liquor 
 
COOKING A ND BAKING. 
 
 53 
 
 in the pot is to be prepared for gravy ; should 
 the water boil away too much more must be ad- 
 ded. The result is, the meat is as tender as 
 young chicken, and some think richer and bet- 
 ter. 
 
 FOWLS, Saiue for. — An excellent white 
 sauce for fowls may be made of 2 oz. of butter, 
 2 small onions, I carrot, ^ a teacupful of flour, 
 I pint of new milk, salt and pepper to taste. 
 Cut up the onions and carrots very small, and 
 put them into a stew-pan with the butter ; sim- 
 mer them until the butter is nearly dried up ; 
 then stir in the flour and add the milk. Boil 
 the whole gently until it thickens, strain it, sea- 
 son with salt and Cayenne, and serve. 
 
 FOWLS, Slewed with. Onion. — Wash it clean, 
 dry and truss it as for boiling ; put a little pep- 
 per and salt into it, and rub it with butter ; but- 
 ter a saucepan ; put the fowl in the pan with a 
 pint of veal stock or water, seasoned with pep- 
 per and salt. Turn it while stewing, and when 
 quite tender add I2 small onions, split. Stew 
 all together for ^ an hour. A young fowl will 
 take I hour, an old one 3 hours to stew. 
 
 GEESE, To Choose. — A young goose has a 
 yellow bill ; if red, it is a sign of age ; if fresh, 
 the feet will be pliable, but stale if stiff and 
 dry. 
 
 GOOSE, 7?(9.'f .97".— Presuming that the bird 
 is carefully plucked, singed, washed, and dried, 
 put into it a seasoning of onions, sage, pepper, 
 and salt, fastening tightly the neck and rump. 
 Put it at first at a distance from the fire ; paper 
 the breast-bone ; baste well, and when the breast 
 is rising take the paper off. Let good gravy be 
 sent in the dish. Serve with potatoes, gravy, 
 and apple sauce. 
 
 GOOSE, BOILED.— Havmcr singed the 
 goose, pour over it a quart of boiling milk ; let 
 it lie all night in the milk, after which take it out 
 and dry it well; stuff it with sage and onion, 
 cut small ; sew up the openings, and hang it up 
 for a day. Boil for l hour, and serve vi^ith onion 
 sauce. 
 
 GEMS. — They are cheap, easily made, whole- 
 some and palatable. Graham flour and water 
 are stirred together to the consistency of a thick 
 pancake batter, and baked in the iron or tin gem 
 pans. Gems, whether of Graham meal, fine 
 flour, or corn meal, should be put into a /lot 
 oven. Success depends on this. Fine flour and 
 sweet milk, (skimmed milk is good enough,) 
 well beaten together, rather thicker than the bat- 
 ter, makes a very sweet and good kind of warm 
 bread. Corn bread of the best kind can be made 
 without eggs or shortening, or sweetening. 
 Simply scald the meal with boiling water, add a 
 little salt, stir well and bake quickly in the gem 
 pans. We thought the Graham and white gems 
 must have salt, until we found that its absence 
 was not observed, and then we discarded it, as 
 it seems an unreasonable amount of salt is eaten 
 under the plea of a little salt being necessary. 
 
 GINGERBREAD. — 2 cups of molasses and 
 I of butter ; 2 teaspoons of ginger, and i even 
 full of bi -carbonate of soda; I tea-cup of warm 
 water; flour enough to make a soft dough. Af- 
 ter it is placed in the bake tin, flour your hands 
 to pat it into shape, and with a knife cross-cut 
 the top into squares or diamonds. Bake until 
 done. 
 
 GINGERBREAD, SPICE.— TskQ 3 lbs. of 
 flour, I lb. of butter, I lb. of moist sugar, 4 oz. 
 
 of candied orange or lemon peel, cut small ; i 
 oz. of powdered ginger, 2 oz. of powdered all- 
 spice, yi an oz. of powdered cinnamon, a hand- 
 ful of caraway seeds, and 3 lbs. of treacle; rub 
 the butter with your hand into the flour, then 
 add the other ingredients, and mix it in the 
 dough with the treacle ; make it into cakes or 
 nuts, and bake it in a warm oven. 
 
 GINGER SNAPS.— I pint of baking mo- 
 lasses, I lb. of sugar, % lb. of lard, y^ oz. of 
 ginger, and i tablespoonful of cinnamon. Work 
 the lard, molasses and sugar together, and add 
 flour enough to make a stiff dough. Roll out 
 thin, cut with a round cake-cutter, and bake 
 quickly. 
 
 GINGER PISCUIT.—R.Mh V^ a lb. of fresh 
 butter into 2 lbs. of fine flour ; add % Ih. of 
 sifted sugar, and 3 oz. of pounded ginger. Beat 
 up the yelks of 3 eggs, and take a little milk 
 with which to make the above ingredients into a 
 paste. Knead it all well together, and roll it 
 out extremely thin, and cut it into the form of 
 round biscuits with a paste-cutter. Bake them 
 in a slow oven until crisp, taking care that they 
 are a pale brown color. 
 
 GRAVY, BROWN— -^ onions, sliced and 
 fried in butter to a nice brown ; toast a large, 
 thin slice of bread a considerable time until very 
 hard and of a deep brown. Take these, with 
 any piece of meat, bone, etc. , and some herbs, 
 and set them on the fire, with water according to 
 judgment, and stew down until a thick gravy is 
 produced. Season, strain, and keep cool. 
 
 GREEN-CORN CAA'ES.— Grate the corn, 
 make a rich batter with cream, or according to 
 directions given for batter cakes. Use just suf- 
 ficient of the batter to hold the corn together, 
 and lay the cakes on the griddle as you would a 
 common griddle cake. Serve with butter. 
 
 GREEN-CORN PUDDING.— 12 ears of 
 corn, grated ; 3 eggs, well beaten ; i pint of 
 sweet milk, ^ a cupful of butter, i large spoon- 
 ful of sugar, pepper and salt. Bake in a large 
 pudding-pan 2 hours. 
 
 GREEN PEAS, To Stnv.—Vv,t into the 
 stew-pan a quart of peas, a lettuce, and an onion 
 sliced, butter, pepper, salt, but no more water 
 than remains about the lettuce after washing. 
 Stew 2 hours very gently. When to be served, 
 beat up an egg and stir it into them, or a little 
 flour and water. 
 
 * GRUEL, WATER.— Take of the coarse 
 part of corn meal or grist, 2 handsful ; water, 3 
 quarts ; boil it till only 2 quarts remain, then 
 strain off the liquor, and season it to the palate 
 with salt, sugar and nutmeg, to which may be 
 added a spoonful or two of wine. — 2. Take 
 of oatmeal 2 large spoonfuls ; water, i quart. 
 Mix them well, and boil them about 10 or 15 
 minutes, stirring often ; then strain the gruel 
 through a sieve, and add sugar and salt enough 
 to make it agreeable 'to the taste. When it is 
 designed as a meal, dissolve in it a little butter, 
 and then add bread and nutmeg, as occasion re- 
 quires. 
 
 HADDOCK, To T^rj/.— Skin the fish, cover 
 it with bread-crumb and egg, seasoned with salt 
 and pepper, and fry with boiling lard or butter. 
 IIOTCII-POTCII.—{\ favorite Scotch soup.) 
 Boil a good-sized neck or breast of lamb for j^ 
 an hour ; take out of the soup pot 6 of the best 
 chops, and lay them aside ; then boil the rest to 
 a good stoclc Wash and cut into small piece^ j. 
 
54 
 
 DICTIONARY OF E VERY-DAY WANTS. 
 
 freshly pulled young turnips, 4 young carrots^ 12 
 young onions, a good-sized lettuce, and a small 
 bunch of parsley ; boil all these in the stock i 
 hour. 20 minutes before the soup is required, 
 cut up a fresh cauliflower and put it in, together 
 with a quart of green peas, a pint of young 
 beans, and a little pepper and salt ; heat the 
 chops that have been laid aside, and pour the 
 soup over them in the tureen. A sprig of mint 
 is an improvement. 
 
 HOPS, To Choose. — ^WTien rubbed between 
 the fingers, or on the palm of the hand, good 
 hops will feel glutinous, have a fragrant smell, 
 and develop a fine yellow dust. The seeds 
 should be ripe, and the leaves full and unbroken, 
 and of a fine brownish-yellow green. Avoid 
 yearlings, unless you can get them in good con- 
 dition, and % the price of new hops. 
 
 ICE CREAM, STRAWBERRY.— TaVe i 
 pint of strawberries, I pint of cream, nearly y^ 
 a lb. of powdered white sugar, and the juice of 
 a lemon ; mash the fruit through a sieve, and 
 take out the seeds, mix with the other articles, 
 and freeze ; a little new milk added makes the 
 whole freeze more quickly. 
 
 ICE CREAM, RASPBERRY.— The same 
 as strawberry. These ices are oiten colored by 
 cochineal, but the addition is not advantageous 
 to the flavor. Strawberry or raspberry jam may 
 be used instead of the fresh fruit, or equal quan- 
 tities of jam and fruit employed. Of course the 
 quantity of sugar must be proportionately di- 
 minished. 
 
 ICE, lemon Water. — Lemon juice and wa- 
 ter, each y^ a pint; strong syrup, i pint; the 
 rind of the lemon should be rasped off" before 
 squeezing \vith lump sugar, which is to be ad- 
 ded to the juice; mix the whole; strain after 
 standing an hour, and freeze. Beat up with a 
 little sugar the whites of 2 or 3 eggs, and as the 
 ice is beginning to set, work this in with the 
 spatula, which will much improve the consist- 
 ence and taste. 
 
 ITALIAN CREAM.— To a pint of rich 
 milk add as much fine white sugar as will sweet- 
 en it, tjie rind of a large lemon pared thin, a 
 small piece of cinnamon, and ^ ol an oz. of 
 isinglass ; put all these ingredients into a lined 
 saucepan, and boil till the isinglass is perfectly 
 dissolved ; beat the yelks of 6 eggs very well in 
 a large basin, and strain the milk while boiling 
 hot to the eggs, stirring them rapidly all the 
 time ; continue to stir till the mixture is nearly 
 cold ; before putting it into the shape add a des- 
 sert spoonful of strained lemon juice; it will 
 turn out in a few hours. 
 
 INDIAN-MEAL CAKES.— To 3 pints of 
 Indian meal, a piece of butter as large as an egg, 
 and a teaspoonful of salt. Put 2 tea-cupfuls of 
 boiling water, stir it in, then add 3 eggs, and 
 milk to make it to the consistency of batter. 
 
 INDIAN- MEAL PUDDING.— Into i 
 quart of boiling milk stir i quart of sifted fine 
 meal; then add I quart of cold milk, 2 well 
 beaten eggs, ^ of a cup of sugar, and i cup of 
 flour. Stir well and pour it into a buttered dish. 
 Bake 2 hours, and serve with butter. 
 
 INDIAN PONE.—YmX. i quart of water in 
 a pot ; as soon as it boils stir in as much Indian' 
 meal as will make a very thin batter. Beat it 
 frequently wl\ile it is boiling, which will require 
 10 minutes ; then take it off, pour it in a pan, 
 and add \ oz. of butter, and salt to taste. When 
 
 the batter is lukewarm, stir in as much Indian 
 meal as will make it quite thick ; set it away to 
 rise in the evening; in the morning make it out 
 in small cakes, butter your tins, and bake in a 
 moderate oven. Or the more common way is to 
 butter pans, fill them 3 parts full, and bake them. 
 This cake requires no yeast. 
 
 * JELLY, Arrowroot. — Put half a pint of 
 water, a glass of sherry, a little grated nutmeg 
 and fine sugar into a saucepan ; and when boil- 
 ing mix gradually with them a dessert-spoonful 
 of arrowroot already rubbed smooth in a table- 
 spoonful of cold water. Boil all together for 3 
 minutes, and pour into glasses or small cups. 
 This jelly may be flavored with the juice of any 
 fruit that is in season, or with orange or lemon 
 juice. 
 
 * JELLY, APPLE.— Slice whole apples— 
 (cores, parings and all) — cook them with just 
 water enough to cover them till reduced to a soft 
 pulp. Take the rind and juice of 4 lemons; 
 strain this pulp, (not squeezing much, or going 
 over it twice ; ) slice the lemons, measure a pint 
 for a lb. of white sugar ; let it boil for half an 
 hour, and turn into forms. Quince, etc., the 
 same way. 
 
 "" JELLY, CALVES' FEET— Y or each 
 foot take 3 pints of Avater, and boil it to half that 
 quantity ; then let it cool, and skim off the fat. 
 It must now be boiled for 2 or 3 minutes with 
 the peel of a lemon and a little spice, when it 
 should be removed from the fire, strained through 
 a flannel bag, and the juice of a lemon and a 
 glass of wine added ; when cooled a little, it 
 may be put into glasses or forms. 
 
 * JELLY, CHICKEN.— T^e i large fowl, 
 put It into a saucepan with 2 quarts of water, I 
 large onion, i blade of mace, and i teaspoonful 
 of salt ; boil all till reduced to 3. pints, then strain 
 it, and let it stand till the next day ; then take off 
 the fat very clean, take the whites of 6 eggs, 
 half an oz. of isinglass, the juice of i or 2 lem- 
 ons, beat them well altogether, and boil it till 
 the scum rises to the top. Let it stand a few 
 minutes, then strain it through a jelly-bag. The 
 above is a very strengthening preparation, and 
 may be taken cold or hot, as best suits the pa- 
 tient's taste. 
 
 * JELLY, SAGO.—lSo\\ a teacupful of sago 
 in 4 pints of water, till quite thick ; when cold, 
 add a pint of raspberry juice, pressed from fresh 
 fruit, or half the quantity of raspberry syrup ; 
 add enough loaf sugar to sweeten it, boil it fast 
 for 5 minutes, and put it into a shape which has 
 been steeped in cold water ; pour a little cream 
 over the jellv in the dish. 
 
 JELL Y ORANGE.— Sf\yxe<ize the juice from 
 10 sweet and I Seville orange ; add the juice of 
 2 and the rind of i lemon pared thin ; loaf sugar 
 enough to sweeten the juice, i quart of water, 
 and 4 oz. of isinglass. Boil all these ingredients 
 for a few minutes, and then strain through a 
 jelly-bag till clear, and put it into shapes. Add 
 a little saffron if the color is too pale. 
 
 LAMB, To Judge of its Quality.— li fresh, 
 the vein in the neck of a fore-quarter is bluish ; 
 if green or yellow, stale. In the hind-quarter, 
 if the knuckle is limp, and the part under the 
 kidney smells slightly disagreeable, avoid it. If 
 the eyes are sunken, do not buy the head. 
 
 LAMB, To Roast. — The hind quarter of lamb 
 usually weighs from 7 to 10 lbs. ; this size will 
 take about 2 hours to roast it. Have a brisk 
 
COOKING AND BAKING. 
 
 55 
 
 fire. It must be very frequently basted while 
 roasting, and sprinkled with a little salt, and 
 dredged all over with flour, about /^ an hour be- 
 fore it is done. 
 
 LAMB, Leg of, To Boil.—li must be put into 
 boiling water, then the saucepan (or deep fish- 
 kettle with a drainer is best) drawn back, and 
 the water allowed to simmer gently, reckoning 
 iS minutes to each lb. ; if it boils fast, the meat 
 will be hard and the skin broken. It should be 
 lifted out of the water with the drainer, and no 
 fork be stuck into it ; if the scum has settled 
 upon it, wash it off with some of the liquor be- 
 fore sending to table. Parsley and butter are 
 served with this, or delicate caper sauce and 
 young carrots. 
 
 LEMON C^A'iS'.— Beat 6 eggs, the yelks 
 and whites separately, till in a solid froth ; add 
 to the yelks the grated rind of a fine lemon and 
 6 oz. of sugar dried and sifted ; beat this a % 
 of an hour; shake in with the left hand 6 oz. of 
 dried flour ; then add the whites of the eggs and 
 the juice of the lemon ; when these are well 
 beaten in, put it immediately into tins, and bake 
 it about an hour in a moderately hot oven. 
 
 LEMON FIE. — 2 lemons ; squeeze out the 
 juice, and chop the lemons fine, (take out the 
 seeds ; ) 3 cups of water, 3 cups of sugar, i egg, 
 y( oi z. cup of flour ; beat the egg well with a 
 cup of water and the flour ; then stir lemons, 
 juice, and all together ; this will be sufficient for 
 3 pies. 
 
 LEMON SA l/CE.—T^lelt 2 oz. of butter in 
 a little water ; put in 2 oz. of sugar, the juice 
 and grated rind of half a lemon, and the pulp 
 and juice of the other half. Boil together 5 
 minutes, and serve hot for cold puddings. 
 
 » LEMON JVA TEH.—Vvii 2 or 3 slices of 
 lemon, with a lump of sugar and a spoonful of 
 capillaire, into a covered jug, and pour mto it a 
 pint of boiling water. Cover it closely for 2 or 
 3 hours. It will thus form a very agreeable 
 drink for a feverish patient. 
 
 MACKEREL, To />y.— Divide the fish into 
 pieces ; remove the skin ; dip them in beaten 
 egg ; strew on them chopped parsley and bread 
 crumbs, and fry them. For sauce melt some 
 butter with a little flour, put into it the roes of 
 the fish, pounded ; season with salt and Cay- 
 enne, and a little catsup, and pour it hot over 
 the fish. 
 
 ■MACARONI, Boiled.— Sodk and boil the 
 macaroni in plenty of milk and water ; throw in 
 a little salt. Boil until tender, but not until the 
 form is lost, ^^"hen soft, turn into a baking 
 dish, pour over the top the contents of a whisked 
 egg, and bake until brown. This process ren- 
 ders it a more attractive dish than when simply 
 boiled. Macaroni, with cream, sugar and cin- 
 namon, makes a very nice, sweet dish. 
 
 ME A T, Test of Bad. — i. Good meat is nei- 
 ther of a pale pink color, nor of a deep purple 
 tint ; for the former is a sign of disease, and the 
 latter indicates that the animal has not been duly 
 slaughtered, but has died with the blood in it, or 
 has suffered from acute disease. — 2. It has the 
 appearance of marble, from the ramifications of 
 little veins of fat among the muscles. — 3. It 
 should be firm and elastic to the touch, and win 
 scarcely moisten the fingers — bad meat being 
 wet, sodden and flabby, with the fat looking like 
 jelly or wet parchment. — 4. It should have lit- 
 tle or no odor, and the odor should not be disa- 
 
 greeable ; for diseased meat has a sickly, cadav- 
 erous smell, and sometimes a smell of physic 
 This is very discoverable when the meat is cut 
 up and drenched with warm water. — 5. It must 
 not shrink or waste much in cooking. — 6. It 
 should not run to water, or become very wet on 
 standing for a day or so, but should, upon the 
 contrary, dry upon the surface. — 7. When dried 
 at a temperature of 212", or thereabouts, it will 
 not lose more than from 70 to 74 per cent, of its 
 weight, whereas bad meat will often lose as much 
 as 80 per cent. Other properties of a more re- 
 fined character will also serve for the recognition 
 of bad meat — as that the iuice of the flesh is al- 
 kaline or neutral to test paper, instead of being 
 distinctly acid , and the muscular fibre, when ex- 
 amined under the microscope, is found to be 
 sodden and ill-defined. 
 
 MEA T, Slewed. — Stewing is undoubtedly the 
 most economical mode of cooking meat ; by its 
 use every part of the meat is retained, and noth- 
 ing is lost or wasted. Joints, too tough or sin- 
 ewy to be used in any other way, may be stewed 
 with advantage. Stewing consists in subjecting 
 meat for a considerable time to a very moderate 
 heat in a small quantity of water. No good 
 stew for an early dinner can be made the day it 
 is wanted. The plan recommended is to cut the 
 meat in pieces of the required size, pack them 
 closely together, covering them with cold water, 
 or what is preferable, broth ; place the stew-pan 
 where it will gradually warm, and keep it for 
 some hours at a heat considerably short of boil- 
 ing. The albumen is thus dissolved, and the 
 fibres so far softened and separated that the very 
 toughest parts become tender and digestible. 
 The stew should be put away in an open vessel 
 until the next day, when the fat should be re- 
 moved from the top, and vegetables and season- 
 ing added. 
 
 MEA T, Strasbourg Potted.— Take 3 lbs. of 
 the rump of beef, cut into small bits, and put it 
 in an earthen jar with a ^ of a lb. of butter at 
 the bottom ; make a paste of flour and water ; 
 cover the jar closely, and set it in a pot of boil- 
 ing water. In 2 hours take it out, and add I 
 teaspoonfid of allspice, the same of pepper, and 
 2 of salt ; then boil another hour. Let it stand 
 until cold ; pound the meat with a pestle until it 
 is entirely broken up ; add to it the liquor in the 
 pot, and 3 large tablespoonfuls of tomato catsup. 
 Press into small pots and cover with melted but- 
 ter. It will keep 2 or 3 months in a cold, dry 
 place, and is a delicious relish for breakfast, tea 
 or lunch. 
 
 * MEAT FANADA.-Tokeihs inside of a 
 loin of mutton or of part of a sirloin of beef; 
 pound it until it will pass through a sieve M-hen 
 mixed with hot water or with broth, as it is re- 
 quired to be more or less rich. The most proper 
 seasoning is a little salt. It ought to be kept in 
 an earthen ressel in a cool place. WTien a little 
 of it is required it should be warmed up and 
 served with thin slices of bread. 
 
 MILK BISCUIT— Take I lb, of flour, % 
 of a lb. of butter, 8 tablespoonfuls of yeast, and 
 % a pint of new milk. Melt the butter in the 
 milk, put in the yeast .ind some salt, and work 
 into a stiff paste. When light, knead it well, 
 roll it out .an inch thick, cut out with a tumbler, 
 prick them with a fork, and bake in a quick 
 oven. 
 
 * MILK ;FJ7£"F.— Place a small piece of 
 
56 
 
 DICTIONARY OF E VERY-DA Y WANTS. 
 
 rennet in a cup of hot water for 4 or 5 hours. 
 Pour the water into 2 quarts of new milk, and 
 when the curd appears, strain the whole through 
 a hair sieve into a jug. The whey may be given 
 to a patient either cool or lukewarm. 
 
 MOLASSES. — When molasses is used in 
 cooking, it is a very great improvement to boil 
 and skim it before you use it. It takes out the 
 unpleasant raw taste, and makes it almost as 
 good as sugar. Where molasses is used much 
 for cooking, it is well to prepare i or 2 gallons 
 in this way at a time. 
 
 MUFFINS. — I pint of milk, I tablespoon of 
 butter, I pint of flour, a small teaspoon of salt, 
 3 eggs, the whites and yelks beaten separately 
 and very stiif; a small teaspoon even full of 
 soda ; add the whites last, beat smartly and per- 
 fectly free from lumps. Butter the griddle, and 
 bake in well-buttered rings. When the bottom 
 is done, turn over the rings and bake the top, or 
 put the rings on a well-buttered bake-pan, and 
 bake in a quick oven. 
 
 * MULLED EGG.— Eca-t the yelk of a fresh 
 egg in a tea or coffee cup, put in a little milk or 
 cream and sugar, and then pour into it as much 
 tea or coffee as will fill the cup, taking care to 
 stir it well at the same time to prevent the egg 
 from curdling. This makes a good breakfast for 
 an invalid. It is light and nourishing without 
 being heating. 
 
 MUSHROOMS, To Distinguish from Poi- 
 sonous Fungi. — I. Sprinkle a little salt on the 
 spongy part or gills of the sample to be tried. 
 If they turn yellow they are poisonous — if black 
 they are wholesome. Allow the salt to act be- 
 fore you decide on the question. — 2. False 
 mushrooms have a warty cap, or else fragments 
 ot membrane, adhering to the upper surface; 
 they are also heavy, and emerge from a vulva or 
 bag ; they grow in tufts or clusters in woods, on 
 the stumps of trees, etc., whereas the true mush- 
 rooms grow in pastures. — 3. False mushrooms 
 have an astringent, styptic, and disagreeable 
 taste. — ^4. When cut they turn blue. — 5. They 
 are moist on the surface, and generally,^ — 6. Ot 
 a rose or orange color. — 7. The gills of the true 
 mushroom are of a pinky red, changing to a 
 liver color. — 8. The flesh is white. — 9. The 
 stem is white, solid and cylindrical. 
 
 MUSHROOMS, ^?^?7^^.— Mushroom-flaps, 
 pepper and salt to taste, butter, lemon-juice. 
 Cleanse the mushrooms by wiping with a piece 
 of flannel and a little salt ; cut off a portion of 
 the stalk, and peel the tops ; broil them over a 
 clear fire, turning them once, and arrange them 
 on a very hot dish. Put a small piece of butter 
 on each mushroom, season with pepper and 
 salt, and squeeze over them a few drops of lem- 
 on-juice. Place the dish before the fire, and 
 when the butter is melted serve very hot and 
 quickly. Moderate-sized flaps are better suited 
 to this mode of cooking than the buttons; the 
 latter are better in stews. 
 
 MUSHROOMS, ToStew.—Uxxva. and rub 
 clean with a bit of flannel dipped in salt, % a 
 pint of large button mushrooms ; put into a 
 stewpan 2 oz. of butter ; shake it over the fire 
 till thoroughly melted ; put in the mushrooms, a 
 teaspoonful of salt, half as much pepper, and a 
 blade of mace pounded; stew till the mush- 
 rooms are tender, then serve them on a very hot 
 dish. 
 
 MUSHROOM CATSUP.— Ga.ther mush- 
 
 rooms in dry weather; take the large, fully- 
 grown flaps, and see that they are free from in- 
 sects and earth. Add to each peck of mush- 
 rooms }4 a lb. of salt; break them up into a 
 large earthenware pan, strew the salt over them, 
 and let them stand for 3 days, stirring and 
 mashing them up each day, then strain out all 
 the juice. To every quart of juice put ^ an 
 oz. of whole black pepper, J4 an oz, of bruised 
 ginger, ^ of an oz. of allspice, }^ of an oz. of 
 Cayenne, and the same quantity of pounded 
 mace. Put all the spices with the juice into a 
 large earthenware jar, (standing in a pot of wa- 
 ter, ) and boil for 3 hours ; or the catsup may 
 be boiled in a preser%'ing pan. Let the spices 
 remain in it when bottled. 
 
 MUSTARD, Superior Table.— Take of best 
 flour of mustard, 2 lbs. ; fresh parsley, yi. oz. ; 
 chervil, % oz. ; celery, ^( oz. ; 'I'arragon, }^ 
 oz. ; garlic, i clove ; and 12 salt anchovies, (all 
 well chopped;) grind well together; add of salt 
 I oz., and sufficient grape juice or sugar to 
 sweeten, with sufficient water to form the mass 
 into a thinnish paste by trituration in a mortar. 
 When put into pots, a red-hot poker is to be 
 thrust into each, and a little vinegar afterwards 
 poured upon the surface. 
 
 MUSTARD, FRENCH— Salt, 1% lbs.; 
 scraped horse-radish, i lb. ; garlic, 2 cloves 
 boiling vinegar, 2 gallons ; macerate in a cov- 
 ered vessel for 24 hours; strain, and add suffi- 
 cient flour of mustard. 
 
 MUTTON, To Judge its Quality.— Tuq 
 meat should be firm and close in grain, and red 
 in color ; the fat white and firm. Mutton is in 
 its prime when the sheep is about 5 years old, 
 though it is often killed much younger. If too 
 young, the flesh feels tender when pinched ; if 
 too old, on being pinched it wrinkles up, and so 
 remains- In young mutton, the fat readily sep- 
 arates ; in old, it is held together by strings of 
 skin. In sheep diseased of the rot, the flesh is 
 very pale-colored, the fat inclining to yellow; 
 the meat appears loose from the bone, and, if 
 squeezed, drops of water ooze out from the 
 grains ; after cooking, the meat drops clean 
 away from the bones. Wether mutton is pre- 
 ferred to that of the ewe; it may be known by 
 the lump of fat on the inside of the thigh. 
 
 MUTTON, To Roast a Saddle <?/.— Take 
 lean ham, truffles, green onions, parsley, thyme, 
 and sweet herbs, all chopped small, with some 
 spice, pepper and salt. Strew them over the 
 mutton when the skin is taken off, put the skin 
 over it neatly, and before roasting it tie over it 
 white paper well buttered. When the meat is 
 nearly done take off the paper, in order that the 
 surface of the meat may be nicely browned. 
 
 MUTTON, Stewed Leg c/.—Vni it into the 
 stew-pan with either broth or water, 2 or 3 car- 
 rots, a turnip, an onion, and a few black pepper- 
 corns. After coming to a boil, simmer for 2% 
 hours, take out the broth and vegetables, dredge 
 the meat with flour, and put it again on the fire 
 to brown, leaving off the cover. Pulp the vege- 
 tables through a sieve, and boil them up with 
 the gravy, adding a tablespoonful of vinegar, 
 i'our part of the sauce on the meat and send the 
 rest to table in a tureen. 
 
 " MUTTON BROTH— 2 lbs. of a neck of 
 mutton, a large handful of chervil ; put these 
 into 2 quarts of water and boil down to i quart. 
 All of the fat should be removed. A pint may 
 
COOKING AND BAKING. 
 
 57 
 
 be taken 2 or 3 times a day. It affords excel- 
 lent nutriment to the weak. 
 
 NUTMEGS, 7b &-/^^/.— Prick them with a 
 pin. If they are good the oil will instantly 
 spread around the puncture. 
 
 OYSTERS— Are They Healthy f—O-^xv an 
 oyster, retain the liquor in the lower or deep 
 shell, and, if viewed through a microscope, it 
 will be found to contain multitudes of small oys- 
 ters, covered with shells and swimming nimbly 
 about — 120 of which extend but I inch. Be- 
 sides these young oysters, the liquor contains a 
 variety of animalcules, and myriads of 3 distinct 
 species of worms. Sometimes their light rep- 
 resents a bluish star about the centre of the 
 shell, which will be beautifully luminous in a 
 dark room. 
 
 OYSTER STEir.—Stew the oysters in 
 their own liquor, and season to the taste with a 
 little salt and pepper; butter may be added. 
 Stews are often improved, in the opinion of 
 many, by the addition of milk or cream, and 
 condiments in the way of mace, parsley or nut- 
 meg. If thickening of the soup is desired, 
 grated cracker is preferable to flour. The best 
 cooks omit flour entirely. A piece of butter 
 rolled in grated cracker may be added. Pour 
 the oysters, when done, over a dish floored with 
 crackers, or covered with layers of crispy toasted 
 bread. 
 
 OYSTERS, To Fry.— After they are taken 
 from the shell, dry them on a clean cloth or nap- 
 kin. Beat up the yelks of eggs with thick, 
 sweet cream — I yelk to 2 tablespoons of cream. 
 Rub together some grated bread crumbs or 
 cracker, and a little salt and pepper. Have hot 
 in a skillet ^( of a lb. of melted butter. Dip 
 each oyster in the beaten yelk and cream, and 
 then roll it in the crumbs, coaxing them to ad- 
 here to it. Drop into the skillet, and fry until 
 of a light brown color on both sides. They 
 ought to be crisp and light. Never pour over 
 them the melted grease that may remain. 
 
 OYSTERS, To Bake, Roast or Boil.— Bvit a 
 few minutes are required for this. Wash the 
 shells clean. To roast, lay the shells on a grid- 
 iron, over a bed of live coals. When the shells 
 open they are done. Lift off the top, and serve 
 in the under shell. To bake them, put in a pan 
 in hot oven ; otherwise follow the same direc- 
 tions as for roasting. To boil, put them in a 
 pot of boiling water. Serve in the shell. 
 
 OYSTER SOUP.— To each dozen or dish of 
 oysters put half a pint of water ; milk I gill ; 
 butter half an oz. ; powdered crackers to thicken. 
 Bring the oysters and water to a boil, then add 
 the other ingredients previously mixed together, 
 and boil from 3 to 5 minutes only. 
 
 O YSTER FA TTIES.—Take of oysters suf- 
 ficient for the patties you may chance to want, 
 strain the liquor and return it to them ; mix 
 them with very fine bread crumbs until they are 
 of a proper thickness ; add a little scalded cream, 
 and season the whole with pepper, salt, and cay- 
 enne pepper ; warm the whole in a saucepan till 
 it begins to simmer ; when cold, put it in the 
 paste, and bake it in the shape of small mince 
 pies, 3 inches in diameter. The beards and 
 horny part should be cut off, and the oysters 
 cut in 2 or 3 pieces. 
 
 OYSTERS, ARTIFICIAL.— Take young 
 green corn, and grate it in a dish ; to i pint of 
 this add I egg well beaten, a small teacup of 
 
 flour, }4 a cup of butter, some salt and pepper, 
 and mix them well together. A tablespoonful 
 of the batter will make the size of an oyster. 
 Fry them a light brown, and when done butter 
 them. Cream, if it can be procured, is better 
 than butter. 
 
 OAT CAKES, SCOTCH.— Vxxt 3 handfuls 
 of best Scotch ( atmeal into a basin, with a bit of 
 butter the size of a nutmeg ; add as much cold 
 water as will form it into a cake. Press the 
 cake out with the hands until it is thin, then roll 
 with the rolling pin till it is almost as thin as a 
 silver dollar. Have the griddle already heated, 
 sift a little meal over it, and lay on the cake. 
 When the under side is brown, toast the upper 
 side in a toaster before the fire to make it crisp. 
 These cakes should be kept in the meal chest 
 among the dry meal to preserve their crispness, 
 which is their peculiarity. They are extremely 
 nice to eat w ith cheese. 
 
 OMELETTE.— Btdit separately the yelks 
 and whites of 4 fresh eggs; to the yelks add as 
 much powdered white sugar as will sweeten it, 
 and a small dessert-spoonful of corn flour, very 
 smoothly blended in a spoonful of cream or good 
 milk. Beat the whites to a stiff froth, add the 
 flour to the yelks, and gently stir in the whites, 
 taking care to break the froth as little as possi- 
 ble ; pour the whole into a clean frying-pan 
 from which the butter has been drained ; 2 or 3 
 minutes over a clear fire is enough to cook the 
 under side ; hold the pan to the fire till the up- 
 per side looks firm ; spread raspberry or straw- 
 berry jam over one half, turn the other side over 
 it, and serve immediately. 
 
 ONIONS, BOILED.— Tak^ the outside skin 
 from white onions as uniform in size as possible, 
 lay them in cold salt and water for i hour, and 
 then boil them in milk and water unjil thor- 
 oughly tender ; lay them in a deep dish, and 
 pour over them melted butter. 
 
 ONIONS, ROASTED.— These should be 
 cooked in their skins ; but before putting them 
 into the oven brush off all grittiness. Place in a 
 moderate oven, cooking gradually until nearly 
 done ; then quicken the oven and brown. Serve 
 with plenty of fresh butter. 
 
 PASTE for Fruit or Meat Pies. — This paste 
 may be made with % of wheat flour, % of the 
 flour of boiled potatoes, and some butter or 
 dripping ; the whole being brought to a consist- 
 ence with warm water, and a small quantity of 
 yeast added when lightness is desired. 
 
 PARTRIDGES, To i^^^jA— Rightly to look 
 well there should be a leash (3 birds) in the 
 dish ; pluck, singe, draw and truss them ; roast 
 them for about 20 minutes ; baste them with 
 butter, and when the gravy begins to run from 
 them you may safely assume that the partridges 
 are done ; place them in a dish, together with 
 bread crumbs, fried nicely brown and arranged 
 in small heaps. Gravy should be served in a 
 tureen apart. 
 
 PARTRIDGES, To Broil. —Cut them in 
 half, dip them in a butter previously melted, and 
 cover them thickly with crumbs of bread. A 
 ^ of an hour ought to be sufficient to cook them 
 oveiwa clear fire. 
 
 PARTRIDGE PIE.— 2 braces of partridges 
 are required to make a handsome pie. Truss 
 them as for boiling ; pound in a mortar the liv- 
 ers of the birds, a ^ of a lb. of fat bacon, and 
 some shred parsley ; lay part of this forcemeat 
 
58 
 
 DICTIONARY OF E VERY-DAY WANTS. 
 
 at the bottom of a raised crust ; put in the part- 
 ridges, add the remainder of the forcemeat and a 
 few mushrooms ; put some shoes of bacon fat 
 on the top, cover with a hd of crust, and bake it 
 for 2^ hours. Before serving the pie remove 
 the lid, take out the bacon, and add sufficient 
 rich gravy and orange juice. Partridge pie may 
 also be made in a dish in the ordinary way. 
 
 PASTE, Rich and Light.— To I lb. of flour, 
 dried and sifted, take yi a lb. of good fresh but- 
 ter and ^ a lb. of lard ; divide the flour into 2 
 equal portions ; put ^ on the paste-board ; cut 
 the butter (from which the water should be 
 squeezed) into slices about ^ an inch thick ; do 
 the same with the lard; cover the slices \vith 
 ' flour, roll them out thin with the rolling-pin and 
 lay them aside ; put the other ^ of the flour 
 into a basin, work into it with a spoon a j^ of 
 a pint of water, or enough to make the flour into 
 a stiff dough — too wet a dough will make tough 
 paste — lay this upon the paste-board, and roll it 
 out till it is ^ an inch thick, then lay the fourth 
 part of the butter and lard all over it, fold it up 
 and roll it again ; put on another fourth of the 
 butter, and repeat the buttering and rolling till 
 all the rolled butter is mixed in. Then cover 
 the tart, and bake it in a brisk oven. Always 
 handle pastry as lightly as possible, particularly 
 after the butter has been put in. 
 
 PASTE, POTATO.— A. % of a lb. of cold 
 boiled potatoes to |^ a lb. of flour, rubbed well 
 together, wet with very little water, and add 6 
 oz. of good lard or butter. For a sweet paste, 
 add a tablespoonful of powdered sugar ; for a 
 meat paste the same quantity of salt. 
 
 PARSNIPS, To Boil. Wash the parsnips, 
 scrape, boil tender, and then slice and brown on 
 a griddle, with butter to prevent sticking. Car- 
 rots are good, cooked in the same way. 
 
 ' PANADA, BREAD.— 'iozk a few thin 
 slices of stale, light, and well-baked bread in 
 hot water, so as to form a pulp of suitable con- 
 sistence. Simmer it gently, with some little ad- 
 dition of water from time to time as it thickens ; 
 then add 2 or 3 tablespoonfuls of warm milk, a 
 httle loaf sugar, and a few grains of salt. The 
 objection to this bread-pap, as commonly used, 
 is that nurses are sometimes apt to make it too 
 thick. 
 
 * PANADA, CmCR-EN-Skm a fowl; cut 
 it in pieces, leaving the breast whole ; boil it in 
 3 pints of water till perfectly tender, pick off the 
 meat, and pound it finely in a mortar, and mix 
 it with the liquor it was boiled in; rub it through 
 a sieve, and season it with salt. 
 
 PEARS, To Bake. — Take ripe pears and 
 •wipe them carefully ; place a layer stem upward 
 in a stone jar; sprinkle over sugar; then set in 
 another layer of pears, and so on till the jar is 
 filled. To every gallon put in 1^ pints of wa- 
 ter. Cover the top of the jar with pie crust, 
 and set in a slow oven for 2 hours. 
 
 PEACHES, To Peel. — In peeling small 
 peaches with a knife, too much of the peach is 
 wasted ; but by having a wire cage similar to 
 those made for popping corn this waste is obvi- 
 ated. Fill the cage with peaches, and dip it into 
 boiling water for a moment, then into cold wa- 
 ter for a moment, and empty out — going on in 
 the same way for all you wish to peel. This 
 toughens the skin and enables you to strip it off, 
 saving much in labor, as also the waste of the 
 peach. 
 
 PEAS, To Stew. — ^Take a quart of shelled 
 peas, a large onion, or two of middling size, and 
 2 lettuces cut small ; put them into a saucepan 
 with ^ a pint of water ; season them with a lit- 
 tle salt, a little pepper, mace and nutmeg. 
 Cover them close, and let them stew a X of an 
 hour ; then put in a X oi a. lb. of fresh butter 
 rolled in a little flour, a spoonful of catsup, and 
 a small piece of butter as big as a nutmeg; cover 
 them close, and simmer gently an hour, often 
 shaking the pan. 
 
 PIE, CREAM.— Yox I pie, take 2 eggs, yz 
 cup of sugar, 3 tablespoonfuls of flour, i pint of 
 sweet milk ; heat your milk ; beat sugar, eggs 
 and flour together ; add to the scalded milk, and 
 cook to a thick custard; flavor with lemons; 
 bake your crust, and when cold fill with the 
 custard. 
 
 PIE, LEMON.-Grz.ie % of the outside of 
 a lemon, and squeeze out the juice ; yelks of 2 
 sggs; 2 tablespoonfuls, heaped, of sugar; ^ 
 cup of water ; I teaspoonful of butter ; stir well, 
 and bake in a deep dish lined with crust. Beat 
 the whites of the eggs to a stiff" froth ; stir in 2 
 tablespoonfuls of pulverized sugar, and spread 
 over the top of the pie, as soon as it is baked.. 
 Set in the oven till the top is nice browned. 
 
 PIE, MINCE.— Take of boiled beef,, chop- 
 ped fine and salted, I pint; apples,, chopped 
 fine, I quart ; butter or suet, i teacupful ; I tea- 
 cup sugar, I pint each of boiled cider and water. 
 Stew all together until the apples are done, and 
 when cold add i pint of canned or stewed rasp- 
 berries or blackberries, i teaspoonful of pepper, 
 I of cloves, 2 of cinnamon, and 2 of allspice. 
 
 PIE, ORANGE. — Take the juice and pulp 
 of 6 large, sour oranges, and the grated rind of 
 4, a little salt, 3 cupfuls of sugar, 3 eggs, 4 cup- 
 fuls of water, 6 spoonfuls of rice flour. Mix 
 these ingredients well together, make a good 
 crust, and bake like other pies. 
 
 PIE, PEACH. — ^Take good ripe peaches, 
 halve and stone them ; make a good short crust, 
 and lay it in your pie-plates. Lay your peaches 
 evenly to cover it ; tlien add to each moderate- 
 sized pie about 3 spoonfuls of white sugar, and a 
 few drops of essence of lemon or rose, and ^ a 
 teacupful of water ; cover, and bake like other 
 pies. 
 
 PIE, PUMPKIN— Cnoo%z the best pump- 
 kins that can be found. Take out the seeds^cut 
 the rind carefully away, and then cut the pump- 
 kin into thin and narrow bits. Stew over a 
 moderate fire in a little water — just enough to 
 keep the mass from burning — until soft. Turn 
 off" the water, if any remains, and let the pump- 
 kin steam over a slow fire about 10 minutes. 
 When sufficiently cooled, strain through a sieve. 
 Sweeten the pumpkin with sugar and a little mo- 
 lasses. The sugar and eggs should be beaten 
 together. The flavoring requires ginger, the 
 grated rind of a lemon or nutmeg, and salt. To 
 I quart of pumpkin add I quart of milk and 4 
 eggs for ordinary richness. 
 
 Heat the pumpkin scalding hot before putting 
 it upon the crust to bake, otherwise the crust 
 will be scalded. Bake in a very hot oven. 
 
 PIGEONS. — Pigeons are very indiff"erent 
 food when they are too long kept. Suppleness 
 of the feet show them to be young ; the state ot 
 the flesh is flaccid when they are getting bad 
 from keeping, Tame pigeons are larger thaa 
 the wild. 
 
COOKING AND BAKING. 
 
 59 
 
 PIGEONS, J/«£;^^.— Make a seasoning of 
 pepper, salt, cloves, mace, sweet herbs, and a 
 piece of butter rolled in flour, and put it into 
 them, closing the opening. Half roast them ; 
 then stew them in good gravy, with whole pep- 
 per, mace, lemon, sweet herbs, and a small 
 onion. Take them out when done, strain the 
 liquor, skim it, and thicken it with a piece of 
 butter rolled in flour; then put in the pigeons 
 with some pickled mushrooms, and stew them 
 for 5 minutes. Pour the sauce over them in the 
 dish. 
 
 PORK AS FOOD.— Is the prohibition of 
 pork to the Jews, as unclean food, founded on 
 intrinsic unhealthfulness of the food itself? An 
 article in one of our prominent monthlies ex- 
 presses the opinion that it is, and gives a most 
 disgusting picture of the diseased constitution of 
 the hog. It says that " Vermont, New Hamp- 
 shire, Slaine, and other New England States, 
 where the inhabitants send their beef cattle to 
 Boston market, and live principally on pork as 
 meat the year round, myriads of them are af- 
 flicted with scrofula, salt-rheum, tetter, ring- 
 worm, 'humors in the blood,' consumption, etc. 
 In the Far West pork is the principal meat con- 
 sumed by the farmers and laboring classes ; ham 
 for breakfast, roast pig for dinner, and sausage 
 for supper, and ' hog all the time !' And what 
 is the effect of this unclean diet upon their con- 
 stitution, health, etc. ? Look at many of their 
 wretched wives and children, with their rheumed 
 eyes and enlarged glands, sore ears, etc., for an 
 answer. While the Western farmer works in 
 his fields in the open air, he is comparatively ex- 
 empt from its baneful influence, and it is chiefly 
 upon the health of his wife and children that its 
 terrible effects may be seen. The late Doctor 
 Brainard, of Chicago, told the author a few years 
 since that it was estimated, by competent medi- 
 cal authority, that nearly ^ of the entire popu- 
 lation of the State were afflicted with scrofulous 
 sore eyes, with enlargement of the glands at the 
 edges of the lids, etc. This form of chronic 
 ophthalmia is very common throughout the en- 
 tire West." Do not raise or eat pork, or have, 
 in the remotest way, any thing to do with the 
 disease-engendering, body-corrupting, health- 
 destroying, unclean thing. 
 
 POTATOES, To Boil.— Put them into a 
 saucepan with scarcely sufficient water to cover 
 them. Directly the skins begin to break, lift 
 them from the fire, and as rapidly as possible 
 pour off every drop of the water. Then place a 
 coarse (we need not say clean) towel over them, 
 and return them to the fire again until they are 
 thoroughly done, and quite dry. 
 
 POTATOES, To Fry. — To fry raw potatoes 
 properly, they should be pared, cut lengthwise 
 into slices an eighth of an inch in thickness, 
 dropped into a pan over the fire containing hot 
 beef drippings, turned frequently, nicely browned 
 all over, but never burned. 
 
 POTATO SCONES.— ^■i.%\\ boiled potatoes 
 till they are quite smooth, adding a little salt; 
 then knead out with flour, or barley-meal, to the 
 thickness required ; toast on the griddle, prick- 
 ing with a fork to prevent them blistering. 
 
 POTATOES, MASHED.— VoisXoes for 
 mashing should be as nicely boiled as if they 
 were intended to be eaten without further prep- 
 aration; only they should be dressed a little 
 more, though care should be taken not to let the 
 
 water get into them. The farinaceous part must 
 be pounded up, with a small quantity of the 
 freshest butter, the yelk of an egg well beaten, 
 and a little pepper and salt ; add, if possible, a 
 little cream, and put the mashed potatoes into 
 the oven to brown them. 
 
 POTATO SN01V.—V\c]^ out the whitest po- 
 tatoes, and put them on in cold water ; when 
 they begin to crack, strain and put them in a 
 clean stewpan before the fire till they are quite 
 dry, and fall to pieces ; rub them through a 
 wire sieve on the dish they are to be sent up in, 
 and do not disturb them afterwards. 
 
 * PUDDING, Arrowroot. — Mix a tablespoon- 
 ful in cold milk, and pour it into boiling milk. 
 When cool, add the yelk of an egg well beaten 
 and a little sugar ; put it into a basin, and boil 
 10 minutes. 
 
 PUDDING, BIPD'S-NEST.—Veel tart 
 apples, take out the cores, leaving the apples 
 whole. Make a custard of 8 well beaten eggs, 
 ^ a pint of cream, and i}4 pints of scalded 
 milk, thickened with a heaping tablespoonful of 
 flour and a little salt, but no sugar. Bake 20 
 minutes. When the apples are tender the pud- 
 ding is done. Serve immediately with butter 
 and sugar stirred to a cream. 
 
 PUDDING, HALF-PA V.—% of a lb. of 
 suet, % oi a. lb. of currants, ^ of a lb. of rais- 
 ins, )4 of a lb. of flour, ^ of a lb. of bread 
 crumbs, 2 tablespoonfuls of molasses, }^ a pint 
 of milk. Chop the suet finely ; mix with it the 
 currants, (which should be nicely washed and 
 dried,) the raisins, (which should be stoned,) 
 the flour, bread crumbs and molasses ; moisten 
 with the milk, beat up the ingredients until all 
 are thoroughly mixed, put them into a buttered 
 basin, and boil the pudding for 3^ hours. 
 
 PUDDING, Pice and Apple.— Y\z\i over and 
 wash a teacupful of the best rice. Steam it un- 
 til tender in 2 cups of cold water ; spread it over 
 a quart or 3 pints of good ripe apples, quartered ; 
 pour over I or 2 cups of milk, if preferred, or 
 omit the milk and add a little water to the ap- 
 ples. Half a cup of white sugar may be sprink- 
 led over the apples, or sugar may be added at 
 the table, if preferred. 
 
 PUDDING, PLUM.—Ar eggs, 12 crackers, 
 I pint of new milk, i teacup of butter, half a 
 lb. of sugar, I lb. of raisins, i lb. of prunes, 
 with a finely grated nutmeg. Bake about an 
 hour. 
 
 PUDDING, Potato.— \ lb. of potatoes, boiled 
 half a lb. of fresh butter, half a lb. of sugar, the 
 yelks of 6 eggs and the whites of 3, I gill of 
 cream, I teaspoonful of mace, and i nutmeg. 
 Bake in puff-paste. 
 
 PUDDING, PICE,— Halt a pint of rice, I 
 quart of milk, ^ of a pint of sugar, nutmeg or 
 cinnamon. Bake it slowly 2 hours. Tapioca 
 may be cooked in the same way, after soaking 
 in warm milk for an hour or two ; and sago, al- 
 ter thoroughly washing and soaking over night, 
 is good in the same fashion. It is possible to 
 dilute the milk one-half and yet have the pud- 
 ding good, if care is exercised in soaking and 
 cooking. 
 
 PABBITS.—Rahhits, when old, have the 
 haunches thick, the ears dry and tough, and the 
 claws blunt and ragged. A young hare has 
 claws smooth and sharp, ears tliat easily tear, 
 and a narrow cleft in the cheek. 
 
 RABBITS, To Cook.—Mi\&x skinning they 
 
6o 
 
 DICTIONARY OF E VERY-DAY WANTS. 
 
 are thorouglily freed from blood with cold water. 
 They are left over night in weak salt water, 
 which is poured off in the morning, and new 
 salt water added, in which they stand until ready 
 for cooking. This water is made just sufficiently 
 salt to fit the flesh for eating. They are then 
 boiled until tender, when the meat is taken out, 
 and flour and butter, first rubbed together, is 
 stirred in and well peppered, and the whole 
 poured over toast, upon which the meat is laid. 
 A few sprigs of parsley added improve the taste 
 for many persons. 
 
 SAUCE, SHIRLEY.— \2 good-sized, ripe 
 tomatoes ; 2 bell peppers (large ones ; ) 2 onions 
 (many omit these, and like the sauce better — 
 consult your own taste.) Scald and skin the to- 
 matoes ; chop the peppers and onions (if used) 
 very fine. Then add i cup of vinegar and ^ of 
 a cup of sugar, and boil 2 hours ; then put in 
 another cup of vinegar and boil I hour — or un- 
 til the mixture does not separate. Then stir in 
 I teaspoonful of cloves, i dessert-spoonful of 
 cinnamon, and a teaspoonful of pimento (all- 
 spice. ) 
 
 SAUCE, WORCESTERSHIRE.— K\\ the 
 English sauces in popular use are founded upon 
 walnut catsup — that is of English walnuts — or 
 upon mushroom catsup. To make a catsup of 
 ■walnuts, the green shells are taken in these pro- 
 portions: 2 gals, walnut juice, 5 lbs. salt, mixed 
 and bruised, and allowed to lie a week ; the 
 liquor is then pressed out, and to every gallon is 
 added 4 oz. of allspice, 3 oz. of ginger, and of 
 pepper and cloves 2 oz. each, all bruised. The 
 ■whole is then simmered for 30 minutes, and is 
 then set aside to clear. This is the catsup. To 
 make a sauce of this similar to Worcestershire, 
 take I gal. port wine, ^ gal. catsup, 2 lbs. an- 
 chovies, with their liquor, 8 lemons, 48 shallots 
 or small onions, scraped horse-radish i^ lbs., 
 mace 1 oz., Cayenne 2 oz., mustard 8 oz. Boil 
 the whole gently, and then strain and bottle. 
 
 SAUCE, CHUTNEY.— ?!iiQ and core sour 
 apples. Then take of these apples, tomatoes, 
 brown sugar, and best raisins, each 8 oz. ; salt, 
 
 4 oz. ; red peppers (chilies) and powdered gin- 
 ger, 2 oz. each ; garlic and small onions, i oz. 
 each. Pound the whole well, and add 3 quarts 
 of best cider or wine vinegar — or vinegar made 
 from beer — and I quart of lemon juice. Let it 
 stand in the vessel a month, but give it a good 
 shake daily. Then pour off the clear liquid and 
 bottle it. The residue may be used in aid of a 
 second batch of sauce, or, rubbed up into a very 
 smooth paste, may form a constituent of French 
 mustard. 
 
 * SHANK JELL K— Scour and brush very 
 clean 12 shanks of mutton, after soaking them 
 in water for 4 hours. Simmer them gently for 
 
 5 hours in 3 quarts of water, putting with them 
 3 blades of mace, 2 onions, 20 Jamaica and 30 
 black peppercorns, some sweet herbs, and a 
 crust of bread toasted brown ; then strain off the 
 liquor and keep it in a cool place. This is well 
 adapted to delicate and debilitated persons. 
 
 SNIPES, ROASTED.— Y>o not draw them, 
 but spit on a bird-spit ; flour and baste well 
 with butter ; prepare a slice of toasted bread, 
 lay it in a plate under the birds ; roast for about 
 30 minutes ; place them on the toast ; butter, 
 garnish with slices of lemon and parsley, and 
 serve. 
 
 SOUP, Stock for. — ^4 lbs. of shin-bone, and 
 
 I lb. of lean neck of beef, 4 carrots, I turnip, r 
 stick of celery, 2 parsnips, 2 leeks, I onion, 6 
 cloves, 6 peppers, a bunch of sweet herbs, i gal. 
 of water. Cut the meat into slices, crack the 
 bone, and put it into an earthen pipkin that will 
 stand the fire, as this makes far better soup than 
 a metal saucepan ; add the water, and let it stew 
 slowly till the scum rises, and skim it clear ; 
 stick the cloves into the onion and then add the 
 vegetables, and let the whole stew slowly till the 
 meat is in rags, which will be in about 8 hours. 
 It must simmer very slowly, for if it boils the 
 meat will not yield the gravy so well, and the 
 stock will be thick in place of being clear. Af- 
 ter it is cold it should be strained through a cul- 
 lender, and kept in a covered pan or jar for 
 use. 
 
 SOUP, Coloring for. — As soups often require 
 coloring, it is well to prepare browning for that 
 purpose. 2 baked onions, well browned in the 
 oven and then chopped fine, make an excellent 
 coloring and flavoring. The shells of green 
 peas, dried in the oven until they are brown, but 
 not black, will also answer to brown soup, and 
 will keep all winter if hung in a perfectly dry 
 place. 
 
 SOUP, Prof. Boyd's.— Take the shank of 
 beef, or pieces of beef or veal left from a roast- 
 ing piece, and boil in water sufficient for the 
 soup ; if the meat has not been previously 
 cooked, it must be boiled 4 or 5 hours, or till it 
 will separate from the bone easily. Pare pota- 
 toes, 3 or 4 good sized onions, part of a yellow 
 turnip, and 2 or 3 carrots, if desired ; slice, not 
 very thin, and boil in the soup after seasoning 
 with salt and pepper to the taste. Boil the tur- 
 nips about l^ hours ; the other vegetables will 
 cook sooner. 
 
 SOUP, Vegetable. — Peel and slice 6 large 
 onions, 6 potatoes, 6 carrots, and 4 turnips ; fry 
 them in ^ a lb. of butter, and pour on them 4 
 quarts of boiling water. Toast a crust of bread 
 as brown and hard as possible — but do not burn 
 it — and put it in, with some celery, sweet herbs, 
 white pepper and salt. Stew it all gently for 4 
 hours, and then strain it through a coarse cloth. 
 Have ready thinly sliced carrot, celery and a lit- 
 tle turnip. Add them to your liking, and stew 
 them tender in the soup. If approved of, a 
 spoonful of tomato catsup may be added. 
 
 SOUP, Gumbo. — Fry a light brown 2 lbs. of 
 the round of beef with 4 sliced onions ; put into 
 the soup pot wit"h 4 quarts of water, ^ a can of 
 tomatoes or 12 fresh ones, I teacupful of sliced 
 okra and I green pepper ; boil slowly 5 hours 
 and put through the cullender. Throw into the 
 tureen some sippets of fried bread and serve at 
 once. 
 
 SODA CAITES.—Mix a teaspoonful of soda 
 and I of tartaric acid with |^ a teaspoonful of 
 salt ; melt 5 oz. of butter in a large cupful of 
 milk; add these ingredients to I lb. of flour, l^ 
 a lb. of moist sugar, and 2 oz. of caraway seeds. 
 Work into a soft dough, and, if not wet enough, 
 add more milk ; put into mince-pie pans to 
 bake. 
 
 SPONCE-CAR'E.— Beat 12 eggs as light as 
 possible, (for sponge and almond cake they re- 
 quire more beating than for anything else ;) beat 
 I lb. of loaf sugar, powdered and sifted by de- 
 grees, into the eggs, continuing to beat some 
 time very hard after all the sugar is in, (none 
 but loaf sugar will make light sponge - cake. ) 
 
COOKING AND BAKING. 
 
 6i 
 
 Stir in gradually a teaspoonful of powdered, 
 mixed cinnamon and mace, a grated nutmeg, and 
 12 drops of lemon essence ; lastly, by degrees, 
 put in lo oz. of sifted flour, dried near the fire, 
 stirring round the mixture very slowly with a 
 knife. If the flour is stirred too hard the ccke 
 will be tough. It must be done gently and 
 lightly, so that the top of the mixture will be 
 covered with bubbles. As soon as the flour is 
 all in begin to bake, as setting will hurt it. Put 
 it in smdl tins, well buttered, or in i large tin 
 pan. The thinner the pans the better the sponge- 
 cake. Fill the small tins about half full. Grate 
 loaf sugar over the top of each before setting it 
 in the oven. 
 
 SUGAR, To Clarify.— Take a little gum Ara- 
 bic and a little isinglass dissolved in hot water ; 
 Eour it, when dissolved, into your sugar when 
 oiling, and it will clear all the sediment to the 
 top of the pan, which you must skim off as often 
 as it rises. Loaf sugar may be cleared with the 
 white of an egg, isinglass or gum Arabic. A 
 little of either will suffice. 
 
 S[/£r DUMPLINGS.— lo I quart of flour 
 add half a lb. of beef suet broken in very small 
 pieces, i cupful of peach marmalade, a little salt, 
 I teaspoonful of soda. Knead it with butter- 
 milk, and make the dough out into dumplings 
 larger than biscuit, and boil them till done. 
 Serve up while hot with a rich sauce. 
 
 SUMMER SQUASH, To Cook.—Tzke them 
 before the seeds begin to harden, wash or wipe 
 them clean, remove the stem and cut in pieces ; 
 boil till quite soft ; pour off all the water you 
 can ; mash as fine as possible, after which put 
 it into a clean cloth or bag, and squeeze out the 
 rest of the water. Turn out into a dish, and 
 season with salt, butter, or thick, sweet cream, 
 Rnd pepper, to your taste. 
 
 TAFFEE. — Put into a pan, or some shallow 
 vessel, a X of ^ ^- of butter and I lb. of brown 
 sugar ; set it upon the stove, and stir together 
 for 15 minutes, or until a little of the mixture 
 dropped into a basin of water will break clean 
 between the teeth without sticking to them. 
 Any flavoring that is desired — as lemon, pine- 
 apple, or vanilla — should be added just before 
 the cooking is completed. The taffee, when 
 done, should be poured into a shallow dish, 
 which is buttered on the bottom and edges. By 
 drawing a knife across it when partially cool, it 
 can easily be broken into squares. Molasses 
 may be used instead of sugar, but it is not so 
 brittle. 
 
 * TAPIOCA PUDDING.— s^ large table- 
 spoonfuls of tapioca soaked over night in i quart 
 of new milk ; grated rind of i lemon ; I tumbler 
 of sweet milk; one-half of a tumbler of wine, 
 with sugar enough in it to fill the glass. Stir 
 the tapioca and milk over the fire until it comes 
 to a boil, before adding any of tlie other ingre- 
 dients ; 4 eggs, beaten separately, and added 
 just before baking ; it bakes in about 5 minutes. 
 To be eaten cold. 
 
 TEA, How to Make. — The best way to make 
 tea is by pouring a little boiling water on the 
 leaves, and after they have become thoroughly 
 saturated, which requires I to 2 minutes, by 
 pouring it off again. This water contains most 
 of the tannic acid, and the acrid and disagree- 
 able principles of the tea, without depriving it of 
 its flavor or strength. Now pour suiticient hot 
 water over the leaves, and let them infuse for 10 
 
 or 15 minutes, when the beverage will be ready 
 for use. This scalding with hot water is quite 
 necessary with inferior tea, in which case boiling 
 the leaves must especially be avoided. 
 
 TEA, Healthy Substitutes for. — The first 
 leaves of the currant bush dried on tin cannot be 
 known from green tea. Good meadow hay — 
 fourth ounce to each person — infused in boiling 
 water, is an aromatic, anti- bilious, nourishing 
 and soothing narcotic to the nerves at all times ; 
 it promotes digestion and creates appetite. The 
 unfolded petals of the red rose, dried, 5 parts; 
 rosemary leaves, I part, and balm leaves, 2 
 parts, mixed, is also excellent. This far excels 
 any imported tea, and sells at 75 cents per lb., 
 and I lb. will last as long as 2 lbs. of common 
 tea. The young leaves of the pea plant, or the 
 young leaves and flowers of the common straw- 
 berry, dried in the air out of the sun, furnish de- 
 lectable draughts when infused and taken with 
 cream and sugar like tea. 
 
 TEA-KETTLES, To Prez'ent the Formation 
 of Rust in. — Keep an oyster-shell in your tea- 
 kettle. By attracting the stony particles to it- 
 self, it will prevent the formation of a crust. 
 
 * TEA, BEEF.— Take \}i lbs. of the best 
 steak ; cut it into very small pieces, and put 
 them into an earthenware jar, with enough cold 
 water to cover the meat ; tie the top of the jar 
 on, and put it into a saucepan full of hot water ; 
 place the saucepan on the fire, and allow it to 
 boil for 3 hours, by which time all the goodness 
 of the meat will be extracted. TJiis is the pure 
 essence of beef. 
 
 * TOAST-IVATER.—Cut a slice off a stale 
 loaf, about twice as thick as toast is usually cut. 
 Toast it carefully until it is deep brown all over, 
 but not blackened or burnt ; lay it in the bottom 
 of a jug with a thin slice of lemon-peel ; fill the 
 jug with boiling water, and let it stand till cold. 
 
 TOMATOES, BROIVNED.—Take large, 
 round tomatoes and halve them ; place them, the 
 skin side down, in a frying-pan in which a very 
 small quantity of butter has been previously 
 melted ; sprinkle them with salt and pepper and 
 dredge them well with flour ; place the pan on a 
 hot part of the fire, and let them brown thor- 
 oughly; then stir them and let them brown 
 again, and so on until they are quite done. 
 They lose their acidity, and the flavor is superior 
 to stewed tomatoes. 
 
 TOMA TO CA TSUP.—?>co\A ripe tomatoes, 
 and remove the skin. Let them stand a day, 
 covered with salt ; strain thoroughly to remove 
 the seeds. To every 2 quarts of the liquor add 
 3 oz. of cloves, 2 of black pepper, 2 grated nut- 
 megs, a little Cayenne pepper, and salt. Boil 
 all together for }4 an hour, then let the mixture 
 cool and settle ; add a pint of the best cider \'in- 
 egar ; bottle, cork tightly, and se^. Keep in a 
 cool place. 
 
 TOMA TO FRITTERS.— Take i quart of 
 stewed tomatoes ; stir in I egg, i small teaspoon- 
 ful of saleratus or soda, and flour enough to, 
 make it of the consistency of pancakes. 
 
 TOMA 2 O MA RAIA LADE.— Take fine and 
 ripe tomatoes, cut them in halves, and squeeze 
 out ihe juice. Put them in a preserving pan, 
 with a few peach-leaves, a clove of garlic, some 
 slices of onion or shalot, and a bundle of pars- 
 ley. Stew them until they are sufficiently done, 
 pulp them through a sieve, and boil them down 
 like other marmalade, adding salt. Put them 
 
62 
 
 DICTIONARY OF E VERY-DAY WANTS. 
 
 into small jars, pepper the tops, and pour clari- 
 fied butter over. Eat it with fish, etc., or stir 
 the contents of a small pot into the gravy of 
 stews or fricassees. 
 
 TOMA TO PUDDING.— VowT boiling water 
 on tomatoes, remove the skins, put in the bottom 
 of the pudding-dish some bread crumbs, then 
 slice the tomatoes on them, season with sugar, 
 butter, pepper, and salt ; add some more bread 
 crumbs, then the sliced tomatoes and seasoning, 
 and if the tomato does not wet the bread crumbs 
 add a little water ; then, for a small pudding, 
 beat up 2 eggs and pour over the top. Bake 
 about 20 minutes. 
 
 TOMATO SO UT.— Wash, scrape, and cut 
 small the red part of 3 large carrots, 3 heads of 
 celery, 4 large onions, and 2 large turnips; put 
 them into a saucepan, with a tablespoonful of 
 butter and }4 a lb. of lean new ham ; let them 
 stew very gently for an hour ; then add 3 quarts 
 of brown gravy soup and some whole black pep- 
 
 Eer, with 8 or 10 ripe tomatoes ; let it boil an 
 our and a half, and pulp it through a sieve; 
 serve it with fried bread cut in dice. 
 
 TURKEY, To Choose. — In choosing a turkey, 
 the age of the bird is the chief point to be at- 
 tended to. An old turkey has rough and red- 
 dish legs ; a young one smooth and black. 
 Fresh killed, the eyes are full and clear, and the 
 feet moist. When it has been kept too long, the 
 parts about the vent begin to wear a greenish, 
 discolored appearance. 
 
 TURKE Y, Stuffing />r.— Take some bread 
 crumbs and turn on just enough hot water to 
 soften them ; put in a piece of butter, not melted, 
 the size of a hen's egg, and a spoonful of pul- 
 verized sage, a teaspoonful of ground pepper, 
 and a teaspoonful of salt ; there may be some of 
 the bread crumbs that need to be chopped ; then 
 mix thoroughly and stuff your turkey. 
 
 TURKEY, To Baie.- Let the turkey be 
 picked, singed, and washed and wiped dry, in- 
 side and out ; joint only to the first joints in the 
 legs, and cut some of the neck off if it is all 
 bloody ; then cut 12 small gashes in the fleshy 
 parts of the turkey, on the outside and in differ- 
 ent parts of the turkey, and press i whole oys- 
 ter in each gash ; then close the skin and flesh 
 over each oyster as tightly as possible ; then stuff 
 your turkey, leaving a little room for the stuffing 
 to swell. When stuffed sew it up with a stout 
 cord, rub over lightly with flour, sprinkle a little 
 salt and pepper on it, put some water in your 
 dripping pan, put in your turkey, baste it often 
 with its own drippings; bake to a nice brown ; 
 thicken your gravy with a little flour and water. 
 Be sure and keep the bottom of the dripping 
 pan covered with water, or it will burn the gravy 
 and make it bitter. 
 
 TURA^IPS, To Cook. — Full-grown turnips 
 will take about i^ hours' gentle boiling; if you 
 slice them, which most people do, they will be 
 done sooner ; try them with a fork ; when ten- 
 der, take them up and lay them on a sieve till 
 the water is thoroughly drained from them. 
 Send them up whole ; do not slice them. 
 
 VEAL, To Roast, — Season a breast of veal 
 with pepper and salt ; skewer the sweet-bread 
 firmly in its place ; flour the meat and roast it 
 slowly for about 4 hours before a moderate fire ; 
 it should be of a fine brown, but not dry ; baste 
 it with butter. When done, put the gravy in a 
 stew-pan, add a piece of butter rolled in brown 
 
 flour, and if there should not be quite enough 
 gravy, add a little more water, with pepper and 
 salt to taste. The gravy should be brown. 
 
 VEAL CUTLETS, Broiled.— Cwt the pieces 
 of veal of an equal thickness; dip them into 
 beaten egg, and sprinkle them with chopped 
 herbs, parsley, mushrooms, grated lemon-peel, 
 and crumbs of bread ; broil them to a fine brown 
 color. Make a sauce of butter and flour melted 
 brown, moistened with veal gravy ; put into it 
 some button mushrooms, and pour the sauce hot 
 over the cutlets. 
 
 VEAL, Stcivcd. — Divide into portions part of 
 a breast of veal, and fry it of a nice brown in 
 butter. Put into a stew-pan a quart of green 
 peas, together with onions and parsley. \Vhen 
 they are tender add some veal gravy, and put in 
 the pieces of veal already fried, and stew the 
 whole gently. Season with salt, pepper, and a 
 teaspoonful of powdered sugar. 
 
 VEAL CHOPS, Breaded.— Take 6 or 7 
 handsomely cut chops, season them with salt 
 and pepper, and put them into melted butter. 
 When sufficiently soaked put them into beaten 
 eggs, take them out, and roll each separately in 
 bread crumbs ; make the chops as round as you 
 can with your hand, and lay them in a dish. 
 When all are breaded, broil them slowly over a 
 moderate fire, that the bread may not be too 
 highly colored. Serve with clear gravy. 
 
 * VEAL SHERBET— Wash a goodkriMcUe 
 of veal, and put it to boil in 9 pints of water. 
 Let it boil until reduced to 2 pints. Run it 
 through a fine sieve, and when nearly cold, add 
 to it 2 pints of clarified syrup, and i^ pints ol 
 clear lemon juice. Mix well, and serve as re- 
 freshment. It will be found very nutritious, as 
 well as pleasant. 
 
 * VEAL BROTH.— Tut a knuckle of a leg 
 or shoulder of veal, an old fowl, and 4 shank 
 bones of mutton, 3 blades of mace, 10 pepper- 
 corns, an onion, a piece of bread, and 3 quarts 
 of water into a soup pot ; cover it close, and af- 
 ter it has boiled up and been skimmed, strain, 
 take off the fat, and add salt. 
 
 VEGETABLES, To .fft?*/.— Vegetables must 
 be carefully cleaned from insects and very nicely 
 washed. Boil them in plenty of water, the wa- 
 ter to be boiling before they are put into it, and 
 they should be drained the moment they are 
 cooked enough. If over-boiled they will lose 
 their beauty and crispness. Bad cooks some- 
 times dress them with meat, which is wrong — 
 except carrots or cabbage with boiling beef. 
 
 In order to boil vegetables of a good green 
 color, take care that the water boils when they 
 are put in. Make them boil very fast. Do not 
 cover, but watch them, and if the water has not 
 slackened, you may be sure they are done when 
 they begin to sink. Then take them out imme- 
 diately, or the color will change. Hard water, 
 especially if chalybeate, spoils the color of such 
 vegetables as should be green. To boil them 
 green in hard water, put a teaspoonful of carbon- 
 ate of soda or potash into the water when boil- 
 ing, before the vegetables are put in. 
 
 VEGETABLES, To Clean of Insects.— 
 Make a strong brine ol \y% lbs. of salt to i gal. 
 of water ; into this place the vegetables with the 
 stalk ends uppermost for 2 or 3 hours ; this will 
 destroy all the insects which cluster in the leaves, 
 and they will fall out and sink to the bottom of 
 the water. 
 
DRUGGIST AND CHEMIST. 
 
 63 
 
 VEGETABLE OYSTERS.— V,6\\ salsify, 
 or vegetable oysters, till the skin will come off 
 easily. When you have taken it off neatly, cut 
 the root in bits as long as an oyster ; put into a 
 deep vegetable dish a layer of crumbs of bread 
 or crackers, a little salt, pepper and nutmeg, and 
 a covering of butter as thin as you can cut it ; 
 then a layer of oysters, and so on till your dish 
 is filled, having crumbs at the top. Fill the 
 dish with water, and brown them handsomely. 
 They can remain 2 hours in the oven without 
 injury, or be eaten in % an hour, 
 
 VENISON, To AWj/.— Spit a haunch of 
 venison, and butter well 4 sheets of paper, 2 of 
 which put on the haunch. Then make a paste 
 of flour, butter, and water ; roll it out half as 
 big as the haunch, and put it over the fat part ; 
 then put the other 2 sheets of paper on, and tie 
 them with pack-thread. Lay it to a brisk fire, 
 and baste it well all the time of roasting. If a 
 large haunch of 24 lbs., it will take 3^ hours ; 
 smaller in proportion. 
 
 VENISON STEAKS, Broiled.— Vf ash them 
 and wipe them dry. Put them on the gridiron, 
 over a clear fire, and broil them ; then season 
 with salt and pepper, and baste them with but- 
 ter. Serve with currant jelly. 
 
 IVATER, To Make Co/d.— Water may be 
 kept nearly as cold as ice water, by surrounding 
 the pitcher or jar with several folds of coarse 
 cotton, to be kept constantly wet. The evapo- 
 ration carries off the heat inside, and it will be 
 reduced almost to freezing. In India and other 
 tropical regions this is common. 
 
 IVATER, To Soften Hard.—K yi oz. of 
 quick-lime dipped in 9 quarts of water, and the 
 clear solution put into a barrel of hard water ; 
 the whole will be soft water as it settles. 
 
 WATER, To Purify.—.^ tablespoonful of 
 powdered alum sprinkled into a hogshead of 
 water, and stirred, will in the course of a few 
 hours precipitate to the bottom all the impure 
 particles, and leave the water as clean and pure 
 as spring water. 4 gallons would need but a 
 teaspoonful. 
 
 WILD DUCKS, To Roast.— ¥ox roasting a 
 wild duck you must have a clear, brisk fire and 
 
 a hot spit. It must be browned upon the out- 
 side without being sodden within. To have it 
 well frothed and full of gravy is the nicety. 
 Prepare the fire by stirring and raking it just be- 
 fore the bird is laid down, and 15 or 20 minutes 
 will do it in the fashionable way ; but if you like 
 it a little more done allow it a few minutes long- 
 er ; if it is too much done it will lose much of its 
 flavor. 
 
 YEAST. — I. In 2 quarts of water let 2 oz. 
 of hops boil for ^ an hour ; strain the liquor, 
 and let it stand in a wide earthenware bowl. 
 When lukewarm add a small quantity of salt — . 
 say yi handful — and % of a lb. of sugar. Take 
 some of the liquor, and well mix up in it ^ a 
 lb. of the best flour, beating this up thoroughly 
 in the whole afterwards. The next day but one 
 put in i^ lbs. of boiled and mashed potatoes; 
 let it stand one more day, after which it may be 
 bottled for use. It should be kept near the fire 
 while making, so as to keep it about the tem- 
 perature of new milk, and it should also be fre- 
 quently stirred during the process of making. 
 When bottled, it should be kept in a cool place. 
 — 2. Take 12 large potatoes, a pint of hops 
 boiled in a gallon of water ; mash the potatoes 
 well, add a teacupful of sugar and I of salt, and 
 I pint of yeast. Let it rise a day, then put it in 
 a jug and cork it loosely; put about yi a pint to 
 a gallon of bread-raising. — 3. Boil i lb. of good 
 flour, a ^ of a lb. of brown sugar, and a little 
 salt, in 2 gallons of water for an hour. When 
 milk warm, bottle it and cork close. It will be 
 fit for use in 24 hours. I pint of the yeast will 
 make 18 lbs. of bread. 
 
 YEAST CAKES.— Vni into 3 pints of water 
 a handful of hops, and nearly a quart of pared 
 potatoes, cut into small pieces. Boil for }^ an 
 hour, and strain, while scalding hot, into suffi- 
 cient flour to make a stiff batter. Stir it well, 
 adding i tablespoonful of fresh yeast, and set in 
 a warm place to rise. When light, mix it stiff 
 with Indian meal, roll out thin, and cut into 
 round cakes or square pieces about 2^ inches 
 in diameter. Dry these thoroughly, and keep 
 them in a bag in a dry place. They will remain 
 good for months. 
 
 DRUGGIST AND CHEMIST. 
 
 ACID, CITRIC. — Juice of lemons, 4 pints ; 
 prepared chalk, ^}i oz. ; diluted sulphuric acid, 
 2^% oz. ; distilled water, 2 pints. Heat the 
 juice, add the chalk ; let the powder subside, and 
 pour off the liquor. Wash the citrate of lime 
 frequently with warm water, pour on it the sul- 
 phuric acid and water, and boil for 15 minutes; 
 express the liquor, filter it, and evaporate with 
 a gentle heat ; then set it by to crystallize. To 
 obtain the crystals pure, dissolve them a second 
 and third time, filter each solution, evaporate, 
 and set it aside to crystallize. 
 
 ADHESIVE CLOTH {for Surgeons.)— ^ 
 oz. of gum Arabic are dissolved in half a pint ot 
 hot water, and glycerine is added to give the 
 mixture a syrupy consistence. The muslin or 
 
 linen cloth, spread out on a frame, is first coated 
 with thin gum water, and, when nearly dry, 
 with the glycerine mixture as rapidly as possible. 
 Several coats are generally required. When 
 needed for use, it is cut into strips and moistened 
 with water. 
 
 ARTIFICIAL SKIN, for Bmns, Bruises, 
 Abrasions, etc. — (Proof against water.) Take 
 gun cotton and Venice turpentine, equal parts of 
 each, and dissolve them in 20 times as much sul- 
 phuric ether, dissolving the cotton first, then ad- 
 ding the turpentine ; keep it corked tightly. 
 Water does not affect it, hence its value for 
 cracked nipples, chapped hands, surface bruises, 
 and things of a like nature. 
 
 ARSENIC, Test for. — i. Dr. Baumann rec- 
 
64 
 
 DICTIONARY OF E VERY-DAY WANTS. 
 
 ommends, for detecting small quantities of ar- 
 senic, the suspected body to be triturated with 
 from 3 to 6 times its amount of iron filings, 
 which have been exposed to a red heat, and are 
 known to be free from arsenic, and heating the 
 mixture on charcoal in the reducing flame of the 
 blow-pipe. Even with the smallest quantity of 
 arsenic, the odor, at least, is disengaged. — 2. A 
 new and very delicate test for arsenic has been 
 discovered by Bettendorff. Its sensibility is so 
 great that it is said to be capable of detecting i 
 part of arsenic in a million parts of solution, and 
 the presence of antimony does not affect it. In 
 order to apply this test, the arsenious or arsenic 
 liquid is mixed with aqueous hydric-chloride 
 (hydrochloric acid) until fumes are apparent; 
 thereupon stannous chloride is added, which 
 produces a bassic precipitate containing the 
 greater part of the arsenic as metal, mixed with 
 stannic oxide. 
 
 ALTERATIVE {for Purifying the Blood.) 
 — Sarsaparilla, I2 oz. ; guaiacum shavings, 6 
 oz. ; winter-green leaf, 4 oz. ; sassafras- root 
 bark, 4 oz. ; elder flowers, 4 oz. ; yellow dock, 
 3 oz. ; burdock root, 4 oz. ; dandelion root, 6 
 oz. ; bitter-sweet root, 2 oz. ; all bruised ; place 
 these ingredients in a suitable vessel, and add I 
 pint of alcohol, with water sufficient to cover the 
 whole handsomely. Set them in a moderately 
 ■warm place for 3 or 4 days, pour off I pint of 
 the tincture and set it aside, until you add wa- 
 ter to the ingredients and boil to obtain the full 
 strength ; pour off, add more water, and boil 
 again ; then boil the 2 waters down to i quart ; 
 strain, and add the liquor first poured off, and 
 add zYz lbs. crushed or coffee sugar, and simmer 
 to form a syrup ; when cool bottle and seal up 
 for use. Dose — l to 2 tablespoonfuls, according 
 «to the age and strength of the patient, ^ an 
 hour before meals and at bed-time. 
 
 ALTERATIVE, RHEUMATIC— CoXe^i- 
 cum seed and black cohosh root, of each half an 
 oz., the root to be bruised; best rye whisky, I 
 pint ; put it together, and let it stand for 3 or 4 
 days. Dose — From i teaspoonful to a table- 
 spoonful 3 times daily before meals. 
 
 ANODYNE, HOFFMAN'S.— (d{%w\^\m\c 
 ether, 2 oz. ; alcohol, 4 oz., and etherial oil %" 
 of a dr. ; mix. Dose — From one-half to 2 tea- 
 spoonfuls, (one-half to 2 drachms, ) according to 
 the urgency or pain for which it is given. 
 
 APERIENT, MAGNESIAN EFFER- 
 VESCING. — Sulphate of magnesia, 12 oz. ; 
 tartaric acid, 8 oz. ; calcined magnesia, 3 oz. ; 
 pure sugar, 18 oz. ; bicarbonate of soda, 6 oz. ; 
 essence of lemon, 30 drops. Dry the powders 
 separately, mix and sieve them, tnen bottle se- 
 curely. 2 or 3 teaspoonfuls in water is sufficient 
 for a dose. 
 
 ASTHMA REMEDIES.— \. Elecampane 
 angelica, comfrey and spikenard roots, with hoar- 
 hound tops, of each I oz. ; bruise and steep in 
 I pint of honey. Dose — i tablespoonful, taken 
 hot every few minutes until relief is obtained ; 
 then several times daily until a cure is effected. 
 — 2. Oil of tar, i dr. ; tincture of veratrum vir- 
 ide, 2 dr. ; simple syrup, 2 dr. ; mix. Dose — 
 for adults, 15 drops 3 or 4 times daily. Iodide 
 of potassium has cured a bad case of asthma by 
 taking 5 gr. doses 3 times daily. Take half an 
 oz. and put into a phial, and add 32 teaspoonfuls 
 of water; then I teaspoonful of it will contain 
 the 5 grs,, which is to be put into half a gill 
 
 more of water, and is to be drank a short 
 time before each meal. 
 
 BALSAM, GLYCERINE.— -^^W.^ wax and 
 spermaceti, of each i oz. ; almond oil, 8 oz. ; 
 glycerine, 2 oz. ; otto of roses, 15 drops. 
 
 BALSAM OF HONEY.— Ii3.hz.m of tolu, I 
 oz. ; gum storax, I dr. ; purified opium, 16 gr. ; 
 best honey, 4 oz. ; rectified spirits of wine, I 
 pint. Digest them together for a week, and 
 strain the liquor. This prescription is of great 
 use in colds and habitual coughs, unaccompanied 
 by feverish symptoms. The dose is from I to 3 
 teaspoonfuls occasionally. 
 
 BALSAM, INDIAN— C\s&r, pale resin, 3 
 lbs., and melt it, adding spirits of turpentine, i 
 quart ; balsam of tolu, I oz. ; balsam of fir, 4 
 oz. ; oil of hemlock, origanum, with Venice 
 turpentine, of each, i oz. ; strained honey, 4 oz. 
 Mix well and bottle. Dose — 6 to 12 drops, for 
 an adult ; for a child of 6 years, 3 to 5 drops on 
 a little sugar. The dose can be varied according 
 to the ability of the stomach to bear it, and the 
 necessity of"^ the case. This is a valuable prepa- 
 tion for coughs or internal pains. 
 
 BALSAM, MITCHELLS, for Bruises, 
 Cuts, etc. — Fenugreek seed and gum myrrh, of 
 each, about i oz. ; sassafras-root bark, a good 
 handful ; alcohol, I quart. Put all into a bottle, 
 and keep warm for 5 days. 
 
 BALSAM OF TOLU.-TvAie of balsam of 
 tolu, 6 oz. ; white resin, 16 oz. ; sheep's suet, 
 1% oz., or sufficient to make it soft enough, ac- 
 cording to climate or season. 
 
 BALM OF GILEAD.—The genuine balsam 
 of Mecca is the juice of the Amyris Gileadensis, 
 and is obtained by cutting the bark of the tree 
 with an axe. It is both scarce and costly, and 
 none of it ever reaches this country as an article 
 of commerce. That which is exported is ob- 
 tained by boiling the twigs of the balsam tree in 
 water. The real balsam of Mecca is of a clear 
 gold color, and possesses a penetrating and deli- 
 cate fragrance, and a sharp, bitter, astringent 
 taste. A drop let fall on the surface of hot wa- 
 ter spreads itself over the whole surface, like a 
 thin film of oil, and again contracts on the water 
 cooling. It dissolves completely in fatty and es- 
 sential oils, which then assume the peculiar fla- 
 vor of the balsam. 
 
 BALM OF GILEAD, Imitation. —Benzoin, 
 I lb. ; yellow resin, 14 lbs. Melt, and add oil 
 of lemon, 4 oz. ; oil of rosemary, 4 oz. ; oil of 
 caraway, 4 oz. ; spirit to reduce it to a proper 
 consistence. 
 
 BALM OF A THOUSAND FLOWERS. 
 — Deodorized alcohol, l pint; nice, white bar- 
 soap, 4 oz. ; shave the soap when put in ; stand 
 in a warm place until dissolved ; then add oil of 
 citronella, l dr. ; oils of neroli and rosemary, of 
 each % a dr. 
 
 BALM OF BEAUTY.— Vme soft water, I 
 quart ; pulverized castile soap, 4 oz. ; emulsion 
 of bitter almonds, 6 oz. ; rose and orange flower 
 water, of each 8 oz. ; tincture of benzoin, 2 dr. ; 
 borax, I dr. ; to use, apply on a cotton or linen 
 cloth to the face, etc. 
 
 BALLS for Removing Grease and Paint 
 Spots from Cloth, ^-/r.— Fuller's earth, 30 parts ; 
 French chalk, I part ; yellow soap, 20 parts ; 
 pearlash, 15 parts. Make into a paste with 
 spirits of turpentine, and give it a slight color 
 with a little yellow ochre, and then cut it into 
 cakes. This form, omitting the French chalk, is 
 
DRUGGIST AND CHEMIST. 
 
 65 
 
 that which is so very generally sold about the 
 streets. 
 
 BALLS, CAMPHOR {for Chapped Hands, 
 etc. ) — I. Spermaceti, white wax, each ^ oz. ; 
 almond oil, i oz. ; alkanet to color. Melt, 
 strain, and add 3 drs. of powdered camphor. — 
 2. Lard, wax, and almond or olive oil, equal 
 parts, with a little powdered camphor. Used to 
 rub over the hands after washing to prevent 
 chaps. 
 
 BALMONY HERB.—Thxs is a tonic and 
 laxative, and is employed to good advantage in 
 jaundice, dyspepsia, diseases of the liver, loss of 
 appetite, and general debility. 
 
 BANDOLINE, A Compound for Siiffining 
 the Hair. — i. Quince seed, ^ of a teaspoonful ; 
 linseed, I tablespoonful, and a pinch of white 
 mustard seed. Boil in a pint of soft water to 
 half a pint, and scent wth oil of almonds. — 2. 
 Isinglass, i oz. ; water, I pint ; proof spirit, 2 
 fluid oz. Dissolve the isinglass in the water by 
 heat, add the spirit, and scent with almond oil. 
 — 3. Tragacanth, i oz. ; rose water, i pint. 
 Bruise the gum, digest for 3 days, and strain. 
 
 Any of these may be colored with cochineal, 
 if required. 
 
 BANDOLINE, ROSE.—Qvm. tragacanth, 
 6 oz. ; rose-water, i gal. ; otto of roses, ^ of 
 an oz. Steep the gum in the water for a day or 
 so. As it swells and forms a thick, gelatinous 
 mass, it must ■''rom time to time be well agitated. 
 After about 48 hours' maceration it is to be 
 squeezed through a coarse, clean linen cloth, and 
 again left to stand for a few days, and passed 
 through ri 'nen cloth a second time, to insure 
 uniformity .1 consistency; when this is the case 
 the otto of rose is to be thoroughly incorporated 
 with it. 
 
 BARK, AMERICAN POPLAR.— K tea 
 made of this bark is very useful in cases of de- 
 bility, especially those of long standing, and also 
 for feeble digestion, worms, and a diseased con- 
 dition of the urinary organs. Consumptive 
 people have received great benefit from its em- 
 ployment. 
 
 BARK, WILD CHERRY.— The bark of 
 the tree and kernels of the cherry contain a 
 great deal of prussic acid, to which their medici- 
 nal virtues are to be attributed. The bark is a 
 very powerful antiseptic, and is very useful in 
 the preparation of dentrifice. It is also useful 
 in diarrhea, jaundice, and for worms. Gener- 
 ally taken in infusion, an oz. of the powder to a 
 quart of boiling water. The cherries also are 
 used in medicine, and may be employed with or 
 without peach-kernels. They are useful as a 
 tonic and a remedy for indigestion, and particu- 
 larly as a restorative for convalescents from 
 dysentery. Made in a syrup, or bruised and 
 given in decoction. 
 
 BARKS, To Preserve. — Barks may be con- 
 veniently preserved by placing them in coarse 
 brown paper bags, and hanging them up, in a 
 dry and airy situation, until all extraneous mois- 
 ture has evaporated. 
 
 BAY RUM.— This is a spirit distilled over 
 the leaves of Myrciacris, and perhaps, also some 
 other species of the same genus. The trees 
 grow in the West India Islands, and the genu- 
 ine bay rum is imported from there into this 
 country. It is made elsewhere, sometimes, by 
 taking the tincture of bay leaves, 5 oz., oil of 
 bay, I dr., bicarbonate of ammonia, I oz., bo- 
 
 rax, I oz., rose-water, 2 pints. Mix and filter 
 carefully. 
 
 BEARS' GREASE (Aftifcial.)— Bears' 
 grease is imitated by a mixture of prepared veal 
 suet and beef marrow. It may be scented at 
 pleasure. 
 
 BITTERS, AGUE.— Qamine, 40 grs. ; cap- 
 sicum, 20 grs. ; cloves, ^ oz. ; cream of tartar, 
 I oz. ; whiskey, i pint ; mix. Dose — I to 2 
 tablespoonfuls every 2 hours, beginning 8 hours 
 before the chill comes on, and 3 times daily. 
 
 BITTERS, Cathartic and Tonic. — Best rye 
 whiskey, and water, of each I quart ; best un- 
 ground Peruvian bark, Colombo root and prickly 
 ash berries, of each 2 oz. ; prickly ash, blacK 
 cherry and poplar barks, of each i oz. ; poke- 
 root, mandrake-root, and cloves, of each ^ an 
 oz ; all to be the dry articles, and all to be pul- 
 verized before they are put into the spirits ; they 
 should be well shaken every day for a week, by 
 which time the bitters will be ready for use. 
 Dose — i to 2 tablespoonfuls at morning and 
 evening meals. 
 
 BITTERS, BLACKBERRY.— The berry, 
 when ripe, is known to be pleasant and whole- 
 some, and 2 handsful of the root, in 3 pints of 
 milk or water, boiled down to a quart, in the 
 dose of a teacupful every 2 or 3 hours, has often 
 cured diarrhea and dysentery when other things 
 have failed. 
 
 BLADDERS, PREPARED.— Cni off the 
 loose fat, wash in a weak solution of chloride of 
 lime, and rinse in clear water. When drying, 
 blow them tight and keep them expanded. Used 
 to tie over jars, pots, etc., and to contain pow- 
 dered pigments. 
 
 BLISTERING TISSUE.— A solution of 
 cantharides is made in alcohol, acetic acid, or 
 ether, strained and evaporated to an extract, 
 which is then mixed with twice its weight of 
 wax, and spread on silk or thin paper. 
 
 BLOOD, Tests for. — Iodide of potassium 
 dissolves traces of blood, even from clothing 
 which has been thoroughly washed, but haemin 
 crystals cannot be obtained from the solution. 
 
 Gunning has discovered, in the acetate of zinc, 
 a reagent that precipitates the slightest traces of 
 the coloring matter of blood from solutions, even 
 where the liquids are so dilute as to be colorless. 
 Blood, washed from the hands in a pail of water, 
 can readily be detected in this way. The floc- 
 culent precipitate, thrown down by the acetate of 
 zinc, must be washed by decantation, and finally 
 collected on a watch glass, and allowed to dry, 
 when the microscope will readily reveal hsemin 
 crystals, if any blood be present. This test has - 
 been repeatedly tried, with entire success. 
 
 A lately discovered method consists in the ap- 
 plication of tincture of guaiacum and ozonized 
 ether, which produces a beautiful blue tint with 
 blood or blood-stains. This test is excessively 
 delicate. Ozonized ether is merely a solution of 
 per-oxide of hydrogen in ether. 
 
 BLOOM OF ROSES.— Strong liquid am- 
 monia, ^ oz. ; finest carmine, }{ oz. ; rose- 
 water, I pint ; triple extract of roses, ^ oz. 
 Put the carmine into a pint bottle, and pour the 
 ammonia on it ; allow them to remain together, 
 with occasional agitation, for 2 days ; then add 
 the rose-water and esprit, and well mix. Place 
 the bottle in a quiet situation for a week ; any 
 precipitate of impurities from the carmine will 
 subside ; the supernatant Bloom of roses is then 
 
66 
 
 DICTIONARY OF EVERY-DAY WANTS. 
 
 to be bottled. If the carmine was perfectly 
 pure there would be no precipitate ; nearly all 
 the carmine purchased from the makers is more 
 or less sophisticated, its enormous price being a 
 premium to its adulteration. 
 
 BLOOM, ALMOND.— BoW i oz. of Brazil 
 wood in 3 pints of water for 15 minutes ; strain, 
 add ^ of an oz. of isinglass, ^ of an oz. of 
 cochineal, I oz. of alum, and ^ of an oz. of bo- 
 rax ; dissolve by heat, and strain. 
 
 BLUE FLAG. — Blue flag grows by the brink 
 of rivers, and in swamps and meadows. It 
 blossoms in July, and has blue flowers, varie- 
 gated with white, yellow, and purple. A tea- 
 spoonful of the juice, diluted with water, is an 
 active cathartic, and the decoction for constant 
 drink is used in venereal complaints. 
 
 BROMIDE OF POTASSIUM, its Prepara- 
 tion. — The commercial bromide of potassium is 
 very rarely pure. The impurities consist prin- 
 cipally of chloride of potassium, (up to 30 p. c.,) 
 sulphate of potassa, (up to 3.3 p. c,) free or car- 
 bonate of alkali, (up to 4 per c.,) iodide of po- 
 tassium, and bromate of potassa. It is impos- 
 sible to produce from such a mixtyre, by simple 
 operations, a perfectly pure article, and the puri- 
 fication of the bromine employed to this end is 
 rendered necessary. This is effected best by 
 shaking the commercial bromine with water and 
 a little ether. 
 
 The chloride of bromine, being easily soluble 
 in ether, is dissolved, and, by the agency of the 
 water, converted into hydrochloric acid and bro- 
 mine. By washing in this way several times, 
 each time remo\4ng the aqueous solution, chlo- 
 rine may be separated entirely from the bromine. 
 Shaking then the resulting bromine with a little 
 starch paste, which removes the iodine, and dis- 
 tilling it, an article is obtained free from chlorine 
 and iodine. This is dissolved in a solution of 
 caustic potassa, free from sulphuric and hydro- 
 chloric acid, and the resulting liquor, a mixture 
 of bromide of potassium with bromate of potas- 
 sa, evaporated to dryness and ignited. The mass 
 is then dissolved in water and crystallized, when 
 it will be of sufficient purity to serve for all med- 
 ical purp(»es. 
 
 Robierre and Herbelin recommend a method 
 by which bromide of potassium may be freed 
 from iodine. They dissolve it to this end in, 
 very little water, add gradually bromine water, 
 and heat the solution to boiling. After each ad- 
 dition of bromine water, the fluid is tested with 
 starch paper, which will indicate th^ disappear- 
 ance of the iodine by not turning blue. An ex- 
 cess of bromine must be avoided. Bromine will 
 displace iodine in all its compounds. The solu- 
 tion is then evaporated to dryness, and the dry 
 mass re-crystallized. 
 
 BROWNS BRONCHIAL TROCHES.— 
 Take l lb. of pulverized extract of licorice, \% 
 lbs. of pulverized sugar, 4 oz. of pulverized cu- 
 bebs, 4 oz. of pulverized gum Arabic, and I oz. 
 of pulverized extract of conium. Mix. 
 
 BURDOCK. — Burdock operates gently on 
 the bowels, sweetens the blood, promotes sweat 
 and urine, and is used in rheumatic, scorbutic, 
 scrofula, and vcnerer.l diseases. Dose — Of the 
 juice, a wine-glassful ; of the decoction, half a 
 pint 3 times a day. 
 
 CAD A VER, Presetration cf. — According to 
 M. Devergie, of the Paris School of Practical 
 Anatomy, a mixture of 3 parts of glycerine and 
 
 1 of carbolic acid, injected into dead bodies, will 
 prevent any unpleasant odor emanating from 
 them for several months. 
 
 CAMPHOR, To Pulverize. — Take camphor, 
 
 2 oz. ; alcohol, 3 oz. ; water sufficient ; carbo- 
 nate of magnesia, i drachm. Dissolve the cam- 
 phor in the alcohol with the aid of heat and fil- 
 ter. Rub the magnesise carbonas with water, 
 mix with the solution, and catch on a filter; dry 
 the mass before the sun, and pass through a 
 sieve No. 60. 
 
 CAMPHOR /C^.— Spermaceti, 1% oz. ; 
 gum camphor, 3^ of an oz. ; oil of sweet 
 almonds, 4 teaspoonsful ; set on the stove in an 
 earthenware dish till dissolved; heat just enough 
 to dissolve it. ^Yhile warm pour into small 
 moulds, then paper, and put into tinfoil; used 
 for chaps on hands and lips. 
 
 CARBONATE OF MAGNESIA.— Snl- 
 phate of magnesia, 4 lbs. ; carbonate of soda, 4 
 lbs. 9 oz. ; boiHng, distilled water, 4 gallons. 
 Dissolve separately the carbonate and sulphate 
 in 2 gallons of water ; filter and mix. Boil and 
 stir for 2 hours, adding distilled water as re- 
 quired ; pour off the fluid, wash the powder 
 with boiling, distilled w«iter, and dry it. 
 
 CARMINA TIVE, DALB F'.S-.— Carbonate 
 ot magnesia, 2 scruples ; oil of peppermint, i 
 drop ; oil of nutmeg, 2 drops ; oil of aniseed, 3 
 drops ; tincture of castor, 30 drops ; tincture of 
 assafoetida, 15 drops; tincture of opium, 5 
 drops; spirit of pennyroyal, 15 drops; com- 
 pound tincture of cardamons, 30 drops ; pep- 
 permint water, 2 oz. Mix. 
 
 CARMIA'E. — I lb. of powdered ctichineal is 
 boiled in a tin or enameled vessel for 2 hours 
 with 9^ gallons of rain or ice water ; i oz. of 
 saltpetre is then added, and 4 minutes afterward 
 2 oz. of bionscalate of potassa, the whole being 
 kept boiling for 10 minutes longer. A very 
 small quantity of gelatine, in the solution, is 
 then stirred in, and the mixture allowed to rest 
 for 4 hours, upon which the clear liquid is de- 
 canted into flat porcelain dishes there to deposit. 
 The latter operation requires several weeks. 
 The sediment, which ought to be pure carmine, 
 is then dried in the shade. 
 
 CATHARTIC SYRUP.— Best senna leaf, 
 I oz. ; butternut, the inner bark of the root, 
 dried and bruised, 2 oz. ; peppermint leaf, I oz. ; 
 fennel seed, i oz. ; alcohol, i pint ; water, 2 
 pints; sugar, 2 lbs. ; put all into the spirit and 
 water, except the sugar, and let it stand 2 weeks, 
 then strain, pressing out from the dregs, adding 
 the sugar, and simmering a few minutes only, to 
 form the syrup. If it should cause griping in 
 any case, increase the fennel seed and pepper- 
 mint leaf. Dose — i tablespoonful, once a day, 
 or less often, if the bowels become too loose. 
 
 CATAPLASM, PRADJER'S.— Balm of 
 Mecca, 6 drs. ; rectified spirit, 16 oz. ; dissolve ; 
 red bark, sarsaparilla, and sage, of each i oz. ; 
 saffron, 3^ of an oz. ; rectified spirit, 32 oz. ; di- 
 gest for 48 hours ; filter ; mix the two liquors, 
 and add twice their weight of hme water. Used 
 in gout, by sprinkling 2 oz. on the surface of a 
 hot linseed-meal poultice. 
 
 CAUSTIC PASTE, /or Surgeons' Use.— 
 Melt together equal parts of caustic potash and 
 gutta percha, and cast in molds in the same man- 
 ner as pure potash or nitrate of silver. In order 
 to produce a serviceable article, great care is nec- 
 essary that the ingredients be pure. 
 
DRUGGIST. A KTD CHEMIST. 
 
 67 
 
 CA USTIC, Velpeaii's Black.— 'Y^A^xxzX.Q in a 
 porcelain mortar 30 grammes powdered licorice 
 root, and add sulphuric acid in small quantities, 
 until a mass of suitable consistence is obtained, 
 which must be neither too hard nor too liquid. 
 
 CERA TE, CAMPHOR.— Fresh, hog's lard, 
 3^ oz. ; grated camphor, I oz. Dissolve the 
 lard by boiling water round a cup ; then gradu- 
 ally add the camphor ; stir well, and when cool- 
 ing pour off the sediment. 
 
 CERATE OE ACETATE OF LEAD.— 
 Powdered acetate of lead, 5 drachms ; white 
 wax, 5 oz. ; olive oil, i pint. Dissolve the wax 
 in 18 oz. of the oil; add to this the lead mixed 
 with the remainder of the oil, and stir with a 
 spatula until they are thoroughly mixed. Ap- 
 plied to burns, excoriations, irritable ulcers, and 
 sores generally, 
 
 CERATE OF CANTHARIDES.—Cixn. 
 tharides rubbed to fine powder, I oz. ; sperma- 
 ceti cerate, 6 oz. Melt the cerate, and add the 
 cantharides. Employed to promote the dis- 
 charge from a blistered surface. 
 
 CERATE OF LEAD, Compound.— So\\x^ou 
 of diacetate of lead, 6 oz. ; wax, 8 oz. ; olive 
 oil, I pint ; camphor, I drachm. Mix the wax, 
 when melted, with 16 oz, of the oil, and when 
 cooling add the lead ; stir until cool, and then 
 add the camphor dissolved in the rest of the oil. 
 Used as the former lead cerate. 
 
 CHARCOAL OF WOOD.— In 15 or 16 cases 
 of obstinate constipation of the bowels. Dr. Dan- 
 iel, of Georgia, administered 3 tablespoonfuls of 
 pulverized charcoal every ^ hour, and in about 
 1 7 hours the bowels were freely evacuated. It 
 is slow, but sure. A tablespoonful 2 or 3 times 
 a day will remove costiveness. In smaller doses 
 it corrects bad breath, and also prevents putrid 
 belching of wind from the stomach. It is a very 
 powerful antiseptic, or anti-mortification remedy. 
 
 CHARCOAL, PREPARED. —Fresh-made 
 charcoal in fine powder, 7 lbs. ; prepared chalk, 
 I lb. ; orris root, I lb. ; catechu, yi lb. ; cassia 
 bark, % lb. ; myrrh, % lb. Sift. 
 
 CHAMOMILE. — A warm decoction of the 
 flowers in large quantities will act as an emetic ; 
 in small doses, taken cold, it is an excellent tonic 
 to strengthen the stomach. 
 
 CHERRY PECTORAL, AVER'S.— TskQ 
 4 grains of acetate of morphia, 2 fluid drachms 
 of tincture of blood-root, 3 fluid drachms each 
 of antimonial wine and wine of ipecacuanha, and 
 3 fluid oz. of svrup of wild cherry. Mix. 
 
 CHLOROFORM.— QhXonn^lQA lime, 4 lb.; 
 rectified spirit, ^ pint; water, 10 pints; chloride 
 of calcium, in pieces, I drachm. Put the mixed 
 lime and water into a retort ; add the spirit so 
 that all occupies only one-third of the retort. 
 Heat it in a sand-bath, and when ebullition com- 
 mences at once withdraw the heat, lest the retort 
 be broken. Let the liquid distill into the re- 
 ceiver, while heating subsides, and applying 
 heat again when necessary. To the distilled 
 liquid add one-fourth of the water, and mix well. 
 Separate the heavier portion, which subsides, 
 and add the chloride to it ; frequently shake du- 
 ring half an hour, and re-distill from a glass re- 
 tort into a glass receiver. 
 
 CHLOROFORM.— ?xoL Xussbaum has suc- 
 ceeded in prolonging the ancesthesia induced by 
 chloroform, by the sub-cutaneous injection of a 
 solution containing i grain of acetate of morphia. 
 In one case the patient slept 12 hours, and un- 
 
 derwent a painful operation without experiencing 
 any sensation whatever. The injection, per- 
 formed without the previous inhalation of tilo- 
 roform, produced no such effect. 
 
 CHLORODYNE, J. Collis Br(nvne's.—'^\xxrA 
 sugar, I drachm; hydrochlorate of morphia, y^ 
 grain ; distilled water, 2 drachms ; oil of pep- 
 permint, 6 minims; diluted prussicacid, (Ph, L.) 
 5 minims ; tine, capsicum, 7 minims ; chloro- 
 form, I drachm. Mix. 
 
 CHOLAGOGUE, /A'Z'/^.— Quinine, 20 gr. ; 
 Peruvian bark, (pulverized,) i oz. ; tartaric acid, 
 I scruple ; brandy, I gill ; water enough to 
 make I pint. Dose — 5 teaspoonfuls every 2 
 hours, in the absence of fever. 
 
 CHLORAL, HYDRATE O/".— The use of 
 this new remedy, either as an anodyne, a seda- 
 tive, or a hypnotic, has, at this writing, become 
 very prevalent, and there is danger that not a 
 little harm may result therefrom. Eminent phy- 
 sicians say that it aggravates many diseases — as 
 rheumatism and skin diseases — and causes irri- 
 tation of the mucus surfaces of the nose and 
 throat. It also causes dimness of sight. One 
 case is reported where a man took an over-dose, 
 slept for 24 hours, and, on awaking, found his 
 legs and arms paralyzed. Its effects are, of 
 course, various in different individuals. A pe- 
 culiar diagnostic sign of its effects is a black 
 streak on the tongue, like that caused by ink, 
 extending its whole length in the centre. 
 
 For these reasons its use should be discarded, 
 especially so because the habit of using it, when 
 once formed, is exceedingly hard to break off, 
 and attempts to do so have resulted in symptoms 
 not unlike those of delirium tremens. 
 
 It has been found on trial to be an excellent 
 suppurative Sgent. According to the time it is 
 left on the skin, it becomes a perfect rubefacient, 
 irritant, suppurative, or even escharotic. The 
 mode of application is to take a piece of fresh 
 adhesive plaster, of the size wanted, and crush 
 fine, on its surface, with an ivory spatula, enough 
 of the crystals of the chloral to powder the piece 
 of adhesive plaster quite evenly ; use the edge 
 of the spatula to take off the chloral where it is 
 more than a mere dust in thickness, but distrib- 
 ute evenly, leaving ]A, of an inch margin for ad- 
 hesion ; heat the back of the plaster for an in- 
 stant only, and apply. Leave it on about % an 
 hour as a rubefacient, 6 hours as an irritant. 
 To produce suppuration, put the chloral on the 
 plaster in larger quantities, and leave on from 
 24 to 36 haurs ; on its withdrawal apply a stimu- 
 lating salve, and afterwards heal with cerate. 
 For an escharotic effect apply the chloral, thickly 
 spread, and after 12 hours repeat the application, 
 if necessary. 
 
 COAL-GAS, Detection of Sulphur m.— The 
 presence of sulphur in coal-gas can be proved in 
 the following simple manner : Let a platinum 
 basin be filled with half a litre of water, and 
 the basin be heated over a Bunsen burner until 
 all the liquid has evaporated ; the basin will be 
 lound to be coated on the outside, where it has 
 been struck by the flame, with a dirty, greasy- 
 looking substance, which, on being waslied off' 
 with pure distilled water and tested proves to be 
 sulphuric acid. The glass chimneys used with , 
 Argand gas-burners soon become coated over J 
 internally with a white subst:\nce, which, on be- 
 ing washed off with distilled water, will be 
 found to be, on testing, sulphate of ammonia. 
 
68 
 
 DICTIONARY OF EVERY-DAY WANTS. 
 
 The glass panes of a room wherein gas is 
 burned for a few evenings consecutively will, 
 •when rubbed with the fingers of a clean hand, 
 impart to it a substance which, on the hand be- 
 ing rinsed ;n distilled water, will yield a'precip- 
 itate of sulphate of baryta with chloride of ba- 
 rium, and a brick-red precipitate with potassio- 
 iodide of mercury. 
 
 COLORS, DRUGGISTS'.— Yellou'.—TzkQ 
 iron filings, hydrochloric acid to dissolve. Di- 
 lute with water. Red. — Solution of sal ammo- 
 niac, cochineal to color. Bhie. — i. Sulphate of 
 copper, I part J alum, I part; water, lo parts; 
 oil of vitriol, q. s. — 2. Indigo, i part ; oil of 
 vitriol, 3 parts. Dissolve, and then dilute with 
 water. Green. — i. Verdigris ; dilute sulphuric 
 acid to dissolve. Dilute with water. — 2. Ver- 
 digris, I part ; acetic acid, 3 parts, Dissolve, 
 and dilute with water. Purple. — I. Sugar-of- 
 lead, I oz. ; cochineal, 25 grains. — 2. Infusion 
 of logwood, water of ammonia, q. s. 
 
 COMFREY. — Corafrey boiled in milk is ex- 
 cellent in dysentery and bowel complaints, im- 
 moderate courses, and other diseases. It is 
 beneficial in all cases attended with burning 
 heat in urinary evacuations. A poultice of the 
 pounded root is good for wounds and inflamma- 
 tory swellings. 
 
 COTTON /or Staunching Hemorrhage — \A. 
 new preparation. ) — American cotton of the best 
 quality should be cleansed by boiling it for an 
 hour in a weak solution of soda, (about 4 per 
 cent.,) then repeatedly washed in cold water, 
 pressed out and dried. By this process it will 
 be perfectly disinfected, and adapted to more 
 r^ady absorption. After this it should also be 
 steeped once or twice, according to the degree of 
 strength required, in liquid chloride of iron, di- 
 luted with ^ water, presssed, and thoroughly 
 dried in the air — neither in the sun nor by the 
 fire — then lightly pulled out. The cotton so 
 prepared will be of a yellowish-brown color. It 
 must be kept very dry, as it is affected by the 
 damp. Lint may be similarly treated, but the 
 fine texture of the cotton renders it preferable. 
 When placed on a fresh wound, it causes a mod- 
 erate contraction of the tissue, and gradually 
 coagulates the blood in and beyond the injured 
 veins, thus closing the source of the effusion. 
 This property of the chloride of iron is increased 
 by the dryn,ess of the cotton and the extended 
 surface offered for the development of the chem- 
 ical action. 
 
 CORDIAL, GODFREY'S.— S^LSsafras, 6 
 cz ; seeds of coriander, caraway, and anise, of 
 each I oz. ; infuse in 6 pints of water ; simmer 
 the mixture till reduced to 4 pints, and then add 
 6 lbs. of molasses; boil a few minutes; when 
 cold, add 3 fluid oz. of tincture of opium. 
 
 CORDIAL, G^Ot/T:— Rhubarb, i oz.; senna 
 and red sanders, of each 2 drachms ; coriander 
 and fennel seeds, of each i drachm ; saffron and 
 licorice, of each ^ drachm ; stoned raisins, 6 
 oz. ; proof spirit, 48 oz. ; macerate for 14 days, 
 express and filter. Dose — ^ to l^ oz. 
 
 COUGH CANDY, Medicated.— i:o 5 lbs. of 
 J candy just ready to j)our on the slab, add the 
 following mixture, and form it into sticks : Tinc- 
 ture of scjuills, 2 oz. ; camphorated tincture of 
 opium aiul tincture of tolu, of each ^ oz. ; wine 
 of ipecr.c, ^ oz. ; oils of gaultheria, 4 drops ; 
 sassafras, 3 drops, and of anise seed oil, 2 drops. 
 Use this freely in common coughs. 
 
 COUGH COMPOUND— YoT the cure of 
 coughs, colds, asthma, whooping cough, and all 
 diseases of the lungs : I spoonful of common 
 tar, 3 spoonfuls of honey, the yelks of 3 hen's 
 eggs, and half a pint of wine; beat the tar, the 
 eggs, and the honey well together with a knife, 
 and bottle for use. A teaspoonful every morn- 
 ing, noon and night, before eating. 
 
 COURT PLASTER.— Sook bruised isinglass 
 in a little warm water for 24 hours, then evapo- 
 rate nearly all the water by gentle heat ; dis- 
 solve the residue in a little proof spirits of wine, 
 and strain the whole through a piece of open 
 linen. The strained mass should be a stiff jelly 
 when cool. Now extend a piece of silk on a 
 wooden frame, and fix it tight with tacks or pack 
 thread. Melt the jelly, and apply to the silk 
 thinly and evenly with a badger hair brush. 
 
 A second coating must be applied when the 
 first has dried. When both are dry, cover the 
 whole surface with coatings of balsam of Peru, 
 applied in the same way. Plaster thus made is 
 very pliable, and never breaks. 
 
 CREAM, COLD.— Oil of almonds, 4 oz.; 
 white wax and spermaceti, of each 2 drachms ; 
 melt ; add rose water, 4 oz. ; orange-flower wa- 
 ter, I oz. Used to soften the skin. 
 
 CREAM, COLD, VIOLET- Almond oil, 
 ^ lb. ; oil of cassie, }^ lb. ; rose water, i lb. ; 
 sperm, i oz. ; wax, i oz. ; otto of almonds, % 
 drachm. 
 
 CREAM, CIRCASSIAN— Olive oil, i pint ; 
 white wax, 3 oz. ; spermaceti, 2 oz. ; alkanet 
 root, ^ oz. Warm the oil and alkanet, then 
 strain, and add it to the melted spermaceti and 
 wax. Scent with 3 drachms of English oil of 
 lavender, and I drachm of essence of amber- 
 gris. Used for the hair. 
 
 CREAM, CRYSTALLINE.— Olive oil, 3 
 lbs. ; spermaceti, 4 to 6 oz. ; melt, cool, and add 
 essence of bergamotte and essence of lemon, of 
 each 6 drachms; oil of cinnamon, 20 drops; 
 otto of rose, I drachm. Mix. Fragrant. Used 
 for the hair. 
 
 CREAM, SHA VING.— White wax, sperm- 
 aceti, and almond oil, of each ^ oz. ; and while 
 warm beat in 2 squares of Windsor soap, pre- 
 viously reduced to a paste with rose water. 
 
 CREAM OF ROSES.— Oil of almonds, I 
 lb. ; rose •water, i pint ; white wax and sperm- 
 aceti, each I oz. Slix in a pipkin with a little 
 heat, then add essence of neroli, 20 drops ; otto 
 of roses, 15 drops. Put it into pots, and tie it 
 over with skin or oiled leather. 
 
 CEPHALIC SNUFF. — i. Asarabacca leaves 
 (dried,) 3 parts; marjoram and lavender flow- 
 ers, of each I part. Mix in fine powder. — 2. 
 (Boeli's.) Valerian and snuff, of each 2 drs. ; 
 oil of lavender and oil of marjoram, of each 3 
 drops. Mix. 
 
 DANDELION. — A decoction of dandelion 
 will correct an unhealthy state of the stomach 
 and liver, and procure an appetite. It is diu- 
 retic, and very beneficial in jaundice. Given in 
 the form of extract, in from 3 to 5 grain doses, 3 
 times a day, and continued for a long time, it 
 has the happiest effect upon the liver when its 
 disease has assumed a chronic form. The best 
 way of preparing it, is to gather the roots in 
 August and September, press out the juice, and 
 evaporate in shallow dishes exposed to a dry, 
 warm air. 
 
 DENTIFRICE, Circassian.—Viepaied harts- 
 
DRUGGIST AND CHEMIST. 
 
 69 
 
 horn, 2 oz. ; sulphate of potash, 2 oz. ; cuttle- 
 fish bone, 8 oz. ; orris root, 4 oz. ; yellow san- 
 dal wood, I oz. ; rose pink, 3 oz. ; oil of rho- 
 dium, 30 drops. Mix the powdered ingredients, 
 and add the rhodium, 
 
 DENTIFRICE, Myrrh.— 'Myxx\ I oz. ; 
 cuttle-fish bone, 4 oz. ; orris, 3 oz. Mix. 
 
 DENTIFRICE, Carhariglif s.—Ol prepared 
 chalk, I oz. ; orris, i oz. ; castile soap, I drachm. 
 
 DENTIFRICE, Camphorated.— ?r&c\^\\.zXe:A. 
 chalk, I lb. ; powdered orris root, ^4^ lb. ; pow- 
 dered camphor, ^ lb. 
 
 DENTIFRICE, Charcoal.— Yx&%\\. charcoal 
 in fine powder, 7 lbs. ; prepared chalk, I lb. ; 
 orris root, I lb. ; catechu, i lb. ; cassia bark, I 
 lb. ; myrrh, \i lb. Sift. 
 
 DENTIFRICE, Cuttle /^«//.— Powdered 
 cuttle fish, I lb. ; precipitated chalk, I lb. ; pow- 
 dered orris, I lb. ; otto of lemons, i ounce ; ot- 
 to of neroli, i drachm. 
 
 DEPILATORIES.— V>i^\\7Aoxy is a term 
 which is apphed to any application that removes 
 hair from the human skin. Depilatories act 
 either mechanically or chemically. To the first 
 belong adhesive plasters, that on their removal 
 from the skin bring away the hair with them ; 
 equal parts of pitch and resin have been used 
 for this purpose. To the second class belong 
 those substances which act upon the bulbous 
 roots of the hairs, and destroy their vitality. 
 The former method is more painful, but less 
 dangerous, than the latter one. The following 
 are the principal depilatories at present employed 
 in the fashionable world: I. (^Delcroix' s Poiidre 
 Subtile.) — Orpiment, I part ; finely powdered 
 quicklime and starch, of each il parts; mix. It 
 should be kept from the air. For use, make it 
 into a paste with a little warm water, and apply 
 it to the part, previously shaved close. As soon 
 as it has become thoroughly dry, it may be 
 washed off with a little warm water. 2. {Ori- 
 ental Rusma.) — Quicklime, 2 oz. ; orpiment, 
 j^ oz. ; strong alkaline lye, I lb. ; boil together 
 until a feather dipped into it loses its flue. It is 
 applied to the skin, previously soaked in warm 
 water, by gentle friction, for a very short time, 
 followed by washing with warm water. This is 
 one of the most certain and powerful depilato- 
 ries made, but rapidly loses its strength unless 
 kept in a well-stoppered glass bottle. 3. {Chi- 
 nese Depilatory.) — Quicklime, I lb. ; pearlash 
 and sulphuret of potassium, of each 2 oz. ; re- 
 duce them to a fine powder, and keep it in well- 
 corked bottles. Use like Poudre Subtile. 4. 
 {Payer's Depilatory.)— lAmt, I oz. ; carbonate 
 of potash, 2 oz. ; charcoal powder, I drachm. 
 This and No. 3 are preferred by those persons 
 who do not approve of the use of arsenic. 5. 
 {Depilatory Paste.) — Quicklime, I oz. ; orpi- 
 ment and orris root, of each 3 drachms ; salt- 
 petre and sulphur, of each i drachm ; soap-lees, 
 % a pint ; evaporate to a proper consistence. It 
 should be kept from the air. 
 
 DR, KITTREDGE'S REMED Y for Rheu- 
 vtaiism and Stiff yoints. — Strong camphor spir- 
 its, I pint; neats-foot, coon, bear, or skunk's 
 oil, I pint ; spirits of turpentine, i pint. Shake 
 the bottle when used, and apply 3 times daily, 
 by pouring on a little at a time, and rubbing in 
 all you can for 20 to 30 minutes. 
 
 DR. PEA BODY'S CURE for Neuralgia 
 (Tmernal Remedy.) — Sal ammoniac, % drachm; 
 dissolve in water, i oz. Dose — i tablespoonful | 
 
 every 3 minutes for 20 minutes, at the end of 
 which time, if not before, the pain will have 
 disappeared. 
 
 DROPS OF LIFE, Welford's.—Gnmo^xMra., 
 I oz. ; gum kino, I drachm ; gum camphor, 40 
 grains; powdered nutmegs i oz. ; French brandy 
 or Jamaica spirits, i pint ; color with cochineal 
 or saffron. Before taking cleanse the bowels 
 with castor oil. For a grown person 20 to 40 
 drops 3 or 4 times per day. For children, 4 to 
 6 drops ; administer in a little warm mint tea, in 
 which is mixed as much prepared chalk as will 
 lie on the handle of a teaspoon. 
 
 DROPS, IMPERIAL, for Gravel and Kid- 
 ney CoJiiplaints. — Oil of origanum, I oz. ; oil of 
 hemlock, ^ oz. ; oil of sassafras, ^ oz. ; oil of 
 anise, i oz. ; alcohol, I pint ; mix. Dose — i 
 teaspoonful 3 times a day, in sweetened water; 
 this will soon give relief when constant weak- 
 ness is felt across the small of the back, as well 
 as gravelly affections causing pain about the kid- 
 neys. 
 
 DROPS, DIURETIC— Oil of cubebs, i oz; 
 sweet spirits of nitre, I oz. ; balsam of copaiba, 
 I oz. ; Harlem oil, i bottle ; oil of lavender, 20 
 drops ; spirits of turpentine, 20 drops ; mix. 
 Dose — 10 to 25 drops, as the stomach will bear, 
 3 times daily. 
 
 DROPS, PEtTORAL (Bateman's.)— Pare- 
 goric, 10 oz. ; tincture of castor, 4 oz. ; lauda- 
 num, I oz. ; tincture of safifron, I oz. ; oil of an- 
 iseed, 15 drops. Mix. Dose — l teaspoonful in 
 case of couglis or colds. 
 
 DROPS, Z>f/rC//'(or Harlem.)— Take bal- 
 sam of turpentine, 2 oz. ; oil of turpentine, 10 
 oz. Mix. 
 
 EA U DE CHYPRE.—Extxact of musk, I 
 pint; ambergris, vanilla, tonquin bean, orris, of 
 each half a pint; triple extract of rose, 2 pints. 
 The mixture thus formed is one of the most 
 lasting odors that can be made. 
 
 EAUDE BOTOT, for the 71y^/^.— Tincture 
 of cedar wood, i pint ; tincture of myrrh, i oz. ; 
 oil of peppermint, half a drachm ; oil of spear- 
 mint, half a drachm ; oil of cloves, 10 drops ; 
 oil of roses, 10 drops. Mix. 
 
 EAUPOUR LES DENTS.— C\xm2iXxvorv, 2 
 ounces ; cloves, 6 drachms ; fresh lemon peel, 2 
 ounces ; dried rose petals, i ounce ; scurvy 
 grass, 8 ounces ; spirits, 3 pounds ; macerate, 24 
 hours, and distil in a water-bath. 
 
 EA UDE MILLEFLEURS.-S^ixit of cum- 
 min seed, oils of sassafras and rosemary, of each 
 10 drops ; oil of lavender, and otto of roses, of 
 each 2 drachms ; neroli, half a drachm ; oils of 
 pimento and cloves, of each 20 drops ; essence 
 of bergamotte, 4 drachms ; oil of orange, i 
 drachm ; essence of lemon, 8 ounces ; vanilla, i 
 scruple ; elder-flower water, 4 ounces ; rectified 
 spirit, 30 ounces ; mix and filter, 
 
 EAU DE BOUQUET— 1. Spirit of rose- 
 mary and essence of violets, of each i ounce; 
 essence of bergamotte and jasmine, of each i 
 drachm ; oils of verbena and lavender, each i 
 scruple ; eau de rose, half a pint; orange-flower 
 water, i ounce ; rectified spirit, 2 pints ; mix, 
 digest and filter. — 2. Honey-water, 2 ounces; 
 tincture of cloves, I ounce ; tinctures of cala- 
 mus, of lavender, and of long cypress, each half 
 an ounce ; eau sans pareille, 4 ounces ; spirit of 
 jessamine, 9 drachms; tincture of orris, i ounce; 
 tincture of neroli, 20 drops; mix and filter. 
 
 EAU DE ROSIERES.-SpixiU of roses, 4 
 
70 
 
 DICTIONARY OF E VERY-DAY WANTS. 
 
 pints ; spirits of jessamine, I pint ; spirits of or- 
 ange flowers, I pint ; spirits of cucumber, 2% 
 pints ; spirits of celery seed, 2J2^ pints. 
 
 EAU DE VIOLETTES.—'Slz.z^xzX.Q 5 oz. 
 of fine orris root in a quart of rectified spirits, 
 for some days, and filter. 
 
 ERGOT. — The diseased production of rye; 
 on some occasions, when the grain has been 
 spurred or covered with ergot, it has caused 
 death frequently to the partakers ; medically it is 
 administered to contrcct the uterus in labor, and 
 it is very powerful in this case. The active 
 property appears to reside in the oil, which is 
 taken up by hot water, j(tea, etc.,) alcohol, and 
 ether, and these preparations are generally ad- 
 ministered uncombined with other medicines. 
 Powdered ergot is given in repeated doses of 10 
 to 20 grains, or in one dose of half a drachm, in 
 which case it generally acts in less than 20 min- 
 utes. 
 
 MRGOT, Ethereal Tincture ^Z".— Powdered 
 ergot, 15 ounces; ether, 2 pints; macerate 7 
 days; express and strain. Dose — 15 to 60 
 drops, according to the object in view. 
 
 ERGOT, Tincture ^.—Powdered ergot, 8 
 ounces ; proof spirit, 2 pints; macerate 14 days ; 
 strain, express and filter. Dose — 15 drops to 2 
 drachms, as required, 
 
 ERGOT, To Preserve. — Ergot is injured from 
 being eaten by a minute insect of the acarus ge- 
 nus, that appears to have a liking for damaged 
 rye, among, perhaps, many other things to it 
 not less palatable. As it has an aversion to 
 many pungent things, it may be kept away by 
 putting in the vessel containing the ergot a few 
 drops of the oil of cloves, or a few cloves them- 
 selves, or seeds of cardamons, or camphor, etc. 
 If well dried before corking it up, by treating it 
 after this manner it may be preserved for a long 
 time, probably several years. 
 
 ELDER. — An infusion of elder flowers is 
 good for feverishness and sore mouth in chil- 
 dren ; add a pmt of boiling waiter to a table- 
 spoonful of the flowers. 
 
 The inner bark, with cream, fresh butter, or 
 sweet oil, makes a nice cooling ointment for 
 burns, and other inflamed sores. 
 
 ELIXIR, Antiscorbutic, for the Teeth. — 
 Cinchona, 3 ounces ; guaiacum, 5 ounces ; pel- 
 litory 3 ounces ; orange peel, 2 drachms ; cloves, 
 5 drachms ; saffron, half a drachm ; benzoin, 2 
 drachms ; spirits of wine or brandy, 32 ounces ; 
 digest and filter. 
 
 ELIXIR, REED'S, for the Teeth.— Yx^%\i 
 roots of horse-radish, fresh leaves of scurvy 
 grass and mint, each 6 drachms ; guaiacum, 
 cinchona, pellitory, calamus, and rhatany, each 
 5 drachms; proof spirits, i quart; macerate for 
 16 days, and strain. 
 
 ELIXIR, ODONTALGIC— PeWxiory root, 
 2 ounces: simple spirits of lavender, 16 ounces; 
 muriate of ammonia, half a drachm; digest 24 
 hours and filter. 
 
 ELIXIR OF ROSES, for the Teeth.— 
 Cloves, I drachm ; cinnamon, 3 ounces ; ginger, 
 2 ounces ; spirits of wine, 2 pints ; oil of orange, 
 I drachm; otto of roses 15 drops; essence of 
 peppermint, I ounce. Mix. Digest 15 days, 
 and filter. 
 
 ELIXIR of Pyrophosphate of Iron and Bark. 
 — Pyrophosphate of iron 128 grains, simple 
 sjTup 2 ounces, water 6 ounces, tincture of bit- 
 ter orange peel 2 ounces, alcohol, dilute, 6 
 
 ounces, sulphate of quinia 6 grains, sulphate of 
 cinchona 3 grains, sulphate of quinidia 3 graihs. 
 Put the water, pyrophosphate of iron, and half 
 an oimce of the simple syrup into a pint bottle, 
 and shake occasionally till the pyrophosphate of 
 iron is dissolved. Into another pint bottle put 
 the diluted alcohol, tincture of bitter orange peel, 
 and the sulphates of quinia, cinchona, and quin- 
 idia, and shake occasionally till these salts of 
 bark are dissolved — then add the whole to the 
 bottle containing the pyrophosphate of iron, and 
 shake till mixed, after which filter through pa- 
 per, and add the remainder of the syrup ; mix by 
 shaking, and the preparation is ready for use. 
 
 ELIXIR OF CALISA YA BARK AND 
 IRON. — Take calisaya bark in powder 4 ounces. 
 Cinnamon water 2 pints, caraway water i pint, 
 tincture of orange peel ^ a pint, alcohol ^2 a 
 pint, brandy 2 pints, syrup 3 pints, soluble py- 
 rophosphate of iron 2 ounces. Mix the cinna- 
 mon and caraway waters with the tincture of or- 
 ange peel, and percolate the bark with the mix- 
 ture. Dissolve the pyrophosphate of iron in the 
 percolate, add the other ingredients, and filter. 
 This contains about i grain of pyrophosphate of 
 iron and 2 grains of cinchona bark to a drachm. 
 ESSENCE of Bitter Almonds. — Essential 
 oil of almonds I part, and rectified spirit 20 
 parts. Used to flavor wine, cordials, liquors, 
 perfumery, pastry, etc. It is poisonous in large 
 quantity, and, having a strong taste, very little 
 serves to impart flavor. 
 
 ESSE2VCE of Lavender. — Essential oil of 
 lavender 3 ounces, rectified spirit 2 quarts, rose 
 water half a pint, tincture of orris half a pint. 
 
 ESSENCE of Roses.— I. Otto of roses 7 
 drachms, spirit I gallon. Mix. — 2. Rose leaves 
 4 parts, water 12 parts. Distill off" one-half. 
 When a sufficient quantity of this water has been 
 obtained, it must be used as water upon fresh 
 rose leaves, and the same process must be re- 
 peated to the fourth, fifth, or even the sixth 
 time, according to the quality desired. 
 
 ESSENCE of Neroli. — Spirits of wine half 
 a pint, orange peel, cut small, 3 ounces, orris 
 root, in powder, i drachm, musk 2 grains. Let 
 it stand m a warm place for 3 days, and filter. 
 
 ESSEN^cE of Rondelette. — Spirit (brandy, 
 60 o. p.) I gallon, otto of lavender 2 ounces, 
 otto of cloves I ounce, otto of roses 3 drachms, 
 otto of bergamot I ounce, extract of musk, va- 
 nilla and ambergris each ^ pint. The mixture 
 must be made at least a month before it is fit for 
 use. 
 
 ESSENCE of Mush.— I. Bladder musk, cut 
 small, 5 parts, civet I part, spirit of ambrette 100 
 parts, strongest alcohol, 35 parts. Put them into 
 a close vessel, and digest for a time in a heat 
 of from 100 to 150" Fahrenheit. — 2. Grain musk 
 2 drachms ; alcohol, l lb. Mix. As before. 
 
 ESSEN^LE of Peppermint. — Oil of pepper- 
 mint I ounce, rectified spirit I ounce, carbonate 
 of magnesia half an ounce, water 7 ounces. Mix 
 the oil and magnesia intimately, put them in the 
 filter, pour on the spirit, and afterwards the wa- 
 ter. Mixes with water ; it may be filtered again 
 if not quite clear. 
 
 ESSE ACE OF VIOLETS.— \. Orris root, 
 2 ounces ; rectified spirit, 8 ounces ; digest, ex- 
 press and filter, or proceed by percolation. — 2. 
 Alcoholic extract of cassie I pint, esprit de rose, 
 tincture of orris and of tuberose, of each half a 
 pint, oil of almonds, 3 drops. 
 
DRUGGIST AND CHEMIST. 
 
 71 
 
 ESSENCE of Verbena.— \, Oil of verbena, 
 
 1 drachm ; rectified spirit, I ounce ; mix, and 
 add essence of vanilla, 10 drops. — 2. Oil of lem- 
 on-grass, 3 drachms ; of lemon peel, 2 ounces ; 
 of orange peel, 4 drachms ; spirit I pint ; mix 
 and filter. 
 
 ESSENCE for Smelling Bottles. — Essence 
 of ambergris, I ounce ; otto of roses and oil of 
 lavender, of each 20 drops ; essence of berga- 
 motte, 2 drachms ; mix, and add $ ounces of the 
 strongest solution of ammonia. Fragrant and 
 refreshing. 
 
 ESPRIT DE BOUQUET.— 0\\ of lavender, 
 oil ot cloves, and oil of bergamotte, each 2 
 drachms ; otto of rose and oil of cinnamon, each 
 20 drops ; essence of musk, I drachm ; rectified 
 spirits, I pint. Mix. 
 
 ETHER, ACETIC— Take strong alcohol, 
 3 parts ; acetate of potass, 3 parts ; concen- 
 trated sulphuric acid, 2 parts. Mix and distill ; 
 then take of the product 4 parts, and sulphuric 
 acid I part, and draw over a quantity equal in 
 weight to the alcohol employed. 
 
 EXTRACTS, TO MAI^E.—Take of the 
 plant, root or leaves you wish to make the ex- 
 tract from, any quantity ; add sufficient water, 
 and boil them gradually; then pour off the wa- 
 ter, and add a second quantity ; repeat the pro- 
 cess until all the virtue is extracted, then mix 
 the several decoctions, and evaporate at as low 
 a temperature as possible, to the consistence of 
 an extract. Extracts are Ijetter made in a water 
 bath, and in close vessels, and for some very 
 delicate articles, the evaporation may be carried 
 on at a very low temperature, in a vacuum, by 
 surrounding the vessel with another containing 
 sulphuric acid. Manufacturing druggists usually 
 add to every 7 lbs. of extract 4 ounces of gum 
 arable, i ounce of alcohol, and i ounce of olive 
 oil. This mixture gives the extract a gloss and 
 keeps it soft. 
 
 EXTRACT OF BUCHU.—BndivL leaves i 
 lb., boiling distilled water 3 gals. ; boil the leaves 
 in 2 gals, of the water down to 6 quarts ; then 
 boil it again in the remaining water till reduced 
 to 2 quarts. Evaporate the mixed liquor down 
 to 6 quarts, and add I quart of strong sage tea, 
 
 2 drachms of bicarbonate of potassa, 2 drachms 
 of cannabis indica, 5 ounces of rectified spirit, 2 
 ounces of balsam copaiba and Harlem oil; then 
 bottle. 
 
 EXTRACT OF ELDERFLOWERS, for 
 the Complexion. — Take gum benzoin i drachm, 
 a wine-glassful of spirits of wine, and i pint of 
 elder-flower water. Powder the gum, and put 
 it into the spirit. In a short time it will be dis- 
 solved. Now put this mixture into a jug, and 
 then gradually add the elder-flower water. If 
 there be any particles of benzoin not dissolved, 
 the extract must be strained through fine muslin 
 prior to its being put into the toilet bottle. On 
 account of the milky appearance of this prepara- 
 tion, the French perfumers call it lait virgi- 
 nal. 
 
 EXTRACT OF OPIUM.— O^mm sliced 
 1% lbs., distilled water 5 pints. Macerate the 
 opium in ^ the water for 24 hours, frequently 
 stirring ; then strain, macerate for 24 hours in 
 the remaining water, and strain and evaporate 
 the mixed liquors to an extract. Used as a mild 
 preparation of opium. Dose — I to 6 grains. 
 
 EXTRACT OF /'O/'T^K— Poppies bruised 
 and freed from the seeds 15 ounces, boihng dis- 
 
 tilled water I gallon ; macerate for 24 hours, 
 boil to 4 pints, strain while hot, and evaporate 
 to an extract. Anodyne narcotic. Dose — 2 to 
 20 grains. 
 
 EXTRACT OF SARSAPARILLA, Fluid. 
 — Sliced sarsaparilla 2)% lbs., boiling distilled 
 water 5 gallons, rectified spirit, 2 ounces. Boil 
 the sarsaparilla in 3 gallons of water to 12 pints, 
 and strain. Evaporate the mixed liquors to 18 
 ounces, and when cold add the spirit. Dose — I 
 to 2 drachms, or more. 
 
 EXTRACT OF SENNA, Fluid— Senna, 15 
 lbs. av., boiling water, q. s. ; concentrate the in- 
 fusion to ID lbs. av., dissolve in it 6 lbs. of thick 
 treacle, add 24 fluid ounces of rectified spirit, 
 and water sufficient to make 15 pints. Dose — 2 
 drachms. Each ounce represents i ounce of the 
 senna. 
 
 EXTRACT OF VANILLA.— Take of va- 
 nilla in the pods I ounce, fine washed sand I 
 ounce, 95 per cent, alcohol 3 ounces, 45 per cent, 
 alcohol 13 ounces, syrup 2 drachms; cut the va- 
 nilla into short pieces and bruise well with the 
 sand, then pack in a displacer ; add first the 
 strong and afterwards the diluted alcohol ; after 
 24 hours filter. 
 
 FEBRIFUGE, for Fer>ers in General. — 
 Carbonate of ammonia 2 drachms, alum I drachm, 
 capsicum, foreign gentian, Colombo root, and 
 prussiate of iron, all pulverized, of each % a 
 drachm ; mix by putting into a bottle, and adding 
 4 ounces of cold water. Dose — I teaspoonful to 
 a grown person, every 2 hours, in common cases 
 of fever. It may be sweetened, if preferred. 
 Shake well each time before giving, and keep the 
 bottle tightly corked. 
 
 FEBRIFUGE TEA.— Take Virginia snake- 
 root and valerian root, of each 2 drachms, and of 
 boiling water i pint. Pour the boiling water on 
 the roots and steep % an hour, and give a tea- 
 spoonful of the febrifuge and a tablespoonful of 
 this tea together, every 2 hours, and after the pa- 
 tient has been 24 hours without fever, give it ev- 
 ery 3 or 4 hours, until the patient has good ap- 
 petite and digestion; then 3 times daily, just be- 
 fore meals, until the patient has gained consid- 
 erable strength, when it may be entirely discon- 
 tinued ; or he may continue the simple infusion 
 to aid digestion. 
 
 FEBRIFUGE WYyV^?.— Quinine 25 grains, 
 water l pint, sulphuric acid 15 drops, epsom 
 salts 2 ounces, color with tincture of red Sand- 
 ers. Dose — A wineglassful 3 times per day. 
 This is a world-renowned medicine. 
 
 FRENCH IVHITE.—Yxench white is levi- 
 gated talc passed through a silk sieve. This is 
 the best face-powder made, particularly as it does 
 not discolor from action of the skin or impure 
 atmosphere. 
 
 FLUID EXTRACT OF VANILLA.— Vai- 
 nilla beans 4 ounces, sugar 2 ounces, alcohol 4 
 fluid ounces, simple syrup 4 ounces, brandy I 
 pint. Cut the beans finely, and rub thoroughly 
 with the sugar, put all together in a strong stone 
 bottle ; secure the cork with twine, and boil in a 
 water-bath for % ^^ hour ; then transfer to a 
 percolator, and add brandy sufficient to make 4 
 pints. 
 
 FL UID, GERMAN RHE UMA TIC. —Oils 
 of hemlock and cedar, of each half an ounce, oils 
 of origanum and sassafras, each I ounce, aqua 
 ammonia I ounce, pulverized capsicum I ounce, 
 spirits of turpentine and gum camphor, of each a 
 
72 
 
 DICTIONARY OF EVERY-DAY WANTS. 
 
 half onnce ; put all into a quart bottle, and fill it 
 with 95 per cent, alcohol. 
 
 FLUID, BOGLE'S HYPERION.— To 8 
 ounces of 90 or 95 per cent, alcohol, colored with 
 red alkanet, add i ounce of castor oil ; perfume 
 with geranium and verbena. 
 
 GARGLES. — Gargles are very simple reme- 
 dies, and well suited to domestic practice in sore 
 throats of various kinds. According to the na- 
 ture of the ingredients of which they are made, 
 they allay irritation and inflammation, invigorate 
 the membrane lining the mouth and throat, and 
 promote suppuration. The particular purpose 
 for which they are required ought to be kept in 
 view in their preparation. 
 
 GARGLE, For Inflamed Throat. — Purified 
 nitre 2 drachms, barley water 7 ounces, acetate 
 of honey 7 drachms. Mix the ingredients, and 
 use frequently. 
 
 GARGLE, for Domestic Use. — 3 teaspoonfuls 
 of vinegar, 2 teaspoonfuls of tincture of myrrh, 2 
 of honey, a glass of port wine, and 3 or 4 wine- 
 glasses of warm water ; mix all these ingredients, 
 and the gargle is ready for use. A decoction of 
 the leaves of the currant may, with good effect, 
 be added instead of the warm water. This makes 
 both a pleasant and useful gargle. 
 
 GARGLE, MUCILAGINOUS, for Inflamed 
 Throat. — Tincture ot myrrh 2 drachms, mucilage 
 of gum Arabic 7 ounces. Mix. This gargle is 
 of use in defending the parts when the sahva is 
 of an acrid character. 
 
 GARGLE, to Promote Suppuration. — Barley 
 water and infusion of linseed. This gargle is to 
 be used warm. It must be kept in view that 
 ' this mild gargle acts by softening the parts of the 
 throat, and hastening the suppuration by its heat 
 — it is requisite, therefore, that the temperature 
 of the gargle be kept up. 
 
 CHEWING GUM.—TokQ of prepared bal- 
 sam of tolu 2 ounces, white sugar I ounce, oat- 
 meal 3 ounces. Soften the gum in a water bath, 
 and mix in the ingredients ; then roll in finely- 
 powdered sugar or flour to form sticks to suit. 
 
 GL YCERINE. — Glycerine is derived from a 
 residuum left after the making of soap and stear- 
 ine candles, and which for ages was considered 
 of no value. The medicinal properties of gly- 
 cerine are of the most striking kind, but it is not 
 valuable in pharmacy only ; its antiseptic prop- 
 erties are marvelous. It is capable of preserv- 
 ing animal substances from decay ; leather is 
 preserved by it in a soft and pliable condition ; 
 wooden vessels saturated with it neither shrink 
 nor dry up ; it is used for extracting the odor of 
 flowers, and is of great value in the processes of 
 dyeing, brewing, liqueur making and wine keep- 
 ing; its power in nealing sores and removing 
 pains, such as ear-ache, is wonderful. With ni- 
 tric acid it forms nitro-glycerine, a substance 
 whose explosive force is many degrees greater 
 than that of gunpowder. 
 
 GL YCONINE.—TV\% is the name of a new 
 glycerine preparation, which is recommended as 
 a nealing ointment for wounds, and broken sur- 
 faces of all kinds, erysipelas, cutaneous affections 
 —of which it allays the itching — as it forms a 
 sort of varnish over the skin, and thus excludes 
 the air. For its preparation 5 parts of glycerine 
 are mixed with 4 parts of the yelk of eggs. It 
 has the consistency of honey, feels like salve, and 
 is not changed in the air. 
 
 D YES, HAIR. — Hair dyes color the hair only 
 
 as far as the roots, and require to be applied as 
 frequently as the growth of hair shows both the 
 false and real color, i. Dr. Hanman's. — Lith- 
 arge half an ounce, quicklime 3 ounces, starch 2 
 ounces ; mix in powder. P'or use, mix in warm 
 water, and rub on the hair to the roots. Cover 
 the hair with oil-skin or wadding for the night. 
 — 2. Orfila's. — Litharge 6 parts, quicklime 5 
 parts, starch I part ; mix and apply as above. — 
 
 3. Spencer's. — Sap green half a drachm, nitrate 
 of silver i drachm, hot water i ounce ; dissolve. 
 Combed in the hair for use.— -4. Chrjaliet^s. — 
 Mix 5 drachms of fresh-slaked lime with 2 ounces 
 of water ; strain and bottle. Dissolve 5 drachms 
 of acetate of lead in water, add enough slaked 
 lime to saturate the acetic acid, wash the precip- 
 itate, and mix it with the milk of lime. — 5. War- 
 ren's. — Lime 4 ounces, Avhite ^ an ounce, lith- 
 arge I drachm; mix in powder. Used with a 
 sponge and water, to dye tlack, or with milk to 
 dye brown. — Delcroix's. — Acetate of lead 2 
 ounces, prepared chalk 3 ounces, quicklime 4 
 ounces. As No. I. — 7. Gen. Twiggs. — l drachm 
 of sulphur, ^ a drachm of sugar of lead, 4 
 ounces of rose water. Mix them well ; shake 
 the phial on using it, and bathe the hair twice a 
 day for a week or longer if necessary. It does 
 not dye the hair, but seems to restore the origi- 
 nal color. — 8. Batchelot's. — No. I. To i ounce 
 of gallic acid, dissolved in 8 ounces ot alcohol, 
 add y^ a gallon of soft water. — To i ounce of 
 nitrate of silver, dissolved in I ounce of concen- 
 trated ammonia and 3 ounces of soft water, add 
 I ounce of gum Arabic and 4 ounces of soft 
 water. 
 
 HAIR DYES, Leadin.—ThtxG is no doubt 
 that the lead which forms so large a part of the 
 various hair dyes in general use is injurious, if 
 not actually dangerous, to the system. Head- 
 ache, neuralgia, paralysis, etc., have in number- 
 less cases been caused by the use of lead prepa- 
 rations for the hair, and for this reason they 
 should never be used. Gray hairs, whether on 
 the head of a middle-aged or old person, are in- 
 variably becoming, and are, or should be, "a 
 crown of glory." Another objection to the dye- 
 ing of the hair is, that it can be detected by the 
 most casual observer, and, in fact, deceives no 
 one. 
 
 HAIR INVIGORA TOR.—i. Take bay rum 
 I pint, alcohol |^ a pint, castor oil i ounce, car- 
 bonate of ammonia ^ of an ounce, tincture of 
 cantharides ^ of an ounce. Mix, and shake 
 when used. To be used daily. — 2. Vinegar of 
 cantharides I ounce, Cologne water I ounce, and 
 rose water l ounce, mixed and rubbed to the 
 roots of the hair, until the scalp smarts, twice 
 daily, has been very highly recommended for 
 bald heads, or where the hair is falling out. — 3. 
 Carbonate of ammonia I ounce, rubbed up in I 
 pint of sweet oil. Apply daily until the hair 
 stops falling out, or is sufficiently grown out. — 
 
 4. Strong sage tea, as a daily wash, will be found 
 to promptly stop the hair from falling out, and, 
 if Its use is persevered in, it will make it grow 
 thick and strong. 
 
 HAIR RESTORA TIVES—Mrs. Allen's — 
 To 16 ounces of rose water, diluted with an 
 equal part of soft water, add % of an ounce of 
 sulphur and ^ of an ounce of sugar of lead; let 
 the compound stand 5 days before using. — 
 Wood's. — Take 4 drachms of lac sulphur, 2 
 of sugar of lead, and i pint of rose water ; mix. 
 
DRUGGIST AND CHEMIST. 
 
 73 
 
 — Phaloii's. — To 8 ounces of 90 per cent, alco- 
 hol, colored by a few drops of tincture of alkanet 
 root, add I ounce of castor-oil, and perfume with 
 a compound of bergamotte, neroli, verbena, and 
 orange. 
 
 HAIR, Saponaceous Wash for the. — Rectified 
 spirit I puit, rose water I gallon, extract of ron- 
 deletia % a pint, transparent soap ^ of an ounce, 
 hay saffron ^;( of a drachm. Shave up the soap 
 very fine ; boil it and the saffron in a quart of the 
 rose water ; when dissolved, add the remainder 
 of the water, then the spirit, and finally the ron- 
 deletia, which is used by way of perfume. After 
 standing for 2 or 3 days, it is fit for bottling. 
 
 HAIR WASH, Rosemary. — Rosemary water 
 t gallon, spirit 10 ounces, pearlash i ounce. 
 
 HOREHOUND.—.K bitter pectoral herb, 
 used mostly in syrup or candy. The syrup is 
 made by adding i lb. of good lump sugar to each 
 ■pint of a strong infusion; the candy, with 10 lb. 
 of lump sugar to each pint, and boiling until it 
 will candy on cooling. Used in severe coughs 
 and colds. 
 
 HORSE-RADISH— Thxs is an anti-scor- 
 butic and stimulating medicine. It may be taken 
 either in substance or infused in wine, for the 
 scurvy, dropsy, palsy, chronic rheumatism, and 
 like affections. 
 
 HYDROGEN GAS, An Improved Method oj 
 Producing, — Alkaline and earthy alkaline hy- 
 drates, such as the hydrate of potash, soda, 
 strontium, baryta, chalk, etc., mixed with char- 
 coal, coke, anthracite, pit-coal, peat, etc., and 
 heated to a red heat, are decomposed into car- 
 bonic acid and hydrogen without further loss of 
 heat than that due to the production of the car- 
 bonic acid and hydrogen. The hydrates of pot- 
 ash, soda, etc., and more especially the hydrates 
 of chalk or lime, decomposed by the coal into 
 hydrogen and carbonic acid, can be used indefi- 
 nitely in this process, provided they are moist- 
 ened each time with water, so as to reproduce 
 the decomposed hydrates. In this operation the 
 hydrogen gas is generated without any special 
 production of steam, and may thus be produced 
 without any other generating apparatus than the 
 retorts themselves. These retorts, not being 
 exposed to the direct action of the steam, are 
 not subject to any interior alteration or damage. 
 It follows, therefore, that the hydrogen gas pro- 
 duced by the decomposition of the above-named 
 hydrates, by means of carbon, can be generated 
 at a very small cost, and with the same facility 
 as carburetted hydrogens, from the distillation of 
 pit-coal or other organic hydrocarbon matter. 
 These alkaline and earthy alkaline hydrates may 
 be mixed with the different mineral or vegetable 
 combustibles, either in a definite chemical pro- 
 portion, or without a fixed or determinate pro- 
 portion, and in any suitable distilling or heating 
 apparatus, in order to produce, when heated to 
 a red heat, hydrogen gas for illuminating and 
 heating purposes. The advantage of the pro- 
 duction of hydrogen as cheaply as oxygen, and 
 which has been obtained, is likely to create a 
 revolution in many industries, and especially in 
 metallurgy. A cheap method of producing a 
 great heat in order to reduce metals, such as pla- 
 tinum, gold, silver, and iron, has long been 
 sought for in Europe, where the oxyhydric blow- 
 pipe is now used to melt the platinum in a cal- 
 cium crucible. By this discovery it becomes 
 possible to obtain any immense heat which may 
 
 (and this is a most important point) be regulated 
 by a simple tap. 
 
 ICE, CAMPHOR.— McM of spermaceti I 
 drachm, with almond oil i ounce, and add of 
 powdered camphor i drachm. 
 
 IRON, Bitter Wine ^.—Citrate of iron 128 
 grains, extract of calisaya 16 grains. Hot water, 
 sugar, and tincture of orange peel to flavor, and 
 sherry wine to make I pint. Dissolve the cit- ^ 
 rate of iron and extract of cinchona separately in '' 
 hot water, adding a small excess of citric acid ; 
 then add the sugar and tincture of orange peel, 
 and lastly the wine. 
 
 INEUSION OEBUCHU.—T^nchvi i ounce, 
 boiling distilled water I pint. Macerate for 4 
 hours in a tightly-closed vessel, and strain. 
 Used in affections of the bladder or urinary or- 
 gans. Dose — I to 2 ounces, generally combined 
 with alkalies, as liquor potassa, etc. 
 
 INCENSE. — Powdered cascarilla 2 ounces ; 
 myrrh, styrax, benzoin, and Burgundy pitch, of 
 each r ounce. 
 
 IODINE, Stains of. — By adding a few drops 
 of liquid carbolic acid to the iodine tincture, the 
 latter will not stain. Carbolic acid also renders 
 the efficacy of tincture of iodine more certain. 
 The following formula is recommended when- 
 ever injections of the latter are indicated : Alco- 
 holic tincture of iodine 45 drops, pure liquid 
 carbolic acid 6 drops, glycerine i ounce, distilled 
 water 5 ounces. In blenorrhea and leucorrhea 
 this mixture is said to be much superior to tar 
 water. 
 
 KATHAIRON for the 7%/r.— (Lyon's.) 
 2 gallons of castor oil, and 3 gallons of alcohol. 
 Mix first. 10 ozs. of tincture cantharides, (of- 
 ficinal,) 12 ounces oil of bergamotte ; dissolve 
 in a small quantity of alcohol. Tincture of red 
 Sander — proportions say I lb. to 5 gallons, 95 
 per cent, alcohol to suit — 4 ounces color 30 gal- 
 lons. 
 
 KALYDOR, for the Complexion. — ^Take of 
 blanched bitter almonds i part, and rose-water 
 16 parts. Mix and strain, then add 5 grains of 
 bichloride of mercury to every 8 ounces of the 
 mixture, and scent with rose or violet. 
 
 LARD, To Prepare Pure. — Take good white 
 lard, and melt it in a water bath ; then put it into 
 water, and agitate them well together to wash 
 out all the salt ; let them cool, and then col- 
 lect the lard from the top of the water, drain it, 
 melt it again in a water bath, let it remain melted 
 for ^ of an hour, and lastly pour off the clearest 
 portion, and be careful to preserve it from the 
 air. 
 
 LA C/DA NUM.— Take best Turkey opium I 
 ounce ; slice it, and pour upon it i gill of boiling 
 water, and work it in a bowl or mortar until it is 
 dissolved; then pour it into the bottle, and with 
 half a pint of 76 per cent, alcohol, rinse the dish, 
 adding the alcohol to the preparation, shaking 
 well, and in 24 hours it will be ready for use. 
 Dose — From 10 to 30 drops for adults, according 
 to the strength of the patient or the severity of 
 the pain. 30 drops of this laudanum will be 
 equal to i grain of opium. 
 
 LEECHES.— ^hecches are best preserved in 
 clean rain or pond water ; in spring water they 
 soon die. The water should not be changed too 
 often ; once each week in summer, and once 
 each month in winter, being sufficient, unless it 
 becomes foul. Leeches, when applied, do not 
 probe the skin like a lancet-point, but act by a 
 
74 
 
 DICTIONARY OF E VERY-DAY WANTS. 
 
 saw-like motion until the skin is pierced ; they 
 then suck, if undisturbed, until the cascal pouches 
 are full, and finally drop off. A little salt is 
 usually sprinkled on to cause them to disgorge 
 the blood, and they are gently pressed between 
 the fingers to facilitate this effect. When leeches 
 do not readily bite, means are used to induce 
 them. The skin in all cases should be well 
 washed and dried, and the leech gently dried in 
 a soft cloth ; it may then be put in a pill-box or 
 wine-glass, which is pressed on the part to be 
 operated on. Wljen they do not yet bite, a 
 small puncture should be made with a lancet, to 
 draw blood, and they will then mostly take 
 hold. This mode is also used when the spot to 
 be drawn from is near the eye, etc. ; or, if the 
 leech is lively, it may be put in a large quill, and 
 the head placed toward the part, while the thumb 
 prevents its retreat at the opposite end. As the 
 amount of blood drawn by leeches is not large, 
 hot poultices or fomentations are applied to in- 
 crease the discharge, or the cupping-glasses may 
 be used. When sufficient is drawn, the bites 
 mostly close without much attention, but in some 
 rare cases they are very troublesome ; they then 
 should be pressed with lint soaked in a solution 
 of alum or the tincture of sesquichloride of iron, 
 or a fine point of nitrate of silver should be in- 
 serted a minute distance. If the bleeding still 
 continues, the skin must have a needle passed 
 through the edges, and silk twisted round it. 
 
 LIME-JUICE AND GLYCONINE.— 
 Lime or lemon -juice ^ a pint ; heat in a por- 
 celain mortar to near the boihng point, and add 
 gradually rose water, elder-flower water, and 
 rectified spirits, of each 2 ounces. Agitate the 
 whole well together. After 24 hours' repose, 
 decant or filter through calico or muslin, then 
 add of pure glycerine 2^ ounces, and oil of 
 lemons ^ a drachm. Again agitate them to- 
 gether for some time, and by careful manipula- 
 tion you will have a somewhat milky liquid ; but 
 it should be quite free from any coarse floating 
 matter or sediment. 
 
 _ LINIMENTS.— h. liniment is a semi-fluid 
 ointment, found or supposed to be useful in 
 painful joints, swellings, burns, etc. It is gen- 
 erally applied by rubbing on with the hand, or a 
 flannel, and sometimes both, the flannel being 
 used first to irritate the skin. There are many 
 who have come to the conclusion that the rub- 
 bing is more beneficial than the liniment. 
 
 LINIMENT, Ar7tica.—\A6. to l pint of 
 sweet oil 2 tablespoonfuls of tincture of arnica ; 
 or the leaves may be heated in the oil over a slow 
 fire. Good for wounds, stiff joints, rheumatism, 
 and all injuries. 
 
 LINIMENT, Chilblain.— I ounce of cam- 
 phorated spirit of wine, ^ an ounce of the sub- 
 acetate of lead, (liquor.) Mix, and apply 3 or 
 4 times a day. 
 
 LINIMENT, CVzw//5^r.— Rectified spirits 17 
 fluid ounces, strong water of ammonia 2^ oz., 
 camphor 2 ounces, oil of lavender 5 drops. 
 
 LINIMENT, Electro-Magnetic— V,t%\. alco- 
 hol I gallon, oil of amber 8 ounces, gum cam- 
 Ehor 8 ounces, castile soap shaved fine 2 ounces, 
 eefs gall 4 ounces, ammonia 3 F.'s strong 12 
 ounces ; mix, and shake occasionally for 12 
 hours, and it is fit for use. 
 
 LINIMENT, Good ^'dwanAr;;.— Take of 98 
 
 {)er cent, alcohol 2 quarts, and add to it the fol- 
 owing articles : Oils of sassafras, hemlock. 
 
 spirits of turpentine, tinctures of cayenne, cate- 
 chu, guaicaci, (guac,) and laudanum, of each i 
 ounce; tincture of myrrh 4 ounces, oil of ori- 
 ganum 2 ounces, oil of wintergreen y^ ounce, 
 gum camphor 2 ounces, and chloroform i^ 
 ounces. 
 
 LINIMENT, Rheumatic— OXwe. oil, spirits 
 of camphor, and chloroform, of each 2 ounces ; 
 sassafras oil i teaspoonful. First add the oil of 
 sassafras to the ohve oil, then the spirits of cam- 
 phor, and shake well before putting in the chlo- 
 roform, shaking when used, keeping it corked, 
 as the chloroform evaporates very fast if it is 
 left open. Apply 3 or 4 times daily, rubbing it 
 well, and always toward the body. 
 
 LINIMENT, Sore Throat.— Gum camphor, 
 2 ounces, castile soap shaved fine 1 drachm, oil 
 of turpentine i tablespoonful, oil of origanum ^ 
 an ounce, opium % of an ounce, alcohol 1 pint. 
 In a week or 10 days it will be fit for use ; then 
 bathe the parts freely 2 or 3 times daily until re- 
 lief is obtained. 
 
 LINIMENT for Spinal Affections.— Take a 
 pint bottle and put into it oil of origanum, 
 wormwood, spirits of turpentine, and gum cam- 
 phor, of each i ounce, and fill it with the best 
 alcohol. 
 
 LIP-SALVE, Carnation.— OWvt oil I lb.,' 
 alkanet root i ounce or less. Macerate with 
 heat until the oil is well colored ; then add of 
 white wax 6 ounces, spermaceti 6 ounces, oil of 
 lavender 30 drops, essence of bergamotte i 
 drachm. 
 
 LIP-SALVE, Red.— I. Olive oil i lb., alka- 
 net root 2 ounces or less. Macerate with heat 
 until the oil is well colored ; then add of sper- 
 maceti 2 ounces, white wax 8 ounces, suet (pre- 
 pared) 12 ounces. When nearly cold stir in or- 
 ange-flower water i ounce, oil of lavender ^ a 
 drachm. — 2. Prepared suet I lb., prepared lard 
 
 1 lb., alkanet root 2 ounces. Macerate in a gen- 
 tle heat until suflkiently colored, then cool a lit- 
 tle, and stir in of rose water 6 ounces, oil of lav- 
 ender 10 drops, essence of neroli 10 drops, es- 
 sence of lemon ID drops, essence of bergamotte 
 10 drops. 
 
 LIP-SALVE, White.— \. Prepared suet .1 
 lb., prepared lard I lb. Melt, and when cool- 
 ing stir in rose water 4 ounces, oil of rhodium 
 
 2 drops, oil of cloves 5 drops — or other scent to 
 taste. — 2, Olive oil i lb., spermaceti I lb., white 
 wax I lb., prepared lard i lb. Melt, and while 
 cooling stir in rose water 8 ounces, essence of 
 lemon 2 drachms, bergamotte 2 drachms. 
 
 LIQUID BLUE, To Prepare.— TaVe of pure 
 Prussian blue l part, and gradually add 2 parts 
 of concentrated hydrochloric acid. Leave the 
 paste to stand for 24 hours, and then add 9 parts 
 of water, and bottle it. 
 
 LOTION, GONLAUDS.—mmchcA bitter 
 almonds I ounce, blanched sweet almonds _J^ an 
 ounce ; beat to a paste, add pure water I pint ; 
 mix well, strain through a piece of coarse cloth, 
 put it into a bottle, and add of corrosive subli- 
 mate in powder 10 to 12 grains, dissolved in a 
 teaspoonful or two of spirit of wine, and shake 
 well. Used as a cosmetic to improve the com- 
 plexion, and also as a wash for obstinate erup- 
 tions. 
 
 LOTION, i^/?^CA'Z£'.— Muriate of ammo- 
 nia I drachm, spring water i pint, lavender wa- 
 ter 2 drachms ; apply with a sponge 2 or 3 times 
 a day. 
 
DRUGGIST AND CHEMIST. 
 
 75 
 
 LOTION of Chlorinated Soda.—T\i\% lotion 
 is used for purifying the breath, cleansing the 
 mouth, removing unpleasant odors, etc Liquid 
 chlorinated soda I ounce, distilled water about 
 19 ounces. Mix. A teaspoonful in a glass of 
 water. 
 
 LOTION for Itching Chilblains.— Izk'i hy- 
 drochloric acid I part, and water 8 parts. Mix. 
 Apply on going to bed. This must not be used 
 if the skin is broken. 
 
 LOZENGES, Carminative. — Bicarbonate of 
 soda 2 drachms, refined sugar 14 ounces, oil of 
 peppermint 4 drops ; made into lozenges with 
 mucilage of tragacanth. Used in flatulency, 
 heartburn, etc. 
 
 LOZENGES, Cough.— \. Extract of blood- 
 root, licorice, and black cohosh, of each ]^ of an 
 ounce ; tinctures of ipecac and lobelia, with 
 laudanum, of each ^ of an ounce ; cayenne, 
 powdered, 10 grains ; pulverized gum arabic and 
 starch, of each ^ of an ounce ; mix all together, 
 and add pulverized sugar 3 ounces. If this 
 should be too dry to roll into lozenges, add a 
 thick solution of gum arabic to give it that con- 
 sistence ; and if it should be yet too moist, at 
 any time, add more sugar. Divide into 320 loz- 
 enges. Dose — I lozenge 3 to 6 times daily, as 
 needed. — 2. Keatittg's. — Lactucarium2 drachms, 
 ipecacuanha i drachm, squills % drachm, ex;- 
 tract of licorice 2 drachms, sugar 6 ounces. 
 Made into a mass with mucilage of tragacanth, 
 and then to be divided into twenty-grain lozenges 
 for use. 
 
 LOZENGES, Ginger.— HtC^q 8 lbs. of loaf 
 sugar in fine powder, and 8 ounces of the best 
 ground ginger. Mix them into a paste with dis- 
 solved gum. If gum tragacanth be preferred, 
 the proportion is i pint of water to I ounce of 
 gum; when properly dissolved, it must be forc- 
 ibly passed through the interstices of a coarse 
 towel or cloth, i ounce of this dissolved gum 
 is sufficient for 4 or 5 lbs. of sugar ; or i ounce 
 of dissolved gum Arabic to 12 ounces of sugar. 
 Essence may be used instead of powdered gin- 
 ger, coloring it with saffron. A stimulant and 
 stomachic. 
 
 . LOZENGES, Santonin. — Santonin 60 grains, 
 pulverized sugar 5 ounces, mucilage of gum 
 tragacanth sufficient to make it into a thick paste, 
 ■worked carefully together, that the santonin 
 shall be evenly mixed throughout the whole 
 mass ; then cover up the mortar in which you 
 have rubbed them, and let it stand from 12 to 14 
 hours to temper, at which time they will turn 
 out better than if done immediately ; divide into 
 120 lozenges. Dose — For a child i year old I 
 lozenge night and morning ; for a child 2 years 
 old, 2 lozenges ; for a child of 4 years old, 3 
 lozenges ; for a child of 8 years old, 4 lozenges ; 
 for a child of 10 years old, or more, 5 to 7 loz- 
 enges ; in all cases to be taken twice daily, and 
 continuing until the worms start on a voyage of 
 discovery. 
 
 LOZENGES, Steel— ^vlZ^x 2 lbs., starch i 
 lb., carbonate or oxide of iron 6 ounces, pow- 
 dered cassia 5 ounces. Mix with mucilage. 
 
 MANDRAKE, or May ^///.'.— This is an 
 excellent purgative, in doses of from 10 to 30 
 grains, or double that quantity, in a gill of wa- 
 . ter ; or equal quantities of the mandrake juice 
 tind molasses may be mixed, and a tablespoonful 
 taken every hour or two till it operates. The 
 Indians gather the root in autumn, when the 
 
 leaves turn yellow, dry it in the shade, and pul- 
 verize it for use. 
 
 AIILK OF ALMONDS.— TskG of blanched 
 Jordan almonds i ounce, blanched bitter almonds 
 2 drachms, distilled water ^ a pint. Make an 
 emulsion with them, then strain and add gradu- 
 ally corrosive sublimate (in coarse powder) 15 
 grains, previously dissolved in _J^ a pint of dis- 
 tilled water. If necessary add as much more 
 water as will make the whole measure about i 
 pint. 
 
 MILK OF ROSES.— Jn making the milk of 
 roses, the chief object should be to produce a 
 perfect emulsion, or one at least which, if it sep- 
 arates after long repose, may be restored to a 
 homogeneous state by slight agitation. It must 
 also be recollected that, though other perfumes 
 may be and are commonly added to it almost at 
 will, the scent of roses should predominate and 
 form its characteristic one. 
 
 A/ILK OF IFAX.— White wax and alcohol 
 equal parts. Mix with heat in a porcelain ves- 
 sel, then pour it on a slab, grind to a paste with 
 more alcohol, and as soon as it appears of a per- 
 fectly even consistence, add water gradually to 
 the amount of 3 or 4 times the weight of the 
 wax ; grind to a fine emulsion, and strain through 
 canvass. 
 
 MIXTURE, CO UGIf. —Ta\ie I teacupful of 
 molasses, and add 2 tablespoonfuls of vinegar ; 
 simmer this over the fire ; then, when taken off, 
 add 3 teaspoonfuls of paregoric, and as much re- 
 fined nitre as can be put upon the point of a 
 small breakfast knife. Of this mixture take 2 
 or 3 teaspoonfuls on going to bed, and i or 2 
 during the day when you have a disposition to 
 cough. 
 
 MIXTURE, Copaiba. — Balsam of copaiba 
 l^ ounces, nitric ether I ounce, tincture of 
 henbane 3 drachms, liquor of potash 2 drachms, 
 cinnamon water sufficient to make the mixture 8 
 ounces. Dose — 2 tablespoonfuls twice a day in 
 case of gonorrhea. 
 
 MIXTURE, Goiit.—'^me of colchicum I 
 ounce, spirit of nitrous ether I ounce, iodide of 
 potassium 2 scruples, distilled water 2 ounces. 
 Mix. A teaspoonful in chamomile tea 2 or 3 
 times a day. 
 
 MISTURA Spiritus Vini Galliei.— Best 
 brandy and cinnamon water, of each 4 fluid 
 ounces ; the yelks of 2 eggs well beaten ; loaf 
 sugar 14 an ounce; oil of cinnamon 2 drops; 
 mix. Dose — From X t° ^ ^'■"^ ounce, as often 
 as required. This makes both eat and drink. 
 Of course any other flavoring oils can be used, 
 if preferred, in place of the cinnamon. 
 
 NITRATE OF SILVER.— Fme silver i^ 
 ounces, nitric acid i ounce, diluted with 2 ounces 
 of water ; heat by a sand-bath until ebullition 
 ceases and the water is expelled; then pour into 
 moulds. Must be kept from the light. 
 
 ODOR OF FLOWERS, To Obtain the.— 
 The method pursued in the south of Frafice, by 
 which all the better qualities of pomatum are 
 obtained, consists in the preparation of a pure 
 fat or lard, and in impregnating this with the 
 odoriferous principles of the flowers. The pu- 
 rifying of the lard has to be done with the iit- 
 most care, as almost everything depends on it. 
 The lard is for this purpose washed on an in- 
 clined board with water, rubbing and working it 
 all the while by means of a smooth, large stone, 
 until the water runs off pure and clear. This 
 
76 
 
 DICTIONARY OF EVERY-DAY WANTS. 
 
 fat is then filled into shallow pans on which are 
 thrown the flowers freshly cut; they are re- 
 moved after 12 or 24 hours and replaced by fresh 
 ones, until the lard is considered saturated. The 
 pomatum is then filled into pots or bottles, and 
 the bottles are tightly corked. If the fat is 
 slightly rancid, a very much larger amount of 
 flowers is required to render it fragrant, and the 
 odor never attains that fineness and dehcacy that 
 it does with pure lead. 
 
 OIL, ESSENTIAL, To Extract from Flow- 
 ers. — Take any flowers desired, which stratify 
 with common salt, and put them in a clean 
 earthen glazed pot. When thus filled to the 
 top, cover it well and carry it to the cellar. 40 
 days afterwards, put a crape over a pan, and 
 empty the whole to strain the essence from the 
 flowers by pressure. Bottle the essence and ex- 
 pose it 4 or 5 weeks in the sun, and dew of the 
 evening, to purify, A single drop of this es- 
 sence, if rightly prepared, is enough to perfume 
 a quart of water. 
 
 OIL, BRITISH. — Linseed and turpentine 
 oils of each 2 ounces, oils of amber and juniper 
 of each 4 ounces, Barbadoes tar 3 ounces, sen- 
 eca oil i ounce. Mix. 
 
 OIL OF HARLEM.— Sublimed or flowers 
 of sulphur and oil of amber of each 2 ounces, 
 linseed oil i lb., spirits of turpentine sufficient 
 to reduce all to the consistence of thin molasses. 
 Boil the sulphur in the linseed oil until it is dis- 
 solved, then add the oil of amber and turpen- 
 tine. 
 
 OIL, HAIR, {Rosemary.) — Take castor oil 
 I pint, sweet oil ^ pint, lard oil ^ pint, alcohol 
 a tablespoonful. Perfumed with rosemary. 
 
 OIL, HAIR.—(?h3.\on's.) Cocoanut oil, 
 perfumed with oil of almonds. 
 
 OIL, Rowland'' s Macassar. — Take sweet oil 4 
 ounces, cantharides 30 drops, oil of rose 5 drops, 
 oil of bergamotte and oil of lemon of each 30 
 drops, and alkanet sufficient to color it. 
 
 OILS, KING <9/".— Burning fluid i pint, oils 
 of cedar, hemlock, sassafras and origanum of 
 each 2 ounces, carbonate of ammonia pulverized 
 I ounce; mix. To use — Apply freely to the 
 nerve and gums around the tooth, and to the 
 face in neuralgic pains, by wetting brown paper 
 and laying on the parts — not too long, for fear of 
 blistering ; to the nerves of teeth by lint. 
 
 OIL OF CASSIA.— Yinest oil of cloves 3 
 parts, ground cassia I part. Pour the oil warm 
 on the cassia, macerate for 3 or 4 days or more, 
 and then strain with expression. 
 
 OIL OF RIIOL>I[/M.— This oil is derived 
 from a species of Rhodoriza; very fluid and 
 limpid ; pale yellow ; soon darkens by age and 
 exposure ; tastes bitter and aromatic ; has a mod- 
 ified odor of roses. Chiefly used as a substitute 
 for ottar of roses in cheap perfumery, and also 
 to adulterate it. Oil of sandal wood is very fre- 
 quently sold for it. 
 
 OIL OF ROSES, (for t/ie Hair.)— Tine oYivc 
 oil 1 pint, otto of roses 16 drops, oil of rose- 
 mary }'2 a drachm. If required to be red, color 
 with alkanet root, and strain before adding the 
 otto. 
 
 OIL OF ORANGE FLOIVERS.— Orange 
 flowers I part, blanched almonds bruised 2 parts, 
 olive oil I part. Mix, and let them remain to- 
 gether for a week, then express the oil. More 
 flowers may be used to increase the perfume, if 
 desired. 
 
 OIL OF SPIKE. — The genuine oil of spike 
 is made from the lavendula spica, (broad-leaved 
 lavender,) but the commercial oil of spike is al- 
 ways made by taking the rock oil, and adding 2 
 ounces of spirits of turpentine to each pint. 
 
 OIL OF TURPENTINE, for Purifying 
 Purposes. — However carefully the oil of turpen- 
 tine may have been distilled, it always leaves af- 
 ter evaporation a disagreeable odor, firmly ad- 
 hering to the goods that have been treated with 
 it. The same is the case with benzine and the 
 lighter petroleum oils. This may be obviated, 
 according to Bremer, by distillation over tannin. 
 Articles treated with oil of turpentine that has 
 been distilled in this way, are heated to 150*', 
 when they lose every trace of odor. Bremer 
 adds that this preparation is less inflammable, 
 cheaper, and more agreeable to the workman 
 than benzine. 
 
 OIL CREAM, Cod Liver.— VizV out a ^ of 
 an ounce of nice, clean pieces of gum tragacanth, 
 and steep them in a pint of water for 24 hours, 
 stirring or shaking up occasionally so as to in- 
 sure a fine, even mucilage. Now mix a pint of 
 oil with a pint of this mucilage, and put them 
 into a bottle capable of holding more than a 
 quart, so as to give good "shaking room," and 
 give a good shaking, until the particles of the 
 oil are thoroughly divided. They cannot get to- 
 gether again, even if the mixture stands several 
 days. To guard against any souring, add a tea- 
 spoonful of best brandy, and i or 2 drops of es- 
 sence of lemon, almonds, vanilla, or whatever 
 flavor is most desired. The brandy may be sub- 
 stituted by 20 drops of spirit of wine. 
 
 OINTMENT, CREAM.— Obl^lm a pint of 
 pure cream, let it simmer over the fire till it re- 
 sembles butter, and forms a thick, oily substance, 
 which may be used as ointment for fresh or old 
 wounds, cracked lips or hands. 
 
 OINTMENT, GREEN— Uonty and bees- 
 wax each yi a lb., spirits of turpentine I ounce, 
 wintergreen oil and laudanum each 2 ounces, 
 finely powdered verdigris }^ of an ounce, lard 
 I ^^ lbs. ; mix by a stove fire, in a copper kettle, 
 heating slowly. 
 
 OINTMENT, GLYCERINE.— Sizxch. 3 
 parts, glycerine 10 parts. The starch, finely 
 pulverized, is digested for about an hour with the 
 glycerine, at the heat of a water-bath. 
 
 OINTMENT, Hollocvays.—TokQ butter 12 
 ounces, beeswax 4 ounces, yellow resin 3 ounces. 
 Melt, and add vinegar of cantharides I ounce ; 
 evaporate, and add Canada balsam I ounce, oil 
 of mace I drachm, and balsam of Peru 15 
 drops. 
 
 OINTMENT, ITCH—Sweet oil i lb., suet 
 I lb., alkanet root 2 ounces. Melt and macerate 
 until sufficiently colored, and then add powdered 
 nitre 3 ounces, powdered alum 3 ounces, pow- 
 dered sulphate of zinc 3 ounces, powdered ver- 
 milion sufficient to color, and oil of origanum 
 sufficient to perfume. — 2. Carbonate of potash I 
 ounce, rose water i ounce, v'ermilion i drachm, 
 sulphur II ounces, oil of bergamotte i drachm, 
 lard II ounces. Mix. — 3. Unsalted butter I lb., 
 Burgundy pitch 2 ounces, spirits of turpentine 2 
 ounces, pulverized red precipitate i}-{ ounces; 
 melt the pitch and add the butter, stirring well 
 together ; then remove from the fire, and when 
 a little cool add the spirits of turpentine, and 
 lastly add the precipitate, stirring the mixture 
 until cold. 
 
DRUGGIST AND CHEMIST. 
 
 77 
 
 PRECIPITA TE, RED, for Old Sores.— 
 Red precipitate ]4. ounce, sugar of lead ^ ounce, 
 burnt alum I ounce, white vitriol ]4t ounce, or a 
 little less ; all to be very finely pulverized ; have 
 mutton tallow made warm l lb. ; stir all in, and 
 stir until cool. 
 
 OINTMENT, MARSHMALLOW.— Yel- 
 low resin and yellow wax each 56 lbs. Melt 
 and reduce them to a proper consistence with 
 rape oil, then add of thick mucilage i gallon ; 
 turmeric to color if required. Stir until it be- 
 comes cold. 
 
 OINTMENT, TILE.— Powdered nut-gall 
 2 drachms, camphor I drachm, melted wax I 
 ounce, tincture of opium 2 drachms. Mix. 
 
 OINTMENT, SISSONS.— Best brandy |i 
 a pint, turpentine I gill, camphor gum I ounce, 
 beefs gall ^ a pint, neats-foot oil i pint; mix. 
 Excellent for bruises or swellings of long stand- 
 ing. 
 
 OINTMENT, STRAMONIUM.— Take of 
 the leaves of the stramonium, while yet green, 
 about I bushel, and place them in a suitable 
 iron kettle over a slow fire. Put in a few of the 
 leaves at a time, washing them as you keep ad- 
 ding, until a pulpy mass results, when add lard 
 5 lbs., and stew to a crisp ; then strain and box 
 for use. Or take a drachm of the soft extract, 
 and rub it into an ointment with i ounce of 
 lard. 
 
 OINTMENT OF BELLADONNA.— K^i- 
 tract of belladonna l drachm, lard i ounce, and 
 mix. Used to allay the pain of rheumatism, etc. 
 
 OPIUM, POWELL S.—T2ke opium i part, 
 spirit 9 parts. Macerate until the spirit will 
 take up no more, decant, and reserve the tinc- 
 ture ; then pour 6 parts of water on the residu- 
 um and repeat the process. Strain and mix the 
 2 solutions ; next put them into a retort and dis- 
 til over, spirit 9 parts, and evaporate the remain- 
 der to a proper consistence. 
 
 OPODELDOC, Liquid.— T\iehe%t brandy, i 
 quart ; warm it and add gum camphor I ounce, 
 sal ammoniac and oil of wormwood, of each % 
 ounce ; oils of origanum and rosemary, of each 
 ^ an ounce ; when the oils are dissolved by the 
 aid of the heat, add 6 ounces of soft soap. 
 
 OTTO OF ROSES.— YiM a large glazed 
 earthen jar with rose leaves, carefully separated 
 from the cups; pour upon them spring water, 
 just sufficient to cover them, and set the jar with 
 its contents in the sun for 2 or 3 days, taking it 
 under cover at night. At the end of the third 
 or fourth day, small particles of yellow oil will 
 be seen floating on the surface of the water, and 
 which, in the course of a week, will have in- 
 creased to a thin scum. The scum is the otto of 
 roses ; take it up with a little cotton tied to the 
 end of a stick, and squeeze it into a phial. 
 
 OXYGEN, Method of Preparing.— Take a 
 strong solution of chloride of lime, and gently 
 heat it with only a trace of freshly prepared 
 peroxide of cobalt; a stream of oxygen is thus 
 evolved, and chloride of calcium is formed. The 
 evolution of the gas is very regular when the 
 liquid is heated to 70 or 80'. All the oxygen is 
 given off, no chlorine being liberated. The 
 chief point is to use a perfectly clear solution of 
 chloride of lime ; if a milky or thick solution be 
 used, it will froth. 
 
 PAIN-KILLER, Perry Davis\—Mc6ho\l 
 quart, gum guaiac I ounce, gums myrrh and 
 camphor, and Cayenne, (pulverized,) of each 
 
 ^ ounce. Mix. Shake occasionally for a week 
 or 10 days, and filter or let settle for use. Ap- 
 ply freely to surface pains, or it may be taken in 
 teaspoon doses for internal pains, and repeat ac- 
 cording to necessities. 
 
 PAIN EX T/i AC TOR.— S^mis of ammonia 
 I ounce, laudanum i ounce, oil of organum I 
 ounce, mutton tallow |^ a lb. ; combine the ar- 
 ticles with the tallow when it is nearly cool. 
 
 PAREGORIC— Best opium >^ a drachm; 
 dissolve it in about 2 tablespoons of boiling wa- 
 ter ; then add benzoic acid j4. a drachm, oil of 
 aniseed ^ of a fluid drachm, clarified honey I 
 ounce, camphor gum I scruple, 76 per cent, al- 
 cohol II fluid ounces, distilled water 4 fluid 
 ounces, macerate (keep warm) for 2 weeks. 
 Dose — For children 5 to 20 drops, adults i to 2 
 teaspoons. 
 
 PAPER, FUMIGATING.— Tzke sheets of 
 light cartridge paper, and dip them into a solu- 
 tion of alum — say, alum I ounce, water l pint. 
 After they are thoroughly moistened, let them 
 be well dried ; upon one side of this paper spread 
 a mixture of equal parts of gum benzoin, oliba- 
 num, and either balm of Tolu or Peruvian bal- 
 sam, or the benzoin may be used alone. To 
 spread the gum, etc., it is necessary that they be 
 melted in an earthenware vessel and poured 
 thinly over the paper, finally smoothing the sur- 
 face with a hot spatula. When required for use, 
 slips of this paper are held over a candle or a 
 lamp, in order to evaporate the odorous matter, 
 but not to ignite it. The alum in the paper pre- 
 vents it to a certain extent from burning. 
 
 PASTE, German. — Blanched sweet almonds 
 I lb., pea-meal 2 lbs., butter 3 ounces, saffron 4 
 grains, the yelks of 2 eggs, honey sufficient to 
 make a paste, which must be passed through a 
 sieve. Used to feed larks, nightingales, and 
 other insectivorous singing birds. 
 
 PASTE, Phosphorous. — Put into a Florence 
 flask I drachm of phosphorous and I ounce of 
 rectified spirits. Dip the flask into hot water 
 until the phosphorous is melted, then cork the 
 flask and agitate it until the contents are cold. 
 Pour off the spirit, and mix the phosphorous 
 with \}^ ounces of lard, then add a mixture of 
 flour 5 ounces, sugar or cheese 1 3^ ounces, and 
 make the whole into a paste with a little water. 
 Used to destroy vermin. 
 
 PA STILES, Fumigating.— I. Benzoin I 
 drachm, cascarilla ^ of a drachm, myrrh i scru- 
 ple, oils of nutmegs and cloves of each 10 drops, 
 nitrate of potash |^ of a drachm, charcoal 6 
 drachms ; mix with mucilage of tragacanth. — 2. 
 Benzoin 2 ounces, balsam of Tolu and yellow 
 sandal wood of each ^ of an ounce, laudanum 
 I drachm, nitre 2 drachms, charcoal 6 ounces ; 
 mix with mucilage of tragacanth. — 3. Santal 
 wood in powder l lb., gum benzoin i lb., gum 
 Tolu % lb., otto of Santal, cassia and cloves, of 
 each 3 drachms ; nitrate of potass I ounce, mu- 
 cilage or tragacanth sufficient to make the whole 
 into a stiff paste. 
 
 PA STILES, MOUTH, for Perfutning the 
 Breath. — I. Chocolate powder and ground cof- 
 fee each I ounce, prepared charcoal I ounce, su- 
 gar 1 ounce, vanilla (pulverized with the sugar) 
 I ounce, and sufficient mucilage to mix. I\Iake 
 into lozenges of any form, 6 or 8 to be used ev- 
 ery day to disinfect the breath. — 2. Catechu 7 
 drachms, orris powder 40 grams, sugar 3 ounces, 
 oil of rosemary, (or of cloves, peppermint, or 
 
78 
 
 DICTIONARY OF EVERY-DAY WANTS. 
 
 cinnamon,) 4 drops. Mix, and roll flat on an 
 oiled marble slab, and cut into very small lozen- 
 ges. — 3. {For Disinfecting the Breath.) — Dry 
 chloride of lime 2 drachms, sugar 8 ounces, and 
 gum tragacanth I drachm ; carmine 2 grains. 
 Form into small lozenges. 
 
 PEAU nESPAGNE.—Vtz.M d'Espagne, or 
 Spanish skin, is nothing more than highly per- 
 fumed leather. Good and sound pieces of wash 
 leather are to be steeped in a mixture of ottos, in 
 which are dissolved some odoriferous gum res- 
 ins, thus : Otto of neroli, otto of rose, santal, of 
 each y^ an ounce ; otto of lavender, verbena, 
 bergamotte, of each a ^ of an ounce ; otto of 
 cloves and cinnamon, of each 2 drachms; with 
 any others thought fit. In this mixture dissolve 
 about 2 ounces of gum benzoin ; now place the 
 skin to steep in it for a day or so, then hang it 
 over a line to dry. A paste is now to be made 
 by rubbing in a mortar i drachm of civet with I 
 drachm of grain musk, and enough solution of 
 gum acacia or gum tragacantha to give it A spread- 
 ing consistence ; a little of any of the ottos that 
 may be lett from the steep stirred in with the 
 civet, etc., greatly assists in making the whole 
 of an equal body; the skin, being cut up into 
 pieces of about 4 inches square, is then to be 
 spread over, plaster-fashion, with the last-named 
 compost; 2 pieces being put together, having 
 the civet plaster inside of them, are then to be 
 placed between sheets of paper, weighed or 
 pressed, and left to dry thus for a week ; finally, 
 each double skin, now called peau d'Espagne, is 
 to be enveloped in some pretty silk or satin, and 
 finished off to the taste of the vender. Skin or 
 leather thus prepared will evolve a pleasant odor 
 for years. 
 
 PERFUME OF FLOWERS, To Extract.— 
 Procure a quantity of the petals of any flower 
 which has an agreeable flavor ; card thin layers 
 of cotton wool, which dip into the finest Flor- 
 ence oil ; sprinkle a small quantity of fine salt on 
 the flowers, and place layers of cotton and flow- 
 ers alternately, until an earthen or wide-mouthed 
 glass vessel is quite full. Tie the top close with 
 a bladder, and lay the vessel in a south aspect, 
 exposed to the sun, and in 15 days, when opened, 
 a fragrant oil may be squeezed away from the 
 whole mass, and but little inferior (if roses are 
 used) to the dear and highly valued otto or odor 
 of roses. 
 
 PERFUME for Sachets.— Or^s root in pow- 
 der I lb., musk 12 grains, essence of lavender l 
 drachm, essence of ambergris i drachm, essence 
 of bergamotte % a drachm, essence of lemon ^ 
 a drachm. — 2. Take any quantity of pure starch 
 in powder, color it with a little finely-powdered 
 rose-pink, and perfume it with otto of roses, oil 
 of rosemary, lavender, and neroli, letting the 
 rose predominate. — 3. |4^ of a lb. lavender flow- 
 ers, ^ of an ounce of dried thyme, '^^ of an 
 ounce of dried mint, j!^^ of an ounce of cloves, 
 ^ of an ounce of caraway seeds, I ounce of fine 
 salt. The lavender flowers must be rubbed from 
 the stalk, the thyme and mint reduced to pow- 
 der, and the cloves and caraway seeds bruised in 
 a mortar. The whole should then be mixed 
 with the salt, which must be well dried before it 
 is used. When the ingredients have been thor- 
 oughly mixed, the compound may be put into 
 silk or muslin bags for use. 
 
 PERFUME Powder for Boxes and Drawers. 
 — I. Coriander powder, Florentine orris pow- 
 
 der, powdered rose leaves, powdered sweet- 
 scented flag-root of each 2 ounces ; lavender 
 flowers powdered 4 ounces, musk i scruple, 
 powder of sandal-wood i drachm. Mix. — 2. 
 Take of cloves, caraway seeds, nutmeg, mace, 
 cinnamon, and Tonquin beans, of each i ounce ; 
 then add as much Florentine orris root as will 
 equal the other ingredients put together. Grind 
 the whole well together, and then put it in little 
 bags among your clothes, etc. 
 
 PERFUME for Glomes.— 0\\ of lavender 20 
 drops, neroli 10 drops, essence of musk 5 drops, 
 otto of roses 2 drops, alcohol 2 ounces. Mix. 
 ' PILLS, Ague. — Quinine 20 grains, Dover's 
 powders, 10 grains, subcarbonate of iron 10 
 grains ; mix with mucilage of gum Arabic and 
 form into 20 pills. Dose — 2 each hour, com- 
 mencing 5 hours before the chill should set in. 
 Then take I night and morning imtil all of them 
 are taken. 
 
 PILLS, Anti-Bilious. — Aloes 28 parts, colo- 
 cynth 12 parts, rhubarb 7 parts, myrrh and 
 scammony of each 3^2 parts, ipecacuanha 3 
 parts, cardamom seed 2 parts, soft soap 9 parts, 
 oil of juniper 7 parts, and treacle q. s. Divide 
 into 4-grain pills, of which 2 or 3 are a dose. 
 
 PILL of Aloes, Compound. — Socotrine aloes 
 in powder I ounce, extract of gentian _J^ ounce, 
 oil of caraways 40 drops, and treacle a sufficient 
 quantity. Beat together to a pill mass. Purga- 
 tive, stomachic. Used in habitual costiveness. 
 Dose — 5 to 20 grains. Aloes are more easily 
 powdered by adding 2 or 3 drops of olive oil to 
 each ounce. 
 
 PILL of Aloes with Myrrh. — Powdered So- 
 cotrine aloes %, ounce, saffron, powdered myrrh 
 and soft soap, of each 2 drachms, and ot treacle 
 a sufficient quantity. Beat together to a pill 
 mass. Purgative emenagogue. Used in chlo- 
 rosis and amenorrhea. Dose — 5 to 15 gi-ains. 
 
 PILL of Aloes with Soap. — Extract of Bar- 
 badoes aloes powdered, soft soap, and extract of 
 licorice equal parts, and of treacle a sufficient 
 quantity. Beat the aloes with the soap, add the 
 other ingredients, and make a pill mass. Pur- 
 gative. Dose — 5 to 15 grains. 
 
 PILLS, Brands eth''s — Take 2 lbs. of aloes, I 
 lb. of gamboge, 4 ounces of extract of colocynth, 
 Yz a lb. of Castile soap, 2 fluid drachms of oil of 
 peppermint, and i fluid drachm of cinnamon. 
 Mix, and form into pills. 
 
 PILLS, Carbonate of Iron. — Sulphate of iron 
 4 ounces, carbonate of soda 5 ounces, clarified 
 honey 2^ ounces, of syrup and boiling water a 
 sufficient quantity. Dissolve the sulphate of 
 iron and carbonate of soda each in a pint of wa- 
 ter, and to each solution add a fluid ounce of 
 syrup ; then mix the two solutions in a bottle 
 just large enough to contain them, close it accu^ 
 rately with a stopper, and set it by that the car- 
 bonate of iron may subside. Pour off" the su- 
 pernatant fluid ; and, having washed the precip- 
 tate with warm water, sweetened with syrup, in 
 the proportion of a fluid ounce of the latter to a 
 pint of the former, until the washings no longer 
 have a saline taste, place it upon a flannel cloth, 
 and express as much of the water as possible ; 
 then immediately mix it with the honey. Lastly, 
 heat the mixture, by means of a water-bath, un- 
 til it attains a pilular consistence. 
 
 PILLS, Cathartic. — Aloes and gamboge of 
 each I ounce, mandrake and blood-root with 
 gum myrrh, of each ^ ounce ; gum camphor 
 
DRUGGIST AND CHEMIST. 
 
 79 
 
 and Cayenne of each \yi drachms, and ginger 4 
 ounces ; all to be finely pulverized and thor- 
 oughly mixed with thick mucilage (made by put- 
 ting a little water upon equal quantities of gum 
 Arabic and gum tragacanth) into pill mass ; then 
 formed into common-sized pills. Dose — 2 to 4 
 pills, according to the robustness of the patient. 
 PILLS, Chalybeate, for Leucorrhea. — Sul- 
 
 f)hate of iron I scruple, balsam of copaiba and 
 icorice powder to mix. Divide into 40 pills. 
 Dose — 3 or 4, 3 times daily. 
 
 PILLS, Chamomile. — Aloes 12 grains, extract 
 chamomile 36 grains, oil of chamomile 3 drops ; 
 make into 12 pills ; take 2 every night, or twice 
 a day. 
 
 PILLS, Cough. — Of extract of hyoscyamus, 
 balm of Gilead buds, with pulverized ipecac or 
 lobelia, and balsam of fir, each ^ oz. ; oil of an- 
 ise a few drops to form into common-sized pills. 
 Dose — r or 2 pills, 3 or 4 times daily. 
 
 PILLS, Digestive. — Rhubarb 2 ounces, ipe- 
 cacuanha %, ounce, Cayenne pepper ^ ounce, 
 soap ^ ounce, ginger ^ ounce, gamboge y^, 
 ounce. Mix, and divide into 4-grain pills. 
 
 PILLS, Dinner. — Aloes 20 grains, ginger ^ 
 drachm ; add syrup sufficient to mix. Divide 
 into 20 pills. I to be taken daily before dinner. 
 
 PILL,Emmaiagogtte. — Precipitated carbonate 
 of iron and gum myrrh of each 2 drachms, aloes 
 and tincture of Spanish flies of each I drachm, 
 and oil of savin i drachm ; all to be pulverized, 
 and made into 100 pills by using thick gum so- 
 lution. Dose — I pill, from I to 3 times daily. 
 
 PILL, Female Laxative. — Aloes, macrotin, 
 and cream of tartar, of each 2 drachms ; podo- 
 phylin and ground ginger i drachm each ; make 
 into common-sized pills by using 15 or 20 drops 
 of oil of peppermint, and a thick solution of 
 gum Arabic mucilage. Dose — I pill at bedtime, 
 or 2 if found necessary, and sufficiently often 
 to keep the bowels just in a solvent condition, 
 but not less often than once a week. 
 
 PILLS, for Gravel — Castile soap 8 parts, 
 caustic soda 4 parts, oil of tartar to mix. Di- 
 vide into 3-grain pills, I to be taken every 2 or 3 
 hours. 
 
 PILLS, Hollmvay's. — Aloes 4 parts, myrrh, 
 jalap, and ginger, of each 2 parts, and mucilage 
 to mix. 
 
 PILL of Irort. — Powdered myrrh 2 drachms, 
 carbonate of soda, sulphate of iron and treacle, 
 of each i drachm. In a warm vessel rub the 
 myrrh with the soda, add the iron, and rub 
 again ; mix in the treacle, and form a mass. 
 Tonic. Used in chlorosis. Dose — From $ to 10 
 grains. 
 
 PILL, Liver. — Leptandrin 40 grains, podo- 
 phyllin and Cayenne 30 grains each, sanguina- 
 rin, iridin, and ipecac, 15 grains each ; see that 
 all are pulverized and well mixed ; then form into 
 pill mass by using ^ of a drachm of the soft 
 extract of mandrake and a few drops of anise 
 oil, and then roll out into 3-grain pills. 
 
 PILLS for Obstructed Menstruation.— Ta!^^ 
 sulphate of iron 30 grains, potassa (subcarb. ) 30 
 grains, white sugar 30 grains, myrrh i drachm. 
 Make them into 3-grain pills, 2 to be taken 3 
 times a day when there is no fever present. 
 
 PILLS to Promote Mensttual Secretion. — I. 
 Take pills of aloes and myrrh I drachm, com- 
 pound iron pills 70 grains. Mix and form into 
 25 pills. Dose — 2 pills twice a day. — 2. Take 
 compound galbanum pill i drachm; Socotrine 
 
 aloes I drachm. Mix. Dose — 2 pills, twice a 
 day. 
 
 PILL, Nervous. — Alcoholic extract of the Ig- 
 natia Amara (St. Ignatius bean) 30 grains, pow- 
 dered gum Arabic 10 grains. Make into 40 
 pills. Dose — I pill to be taken an hour after 
 breakfast, and I an hour before retiring at night. 
 
 PILL, Rhubarb. — Fine powdered rhubarb 4 
 drachms, powdered aloes 3 drachms, powdered 
 myrrh 2 drachms, soft soap ],(. drachm, oil of 
 caraway 15 drops, and of treacle a sufficient 
 quantity. Mix the powders, add the other in- 
 gredients, and form a mass. Stomachic, pur- \ 
 gative. Dose — 5 to 20 grains. 
 
 PILLS for Sick Headache. — I drachm of 
 castile soap, 40 grains of rhubarb, 20 drops oil 
 of juniper, and syrup of ginger enough to fjarm 
 20 pills. Take 2 or 3 occasionally. 
 
 PILLS for Shortness of Breath. — Take % of 
 an ounce of powder of elecampane root, % of 
 an ounce of powder of licorice, as much flower 
 of brimstone and powder of aniseed, and 2 
 ounces of sugar candy powdered. Make all into 
 pills, with a sufficient quantity of tar ; take 4 
 large pills when going to rest. 
 
 PILLS, To Sugar Coat. — Pills, to be sugar- 
 coated, must be very dry, otherwise they will 
 shrink away from the coating, and leave it a 
 shell easily crushed off". When they are dry you 
 will take starch, gum Arabic, and white sugar, 
 equal parts, rubbing them very fine in a marble 
 mortar, and if damp they must be dried before 
 rubbing together ; then put the powder into a 
 suitable pan, or box, for shaking; now put a 
 few pills into a small tin box having a cover, and 
 pour on them just a little simple syrup, shaking 
 well to moisten the surface only; then throw 
 into the box of powder, and keep in motion un- 
 til completely coated, dry and smooth. 
 
 If you are not very careful, you will get too 
 much syrup upon the pills ; if you do, put in 
 more, and be quick about it to prevent moisten- 
 ing the pill too much, getting them into the 
 powder as soon as possible. 
 
 PINK SA UCERS.- Safflower or carthamus, 
 (washed,) 8 ounces, subcarbonate of soda 3 
 ounces, water 2 gallons. Macerate, strain, and 
 add French chalk (scraped fine with Dutch 
 rushes) 3 lbs., and precipitate the color on it 
 with tartaric acid, a sufficient quantity. 
 
 PLASTER, C^rw.— Yellow wax i lb., Venice 
 turpentine 2 ounces, verdigris i ounce; melt to- 
 gether and spread on leather. 
 
 PLASTER, <7^«r/.— Soak bruised isinglass 
 in a little warm water for 24 hours ; then evapo- 
 rate nearly all the water by gentle heat ; dissolve 
 the residue in a little proof spirits of wine, and 
 strain the whole through a piece of open linen. 
 The strained mass should be a stiff jelly when 
 cool. Now extend a piece of silk on a wooden 
 frame, and fix it tight with tacks or pack-thread. 
 Melt the jelly, and apply to the silk thinly and 
 evenly with a badger hair brush. A second 
 coating must' be appHed when the first has dried, 
 \\Tien both are dry, cover the whole surface 
 with coatings of balsam of Peru, applied in this 
 way. Plaster thus made is very pliable, and 
 never breaks. 
 
 PLASTER, Irritating.— 'V^r I lb., Bur- 
 gundy pitch % ounce, white pine turpentine t 
 ounce, rosin 2 oiyices. Boil the tar, rosin and 
 gum together a short time, and then remove 
 from the fire, and stir in finely pulverized man- 
 
8o 
 
 DICTIONARY OF EVERY-DAY WANTS. 
 
 drake root, blood root, poke root, and Indian 
 turnip, of each i ounce. 
 
 PLASTER, Mustard. — Take a piece of waste 
 linen, and, if crumpled, iron it smooth ; or pa- 
 per will do. Procure a small quantity of black 
 mustard seed, and bruise it to a coarse powder, 
 in a pestle and mortar or otherwise. Be par- 
 ticular not to have it too fine. Spread over 
 the linen a thin solution of gum, and sprinkle 
 the powder equally over it. Dry in a warm 
 place. ^Vhen wanted, plasters may be cut any 
 size or shape ; and when applied should be mo- 
 mentarily dipped in tepid water, and tied over 
 the affected part with a bandage. These plasters 
 are more simple, cleanly and effective than the 
 ordinary mustard poultices. 
 
 PLASTER, /'//<r/4.— Burgundy pitch 6 parts, 
 yellow resin 8 parts, yellow wax 3 parts, lard 7 
 parts, turpentine I part, palm oil I part, linseed 
 oil I part. Mix. 
 
 PLASTER, Poor vl/anV.— Take of beeswax 
 I ounce, tar 3 ounces, resin 3 ounces ; to be 
 melted together, and spread on paper or muslin. 
 PLASTER, Rheumatic— % lb. of resin, and 
 "%. lb. of sulphur; melt them by a slow fire; 
 then add i ounce of Cayenne pepper, and ^ of 
 an ounce of camphor gum ; stir well till mixed, 
 and temper with neats-foot oil. 
 
 PLASTER, Strengthening.— IX'Casxg^ plas- 
 ter 24 parts, white resin 6 parts, yellow wax and 
 olive oil of each 3 parts, and red oxide of iron 
 8 parts. Let the oxide be rubbed with oil, and 
 the other ingredients added melted, and mix the 
 whole well together. This is an excellent plas- 
 ter for relaxation of the muscles and weakness of 
 the joints arising from sprains and bruises. The 
 plaster, after being spread over leather, should 
 be cut into strips 2 inches wide, and strapped 
 Ifirmly round the joint. 
 
 'I PLASTER, Styptic.— Tas. property of chlo- 
 ride of iron to stop bleeding is well known, but 
 the inconvenience of carrying it about often pre- 
 vents its application when wanted. The French 
 have a way of preparing a paper saturated with 
 it that answers every purpose, and can easily be 
 transported. This paper is immersed in a liquid 
 prepared as follows : I lb. of finely pulverized 
 gum benzoin, I lb. of alum, and 4 gallons of 
 water are boiled in a well-tinned vessel, and fil- 
 tered after cooling. The paper is well saturated 
 with this mixture, and when it is dry a tolerably 
 concentrated solution of chloride of iron is spread 
 over it with a brush. It can be kept indefinitely 
 when protected by wax cloth, and is admirably 
 adapted for stopping the bleeding of small flesh 
 wounds. 
 
 POMADE, Castor Oil. — Castor oil 4 ounces, 
 prepared lard 2 ounces, white wax 2 drachms, 
 bergamotte 2 drachms, oil of lavender 20 drops. 
 Melt the fat together, and on cooling add the 
 scents, and stir till cold. 
 
 POMADE, Cream. — Melt together I drachm 
 each ot white wax and spermaceti, and add oil 
 of sweet almonds 2 ounces ; pour it into a warm 
 mortar, and gradually stir in I ounce of rose or 
 other perfumed water, and I drachm of tincture 
 of Tolu. 
 
 POMADE, Marrow. — Beef marrow I ounce, 
 castor oil \^ of an ounce, tincture of cantharides 
 I drachm, essential oil of bitter almonds and of 
 lemon of each 12 drops. This will be found 
 very beneficial if the hair should show symptoms 
 of falling off. 
 
 POMADE, Transparent.—!. Take of castor 
 oil I lb., spermaceti ^^ lb., and sufficient of any 
 desired perfume. — 2. Fatty oil of almonds 2 lbs ., 
 Spermaceti ^ of a lb., oil of lemon 3 ounces. 
 The spermaceti is melted in a water bath, the 
 oils are then added, and the heat kept up until a 
 uniform mass is obtained, in which no floating 
 particles of spermaceti can be distinguished. 
 The pomade is then poured into glasses ; if it is 
 desired to obtain the pomade crystallized, the 
 glasses must be heated beforehand, and cooled 
 down very slowly. 
 
 POMADE DYE, for the i%;r.— Nitrate of 
 silver i part, nitric acid 2 parts, iron filings 2 
 pr.rts. Mix, and let them stand together lor 4 
 or 5 hours, then pour them on oatmeal 2 parts. 
 Next add lard 3 parts, and mix well together. 
 
 POMATUM, Black .S-/;V>^.— Prepared lard, 
 melted, with one-third in winter, and one-half 
 its weight in summer, of wax, and colored with 
 powdered ivory-black, and strained through tam- 
 my, or any substance that will permit the fine 
 particles of ivory-black to pass through. Stir it 
 constantly, and when it begins to thicken pour it 
 into paper moulds. 
 
 POM A TUM, East India.— Take suet 7 lbs., 
 lard 7 lbs., beeswax I lb. Melt, then add es- 
 sence of lemon 4 ounces, gum benzoin 3 ounces, 
 musk 2 scruples, oil of cloves 25 drops, oil of 
 rhodium 25 drops. Mix well. 
 
 POMA TUM, Marrow.— ?yxx\^tA lard 4 lbs., 
 purified suet 2 lbs., otto of lemon i ounce, otto 
 of bergamotte I ounce, otto of cloves 3 drachms. 
 Melt the greases, then beat them up with a whisk 
 or flat wooden spatula for a ^ of an hour or 
 more ; as the grease cools, minute vessels of air 
 are inclosed by the pomatun, which not only in- 
 crease the bulk of the mixtures, but impart a pe- 
 culiar mechanical aggregation, rendering the po- 
 matum light and spongy; in this state it is ob- 
 vious that it fills out more profitably than other- 
 wise. 
 
 POMATUM, Philocome.— White wax 10 
 ounces, fresh rose oil i lb., fresh acacia oil % 
 lb., fresh jasmine oil ^ lb., fresh fleur d'orange 
 oil I lb. , fresh tuberose oil i lb. Melt the wax 
 in the oils by a water-bath at the lowest possible 
 temperature. Stir the mixture as it cools ; do 
 not pour out the philocome until it is nearly cool 
 enough to set ; let the jars, bottles, or pots into 
 which it is filled for sale be slightly warmed, or 
 at least of the same temperature as the philo- 
 come, otherwise the bottles chill the material as 
 it is poured in, and make it appear of an uneven 
 texture. 
 
 POMATUM, Rose.— Of prepared lard 16 
 ounces, prepared suet 2 ounces; melt with a 
 gentle heat, and add 2 ounces of otto of water, 
 and 6 drops of otto of roses. Beat them well to- 
 gether, and pour into pots before it is cold. For 
 making jessamine, violet, and orange pomade, 
 put the same quantity of water, and I drachm of 
 the required essence. 
 
 POSOLOGICAL TABLE / or. Rules fot 
 Administering Medicines, having reference to 
 Age and Sex. — For an adult, (a person of 40 
 years) the dose is allowed to be about I drachm, 
 60 grains. 
 
 Those at 20 years, 2-3 of a drachm, 40 grains. 
 " 13 •< 1-2 " 30 " 
 
 " 7 «' 1-3 «' 20 " 
 
 " 4 «' 1-4 " IS " 
 
 « 2 K j.g « JO « 
 
DRUGGIST AND CHEMIST. 
 
 8i 
 
 Those at 2 years, 1-8 of a drachm, 7 to 8 grains. 
 « I <( 1. 12 <• 5 " 
 
 For babes, under I year, the dose should go 
 down by months, at the same rate as by years, 
 for those over a year. 
 
 Again, for persons in advanced life, say from 
 60 years, the dose must begin to lessen about 5 
 grains, and, from that on, 5 grains for each ad- 
 ditional ID years. 
 
 Females, however, need a little less, generally, 
 than males. 
 
 The above rules hold good in all medicines 
 except castor oil, the proportion of which cannot 
 be reduced so much, and opium and its various 
 preparations, which must be reduced, generally, 
 in a little greater proportion. 
 
 POULTICE, Charcoal. — Linseed meal ^^ of 
 a lb., charcoal powder 2 ounces, hot water suffi- 
 cient to give it the necessary consistence. This 
 poultice is highly antiseptic — that is to say, it 
 has great power in cleansing ulcers, and correct- 
 ing a tendency to mortification. 
 
 POULTICE, Goulard's.— Tzks a drachm 
 and a half of extract of lead, rectified spirit of 
 wine 2 ounces, water 12 ounces, and bread or 
 cracker crumbs sufficient to make the whole into 
 a proper consistence. This poultice is an excel- 
 lent application to reduce swelling and inflamma- 
 tion, and to allay irritation. 
 
 POULTICE, Hemlock.— ?om 2 pints of 
 water on 2 ounces of hemlock leaves, boil it 
 down to a pint, and add as much linseed meal as 
 may be necessary for the due consistency of the 
 poultice. This is an excellent application to 
 cancerous and other malignant sores. It greatly 
 diminishes the existing pain. The fresh herb 
 forms the best poultice. 
 
 POULTICE, Yeasi.— Flour I lb., yeast of 
 beer ^ of a pint. Mix, and expose the mixture 
 to a gentle heat till it begins to swell, when it is 
 ready for use. This poultice is well adapted as 
 an application to painful, foul, or gangrenous ul- 
 cers. It is a gentle stimulant to such ulcerations, 
 corrects any tendency to mortification, cleanses 
 the sore, and removes the fetid odor. 
 
 POWDER, Ag2ie. — Quinine 10 grains, cap- 
 sicum 4 grains ; mix and divide into 3 powders. 
 Directions — Take I about 4 hours before the 
 chill, I about 2 hours before the chill, and the 
 third I hour before the chill should commence. 
 POWDER, Composition. — Bayberry bark 2 
 lbs., hemlock bark i lb., ginger root I lb., Cay- 
 enne pepper 2 ounces, cloves 2 ounces ; all very 
 finely pulverized and well mixed. Dose — One- 
 half of a teaspoon of it, and a spoon of sugar ; 
 Eut them into a tea-cup, and pour it half full of 
 oiling water ; let it stand a few minutes, then 
 fill the cup with hot water, and drink freely. 
 
 POWDERS, Condition.— B\a.cV. awtimony 4 
 ounces, flour of sulphur 2 ounces, bean flour or 
 .barley meal }^ of a lb. A tablespoonful to be 
 given with the feed. — 2. Sulphur 2 lbs., fenu- 
 greek 4 lbs., cream of tartar i lb., licorice l lb., 
 nitre i lb., black antimony 3^ of a lb., gentian 
 !^ of a lb., anisQed ^ of a lb., common salt I 
 lb. Dose — I ounce daily for 2 or 3 weeks. 
 
 POWDERS, Dover's. — Ipecacuanha in pow- 
 der I drachm, opium in powder i drachm, salt- 
 petre in powder I ounce. The above ingredi- 
 ents should be reduced to a very fine powder. 
 Dose — For an adult from 10 to 20 grains. 
 
 POWDER, Filtering.— YnWcx's, earth, puri- 
 fied and powdered, mixed with animal charcoal. 
 
 Used to filter oils, etc., and to render various 
 liquids whiter. 
 
 POWDERS, Lemonade.— White sugar 36 
 drachms, carbonate of soda 4 drachms, essence 
 of lemon 15 drops; divide into 12 blue papers. 
 In 12 white papers divide 6 drachms of tartaric 
 acid. Mix the first well in water, and add the 
 last. Each powder contains 3 drachms of su- 
 gar, 20 grains of soda, 2 drops of essence of 
 lemon, and 30 grains of acid. Pleasant refrig- 
 erant drink. 
 
 POWDER, Pearl, for the Complexion.— 
 Take pearl or bismuth white and French chalk, 
 equal parts. Reduce them to a fine powder, and 
 sift through lawn. 
 
 POWDER, Rose ivr^r^— Wheat starch 7 lbs., 
 rose pink i drachm, otto of rose 2 drachms, otto 
 of santal 2 drachms. 
 
 POWDERS, Seidlitz.—Skoz\ift\\e salts 2 drs., 
 bicarbonate of soda 2 scruples ; put these into a 
 blue paper, and put tartartic acid 35 grains into 
 a white paper. To use, put each into different 
 tumblers, fill ]^ with water, and put a little loaf 
 sugar in with the acid, then pour together and 
 drink. 
 
 POWDER, Tooth.— \. Take powdered char- 
 coal and white sugar of each i ounce ; Peruvian 
 bark %, an ounce, cream of tartar iJS^ drachms, 
 carnella 24 grains. Rub them well together and 
 pulverize in a mortar. The above powder will 
 cleanse the teeth, strengthen the gums, sweeten 
 the breath, and prevent the toothache. — 2. Take 
 pumice stone and cuttle-fish bone of each ^2 an 
 ounce, vitriolated tartar and mastic of each I 
 drachm, oil of rhodium 4 drops. Mix all into a 
 fine powder. — 3. (Antiseptic.) Prepared chalk 2 
 ounces, dry chloride of lime 10 grains, oil of . 
 cloves 5 drops. It may be colored, if preferred, 
 by a little levigated bole. — ^4. (Anti-scorbutic.) 
 Extract of rhatany yi ounce, prepared charcoal 
 
 2 ounces, cinnamon ^ ounce, cloves %. ounce. 
 — 5. (Rhatany.) Rhatany root 2 ounces, cuttle- 
 fish bone 4 ounces, prepared chalk 8 ounces, 
 borax I drachm. — 5. (Violet.) Orris root 2 
 ounces, cuttle-fish bone 4 ounces, precipitated^ 
 chalk 12 ounces, bicarbonate of soda yz ounce, 
 essence of violets I drachm, and rose pink 
 enough to give it a pale violet color. — 6. (Char- 
 coal. ) Prepared charcoal I ounce, sugar i ounce, 
 oil of cloves 3 drops. Mix. — 7. (Paste.) Pum- 
 ice stone \yi, ounce, alum yl drachm, bitartrate 
 of potash I ounce, cochmeal 2 scruples, bicar- 
 bonate of potash I drachm, orris i ounce, syrup 
 
 3 ounces, essence of lemon i drachm, oil of 
 cloves and essence of bergamotte of each I 
 drachm, otto of roses 8 drops. Mix. 
 
 QUININE, Substitute /^n— Signor Pavia 
 has extracted from the leaves and roots of the 
 box {Buxus sempervirens) an alkaloid, which he 
 calls buxina, that has been found most efficacious 
 in a large number of cases treated by 7 different 
 Italian physicians. It is in the severe intermit- 
 tent fevers that prevail in the marshy parts of 
 Italy that the new drug has been put to the test. 
 Out of 608 cases submitted to the new alkaloid, 
 535 were completely cured — nearly 80 per cent. 
 — enough to permit the claim for it as a specific 
 to be entertained. 
 
 In a single dose of 15 grains, sulphate of bux- 
 ine generally prevents the next paroxysm from 
 appearing. In a few cases it only diminishes 
 the intensity of the paroxysm. It is only in 
 rare cases that a second dose has had to be given. 
 
82 
 
 DICTIONARY OF E VERY-DAY WANTS. 
 
 The drug seems effectual in every type of dis- 
 ease attributed to marsh miasms. 
 
 RED RASPBERRY.— This is an astringent. 
 A tea made of the leaves is an excellent remedy 
 for the bowel complaints of children. A little 
 of the bark of slippery elm improves its efficacy. 
 It should also be given in the form of an injec- 
 tion. The tea is used as a wash and gargle ; and 
 if drank freely it has a good effect in a cancerous 
 state of the mouth, throat and stomach. 
 
 RED ERECIFITATE.— Quicksilver, ni- 
 tric acid, equal parts. Dissolve, decant, and 
 evaporate to dryness, in a sand heat, until it as- 
 sumes the proper color. 
 
 REMED Y for Drunkenness. — ^Tartar emetic 
 8 grains, and rose-water 4 ounces. Mix. Put 
 a tablespoonful into the whole quantity of liquor 
 drank each day by the patient, and let him take 
 it as usual. Be careful not to exceed a table- 
 spoonful or % an ounce. 
 
 REMED Yfor Gout and Rheumatism. — Gum 
 guaiacum i ounce, rhubarb in powder 2 drachms, 
 flour of sulphur 2 ounces, cream of tartar I 
 ounce, ginger powder i ounce. Make them into 
 an electuary with treacle. Dose — 2 teaspoonfuls 
 night and morning. 
 
 REVA LENTA A RABICA.— This article 
 for dyspepsia and constipation is what is some- 
 times called Ervalenta, and is said to be com- 
 pounded mainly from a species of lentil. A pop- 
 ular kind is made by taking lentil meal i part, 
 and Turkey millet flour 2 parts. It is some- 
 times prepared by mixing Indian meal and bean 
 flour, equal parts of each, with a little salt and 
 sugar, and mingling all together by passing it 
 through a sieve. This preparation (as an article 
 of food for dyspeptics) instead of being nutri- 
 tious, is only an irritant to the bowels, because 
 of the difficulty experienced in digesting the 
 lentil meal. 
 
 FINK, ROSE. — Take a strong decoction of 
 Brazil wood, to which add a little pearlash, and 
 then pour it over finely-sifted whiting, and re- 
 duce it to a thick paste ; then dry slowly. 
 
 ROOT, Alkanet. — This root gives a fine red 
 tinge to oils, fats, wax, turpentine, spirits, es- 
 sences, etc., and is used to color hair oil, poma- 
 tums, ointments, varnishes, etc. The spirituous 
 solution stains marble of a deep red ; wax tinged 
 with alkanet, and applied to warm marble, leaves 
 a flesh color, 
 
 ROOT, Gold Thread. — ^The root, chewed, is 
 good for canker, or other sore mouth ; and, pre- 
 
 ?ared by decoction, as a gargle in sore throat, 
 he tea is useful in cases of general debility and 
 loss of appetite. 
 
 ROOT, Golden Seal. — This is an admirable 
 remedy in case of dyspepsia. A half teaspoonful 
 of the powder, with a half teacupful of boiling 
 water, taken immediately after eating, when the 
 food distresses one, often gives relief. 
 
 ROOT, Rhubarb. — Rhubarb is generally cul- 
 tivated in our gardens for the sake of the stalks, 
 ■which are made into excellent pies ; the root, 
 however, is of great efficacy in some diseases. 
 6 to 10 grains are astringent and strengthening 
 to the stomach. In larger doses — from a scru- 
 ple to half a drachm — it is first purgative and 
 then astringent. It is, therefore, an excellent 
 medicine for diarrhea and dysentery, because it 
 evacuates any acrid matter that mav be offending 
 the bowels, before it acts as an astringent. 
 
 ROOT^ Yellow Dock.— This is one of the 
 
 most valuable remedies known in diseases of the 
 skin. The best preparation is to bruise the 
 fresh roots in a mortar, and add cream or fresh 
 butter enough to make an ointment ; and it may 
 also be taken internally at the same time, either 
 in decoction or combined with such articles as 
 are useful for the internal treatment of bad hu- 
 mors and scrofulous conditions of the system. 
 It is a certain and safe remedy for the trouble- 
 some disease known as the itch. 
 
 ROUGE. — Wash safflowers until the water 
 comes away colorless ; dry the flowers, powder 
 them, and digest in a weak solution of carbonate 
 of soda. Place some cotton wool at the bottom 
 of the vessel, then add white vinegar till it ceases 
 to produce a precipitate ; wash the wool in cold 
 water, dissolve the color in a fresh solution of 
 soda, add some finely powdered French chalk, 
 mix well, precipitate with vinegar as before, 
 dry the powder carefully, and triturate it with a 
 little olive oil, to render it smooth and adhesive. 
 — 2. Take I lb. of best Brazil wood, fine, and 
 of golden color, infuse 4 days in 4 quarts of best 
 white wine vinegar ; then boil them together for 
 I hour; strain through a linen cloth, and place 
 the liquid in i pint of white vinegar ; mix the 2 
 liquids and stir them v/ell together. The scum 
 which now arises should be carefully taken off, 
 and gradually dried and powdered. — 3. Mix ver- 
 milion with enough of gum tragacanth dissolved 
 in water to form a thin paste ; add a few drops 
 of almond oil, place the mixture in rouge pots, 
 and dry by a very gentle heat. — 4. Ti»ke I pint 
 of alcohol, and I ounce of alkanet ; macerate 10 
 days, and pour off the liquid, which should be 
 bottled. This is the simplest and one of the 
 best articles of the kind. — 5. Boil I ounce of 
 Brazil dust in 3 pints of distilled water, and then 
 strain ; add 6 drachms of isinglass, 2 drachms of 
 cochineal, I ounce of alum, and 8 drachms of 
 borax; boil again, and strain through a fine 
 cloth. 
 
 SACHET A LA FRANGIFANNE.— Orris 
 root powder 3 lbs., vitivert powder }{ of a lb., 
 sandalwood powder ^ of alb., otto of neroli I 
 drachm, otto of rose I drachm, otto of santal I 
 drachm, musk-pods, ground, i ounce. 
 
 SA CHE T HE Lid TR ORE.— Foddered or- 
 ris 2 lbs., rose leaves, ground, i lb., tonquin 
 beans ground l^ a lb., vanilla beans }{ of a lb., 
 grain musk % of an ounce, otto of almonds 5 
 drops. Well mixed by sifting in a coarse sieve, 
 it is readv for use. 
 
 SACHET ROSE.— Rose heels or leaves i 
 lb., sandalwood ground }4 lb., otto of roses ^ 
 of an ounce. 
 
 SALVE, Black. — Lard 24 parts, white oxide 
 of zinc 3 parts, Peruvian balsam 3 parts, nitrate 
 of silver (finely pulverized) I part. 
 
 SALVE, Brown. — Take of rosin 5 lbs., Bur- 
 gimdy pitch, beeswax and mutton tallow, each % 
 of a lb. ; oil of hemlock, balsam of fir, oil of 
 origanum, oil of red cedar, and Venice turpen- 
 tine, each I ounce; oil of wormwood yi an 
 ounce. Melt the first articles together, and then 
 add the oils, stirring well ; pour into cold water, 
 and work like wax until it is cool enough to 
 roll. 
 
 SALVE, Balm of Gilead.— Mutton tallow >(f 
 lb., balm of Gilean buds 2 ounces, white pine 
 gum I ounce, red precipitate l ounce, hard soap 
 I ounce, white sugar I tablespoon fi\l. Stew the 
 buds in the tallow until the strength is obtained. 
 
DRUGGIST AND CHEMIST. 
 
 83 
 
 and press out or strain ; scrape the soap, and 
 add it with the other articles to the tallow, using 
 sufficient unsalted butter or sweet oil to bring it 
 to a proper consistence to spread easily upon 
 cloth. When nearly cool, stir in the red pre- 
 cipitate, mixing thoroughly. 
 
 SALVE, Felon. — A salve made by burning I 
 tablespoonful of copperas, then pulverizing it 
 and mixing with the yelk of an egg, is said to 
 relieve the pain, and cure the felon in 24 hours ; 
 then heal with cream 2 parts, and soft soap I 
 part. Apply the healing salve daily after soak- 
 ing the part in warm water. 
 
 SALVE, Green Mountain. — Rosin $ lbs., 
 Burgundy pitch, beeswax, and mutton tallow, of 
 each % lb. ; oil of hemlock, balsam of fir, oil 
 of origanum, oil of red cedar, and Venice tur- 
 pentine, of each I ounce; oil of wormwood Yz 
 an ounce, verdigris very finely pulverized I 
 ounce ; raelt the first articles together, and add 
 the oils, having rubbed the verdigris up with a 
 little of the oils, and put it in with the other ar- 
 ticles, stirring well; then pour into cold water, 
 and work as wax until cool enough to roll. 
 
 SALVE, Conklitt's. — Rosin 4 lbs., beeswax. 
 Burgundy pitch, white pine turpentine and mut- 
 ton tallow, each % lb. ; camphor gum and bal- 
 sam of fir, of each ^^ of an ounce ; sweet oil i 
 ounce, and alcohol I pint. Melt, mix, roll out, 
 and use as other salves. 
 
 SALVE, Kitridge^s. — Bitter-sweet and sweet 
 elder roots of each I lb., hop vines and leaves. 
 and garden plantain, top and root, of each ^ 
 lb. ; tobacco, about 2 ounces. Boil all in rain 
 %vater to get out the strength ; then put the 
 herbs in a thick cloth, press out the juice, and 
 boil down carefully to one half a pint ; then add 
 unsalted butter I lb., beeswax and rosin of each 
 I ounce, and simmer over a slow fire until the 
 water is all out. 
 
 SALVE, LIP.—TzkQ I ounce of the oil of 
 almonds, % ounce of spermaceti, and % drachm 
 of prepared suet, with any simple vegetable col- 
 oring to fancy ; simmer these until thoroughly 
 mingled ; as soon as taken off the fire, stir into 
 the mixture 3 or 4 drops of tincture of capsicum, 
 and when nearly cold 5 or 6 drops of oil of rho- 
 dium. — 2. Butter of cocoa i ounce, oil of 
 almonds l ounce;; melt together with a gentle 
 heat, and add 6 drops of essence of lemon. — 3. 
 Put into an earthen pipkin i lb. of fresh butter, 
 1 lb. of fine yellow wax, i ounce of alkanet, and 
 3 bunches of black grapes ; boil together, and 
 strain without pressure, through linen. — 4. Of 
 almond oil, ^ lb., spermaceti and wax each 2 
 ounces, alkanet root 2 ounces, otto of roses I 
 drachm. Place the wax, sperm and oil on the 
 alkanet root, in a vessel heated by a steam or 
 water bath ; after the materials are melted, they 
 must digest on the alkanet, to extract its color, 
 for at least 4 or 5 hours ; finally, strain through 
 fine muslin, and then add the perfume just be- 
 fore it cools. 
 
 SALVE, Russia. — Take equal parts of yellow 
 wax and sweet oil, and melt slowly, at the same 
 time carefully stirring; when cooling, stir in a 
 small quantity of glycerine. Good for all kinds 
 of wounds, etc. 
 
 SARSAPARILLA, Decoction r^/:— Take 2 
 ounces of sarsaparilla root, sliced, and bruise it, 
 then add i ounce of guaiacum wood; boil over a 
 slow fire in 3 quarts of water till reduced to I 
 quart ; shortly before removing it from the 
 
 saucepan, add y^ an ounce of sassafras wood 
 and 3 drams of licorice ; afterward strain it. 
 
 SASSAFRAS. — It is an aromatic or pleasant 
 tonic. Sassafras, prickly ash, dogwood, and 
 American gentian, make as powerful and as 
 pleasant a bitter as the foreign gentian, Colombo, 
 Peruvian bark, cloves, and cinnamon, that we 
 buy at the drug store. 
 
 SHOW COLORS, for Druggists' Windows. 
 — A beautiful blue is obtained by dissolving a 
 few crystals of sulphate of copper in water, and 
 supersaturating the solution with ammonia. A 
 green color is obtained by dissolving nitrate or 
 chloride of nickel in water. Nitrate of cobalt 
 will give a rose color. Other tints may be se- 
 lected from the different aniline dyes, those sol- 
 uble in alcohol being preferable. They should 
 be renewed every 3 or 6 months, as they will 
 gradually lose their brightness. {^See page 68.) 
 
 S.4LTS, Inexhaustible for Smelling Bottles. 
 — Liquid ammonia I pint, otto of rosemary i 
 drachm, otto of English lavender I drachm, otto 
 of bergamotte ^ a drachm, otto of cloves % a 
 drachm. Mix the whole together with agitatioa 
 in a very strong and well-stoppered bottle. 
 
 This mixture is used by filling the smelling 
 bottles with any porous absorbent material, such 
 as asbestos, or, what is better, sponge cuttings, 
 that have been well beaten, washed and dried. 
 (^See page 71.) 
 
 SNUFF, Catarrh. — Scotch snuff I ounce, 
 chloride of lime dried and pulverized I rounding 
 teaspoonful ; mix and bottle, corking tightly. 
 
 SNUFF, Cephalic. — Dried asarbacca leaves 
 3 parts, marjoram I part, lavender flowers I 
 part ; rub together to a powder, 
 
 SPONGE, To Bleach. — Soak the sponge in 
 very dilute muriatic acid to remove calcareous 
 matter; then in cold water, changing it fre- 
 quently, and squeezing the sponge out each time. 
 Then soak it in water, holding a little sulphuric 
 or sulphurous acid, or chlorine in solution, and 
 changing the acid frequently till the sponge is 
 sufficiently bleached. Last, repeatedly wash and 
 soak in clean water, and scent with rose or or- 
 ange-flower water. 
 
 SPONGE TENT, To Prepare.— The old 
 way was by saturating the sponge with warm 
 melted wax, and compressing it until the wax 
 solidified, and then getting it into a suitable 
 shape. The method of Dr. Sympson, of Edin- 
 burg, is to saturate sponge, previously cleaned, 
 with thick gum mucilage, and then having put 
 an awl through its centre, a cord is forcily wound 
 round it so as to expel most of the mucilage, 
 and reduce the size of the sponge to a small di- 
 ameter ; it is then dried, the cord is removed, 
 and the outside of the tent rubbed down with 
 sand-paper to the proper shape. 
 
 Dr. H. Nott, of New York, prepares antisep- 
 tic sponge tent by saturating the prepared sponge 
 with an antiseptic paste composed of alum, ace- 
 tate of lead, wheat flour and gum water, heated 
 to the boiling point, and wrapped in goldbeater's 
 skin. It is then punctured with a small knife- 
 blade. 
 
 SPECIFIC for Dysentery.— Take I lb. of 
 gum Arabic, I ounce of gum tragacanth, dis- 
 solved in 2 quarts of soft water, and strained. 
 Then take i lb. of cloves, ^ a lb. of cinnamon, 
 and the same quantity of allsjiice, and boil in 2 
 quarts of soft water, and strain. Add it to the 
 gums, and boil all together over a moderate 
 
84 
 
 DICTIONARY OF EVERY-DAY WANTS. 
 
 fire, and stir into it 2 lbs. of loaf sugar. Strain 
 the whole again when you take it off, and when 
 it is cool add to it ^ a pint of sweet tincture of 
 rhubarb, and i^ pints of best brandy. Cork 
 it tight in bottles, as the gums will sour if ex- 
 posed ; if corked properly it will keep for years. 
 
 SYRUP, Cough. — Put I quart of horehound 
 to I quart of water, and boil it down to a pint; 
 add 2 or 3 sticks of licorice and a tablespoonful 
 of essence of lemon. Take a tablespoonful of 
 the syrup 3 times a day, or as often as the cough 
 may be troublesome. 
 
 SYRUP for Consumptives. — Take tamarack 
 bark, without rossing, (the moss may be brushed 
 off,) I peck, spikenard root ^ a lb., dandelion 
 root ^4 of a lb., hops 2 ounces. Boil these suf- 
 ficiently to get the strength in 2 or 3 gallons of 
 water; strain and boil down to i gallon; when 
 blood warm add 3 lbs. of honey and 3 pints of 
 the best brandy ; bottle, and keep in a very cool 
 place. Dose — A wine-glassful, of a little less, 
 as the stomach will bear, 3 or 4 times daily, be- 
 fore meals and at bed-time. 
 
 SYRUP, Hive. — Squill and seneka bruised 
 of each 4 ounces, tartrate of antimony and po- 
 tassa 48 grains, water 4 pints, sugar 3^ lbs. 
 Pour the water on the squill and seneka, and 
 boil to half the original quantity. Strain and 
 add the sugar; then evaporate to 3 pints, and, 
 while the syrup is still hot, dissolve in it the tar- 
 trate of antimony and potassa. 
 
 SYRUP, Soothing. — Take I lb. of honey, add 
 2 tablespoonfuls of paregoric, and the same of 
 oil of aniseseed, add enough water to make a 
 thick syrup, and bottle. Dose — For children 
 teething, a teaspoonful occasionally. 
 
 SYRUPUS, Stillingia Compound. — Queen's 
 root 2 lbs., root of Turkey-corn 2 lbs., blue flag 
 root I lb., elder flowers I lb., pipsissewa leaves 
 I lb., coriander seed ^ lb., prickly ash berries 
 % lb. Grind and mix the articles together ; 
 place the whole 8 lbs. in a convenient vessel, 
 cover them with 76 per cent, alcohol, and macer- 
 ate for 3 days. Then convey the whole to a dis- 
 placement apparatus, and gradually add alcohol 
 until 4 pints of the alcoholic tincture have been 
 obtained, which retain and set aside. Then 
 continue the percolation with water, and of this 
 second solution reserve so much as contains a 
 sensible amount of spirit, and distil or evaporate 
 the alcohol from it. Continue the displacement 
 by water until the solution obtained is almost 
 tasteless, and boil down this weaker infusion 
 until, when added to the second solution after 
 the evaporation of its alcohol, it will make 24 
 
 f)ints. To these 2 solutions combined add 24 
 bs. of refined sugar, and dissolve it by heat, 
 carefully removing any scum which arises as it 
 comes to the point of boiling ; and if it exceeds 
 28 pints, evaporate to that point with constant 
 stirring. Then remove from the fire, and when 
 nearly cold add the 4 pints of reserved alcoholic 
 tincture, and make 4 gallons of syrup, each pint 
 of which will be equal to 4 ounces of the ingre- 
 dients in medical virtue. 
 
 SYRUP of Tar. — Tincture of tar 2 ounces, 
 carbonate of magnesia i ounce, water a sufficient 
 quantity, sugar i lb. Rub the tincture with the 
 carbonate, add gradually |^ of a pint of water ; 
 then filler, and pour on water through the filter 
 to make the liquid measure ^ of a pint ; lastly, 
 add tlie sugar, and dissolve with the aid of gen- 
 tle heat. 
 
 SYRUPS for Mineral Waters.— \. Simple. 
 White sugar 10 lbs., water i gallon, best isin- 
 glass % of an ounce. Dissolve the isinglass in 
 hot water, and add it to the hot syrup. The 
 syrup is to be made with gentle heat, and then 
 strained. — 2. Lemon — a. Grate off the yellow 
 rind of lemons, and beat it up with a sufficient 
 quantity of granulated sugar. Express the lem- 
 on-juice, add to each pint of juice i pint of wa- 
 ter, and 3 lbs. of granulated sugar, including 
 that rubbed up with the rind ; warm until the 
 sugar is dissolved, and strain. — 3. Lemon — b. 
 Simple syrup l gallon, oil of lemon 25 drops, 
 citric acid 10 drachms. Rub the oil of lemon 
 with the acid, add a small portion of syrup, and 
 mix. — ^4. Strawberry — a. Strawberry juic» I 
 pint, simple syrup 3 pints, solution of citric acid 
 2 drachms. — 5. Strawberry — b. Fresh straw- 
 berries 5 quarts, white sugar 12 lbs., water i 
 pint. Sprinkle some of the sugar over the fruit 
 in layers, and allow the whole to stand for sev- 
 eral hours ; express the juice and strain, wash- 
 ing out the pulp with water ; add the remainder 
 of the sugar and water, bring the fluid to the 
 point of boiling, and then strain. This will keep 
 for a long time. — 6. Raspberry. Raspberry 
 iuice I pint, simple syrup 3 pints, solution of cit- 
 ric acid 2 drachms. Raspberry syrup may also 
 be made in a way similar to No. 5 for strawberry. 
 — 7. Vanilla. Fluid extract of vanilla i ounce. 
 Citric acid ^ of an ounce, simple syrnp I gal- 
 lon. Rub the acid with some of the syrup, add 
 the extract of vanilla, and mix. — 8. Vanilla 
 Cream. Fluid extract of vanilla i ounce, sim- 
 ple syrup 3 pints, cream or condensed milk I 
 pint ; may be colored with carmine. — 9. Cream, 
 Fresh cream i pint, fresh milk I pint, powdered 
 sugar I lb. Mix by shaking, and keep in a cool 
 place. The addition of a few grains of bicar- 
 bonate of soda will for some time retard souring. 
 10. Ginger. Tincture of ginger 2 fluid ounces, 
 simple syrup 4 pints. — il. Orange. Oil of or- 
 ange 30 drops, tartaric acid 4 drachms, simple 
 syrup I gallon. Rub the oil with the acid, and 
 mix. — 12. Pineapple. Oil of pineapple i drachm, 
 Tartaric acid l drachm, simple syrup 6 pints. — 
 13. Orgeat. Cream syrup I pint. Vanilla syrup 
 I pint, oil of bitter almonds 4 drops. — 14. A'ec- 
 tar. Vanilla syrup 5 pints, pineapple -syrup I 
 pint, strawberry, raspberry or lemon 2 pints. — 
 15. Sherbet. Vanilla syrup 3 pints, pineapple 
 syrup I pint, lemon syrup i pint. — 16. Crape. 
 Brandy ^ of a pint, spirits of lemon % of an 
 ounce, tincture of red sanders 2 ounces, simple 
 syrup I gallon. — 17. Banana. Oil of banana 2 
 drachms, tartaric acid I drachm, simple syrup 6 
 pints. — 18. Coffee. Coffee roasted ^ of a lb., 
 boiling water I gallon. Enough is filtered to 
 make about one-half gallon of the infusion, to 
 which add granulated sugar 7 lbs. — 19. IVild 
 Cherry- Wild cherry bark in coarse powder 5 
 ounces. Moisten the bark with water, and let 
 it stand for 24 hours in a close vessel. Then 
 pack it firmly in a percolator, and pour water 
 upon it until I pint of fluid is obtained. To this 
 add 28 ounces of sugar. — 20. II intergreen. 
 Oil of wintergreen 25 drops, simple syrup 5 
 pints, and a sufficient quantity of burnt sugar to 
 color. — 21. Sarsaparilla — a. Oil wintergreen IC 
 drops, oil of anise 10 drops, oil of sassafras 10 
 drops, fluid extract of sarsaparilla 2 ounces, sim- 
 ple syrup 5 pints, powdered extract of licorice I 
 ounce. — 22. Sarsaparilla — b. Simple syrup 4 
 
DRUGGIST AND CHEMIST. 
 
 85 
 
 pjuts, compound syrup of sarsaparilla 4 
 ounces, caramel ih^ ounces, oil of winterj 
 
 fluid 
 1^-5 uuin,cb, uii yii. >vintergreen 
 6 drops, oil of sassafras 6 drops. — 23. Maple. 
 Maple sugar 4 lbs., water 2 pints. — 24. Choco- 
 late, Best chocolate 8 ounces, water 2 pints, 
 white sugar 4 pounds. Mix the chocolate in 
 water, and stir thoroughly over a slow fire. 
 Strain, and add the sugar. — 25. Coffee Cteam. 
 Coffee syrup 2 pints, cream i pint. — 26. Am- 
 brosia. Raspberry syrup 2 pints, vanilla syrup 
 2 pints, hock wine 4 ounces. — 27. Hock and 
 Claret. Hock or claret wine I pint, simple 
 sjTup 2 pints. — 28. Solferino. Brandy I pint, 
 simple syrup 2 pints. — 29. Fruit Acid (used in 
 some of the syrups.) Citric acid 4 ounces, wa- 
 ter 8 ounces. ^lost of the syrups not made 
 from fruits may have a little gum Arabic added 
 in order to produce a rich froth. 
 
 SWEET FERN. — Sweet fern grows in the 
 woods and in stony places, flowers from June to 
 October, and is well known. It is a powerful 
 medicine to expel the tapeworm, in the dose of 
 a pint a day of the decoction, or i or 2 teaspoon- 
 fals of the powder, to be followed on the fifth 
 day by a dose of some kind of physic. It is 
 also good in chronic rheumatism, and a wash of 
 it is considered beneficial in St. Anthony's fire, 
 and other cutaneous affections. 
 
 TAA'NIN, Purification of. — In order to free 
 commercial tannin from the peculiar odor which 
 it derives from a greenish-colored resin, Deinz 
 recommends to dissolve 6 parts of it in 12 parts 
 of hot water in a porcelain mortar, to pour the 
 fluid into a bottle, and after the addition of ^2 to 
 I part of ether, to shake it vigorously. The 
 mixture appears cloudy and very greenish, but 
 becomes clear after a few hours' standing, v.-hile 
 the resinous coloring matter separates in flakes 
 of coagulated albumen. The fluid is then fil- 
 tered, and the filtrate evaporated to dryness. 
 Tannin treated in this way is colorless, and 
 forms a perfectly clear solution. 
 
 TINCTURE of C,7«//wr/y<-j.— Cantharides 
 bruised y^ an ounce, proof spirit 2 pints. Ma- 
 cerate 6 or 7 days, express and strain. Stimu- 
 lant, diuretic, and must be used with caution. 
 Dose — 10 drops, gradually increased to i drachm, 
 given in any mucilaginous fluid. Externally 
 used, combined with compound camphor lini- 
 ment, as a rubefacient in rheumatism, frost-bites 
 or unbroken chilblains. An ingredient in reme- 
 dies for baldness. 
 
 _ TINCTURE, C/wA-ra.— Select the thinnest 
 cinnamon bark, cloves, guaiac, all pulverized, of 
 each I ounce ; very best brandy i quart. ^lix, 
 and shake occasionally for a week or two. Dose 
 — ^Teaspoonful to tablespoonful for an adult, ac- 
 cording to the condition and robustness of the 
 system. It may be repeated at intervals of I to 
 4 hours, if necessary, or much more often, ac- 
 cording to the condition of the bowels. — 2. Sul- 
 phuric ether 2 ounces, and put into it castor and 
 gentian, of each ^4 of an ounce ; opium and 
 agaric eacn I drachm, gum camphor 3_^ of an 
 ounce; let them stand 2 days, then add i quart 
 of alcohol, and let it stand 14 days, when it is 
 ready for use. Dose — I teaspoonful every 15 or 
 20 minutes, according to the urgency of the 
 case. 
 
 TINCTURE, Diarrhea. — Compound tinc- 
 ture of myrrh 6 ounces, tincture of rhubarb and 
 spirits of lavender of each 5 ounces, tincture of 
 opium 3 ounces/ oils of anise and cinnamon. 
 
 with gum camphor and tartaric acid, of each % 
 of an ounce. Mix. Dose — I teaspoonful in 
 half a tea-cupful of warm water, sweetened with 
 loaf sugar ; repeat after each passage. 
 
 TIN^CTURE, Gout. — Veratrum viride (swamp 
 hellebore) l ounce, opium ^ of an ounce, wine 
 
 1 pint ; let them stand for several days. Dose 
 — 15 to 30 drops, according to the robustness of 
 the patient, at intervals of 2 to 4 hours. 
 
 TINCTURE {S'weet) of Rhubarb.— Take 
 of rhubarb bruised 2 ounces, licorice root bruised 
 
 2 ounces, aniseed bruised I ounce, sugar i 
 ounce, diluted alcohol 2 pints. Macerate for 14 
 davs, express and filter. 
 
 'tincture of J/«j/&.— Powdered musk I 
 ounce, civet 30 grains, otto of roses 25 drops, 
 oil of cloves 10 drops, alcohol 4 pints. Digest. 
 
 TINCTURE of Opium. — Opium 3 ounces, 
 proof spirit 2 pints. Macerate for 7 days, ex- 
 press and strain. Dose : From 2 drops to i or 
 
 2 drachms. I grain of opium is contained in 19 
 drops. 
 
 TINCTURE of Pearls {for the Complexion.) 
 Blanched almonds I lb., acetate of lead 4 ounces, 
 water 7 pints. Reduce them to a milk and then 
 strain ; add spirit 3 pints, essence of neroli and 
 essence of lavender each I drachm. This is 
 used for removing freckles. 
 
 TINCTURES for the Teeth.— \. Camphor 
 4 ounces, myrrh 2 ounces, rectified spirits 36 
 fluid ounces, distilled water 8 ounces. — 2. Spirit 
 of nutmegs I drachm, tincture of rhatany 2 
 drachms, compound tincture of cardamons 3 
 drachms, compound spirit of lavender and spirit 
 of cinnamon of each I drachm, otto of roses 3 
 drops. Mix. — {Myrrh.') Choice Turkey myrrh 
 
 3 ounces, eau de Cologne i quart. Digest for 
 7 days, and then filter. — ^4. {Myrrh and Borax.) 
 Take spirits of wine I quart, borax I ounce, 
 honey I ounce, gum myrrh i ounce, red sanders 
 wood I ounce. Rub the honey and borax well 
 together in a mortar, then gradually add the 
 proof spirit, the myrrh and sanders wood, and 
 macerate for 14 days. 
 
 VACCINE VIRUS, To A'^^'/.— Immerse it 
 in the fresh state in glycerine, of which the best 
 quality only should be used. It should be kept 
 in a cool place, and never at a temperature higher 
 than 84" Fahrenheit. 
 
 VERMIFUGE {Swain's.)— Qi wormseed 2 
 ounces, valerian, rhubarb, pink-root, white aga- 
 ric, of each i ounce ; boil in sufficient water to 
 yield 3 quarts of decoction, and add to it 30 
 drops of oil of tansy, and 45 drops of oil of 
 cloves, dissolved in a quart of rectified spirits. 
 Dose: I tablespoonful at night. — 2. {Fahnes- 
 tock's. ) Castor oil I ounce, oil of wormseed I 
 ounce, oil of anise i ounce, tincture of myrrh I 
 oil of turpentine 10 minims. Mix. 
 
 VINEGAR, Toilet— \. {Aromatic.) Acetic 
 acid I pint, camphor 2 ounces, oil of lavender I 
 drachm, oil of cinnamon 20 drops, oil of cloves 
 and oil of rosemary each 30 drops ; mix thor- 
 oughly. To be used as a reviving perfume in 
 fainting, etc. As it is corrosive it should not be 
 allowed to come in contact with the skin or the 
 clothes. — 2. {Henrfs.) Dried leaves of rose- 
 mary, rue, wormwood, sage, mint, and lavender 
 flowers, each i ounce ; bruised nutmeg, cloves, 
 angelica root, and camphor, each i ounce ; alco- 
 hol, 4 ounces, concentrated acetic acid 16 ounces. 
 Macerate the materials for a day in the spirit, 
 then add the acid, and digest for a week longer 
 
85 
 
 DICTIONARY OF EVERY-DAY WANTS. 
 
 at a temperature of about 14 or 15" C. Finally, 
 press out the new aromatized acid, and filter it. 
 WATER, Carlsbad, (^Artificial.)— Yi^^ao- 
 chlorate of lime 8 grains, tincture of sesqui- 
 chloride of iron i drop, sulphate of soda 50 
 grains, carbonate of soda 60 grains, hydrochlo- 
 ride of soda 8 grains, carbonated water l pint. 
 IVATER, Cologne. — I. The recipes for Co- 
 logne water are innumerable ; the quality of the 
 preparation depends altogether on the purity of 
 the oils, and greatly on the quality of the alco- 
 hol. {First Quality.) — Pure alcohol 6 gallons, 
 oil of neroli 4 ounces, oil of rosemary 2 ounces, 
 oil of orange 5 ounces, oil of citron 5 ounces, 
 oil of bergamotte 2 ounces. Mix with agitation, 
 and then allow it to stand for a few days per- 
 fectly quiet before bottling. — 2. {Second Quality) 
 Pure alcohol 6 gallons, oil of neroli 2 ounces, 
 oil of rosemary 2 ounces, oil of orange peel 4 
 ounces, oil of lemon 4 ounces, oil of bergamotte 
 4 ounces. To be treated in the same manner as 
 the first. 
 
 WATER, Congress. — ^Take of supercarbon- 
 ate of soda 2 drachms, Epsom salts l drachm, 
 table salt i drachm, well water (soft) i quart ; 
 mix the powders in a black bottle, and pour on 
 the water ; then add of tartaric acid l drachm 
 to each bottle, and cork tight immediately. Fit 
 for use in 12 hours. 
 
 WATER, Congress {/or Fountains.) — Com- 
 mon salt 7^ ounces, hydrate of soda 20 grains, 
 bicarbonate of soda 20 grains, calcined magnesia 
 I ounce. Add to 10 gallons of water, and then 
 charge with gas. 
 
 WATER, Eye.—l. Soft water I pint, gum 
 Arabic I ounce, white vitriol i ounce, fine salt 
 ^ of a teaspoonful ; put all into a bottle and 
 shake until dissolved. Put into the eye just as 
 you retire to bed. — 2. Take i pint of rose-water, 
 and add i teaspoonful each of spirits of camphor 
 and laudanum. Mix and bottle. To be shaken 
 and applied to the eyes as often as necessary. — 
 3. Sulphate of copper 15 grains, French bole 15 
 grains, camphor 4 grains, boiling water 4 ounces. 
 Infuse, strain, and dilute with 2 quarts of cold 
 water. 
 
 WATER, Florida.. — Take oil of bergamotte 
 3 ounces, oil of cinnamon 4 drachms, tincture of 
 benzoin 2 ounces, alcohol 30 per cent. Baume I 
 gallon. Mix and filter. 
 
 WA TER, Goulard. — Extract lead I drachm, 
 and of distilled vinegar 2 ounces, proof spirit 
 of wine ^ of an ounce, water i pint. Mix 
 these ingredients together. 
 
 WATER, Honey. — Rectified spirits 8 pints, 
 oil of cloves, oil of lavender, oil of bergamotte, 
 each 3^ of an ounce ; musk 8 grains, yellow 
 Sanders shavings 4 ounces; digest for 8 days, 
 and add 2 pints each of orange flower and rose- 
 water. . 
 
 JVA TER, Hungary. — ^Take oil of rosemary 2 
 ounces, of balm and lemon peel of each I ounce, 
 mint 30 drops, essence of orange flowers and es- 
 sence of roses of each i pint, alcohol i gallon. 
 WATER, Kissingen, {for Fountains.) — Bi- 
 carbonate of soda I drachm, carbonate of lime 2 
 drachms and 2 scruples, precipitated carbonate 
 of lime 2 scruples, common salt 8 ounces, muri- 
 ate of ammonia 4 grains, sulphate of soda 2 
 drachms and 2 scruples, sulphate of magnesia 2 
 ounces, phosphate of soda 13 grains, phosphate 
 of lime 2 drachms and 2 scruples. Mix. Add 
 water ^^ of a gallon. Let it stand for 6 hours, 
 
 filter, add carbonate of magnesia 3 drachms and 
 I scruple, and charge with 10 gallons of water. 
 WATER, Lavender. — I. Oil of lavender 4 
 ounces, proof spirit 3 quarts, rose water i pint. 
 Mix and filter. — 2. {Odoriferous.) — Oil of lav- 
 ender 3 drachms, oil of bergamotte 20 drops, 
 oil of neroli 6 drops, otto of rose 6 drops, es- 
 sence of cedrat 8 drops, essence of musk 20 
 drops, rectified spirit 28 fluid ounces, distilled 
 water 4 ounces. 
 
 WA TER, Livie.—UmG % of a lb., distilled 
 water 12 pints. Slake the lime with a httle wa- 
 ter, add the remaining water, and shake: set 
 the covered vessel aside for 3 hours, keep the 
 liquor and lime in stopped glass vessels, and 
 when it is required decant the clear portion for 
 use. Antacid, lithontriptic. Allays obstinate 
 vomiting, is used as an astringent in dysentery, 
 and, with sarsaparilla, as an alterative in cuta- 
 neous diseases or impaired digestion. Dose — 
 I to 3 ounces, combined with an equal quantity 
 of milk. 
 
 WATER, Rose. — Otto of roses 12 drops, 
 white sugar l ounce, magnesia 2 drachms, pure 
 soft water i quart, alcohol 2 ounces. Rut the 
 otto of roses with the sugar and magnesia, and 
 gradually add the water and alcohol, previously 
 mixed, and filter the whole through paper. 
 
 WA TER, Vichy {for Fountains) — Sulphate 
 of potass 2 drachms, sulphate of soda 4 scru- 
 ples, phosphate of soda 25 grains, common salt 
 6 drachms, bicarbonate of soda 5 ounces, car- 
 bonate of ammonia 10 grains. Mix. Add wa- 
 ter I gallon. Let it stand i day, filler, and then 
 change with 10 gallons of water. 
 
 WASH BALL, Perfumed.— IzSa^ of the best 
 white soap, shaved into slices, 3 ounces; of Flo- 
 rentine orris I ounce, of calamus aromaticus the 
 same, of elder-flowers, cloves and dried rose- 
 leaves, each I ounce ; corriander seeds, lavender, 
 and bay leaves, each i drachm; with 3 drachms 
 of storax. Reduce the whole to a fine powder, 
 which knead into a paste with the scrap, adding 
 a few grains of soap or ambergris. A\'hen you 
 rnake this paste into washballs, soften it with a 
 little oil of almonds to render the composition 
 more lenient. This soap has excellent cleansing 
 and cosmetic properties. 
 
 WAFERS, Bryan's Pulmonic— Takft white 
 sugar 7 lbs., tincture of syrup of ipecac 4 ounces, 
 antimonial wine 2 ounces, morphine 10 grains, 
 dissolved in a tablespoonful of water, with 10 or 
 15 drops of sulphuric acid; tincture of blood 
 root I ounce, syrup of tolu 2 ounces; add these 
 to the sugar, and mix the whole mass as confec- 
 tioners do for lozenges, and cut into lozenges the 
 ordinary size. 
 
 WINTERGREEN. — It is useful in spas- 
 modic asthma, in urinary, and in female weak- 
 nesses. It relieves cramp from wind in the 
 stomach ; and the juice, boiled with sweet oil, 
 wax and turpentine, makes a salve which is used 
 to heal wounds. 
 
 WITCH HAZEL.— K tea of the leaves and 
 bark is useful to wash putrid sores ; and it will 
 also remove that diseased or dead substance 
 known as "proud flesh." For this purpose a 
 poultice should be made of a strong inmsion and 
 applied to the sore, or it may be washed gently 
 with the tea. 
 
 WRIGHl 'S CURE for Inflavwratory Rheu- 
 maiistn. — Sulphur and saltpetre of each i ounce, 
 gum guaiac i ounce, colchicum root, or seed. 
 
DOMESTIC ANIMALS— CATTLE. 
 
 87 
 
 and nutmegs, of each % of an ounce all to be 
 
 f)ulverized and mixed with simple syrup, or mo- 
 asses, 2 ounces. Dose — I teaspoonful every 2 
 hours until it moves the bowels rather freely ; 
 then 3 or 4 times daily until cured. 
 
 iVORMi,EED {Oak of yerttsalem.)—Th\% is 
 a vermifuge or anthelmintic medicine, that is 
 good to destroy worms. A tablespoonful of the 
 
 juice of the plant expressed or squeezed out is a 
 dose. The seed may be boiled in milk ; give a 
 wineglassful. Or l or 2 teaspoonfuls oi the seed 
 itself may be mixed with molasses or honey, 
 and given to a child 2 or 3 years old, on an 
 empty stomach, twice a day and continued sev- 
 eral days. This is very highly prized for bowel 
 complaints. 
 
 DOMESTIC ANIMALS. 
 
 ANIMALS, Effects of Kindness <w.— The 
 law that is to usher in the advent of the Golden 
 Age is the law of kindness — the law of love be- 
 tween man and man. If this law, or even a 
 portion of it, be applied by man to the govern- 
 ment, or rather the directing of the so-called 
 "brute" creation, it will be wonderful how eas- 
 ily they can be brought under subjection and 
 control. The efficacy of the soothing word, the 
 gentle touch, has only to be honestly tried to be 
 fully appreciated. It may be set down as a fixed 
 fact that whenever a horse or a cow or an ox is 
 timid and shy — will not allow a person to ap- 
 proach or handle, unless it is so situated that it 
 cannot escape — a wrong system of treatment 
 has been pursued. The animals of the farmer 
 are naturally disposed to be docile and affection- 
 ate. They recognize the voice and hand of a 
 friend almost as soon as a human being would, 
 and manifest their affection in a variety of ways, 
 which none but the kind master or keeper will 
 observe. Have you not seen teamsters who 
 could manage their teams by a soft word far bet- 
 ter than others could do by blows and harsh 
 words ? I have. Have you not seen a milk- 
 maid approach a cow with a bucket without the 
 slightest evidence of a disposition on the part of 
 tlie animal to evade her ? And have you not 
 seen the same cow make every effort to escape 
 from the next milkmaid who approaches her ? 
 I have, and the reason was that the first had al- 
 ways treated her kindly and gently, while the 
 latter had pursued the opposite method. Ani 
 mals almost invariably partake of the character 
 of their masters. The kind, gentle and consid- 
 erate master will generally have kind, gentle 
 animals; while the rude, impetuous and cruel 
 master will rarely fail to have animals whose 
 dispositions will mate with his own. Is not 
 gentleness the true method ? I think so. God 
 has given those poor brutes for our use ; they 
 minister to our wants, are patient and uncom- 
 plaining, and certainly deserve such treatment 
 at our hands as will show that we properly ap- 
 preciate the kindness of the Almighty in giving 
 them to us for the purpose of adding to our 
 comfort. 
 
 CATTLE. 
 
 CA TTLE,AGE OF, How to Te/l.— The age 
 of the ox or cow is told chiefly by the teeth, and 
 less perfectly by the horns. The temporary 
 teeth are in part through at birth, and all the in- 
 cisors are through in 20 days ; the first, second, 
 and third pairs of molars are through in 30 
 
 days ; the teeth have grown large enough to 
 touch each other by the sixth month ; they grad- 
 ually wear and fall in 18 months ; the fourth 
 permanent molars are through at the fourth 
 month ; the fifth at the fifteenth month ; the 
 sixth at 2 years. The temporary teeth begin to 
 fall at 21 months, and are entirely replaced by 
 the thirty-ninth to the forty-fifth month. The 
 development is quite complete at from 5 to 6 
 years. At that time the border of the incisors 
 has been worn away a little below the level of 
 the grinders. At 6 years the first grinders are 
 beginning to wear, and are on a level with the 
 incisors. At 8 years the wear of the first grind- 
 ers is very apparent. At 10 or II years, used 
 surfaces of the teeth bear a square mark, sur- 
 rounded by a white line ; and this is perceived 
 on all the teeth by the twelfth year ; between 
 the twelfth and the fourteenth year, this mark 
 takes a round form. The rings on the horns 
 are less useful as guides. At 10 or 12 months 
 the first ring appears ; at 20 months to 2 years 
 the second ; at 30 to 32 months the third ; at 40 
 to 46 months the fourth ; at 54 to 60 months the 
 fifth ring, and so on. But, at the fifth year, the 
 3 first rings are indistinguishable, and at the 
 eighth year all the rings ; beside, the dealers 
 file the horns. 
 
 CA TTLE, BREACHY.—'Yo prevent bore a 
 hole through each end of the board, where they 
 will exactly fit the horns without stretching or 
 pressing. Let the holes be small enough not to 
 go too far down on the horns. Leave about an 
 inch of the horn sticking through the board,; 
 drill a small hole through it, large enough to 
 admit a horse-nail as a key. The board, reach- 
 ing from this cross-piece to the nose, may be 
 screwed fast to it ; there will be play enough on 
 the horns to give the necessary swing. If nails 
 are used, which is seldom necessary, they should 
 be very smoothly blunted. 
 
 CATTLE, Catarrh m.— Malignant catarrh, 
 or coryza, has been confounded with the cattle 
 plague or rinderpest, in some points of which 
 there is a resemblance. Symptoms. — In first 
 stage a shivering fit may be observed ; dullness, 
 head held low, ears pendulous, the visible mem- 
 branes of which are of a bluish-red color and 
 dry; eyes closed and swollen, tears flow, and 
 light cannot be endured; muzzle dry and hot, 
 saliva discharged abundantly ; painful cough, 
 pulse frequent and full, heart's action feeble, 
 bowels costive, feces black and l»ard, but after 
 a short time diarrhea ensues ; urine scanty, of- 
 fensive, and of a high color ; is tliirsty, but eats 
 
88 
 
 DICTIONARY OF E VERY-DAY WANTS. 
 
 eats nothing. The second stage occurs within 
 l8 or 24 hours from the appearance of the first 
 signs of disturbance, and is denoted by a very 
 marked change in the character of the discharges. 
 The membranes of the eyes and nose now fur- 
 nish a purulent secretion, having an admixture 
 of blood and ichor, which irritates and makes 
 sore the skin over which it flows. Within the 
 sinuses of the head large accumulations of pus 
 occur, and when the bones over them are tapped 
 by the fingers (percussed) a dull sound is emit- 
 ted. If the mouth is opened, red patches will 
 be observed, which in some places will have 
 fallen off, exposing a foul ulcer beneath, and the 
 membranes are now of a deeper purple hue, and 
 the breath fetid. The animal is lame, and expe- 
 riences great pain when urine or dung is dis- 
 charged. Pregnant animals are almost sure 'to 
 cast their young (abort.) In the third stage 
 great prostration is evident. Sloughing of mem- 
 branes extensive, and probably the horns and 
 hoofs have come off. The pulse has become 
 imperceptible, and convulsions ensue, with gen- 
 eral coldness. The. thermometer indicates a 
 rapid and unusual fall, 90 to 95' F. being the 
 amount of heat that can be registered at the rec- 
 tum. Sometimes ulceration of the cornea is ef- 
 fected before death, and the contents of the eye- 
 ball discharged, giving rise to a great amount of 
 additional pain. Duration. — From 4 to 9 or 11 
 days. Treatment. — Remove the animal from 
 the pasture, and place it in a comfortable, cool 
 place, with good bedding. Cooling or evapo- 
 rating lotions, water, etc., should be constantly 
 applied to the head. Injections of warm water 
 should be thrown up. The following laxative 
 drink may be administered : 
 
 Take of Epsom salts 12 oz., ground ginger 2 
 oz., treacle ^ lb., and warm ale 1% pts. Mix 
 and give to a 2-year old beast ; ^ for I year 
 old ; ^ at 6 months, and % for lesser animals, 
 as calves, sheep, and large pigs. 2 or 4 drs. of 
 nitre in water may be given 3 or 4 times a day. 
 Solutions of carbolic acid, or sulphurous acid 
 gas and chlorine in water, should be used for the 
 purpose of dressing the wounds and cleansing 
 the points of discharge, etc. It may also be 
 necessary to open the sinuses and sponge them, 
 using the same solutions. 
 
 CATTLE, CHOKED, To Relieve.~ln 
 choking, the accumulation of gas (chiefly sul- 
 phuretted hydrogen) is the cause of the animal's 
 death. This gas can be decomposed by the 
 forcing of chloride of lime down the animal's 
 throat. A strong solution of salt and water will 
 also effect the same object. Another mode of 
 relief is to force the animal to jump over the 
 bars of a gate or fence, as high as she will jump, 
 and when she touches ground on the opposite 
 side the obstruction will be ejected. Another 
 plan is to take a loaded gun, slip up by the side 
 of the animal, place the muzzle directly between 
 the horns, about 3 inches forward of them, and 
 discharge the piece. A sudden spring of the 
 animal backward results, and the obstruction is 
 removed. And yet another is to use 4 or 5 feet 
 of % rubber hose, and push the obstruction 
 down. 
 
 CA TTLE, BLACK' LEG /JV.— This can be 
 cured by thoroughly washing the diseased leg in 
 strong soap suds ; rub till dry ; then scrape the 
 knots with a dull knife ; then take I ounce of 
 vitriol and dissolve in strong vinegar, after 
 
 which the leg must be very thoroughly bathed 
 and dried. 
 
 CA TTLE, Feeding and Care of. — The two 
 great points in the feeding of cattle are regular- 
 ity and a particular care to the weaker individu- 
 als. On this last account there ought to be 
 plenty of rack or trough room, that too many 
 may not feed together; in which very common 
 case the weaker are not only trampled down by 
 the stronger, but they are worried, cowed and 
 spiritless ; than which there cannot be a more 
 unfavorable state for thrift ; beside, they are 
 ever compelled to shift with the worst of the 
 fodder. To prevent this the weaker animals 
 should be kept and fed apart. The barn or sta- 
 ble should be kept warm in winter. During 
 the winter months, whenever the sun shines, 
 turn them into the yard, and they will soon find 
 the sunny side, and begin to stretch themselves 
 and show increased comfort. A good plan is to 
 feed them meal or roots early in the morning, 
 without any hay, and turn them out a little after 
 sunrise, and then feed hay, either in the yard or 
 at the adjoining stack, putting them back in the 
 Stalls as early as 4 P. M., stormy or extreme cold 
 weather excepted, when they should be kept 
 comfortably housed the most of the time. In 
 Fattening, the farmer should remember that it 
 does not pay to feed grain to a poor creature — 
 one that does not take on flesh rapidly. This 
 kind of stock should at once be disposed of for 
 what it will bring. The next important point is 
 to feed plentifully, without stint, and to do this 
 regularly and not too often, as the stock will eat 
 and lie down and ruminate. 
 
 CA TTLE, Film on Eyes of. — To remove it 
 apply clean lard, warm or cold, which ever way 
 it can be got into the eye best. Its application 
 will cause no pain, and should be applied until 
 the film is removed. Another method is to ap- 
 ply powdered sugar. 
 
 CA TTLE, Foot and Mouth Disease in. — On 
 the first indication of this disease, the affected 
 cattle should at once be separated from the 
 healthy, so as to secure against the spreading of 
 the disorder. Next make a mixture composed 
 of 5 lbs. of alum to 12 gals, of soft water, 4 
 qts. of salt, and a small quantity of tar, and 
 with a sponge or rag wash the inside of the 
 mouths thoroughly of those not affected. Next 
 bathe the lower portion of the legs with suds 
 formed from carbolic disinfecting soap, to which 
 is added i qt. of salt to about I gal. suds. Re- 
 peat the bathing and washing once a day for 7 
 days. Tlie affected animals should be treated 
 in the same manner, with the exception of wash- 
 ing the inside of the mouth twice a day — once 
 with the mixture given above, and once with 
 wormwood steeped in vinegar. To the division 
 of the hoof apply suds at first, and afterwards 
 apply a mixture of pitch and tar. The buildings 
 should be thoroughly disinfected by carbolic 
 acid, chloride of lime, and other disinfectants, 
 and if the cattle themselves be treated with the 
 fumes of burning sulphur, it will help to prevent 
 further infection, for which purpose drop small 
 pieces of brimstone upon live coals, contained in 
 suitable metallic vessels, (so as to avoid all risk 
 of communicating fire,) and allow the fumes to 
 mingle with the air of^ the lean-to, or building 
 containing the cattle, and to penetrate the coats 
 of the beasts, and to be inhaled to such extent 
 as can be borne by the attendant without serious 
 
DOMESTIC ANIMALS^CATTLE. 
 
 89 
 
 discomfort. Let this be regularly repeated, 
 daily or twice daily while the danger continues, 
 using from I to 2 ounces each time, according to 
 the extent of the danger. Finally, the animals 
 should be kept in a dry, comfortable jilace, suit- 
 ably ventilated, and receive good nursing, inclu- 
 ding the utmost cleanliness. No bleeding must 
 be allowed, nor should active purgatives be given 
 them. If unable to take their usual food, their 
 strength should be sustained by giving mashes 
 of coarse-ground wheat, with bran or other sim- 
 ilar diet. 
 
 CATTLE, 'HOOF ROT IN.—Yor a cure, 
 take I teacupful of sharp cider vinegar, l^ ta- 
 blespoonfuls of copperas, ij^ tablespoonfuls of 
 salt. Dissolve gradually on the hot stove, but 
 do not let it boil. ^Vhen cool, apply it on the 
 affected limb and hoof, and also swab out the 
 mouth of the animal with the mixture. 2 or 3 
 applications generally effects a cure. This prep- 
 aration can be used in the foot and mouth dis- 
 ease in connection with the above treatment. 
 
 CATTLE, Hoven or Bloat in.— A certain 
 remedy for this is to take a pail of water, fresh 
 from the stream, and pour it from a jug forward 
 cf the hip bones, rubbing it on with the hands. 
 It will be found that the bloat will at once com- 
 mence to go down, and by applying 2 or 3 more 
 pailsful complete restoration will result. 
 
 CATTLE, LICE ON, To Destroy.— \. 
 Camphor dissolved in spirits is an effectual rem- 
 edy. — 2. I part lard and 2 parts coal oil, melted 
 together and applied, will kill lice without fail. 
 — 3. A strong brine, thickened with soft soap, 
 will also kill. — 4. 2 or 3 applications of kerosene 
 oil, appHed by carding the animal, and dipping 
 the teeth of the card in the oil, is convenient, 
 harmless and effectual. — 5. Feeding onions to 
 the animal will make the lice travel in from 10 
 to 15 hours. 
 
 CA TTLE, MANGE /iV.— This is caused 
 by improper treatment of the animal through the 
 winter, rendering it debilitated and unable to 
 support the change when the grass comes on. 
 Nature, overloaded, will relieve herself by this 
 eruption on the skin, which, once introduced, 
 will quickly spread through an entire dairy. 
 The treatment required is proper attention to 
 cleanliness, food, drink, and plenty of sun- 
 light. 
 
 CATTLE PLAGCrE.— Chloride of copper 
 is now. extensively used in Germany as a pre- 
 ventive against the cattle plague. The mode of 
 administering the specific is as follows : A solu- 
 tion is first made by dissolving ^( of an oz. of 
 the green crystallized salts in spirits of wine. In 
 this solution a pad of cotton is soaked for a lit- 
 tle while, and is then laid on a plate and set on 
 fire in the centre of the stable, the animals' 
 heads being turned toward the flame, so as to 
 make them breathe the fumes. The operation 
 is performed morning and evening, and a spirit 
 lamp filled with the solution left burning in the 
 stable every night. The liquid is also adminis- 
 tered internally, with the addition of % an oz. 
 of chloroform for the above quantity, a teaspoon- 
 ful being put into the animal's drink 3 times a 
 day. 
 
 CA TTLE'S HORNS, Sawing Off.—K cel- 
 ebrated professor of a London Veterinary Col- 
 lege has said, concerning this practice : I con- 
 sider this to be a very gross act of cruelty, and 
 for this reason — that the horns of oxen are very 
 
 unlike those of the deer species. They have a 
 large proportion of bone growing out from the 
 bone of the head, and that is surrounded by a 
 heavy sensitive structure, so that, to cut the an- 
 imal's horns, they had to go below where it was 
 simply horny, and the animal had to suffer much 
 pain. The nearer the operation was performed 
 to the skull, the greater the suffering. That 
 bone was hollow — that is to say, it had not one 
 single horned cavity — but it had several cells 
 which extended into the head, though not to the 
 brain, but close to it. These cavities were ex- 
 posed, by the removal of the horns, to the air ; 
 and as they are lined with a delicate, sensitive 
 membrane — there being, beside, a delicate, sen- 
 sitive covering outside — great suffering must be 
 caused. The cavities were never intended by 
 Nature to be exposed to the air, which brought 
 on an inflammatory condition. These cavities 
 were very apt to be inflamed, and the inflam- 
 mation was very likely to be extended to the 
 membranes of the brain, causing madness, lock- 
 jaw, or other dangerous results. This operation 
 is one of the most painful and unwarrantable 
 that could possibly be performed on cattle. 
 
 CA TTLE, SNAKE-BITTEN, Remedy for. 
 — Cattle or horses are usually bitten in the feet. 
 When this is the case, all that is necessary to do 
 is to drive them into a mud-hole and keep them 
 there for a few hours ; if upon the nose, bind 
 the mud upon the place in such a manner as not 
 to interfere with their breathing. 
 
 CA TTLE, Sore Mouth in. — Take a weak so- 
 lution of carbolic acid — say i to 5 drops to the 
 ounce of water — washing the mouth every few 
 hours, allowing a little to be swallowed, and 
 following this with mild tonics and food that 
 will not irritate the mouth. 
 
 CA TTLE, Warts on. — I. To remove warts 
 from cattle, mix equal parts of blue vitriol, lard 
 and honey, and anoint them once in 4 or 5 days; 
 they will be removed without making a sore. — 
 2. Wash with a strong ley made of pearlash and 
 water 3 times a day. — 3. Or make 2 or 3 appli- 
 cations of lunar caustic. 
 
 CATTLE, WENS ON.—W&ns. cannot be 
 cured, except by a surgeon's removing them al- 
 together with a scalpel, followed by the applica- 
 tion of a healing ointment. 
 
 COWS, ABORTION IN— The predispos- 
 ing cause for this disease is constitutional in the 
 animal, while the exciting cause may be ill-treat- 
 ment at the time of pregnancy, damp surround- 
 ings, food in which ergot of rye may be found, 
 impure water, etc. The predisposing cause can 
 be avoided by giving the generative organs of 
 the animal a rest. The doing of this, by a free- 
 dom of from six months to a year from preg- 
 nancy, will almost insure freedom from abortion 
 — especially so if care is taken in the avoiding of 
 all supposable exciting causes. Many farmers 
 may not be willing to endure the loss involved 
 in this suggestion ; but it will be a gain in the 
 end, because no animal aborts without, in a 
 greater or less measure experiencing such a 
 shock to her system as will tell on her future 
 health and value. 
 
 COWS, Care of.— \. Cows should run dry 6 
 weeks before calving ; if milked closely toward 
 calving, the calves will be poorer. 
 
 2. A cow newly come in should not drink 
 
 cold water in cold weather, but moderately warm 
 
 1 water. Calves, intended for raising, should be 
 
90 
 
 DICTIONARY OF E VERY-DAY WANTS. 
 
 taken from the cow within a few days, and they 
 will be less liable to suck when they are old. 
 Feed them first on new milk for a short time, 
 and then on skim milk, taking care that all the 
 changes are gradual, by adding only a portion at 
 first. 
 
 3. Hearty eaters are desirable for cows, and 
 may usually be selected while calves. A dainty 
 calf will be a dainty cow. 
 
 4. Heifers dried up too early after calving, 
 will always run dry about the same time in after 
 years — therefore, be careful to milk closely the 
 first year, until about 6 weeks previous to the 
 time for calving. 
 
 5. Spring cows should come in while they are 
 yet fed on hay, and before they are turned to 
 grass, which will be more likely to prevent caked 
 bag and milk fever. 
 
 6. The best times for feeding the cow are early 
 in the morning, at noon, and a little before sun- 
 set. 
 
 7. Abundance of the purest water must al- 
 ways be supplied, and it ought in all cases, when 
 practicable, be what is understood as soft water. 
 In winter the water given should be warmed to 
 the temperature of the air on a summer day. 
 
 8. The food given should be as nearly in its 
 natural state as possible. Cooking food, slops, 
 brewers' grains, etc., are all objectionable, where 
 either firm, healthy flesh or pure rich milk is de- 
 sired. 
 
 COIVS, DAIRY, To Select.— Cqvi% of extra- 
 ordinary milking qualities are as often found 
 among the native as among grade and thorough- 
 bred aninlals ; and, as a rule, the progeny of 
 these extra-milkers become the best cows, and 
 every heifer-calf from such should be raised, ex- 
 cept it fails to carry the mark indicating a good 
 milker. This mark is the upward growth of the 
 hair on the inside of the thighs of the calf from 
 immediately behind the udder, as high as the 
 hair goes. If it be found running up in a very 
 smooth and unbroken column — all other things 
 being equal — with good care and continued fine 
 growth, there will scarcely be a failure. But 
 whatever extraordinary qualities the cow may 
 possess, unless this mark is found on the calf, it 
 is not worth raising for a dairy cow. There are 
 several other signs and conditions indicative of 
 valuable milking qualities, some of which attend 
 the first described. Smooth and fair-sized teats ; 
 a large and long milk vein ; slim neck ; and 
 sometimes 6 teats ; a yellow skin, apparent 
 about the eyes and nose, and other bare spots, 
 are indications of rich milk, and one of the indi- 
 cations of a good cow. 
 
 COIVS, FARROW, What to Do With.— 
 Feed them liberally and they will give rich milk, 
 though, perhaps, not much of it. Let them 
 have 3 or 4 quarts of meal a day through the 
 winter and spring, and do not stop giving it to 
 them when grass comes. As soon as it dries 
 them up they will be fit for the butcher. 
 
 COWS, BLOODY MILK IN— To cure, 
 give a tablespoonful of milk in a little bran or 
 meal, and renewing the dose the second or third 
 day. Another remedy is to give a tablespoonful 
 of sulphur in a little dry bran once a day — in 
 very bad cases, twice a day. 
 
 COWS, GARGET IN— This disorder is 
 very frequent in cows after ceasing to be milked; 
 it affects the glands of the udder with hard 
 swellings, and often arises from the animal not 
 
 being clean milked. It may be removed by giv- 
 ing a pint of beans a day for 4 or 5 days. The 
 beans should be soaked and mixed with meal to 
 make the cow eat them ; but the better way is to 
 grind the beans and feed a pint a day with other 
 meal. This wiil be found a sure remedy. An- 
 other plan is to give the cow l teaspoonful of the 
 tincture of arnica, in bran or shorts, three times 
 a day, and bathe the bag thoroughly with it as 
 often. The arnica for bathing should be reduced 
 14 in warm water, and bathe with the hand. 
 
 COWS, HARD-MILKING.— T\vQ causes 
 for cows holding up their milk are various — ir- 
 regularity in time of milking, imperfect milking, 
 and lack of water in pastures ; over-driving in 
 bringing animals home ; the taking of the calf 
 away — and especially will this be the case where 
 the calf, while being reared, is kept in a situa- 
 tion where the mother can keep up an acquaint- 
 ance with it ; and finally the presence of a vi- 
 cious or sulky disposition in the cow, the slight- 
 est dissatisfaction making them hold up their 
 milk. These last are unprofitable and only fit 
 for the shambles. The remedy in usual cases is, 
 besides the avoidance of the apparent cause, 
 gentleness, kind words, and a system ot petting 
 the animals, so as to gain their confidence and 
 affection, coupled with plenty of good water and 
 feed. 
 
 COWS, KICKING.— Cows seldom kick 
 without some good reason for it. Teats some- 
 times are chapped or the udder tender ; harsh 
 handUng hurts them, and they kick. Sometimes 
 long and sharp finger nails cut their teats, and 
 sometimes the milker pulls the long hairs on the 
 udder, while milking. Shear off the long hairs, 
 cut long finger nails close, bathe chapped teats 
 with warm water, and grease them well with 
 lard, and always treat a cow gently. She never 
 will kick unless something hurts her, or she fears 
 a repetition of former hurts. When handled 
 gently cows like to be milked. When treated 
 otherwise, they will kick and hold up their milk. 
 Occasionally a cow is found that, like some men, 
 has a bad, ungovernable temper that flies at 
 merely imaginary offences. For this class take 
 a small strap long enough for the purpose, and 
 bend the foreleg so as to bring the foot up to 
 the body. Then put the strap round the arm 
 and small part of the leg, near the hoof, crossin<| 
 between so as not to slip off over the knee, and 
 buckle. In this condition it is an impossibility 
 for a cow to kick ; they may come to the knee a 
 few times, but are soon quiet. Never, as some 
 do, confine the hind legs, either singly or to- 
 gether, for in doing this there is danger of spoil- 
 ing the animal. Milkers should study the tem- 
 per of the cows they milk, and find out whether 
 a cow kicks on account of pain or willfulness. 
 If it is from bad temper, the strap applied to the 
 foot is a very good way to subdue her, but you 
 should avoid whipping and beating in all cases. 
 
 COWS, RHEUMATISM IN— The treat- 
 ment of rheumatism should consist in placing the 
 animal in a moderately warm place, and giving 
 diet of a generous character. In cases where 
 the pain is severe, the tincture of aconite in 20 
 drop doses may be given with advantage. Fric- 
 tion to the joints will be found beneficial; ami, 
 where much swelling exists, the liniment of am- 
 monia may be rubbed in daily. Cooling appli- 
 ances do not seem to suit this complaint. Tlie 
 enlargements in the joints sometimes becom« 
 
DOMESTIC ANIMALS— CATTLE. 
 
 91 
 
 chronic, and should then be treated with appli- 
 cations of the tincture of iodine. 
 
 COWS, MILKING, The Right Method of.— 
 Some persons in milking seize the root of the 
 teat between the thumb and forefinger, and then 
 drag upon it until it slips out of their grasp. In 
 this way teat and udder are subjected to severe 
 traction for an indefinite number of times, and in 
 rude hands are often severely injured. Others, 
 again, by carelessness and want of thoroughness, 
 will cause the usual quantity of milk to shrink 
 one-third in 2 weeks. In many localities more 
 cows are ruined from faults of bad milking than 
 from all other causes that act specially on the 
 udder. The proper mode of milking is to take 
 the teat in the entire hand, and, after pressing it 
 upward, that it may be well filled from the capa- 
 cious milk reservoir above, to compress it first 
 at the base between the thumb and forefinger, 
 then successively by each of the 3 succeeding 
 fingers, until completely emptied. The teat is 
 at the same time gently drawn upon, but any se- 
 vere traction is altogether unnecessary, and 
 highly injurious. 
 
 COWS, To Increase their Milk — Give your 
 cows, 3 times a day, water slightly warm, slightly 
 salted, in which bran has been stirred at the rate 
 of I quart to 2 gallons of water. You will find, 
 if you have not tried this daily practice, that ^le 
 cow will give 25 per cent, more milk, and she 
 will become so much attached to the diet that 
 she will refuse to drink clear water unless very 
 thirsty, but this mess she will drink almost any 
 time and ask for more. The amount of this 
 drink necessary is an ordinary water-pail full 
 each time, morning, noon and night. Avoid 
 giving cows " slops," as they are no more fit for 
 the animal than the human. 
 
 COWS, Milk Fever in. — Immediately there 
 are indications of milk fever, the animal should 
 be restricted to an exclusive hay diet. This 
 treatment should be followed, even in summer 
 time, unless the animal is kept in very close pas- 
 ture and shows no tendency to fatten. This 
 moderate feeding of hay only should be contin- 
 ued until the fourth or fifth day after calving, at 
 which time the full flow of milk is established, 
 and the danger of puerperal fever has become 
 slight, 
 
 COWS, OLD, When to Kill.— li is a ques- 
 tion among farmers as to what age cows can be 
 Eroperly used for dairy purposes, and when it is 
 est to dispose of them on account of age. It 
 will depend somewhat oh the breed of the ani- 
 imals and the usage they have received. As a 
 general rule, when a cow has entered her teens, 
 she has approximated closely the limit of her 
 usefulness in the dairy line. A good farmer has 
 remarked that a cow was never worn out so long 
 as there was any room on her horns for a new 
 wrinkle. 
 
 COWS, SELF-SUCKING.— X good, sim- 
 ple and cheap arrangement to prevent cows from 
 sucking themselves, or each other, may be made 
 by making a halter as follows : Take 2 or 3 
 straps 2 inches wide, and long enough to reach 
 around the cow's nose. Stitch the edges to- 
 gether, and the ends also, with sharp nails in- 
 serted every ly^ inches, so that the points will 
 stand outward. The heads of the nails should 
 be very large, and should be between the two 
 straps when sewed together. Now fasten two 
 side straps, with a buckle on one end of one, so 
 
 that when the part with the nails is around the 
 nose the side straps may be buckled together 
 over the head, back of the horns ; the part that 
 goes around the nose should be large enough to 
 allow the animal to eat freely. This arrange- 
 ment will be effectual, but many think it cruel, 
 especially in fly time. A much more desirable 
 and effectual method is to put on a good strong 
 halter, put the animal in a good stall, keep her 
 clean, and feed as much cooked meal as she will 
 eat, until her milking season nearly runs out, 
 and then send her to the butcher. Doing this, 
 it will be found that the milk will pay for the ex- 
 tra feed and care, and the beef will be in prime 
 condition. 
 
 COWS, Swelled Bags in. — An excellent rem- 
 edy for swelled bags of cows, caused by cold, 
 etc., is yi an ounce of camphor gum to 2 ounces 
 of sweet oil ; pulverize the gum, and dissolve 
 over a slow fire. 
 
 COWS' TEATS, Warts on.— Warts on the 
 teats of cows usually extend no deeper than the 
 skin. They should not be removed while the 
 cow gives milk. The most effectual way is to 
 take hold of the end of a wart with phers, and 
 cut it off with sharp shears. The cut should 
 not be deeper than the skin. This remedy will 
 not hurt a cow as much as clipping the skin does 
 sheep when they are being sheared ; or a piece 
 of small wire may be twisted around a large 
 wart sufficiently tight to obstruct the circulation 
 of the blood, and left on till the wart drops off, 
 leaving the surface smooth. 
 
 CHALK FOR CAL F^.?.— When an animal 
 is found licking his fellow, it is proof that unea- 
 siness is present in the stomach, and the licking 
 of his neighbor is a habit contracted by instinct, 
 with a view of removing the unpleasantness. 
 Unfortunately instinct is not at all times suffi- 
 cient to avoid dangerous practices, and, if we 
 take for granted that the stomach is at all times 
 fully charged with acrid matter, we shall without 
 hesitation find a remedy. It is only necessary 
 to place within • their reach shallow troughs, in 
 which is kept a supply of common chalk. If an 
 animal has a superabundance of acrid secretion, 
 it will most certainly swallow some of the chalk, 
 which will as certainly neutralize the excess of 
 acrid. If an animal has not acrid in excess, and 
 partakes of the chalk, it will do no harm. It is 
 often too late to administer remedies to young 
 stock, and the placing of chalk within their 
 reach cannot be made too early. 
 
 COOKING FOOD FOR STOCK— ThQ 
 great profit of steaming food to feed to stock is, 
 that it converts much of the woody fibre of hay, 
 straw, etc., into soluble, fat-forming nutriments. 
 It is commonly supposed that, as cattle chew the 
 cud, all the nutriment is extracted from the hay, 
 fodder, grain, etc., eaten. So far from this, 
 nothing short of boiling or its equivalent, steam- 
 ing, can convert woody fibre into soluble nutri- 
 ment. The same rule is applicable to grain, po- 
 tatoes, and roots generally ; heat is essential to 
 dissolving the starch of grains and roots to ren- 
 der it available, as well as to dissolve the ele- 
 ments out of woody fibre. The heat of the an- 
 imal system, together with the gastric juices, 
 perform, but imperfectly, the same that steaming 
 or cooking does. Experience and careful ex- 
 periments have demonstrated that a very much 
 larger proportion of food is assimilated into the 
 system if cooked than if fed uncooked. In very 
 
92 
 
 DICTIONARY OF E VERY-DAY WANTS. 
 
 cold weather a greater amount of heat-forming 
 matter is required to keep up animal heat than 
 in mild or warm weather. At such times extra 
 hay or straw may be fed, to sustain this heat, 
 without cutting and steaming, yet this latter pro- 
 cess would add largely to its nutriment, without 
 diminishing its heat-forming power. In this 
 connection the following directions will be found 
 serviceable : 
 
 To Cook Hay. — Cut it, wet it well, put it in 
 upright tanks or casks, with false bottom and 
 tight cover, press it down firmly, pass the steam 
 in under the false bottom, and cook until done. 
 To Cook Com. — Soak as many barrels, half-full, 
 as you wish to cook from 15 to 24 hours ; turn 
 on steam and cook until done, when the barrels 
 should be full. To Make Mush. — Fill as many 
 barrels half-full of water as you wish to make 
 barrels of mush ; bring the water nearly to a 
 boil by passing the steam to the bottom ; stir in 
 each barrel from l^ to l^ bushels of meal un- 
 til well mixed ; then cook until done, when the 
 barrels should be full. To Cook Vegetables. — 
 Fill the barrels full, and, if no other cover is at 
 hand, chop the top fine with a shovel ; then 
 cover them over with bran meal or provender, 
 and cook until done ; have holes in the bottoms 
 of the barrels to carry off condensed steam. 
 
 COTTON SEED FOR STOCA^.— Very 
 many farmers believe that cotton seed for stock 
 is superior to corn, and ample experiment seems 
 to confirm this view. To cook cotton seed, take 
 a large kettle, which holds from 5 to 6 bushels, 
 set it upon a brick furnace, fill it with cotton 
 seed fresh from the gin, and then fill up the ket- 
 tle with water, and boil something less than ^ 
 art hour ; then empty the seed into troughs, and 
 let the cattle and hogs to them. The milk and 
 butter have none of that cotton-seed taste which 
 the green or uncooked seed gives. Both cattle 
 and hogs will keep in good order winter and 
 summer on seed thus prepared ; and when you 
 are ready to fatten pork, you have only to add 
 an equal quantity of cotton-seed and corn, and 
 boil as above. Experience has proved that it 
 will fatten much sooner and be equally good as 
 when fattened on corn alone. Your cows will 
 give an abundance of milk all winter when fed 
 in this manner, with but i bushel of corn to 4 
 of cotton- seed. 
 
 CONDIMENTAL FOOD, TKORLEYS. 
 — The advertisements of the patentees of this 
 English preparation would lead to the belief 
 that their "cattle food" contains more real nour- 
 ishment than the ordinary kinds of food which 
 have hitherto been given; but chemical analysis 
 shows the incorrectness of these statements. 
 There is no secret in the composition, for the 
 test is at hand in a simple analysis. The follow- 
 ing is an ordinary formula to make I ton of the 
 meal : Take of Indian meal 900 weight, locust 
 bean finely ground 600 weight, best linseed cake 
 300 weight, powdered tumeric and sulphur of 
 each 40 lbs., saltpetre 20 lbs., licorice 27 lbs., 
 ginger 3 lbs., aniseed 4 lbs., coriander and gen- 
 tian of each 10 lbs., cream of tartar 2 lbs., car- 
 bonate of soda and levigated antimony each 6 
 ^Ibs, common salt 30 lbs., Peruvian bark 4 lbs., 
 fenugreek 22 lbs. The reader will observe that 
 the chief ingredients are corn meal, locust bean, 
 and linseed cake ; these form its bulk, and con- 
 stitute nine-tenths of the whole, the remainder 
 l)eing made up of "condiments." There can 
 
 be no doubt whatever tliat the nutritive materials 
 which the compound contains are purchased at 
 an enormous expense, and really does not pay 
 for the purchase. 
 
 CALVEJS, Care of. — To raise good calves — 
 those that will make good cows — they must be 
 well fed from their birth, as it is impossible to 
 stint a calf in food till i year — or more — old, and 
 then bring the animal into as good condition, in 
 all respects, as could be done if the animal had 
 been well fed. Allow the calf to suck until the 
 milk is fit to use. To learn it to drink, take the 
 calf from the cow at the time mentioned, and 
 fasten it with about 6 feet of rope in a box stall ; 
 then milk the cow, and standing off just far 
 enough for the calf to reach you, wet one finger 
 with milk, put it in its mouth, and gently lower 
 your hand until it is immersed in the milk in the 
 pail ; let it continue to have the finger until it 
 has received enough. This is lesson No. I. 
 The second lesson is given in this wise : Dip the 
 finger in the milk and place it in its mouth, and 
 when you have brought its mouth in contact 
 with the feed, gradually withdraw your finger 
 and the thing is done. It may be necessary to 
 repeat this at the tliird time. The secret is that 
 you must stand just far enough so that the calf 
 can just reach the pail of feed, as the rope will 
 then be taut, and hence he cannot reach you, or 
 butt over and spill his milk or feed. It may he 
 remarked in this connection, that calves will 
 thrive better on milk that is not rich in butter 
 than on what is commonly called very rich milk. 
 The nutritive elements of milk reside chiefly in 
 the casein. If you have a cow that gives par- 
 ticularly rich milk, and one that gives a quality 
 poorer in butter, it is better in every way to feed 
 tlie calf on the milk of the latter. The calf will 
 thrive better, and you get more butter from the 
 milk of the first cow. 
 
 CALVES, Lice and Vermin on. — The best 
 applications to destroy lice, nits, etc., is a thor- 
 ough application of alcohol or kerosene oil. 
 Neither will do the animals any harm, and they 
 are much better than ointment of any kind. 
 
 CALVES, To Cure Scours in. — Take i pint 
 of red oak acorns, break the shells, and steep 
 thoroughly in 3 pints of water, and you will have 
 I quart of the tea. Give i pint of the same, 
 warm, for the first dose, and the remainder 12 
 hours after, if necessary. I never knew more 
 than 2 doses required to effect a cure. 
 
 HOLLOW HORN, or Hortt Ail.— T\ns dis- 
 order usually attacks cattle in the spring, after a 
 severe winter ; likewise those that are in very 
 poor flesh, or those that have been overworked 
 and exposed to severe storms, or reduced by any 
 other diseases, are predisposed to take it. The 
 symptoms are as follows : Eyes dull, discharg- 
 ing yellow matter, dizziness, loss of appetite, 
 shaking of the head, bloody urine, coldness of 
 tlie horns, stupidity and great debility. The 
 remedies that are recommended are as numerous 
 as they are contradictory. One authority ad- 
 vises boring gimlet holes in the horns 3 inches 
 from the head, while another advises not to bore 
 at all; one advises to bleed in the neck in the 
 same manner as a horse is bled, while another 
 deprecates bleeding. Another advises to put a 
 mixture of strong vinegar, (5^ a teaspoonful, ) 
 fine salt and ground black pepper, (of each a ta- 
 blespoonful,) and, after allowing it to stand over 
 night, to put a tablespoonful in each ear of the 
 
DOMESTIC ANIMALS— CATTLE. 
 
 93 
 
 animal aflected. Another advises the cutting of 
 the hair off the top of the head, and tlien pour 
 or rub strong spirits of camphor thereon. And 
 still another advises the pouring of the camphor 
 in the ears. Where so many remedies and so 
 much advice is offered, it is safe to say that not 
 much is known of the real nature of the dis- 
 ease. 
 
 PIGS, Haiu to Select G^d.—The desirable 
 
 f)oints in a good pig are : Sufficient depth and 
 ength of body to insure suitable lateral expan- 
 sion ; broad on the loin and breast. The bones 
 small and joints fine ; legs no longer than, when 
 fully fat, to just prevent the animal's belly from 
 trailing on the ground when walking; feet firm 
 and sound ; the toes to press straightly on the 
 ground and lie well together ; the claws should 
 be healthy, upright and even. The head small, 
 the snout short, forehead somewhat convex and 
 curving upward ; the ears small but pendulous, 
 somewhat inclining forward ; light and thin. 
 His carriage should be lively, sprightly, rather 
 than dull and heavy ; a lively bright eye, and he 
 should carry his head up rather than down. 
 Those colors which are characteristic of the best 
 breed are to be chosen. The thinner the hair 
 of a black pig the nearer allied it is to the Nea- 
 politan, and consequently the less hardy, either 
 to endure the cold and change of seasons, or to 
 resist disease. White color indicates a connec- 
 tion with the Chinese Mixed colors show marks 
 of particular breeds ; thus, if light or sandy, or 
 red with black marks, the I3erkshire blood is de- 
 tected, etc. 
 
 PIGS, Blind Staggen in. — The cause of this 
 disease is too high feeding. The cure is to 
 withhold their food for a day or two, and feed 
 them on very small quantities of sulphur and 
 charcoal. 
 
 PIGS, Lice on. — Procure some leaf tobacco, 
 and boil it to a strong amber in water enough to 
 float it ; mix in, while hot, enough of lard or 
 refuse grease to make a thin salve ; rub on the 
 pigs or hogs troubled, and in less than 24 hours 
 they will not have a louse on them, if thor- 
 oughly applied. Or get some crude petroleum 
 oil and ai)ply once a month, and no more lice 
 will appear. 
 
 PIGS, MANG Y. — Mange is a disease caused 
 by the burrowing and breeding of a minute in- 
 sect in the skin, like the itch in man, scab in 
 sheep, etc. If pigs which have it, or have been 
 exposed to it, are washed with carbolic or cre- 
 sylic soap, and their pens and bedding sprinkled 
 with the same, a cure is easily effected. More 
 than one application might be required, and it 
 ■yvould be best to wash the animals at the inter- 
 val of a week. 
 
 RINGS, SULL, To Insert.— "YXx^s can be 
 done in three ways : I. By burning the hole 
 through with a pointed rod of iron heated in the 
 forge, thus piercing and searing the wound at 
 the same time. — 2. By punching out the hole 
 with an instrument like a leather punch of large 
 size. — 3. By piercing the gristle of the nose with 
 a steel-tipped rod, (cold,) of which the point is 
 formed with two cutting edges. Perhaps it may 
 be an improvement to make the section of the 
 end, just above the point, triangular, or in the 
 shape of a four-pointed star. This last mode is 
 said to be the preferable one. A point of iron 
 about 3 linches long, and hollowed out at the 
 large end, like the barrel of a key, to receive the 
 
 round end of the open ring, is used after the 
 iiole has been pierced, as a guide to the ring. 
 
 SHEEP, AGE OF, How to Tcll.—ThQ age 
 of sheep may be known by examining the front 
 teeth. They are 8 in number, and appear dur- 
 ing the first year, all of a small size. In the 
 second year the 2 middle ones fall out, and their 
 place is supplied by 2 new teeth, which are eas- 
 ily distinguished, being of a larger size. In the 
 third year, 2 other small teeth, I from each side, 
 drop out, and are replaced by 2 large ones, so 
 that there are now 4 large teeth in the middle, 
 and 2 pointed ones on each side. In the fourth 
 year, the large teeth are 6 in number, and only 
 2 small ones remain, i at each end of the range. 
 In the fifth year, the remaining small teeth are 
 lost, and the whole front teeth are large. In the 
 sixth year, the whole begin to be worn ; and in 
 the seventh — sometimes sooner — some fall out 
 and are broken. 
 
 SHEEP AND LAMBS, Care and Manage- 
 ment of. — I. Keep sheep dry under foot with 
 litter. This is even more necessary than roof- 
 ing them. Never let them stand in mud or in 
 snow. — 2. Do not starve them during the win- 
 ter, but by an abundance of food keep them in 
 ^ood condition. A more painful sight than the 
 nocks of many farmers, near the close of the 
 winter, cannot be witnessed. When a farmer 
 has more sheep than he can properly keep or 
 sell, he should kill the surplus when winter sets 
 in, even if he should get nothing from them but 
 the pelts. — 3. Furnish an ample supply of wa- 
 ter, convenient of access, during the winter 
 months. — 4. Always try to avoid letting any of 
 your sheep or lambs have any sudden change of 
 food. — 5. Take up lamb bucks early in the sum- 
 mer, and keep them up until the December fol- 
 lowing, when they may be turned out. — 6. Drop 
 or take out the lowest bars as the sheep enter or 
 leave a yard, thus saving broken limbs. — 7. 
 Count every day. — 8. Begin feeding grain with 
 the greatest care, and use the smallest quantity 
 at first. — 9. If a ewe loses her lamb, milk hsr 
 daily for a few days, and mix a little alum with 
 her salt. — 10. Let no hogs eat with the sheep, 
 by any means, in the spring. — II. Give lambs a 
 little mill feed in time of weaning. — 12. Never 
 frighten sheep if possible to avoid it. — 13. Fur- 
 nish sow rye for weak ones in cold weather, if 
 possible. — 14. Separate all those that are weak, 
 thin or sick from those that are strong, in the 
 fall, and give them special care. — 15. If any one 
 of your sheep is hurt, catch it at once and wash 
 the wound; and, if it is fly-time, apply spirits of 
 turpentine daily, and always wash with some- 
 thing healing. If a limb is broken bind it with 
 splinters, but not tight enough to interfere with 
 the circulation of the blood. — 16. Keep a num- 
 ber of good bells on the sheep. — 17. Do not let 
 the sheep spoil their wool with chaff or burrs. — 
 18. Cut tag-locks in early spring. — 19. For 
 scours, give pulverized alum in wheat bran ; 
 prevent by taking great care in changing dry for 
 green feed. — 20. If one is lame, examine the 
 foot, clean out between the hoofs, pare the hoof 
 if unsound, and apply a wash of carbolic acid. 
 — 21. Shear at once any sheep commencing to 
 shed its wool, unless the weather is too severe, 
 and save carefully the pelt of any sheep that 
 dies. — 22. If sheep are given pine boughs once 
 or twice a week they will create appetite, pre- 
 vent disease, and increase their health. — 23. 
 
94 
 
 DICTIONARY OF EVERY-DAY WANTS. 
 
 Their general health during the grazing season 
 will be promoted by giving the sheep tar, at the 
 rate of a gill a day for every 20 sheep. Put the 
 tar in a trough, sprinkle a little fine salt over it, 
 and the sheep will consume it with eagerness. — 
 24. The best sheep to keep, both for wool and 
 mutton, is the American merino. 
 
 SHEEP, STEERS, and Other Animals, 
 yumping Fences, To Prevent. — Various devices 
 have been resorted to in order to prevent such 
 trespasses, and especially in regard to sheep, but 
 none have succeeded, or only in a limited de- 
 gree. The following is a new one, and is not 
 cruel or painful, and will not greatly discommode 
 the animal operated upon, and is a remedy to the 
 employment of which there can be no objection. 
 It is to clip off the eyelashes of the under lids 
 with a pair of scissors, and the ability or dispo- 
 sition to jump is as effectually destroyed as was 
 Samson's power by the loss of his locks. The 
 animal will not attempt a fence again until the 
 eyelashes are grown. 
 
 SHEEP, CA TARRH /iV.— The following 
 is asserted to be a sure cure for this disease. 
 Take a quill from a hen's \ving, immerse the 
 feather end in spirits of turpentine, run it up the 
 nostril of the sheep the whole length of the 
 feather end, and twist it round before withdraw- 
 ing it ; wipe it off clean each time before immer- 
 sing. One application will cure ordinary cases ; 
 the second or third, at intervals of 2 or 3 days, 
 will cure the worst. 
 
 SHEEP-KILLING DOGS.—\{ sheep are 
 kept in the same lot with cows or fat cattle dogs 
 will not disturb them. As soon as the dogs ap- 
 proach them they run to the cattle, who drive off 
 the dogs. This plan will usually be found effect- 
 ual, but an additional safeguard is to put a good 
 sounding bell on one of the sheep. If a little 
 strychnine is put on a piece of meat (if tainted, 
 the better) and left in the yards or vicinity of the 
 sheep in the evening, if there be any dogs arpund 
 they will be in a condition for a post-mortem ex- 
 amination. An excellent way to trap sheep-kill- 
 ing dogs, is to place the sheep they kill, or at 
 least one of them, where the dogs have left it ; 
 then put 4 or six lengths of fence around the 
 dead sheep, made of sawed scantling. Com- 
 mence by laying the scantling on the ground, 
 and as you lay them up, draw your scantling in 
 the width of them every time around, and build 
 the fence high enough in this way that a dog can 
 not jump it. Then lock the corners well, and 
 you have a pen that dogs can go over into from 
 the outside readily, and when once over, they 
 cannot get out of it again until they are helped 
 out. In this way, in a few nights, you will be 
 quite likely to get the very same dogs that killed 
 your sheep, as they will have the curiosity or de- 
 sire to go over the ground the second time. It 
 will be better to keep still about having your 
 sheep killed, for if you make any search for the 
 dogs you need not be at all surprised if you find 
 that every man's dog is carefully shut up over 
 night. It is not at all likely that the dogs will 
 have had the blood stains washed from them, or 
 any particles of wool removed from betwixt their 
 teeth, on their return home in the morning, af- 
 ter having been out over night engaged in sheep- 
 killing. 
 
 SHEEP, To Fatten for IVinter—Oihcr things 
 taken into consideration, large sheep fatten more 
 easily and profitably than small sheep, and full 
 
 grown animals than those that have not reached 
 maturity. Two-year-old wethers are the most 
 yjrofit^ile to fatten, and it is a matter of consid- 
 erable surprise that so few of our farmers breed 
 them. Sheep will fatten readily in winter on 
 good clover hay alone ; we do not mean the dark 
 looking, burnt up stuff commonly called by that 
 name, but what an English farmer would call 
 "hay," cut when in full bloom, and cut in such 
 a manner as to retain all its juices before they 
 are turned into woody fibre, and of a good green 
 color. A sheep of, say, 120 lbs. live weight, 
 will consume 21 lbs. of clover hay per week, and 
 increase in weight 2 lbs. Allowing that it would 
 ordinarily consume 14 lbs. to keep it in good 
 stationary condition, an expenditure of 7 lbs. of 
 hay extra will produce l^ lbs. of mutton, worth, 
 in the spring, 10 cents, so that the extra feeding 
 is literally realizing to the farmer at the rate of 
 nearly $30 per ton for his hay. No other stock, 
 we think, will give such a return for the trouble 
 of fattening as this. 
 
 If it is desired to fatten sheep rapidly, the ad- 
 dition of a small quantity of oats to their food 
 will be of great service ; a gallon of oats once a 
 day, among 20 sheep, will be a great help to 
 fattening. Fattening sheep do not require very 
 warm quarters — in fact, tliey will not bear close 
 confinement, but their quarters must be dry, 
 well ventilated, and abundantly littered with 
 clean straw; they must be fed regularly, kept 
 quiet, have access to water, and an occasional 
 taste of salt. It will be found that when the 
 weather is very cold they will require to consume 
 somewhat more food than at other times, in or- 
 der to counteract the waste of substance used in 
 generating heat for their bodies, otherwise they 
 will lose instead of gaining on cold or stormy 
 days. 
 
 SHEEP, To Protect from the Gad Fly.— In 
 August and September this fly lays its eggs in 
 the nostrils of sheep, where they are hatched, 
 and the worms crawl into the head, and very fre- 
 quently they eat through to the brain. In this 
 way many sneep are destroyed. As a protection 
 smirch their noses with tar. Lay some tar in a 
 trough or on a board, and strew fine salt on it — 
 the sheep will finish the operation. The tar will 
 protect them, and what they eat will promote 
 their health. 
 
 SHEEP, FOOTROT IN, To (Twr^.— Causes 
 — exposure in bad weather, but particularly from 
 soft and low lands r.nd wet pasturage. It never 
 occurs on hard, mountainous districts. The best 
 mode of cure is that by arsenic. The moment 
 you perceive that any of vour sheep have become 
 lame, pass them througn a trough containing a 
 warm solution of arsenic of aboutJhe following 
 strength : 4 ounces of arsenic, four ounces of 
 soda ash or potash, I gallon of water ; boil till 
 dissolved; keep it about 3 inches deep, so as to 
 cover the foot as the sheep walk through ; the 
 trough should be about 20 feet long, and just 
 wide enough to admit I sheep walking after the 
 other. 3000 sheep can be run through in about 
 3 hours; and this will result in a cure in every 
 instance. 
 
 SHEEP, Hay Racks for. — The cheapest and 
 best rack for sheep can oe made of 8 boards (4 
 long and 4 short ones) nailed to 4 posts, form- 
 ing an inclosure 12 or more feet long, as the 
 case may be, and 32 inches wide. The bot- 
 tom board should be at least 10 inches wide 
 
DOMESTIC ANIMALS— CA TTLE. 
 
 95 
 
 and the top one need not be over 4, with a space 
 between of from 6 to 8 inches, depending some- 
 w^hat upon the size of the sheep that are to eat, 
 standing with their heads thrust through this 
 aperture. 
 
 SHEEP, Inflammation of Lungs in. — This 
 disease is caused by wet and cold pastures, chills 
 after hard driving, washing before shearing when 
 the water is at too low a temperature, shearing 
 when the weather is too chilly and wet, and other 
 circumstances of a similar description. Its first 
 indication is that of a fever, hard and quick 
 pulse, disinclination for food, ceasing to chew 
 the cud, unwillingness to move, slight heaving 
 of the flanks, and a frequent and painful cough. 
 The disease soon assumes a more aggravated 
 form ; but it is sufficient for the farmer to know 
 the first stages of the malady, when he can pur- 
 sure the course of treatment which experience 
 determines best. 
 
 SHEEP, RED WATER IN.—I0 cure this 
 complaint take of Epsom salts I ounce, linseed 
 oil I ounce, gentian I drachm, ginger I scruple, 
 warm water 2 ounces. For a lamb give ^ of 
 this amount, but to a full-grown sheep the entire 
 quantity. Foment the abdomen with warm wa- 
 ter — a lamb, in fact, may be placed altogether in 
 a warm bath. In cases of recovery a change of 
 food must be afforded, and a short, sweet pas- 
 ture should be preferred. 
 
 SHEEP, RHEUMATISM /.V.— This dis- 
 ease consists in a peculiar inflammation of the 
 muscles of the body, very frequently causing 
 considerable pain when they are called into ac- 
 tion. It is usually caused by exposure to cold, 
 and sometimes shifts from one foot to another, 
 occasionally degenerating into a slow or chronic 
 form, and attacking the sinews, ligaments, and 
 joints, as well as the muscles. The neck and 
 loins are the parts most frequently attacked, 
 either separately or combined. The former af- 
 fection causes the head to be carried in a bent 
 position, and the latter produces considerable 
 stiffness and weakness of the loins. The treat- 
 ment should consist in removing the animal to a 
 comfortable place, giving an active purgative, 
 such as 2 ounces of Epsom salts dissolved in 
 warm water, with a drachm of ginger, and V^ an 
 ounce of spirits of nitrous ether. A stimulant, 
 such as hartshorn and oil, or opodeldoc, should 
 be well rubbed over the affected part ; and if the 
 disease assumes a chronic form, a seton should 
 be inserted near the part. 
 
 SHEEP, SCAB /A^.— This disease closely 
 resembles the itch in man, and is caused by a 
 very minute parasite called the scab mite. These 
 creatures find no dwelling-place on healthy, 
 clean-skinned sheep ; but when they do find the 
 requisite conditions they multiply with astonish- 
 ing rapidity, and spread through the flock, and 
 from flock to flock. The females burrow in the 
 skin, and make little sores, in or under which 
 they deposit their eggs, which hatch, and in a 
 short time go to work producing broods them- 
 selves. The sores thus caused run together and 
 form scabs ; they make an intolerable itching, 
 and the sheep bite and scratch themselves fear- 
 fully, tearing out their wool in patches over their 
 bodies. The disease is sometimes an epidemic, 
 and through whole regions the flocks suffer so 
 terribly that government action has been neces- 
 sary to prevent their extinction. The suffering 
 animals become more and more emaciated ; their 
 
 wool falls off; their bodies are covered with nau- 
 seous scabby sores ; their nervous system is in- 
 capable of sustaining the pain, and its functions, 
 with those of the skin, bemg deranged, the di- 
 gestive organs sympathize, and the sheep finally 
 die. The remedies for the scab are numerous, 
 but the best discovered is the use of a solution of 
 sulphuret of lime, as practiced in Australia, and 
 is made as follows : Take 100 lbs. of flour of 
 sulphur, 50 lbs. of lime, (quick-lime, if possi- 
 ble, or a large proportion slaked,) and 100 gals, 
 of cold water. Put these into a boiler. Keep 
 them mixed by constantly stirring until they,j, 
 boil, and then keep boiling and stirring for about 
 10 minutes, until a clean, dark-brown, orange- 
 tinted solution supervenes ; then mix I gallon 
 of this solntion with 3 g.illons of hot water, and 
 make your dip or bath, heated to loo or 1 14** of 
 Fahrenheit, and plunge your sheep over head in 
 it for about a minute. When they are dry the 
 cure is complete ; but to prevent the risk of re- 
 infection, and to secure yourself against the 
 chance of an imperfect muster, a second dip, af- 
 ter 10 days, in a bath of ^ the above strength 
 will render assurance doubly sure. This had 
 better be done after the sheep is shorn ; but even 
 if the wool is long, it will not in the least degree 
 injure the health of the animal or the fibre of the 
 wool ; but, on the contrary, by absorption it 
 passes into and improves the constituents of the 
 blood, and stimulates, through its action on the 
 natural perspiration, the growth of the wool. 
 
 SHEEP, Directions for SHEARING.— Tha 
 shearer may place the sheep on that part of the 
 floor assigned to him, resting on its rump, and 
 himself in a posture with his right knee on a 
 cushion, and the back of the animal resting 
 against his left thigh. He grasps the shears 
 about half way from the point to the bow, resting 
 his thumb along the blades, which gives him a 
 better command of the points. He may then 
 commence cutting the wool at the brisket, and, 
 proceeding downward, all upon the sides of the 
 belly to the extremity of the ribs, the external 
 sides of both sides to the edges of the flanks, 
 then back to the brisket, and thence upward, 
 shearing the wool from the breast, front, and 
 both sides of the neck, but not yet the back of 
 it, and also the poll, or forepart, and top of the 
 head. Then "the jacket is opened," and its 
 position, as well as that of the shearer is then 
 changed, by the animal's being turned flat upon 
 its side, one knee of the shearer resting on the 
 cushion, the other gently pressing the fore-quar- 
 ter of the animal to prevent any struggling. He 
 then resumes cutting upon the flank and rump, 
 and thence onward to the head. The sheep is 
 then turned on the other side — in doing which 
 great care is requisite to prevent the fleeces being 
 torn ; and the shearer proceeds as upon the other 
 side. He must then take the sheep near to the 
 door through which it is to pass out, and neatly 
 trim the legs, leaving not a solitary lock any- 
 where as a lodging-place for ticks. It is abso- 
 lutely necessary for him to remove from his 
 stand to trim, otherwise the useless stuff from 
 the legs becomes intermingled with the fleece- 
 wool. In the use of the shears, the blades must 
 be laid as flat to the skin as possible, the points 
 not lowered too much, nor should more than I 
 or 2 inches be cut at a clip, and frequently not so 
 much, but depending on the compactness of the 
 wool. 
 
96 
 
 DICTIONARY OF E VERY-DA Y WANTS. 
 
 SHEEP, STRETCHES IN.— A method 
 that is recommended to cure this disease is as 
 follows : Take 6 red peppers, boil them thor- 
 oughly, and give the juice, as hot as can be giv- 
 en, in doses of ^ a pint at a time. This is to 
 be followed by giving the sheep plenty of exer- 
 cise by running them about the fields for 5 or lo 
 minutes. 
 
 SOIVS NEAR FARROWING, Treatment 
 of. — During the whole period of pregnancy 
 sows should be moderately well fed, but not to 
 produce too much fat, as this will reduce the 
 number of the litter, or risk their being smoth- 
 ered by their unwieldy dam lying down on them. 
 As farrowing approaches, the food must be semi- 
 liquid or gently laxative, since costiveness at this 
 period fosters fever, and hence sows devour 
 their offspring. Gentle exercise is beneficial to 
 all pregnant healthy animals, and for this the 
 pen should be roomy. It is best to protect the 
 sow against injury from other pigs. The pen 
 should be airy and clean, and, until the last day 
 or two of pregnancy, comfortably littered. As 
 the time approaches, or when uneasiness, or the 
 piling of litter for a bed, shows its near advent, 
 clear out ihe pen, and cover it with a thin litter 
 of chaff only. This is necessary to prevent 
 smothering the pigs, particularly if the sow be 
 large or fat. Soon remove the pigs when they 
 are brought forth, helping them away until after 
 the after-birth. In all circumstances the after- 
 birth should be removed at once. However 
 natural it may be for the wild animal to devour 
 this, the practice, if permitted among domesti- 
 cated swine, develops the propensity to devour 
 their offspring. A drink of milk, gruel, or In- 
 dian or oatmeal and hot water will be at once 
 grateful and supporting to the sow during and 
 * after parturition ; and as soon as the secretion of 
 milk is freely established, the diet should be 
 abundant, soft and.laxative. The pen should be 
 kept clean. The litter of chaff should be of a 
 limited amount for a week, until the pigs can be 
 better able to protect themselves. 
 
 STEERS, How to Break. — It is best to begin 
 with them as calves, and let the boys play with 
 them, and drive them tied or yoked together, 
 taking care they are not abused. When a pair 
 of old steers are to be put together and broken 
 to the yoke, or a pair of bulls, as not unfre- 
 quently happens, it is usually best to yoke them, 
 and tie their tails together, in extempore stall, in 
 a well fenced yard, and then turn them loose in 
 the yard, which should not be large enough for 
 them to run in and get under much headway. 
 If the tails are not tied together, they will fre- 
 quently turn the yoke, which is a very bad habit. 
 After half a day's association, the lesson of "ye 
 up it" and "whoa" may be inculcated and — 
 these being well learned — probably the next day 
 "haw" and "gee." The daily lesson should 
 be given after they have stood yoked awhile. 
 They should not be taken from the yard until 
 they have become used to the yoke, and are no 
 longer wild and scarey, as they are apt to be at 
 first. Each day all previous lessons should be 
 repeated. Put them before an ox sled or a pair 
 of cart wheels at first, rather than to a stone 
 boat, as they are apt to step on the chain, and 
 that frightens them. All treatment should be 
 firm but mild, and no superfluous words should 
 be employed. If these directions are carried 
 out, tlie result will be satisfactory. 
 
 HORSES. 
 
 BALSAM, WOUND.— GMxn benzoin in 
 powder 6 oz., balsam of tolu in powder 3 oz., 
 gum storax 2 oz., frankincense in powder 2 oz., 
 gum myrrh in powder 2 oz., socotorine aloes in 
 powder 3 oz., alcohol l gal. Mix them all to- 
 gether and put them in a digester, and give them 
 a gentle heat for 3 or 4 days, and then strain. 
 
 BALL, COUGH. — Pulverized ipecac ^ oz., 
 camphor 2 oz., squills ^ oz. Mix with honey 
 to form into mass, and divide into 8 balls. Give 
 
 1 every morning. 
 
 BALLS, DIURETIC. — Castile soap scraped 
 fine, and powdered rosin, each 3 tcaspoonfuls ; 
 powdered nitre 4 teaspoonfuls, oil of juniper I 
 small teaspoonful, honey a sufficient quantity to 
 make into a ball. 
 
 BALLS, FEVER. — Emetic tartar and cam- 
 phor each ^ oz., and nitre 2 ounces. Mix with 
 linseed meal and molasses to make 8 balls, and 
 give I twice a dav. 
 
 BALL, PHYSIC— Tokc 2 oz. of aloes, i oz. 
 of turpentine, and i oz. of flour ; make into a 
 paste with a few drops of water, wrap in a paper, 
 and give them with a bailing iron. 
 
 BALL, PURGATIVE.— MoQs i oz., cream 
 tartar and Castile soap ^ oz. Mix with molas- 
 ses to make a ball. 
 
 BALL, WORM. — Assafetida 4 oz., gentian 
 
 2 oz., strong mercurial ointment I oz. Make 
 into mass with honey. Divide into 16 balls. 
 Give I or more every morning. 
 
 BAULKY HORSES, To Ctire.—K man, in 
 order to be able to control a horse, must first 
 learn to control himself; for, as a rule, when a 
 horse is patiently made to imdersfand what is 
 required of him, he becomes a willing subject. 
 To attempt to force him to do what he does not 
 understand, or to use the whip under such cir- 
 cumstances, only excites him to more determined 
 resistance. One method to cure a baulky horse 
 is to take him from the carriage, and whirl him 
 rapidlyround till he is giddy. It requires 2 men 
 to accomplish this — i at the horse's tail. Don't 
 let him step out. Hold him to the smallest pos- 
 sible circle. I dose will often cure him ; 2 doses 
 are final with the worst horse that ever refused 
 to stir. Another is to fill his mouth with dirt 
 or gravel from the road, and he will at once go 
 — the philosophy of this being that it gives him 
 something else to think about. 
 
 BLISTER, LIQUID.— TtiVe % a pint of 
 linseed oil, I pint of spirits of turpentine, and 4 
 oz. of aqua ammonia ; shake well and it is fit 
 for use. Apply every third hour until it blis- 
 ters. 
 
 BIG LEG. — ^To cure, apply the above Liquid 
 Blister every third hour until it blisters. In 3 
 days wash the leg with linseed oil. In 6 days 
 wash it clean with soap and water. Repeat ev- 
 ery 6 days until the swelling goes down. If 
 there should be any callous left, apply spavin 
 ointment. 
 
 BIG HEAD. — When this disease occurs, ev- 
 ery care must be devoted to improving the gen- 
 eral health. Let work be regular and moderate. 
 Have the stable clean, dry, and well ventilated. 
 Feed on sound hay and oats, either bruised or 
 cooked. Withhold all Indian corn— above all if 
 raw and hard. 4 or 5 lbs. of linseed cake may 
 be given daily. Give every day, in the feed, 2 
 
DOMESTIC ANIMALS— HORSES. 
 
 97 
 
 drachms of phosphate of iron, and 4 drachms of 
 powdered gentian. 
 
 BIG SHOULDER.- See Big Head. 
 
 BREASTS, SORE.— This generally occurs 
 in the spring, at the commencement of plowing. 
 At times the fault is in having poor old collars, 
 and not having the collar properly fitted to the 
 horse's breast; and, at others, the hames are 
 either too tight or too loose. There is a great 
 difference in horses about getting chafed or gall- 
 ed, and at times it has seemed to be impossible 
 to keep their breasts from getting sore ; but a 
 thorough application of strong alum water or 
 white oak bark to the breast of the animal, 3 
 days before going to work, will toughen them so 
 that they will not get sore. Another excellent 
 plan is, when you let your team rest for a few 
 moments during work, to raise the collar and 
 pull it a little forward, and rub the breast thor- 
 oughly with your naked hand. 
 
 BREAKING DOfVN.—The suspensory lig- 
 ament is attached superiorly to the back part of 
 the knee, and inferiorly to the back of the fet- 
 lock joint. It is elastic and gives springiness to 
 the limb. In motion and in standing it pas- 
 sively supports the horse's fetlock. If this lig- 
 ament is torn or cut across, the joint comes to 
 the ground and the toe turns up; if severely 
 strained, the fetlock descends unnaturally low. 
 In breaking down, the fetlock is almost com- 
 pletely torn across, and the fetlocks come nearly 
 or completely to the ground. Considerable 
 swelling soon ensues above and behind the fet- 
 lock ; there is great pain and symptomatic fe- 
 ver, and in severe cases the tendons are gener- 
 ally sprained. When the suspensory ligament 
 is completely ruptured, and where the injury oc- 
 curs in both fore legs, treatment need not be at- 
 tempted. In severe cases the leg should be im- 
 mersed in a pail of water, aiid kept in it for sev- 
 eral days. When the pain and fever subside, 
 wet bandages may be used. A dose of opening 
 medicine should also be given. Bran mashes 
 and hay should constitute the horse's diet at the 
 first, and when pain and fever subside the diet 
 may be more liberal. In bad cases a high-heeled 
 shoe may be applied, or the horse may be slung 
 .so as to relieve the affected leg of weight. 
 
 BLOOD, Fulness of. — When this condition 
 appears, the eyes appear heavy, dull, red or in- 
 flamed, and are frequently closed as if asleep; 
 the pulse is small and oppressed ; the heat of 
 the body somewhat increased ; the legs swell ; 
 the hair also rubs off. Horses that are removed 
 from grass to a warm stable, and full fed on hay 
 and corn, and not sufficiently exercised, are very 
 subject to one or more of these symptoms. By 
 regulating the quantity of food given to him, by 
 proper exercise and occasional laxatives, a cure 
 may soon be effected. 
 
 BOWELS, LOOSE.— In cases ot chronic 
 diarrhea, a good remedy is to put powdered 
 charcoal in the feed, and if the disease depends 
 on a digestive function — the liver included — give 
 a few doses of the following : Powdered golden 
 seal 2 oz., ginger I oz., salt I oz. Dose — ^^ an 
 oz. twice a day. 
 
 BOTTS. — Botts are the larvae of the gad fly, 
 of whicli there are 3 different kinds. The fe- 
 male g:id fly, during the summer months, de- 
 posits her ova on the horses' legs or sides, and 
 they become firmly attached to the hair. After 
 Jemaining on the leg for some time, perhaps 4 
 
 or 5 days, they become ripe, and at this time the 
 slightest application of warmth and moisture is 
 suthcient to bring forth the latent larva;. At 
 this period, if the tongue of the horse chances 
 to touch the egg, its operculum is thrown open, 
 and a small worm is produced, which readily ad- 
 heres to the tongue, and with the food is con- 
 veyed into the stomach, and therein is lodged 
 and hatched. It clings to the cuticular coat by 
 means of its ternacula, between which is its 
 mouth ; and in such a firm manner does it ad- 
 here to the lining of the stomach, that it will 
 suffer its body to be pulled asunder without 
 quitting its hold. Bots are often supposed to do 
 a good deal of harm, but except in cases where 
 they accumulate in very large numbers, we are 
 of the opinion that they are almost harmless, 
 because in ordinary cases they are chiefly at- 
 tached to the cuticular coat, and the cuticular 
 coat of the stomach is not possessed of a great 
 degree of sensibility. Most horses that have 
 been running at pasture during the summer 
 months become affected more or less with bots, 
 and their presence in the stomach is thus ac- 
 counted for. When a horse is troubled with the 
 bots, it may be known by the occasional nipping 
 at their own sides, and by red pimples and pro- 
 jections on the inner surface of the upper lip, 
 which may be seen plainly by turning up the lip. 
 To remove them, take of new milk 2 quarts, 
 molasses I quart, and give the horse the whole 
 amount. 1 5 minutes afterward give 2 quarts of 
 very warm sage tea, and 30 minutes after the 
 tea give i pint of linseed oil, (or enough to op- 
 erate as a physic.) Lard has been used, when 
 the oil could not be obtained, with the same suc- 
 cess. The cure will be complete, as the milk 
 and molasses cause the bots to let go their hold, 
 the tea puckers them up, and the oil carries them 
 entirely away. The spring is the only season in 
 which there is a chance to effectually remove 
 them. 
 
 CATARACT. — This can be removed from a 
 horse's eye with finely pulverized burnt alum, 
 blown into the horse's eye through a goose quill. 
 Or take oil of wintergreen, get a small glass 
 syringe, and inject a few drops into the eye, and 
 after 3 days repeat the application. 
 
 CATARRH, NASAL, or Corryza.— This 
 malady is commonly known as a cold; it is an 
 inflammation of the membrane lining the inte- 
 rior of the nose, and is observed in all the do- 
 mestic animals. It occurs frequently after sud- 
 den changes in the temperature of the atmos- 
 phere, which clicjks or diminishes largely the 
 action of the skin. In the early stage the ani- 
 mal is feverish ; the membrane of the nose is 
 dry and infected ; the animal also frequently 
 sneezes and coughs. There is a watery mucous 
 discharge from one or both nostrils, which by 
 degrees assumes a yellowish color. In young 
 animals this affection is generally associated 
 with swellings beneath the jaws. When the 
 disease extends over a longer period than a fort- 
 night it assumes a chronic type. Treatment. — 
 Dissolve % an oz. of nitre in a pint of water, 
 and administer this to the patient daily, or it 
 may be mixed with the water which the horse 
 drinks. A bran mush should be given every 
 other day. When the disease assumes a chronic 
 form, which is seldom the case, injecting the 
 nose with a weak solution of alum will remove 
 the discharge. Young horses are very apt to 
 7 
 
98 
 
 DICTIONARY OF E VERY-DAY WANTS. 
 
 have swelled legs unless they get walking exer- 
 cise for a short time every day. This is owing 
 partly to the weakness of the circulation, and 
 partly to a deteriorated state of the blood having 
 been engendered during the horse's sickness. 
 
 CASTRA TION.—.\ most important point to 
 be considered is the proper time for the opera- 
 tion to be performed, and when that is satisfac- 
 torily decided, employ none other than a thor- 
 oughly competent individual to assume the duty. 
 Very many of the defects observable in geldings 
 are attributable to too early or too late a period 
 of castration, and might have been, in a great 
 measure, avoided by a judicious selection of the 
 time suitable for its occurrence. A colt whose 
 development will warrant his being cut at 5 or 
 6 months of age, will be in very slight danger 
 from the operation; but few are so lormed, 
 much the larger number requiring a year's full 
 growth to sufficiently perfect them, and others 
 exceeding even that age. The withers, neck and 
 shoulders are the most frequently deficient, and 
 are parts that are most dependent upon castra- 
 tion for their proper appearance in the horse. 
 The weather of late spring or early autumn will 
 be found the most suitable time for castrating, 
 when the air is dry and temperate. Upon no 
 consideration should the animal, after being cut, 
 be exposed to wet or inclement weather, or un- 
 sheltered from too hot a sun. Close confine- 
 ment, or unlimited exercise, is equally prejudic- 
 ial to an early and successful healing of the parts, 
 and moderate liberty should in all cases be al- 
 lowed the patient. 
 
 Speaking of the operation, Mr. Youatt says : 
 "The old method of opening the scrotum (test- 
 ical bag) on either side, and cutting off the test- 
 icles, and preventing bleeding by a temporary 
 compression of the vessels, while they are being 
 seared with a hot iron, must not, perhaps, be 
 abandoned ; but there is no necessity of that ex- 
 tra pain, when the spermatic cord (the blood 
 vessels and the nerve) is compressed between 2 
 
 {)ieces of wood as tightly as in a vise, and then 
 ett until the following day, or until the testicle 
 drops off." He also objects to the unnecessary 
 pain inflicted upon colts by corping them, and 
 states that it is accompanied with considerable 
 danger. With regard to the method of castra- 
 tion by Torison, he adds : "An incision is made 
 into the scrotum, and the vas deferens is exposed 
 and divided; the artery is then seized by a pair 
 of forceps contrived for the purpose, and is then 
 twisted round 6 or 7 times. It retracts without 
 untwisting the coils, and bleeding ceases, the 
 testicle is removed, and there is no sloughing or 
 danger. The most painful part of the oderation, 
 which is that of the firing-irons or the clamps is 
 avoided, and the wound readily heals." 
 
 CLICKING.— ThK is noticeable by a disa- 
 greeable clicking noise made by the horse strik- 
 ing the toe of his hind shoe against the inner 
 edcre of the fore one. To prevent this annoying 
 habit, shoe the hind foot short at the toe — that is 
 to say, set the shoe as far back as is compatible 
 with security and safety ; the fore shoe should be 
 fofged narrow v ith the inner margin filed round 
 and smooth. 
 
 COLIC. — Svmptrms : The horse often lies 
 down, and suddenly rises agnin with a spring ; 
 strikes his belly with his hind feet, stamps with 
 his fore feet, and refuses every kind of food, etc. 
 The following is said never to fail in curing cases 
 
 of colic : Aromatic spirits of ammonia y^ an oz., 
 laudanum i^ oz. ; mix with i pint of water, 
 and administer. If not relieved, repeat the dose 
 in a short time. Another and a better remedy is 
 to take a piece of carpet, blanket, or any thick 
 material, large enough to cover the liorse from 
 his fore to his hind legs, and from the spine to 
 the floor as he lies, and wring it out in hot water 
 as hot as you can stand. You need not fear 
 scalding the animal. Apply this to the horse, 
 and cover it with a similar dry cloth. As soon 
 as the heat diminishes much, dip the wet cloth 
 again in hot water. 
 
 COLLAR, How to Fit a Horse. — An excel- 
 lent plan, and one that will not injure the collar, 
 is to dip it in water until the leather is thoroughly 
 wet, then put it on the horse, secure the hames 
 firmly, keeping it there until it becomes dry. It 
 is all the better if heavy loads are to be drawn, 
 as that causes the collar to be more evenly fitted 
 to the neck and shoulder. If possible, the col- 
 lar should be kept on from 4 to 5 hours, when 
 it will be perfectly dry, and retain the same shape 
 evea afterwards ; and as it is exactly fitted to the 
 form of the neck, will not produce chafes nor 
 sores on the horse's neck. 
 
 CORAS. — There are no fixed rules for the 
 treatment of horses with corns. Corns occur to 
 horses with the best of feet. The high-heeled 
 and contracted quartered, the low as well as the 
 broad, all occasionally become afflicted with this 
 annoying disease, the common cause being the 
 worst of shoeing. Success in the treatment of 
 corns must rest entirely upon the intelligent un- 
 derstanding of the shoer. If he is master of the 
 art, he will see at a glance what parts of the foot 
 require to removed. In the preparation ol the 
 foot, no matter what its form, so long as there is 
 no reason to suspect suppuration, no "paring 
 out the corn" should be permijted. When such 
 officious exploration is permitted, the healthy 
 condition of the whole foot is interfered with ; 
 the scooping out ol the horn at the angle formed 
 by the wall and bar interferes with the natural 
 growth of these parts, causes them to tilt over 
 rnd to press directly upon the seat of the corn, 
 thus inflicting injuries which frequently termi- 
 nate in suppuration. Let the horse's foot be 
 properly adjusted in all its parts, always leaving 
 as broad and level a bearing surface as possible. 
 With regard to the shoe, unless the condition of 
 the horse's foot requires some special modifica- 
 tion for its protection, we prefer a plain shoe, a 
 small clip at the toe, moderately broad web, and 
 of uniform thickness from toe to heel. 
 
 COLTS, Their Care and Management. — 
 Much harm arises from improper weaning. A 
 good method is, when the colt is 4 or 5 months 
 old, to put a strong halter upan him, place him 
 in a stall, and put his mother in an adjoining 
 stall, with a partition between, so arranged that 
 they can see each other, and, if possible, get 
 their heads together. The first day let the colt 
 nurse twice — the next day once. Feed the mare 
 upon dry hay and dry feed, and about half milk 
 her 2 or 3 times a day until dry. Feed the colt 
 upon new-mown grass or fine clover hay, and 
 give him a pint of oats twice ] cr day, and in 
 about 2 weeks you will have yaiir co!t weaned, 
 and vour mare dry, and your colt looking as well 
 as ever. When he is I year old he-h.ns as much 
 growth and development of muscle as one 2 
 years old weaned in the usual manner. When 
 
DOMESTIC ANIMALS— HORSES. 
 
 99 
 
 the mare becomes dry, colt and mare may be 
 again turned in pasture. An opinion generally 
 
 fjrevails among farmers that, from the time the 
 oal is taken from its dam up to coming maturity, 
 it should not be " pushed," as the saying is, nor 
 fed on grain, for fear it would injure one so 
 young and tender. This accounts for the great 
 number of moping or spiritless and unthrifty 
 colts, that are scarcely able to drag one leg after 
 another. Their very appearance, cadaverous 
 and pitiful looks, seem to convey to the mind of 
 every sensible man that they are the victims of a 
 wretched system of starvation, which enervates 
 the digestive organs, impairs the secretions, and 
 impoverishes the blood. Hence the deficiency in 
 the development of bone and muscle. The mus- 
 cles and tendons, being so illy supplied with ma- 
 terial for growth and development, become very 
 weak, and afford but little support to the bones 
 and joints, so that the former become crooked 
 and the latter weak — defects which no after feed- 
 ing, no skill in training can counteract. It must 
 be known to breeders that from the time of birth 
 up to maturity, colts require food abounding in 
 flesh-making principle, nitrogen6us compounds 
 —oats, corn, etc. ; otherwise they must naturally 
 be deficient in size, symmetry, and powers of en- 
 durance. Therefore they should be regularly 
 fed and watered ; and their food should consist 
 of ground oats, wheat bran, and sweet hay, in 
 quantities sufficient to promote their growth. 
 Finally, proper shelter should always be provided 
 for them. They should not be exposed, as they 
 often are, to the vicissitudes of the weather, un- 
 der the false notion of making them tough and 
 hardy. Equally unwise is it to confine colts to 
 close, unventilated, and filthy stables, deprived 
 of light, exercise, and pure air. They should be 
 groomed every day ; a clean skin favors the vi- 
 talization of the blood. They should be permit- 
 ted to gambol about as much as they choose. 
 Exercise develops muscle, makes an animal ac- 
 tive and spirited, and increases the capacity of 
 the lungs and chest. By the above means, and 
 proper attention to the principles of breeding, 
 the business of raising colts may become both 
 creditable and profitable. 
 
 COLT, To Prevent from Jumping. — Pass a 
 good stout surcingle around his body ; put on 
 his halter, and have the halter strap long enough 
 to go from his head, between his fore legs, then 
 through the surcingle, and back to one of his 
 hind legs. Procure a thill strap, and buckle 
 around the leg between the foot and joint; fasten 
 the halter strap in this — shorter or longer, as the 
 obstinacy of the case may require. It is also 
 useful to keep colts from running where there is 
 likely to be danger from the result. If the thill 
 strap should cause any soreness on the leg, it 
 may be wound with a woolen cloth, and it would 
 be well to change from one leg to the other occa- 
 sionally. 
 
 COLT, CALLUS CiV.— Take i oz. of bitter 
 sweet, I oz. of skunk cabbage, i oz. of blood 
 root ; steep and mix with lard ; make an oint- 
 ment, and apply once or twice a day. This is 
 considered a sure remedy. 
 
 COUGH. — Take powdered squills i oz., gin- 
 ger 2 oz., cream of tartar i oz. ; mix well, and 
 give a spoonful every morning in bran. Another 
 remedy is to give the animal a feed of sunflower 
 seed. 
 
 CRIBBING. — There is supposed to be no 
 
 remedy for this habit, but a person who has 
 tried it says that a horse can be cured of crib- 
 biting by nailing a sheepskin, wool side up, 
 wherever there is any chance for the horse to 
 bite. 
 
 DISTEMPER.— Toe. treatment of distemper • 
 should consist in good nursing rather than active 
 or officious medication. In the first instance the 
 animal should, if convenient, be removed to a 
 loose box, with extra warm clothing, flannel ban- 
 dages to the legs, deprivation of grain, warm 
 mashes, and a small quantity of damped hay. 
 If the running at the nose is considerable, the 
 throat very sore, and the cough troublesome, it 
 will be advisable to wrap several folds of thick 
 flannel around the throat, which should be kept 
 constantly wet with alcohol, or weak camphor 
 and spirit — that is, I part camphor dissolved in 
 1 6 parts alcohol. A dose of 4 drs. of either ni- 
 trate or sulphate of potass, dissolved in the 
 drinking water, may be given once or twice each 
 day. Active stimulants, particularly blisters, are 
 wholly inadmissible. Demulcient drinks, such 
 as linseed tea, hay tea, or oat or cornmeal, are 
 useful and often acceptable. The animal should 
 remain quiet in his box until all irritation in his 
 throat has completely passed away. Even when 
 the horse is "convalescent," the owner must not 
 be in a hurry to get him into fast work, because 
 the membrane of the larynx (upper portion of 
 the windpipe) will continue to be for some time 
 very susceptible of irritation and inflammation. 
 In the advanced stages, if the debility is great 
 and the appetite poor, much benefit is derived 
 from the administration of tonics and stimulants. 
 The following may be given daily: Iodide of 
 iron I dr., extract of gentian 4 drs. ; mix for to 
 make I ball, or dissolve in a pint of ale and then 
 give as a drink. In cases, however, which are 
 progressing favorably. Nature had better be left 
 to herself, and tonics should only be resorted to 
 when the symptoms really indicate the need of 
 them. 
 
 DRESSING HOOF.— A good preparation, 
 and one that will give the horse's hoof a rapid 
 and healthy growth, is to take of oil of tar I pt., 
 beeswax ij^ lbs., whale oil 4 pts. The above 
 ingredients should be mixed and melted together 
 over a slow fire, and applied to all parts of the 
 hoof at least once or twice a week. 
 
 EYE, Injlamniation of. — Keep the horse 
 quiet, and dress the eye repeatedly with the fol- 
 lowing lotion: Take of tincture of opium 2 oz., 
 and of water i pt. ; mix. Much depends upon 
 a proper application of the lotion, and a most 
 advantageous proceeding is to attach several 
 folds of linen rag to the headstall so as to cover 
 the eye, and by being repeatedly saturated it 
 will keep up constant evaporation, as well as a 
 cooling effect. The horse should also be re- 
 moved from excessive light. When the inflam- 
 mation has been subdued, the opacity — more or 
 less of which is sure to remain — must be treated 
 by the application of either iodide of potassium 
 or nitrate of silver, prepared thus : Take of io- 
 dide of potassium 20 grs ; water r oz. ; mix; or 
 take of nitrate of silver 5 grs., distilled water I 
 ounce ; mix. To be applied daily by means of a 
 camel's-hair brush saturated with the lotion and 
 drawn gently across the eye. | 
 
 FARCY. — In most cases farcy is indicated by 
 the appearance of one or more pustules, which 
 break into a very peculiar, deep, abrupt ulcer, 
 
100 
 
 DICTIONARY OF EVERY-DAY WANTS. 
 
 having thick inverted edges, which bleed freely 
 on the slightest touch. The matter discharged 
 from a farcy bud is either of a dirty, dingy yel- 
 low color or of a glue-like character ; in either 
 case it is offensive. Or it may be bloody or ich- 
 orous. In the latter case it abrades tlie surface 
 on which it falls, or gravitates its irregular cord- 
 ed lines into the cellular tissues, and hence it 
 helps to spread the disease. In other cases this 
 complaint commences with a very painful swell- 
 ing of the hind leg, followed by the peculiar in- 
 tractable ulcers described above. In treatment, 
 the horse should receive good care, fresh air, 
 regular, moderate exercise, and be carefully kept 
 apart from all others. Give daily in food for a 
 fortnight 2 drs. of iodide of iron, 4 grs. of can- 
 tharides, with 2 drs. each of powdered ginger 
 and aniseed. The ulcers or sores should be 
 dressed daily with carbolic acid. 
 
 FEET, HORSES\ Care of . — Every person 
 may see, upon turning up the bottom of a horse's 
 foot, an angular projection pointing towards the 
 toe, termed the frog and its bars, the remainder 
 or hollow part being technically called the sole, 
 though the entire bottom of the foot might bet- 
 ter receive this name. It is certain, however, 
 that the "frog and sole" require pressure — a 
 congenial kind of pressure without concussion — 
 that shall cause the sensible, inside, or quick- 
 sole to perform its functions of absorbing the 
 serous particles secreted or deposited therein by 
 the blood vessels. If the frog and its bars are 
 permitted to remain in such a state as to reach 
 the ground, wherever the sod happens to be 
 soft or yielding, the hollow part of the sole re- 
 ceives its due proportion of pressure laterally, 
 and the whole sole or surface of the foot is thus 
 kept in health. 
 
 Every veterinarian of sense will perceive the 
 necessity of keeping the heels apart, yet though 
 the immediate cause of their contracting is so 
 universally known and recognized, the injudi- 
 cious method — to call it by no harsher name — of 
 paring away the frog and sole, which prevents 
 the bars from ever touching the ground, is still 
 continued to an alarming extent. 
 
 So much for prevention. When disease comes 
 on, which may be accelerated by two other spe- 
 cies of mismanagement, another course is usually 
 followed not less injudicious than the first men- 
 tioned original cause of all the mischief. 
 
 Horses' hoofs are of two distinct kinds or 
 shapes — the one being oval, hard, dark-colored, 
 and thick ; the other round, palish, and thin in 
 the wall or crust of the hoof. The first has a 
 different kind of frog from the latter, this being 
 broad, thick and soft, while the oval hoof has a 
 frog that is long, acute and hard. The rags, 
 which hard work and frequent shoeing occasion 
 on the horny hoof of the round foot, produce 
 ragged frogs also, both being thus pared away 
 to make a fair bottom to receive the shoe — burn- 
 ing hot ! — the whole support is so far reduced, 
 and the sensible sole coming much nearer the 
 ground, becomes tender and liable to those pain- 
 ful concussions which bring on lameness — prin- 
 cipally of the fore feet. Contraction of those 
 kinds of heels which belong to the cart-horse, 
 and pommice-foot, are the consequence. 
 
 The oval foot pertains to the saddle-horse, the 
 hunter, and bit of blood-kind, whose bold pro- 
 jecting frogs the farriers remove, and these being 
 compelled to perform long and painful journeys, 
 
 ever starling or going off with the same leading 
 leg, and continuing the same throughout, lame- 
 ness is contracted in that foot, which none can 
 account for, nor even find out whereabouts it 
 may be seated. Applications of "the oyals" 
 (that egregious compound of folly, ignorance 
 and brutality) follow the first appearance of this 
 lameness, and are made alike to the shoulder, 
 the leg, and the sole, under the various pre- 
 tences of rheumatism, strain in the shoulder, and 
 founder. The real cause, however, is not once 
 thought of, much less removed, but, on the con- 
 trary, the evil is usually augmented by removing 
 the shoe and drawing the sole to the quick, per- 
 haps, in search of suppositious corns, surbatings, 
 etc. — pretended remedies that were never known 
 to cure, but which might have been all prevented 
 by the simplest precautions that can be imagined. 
 These are: 
 
 1. Let the frog and sole acquire their natural 
 thickness. 
 
 2. Lead off sometimes with one leg, some- 
 times with another. 
 
 3. Stuff the hollow of the hoofs (all four of 
 them) with cow dung or tar ointment, changing 
 it entirely once a day. In every case it is advis- 
 able that he be worked moderately, for it is use- 
 less to talk to the owners of horses about giving 
 the afflicted animal an entire holiday at grass. 
 
 FEET, BRITTLE.— \n a large majority of 
 cases brittleness of hoof owes its origin to mis- 
 management of the feet, and especially to exces- 
 sive moisture, the use of swabs, the bath-tub, 
 etc. In all cases where the hoof is naturally 
 brittle the feet should be kept dry rather than 
 wet. If convenient, we would remove the 
 shoes, and rasp the wall moderately short and 
 round at its margin. Having cut the hair off 
 short around the entire coronet, a little iodide of 
 mercury ointment should be rubbed in. This 
 will cause a rapid growth of horn. The horse 
 should be kept during the day in a roomy box 
 having a layer of tan or sawdust spread over the 
 floor. When removed to his stall at night the 
 feet should be washed clean, and, after being 
 wiped dry, every part of the hoof should be 
 freely anointed with the following composition : 
 Take of oil of tar and beeswax of each 4 oz., 
 honey and beef suet of each 2 oz., whale oil 8 
 ounces; melt the beeswax and beef suet first, 
 then add the honey and other ingredients, stir- 
 ring the whole until nearly cold. All sousing of 
 the feet must be avoided. 
 
 FEET, CONTRACTED.— Uoxsts which 
 stand nearly or quite the year round, sometimes 
 from year to year in the stable, are apt to have 
 the feet get into a dry and fevered condition, the 
 hoof becomes dry, hard, and often contracted, 
 frequently also very brittle, and the horse some- 
 times suffers lameness in consequence. One of 
 the most effective means of remedying these 
 difficulties, where the horse cannot be spared to 
 be turned loose into pasture for quite a season, 
 is in the spring, when the ground is breaking up, 
 and the wmter's frost disappearing, and no last- 
 ing freeze is to be apprehended, to have all the 
 shoes taken off, and drive the horse daily about 
 business as usual without them. The roads re- 
 main muddy and soft, usually, so that a horse 
 may be thus driven daily for a period of 3 or 4 
 weeks, and a great improvement is effected in 
 the feet in every respect. 
 
 FEET, To Ptojetit Snow-balling.— Cittin 
 
DOMESTIC ANIMALS— HORSES. 
 
 101 
 
 their hoofs well, then rub thoroughly with thick 
 soap suds before going out in the snow. 
 
 FISTULA. — Make a free opening in the low- 
 estpart of the sac, and inject it daily with a lo- 
 tion containing 2 drachms of chloride of zinc to 
 a pint of soft water. 
 
 FLIES ON HORSES.— ks. a preventive of 
 horses being teased by flies, take 2 or 3 small 
 handfuls of walnut leaves, upon which pour 2 
 or 3 quarts of cold water ; let it infuse for one 
 night, and pour the whole next morning into a 
 kettle, and let it boil for a ^ of an hour. When 
 it becomes cold it will be fit for use. No more 
 is required than to moisten a sponge, and, be- 
 fore the horse goes out of the stable, let those 
 parts which are most irritable be smeared over 
 with the liquor — namely, between and upon the 
 ears, the neck, the flanks, etc. Not only the 
 lady or gentleman who rides out for pleasure 
 will derive pleasure from the walnut leaves thus 
 prepared, but the coachman, the wagoner, and 
 all others who use horses during the summer. 
 Or take smart weed and soak it in water, and in 
 the morning apply it to the horse, all over him, 
 with a sponge. A decoction of quassia chips, 
 made by boiling them in water, has also been 
 recommended. 
 
 FRACTURE. — Severe lameness is some- 
 times caused by the fracture of i or 2 bones on 
 the inside of the hoof — namely, the coffin of the 
 navicular bone. Inclosed as these bones are on 
 the inside of the hoof, and fenced in laterally by 
 the cartilages, it is often difficult to detect, and 
 we are obliged to depend on the general symp- 
 toms : the horse halts exceedingly, the foot is 
 hot, and the pain extreme. As these bones are 
 confined in the hoof no displacement can take 
 place, therefore no crepitus can be detected. In 
 all cases of fracture of either bone, a careful ex- 
 amination will, however, reveal the existence of 
 a swelling at the back of the heels, immediately 
 above the frog, and more or less fulness over the 
 coronet of the foot. The treatment may be in- 
 dicated in a few words — rest, absolute rest, is 
 all-important. So long as the horse exhibits ev- 
 idence of acute pain whenever his weight is im- 
 posed on the lame limb, the quieter he is kept 
 the better. Warm baths, or cloths frequently 
 moistened with a mixture of equal parts of alco- 
 hol and water, are useful adjuncts. It may be 
 added that, in all cases of serious injury of the 
 stifle, the hip-joint, or the pelvis, the horse is 
 able to bring his heels "fair and square" upon 
 the floor. In fracture of either the navicular or 
 coffin bone, lameness sometimes continues long 
 after recovery. It may turn out permanent. 
 
 FOOT, CANKER OF.—Th\s complaint is a 
 separation of the horn from the sensible part of 
 tlie foot, and the sprouting of the fungus mat- 
 ter — proud flesh — instead of it, occupying a por- 
 tion or even the whole of the sole and frog. It 
 is the occasional consequence of bruise, punc- 
 ture, corn, quittor and thrush, and is exceedingly 
 difficult to cure. It is more frequently the con- 
 sequence of neglected thrush than of any other 
 disease of the foot, or rather it is thrush involv- 
 ing the frog, the bars and the sole, and mcking 
 the foot one mass of putrefaction. 
 
 The cure of canker is a painful and tedious 
 business. First, the extraneous fungus growth 
 is to be removed with either the knife or caustic. 
 Then the growth of fresh fungus must be dis- 
 couraged, by bringing the foot into tliat state in 
 
 which it will again secrete healthy horn, by a 
 slight daily application of the chloride of anti- 
 mony, and that not where the new horn is form- 
 ing, but on the surface which continues to be 
 diseased, and accompanied by as firm but equal 
 pressure as can be made; the careful avoidance 
 of the slightest degree of moisture, the horse 
 being exercised or worked in the mill, or wher- 
 ever the foot will not be exposed to wet, and 
 that exercise adopted as early as possible, and 
 even from the beginning, if the malady is con- 
 fined to the sole and frog. These means will 
 succeed, if the disease is capable of cure. 
 
 FOOT, PUMMICE.—Thxs, is indicated by 
 the hoofs spreading more and more and losing 
 their shape. A properly constructed round (bar) 
 shoe is the only reliable remedy, for it can be 
 worn indefinitely without detriment to any part 
 of the foot. The main object of treatment is to 
 protect and preserve the deformed sole. The 
 shoe must be chambered so as not to touch the 
 sole, and no paring away of the latter must be 
 allowed. Keep the feet clean and dry as pos- 
 sible. 
 
 FOOT, SAND CRACK /.V.— This, as its 
 name imports, is a crack or division of the hoof 
 from above downward, and into which sand and 
 dirt are too apt to insinuate themselves. It oc- 
 curs both in the fore and the hind feet. In the 
 fore feet it is usually found in the inner quarter, 
 but occasionally in the outer quarter, because 
 there is the principal stress or effort toward ex- 
 pansion in the foot, and the inner quarter is not 
 so strong as the outer. In the hind feet the 
 crack is almost invariably found in the front, be- 
 cause in the digging of the toe into the ground, 
 in the act of drawing, the principal stress is in 
 front. If the crack be superficial — does not 
 penetrate through the horn — it will cause no 
 lameness, yet must not be neglected. If the 
 crack has extended to the sensible parts, and you 
 can see any fungus flesh, with a small drawing 
 knife remove the edges of the cracked horn that 
 press npon it. Touch the fungus with caustic, 
 dip a roll of tow or linen in tar, and bind it very 
 firmly over it. The whole foot is to be kept m 
 a bran poultice for a few days, or until the lame- 
 ness is removed. A shoe may then be put on, 
 so as not to press on the diseased part. The 
 pledget of tow may now be removed, the crack 
 filled with the composition, and the animal may 
 be then turned into some soft meadow. 
 
 FOUNDER, To Cure.— Clezn out the bot- 
 torn of the foot thoroughly, hold up firmly in a 
 horizontal position, and pour in a tablespoonful 
 of spirits of turpentine, if the cavity will hold 
 that much ; if not, pour in what it will hold 
 without running over ; touch the turpentine with 
 a red hot iron, (this will set it on fire ;) hold the 
 hoof firmly in this position till it burns out, and 
 care must be taken that none runs on the hair of 
 the hoof, lest the skin be burned. If all the 
 feet are affected, burn turpentine in all of them. 
 Relief will speedily follow, and the animal will 
 be ready for service in a short time. — 2. The 
 seeds of the sunflower — a pint of the whole seed 
 — given in his feed, immediately the founder is 
 discovered. — 3. By standing the foundered horse 
 up to his belly in water. 
 
 G.4LLED BACK.— ?>o soon as an abrasion 
 is discovered on the back of a horse, the animal 
 should be excused from duty for a few days ; the 
 abraded parts should be dressed twice daily with 
 
102 
 
 DICTIONARY OF E VERY-DAY WANTS. 
 
 a portion of the tincture of aloes and myrrh. 
 This simple treatment will soon heal the parts. 
 Should there be no abrasion, but simply a swel- 
 ling attended with heat, pain and tenderness, the 
 parts should be frequently sponged with cold 
 water. Occasionally the skin undergoes the 
 process of hardening (induration.) This is a 
 condition of the parts known to the farriers of 
 old as " sitfast," and the treatment is as follows : 
 Procure I oz. of iodine, and smear the indurated 
 spot with a portion of the same twice daily. 
 Some cases of galled back and shoulders are due 
 to negligence and abuse ; yet many animals, ow- 
 ing to a peculiarity of constitution, will chafe, as 
 the saying is, in those parts which come in con- 
 tact with the collar, and neither human foresight 
 nor mechanical means can prevent the same. 
 
 GLANDERS. — Glanders is a disease of very 
 malignant type, and consists in a discharge from 
 one or both nostrils of matter which, by transfer 
 or inoculation, will produce the disease in any 
 other animal. It is also characterized by tume- 
 faction of the submaxillary and lymphatic glands. 
 The lymphatic glands enlarge, a pustular erup- 
 tion appears upon the skin, followed by suppu- 
 rating, bloody, gangrenous ulceration in various 
 parts, giving rise to small tumors known as farcy 
 buds. These gradually suppurate, and secrete a 
 specific virus. The physiology and pathology of 
 it is this : It occurs under 2 forms — namely, 
 glanders and farcy. Many veterinarians have 
 considered these varieties to be distinct diseases, 
 but numerous experiments have demonstrated 
 that they have their origin in the common ani- 
 mal poison. It appears, however, that there are 
 
 2 grades or varieties of this disease. Thus, if 
 glanders be defined to be a disorder with a run- 
 ning of matter from the nose, enlargement and 
 induration of the glands, farcy consists in the 
 formation of a number of tumors on different 
 
 farts of the body, which soften and ulcerate. 
 t may be shortly stated that, in the primary 
 stage of glanders, the nasal passages especially 
 suffer, while in farcy it is the lymphatic system 
 which is first affected. The catalogue of reme- 
 dies proposed is endless. Sulphate of copper, 
 sulphate of iron, cantharides, arsenic, and re- 
 cently sulphate of soda and carbonic acid, have 
 been used, but without benefit, and to the disap- 
 pointment of the hopes which had been enter- 
 tained of them. The disease is pronounced in- 
 curable by standard authorities, and an animal 
 having it should be killed, rather than experi- 
 mented on. 
 
 GRA VEL, — Steep a ^ lb. of hops m a quart 
 of water, and give it as hot as the horse can stand 
 it 
 
 GREASE. — This is a white, offensive dis- 
 charge from the skin of the heels. Wash the 
 part well with warm soap-suds twice a day, and 
 if the swelling be great apply a poultice to it ; 
 when the sores are cleansed touch them with a 
 rag or feather dipped in a solution of chloride of 
 zinc, I grain to the ounce of water, 
 
 HAIR, LOSS OF.— To promote the growth 
 of hair, where the skin has been deadened by 
 bruises or rubbing, take of quinine 8 grs., finely 
 powdered galls, lo grs., powdered capsicum 5 
 grs., oil of almonds and pure lard of each l oz., 
 oil of lavender 20 drops ; mix thoroughly, and 
 apply a small quantity to the denuded parts 2 or 
 
 3 times a week. Where there is falling out of 
 the hair of the mane and tail, take glycer- 
 
 ine 2 oz., sulphur I oz., acetate of lead 2 drs., 
 water 8 oz. To be well mixed, and applied by 
 means of a sponge. 
 
 HALTER-PULLING.— K new way to pre- 
 vent horses pulling at the halter, is to put a very 
 small rope under the horse's tail, bringing the 
 ends forward, crossing them on the back, and 
 tying them on the breast. Put the halter strap 
 through the ring, and tie to the rope in front of 
 •the breast. When the horse pulls, he will, of 
 course, find himself in rather an uncomfortable 
 position, and discontinue the effort to free him- 
 self. 
 
 HARNESS, Care of. — First take the harness 
 apart, having each strap and piece by itself, and 
 then wash it in warm soap-suds. When it has 
 been cleaned, black every part with the follow- 
 ing dye: I oz. extract of logwood, 12 grs. of 
 bichromate of potash, both pounded fine ; put it 
 into 2 quarts of boiling rain water, and stir until 
 all is dissolved. When cool it may be used. 
 You can bottle and keep for future use if you 
 wish. It may be applied with a shoe-brush, or 
 anything else convenient. When the dye has 
 struck in, you may oil each part with neat's-foot 
 oil, applied with a paint-brush, or anything con- 
 venient. For second oiling use ^ castor oil and 
 double that quantity of neat's-foot oil, mixed. 
 A few hours after wipe clean with a woolen 
 cloth, which gives the harness a glossy appear- 
 ance. The preparation will not injure the leather 
 or stitching, makes it soft and pliable, and obvi- 
 ates the necessity of oiling as often as is neces- 
 sary by the ordinary method. 
 
 HEAVES. — This disease is indicated by a 
 short, dull, spasmodic cough, and a double-jerk- 
 ing movement at the flank during expiration. 
 If a horse suffering from this disease is allowed 
 to distend his stomach at his pleasure, with dry 
 food entirely, and then to drink cold water, as 
 much as he can hold, he is nearly worthless. 
 But if his food be moistened, and he be allowed 
 to drink a moderate quantity only at a time, the 
 disease is much less troublesome. To cure this 
 complaint, feed no hay to the horse for 36 or 48 
 hours, and give only a pailful of water at a time. 
 Then throw an armful of well cured smart weed 
 before him, and let him eat all he will. In all 
 cases where the cells of the lungs are not broken 
 down, great relief, if not a perfect cure, will fol- 
 low. Another remedy is sunflower seed, feeding 
 I or 2 quarts of the seed daily. 
 
 HIDE-BOUND.— To recruit a hide-bound 
 horse, give nitrate potassia (or saltpetre) 4 oz., 
 crude antimony I oz., sulphur 3 oz. Nitrate of 
 potassia and antimony should be finely pulver- 
 ized, then add the sulphur, and mix the whole 
 well together. Dose — A tablespoonful of this 
 mixture in a bran mash daily. 
 
 HOOF-BOUND — Cut down several lines 
 from the coronet to the toe all around the hoof, 
 and fill the cuts with tallow and soap mixed ; take 
 off the shoes, and (if you can spare him) turn the 
 animal into a wet meadow, where his feet will be 
 kept moist. Never remove the sole nor burn the 
 lines down, as this increases instead of diminish- 
 ing the evil. 
 
 HOOF-QUA R TER, CRA CR'ED.—'S'lz.ny 
 plans have been devised by which to heal a quar- 
 ter crack — such as scoring with a knife, blister- 
 ing, cutting with a sharp, hot iron, riveting and 
 the like, all which, in many cases, have proved a 
 failure. If the following directions are adopted. 
 
DOMESTIC ANIMALS— HORSES. 
 
 103 
 
 the fore feet will be sound in 3 months. Above 
 the crack, and next to the hair, cut with your 
 knife an incision ^ inch long, crosswise of the 
 crack, and about % inch deep. Now from the 
 incision draw a line )^ inch each side, parallel 
 with the crack, down to the shoe ; then with your 
 knife follow those lines, and cut through the 
 enamel or crust of the foot. Now there is a 
 piece of the crust to be taken out. This is done 
 by loosening the top of the piece next to the 
 hair with your knife, then with your forceps take 
 hold of the piece and pull it off ; that leaves a 
 space of % i"ch of the crust taken out from the 
 hair down to the shoe. Fill the cavity with tar, 
 and lace on a soft piece of leather to keep the 
 tar in its place. 
 
 Keep the animal quiet for 3 or 4 days, and he 
 is ready to drive, but it is best not to use him 
 until the foot is perfectly sound. Shoe with a 
 bar shoe, leaving some spring to the heel, so it 
 will not bear hard upon the weak quarter, and in 
 3 months you will have a sound foot. 
 
 HORSES, How to Judge and Select.— Color. 
 Light sorrel or chestnut with feet, legs, and face 
 white, are marks of kindness. A deep bay, with 
 no white hair, will be a horse ot great bottom, 
 but a fool, especially if his face is a little dished. 
 They are always tricky and unsafe. A black 
 horse cannot stand the heat, nor a white one the 
 cold. The more white about the head the great- 
 er his docility and gentleness. Eye. — If broad 
 and full between the eyes, he may be depended 
 on as a horse for being trained to anything. 
 Ears. — Intelligent animals prick up their ears 
 when spoken to ; vicious ones throw their ears 
 back. Face and Neck. — Dish-faced horses must 
 always be avoided, and a broad forehead, high 
 between the ears, indicates a very vicious dispo- 
 sition ; while a long, thin neck indicates a good 
 disposition ; contrawise, if short and thick ; the 
 nostrils of a good horse should be large. 
 
 HORSE, Points of a Good.—\iQ should be 
 about l^Yz -hands high ; the head light and clean 
 made ; wide between the nostrils, and the nos- 
 trils themselves large, transparent and open ; 
 broad in the forehead; eyes prominent, clear and 
 sparkling ; ears small and neatly set on ; neck 
 rather short, and well set up ; large arm or 
 shoulder, well thrown back, and high ; withers 
 arched and high ; legs fine, flat, thin and small- 
 boned ; body round and rather light, though suf- 
 ficiently large to afford substance when it is need- 
 ed ; full chest, affording play for the lungs ; back 
 short, with the hind-quarters set on rather ob- 
 liquely. Any one possessing a horse of this pre- 
 cise make and appearance, and weighing 1 100 or 
 1200 lbs., may rest assured he has a horse of all 
 work, and a bargain well worth getting hold 
 of. 
 
 HORSE, {Cart,) Points of a Good .—K well- 
 shaped head, rather large ; a long, clean ear, full 
 eye, neck rather long, but not too much arched ; 
 strong withers, lying well forward to catch the 
 collar at the proper angle for draught, and broad 
 .shoulders well spread mto the back; back very 
 straight, ribs long' and well rounded, hind legs 
 bent at the hock, forlegs forward, hind-quarters 
 somewhat round, but not sufificiently so to make 
 them look short ; the mane and tail of strong, 
 but not coarse hair, and with a fetlock about 2 
 inches long ; broad knees, long hocks, short 
 shanks, and hard ankles or fetlock joints, and 
 round hoofs, well opened behind ; and the near- 
 
 er you can approach this description, the nearer 
 the horse will be to perfection. 
 
 HORSES, AGE OF, By Teeth.— .K horse 
 has 40 teeth — 24 double teeth, or grinders, 4 
 tushes, or single file teeth, and 12 front teeth, 
 called gatherers. As a general thing, mares 
 have no tushes. Between 2 and 3 years old, the 
 colt sheds his 4 middle teeth — 2 above and 2 be- 
 low. After 3 years old 2 other teeth are shed, 
 I on each side of those formerly changed; he 
 now has 8 colt's teeth and 8 horse's teeth ; when 
 4 years of age he cuts 4 new teeth. At 5 years 
 of age the horse sheds his remaining colt's teeth, 
 4 in number, when his tushes appear. At 6 
 years of age his tushes are up, appearing white, 
 small and sharp, while a small circle of young 
 growing teeth is observable. The mouth is now 
 complete. At 8 years of age the teeth have 
 filled up, the horse is aged, and his mouth is 
 said to be full. By Eyelid. — After a horse is 9 
 years old, a wrinkle comes on the eyelid, at the 
 upper corner of the lower lid, and every year 
 thereafter he has I well-defined wrinkle for each 
 year over 9. If, for instance, a horse has 3 of 
 these wrinkles, he is 12 ; if 4, he is 13. Add 
 the number of wrinkles to 9, and you will inva- 
 riably judge correctly of a horse's age. 
 
 HORSE'S EYES, To Test a.— To test a 
 horse's eyes, look at the eye carefully, when the 
 horse is in rather a dark stable. Note the shape 
 and size of the pupil carefully, carry this in your 
 mind while you turn the horse about to a strong 
 light. If the pupil contracts and appears much 
 smaller than in the first instance, you may infer 
 that the horse has a good strong eye ; but if the 
 pupil remains nearly of the same size in both 
 cases, his eyes are weak, and you had better 
 have nothing to do with him. 
 
 HORSES, 4VHEN UNSOUND.-'Kny of 
 the following defects constitute unsoundness in a 
 horse : 
 
 Lameness of all kinds and degrees. Diseases 
 of any of the internal organs. Cough of every 
 kind, as long as it exists. Colds or catarrhs, 
 while they last. Roaring, broken wind, thick 
 wind, grease, mange, farcy and glanders ; me- 
 grims or staggers, founder, convex feet, con- 
 tracted feet, spavins and ringbones, enlargement 
 of the sinews or ligaments, cataracts and other 
 defects of the eyes, imp.iiring sight. 
 
 The following may or may not occasion un- 
 soundness, according to the state or degree in 
 which they exist : Corns, splints, thrushes, bog- 
 spavins, through pins, wind-galls, crib-biting. 
 Curbs are unsoundness unless the horse has 
 worked with them for some months without in- 
 convenience. 
 
 Cutting, particularly speedy cutting, consti- 
 tutes unsoundness when it cannot be remedied 
 by care and skill. Quidding, when a confirmed 
 habit, injures the soundness of a horse. 
 
 Defects, called blemishes, are : Scars from 
 broken knees ; capped hocks, splints, bog-spav- 
 ins, and through pins ; loss of hair from blisters 
 or scars, enlargements from blows or cutting, 
 and also specks or streaks on the corner of the 
 eye. 
 
 Vices are: Restiveness, shying, boltingj run- 
 ning away, kicking, rearing, weaving, or moving 
 the head from side to side, stringhalt, quidding, 
 slipping the halter. 
 
 HORSES, Care of. — The man having the care 
 of horses should be the embodiment of patience. 
 
I04 
 
 DICTIONARY OF EVERY-DAY WANTS. 
 
 His temper should always be under perfect con- 
 trol. He should never inflict any unnecessary 
 pain, for it is only by the law of kindness that a 
 horse can be trained and managed. No man 
 ever yet struck a horse, but that he njade the 
 horse the worse for it. Patience and kindness 
 will accomplish in every instance what whipping 
 will fail to do. Horses having a vicious dispo- 
 sition are invariably made so from cruel treat- 
 ment. 
 
 Horses are designed to work, and daily labor 
 for them is as much a necessity to their existence 
 as to that of man's. It is not the hard drawing 
 and ponderous loads that wear out horses, and 
 make them poor, baulky and worthless ; but it 
 is the hard driving, the worry by rough and in- 
 human drivers, that uses up more horse flesh, 
 fat and muscle than all the labor a team per- 
 forms. Another great reason why there are so 
 few really sound animals, is because of their be- 
 ing put to work so soon. Horses are not devel- 
 oped until they are 5, 6 or 7 years old, and they 
 should do very little work until they reach that 
 period. 
 
 When a horse is worked hard its food should 
 chiefly be oats ; if not worked hard, its food 
 should chiefly be hay ; because oats supply more 
 nourishment and flesh-making material than any 
 other kind of food ; hay not so much. 
 
 HORSES, Food for. — Horses are usually fed 
 thrice daily — namely, in the morning, at mid-day 
 and at night. It is not possible to state the ex- 
 act quantity of food a horse requires to keep him 
 in good working condition. In all cases the 
 horse himself tells whether he is getting too 
 much or too little. The best feed for ordinary 
 road horses is hay and oats. lo lbs. of hay is a 
 fair allowance of good hay, and to fast-working 
 horses from 15, 20, or 25 lbs. of oats ; one-third 
 of the hay may be given during the day, the bal- 
 ance at night. Horses differ so much in the 
 quantity of hay they may eat without inconve- 
 nience — in fact, they vary so much in size, age, 
 breeding, temper, condition, and labor they are 
 called upon to perform, that it is impossible to 
 fix upon any specific rules for feeding them. 
 
 Oats should be bruised for an old horse, but 
 not for a young one, because the former, through 
 age and defective teeth, cannot chew them prop- 
 erly ; the young horse can do so, and they are 
 thus properly mixed with the saliva and turned 
 into wholesome nutriment. Carrots given occa- 
 sionally will give a fine, silky appearance to the 
 coat, and experiments have shown that the best 
 way to feed carrots is to give them with oats. 
 If you are in the habit of feeding 4 quarts of oats 
 to a mess, give 2 of oats and 2 of sliced carrots, 
 and the result will be more satisfactory than if 
 each were fed separately. Youatt writes of the 
 carrot: "This root is held in much esteem. 
 There is none better, nor perhaps so good ; when 
 first given it is slightly diuretic and laxative, but 
 as the horse becomes accustomed to it these ef- 
 fects cease to be produced. They improve the 
 state of the skin. They form a gootl substitute 
 for grass, and an excellent alterative for horses 
 out of condition. To sick and idle horses they 
 render grain unnecessary. They are beneficial 
 in all chronic diseases connected with breathing, 
 and have a marked influence upon chronic cough 
 and broken wind. They are serviceable in dis- 
 eases of the skin, and, in combination with oats, 
 they restore a worn horse more than oats alone. 
 
 It is also advantageous to chop hay fed to a 
 horse, and to sprinkle the hay with water that 
 has salt dissolved in it — a teaspoonful of salt to a 
 bucket of water is sufficient. Rack-feeding is 
 wasteful. The better plan is to feed with hay 
 (chopped) from a manger, because the food is 
 not then thrown about, and is more easy to chew 
 and digest. 
 
 Vetches and cut grass should always be given 
 in the spring to horses that can not be turned 
 out into the fields, because they are very cool and 
 refreshing, and almost medicinal in their effects ; 
 but they must be supplied in moderation, as they 
 are liable to ferment in the stomach, if given 
 largely. 
 
 As often ss once a week a change of food 
 should be made — one feed of cut hay and meal, 
 or cut hay with shorts will do. Mv.sty hay on 
 no account should be fed to horses. Let the 
 food be the best of its kind, for in the cud it is 
 the cheapest. 
 
 HORSES, Water for.— \Na.tzr is usually 
 given 3 times a day ; but in summer, when the 
 horse sweats much, he should have v/ater 4 or 5 
 times ; under ordinary circumstances, 2 rules 
 will guide the attendant. The first is, never to 
 let the horse get very thirsty ; the second, to 
 give him water so often and in such quantity 
 that he will not care to take any within an hour 
 of going to fast work. The quantity of water 
 which a horse will drink in 24 hours is uncer- 
 tain ; it varies so much that i will drink quite 
 as much as other 2 or 3. It is influenced by 
 the food, the work, the weather, and the number 
 of services ; the demand for water also increases 
 with the perspiration. Horses at fast work, and 
 kept in hot stables, need a large allowance, 
 which must be still larger in hot weather ; horses 
 of slow work may be permitted to take %\hat 
 quantity they please ; but to those of fast work 
 occasional restriction is necessary. Restriction 
 is always necessary before fast work. A few 
 quarts given an hour before going to work ought 
 to suffice. Water should always be given before 
 rather than after grain. Water your horses from 
 a pond or stream rather than from a spring or 
 well, because the latter is generally hard and 
 cold, while the former is soft and comparatively 
 warm. The horse prefers soft, muddy water to 
 hard water, though ever so clear. 
 
 HORSE-FEEDING ON THE ROAD.— 
 Many persons, in traveling, feed their horses too 
 much and too often, continually stuffing them, 
 and not allowing them time to rest and digest 
 their food ; of course they suffer from over-full- 
 ness and carrying unnecessary weight. Horses 
 should be well fed in the evening, and must not 
 be stuffed too full in the morning, and the trav- 
 eling should be moderate on starting when the 
 horse has a full stomach. If a horse starts in 
 good condition, he can go 20 or 25 miles without 
 feeding. 
 
 HORSES, CLEANING.— When brought in 
 from work, warm with exertion, the horse must 
 be rubbed down and then blanketed ; but we 
 would not blanket a horse in a good stable, as a 
 general rule, except in extremely cold weather. 
 A sharp-toothed curry-comb is the dread of a 
 fine-skinned horse, and the brush and straw wisp 
 answer the same purpose much better, if used as 
 frequently as they should be. Mud should not 
 be allowed to dry on the legs of a horse ; it is 
 the cause of h^ the swelled legs, scratches,. 
 
DOMESTIC ANIMALS— HORSES. 
 
 ro5 
 
 and other affections of the feet with which they 
 are afflicted. 
 
 HORSES, Siabks /;r.— The floor of the sta- 
 ble should be level, or nearly so. When it is 
 inclined it causes the horse to hang back, because 
 the incline causes his loins and hind parts to 
 ache intolerably, and he hangs back in order, if 
 possible, to get his hind legs beyond the gutter, • 
 thus diminishing, by many degrees, his standing 
 up hill. The best bedding is that of straw, fine 
 shavings from a planing mill, or sawdust — pine 
 sawdust being best, and oak sawdust the worst. 
 They should be allowed to stand on the naked 
 floor as little as possible. " If I were asked," 
 said a noted stock-raiser, " to account for my 
 horses' legs and feet being in better order than 
 those of my neighbor, I should attribute it to 
 the four following circumstances : First, they are 
 all shod with a few nails, so placed in the shoe 
 as to permit the foot to expand every time they 
 move. Second, that they all live in boxes, in- 
 stead of stalls, and can move whenever they 
 please. Third, they spend 2 hours daily in 
 walking exercise, when they are not at work. 
 Fourth, that I have not a head-stall or trace-chain 
 in my stable. These four circumstances com- 
 prehend the whole mystery of keeping horses' 
 legs fine, and their feet in sound working condi- 
 tion up to old age. 
 
 HORSE STABLES, To Dcoiorize.—So.\\- 
 dust, wetted with sulphuric acid, diluted with 40 
 parts of water, and distributed about horse sta- 
 bles, will, it is said, remove the disagreeable am- 
 moniacal smell, the sulphuric acid combining 
 with the ammonia to form a salt. Chloride of 
 lime slowly evolves chlorine, which will do the 
 same thing, but then the chlorine smells worse 
 than the ammonia. Sulphuric acid, on the con- 
 trary, is perfectly inodorous. The mixture must 
 be kept in shallow earthenware vessels. The 
 sulphuric acid used alone, either diluted or 
 strong, would absorb more or less of the ammo- 
 nia, but there would be danger of spilling it 
 about, and causing serious damage ; and, beside 
 this, the sawdust offers a large surface to the 
 floating gas. 
 
 HORSES, BLANKETIiVC—ln reference 
 to blanketing horses in winter, it is doubtless 
 true that blanketing keeps a horse's coat smooth- 
 er in winter, and hence fine carriage horses and 
 saddle horses will continue to be blanketed. 
 But where horses are kept more for service than 
 for show, we think they had better dispense with 
 the blanket. Keeping them constantly covered 
 makes them tender and liable to take cold. It 
 is better to give them a warm stable, and plenty 
 of straw for bedding, and good food. When 
 they are to stand for any length of time out of 
 doors in a cold winter's day, they should have 
 blankets. And so when they come in from work 
 steaming hot, they should be allowed to stand a 
 short time until they have partially cooled off; 
 then the blankets should be put on for an hour. 
 Be careful and not delay putting on the blanket 
 until they have become chilled. 
 
 HORSES, POOR, H(nv to FATTEN.— 
 JIany good horses devour large quantities of hay 
 and grain, and still continue thin and poor. The 
 food eaten is not properly assimilated. If the 
 usual feed has been unground grain and hay, 
 nothing but a change will effect any desirable al- 
 teration in the appearance of the animal. In 
 case oil meal cannot be obtained readily, mingle 
 
 a bushel of flaxseed with a bushel of barley, I 
 of oats, and another bushel of Indian corn, and 
 let it be ground into fine meal. This will be a 
 fair proportion for all his feed. Or the meal or 
 barley, oats and corn, in equal quantities, may at 
 first be procured, and ^ of oil cake mingled 
 with it when the meal is sprinkled on cut feed. 
 Feed 2 or 3 quarts of the mixture 3 times daily 
 with a peck of cut hay and straw. If the horse 
 will eat that amount greedily, let the quantity be ' 
 gradually increased, until he will eat 4, 5 or 6 
 quarts at every feeding, 3 times a day. So long 
 as the animal will eat this allowance, the quan- 
 tity may be increased a little every day. But al- 
 ways avoid the practice of allowing the horse to 
 stand at a rack well filled with hay. In order 
 to fatten a horse that has run down in flesh, the 
 groom should be very particular to feed the ani- 
 mal no more than he will eat up clean and lick 
 his manger for more. Follow the above sugges- 
 tions and the result will be satisfactory. 
 
 INTERFERING.— To prevent interfering 
 in a horse who is turned out in the front feet, 
 the shoe should be applied to fit closely on the 
 inside, and the nails applied round the toe and to 
 the outside. In some instances a small piece of 
 leather placed betwixt the sole and the shoe, and 
 allowed to project outwards, has a very good ef- 
 fect in preventing interfering. 
 
 ITCH. — To cure a horse affected with itch, 
 first reduce his daily allowance of food, putting 
 him on a low diet, and then give him a teaspoon- 
 ful of a mixture of equal parts of sulphur and 
 antimony, and at the end of a week or 10 days 
 the sores will have disappeared, and the horsS' 
 will be covered with a fine coat of new hair. 
 
 KIDNEYS, Inflammation of— {Nephritis.') 
 — Symptoms : Gradual loss of flesh, pain across 
 the back, impaired action of the hind extremi- 
 ties, and the frequent passing of urine, which is 
 very highly colored. In treating this affection, 
 the horse should be allowed perfect rest, and he 
 should also have a generous diet of easily di- 
 gested food, and plenty of mucilaginous drinks. 
 The loins may be rubbed every third or fourth 
 day with mustard, and i drachm of tartar emetic 
 given every night. This medicine can be con- 
 veniently administered mixed with the food. 
 
 KICKING IN STALL.— To prevent your 
 horse from kicking in the stall, fasten a short 
 trace-chain, about 2 feet long, by a strap to each 
 hind foot. A better way is to have the stalls 
 made wide enough so that the horse can turn in 
 them easily. Close them with a door or bars, 
 and turn the animal loose. After a while he 
 will forget the habit, and stand tied without fur- 
 ther trouble. 
 
 KNEE-PAN, DISPLACED.— Fte:d, the 
 horse well on oats, barley and sound hay ; give 
 him a drachm of powdered phosphate of iron 
 daily in his food ; keep in a stall with a perfectly 
 smooth and level floor, and not less than 5 '/^ or 
 6 feet wide ; apply a shoe with a bar welded to 
 the toe, projecting 2 or 3 inches, and then let it 
 be turned up ; rub the joint with an ointment 
 made of I drachm of powdered cantharides to 
 % an oz. of lard, repeating the application next 
 day if it has not blistered. When a blister rises, 
 wash it off with soap and warm water, and then 
 anoint the part daily with lard, until the scab and 
 other effects have passed off, when another blis- 
 ter may be applied. 
 
 KNEE-SPRUNG.—T\iQ best remedy for 
 
io6 
 
 DICTIONARY OF E VERY-DAY WANTS: 
 
 knee-sprung or contracted tendons is a winter's 
 run in a straw yard, or a summer's run at grass. 
 
 LAMPAS. — This consists in a swelling of the 
 first bar of the upper palate. It is cured by rub- 
 bing the swelling 2 or 3 times a day with Yz an 
 ounce of alum and the same quantity of double 
 refined sugar mixed with a Httle honey. 
 
 LEGS, Infiammation and Swelling of. — 
 Rest, and the application of an active blister to 
 the swollen parts, will effect a cure. No better 
 blister can be used than the following : Take 
 resin and black pitch each 4 parts, beeswax 3 
 parts, sweet oil 1 1 parts, Spanish flies 6 parts, 
 euphorbium 2 parts. Melt the resin, pitch and 
 wax first, then add the oil, and when thoroughly 
 mixed remove from the fire; lastly, add very 
 slowly the powdered flies and euphorbium. Be- 
 fore the blister is applied the hair should be cut 
 close off, and the skin, if scurfy, washed with 
 Castile soap and warm water, after which it must 
 be thoroughly dried, and the blistering ointment 
 rubbed in for lo minutes. After applying the 
 blister, the horse's head should be tied up to pre- 
 vent his biting the part, or rubbing it with his 
 nose. At the expiration of 2 or 3 days most 
 horses may be set at hberty. In about a week 
 rub sweet oil over the blistered part. 
 
 LEGS, BROKEN, To C«r^.— Instead of 
 summarily shooting the horse, in the greater 
 number of fractures it is only necessary to par- 
 tially sling the horse by means of a broad piece 
 of sail or other strong cloth, placed under the 
 animal's belly, furnished with 2 breechings and 
 2 breast-girths, and, by means of ropes and pul- 
 leys attached to a cross beam above, he is ele- 
 vated or lowered, as may be required. By the 
 adoption of this plan every facility is allowed for 
 the satisfactory treatment of the fractures. 
 
 LINIMENT, BLISTERING.— Stc "Legs, 
 Inflammation and Swelling of." 
 
 LINIMENT for the Galled Backs of Horses. 
 —White lead moistened with milk. When milk 
 is not to be procured oil may be substituted, i 
 or 2 oz. mixed at a time will be sufficient for 
 a month. 
 
 LINIMENT for Bruises, Sprains, etc.— 
 Take l pint of alcohol, 4 oz. of Castile soap, % 
 oz. of gum camphor, ^ oz. of sal ammoniac. 
 When these are dissolved, add i oz. of lauda- 
 num, I oz. origanum, ^ oz. oil of sassafras, and 
 2 oz. spirits of hartshorn. Bathe freely. 
 
 LINIMENT, NERVE AND BONE.— 
 Take beefs gall i qt., alcohol i pt., volatile lin- 
 iment I lb., spirits of turpentine I lb., oil of ori- 
 ganum 4 oz., aqua ammonia 4 oz., tincture of 
 Cayenne % pt., oil of amber 3 oz., tincture of 
 Spanish flies 6 oz. Mix. 
 
 MOON EYE. — Moon Eye is a term applied 
 to remittent inflammation of the eyes of the 
 horse. From the remittent or periodical appear- 
 ance of this disease, it has been supposed that 
 it recurred monthly, or with special changes of 
 the moon — hence the name Moon Eye and Moon 
 Blinding. It is constitutional, hereditary dis- 
 ease, localizing itself in the eyes. This malady 
 attacks alike the young and the aged, the fat and 
 the lean, while the high bred and the mongrel, 
 the lazy and the nervous, are all equally prone to 
 its baleful influence. Certain kinds of eye — es- 
 pecially the small sunken eye — seem disposed to 
 contract the disease. Of all the influences tend- 
 ing to the development of Moon Eye, none is 
 more clearly established than the hereditary pre- 
 
 disposition. During its prevalence the animal is 
 almost entirely useless. 
 
 MO UTHy SORE.— S>ymY>\.oms: The mouth 
 runs water, the horse cuds, or throws hay out of 
 his mouth. The cause of this disease is often 
 from frosted bits being put into their mouths, or 
 by eating poisonous weeds. To cure, take of 
 borax 3 drachms, 2 drachms of sugar of lead, % 
 ounce of alum, l pint of vinegar, \ pint of sage 
 tea. Shake all well together, and wash the ani- 
 mal's mouth out every morning. Give him no 
 hay for 12 days. 
 
 THE AIL/LE.—Thtxe seems to be but little 
 doubt that mules are more economical than horses 
 for farm purposes. The climate, soil, and mode 
 of carrying on farming operations in the prairie 
 regions of the West are all admirably suited to 
 the working of horses. One combination of 
 circumstances renders oxen the favorite farm 
 team of New England ; another causes mules to 
 be employed in the South; and still another 
 makes horses the most desired farm team in the 
 Northwest. If we take into consideration their 
 beauty of form and carriage, speed and docility, 
 as well as strength, no animal employed in the 
 service of man can compare with the horse. But 
 for many purposes where elegance and speed are 
 of little consequence, the horse is not an eco- 
 nomical animal to use. The cost of keeping him 
 is greater than is the case with the mule ; his li- 
 ability to disease is very much greater, and his 
 years of available labor are less. The expense 
 of shoeing mules is much less than that of shoe- 
 ing horses, on account of the smallness of their 
 feet, the hardness of the hoof, and its freedom 
 from disease. 
 
 MULE, Splint on. — To remove these bony 
 formations, the treatment consists in repeated 
 blistering. Having first cut the hair short, rub 
 a little of the following ointment into the skin, 
 covering the splint, every night, until a free wa- 
 tery discharge is produced from the surface: 
 Take of biniodide of mercury 2 drachms, lard I 
 oz. Mix. If, after an interval of a fortnight, 
 the splint does not appear much reduced in size, 
 the ointment should be re-applied and repeated 
 at similar intervals. 
 
 NASAL GLEET-^OT running at the nose — 
 can be cured by taking }i a lb. of rosin, % a lb. 
 of blue vitriol, and 4 oz. of ginger, grinding them 
 all fine, and giving the horse a spoonful 2 or 3 
 times a day. 
 
 NA VICULAR DISEASE.— Symptoms : To 
 prevent tension of the injured parts the horse 
 points his foot. Pointing is also observed in 
 corns and in bruises and injuries of the heel, but 
 long-continued pointing is to be dreaded as the 
 harbinger of incurable lameness. Lameness at 
 first is often slight, and disappears after ^2 an 
 hour's work, from increased secretion of syndia. 
 In lifting his foot the horse bends his knee less 
 than natural, and — especially when first brought 
 out — walks on his toe ; the toe of the shde 
 wears rapidly, while the heel exhibits very slight 
 wear. The horse steps or moves in a stilty sort 
 of way. In from 4 to 8 weeks the hoof becomes 
 deeper, narrower at the heels ; the sole becomes 
 very concave, and the foot appears no wider at 
 the sole than at the coronet. When the foot, and 
 especially the elastic and insensible frog, ceases 
 to bear weight, it becomes alisorbed, the quar- 
 ters consequently contract, and the sole ascends. 
 This is most among horses used on hard roads 
 
DOMESTIC ANIMALS— HORSES. 
 
 107 
 
 and paved streets ; rapidity of action is the cause 
 in a great many instances. Treatment. — In such 
 cases the practice of paring the quarters almost 
 to the quick is adopted. The toe is shortened, 
 and the feet are enveloped in poultices for 10 
 days, renewing the poultice twice a day. The 
 horse should be fed on bran and oats scalded, 
 with a moderate allowance of hay. Give a dose 
 of opening medicine at the end of 10 days; blis- 
 ter the coronet, and keep the hoof moist with 
 wet cloths. The sole may now be thinned, and 
 the horse kept standing on wet sawdust, and a 
 second blister may be at the same time applied. 
 When the horse is shod for work a leather sole 
 should be applied, and the space between the 
 foot and sole stuffed with tar and tow. Turning 
 the horse into a damp pasture for 6 weeks will 
 be attended with benefit. In a great many in- 
 stances this disease is incurable. 
 
 OINTMENT, HOOF.— Take %. a lb. of 
 lard and 4 oz. of rosin. Heat them over a slow 
 fire until melted ; take the pot off the fire, add i 
 oz. of pulverized verdigris ; stir well to prevent 
 it from running over. When partially cool add 
 2 oz. of turpentine. Apply it from the hair 
 down I inch. Work the horse all the time. 
 
 OINTMENT, SLOAN'S.— ^o%m 4 oz., 
 beeswax 4 oz., lard 8 oz., honey 2 oz. Melt 
 these articles slowly, gently bringing to a boil ; 
 and, as it begins to boil, remove from the fire 
 and slowly add a little less than a pint of spirits 
 of turpentine, stirring all the time this is being 
 added, and stir until cool. 
 
 OVER-REACHING.— "SlokQ the shoe its 
 natural length, or a trifle longer — with the calk 
 of the forward shoes high and the heel calk low. 
 The hoof will then stand further forward, and be 
 more removed from the stride of the hind foot, 
 which, being shod with a low toe calk and high 
 heel calk, will strike the ground before it reaches 
 the fore foot. An interfering horse generally 
 strikes with the inside of the hoof, about 2 inches 
 from the toe; therefore make the shoe straighter 
 on the inside, and rasp the hoof accordingly. 
 
 PALSY. — An attack of this kind is frequently 
 followed by wasting of the affected muscles — 
 they lose their rounded form, and present a more 
 or less withered aspect. The most common 
 causes of this disease are idleness and plethora. 
 It may result from accidental violence, as blows 
 or falls. Treatment — First, apply a blister over 
 the loins. Then give the mare one of the fol- 
 lowing pills every morning for 8 or 10 days : 
 Take gentian and ginger of each 2 drachms, lin- 
 seed meal 4 drachms, strychnine 5 grains. Mix 
 with water for I pill. The diet should be light, 
 and the mare kept quiet in the stable, or — better 
 — a box stall, 
 
 PHYSIC i?^ZZ.— Barbadoes aloes 4, 5 or 6 
 drs., (according to the size and strength of the 
 horse,) tartrate of potassia I dr., of ginger and 
 Castile soap of each 2 drs., anise or peppermint 
 20 drops ; pulverize, and make all into l ball 
 with thick gum solution. Before giving a horse 
 physic, he should be prepared for it by feeding 
 scalded bran, in place of oats, for 2 days at the 
 least, giving also water which has the chill taken 
 off, and continue this feed and drink daring its 
 operation. If it should not operate in 48 hours, 
 repeat % the dose. 
 
 PNEUMONIA, _ ACUTE.— Symptoms.— 
 They are first taken with a dry, depressed cough, 
 loss of appetite, but thirsty ; pulse feeble, but 
 
 frequently the extremities are cold — sometimes 
 when first taken, at others they retain their nat- 
 ural heat until the disease assumes its worst ap- 
 pearance, and then the legs become cold. Res- 
 piration is very active and laborious ; the animal 
 pants all the time, stands with fore legs widely 
 separated, never lies down, and is loth to move. 
 Some discharge copiously from both nostrils a 
 thick, slimy matter, sometimes mixed with blood 
 — in that case the whole body is excessively hot, 
 and the extremities also, but other symptoms the 
 same. The treatment in the early stage of this 
 disease should be : I. An abundant supply of 
 cool, fresh air. 2. Abstinence from grain or 
 corn. 3. Extra clothing and warm bandages to 
 the legs. In all cases it is desirable that the pa- 
 tient should at once be removed to an airy, loose 
 box. If these simple remedies do not bring 
 about a subsidence of the attack within a short 
 time, recourse must be had to medical treat- 
 ment. 
 
 POLL EVIL. — If there is only swelling and 
 slight tenderness, but without any fluctuation or 
 pressure from contained matter, give the horse 
 as a laxative 5 drs. of Barbadoes aloes, and rub 
 the poll actively with an ointment made by mix- 
 ing equal parts of mercurial and iodine oint- 
 ments. Repeat this application, if necessary, to 
 induce some blistering action. If matter is al- 
 ready formed, as indicated by the fluctuation or 
 pressure, the swelling should be at once opened 
 so as to let it escape. An opening should then 
 be made from the very lowest point of the sac, 
 so that the matter may flow freely as soon as 
 formed. If obstinate, it may be injected sev- 
 eral times a week with a lotion containing ^2 a 
 dr. of chloride of zinc to a pint of water. 
 
 POLL EVIL yNonoegian Cure.) — Cover the 
 head and neck with 2 or 3 blankets ; have a pan 
 or kettle of the best warm cider vinegar ; then 
 hold it under the blankets ; steam the parts by 
 putting hot stones, brick or iron into the vinegar, 
 and continue the operation until the horse per- 
 spires freely ; do this for 3 mornings, and skip 
 3, until 9 steamings have been accompUshed. 
 
 POLL EVIL and FISTULA.— Common 
 potash }^ oz., extract of belladonna yi dr., gum 
 Arabic }{. oz. Dissolve the gum in as little wa- 
 ter as practicable ; then, having pulverized the 
 potash, unless it is moist, mix the gum water 
 with it and it will soon dissolve ; then mix in the 
 extract and it is ready to use ; it can be used 
 without the belladonna, but it is more painful 
 without it, and does not have quite as good an 
 effect. The best plan to get this into the pipes 
 is by means of a small syringe, after having 
 cleansed the sore with soap-suds ; repeat once in 
 2 days, until all the callous pipes and hard fibrous 
 base around the poll evil or fistula is completely 
 destroyed. 
 
 PO WDERS, CONDITION.— z oz. resin, 2 
 oz. saltpetre, 2 oz. blr.ck antimony, 2 oz. sul- 
 phur, 2 oz. saleratus, 2 oz. ginger, i oz. cop- 
 peras. I tablespoonful to a dose once a day for 
 for 3 days ; then skip 2 or 3 days, and give again 
 until you have given in this way 9 doses, or even 
 more if you like. It should be given in the 
 spring and fall, or at any time when the animal 
 is not doing well. 
 
 POWDERS, CLEANSING.—Take of gin- 
 ger 2 oz., 4 oz. fenugreek, I oz. black antimony, 
 and 2 oz. rhubarb. Grind all fine, mix it well, 
 and it is fit for use. Give a large spoonful every 
 
io8 
 
 DICTIONARY OF EVERY-DAY WANTS. 
 
 morning and night. It gives a good appetite, 
 and fine coat and life to the animal. 
 
 QUITTOR.—T)xQ treatment of this disease is 
 as follows : After the shoe has been removed, 
 thin the sole until it will yield to the pressure of 
 the thumb ; then cut the under parts of the wall 
 in an oblique direction from the heel to the ante- 
 rior part, immediately under the seat of com- 
 plaint, and only as far as it extends, and rasp the 
 side of the wall thin enough to give way to the 
 pressure of the over-distended parts, and put on 
 a bar-shoe rather elevated from the frog. As- 
 certain with a probe the direction of the sinuses, 
 and introduce into them a saturated solution of 
 sulphate of zinc, by means of a small syringe. 
 Place over this dressing the common poultice, or 
 the turpentine ointment, and renew the applica- 
 tion every 24 hours. 3 or 4 such applications 
 ■will complete a cure. It is recommended that 
 •when the probe is introduced, in order to ascer- 
 tain the progress of cure, that it be gently and 
 carefally used, otherwise it may break down the 
 new-formed lymph. 
 
 HORSE, How to Ride a.— The body of the 
 rider is divided into 3 parts, of which 2 are mov- 
 able and I immovable; I of the first consists of 
 all the upper part of the body down to the waist, 
 the other of the lowfer part of the legs, from the 
 knee down. The immovable portion is from the 
 waist to the knees. The rider should sit per- 
 fectly square on the middle of the saddle, the 
 upper part of the body presenting a free and un- 
 constrained appearance, the chest not very 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 un- 
 necessarily 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^c- 
 quired a firm and correct seat he should without 
 changing that seat, push the bottom of the stir- 
 rup 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 seven-eighths 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 p.-irt 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 cov- 
 ering the surcingle, 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. 
 
 RINGBONE. — This disease is generally 
 caused by heavy draught, especially in up-hill 
 work. The first appearance of the complaint is 
 indicated by a hard swelling upon the top of the 
 fetlock or pastern joint, accompanied by tender- 
 ness, pain, heat, etc. Cooling appliances, such 
 as cold water, soap, camphor, etc., with a little 
 laudanum, should be promptly applied, giving 
 the animal perfect rest, with green food or roots 
 in connection with hay — no grain. This may be 
 followed by some convenient preparation of io- 
 dine, like an ointment of iodide of lead and 
 lard. Rub in the ointment well, and follow up 
 the treatment for several weeks. If the case is 
 an obstinate one, try blistering with cerate ot 
 cantharides, continuing, at intervals, the use of 
 the iodine. Equal parts of turpentine and kero- 
 sene would, no doubt, form a most excellent 
 wash — the crude coal oil would be better than 
 that which has been refined. Rub it well into 
 the hair around and above the hoof. 
 
 RINGBONE REMEDIES.— V\i\xtr\zt^ 
 cantharides, oils of spike, origanum, amber, ce- 
 dar, Barbadoes tar, and British oil, of each 2 
 oz. ; oil of wormwood I oz., spirits of turpen- 
 tine 4 oz., common potash % oz., nitric acid 6 
 oz., oil of vitriol (sulphuric acid) 4 oz., and lard 
 
 3 lbs. Melt the lard and slowly add the acids ; 
 stir Avell and add the others, stirring until cold. 
 Clip off the hair, and apply by rubbing and heat- 
 ing in ; in about 3 days, or when it is done run- 
 ning, wash off with suds and apply again. In 
 old cases it may take 3 or 4 weeks, but in recent 
 cases 2 or 3 applications will cure. — 2. Take ^ 
 pint spirits of turpentine, % oz. blue stone, ^ 
 oz. of red precipitate. Shake well and use ev- 
 ery morning ; and keep the hoof well greased. 
 This will not only take off the hair, but cause a 
 severe blister, which, after healing, if there still 
 be signs of lamenes, repeat the remedy. 
 
 RiNGlVORM.—Wdish the parts with a very 
 strong infusion of bayberry bark, wipe dry, and 
 then smear the denuded spots with a mixture of 
 
 4 oz. of pyroligneous acid, I oz. of turpentine, 
 the washing and dressing to be repeated until 
 healthy action is established. If the disease does 
 not readily disappear, give sulphur, cream of 
 tartar and sassafras, equal parts, in a dose of 6 
 drachms daily. If the disease still lingers, 
 sponge the denuded parts with tincture of muri- 
 ate iron. 
 
 ROARING.— T\\\s is a loud sound which 
 some horses emit during the act of breathing, 
 and is caused by a diminution in the diameter, or 
 by a distortion of the windpipe, or by a wasting 
 of the muscles of the larynx, and imperfect 
 opening of the latter. It is incurable. 
 
 RUNAWAY HORSES, To rm-ait Ivju- 
 ries from. — This can be done by electricity. A 
 complete electric apparatus can be purchased in 
 a small case. Let one of these be fixed in an 
 
DOMESTIC ANIMALS— HORSES. 
 
 t09 
 
 out-of-the-way nook in the carriage, 2 wires to 
 hook to harness, beneath which have 2 very thin 
 copper plates properly placed. In the event of 
 a runaway, the driver and inside occupants will 
 only have to press a glass knob to stop instantly 
 the mad career of the strongest horses. 
 
 RUPTURE. — Rupture or hernia is the pro- 
 trusion of a bowel, or some other part, from its 
 proper cavity. It is sometimes congenital, and 
 may then be reduced at the same time that cas- 
 tration is performed. At other times rupture 
 may be produced by blows, kicks or falls. A 
 hernia is dangerous to life when it becomes com- 
 pressed or strangulated by a stricture at the ori- 
 fice of protrusion. Skillful surgical aid should 
 always be obtained in any such case at once. 
 But sometimes, in the absence of a vetenarian, 
 any one may restore the gut by introducing the 
 hand into the bowel and drawing it up ; the other 
 hand, at the same time, making gentle pressure 
 upon the swelling in the abdomen. No violence 
 should ever be used in attempting this ; and the 
 bowels should first be emptied by a clyster. 
 
 SCRATCHES. — If a horse's blood is pure 
 he will not have the scratches. Give him a ta- 
 blespoonful of saltpetre every day for 15 days, 
 and be careful about his taking cold while feed- 
 ing it. It opens the pores so that he will take 
 cold very easy. Along with this take pure, dry 
 white lead, pure oxide of zinc, and glycerine, of 
 each ^ an oz ; fresh lard (free from rancidity) 
 \]^ oz. Mix the white lead, oxide of zinc and 
 glycerine to a uniform, smooth paste, then add 
 the lard, a little at a time, till a uniform, smooth 
 ointment is formed. Wash the parts with Cas- 
 tile soap and water, and dry with a cloth, then 
 apply the ointment 2 or 3 times daily with the 
 fingers. Wash once in 2 or 3 days, and dry the 
 spot well before dressing again. 
 
 The horse should stand on a plank floor kept 
 clean and dry ; and if used, all dust, sand and 
 dirt should be washed off so that the affected 
 parts may remain clean. If these directions are 
 strictly carried out, it will seldom, if ever, fail 
 to cure the very worst cases within a reasonable 
 time. 
 
 SHOEING HORSES.— Few horseshoers 
 imderstand thoroughly the anatomy of the horse's 
 foot. The great mistake is made in attempting 
 to trim the hoof to fit the shoe, whereas the shoe 
 should be made to fit the hoof. Very little trim- 
 ming is needed if the shoe is made right. The 
 frog should never be touched by the buttress, if 
 the foot is healthy, as Nature has intended that 
 to be the spring or cushion to first receive the 
 blow when the foot is set down on the road, to 
 guard the knee and shoulder from the concus- 
 sion. 
 
 Nothing can be more barbarous than the carv- 
 ing and cutting of a horse's foot before shoeing, 
 though on his skill in this many a farrier prides 
 himself. The idea that the frog must not be al- 
 lowed to bear on the ground — that the sole must 
 be thinned till it " springs on the thumb," is a 
 most pernicious one. 
 
 As you value your horse, do not let the black- 
 smith even scrape the dirt off the frog. It would 
 be betteV if he could not see it, because, if any- 
 thing fit to be called a frog, he will beg. argue, 
 and try every means to persuade you to let him 
 cut it. Do not turn your back to him while he 
 has the foot In his lap and knife in his hand, or 
 else off comas a portion of the frog. If the 
 
 frog is left to itself it will, when Nature gets 
 ready, shed itself; but the difference between 
 shedding and cutting is, that before shedding the 
 under frog is protected by a suitable covering, 
 but when cut it is exposed to the action of the 
 air and water, which causes it to crack, leaving 
 those "rags" which the blacksmiths love so well 
 to cut. Do not open the heels, as it increases 
 the resistance offered to contraction. 
 
 The summer shoe needs to present a flat sur- 
 face to the ground. Make it of the same width 
 and thickness from the toe to the heel. Have 
 the seating deep, so as to prevent the sole press- 
 ing upon the shoe as it descends. Have a clip 
 at the toe to prevent the shoe slipping back, but 
 none at the sides, as they not only destroy too 
 much of the hoof, but prevent expansion. Have 
 the fullering deep to receive the nail-heads, and 
 have the nail holes straight — neither inclined in- 
 wardly or outwardly. Have only 5 nails to hold 
 on the shoe — 2 on the inner, and 3 on the out- 
 side. Place the 2 on the inner side about I j^ 
 inches from the top ; those on the outside may 
 be placed further back toward the heel. The 
 reason is, that when the foot strikes the ground 
 it expands to relieve the horse of the shock of 
 his weight, and the inner side being thinner than 
 the outside, the expansion is greater. Cy plac- 
 ing the nails far back we prevent that expansion, 
 thereby cramping the foot, which makes the ani- 
 mal step short and quick, like one with tight 
 boots. If we take an old shoe, we find at the 
 heels that it is worn down, and also that it is 
 smaller and bright, which is not done by the 
 shifting of the shoe, as you only find it at the 
 heels, by the action of the foot while expanding 
 and contracting. Of course, this action wears 
 upon, but the foot is continually growing. 
 
 On fitting the shoe, do not let it burn the foot, 
 as it makes a strong foot brittle, and on a weak 
 one hurting the horse. Be sure it fits close to 
 the foot. Bring in the heels, as they do not, but 
 the nails prevent expansion. Do not get the 
 nails larget than necessary ; bring them out low 
 down in the crust, and make the clinchers very 
 broad. Rasp below but not above the clinchers, 
 as the foot above is covered — if healthy — with a 
 varnish which excludes the air and water. 
 
 The hind shoe need not be so broad, but a lit- 
 tle higher at the heels. In this put 7 nails, as 
 the hind legs propel and the front legs receive 
 the weight. 
 
 The winter shoe needs toe and heel pieces to 
 prevent the horse from slipping. Have the in- 
 ner cork not quite so sharp as the outer one, so 
 that if he steps upon the other foot it will not 
 cut it. 
 
 The outside of the hoof ought not to be at all 
 touched by the rasp, save at the very edge, as 
 rasping tends to thicken the hoof and make it 
 coarse and clumsy. Shoes should be made just 
 as light as they possibly can be to answer the 
 purpose. Ordinarily they are }^ too heavy. A 
 horse's hoof should be carefully cleaned every 
 day, and oiling the hoof once or twice a week is 
 recommended. 
 
 SPA VI N. — Take »^ oz. oil of amber, i oz. 
 oil of spike, 2 oz. spirits of turpentine, % oz. 
 nitric acid. The acid must be put into the bot- 
 tle last. Apply this mixture thoroughly, and — 
 though it will not remove the bunch — the lan.e- 
 ness will generally disappear. If the horse is 
 over 4 years old, you will fit a bar of lead just 
 
no 
 
 DICTIONAR Y OF E VER Y-DA Y WANTS. 
 
 above it, wireing the ends together so that it will 
 constantly wear upon the enlargement, and the 
 two together vill cure 9 cases out of every 10 in 
 6 weeks. 
 
 SPA VIN CURE.— Take l oz. of origanum 
 oil, I oz. of British oil, i oz. of oil of spike, I 
 oz. oil of wormwood, I oz. gum myrrh, I gill of 
 alcohol. Put the oils together ; put the gum in 
 the alcohol, and let it stand for 24 hours, and 
 then add it to the oils ; shake well before using ; 
 apply it to the parts affected, and rub it in well 
 with the hand, or heat it in with a hot iron. If 
 it is applied for a sprain, use it morning and eve- 
 ning. Wash clean once in 3 days. 
 
 SPLINT. — When a splint does not occasion 
 lameness it need not be interfered with. To 
 cure, take volatile liniment (of the U. S. Dis- 
 pensatory) to which add I dr. of oil of origan- 
 um. Apply this thoroughly twice a day, fol- 
 lowed by rubbing the spUnt with a round pine 
 or bass wood stick, as hard as' can be done with- 
 out abrading the skin. This treatment should 
 be continued several weeks, when it will be dis- 
 covered that the splints will grow less and finally 
 disappear. 
 
 SPRAINS, General Treatment o/.—Rcst is 
 the first requirement. Next apply wet bandages 
 until the heat is abated, and until there is no 
 pain on pressure ; then rub with some simple 
 ointment. 
 
 STAGGERS. — This is a functional disorder 
 of the brain, which, when once it has declared 
 itself, is said to be beyond cure. The following 
 prescription may be tried. Give a mess twice 
 per week composed of i galr of bran, I tabje- 
 spoonful of sulphur, i spoonful of saltpetre, I 
 quart of boiling sassafras tea, l^ oz. assafetida. 
 Keep the horse from cold water for ^ a day af- 
 terwards. 
 
 STRANGLES.— Feed with light, cooling 
 (green if it can be had) food ; mix the food with 
 sassafras tea, in which a spoonful of powdered 
 sulphur and a teaspoonful of saltpetre have been 
 added, 
 
 STIFLE-STEPPING, To Cure.- % a tea- 
 cup of vinegar, the whites of 2 eggs, a piece of 
 alum the size of a chesnut, well beaten, dissolved 
 and warmed. Twitch and knee-strap the fore 
 leg standing off from the affected member. Ap- 
 ply with the hand and rub it in well ; saturate a 
 piece of flannel 6 inches square, place it over the 
 joint, cover this with a double thickness of the 
 same, long enough to lap behind the leg, and 
 draw it very tight. Now take a very hot flat- 
 iron and iron it, being cautious not to blister 
 your horse too severely. Turn him out, and in 
 1 week repeat; in the meantime bathe the parts 
 with a decoction of white-oak bark. 
 
 SlVEEiVY. — A horse is said to be sweenied 
 when the muscles of the shoulder appear to have 
 perished away, and the skin seems to be attached 
 closely to the shoulder-blade. These symptoms 
 may arise from chronic lameness in the foot or 
 other part of the limb. In such case, of course 
 it is of no use to apply remedies to the shoulder. 
 Cure the foot, and the shoulder will come right, 
 although stimulants and rubbing will expedite 
 it. But genuine sweeny is quite different from 
 the above, although the appearances are the 
 same. It is caused by hard drawing in a collar 
 that is too large; or where no whiffletree is ever 
 used, but the traces are hitched directly to the 
 thills, as in "jumpers," as they are called; or 
 
 by jumping fences, or the like. The presence of 
 real sweeny may be discovered by moving the 
 horse in a circle, or causing him to step over 
 bars, when you can generally determine the seat 
 of the lameness. For' such cases irritants with 
 friction, is the proper treatnvent. Blistering lin- 
 iment, or seton, or a piece of leather inserted 
 under the skin, will cure, with rest. 
 
 TAMING AND TRAINING.— Uany per- 
 sons pay for instructions in training horses, and yet 
 they nearly all fail, iimply because, with all the 
 instructions in the world, they cannot handle a 
 horse — it is rK)t in them. To be a successful 
 trainer you must have a sympathy with the horse 
 and a personal power of control. That which 
 partakes of the power necessary to subdue and 
 train, you will find in your own mind, your own 
 love, will and wisdom. If you have little or no 
 instinctive love for the horse, of course you are 
 not the person to control him. Men and women 
 are often found who are said to have the natural 
 gift of controlling the horse ; they love horses 
 from instinct, as it were. The secret in these 
 cases consists in their intense love for the horse. 
 If you love the horse, you will, you can, but 
 know how to make the horse love you. Love, 
 in all grades of animals, has its appropriate lan- 
 guage ; and when this language is addressed to 
 the horse, it excites love, of course. A blow 
 with a w-hip or club does not come from love, 
 but from combativeness, and it excites combat- 
 iveness or fear in the horse. If you want to 
 make a horse love you, (and you must cause him 
 to love you if you control him,) why of course 
 you must love him and treat him accordingly. 
 Study the character of your horse — not the na- 
 ture of horses in general, but of the horse that 
 you wish to control. Horses differ in their dis- 
 positions as really as men do, and each one is to 
 be approached, attracted, pleased and controlled 
 accordingly. To Make Him Lie Down. — First, 
 catch your horse, then strap the near fore leg up 
 round the arm of the animal ; lead him about on 
 3 legs until he becomes tired or weary ; he will 
 then allow you to handle him anywhere ; then 
 attach a strap with a ring to the off fore-fetlock; 
 to this ring fasten another strap, which being 
 brought over the horse's back to the near side, 
 is put through the ring on the off fore fetlock ; 
 return the end of the strap to the near side, still 
 keeping fast hold, and move the animal on, and 
 pull; he will then be thrown upon his knees, 
 when, after struggling for some time, by gentle 
 usage he will lie down. After unloosing the 
 straps, put him through the same process as be- 
 fore, when the horse will lie down whenever re- 
 quired. Uniformity is necessary in-our method. 
 It is by the repetition, by the constant recurrence 
 of certain motions, words or actions, that we suc- 
 ceed. Many fail for the want of uniformity in 
 their method. They are loving and kind by 
 spells ; then they are harsh and cruel. The 
 horse is "impressed," as it is said, with his mas- 
 ter's wishes, when those wishes are often and 
 uniformly expressed in motions, words and ac- 
 tions ! If man needs "precept upon precept, 
 line upon line, etc., in order to learn his lessons 
 well, how much more true is this of the horse, 
 which is below man in consciousness and the re- 
 flective faculties. Tcachinf; Him to Pace. — 
 Buckle a 4 lb. weight around the ankles of his 
 hind legs, (lead is preferable ;) ride your horse 
 briskly with these weights upon his ankles, at 
 
DOMESTIC ANIMALS— HORSES. 
 
 Ill 
 
 the same time, twitching each rein of the bridle 
 alternately ; by this means you will immediately 
 throw him into a pace. After you have trained 
 him in this way to some extent, change your 
 leaded weights for something lighter; leather 
 padding, or something equal to it, will answer 
 the purpose ; let him wear these light weights 
 until he is perfectly trained. This process will 
 make a smooth and easy pacer of any horse. 
 To Make Him Trot. — The secret consists in 
 using rollers on the front feet. These rollers 
 are made of pieces of wood or horn turned 
 round, as big as a hickory nut, with a gimlet 
 hole bored through the centre of each, and about 
 12 of them strung on a string or narrow strap, 
 (which should be much smaller than the hole,) 
 and then tied or buckled very loose around the 
 feter-lock joint next to the hoof, so that they 
 will play loose up and down when the horse is 
 in motion. As soon as the horse finds some- 
 thing on his feet, he will lift them up higher and 
 throw them out further and handsomer ; this he 
 will soon learn permanently. Another secret is 
 that a small or medium sized flat is the best, and 
 far superior to the track system for teaching the 
 horse or colt to gather quickly. A very Hght 
 skeleton or gig should be used in training. To 
 Sit on his Haunches. — First learn the horse to 
 obey you, so that when you say " Ho !" he will 
 remain still. Then, having learned him to lie 
 down, let him get up on his fore legs, and then 
 stop him. The horse gets up in this way, and 
 you have only to teach him to hold his position 
 for a while. It does not strain the horse to sit, 
 and you must always use the word "sit" in con- 
 nection with the feat. Also the word "down" 
 when you wish him to fall. To Make Him Fol- 
 low You. — Take your horse to the stable, put on 
 a surcingle and a bridle with short reins, which 
 may be checked up a little and fastened to the 
 surcingle. Then lead him about a few times, 
 and letting go the bridle continue to caress him, 
 as you constantly say, "Come along." If he 
 lag, give him a light cut behind with a long 
 whip. Continue this until you succeed. Do not 
 forget the element of "love" in this as well as 
 other feats. To Teach Him to Pick Up a Hand- 
 kerchief. — Spread on the sawdust a white cloth 
 containing a liberal supply of oats ; lead the an- 
 imal round the ring, and let him take some of 
 the oats. This is lesson No. i — its object being 
 to fix in the horse's mind a connection between 
 the cloth and the oats. The march round the 
 circle being once or twice repeated, he stops at 
 the handkerchief as a matter of course. By dint 
 of practice — say a couple of weeks — he will learn 
 to stop as readily in a trot or a gallop as in a 
 walk. After a time the handkerchief must be 
 doubled over and tied in a knot; the animal 
 shakes it to get at the grain, but not succeeding, 
 lifts it from the ground, which is just the thing 
 wanted. When the horse has done this a few 
 times, and finds that, though he can shake noth- 
 ing out, he will receive a handful of oats as a re- 
 ward, he may be trusted to perform in public. 
 The last step of all — -persuading the horse to 
 carry the handkerchief to his owner — is easily 
 done. Of his own accord he will hold the cloth 
 till it is taken from his mouth, and there will be 
 little difficulty in coaxing him to walk a few steps 
 — when he knows that he will get a handful of 
 oats or a carrot for his obedience. Teaching 
 Him to Walk, — For every-day use, the most 
 
 economical gait for a horse is a fast walk; and 
 yet not half the thought is given to this essential 
 that there is to other things that secure to the 
 horse a name rather than intrinsic value. Colts 
 can be taught to walk fast by following them for 
 a half day together (some one leading) with a 
 small switch, starting them, when inclined to go 
 slow, into a quicker pace. After they are har- 
 nessed keep fast walking in mind, and when on 
 level ground, or going up a hill with a very light 
 load, urge them to their utmost, until 4 miles an 
 hour becomes a habit. Teaching Him to Stand. 
 — Take your horse on the barn floor, and throw '^ 
 a strap over his back and fasten it to his right 
 fore foot; lead him along and say "Whoa," and 
 at the same time pull down the strap, which will 
 throw him on 3 feet, and make him stop sud- 
 denly. This is the best way known to 'teach 
 " Whoa," though you can put on the war bri- 
 dle, and give him a sharp jerk that will stop him 
 about as soon as the strap to his foot. Then put 
 him in harness, with the foot strap, as directed 
 under the head of " Training to Harness," and 
 drive him up to the door. The moment he un- 
 dertakes to move, take his foot and say "Whoa." 
 Get in your carriage and get out again ; rattle 
 the thills ; make all the noise getting in and out 
 you can ; give him to understand, by snatching 
 his foot each time he moves, that he must stand 
 until you tell him to go ; and after a few times 
 you can put the whole family in the carriage, and 
 he will not stir out of his tracks. 
 
 TAMING, Preparation for. — Take finely 
 grated horse castor, and oils of rhodium and 
 cummin ; keep these in separate bottles, well 
 corked ; put some of the oil of cummin on your 
 hand, and approach the horse on the windy side. 
 He will then move toward you ; then rub some 
 of the cummin on his nose ; give him a little of 
 the castor on anything he likes, and get 8 or 10 
 drops of the oil of rhodium on the point of his 
 tongue ; you can then get him to do anything 
 you please. Follow up your advantage by all 
 the kindness and attention possible toward the 
 animal, and your control is certain. 
 
 TENDONS, CONTRACTED.— ¥\r%i try 
 the effect of lowering the heels a little more than 
 the toe at each shoeing, and applying a shoe with 
 a plate projecting an inch or two in front of the 
 toe. If there is much tenderness of the back 
 sinews on pressure, this form of shoeing must 
 be avoided until that has been removed. The 
 thickened tendons must be rubbed daily with a 
 mixture in equal parts of strong iodine ointment 
 and blue ointment, until blistering takes place, 
 when it may be discontinued until the effects 
 have passed off. The horse should have a yard 
 or small paddock to run in where he is not very 
 likely to be excited to vigorous or irregular ac- 
 tion, or, if kept in-doors, let it be in a roomy 
 box, and give a moderate amount of walking ex- 
 ercise daily. Should several months of this sort 
 of treatment fail to restore in part, it rnay be ad- 
 visable, perhaps, to have the back sinews cut 
 through. 
 
 TIIR dSH.— This is a discharge of very of- 
 fensive matter from the cleft of the frog. It is 
 inflammation of the lower surface of the sensible 
 frog, and during which pus is secreted together 
 with, or instead of horn. In its treatment, al- 
 most any astringent substance will check thrush 
 in its early stage. Tar and common salt mixed 
 is a very good application, and tar and sulphate 
 
DICTIONARY OF EVERY-DAY WANTS. 
 
 of zinc can also be highly recommended. Be- 
 fore the introduction of either of these prepara- 
 tions, the frog should be carefully inspected and 
 all decayed parts removed. The dressing must 
 be pressed to the bottom of the cleft and com- 
 missures of the frog, and this should be repeated 
 every other day or twice a week. 
 
 TRICKS OF HORSE-DEALERS.— Vn- 
 less a man is accustomed to horses, it is the 
 greatest folly in the world to depend upon his 
 own knowledge in purchasing them, for there is 
 a class of men who make their living by bringing 
 up horses with all manner of defects, and which 
 their art enables them to disguise just as long as 
 is sufficient to take in their dupes. In buying 
 as well as selling are these deceptions practiced. 
 A few of these " tricks" are as follows. To 
 Make a True-pulling- Horse Baulk. — Take tinc- 
 ture of cantharides I oz., and corrosive subli- 
 mate I dr. Mix, and bathe his shoulders freely 
 at night. To Make a Horse Appear as if Lame. 
 — Take a single hair from the tail; put through 
 the eye of a needle ; lift the front leg, and press 
 the skin between the outer and middle tendon or 
 cord ; shove the needle through ; cut off the hair 
 on each side, and let the foot down ; the horse 
 will go lame in 20 minutes. To Alake a Horse 
 Stand by His Food and Not Eat It. — Grease 
 the front teeth and the roof of the mouth with 
 common beef tallow, and he will not eat till you 
 have washed it out. To Make a Horse Appear 
 as if Badly Foundered. — Take a fine wire and 
 fasten it tight around the fetlock, between the 
 foot and heel, and smooth the hair over it. In 
 20 minutes the horse will show lameness. Do 
 not leave it on over 9 hours. — To Cure a Horse 
 of the Crib or Sucking Wind. — Saw between the 
 upper teeth to the gums. To Cofer Up the 
 Heaves. — Drench the horse with ^ lb. of com- 
 mon bird shot, and he will not heave until they 
 pass through him. To Make a Horse Appear 
 as if He Had the Glanders. — Melt 4 oz. of fresh 
 butter, and pour it into his ear. To Nerve a 
 Horse that is iMme. — Make a small incision 
 about half way from the knee to the joint on the 
 outside of the leg, and at the back part of the 
 shin bone you will find a small white tendon or 
 cord ; cut it off and close the external wound 
 with a stitch, and he will walk off on the hard- 
 est pavement and not limp a particle. To Dis- 
 guise Lameness. — When a horse goes dead lame 
 m one shoulder, it can be disguised by creating 
 a similar lameness in the corresponding leg, by 
 taking off the shoe and inserting a bean between 
 it and the foot. To Put Black Spots on a White 
 Horse. — Take of powdered quick-lime ^ a lb., 
 and litharge 4 oz. Well beat and mix the lith- 
 arge with the lime. The above is to be put into 
 a vessel, and a sharp ley is to be poured over it. 
 Boil and skim off the substance which rises on 
 the surface. This is the coloring matter, which 
 must be applied to such parts of the animal as 
 you wish to have dyed black. To Produce a 
 Star on a Horse. — Take a piece of coarse tow- 
 linen, the size of the wishea-for star ; spread on 
 it warm pitch, and apply it to the shaved spot ; 
 leave it on for 2 or 3 days, when wash with a 
 little asmart water, or elixir of vitriol, 2 or 3 
 times a day until well. When the hair grows 
 it will be white. To Make an Old Horse Appear 
 Yoimg. — This is done by filing down the teeth, 
 the dark markings on which are removed by a 
 hot iron. Filling up the depressions over the 
 
 horse's eyes, by puncturing the skin over the 
 cavity, and filling through a tube by air from the 
 mouth, and then closing the aperture, when the 
 brow will become smooth — for a time. The 
 white hairs are painted out, when the animal will 
 altogether have a youthful appearance. 
 
 URINE, Stoppage of. — Symptoms : Frequent 
 attempts to urinate, looking round at his sides, 
 lying down, rolling and stretching. To cure, 
 take Yi lb. of hops, 3 drs. oil of camphor ; grind 
 and mix. Make this into 3 pills. Give i every 
 day, with a drench made of a small spoonful of 
 saltpetre and 2 oz. of water. This will cure, as 
 a general thing. 
 
 WARTS, To Cure. — The safest and most ef- 
 fectual caustic for destroying warts is chromic 
 acid. Having first picked off the rough outer 
 surface of the warts so as to make them bleed, 
 apply, by means of a small M'ooden spatula, a 
 little of the dry acid, rubbing it well in. This 
 will cause a free discharge of watery fluid -from 
 the surface. In a few days the wart is converted 
 into a tough, leather-like substance, which ulti- 
 mately falls off, generally leaving a healthy sore, 
 which soon heals. 
 
 WARTS ON A HORSE'S A^OSE.—D\s. 
 solve yi lb. of alum in a quart of water . with a 
 brush or cloth wet the warts twice each day for 
 4 days, and they will disappear. Another rem- 
 edy is to smear the warts with salted butter. 
 
 WATER FARCIN— Syym-pioms.: The horse 
 is dull and loses his appetite, and swells along 
 the belly or chest and between the fore legs. To 
 cure : Rowel in the breast, and along each side 
 of the chest, as far as the swelling goes. Leave 
 the rowels in until the swelling goes down . give 
 a spoonful of cleansing powders morning and 
 night. 
 
 WEN, To Cure a. — Take equal parts of soft 
 soap and slaked lime, well mixed. Lance the 
 wen at the time of making the application, or 
 two or three days after. Two or three applica- 
 tions will cure. 
 
 WIND-GALLS.— '\T\ndi-gia\\s are puffy swel- 
 lings above and behind^the fetlocks, caused by 
 the enlargement of the sheathes through which 
 the tendons pass. In recent cases nothing fur- 
 ther is required than rest, aperient medicine, and 
 wet bandages wrapped firmly around the s\yell- 
 ings. It may also be advisable to remove the 
 shoe and shorten the toe to remove the tension 
 of the tendons. When there is lameness, and 
 the swelling is indurated, hot fomentations for 
 several hours a day, or poultices, should be ap- 
 plied. A woolen bandage should afterwards be 
 applied, and camphorated spirits well rubbed in 
 daily. 
 
 WIND IN HORSES, To Improve.— li will 
 be found, if tar water and powdered charcoal are 
 mixed with the horse's feed, that it will have a 
 most beneficial effect on his wind and condi- 
 tion. 
 
 WORMS IN HORSES.— I. Give every 
 morning, one hour before feeding, 3 drs. of sul- 
 phate of iron and 2 drs. of assafetida ; and ev- 
 ery night, for a week, throw up an injection of I 
 oz. oil of turpentine and 10 oz. of linseed oil. 
 Green food is to be preferred. — 2. White-ash 
 bark burnt to ashes and made into rather a very 
 strong ley ; then mix % a pt. of it with i pt. of 
 warm water, and give all 2 or 3 times daily. 
 
 WOUNDS. — One of the best washes that is 
 known for ordinary wounds on horses, is to take 
 
DOMESTIC ANIMALS— POULTRY. 
 
 113 
 
 point of the first rib and cutting backwards 
 about an inch. In this way the pleura is surely 
 avoided, and of course an escape of air. 
 
 Now, by introducing two small hooks, or any 
 other suitable apparatus, draw apart the ribs so 
 as to expose a bundle of fibres called the inter- 
 costal muscle. Should the incision be too small, 
 it may be enlarged by passing the knife round 
 the point of the second rib. Divide the belly of 
 the intercostal muscle lengthwise, and you will 
 perceive a semi- transparent membrane, called 
 the peritoneum. This must likewise be divided, 
 keeping the knife as far off as possible from the 
 pleura. A branch of the coeliac artery traverses 
 this membrane, and may be injured by a bung- 
 ling hand or by inattention. On cutting through 
 this membrane the upper testicle is brought into 
 view. This lies on the margin of the lateral 
 spinous processes, surrounded by nerves and 
 blood vessels. It is a small yellow body, its 
 color somewhat darkened by the membrane cov- 
 ering it. In pushing downward and forward the 
 intestine, the second testicle is brought into view, 
 lying centrally between two large blood vessels- 
 This must be removed with great care, so as not 
 to iniure any of the neighboring veins. 
 
 CANKER IN EG ^f^LS.— This disease is in- 
 dicated by the mouth and throat becoming filled 
 up with a cheesy substance of very offensive 
 odor, which causes in some cases a stoppage of 
 the windpipe and death by suffocation. It is to 
 be treated successfully as follows: i. If the fowl 
 is not worth a good deal cut its head off. — 2. If 
 worth saving, with a small spoon and pincers 
 take out all the cheesy matter, and wipe out all 
 the slimy mucus from mouth, nostrils, and eyes. 
 — 3. Prepare a solution of chlorinated soda or 
 chloride of lime. If chlorinated soda (Laba- 
 raque's solution) is used, dilute it with one or 
 two parts of water. Wash the head, eyes, nos- 
 trils, mouth and throat out thoroughly, using a 
 soft swab with one of these solutions, and in 20 
 minutes give the fowl a good feed of chopped 
 meat, mixed with bread soaked in ale or spirits 
 and water, and well sprinkled -with Cayenne 
 pepper. Give some solution of iron in the wa- 
 ter, and keep up the diet indicated until well. 
 Put the whole flock on a similar diet for a few 
 days, especially those having colds. 
 
 CATARRH AND COZZ*.— These com- 
 plaints in fowls are caused by their being ex- 
 posed to dampness, and, if allowed to continue, 
 will run to roup. Keep them on dry, elevated 
 places. Red pepper mixed with soft food, fed 
 several times a week, will remove a cold ; and 
 pulverized charcoal, given occasionally, is a pre- 
 ventive of putrid affections. 
 
 CHOLERA, CHICKEN— K remedy pro- 
 mulgated by the Department of Agriculture is 
 alum alone — giving 3 or 4 teaspoons of alum 
 water daily, and mix with the feed (corn-meal) 
 strong alum water. This is said to cure the very 
 worst cases. Another remedy is to feed raw 
 onions, chopped fine, mixed with other food, 
 about twice a week. 
 
 CROUP. — Try and remove the croup mem- 
 branes from the mouth with a feather, and then 
 touch the parts with a feather dipped in a solu- 
 tion of nitrate of siver, 10 grs. to I oz. of rain- 
 water. Feed no raw grain. Well boiled oat- 
 meal or Indian cf>rn-meal will make an excellent 
 substitute. Put ^ an oz. of carbonate of soda 
 in every quart of the water drank by the chick- 
 
 8 
 
 ^ lb. of saltpetre, % a pt. turpentine, and put 
 them into a bottle ; shake up well before using ; 
 apply to the wound 3 times a day with a feather. 
 
 POULTRY. 
 
 BONES, To Pulverize for Fowls.— V\yt the 
 bones in a stove and allow them to burn white, 
 when they can then be easily pulverized ; then 
 mix with corn meal and feed twice a day. 
 
 CHICKENS, Management of. — After emerg- 
 ing from the shells the chickens should not be 
 removed from under the hen. They are at first 
 weakly and wet, but in a few hours they become 
 thoroughly dry, and it is not until their little 
 quaint heads peep from under the feathers of the 
 hen that she should be removed from the nest. 
 Many persons imagine that the chickens require 
 feeding as soon as hatched. This is an error. 
 At the time of hatching, the remains of the yelk 
 are drawn into the digestive canal of the chick, 
 and constitute its first food. This will last it for 
 20 to 30 hours, and then the chickens are strong 
 and active on the legs, and ready to eat with 
 avidity. As regards the first food for the chicks, 
 there is nothing approaching in value to a mix- 
 ture of equal parts of grated bread, yelk of hard- 
 boiled eggs, and oatmeal slightly moistened with 
 water. This is the best food for the first fort- 
 night ; then add gradually groats, hemp-seed, 
 and green food, such as cress, lettuce, cabbage, 
 and leeks, chopped fine. If the weather is cold 
 and wet, add a little powdered pimento to the 
 food occasionally, also a little finely minced meat 
 as a substitute for worms and insects, fresh curd 
 and hard-boiled eggs mashed up with the shells. 
 Feed the chickens early in the morning, and of- 
 ten during the day, giving but little at a time ; 
 the water vessels should be shallow and fre- 
 quently refilled, and so arranged that the chick- 
 ens cannot get into them. Throw the food on 
 the ground to the chickens ; they will then pick 
 up gravel along with it, which is necessary for 
 the digestion of their food. Of course there is 
 not so much necessity for a substitute for the 
 natural animal food when the hens have a free 
 range, and can scratch for worms and insects for 
 the brood. It is important that a hen with 
 chickens should be well fed, for if poorly fed 
 she will drag her progeny about in search of 
 food, taking them through the wet grass, and 
 ■wearying them with over-exertion ; but if well 
 fed she broods them carefully, and only scratches 
 to supply them with grubs and dainty animal 
 food. Both hen and chickens must be carefully 
 and warmly housed at night, and never allowed 
 out until the dew is quite off the grass. 
 
 CAPONS.— ?\z.ce: the fowl on its left side on 
 the table, with its back to the operator, a strap 
 round its wings, ahd the legs in a noose. Pluck 
 off the feathers between the first and second 
 ribs, and with the thumb and finger of the left 
 hand draw the skin tense, so as to ascertain pos- 
 itively the space between the ribs. With a very 
 sharp knife make an incision through the skin 
 only, an inch long, measuring from the point of 
 the first rib backward. This will expose the 
 two ribs and the margin of a large muscle run- 
 ning down the thigh. This muscle is in no dan- 
 ger of being injured if the incision be made at 
 the proper point ; but if otherwise, an injury to 
 it will cause lameness. Divide the muscle be- 
 tween the ribs, by introducing the knife at the 
 
114 
 
 DICTIONARY OF E VERY-DAY WANTS. 
 
 ens, and, if possible, change their roosting place 
 to a new building. If this last cannot be done, 
 clean the place thoroughly, and wash it over 
 •with a solution at the rate of an ounce of car- 
 bolic acid to a quart of water. 
 
 CHICKEN. SCRA TCHING—yio%\. people 
 object to allowing hens in gardens because of 
 their scratching peculiarities. This may be right 
 at time of seed-planting, and until the young 
 plants are well started on their growth above the 
 ground; but before and after this time, when 
 scratching will do no harm, chickens should be 
 allowed their full freedom, because of the good 
 they do in freeing the ground from insects. In 
 a recent article which appeared in a prominent 
 agricultural paper, the writer says: ' ' Recently 
 we were at work in our garden. Half of it was 
 dug and some planted. The fourteen hens and 
 two roosters were throwing dirt at a fearful rate ; 
 peas and beans were unearthed, but none of them 
 were eaten ; but when an earth-worm or grub 
 was brought in sight, it was swallowed as sud- 
 denly as Western men are said to swallow oys- 
 ters. While watching them, one found some- 
 thing that pleased her so much that she chuckled 
 audibly. By making a sudden rush toward her, 
 she dropped it — it was the pupa or chrysalis of 
 one of those large green caterpillars (usually 
 called " worms") that are found on potato and 
 tomato plants. Gardeners who understand how 
 to make their business profitable will use great 
 quantities of well-rotted stable manure. If the 
 hens are on hand when this manure is spread, 
 how busy and how happy they will be ! Some 
 may suppose they are looking for grain ; perhaps 
 they do find some kernels, but more often chrys- 
 alids looking like grains of rye, which are the 
 pupae of flies — generally our common house-flies. 
 Could all such manure heaps be submitted to a 
 thorough scratching by the poultry, we should 
 be less tormented with insects. Both vegetable 
 and fruit gardens could be arranged so that hens 
 and chickens could have access nearly all the 
 time to great advantage. Especially should 
 fowls be kept in orchards. If so kept they will 
 work among the trees, doing just what is need- 
 ed, keeping the ground well cultivated, and de- 
 stroying everything that can injure the fruit and 
 trees in the shape of bugs, worms, and other in- 
 sects. 
 
 DROOPING niNGS.— This, in either tur- 
 keys or chickens, is caused by vermin To cure 
 it, grease their heads, the under sides of their 
 wings, and their bodies under their wings, with 
 lard or fried meat fat, or any other grease. In 
 a few days their wings wjll be natural, and their 
 appetite and comfort will return. 
 
 DUCKS, To Fatten. -^Give them oats, meal 
 and barley. This feed puts on flesh rapidly. 
 Shut your ducks up in a good coop, with no run- 
 way. They must have no exercise, for that 
 gives health, not fat. Feed them with bran, 
 oats, oat-meal, or barley-meal, cooked ; put in a 
 shallow vessel ; give gravel, water, cabbage 
 leaves or a sod of grass. Some feed Indian 
 meal, and proceed with the cramming process ; 
 but this is unnecessary, as young ducks will eat 
 all the'food put before them, and in that way 
 cram themselves without assistance. Let what- 
 ever food you give them be cooked and fed 
 warm. 
 
 EGG-EATING HENS.— To cure this hab- 
 it, break an egg and dust the contents nicely 
 
 with fine Cayenne pepper, afterwards turning 
 the egg round so as to get the pepper below the 
 yelk, if possible, and leave the egg in the of- 
 fender's nest ; or, if he catches her in the act ot 
 eating an egg, let him drive her away quietly, 
 and place pepper in the remainder of the egg, 
 endeavoring, as stated before, to get the pepper 
 underneath. He will very soon see her running 
 furiously about with distended beak. If one 
 dose is not sufficient, administer another a little 
 stronger. If fowls are well supplied with lime 
 and gravel rubbish and animal food (fresh meat) 
 in some form, hens will not eat their eggs. Ar- 
 tificial or china eggs should be used as nest 
 eggs. 
 
 EGG-PRODUCERS, ^^.ST.— Experience 
 has indicated that for laying eggs the Polands 
 are most desirable ; for the table, Dorkings ; and 
 for early marketable chickens, Brahmas and Co- 
 chins. A writer who has had considerable ex- 
 perience in raising fowls for profit says : The 
 Farmer's Breed is the breed for profit. It con- 
 sists of Brahma hens and colored Dorking cocks 
 — the chicks from which are hardy, easily reared, 
 grow fast, and in four months, without extra 
 feed, will dress four to five pounds each of fine- 
 grained, well-formed, plump-breasted, well-col- 
 ored flesh, fit for the table of any amateur or ep- 
 icure, and always commanding a good price in 
 market. The hens from this cross are even bet- 
 ter and more continuous layers than either pure 
 Brahma or the Dorking ; but if wanted to breed 
 again, the farmer must keep one coop separate 
 of Brahmas — say a cock and two hens — and so 
 also of the Dorkings, and thus yearly with the 
 cross of pure bred birds, cocks of the Dorkings 
 and hens of the Brahmas, keep up the " Farm- 
 er's Breed for profit." 
 
 EGGS, SEX OF. — It is affirmed with assur- 
 ance that the eggs containing the germ of males 
 have wrinkles on their smaller ends, while fe- 
 male eggs are smooth at their extremities. 
 
 FA TTENING POULTRY.— The fowls de- 
 signed for being fattened should be well r.nd lib- 
 erally fed from the time they are hatched. It is 
 a mistake to suppose that they can be kept low 
 when young, and got up to a great size by lib- 
 eral feeding when put up to fatten. The fowls 
 so treated are stunted in their growth, the bony 
 frame-work becomes set, and they never after- 
 ward attain a large size ; whereas with liberal 
 feeding they become fit for the fatting-coop at 
 the age of about four months in summer, and 
 from five to six in winter. It cannot be too 
 strongly impressed upon those who are desirous 
 of obtaining poultry of first-rate quality, that 
 fowls are only in perfection for the table before 
 they have attained their complete development. 
 The cockerels should be put up vhen "their 
 tails begin to turn" — namely, just when the two 
 long sickle feathers or streamers begin to top the 
 straight feathers of the tail ; and the pullets be- 
 fore they have laid. 1 hey may be either con- 
 fined within a small space or placed in a coop, in 
 a warm and rather dark situation, and, of course, 
 under cover. The fowls should be separated 
 from each other by partitions in the cccp, and 
 no more space ought to be allowed them than, is 
 necessary to make them comfortable, without al- 
 lowing room for exercise. 
 
 The fatting-coops should stand on legs, in or- 
 der to raise them to a convenient height from 
 I the ground, so that the dung may be removed 
 
DOMESTIC ANIMALS^POULTRY. 
 
 "5 
 
 djuly ; or each may have a shallow drawer un- 
 derneath, being daily filled with fresh earth — an 
 admirable plan — the fowls being very fond of 
 nestling in dry earth, and earth being a deodor- 
 izer and disinfectant, it is most conducive to their 
 health. The most scrupulous cleanliness must 
 be observed in the case of fattening fowls; the 
 troughs in front of the coop must be removed 
 when the fowls have ceased eating, the remains 
 of food taken out, and the troughs scalded and 
 laid in the sun to dry daily. Not a particle of 
 food that has become sour should be given to 
 them ; indeed, they will eat better if fresh food, 
 and of a different kind, be given to them at each 
 meal. When first put into the coop they should 
 not have any thing placed before them for some 
 hours, till they have recovered from their fright 
 at being caught, and have become accustomed to 
 their new residence. Afterwards they should be 
 fed with much regularity three times each day, 
 giving them at each meal as much as they can 
 eat, but not leaving anything for them to pick up 
 n the intervals. 
 
 When first placed in the coop they may be fed 
 tvrice a day on boiled potatoes, mashed up with 
 coarse oat-meal, and moistened with a little new 
 milk. The third meal may be Patna rice, well 
 boiled, with a little milk added. When the 
 fowls are nearly fat, the rice may be given twice 
 a day and the potatoes only once ; the rice makes 
 the flesh white and clear. A little vegetable, 
 chopped fine, may occasionally be given to vary 
 the character of their food ; the earth in the 
 coop will supply the small stones necessary for 
 their digestion. The first meal should be given 
 early in the morning, the second about mid-day, 
 and the last at dusk, when the other fowls are 
 going to roost. 
 
 On this system of feeding, a fowl will become 
 perfectly fatted in from a fortnight to three or 
 four weeks at the outside. When fat it should 
 be immediately killed ; for not only is it unprof- 
 itable to keep it any longer, but it deteriorates 
 very rapidly, losing weight and becoming hard 
 and coarse in the flesh. Before being killed, the 
 fowls should be kept for fifteen or sixteen hours 
 without food or water. If this precaution is not 
 taken, (and it is unfortunately often neglected, ) 
 the food in the crop and intestines ferments. 
 When this is the case in summer, the fowl in a 
 few hours turns green, and is entirely unfit for 
 the table. 
 
 FOWLS, OLD.— To have the poultry yard 
 profitable, the fowls should not be kept until 
 they are old. There is no objection to preserv- 
 ing a favorite cock, as long as he is active and 
 lively, but hens after three years will not pro- 
 duce as many eggs as those of one or two 
 years. 
 
 GAPES. — This destructive disease is' believed 
 to be infectious and epidemic. Unless perhaps 
 thus communicated by others, it never occurs 
 except there has been foul water, exposure to 
 wet, and want of nourishing food. The disease 
 consists — at least so far as actual symptoms ex- 
 tend — in a number of small worms which infest 
 the windpipe, and cause the poor chicken to 
 gasp for breath. If taken early, it will be suffi- 
 cient to give, every dav, a morsel of camphor 
 the size of a grain of wheat, and to put camphor 
 in the drinking water; or a little turpentine may 
 be given daily in meal, taking care, of course, 
 that the deficiencies in diet and shelter be also 
 
 amended. In fully developed cases, the worms 
 must be removed by introducing a loop of horse- ' 
 hair into the trachea, and turning round durinor 
 withdrawal — the operation to be repeated several 
 times, till all the worms appear to be extracted. 
 A feather, stripped almost up to the top, may be 
 used instead of the horse-hair. Crumbs of dough 
 impregnated with soft soap, given once or twice, 
 is also said to cure. 
 
 GEESE, TO MA ATA GE.— The goose lays 
 from lo to 20 eggs before sitting, and when she 
 is well fed and attended to she will lay and hatch 
 3 times in a year. She begins to lay early in 
 March, and even toward the end of February, 
 The period of laying may be perceived in the 
 circumstance that the goose at that time carries 
 about straws in its bill, prompted by the devel- 
 opment of the maternal instinct to prepare a 
 nest. When this practice is observed it will be 
 found prudent to confine the bird, providing her 
 with a nest for laying and hatching in, which 
 should be made of straw lined with hay, and so 
 formed that the eggs will not readily fall out, es- 
 pecially when the bird turns them. 1 5 eggs will 
 be sufficient to place under even a large bird. 
 The period of incubation is a month, but some 
 of the goslings may be hatched a day or two be- 
 fore this time; it is desirable, however, that all 
 the young birds be hatched about the same time, 
 and to this end as much care as is practicable 
 should be taken to have all the eggs equally 
 fresh. When the brood are hatched they ought 
 to be turned out into a sunny place, sheltered 
 alike from cold winds and bad weather; but it is 
 not only unnecessary, but prejudicial, to feed 
 them for 12 hours or so. Their earliest food 
 ought to be bread soaked in milk, curds, por- 
 ridge, boiled greens, boiled potatoes mixed with 
 bran ; and such food ought to be given them at 
 a moderate temperature, so as to avoid the en- 
 trance of heat or cold, and for a couple of days at 
 least after being hatched the goslings ought not 
 to be allowed access to cold water, which often 
 gives them cramp. 
 
 As a general rule, geese ought to be confined 
 as little as possible. If they are allowed to run 
 about the fields, ditches, and streams of water, 
 they will forage for themselves very success- 
 fully. Grass and water are essential to their 
 comfort and well-being, such grass especially as 
 may be found on damp and swampy soil, and 
 which, however rank or coarse it may be, is weH 
 adapted to them. In harvest time the stubble- 
 fields are an excellent pasturage for them ; they 
 can there pick up no small supply of corn, and 
 which would otherwise be lost, and they obtain 
 abundance of young grass and other herbage. 
 The advantages of a stubble-field, however, are 
 not always to be had, but where this occurs the 
 kitchen-garden may be made available. In au- 
 tumn the geese may be turned into it without 
 the danger of their doing any serious damage ; 
 but they ought to be fed occasionally on boiled 
 potatoes, bruised up with bran, or the result of 
 their foraging for themselves will not be produc- 
 tive of any advantage. 
 
 Goslings in June and July will fatten without 
 any food beyond what they can gather for them- 
 selves in the stubble-fields ; but if it be neces- I 
 sary to hasten the process they must be supplied * 
 with additional nutriment for that purpose, such 
 as potatoes and turnips bruised with meal, and 
 they should thus be fed once a day. There are 
 
Ii6 
 
 DICTIONARY OF E VERY-DAY WANTS. 
 
 various methods of fattening geese, but the sim- 
 plest and best is nutritive food, and in abun- 
 dance. 
 
 GUINEA FOWL.— Th.\% bird is a native of 
 that part of Africa which its name indicates, but 
 it is also said to be indigenous in America. It 
 is a larger bird than our ordinary barn-door fowl 
 — but the eggs are small, three of them being 
 ' hardly equal to an ordinary hen's egg ; they are, 
 however, numerous and well.-flavored. This 
 fowl does not thrive in confinement, but requires 
 perfect liberty, and a wide space over which to 
 wander. And it is of so pugnacious a character, 
 moreover, that it can hardly be got to associate 
 with other poultry on amicable terms. The dif- 
 ficulty of rearing the young ones in this damp 
 dimate, and the very noisy and destructive hab- 
 its of the old birds, may account for their ab- 
 sence generally from our poultry yards. They 
 are, however, very excellent eating, and well 
 worth the trouble of keeping. The best way to 
 raise and keep them is to procure some eggs of 
 a good stock, hatch them under a small variety 
 of fowl, such as game-fowl or bantams ; when 
 the chicks appear, keep them under cover where 
 they can have plenty of air and dry gravel ; feed 
 them frequently — at least once in every three 
 hours. Begin by giving eggs and milk made into 
 rather a dry custard ; toward the end of the first 
 month add a little oat-meal mixed with milk, and 
 as they grow older boiled vegetables small wheat 
 and potatoes may be given. Ants' eggs are their 
 favorite delicacy, and will be found most nour- 
 ishing food for them. These birds are very fond 
 of scratching in a garden, not for seeds, but for 
 insects and grubs, and it is questionable whether 
 they do most harm in rooting out the gardener's 
 seeds, or good in destroying the insects that 
 '' would destroy his plants after they had grown 
 up. 
 
 HENS, To Make Lay. — A hen is said to have 
 the capacity of laying 600 eggs and no more — a 
 few in her first year, from 320 to 375 in the next 
 three, and the rest from the fifth to the ninth in- 
 clusive. The true economy, therefore, is not to 
 keep hens after their fourth year. By feeding 
 stimulating food, the hen can be made to lay the 
 quantum of eggs with which she is endowed in 
 a much shorter time than if left to scratch for 
 herself. There is no better food for this pur- 
 pose, fed each alternate day than the following : 
 To 3 gals, of boiling water add % oz. of com- 
 mon salt, a teaspoonful of Cayenne pepper, and 
 4 oz. lard. Stir the mixture until the pepper has 
 imparted considerable of its strength to the wa- 
 ter. Meantime the salt will have been dissolved 
 and the lard melted. Then, while yet boiling 
 hot, stir in a meal made of oats and com, ground 
 together in equal proportions, until a stiff" mush 
 is formed. Set away to cool down to a milk 
 warmth. Before feeding taste to see that you 
 have an overdose neither of salt nor pepper, and 
 to prevent the hens from being imposed upon 
 with a mixture not fit to be eaten. Besides 
 this, especially during the winter, give them on 
 the days on which the above mixture is omitted, 
 a % oz. of fresh meat chopped fine, and at all 
 times plenty of pure water, grain, gravel, and 
 lime. 
 
 HEN-ROOSTS, To Destroy Vermin on.— 
 This can be done promptly and simply by sprink- 
 ling kerosene on their roosts. 
 
 HENS, To Set. — ^The most convenient way to 
 
 set hens is to get a common tea chest or box, 
 put a portable sloping roof to it, made of p. few 
 pieces of board. Put a hole at one end, like 
 that for a dog-kennel. In front of this put a 
 wire pen or frame made of lath. Provide the 
 hen with food and water daily, and you need not 
 be under anxiety about your hen leaving her 
 eggs ; she cannot get out, and will return on the 
 ^ggs, if really broody, in a very short time. In 
 this way you would have them entirely under 
 your command. 
 
 HENS, To Frezent Setting.— StiWng hens 
 can be cured by putting water in a vessel to the 
 depth of one inch, putting the hen into it, and 
 covering the top of the vessel for about twenty- 
 four hours. The vessel should be deep enough 
 to allow the fowl to stand up. 
 
 KILLING AND DRESSING PO UL TR Y. 
 — As much, if not more, depends on the manner 
 of killing poultry as in the dressing to have it 
 look fit for market. Too much caution cannot 
 be used in this branch of the business. One 
 mode of killing fowls, (instead of wringing the 
 necks, which we deprecate, ) is to cut their heads 
 off with a single blow of a sharp ax, hang them 
 up by the legs and allow them to bleed freely, 
 and pluck their feathers immediately — while yet 
 warm. The French mode, which is highly com- 
 mended — we think far the best, as it causes in- 
 stant death, without pain or disfigurement, and 
 is simply done by opening the beak of the fowl, 
 and with a sharp-pointed and narrow-bladed 
 knife, make an incision at the back of the roof, 
 which will divide the vertebrae, and cause imme- 
 diate death, after which hang the fowl up by the 
 legs till the bleeding ceases, and pick it while 
 warm, if you desire the feathers to be removed. 
 With a little care the skin of the fowl does not 
 become as torn and ragged as it does in the old- 
 fashioned way of scalding. Another thing, the 
 flesh presents a better and more natural appear- 
 ance when not scalded. 
 
 Geyelin says : " Some breeders cram their 
 poultry before killing, to make them appear as if 
 heavy; this is a most injudicious plan, as the 
 undigested food soon enters into fermentation, 
 and putrefaction takes place, as is evidenced by 
 the quantity of greenish, putrid-looking fowls 
 that are seen in the markets." Fowls should 
 always be allowed to remain in their coops at 
 least twenty-four hours previous to being killed 
 without food ; by so doing the breeder will be a 
 gainer in the end ; as his poultry will keep long- 
 er, and present a better appearance in the mar- 
 ket ; and above all he will show the purchaser 
 that he is honest, and has not crammed his poul- 
 try for the purpose of benefiting himself and 
 swindling others. 
 
 LA YING SOFT-SHELLED EGGS.—Tti\s 
 results from a deficient supply of lime, and an 
 excess of soft and animal food. Give with the 
 feed more plaster, pounded oyster shells, gravel 
 and rubbish, etc. 
 
 LICE — and other vermin — on fowl may be 
 treated by making their roosts perfectly clean 
 with hot water and soap-suds, and applying af- 
 terwards spirits of turpentine (to the roosts.) 
 The whole of the building which they occupy 
 should be kept scrupulously clean. Another 
 method is to strew small branches or sprays of 
 cedar about the henery. This, also, will be 
 found verv effective. 
 
 POULTRY FOR MARKET.— 'W^tn fowls 
 
DOMESTIC A mMALS— POULTRY. 
 
 "7 
 
 are killed before being sent to market, it is best 
 not to pack them as soon as they are plucked. 
 It is best to let poultry hang at least 24 hours 
 after being picked before packing, so as to allow 
 the animal heat to entirely pass off. After pick- 
 ing, wash off the blood-stains with a cloth and 
 warm water in a careful manner, for if any are 
 left to harden and become dry, their removal will 
 prove very troublesome. 
 
 ROUP. — Symptoms : The symptoms of roup 
 are at first identical with those of a severe ca- 
 tarrh ; the discharge from the nostrils, however, 
 soDn loses its transparent character, becoming 
 ra^re or less opaque, and of a very peculiar and 
 offensive odor ; froth appears in the inner corner 
 of the eyes, and the lids swell ; in severe cases 
 the eyeball is entirely concealed; the nostrils are 
 closed by the discharge drying around them, and 
 the eyelids are agglutinated together ; the dis- 
 eased secretion accumulates within to a great ex- 
 tent, consequently the sides of the face swell to 
 an extreme degree, and the bird, unable to see, 
 or feed itself, suffers from great depression and 
 sinks rapidly. With respect to the communica- 
 tion of this disease, my experiments prove that 
 it is exceedingly contagious. It is frequently 
 communicated by fowls drinking out of the same 
 vessel, as the discharge from the nostrils of the 
 sick bird contaminates the water as it drinks. 
 No common fowl is worth bothering with after 
 the eyes swell badly ; before that they may be 
 cured with tolerable ease. The mouth, throat, 
 eyes and nostrils should be washed out clean, and 
 sponged with strong chloride of lime water, or, 
 what is better, Labaraque's solution, chlorinated 
 soda, and the whole flock, but the ailing ones 
 particularly, should have the heartiest diet — iron 
 in their water, bread and ale, soft feed well pep- 
 pered, and meat of some kind. 
 
 TURKEYS, TO RE.4R.— First, a quiet hen 
 is to be sought for as a sitter, and when such an 
 one is obtained, the next care is to give her a 
 quiet and rather secluded place for her nest while 
 sitting, which is of more importance than some 
 think, who do not give themselves the trouble to 
 care for such small matters. Bronze turkeys are 
 large birds, and will cover 15 to 18 eggs with 
 ease ; while sitting they should not be disturbed, 
 and should not be taken from the nest after 
 hatching for at least 24 hours, or longer, if she 
 sits contented, as the young chicks gain strength 
 very fast by being kept quiet for a day or two at 
 first. If the hen is quite gentle, (as she should 
 be, if possible,) it is best to watch the hatching 
 process, and if a chick is not likely to come out 
 strong, the shell may sometimes be broken, and 
 the chick saved; in taking the hen with her 
 brood from the nest, she should have a large, 
 airy coop, where the grass is closely mown off, 
 where the chicks can bask in the sun at pleasure, 
 and have quite a run for exercise, and the picking 
 up of bugs and insects. 
 
 The feed should be mostly curds, made from 
 sour milk heated, and the whey drained off and 
 seasoned with pepper. After a few days, ac- 
 cording to their strength and the quietness of 
 the hen turkey, they should have the range of 
 the farm. At first a small portion of the day, 
 after the dew is all off, they should be housed at 
 night, and not let out till the wet is off the grass 
 in the morning ; then by liberal feeding when- 
 ever they come near their roosting quarters, they 
 will be healthy and grow very fast — especially if 
 
 grasshoppers are plenty, as they are some years 
 in most sections of the country. When it is the 
 time for the fattening seasons, they should then 
 have all the good food they will eat, of a variety 
 such as corn, buckwheat, boiled potatoes, chop- 
 ped cabbage, etc., and if kept where they can 
 get what they will eat when they want it, they 
 will fatten very fast. 
 
 An experienced farmer gives his experience as 
 follows : Let the mother of the new-born brood 
 choose her owa time to leave the nest. Taking 
 off is always bad policy. As soon as the nest is 
 left, make a yard, twelve feet square, by setting 
 boards edgewise. Remove the turkey and her 
 brood into this little pen, wherein . they should 
 be kept for at least six days — after which they 
 may be let out in the middle of the day, and per- 
 mitted the range of an acre ; but they must al- 
 ways be gathered at least an hour before sun- 
 down into the pens to remain until the dew is 
 off the next morning, and all the day, if there is 
 the least appearance of a storm. The time the 
 mother leaves the nest, wash the naked parts of 
 her body thoroughly with tobacco juice, to kill 
 the inevitable lice ; and at the same time dust 
 thoroughly the young with some vermin-destroy- 
 ing powder. No one thing kills as many young 
 turkeys as these parasites. As a preventive, 
 sulphur and snuff, mixed in equal quantities, and 
 dusted on the nest after the turkey has been sit- 
 ting two weeks, is recommended ; but nothing 
 should prevent the washing of the mother, or 
 the dusting of the young, the day the mother 
 leaves the nest, and 2 days after the young have 
 left the shell. Young turkeys require but little 
 food, but they need to be fed as often as once an 
 hour for the first week. Coarse-ground Indian 
 meal, mixed with sour milk curds, and finely 
 chopped hard-boiled eggs, is the best feed for 
 the first month. After that, the eggs may be 
 left out, the meal ground a little coarser, and the 
 curds, if you have them, used in larger measure 
 than at the first. As soon as they can swallow 
 whole grain, give them that, and then all trouble 
 in this direction is at an end. Until they are 
 two months old, they must be driven to some 
 shelter every night, and never be allowed to re- 
 main in the fields through a long or heavy rain. 
 Even when one-quarter grown, they will die 
 from exhaustion, trying to follow the vigorous 
 and unreasoning mother, if wet with but a very 
 heavy dew. Three rules, then, must be ob- 
 served, if those who attempt to raise turkeys 
 would secure success : First — Be sure to free 
 both old and young from lice immediately upon 
 the old ones leaving the nest. Second — Feed 
 frequently at the beginning with strengthening 
 food. Third — Never let the young turkeys get 
 wet, either with dew or rain, until their feathers 
 afford their bodies, if not complete, at least par- 
 tial protection. 
 
 TURKEYS, Charcoal for.— S. recent exper- 
 iment has been tried in feeding charcoal for fat- 
 tening turkeys. Two lots of four each were 
 treated alike, except for one lot finely pulverized 
 coal was mixed with mashed potatoes and meal, 
 on which they were fed, and broken pieces of 
 coal also plentifully supplied. The difference in 
 weight was one and a half pounds each in favor 
 of the fowls supplied with coal, and the flesh was 
 superior in tenderness and flavor. This sugges- 
 tion is well worth a fair trial from those engaged 
 in turkey-raising. 
 
Ii8 
 
 DICTIONARY OF EVERY-DAY WANTS. 
 
 FARM, ORCHARD, GARDEN AND DAIRY. 
 
 ACCOUNTS, KEEPING.— Ktc^mg of ac 
 counts is almost an absolute necessity to a farm- 
 er's success. If we should be asked what is the 
 great hindrance to the advancement of ordinary 
 farmers, we should reply, the want of some sys- 
 tematic plan in their labors, especially the want 
 of some systematic mode of keeping their farm 
 accounts. If we ask them the cost of raising 
 100 bushels of corn, or making loo lbs. of pork, 
 not ong in a thousand can give an answer based 
 on actual figures. They gtiess a bushel of corn 
 costs so much, but their guessing is often wide 
 of the truth. The great majority of farmers 
 cannot tell the net income of their farms, and 
 hardly know whether they are progressing, 
 standing still, or retrograding. If a merchant 
 or a manufacturer should conduct his business 
 in this shiftless way, we should expect him to 
 fail, and the reason that farmers do not more fre- 
 quently fail is that their business is comparatively 
 limited. They live mainly within themselves. 
 The farm supports the family, and the family 
 take care of the farm. They would find their 
 interest in farming as well as their skill and prof- 
 its greatly to increase if they would adopt some 
 mode of ascertaining how much this and that 
 crop costs, and cultivate such crops and rear 
 such animals as are found by actual calculation 
 to pay the best. How are we to decide what 
 branches of farming are the most profitable un- 
 less the figures of the farm account show us ? 
 Shall we guess whether it is better to make but- 
 ter or cheese, or sell our milk, or shall we know 
 definitely about these ix)ints ? Tlie question is 
 sometimes mooted whether Eastern farmers had 
 better raise their own corn or buy it of their Il- 
 linois neighbors. How can this question be de- 
 cided, unless we know how much it costs to raise 
 a bushel of corn ? 
 
 Whoever makes accurate experiments and 
 keeps accurate accounts not only benefits himsell 
 but the public. We know there are many cir- 
 cumstances to be considered in estimating the 
 cost of raising crops and feeding stock ; and with 
 the greatest accuracy of observation, the results 
 of farm experiments are often only approxima- 
 tions to the truth, but whoever labors even for 
 these approximations is a public benefactor. 
 The general principles of practical agriculture 
 can never be established till we have more ol 
 these accurate experiments on which to base 
 them. 
 
 Many seem to suppose that it is a great bur- 
 den to write down in the evening the results ot 
 the day. They can handle a crowbar or a plow 
 for ten hours, but ten minutes' work with a pen 
 is an Herculean labor. This is a mere imagi- 
 nary lion in the way of keeping accounts. It 
 only wants resolution to undertake the work, and 
 a little practice will make it easy. Possibly the 
 task maybe devolved on some young member of 
 the family, whose fingers are not unused to the 
 pen or stiffened by hard work. A general farm 
 account should be kept, in which the farm is 
 charged with all its expenses and credited with 
 all its receipts. Besides this general farm ac- 
 
 count, a more minute record should be kept of 
 each crop, charging with all the labor, manure, 
 seed, etc., bestowed upon it, and crediting it 
 with all the returns, whether sold or used in the 
 family. Such a book will prove a treasure of 
 wisdom to every farmer who keeps it. 
 
 APPLE-TREE BORER.— To remove and 
 destroy this pest of the orchard, in the spring, 
 just before vegetation starts, level the ground, 
 and pack it firmly around the root of the tree, in 
 a circle of about two feet in diameter, according 
 to the size of the tree. Take unleached ashes 
 and air-slaked lime in equal parts, well mixed, 
 and apply to the circle thus made, covering the 
 ground all over two or three inches in depth. 
 Then take strong soap suds, or, what is better, 
 a solution of half a pound of sal soda to one 
 gallon of water, and wash the entire trunk and 
 the base of the limbs thoroughly. Repeat this 
 operation in the fall of the year, just before 
 freezing weather, covering the ground with the 
 mixture of ashes and lime, and washing the 
 trunk and base of the branches with the solution 
 of sal soda. If the borers have already made an 
 entrance into the tree, the only way to get rid of 
 them is to dig tbem out by the use of a fine, an- 
 nealed wire, avoiding as much as possible the 
 cutting away of the bark in the necessary prep- 
 aration for entering the holes. 
 
 APPLE trees'. To Keep Rabbits from 
 Barking. — I. Take any quantity of sweet milk 
 you may desire, and add to it soot from the stove 
 pipe or chimney, where wood has been used, un- 
 til It is a thin paint. Take a warm, dry day to 
 wash your trees, so it will get dry before a rain. 
 One thorough washing will generally be found 
 to be sufficient. — 2. Thoroughly rub the trunks 
 with the dead body of a rabbit. 
 
 APPLES, To Color While Groxving.—h. 
 bright red color can be imparted to growing ap- 
 ples by the application of the oxyd of iron to 
 the soil about the roots of the trees. Anvil dust 
 and cinders, etc. , will answer the purpose. 
 
 APPLE TREES, Treatment o/.—Jn the au- 
 tumn, as soon as the leaves have fallen, every 
 tree should be carefully and freely pruned ; this 
 will open a passage to the sun and air, and will 
 contribute to health in the future season. In ad- 
 dition to this, brush off the moss and cut off the 
 cankered parts, and unless the orchard is plowed, 
 the soil should be opened at the roots. 
 
 APPLE TREES, {Old,) To Renovate.— 
 Take fresh-made lime from the kiln, slake it well 
 with water and well dress the tree with a brush, 
 and the insects and moss will be completely de- 
 stroyed, the outer rind will fall off, and a new, 
 smooth, clear, healthy one will be formed, and 
 the tree will assume a most healthy appearance 
 and produce the finest fruit. 
 
 APPLE TREES, Lice on.— The apple-bark 
 louse is most common on unhealthful trees — 
 trees that are grown in grass and are most likely 
 to be infected with them. It is hurtful to trees 
 and should be exterminated. A good way to do 
 this is first to feed the trees liberally with ma- 
 nme and ashes. Ashes alone, if you have no 
 
FARM, ORCHARD, GARDEN- AND DAIRY. 
 
 "9 
 
 manure to spare, placed about the roots — not in 
 contact with the body — will help. Dig up the 
 grass about the tree. In the spring take a hoe 
 and give the bark a good scraping ; then wash 
 the tree with strong soap-suds. This should be 
 done early and the washing repeated' once or 
 twice before the trees blossom. 
 
 APPLE-TREE SUCKERS.— hizny other- 
 wise good orchards are allowed to become de- 
 faced, as well as seriously injured, by allowing a 
 profusion of suckers to grow at the base of the 
 trunks. Attempts are sometimes made to get 
 rid of them by cuttiug them off down to the sur- 
 face of the ground, and leaving considerable 
 portions below in the form of short stumps. 
 These sprout again, and they soon become quite 
 as bad as ever. A better way is to wait until 
 they are in leaf, at which time they are loosened 
 more readily, and taking each separately in the 
 hands, place a thick boot upon it near the tree, 
 and they are quickly separated. If done at that 
 time they will not be likely to sprout again. 
 
 APPLE TREES, To Plant.— Ths trees, in 
 all cases, should be set without bending or di- 
 verting them from their natural direction, and 
 the more room is all the better. The subsoil 
 or dead earth should be removed from the bot- 
 tom at least a foot deep in shallow soils, and its 
 place supplied with good surface soil or compost. 
 A compost of well rotted manure and meadow 
 mud is admirable for this purpose, and for filling 
 the hole when the tree is set. Care should be 
 taken not to set too deep. The roots need the 
 influence of the atmosphere, of light and heat, 
 as well as of manures and rains, and languish 
 if buried below this influence. It is a safe rule 
 to set no deeper than the trees stood in the nur- 
 sery, and this can easily be determined by their 
 appearance at the base. Every fibre should be 
 extended in its proper direction, level and not 
 dipping, and carefully surrounded with compost. 
 No vacant places or cavities should be left in cov- 
 ering the roots, nor injury done to them by the 
 hand or spade. A tree should not be taken from 
 a soil much richer than that to which it is trans- 
 ferred. 
 
 ARTICHOKE, yERUSAZEM.—Boussin- 
 gault says, in his "Rural Economy:" There are 
 few plants more hardy and so little nice about 
 soil as the Jerusalem artichoke; it succeeds ev- 
 erywhere, with the single condition that the soil 
 be not wet. The tubers are planted exactly as 
 potatoes, and nearly at the same time ; but this 
 IS a process that is performed but rarely, inas- 
 much as the cultivation of the helianthus is 
 incessant, being carried on for years in the same 
 place, and after harvest, in spite of every dispo- 
 sition to take up all the tubers, enough constantly 
 escape detection to stock the land for the follow- 
 ing year, so that the surface appears literally 
 covered with the young plants on the return of 
 spring, and it is necessary to thin them by hoe- 
 ing. T^he impossibility of taking away the whole 
 of the tubers, and their power of resisting the 
 hardest frosts of winter, is an obstacle almost in- 
 surmountable to the introduction of this plant, as 
 one element of a regular rotation. Experience 
 more and more confirms the propriety of setting 
 aside a patch of land for the growth of this pro- 
 ductive and very valuable root. Of all the vari- 
 ous plants that engage the husbandman, the Je- 
 rusalem artichoke is that which produces the 
 most at the least expense of manure and manual 
 
 labor. lie then directs the reader's attention to 
 an example where the artichoke had been pro- 
 duced for thirty-three successive years with suc- 
 cess, while they had received no care or manure 
 for a long time. Those who wish to try it must 
 plant it as early as the condition of the soil will 
 allow. The land after plowing is marked out 
 with furrows 3 feet apart, and the small tubers 
 are dropped about 18 inches apart, and covered 
 3 inches deep. Go over the field in a week or 
 two with a light harrow to kill weeds, and culti- 
 vate between the rows until the plants get large 
 enough to render it unnecessary. It grows very 
 readily in dry soil. Those who make trial of it 
 should take care that the plant does not become 
 established as a weed. 
 
 ASPARAGUS, To Cultivate.— To raise the 
 asparagus plant, first select a piece of ground 
 which is light, but not too much so ; have it har- 
 rowed finely and plowed deeply; then draw fur- 
 rows through it far enough apart to admit of a 
 hoe-harrow or cultivator ; then spread stable ma- 
 nure in the rows, or better still apply the manure 
 broad-cast and plow it in ; then draw the furrows 
 afore-mentioned, taking care to. draw them very 
 shallow ; then take the seed and sow it very 
 thinly in the rows ; after you have finished sow- 
 ing, cover lightly with a wooden rake. When 
 the plants begin to show themselves be sure to 
 keep them free from weeds and grass, as much 
 depends on the healthiness and size of the 
 plants. I will give two methods of planting 
 when they are planted for their final culture. 
 Select a dry, lighfpiece of ground, well exposed 
 to the sun, as by such a course it will sprout 
 earlier, and thus augment considerably the prof- 
 its. Have it manured heavily with good barn- 
 yard or stable manure ; then have the ground 
 plowed, following immediately with the sub-soil- 
 er, and make it as fine as possible ; then draw 
 furrows three feet apart, and six or eight inches 
 deep, the entire length of the bed, March or 
 April, according to the season, is the time to set 
 out asparagus plants. They should be only one 
 year from the seed, as this is suflficient if properly 
 cared for and kept clean while growing. After 
 having prepared the ground as above-mentioned, 
 take the plants from the seed bed, being careful 
 to expose them as little as possible , then take 
 the plants to the ground allotted to {hem ; place 
 the plants, or more properly called roots, eight 
 or ten inches apart m the row, spreading the 
 roots as much as possible, taking care to have 
 the crown of the plant only about two inches be- 
 low the surface ; when they are all placed in the 
 right position, draw the ground over the crowns 
 M'ith the back of a wooden rake to the required 
 depth. Permit the crop the first two years to 
 run up to stalks, keeping the ground as free from 
 weeds as possible. The third year from planting 
 is the time to gather the first crop for market. 
 Begin to cut as soon as the shoots are fit, and 
 continue cutting until the first of June or there- 
 abouts, and then leave the rest to encourage the 
 formation of new roots. The shoots are tied up 
 in bundles of 25 to 30 stalks, and when mark- 
 eted early and in good condition bring remune- 
 rative prices. 
 
 The other mode of planting is to dig trenches 
 about two feet deep, and three feet apart, the 
 length of the field, taking care to keep the sub- 
 soil from the good manure, and throw about six 
 inches of it in the trench, ground ; then mix the 
 
DICTIONARY OF E VERY-DAY WANTS. 
 
 ground with considerable sub-soil, and then set 
 the plants. The following spring the trenches 
 are filled up, and every subsequent spring a 
 heavy coat of manure is plowed into the aspar- 
 agus bed. Care should be taken in cutting the 
 shoots not to cut deep enough to injure the 
 roots, as the future productiveness of the plan- 
 tation depends partly in observing the above. 
 
 ANNOTTO, Choice of .—h.-n.no\Xo should be 
 chosen of a good flame color, brighter in the 
 middle than on the outside. It should feel soft 
 and smooth, and have a good consistence. It 
 should possess a strong smell. 
 
 ANTS IN GREENHOUSES, To Destroy. 
 — Place some arsenic, mixed with sugar and wa- 
 ter, in a saucer, which cover with a slate, leav- 
 ing room for the insects to pass between the 
 slate and the saucer. A stone ought to be set 
 on the slate to prevent any other creature but the 
 ants from getting access to the poison. Lime 
 water, poured into the nests, will also destroy 
 them. 
 
 BANKS, {Steep,) To Cover with GRASS.— 
 For each square rod to be planted, take half a 
 pound of lawn grass seed, and mix it intimately 
 and thoroughly with about six cubic feet of good 
 dry garden earth and loam. This is placed in a 
 tub, and to it liquid manure, diluted with about 
 two-thirds of water, is added, and well stirred 
 in, so as to bring the whole to the consistency of 
 mortar. The slope is to be cleaned oflF and then 
 made perfectly smooth, and then well watered, 
 after which the paste just mentioned is to be ap- 
 plied with a trowel, and made as even and as 
 thin as possible. Should it crack by exposure 
 to the air, it is to be again watered and smoothed 
 up, day by day, until the grass makes its appear- 
 ance, which will be in eight to fourteen days, and 
 the whole declivity will soon be covered by a 
 close carpet of green. 
 
 BARLEY, To Cultivate. — Our climate is not 
 as favorable for barley as for oats and wheat. 
 We cannot obtain a good crop unless the soil is 
 dry, clean and rich. It seldom does well on a 
 recently inverted sod. Its best place in the ro- 
 tation is after a highly manured and thoroughly 
 cultivated corn crop. The best crops r.re ob- 
 tained on a rather heavy calcareous loam, pro- 
 vided it has been thoroughly pulverized during 
 the preceding summer and autumn. But as this 
 is seldom the case, the soils that usually give the 
 best medium crops are those of a lighter and 
 warmer character — or sandy loams. 
 
 Barley should either be sown very early, or 
 rather late — say the moment the ground is fit to 
 work in the spring, or not until after the heavy 
 spring rains are over. Much depends on the 
 season. If there has been heavy rains soon af- 
 ter the barley is sown, and then before the plants 
 cover the ground, dry weather sets in, the sur- 
 face of the soil becomes baked, and the crop suf- 
 fers. An early sown crop would suffer less, be- 
 cause it would have got a good start before the 
 drouth set in. A crop sown immediately after 
 the spring rains, as soon as the land is in condi- 
 tion to work, commences to grow rapidly at the 
 very first, and often does better than a crop that 
 is sown two weeks earlier — but not as well a? a 
 crop sown a month earlier. If the soil is rich 
 and has been plowed the fall previous, sow as 
 early as it will work without clogging. 
 
 When barley is grown to sell, the six-rowed, 
 01 what is usually called the four-rowed (though 
 
 there is no such thing as a four-rowed barley,) 
 is the most profitable — because it brings from 
 ten to fifteen cents a bushel more than the two- 
 rowed. But when barley is grown to feed out 
 on the farm, the two-rowed is altogether the best 
 — especially on strong, rich land. It weighs a 
 great deal more per bushel, and if the soil is 
 rich enough, it will yield more per acre. It has 
 another advantage — that of being later than the 
 four-rowed, which ripens at the same time as 
 wheat, and we have wheat and barley harvest on 
 us at once. With the two-rowed, we can get 
 through wiih the wheat by the time the barley is 
 ready. 
 
 It is usual to sow from 2 to 2% bushels per 
 acre. If the land is very rich and it is sown 
 early and drilled in, less seed is required. The 
 yield varies more than that of almost any other 
 crop, depending somewhat on the season, but 
 much more on the condition and previous cul- 
 ture of the soil. 
 
 BARLEY, To Harvest.— When the straw is 
 long enough, the best way to harvest barley is 
 to bind it up the same as wheat. It requires to 
 be cut just at the right time. If cut too early, 
 the grain shrivels up, and if it is allowed to 
 stand a few days too long, it " crinkles down," 
 and the heads drop off in reaping and are lost. 
 We know of no better test than to squeeze the 
 grain between the thumb and finger, and if there 
 is the least appearance of milk, the crop should 
 be allowed to stand longer. The real difficulty, 
 however, is in the uneven ripeness of the crop. 
 Some portions will be dead ripe, while others 
 are still green, and it requires considerable expe- 
 rience and a sound judgment to decide whether 
 we shall lose most by cutting before it is all ripe, 
 or by letting a portion of it get so ripe that there 
 is danger of the heads falling off. Much de- 
 pends on the weather. In this as in many other 
 farming operations we must calculate our chances 
 — and not be discouraged if we sometimes miss 
 the mark. When barley is clean and the weath- 
 er favorable, there is perhaps no better — cer- 
 tainly no cheaper — way of curing it, than to al- 
 low it to remain in the gavels as thrown from the 
 platform of the reaper. They may be turned or 
 stirred to facilitate the drying, but otherwise may 
 remain as left by the reaper until ready to draw 
 in. By moving one or two swaths to make room 
 for the team, two men with barley forks can pick 
 up the gavels of three or four swaths on each 
 side of the wagon, and place them on the load. 
 In this way scarcely any of the barley will be 
 scattered on the land. 
 
 But if there are weeds or grass in the barley, 
 or the weather is threatening, it will be neces- 
 sary to turn the gavels, and towards night put 
 them into small cocks, which will have to be 
 turned or opened the next day and recocked in 
 the evening again, if not sufficiently cured to 
 draw in. It should be borne in mind that bar- 
 ley is very frequently stained in the stack or the 
 mow, from being drawn in too soon, or with the 
 dew on it. Barley should be either thrashed as 
 drawn from the field, or not until it has done 
 " sweating" in the stack or mow. If the form- 
 er, it will be necessary to watch the grain in the 
 bin and turn it occasionally, or it will heat and 
 become discolored. The rakings should be kept 
 separate, as the grain is frequently stained, and 
 if mixed with the rest may reduce the price of 
 the whole several cents per busheL 
 
FAR^f, ORCHARD, GARDEN AND DAIRY. 
 
 121 
 
 BEAA^S, To Czdtivnte. — These grow best in 
 warm, rich, mellow soil. The bush beans are 
 planted in drills, about two inches deep, and two 
 inches apart in the row. The drills maybe from 
 one foot to eighteen inches apart. When the 
 plants are three or four inches high, the earth 
 should be drawn up to the stems, and just be- 
 fore they begin to blossom they should be again 
 earthed up with loose, mellow soil. They re- 
 quire to be frequently hoed while growing, that 
 the ground may be kept loose and free from all 
 weeds. 
 
 Pole or running beans are planted in hills, two 
 by three feet apart, five or six beans to the hill, 
 and covered about a couple of inches deep. It 
 is of no use to plant until the soil has become 
 warm. These beans need the support of a pole 
 or rod, thrust deep enough into the ground to 
 sustain the weight of the vines, usually about 
 eighteen inches, and standing eight or nine feet 
 high. Three healthy plants will be enough to 
 grow in each hill. 
 
 BEANS, LIMA. — The principal point in the 
 successful culture of the Lima bean is to get the 
 seed well started. The best way of doing this 
 is to plant in a hill of light earth, made so by 
 eifting the soil, if it can be had in no other way. 
 A shovelful of well-rotted manure should go into 
 each hill. Then mix sand and muck, and after 
 placing each seed bean with the germ downward 
 in the hill, sift the covering over it through a 
 v/illow sieve. Corn-planting time is the right 
 time to plant Lima beans. The after-cultivation 
 is the same as for the common pole bean. 
 
 BEAN, C/?5r(9i?-C/Z.— The best land for 
 the growth of the castor-oil bean is a light sandy 
 loam soil, with a substratum of clay. First, 
 break up the ground well as for corn, and then 
 lay off the rows six feet apart. Between every 
 seventh row leave an interval of six feet, to ad- 
 mit the passage of a horse and slide when the 
 beans are being gathered, as hereafter explained. 
 Before planting, put the seed in very warm (not 
 boiling) water, and let them soak all night. 
 Drop six or seven seed in each hill, the hills six 
 feet apart each way. Thin out to two plants af- 
 ter the plants have got too large for the cut- 
 worm, which is sometimes quite destructive. 
 At this stage, if the plants are vigorous and 
 healthy, reduce to one plant, leaving two only 
 where the plants look delicate. Keep the crop 
 clean, first with the plow, then with the cultiva- 
 tor, and now and then drawing a little dirt 
 around with the hoe. When the plants are some 
 two feet high no more work need be done, un- 
 less, after a long spell of rain, you may loosen 
 the earth with your cultivator. After the ripen- 
 ing of the beans, which will be in July or Au- 
 gust, take your horse, and slide along the rows 
 left for that purpose, and with a pair of shears 
 clip off the pod-bearing spikes as soon as the 
 pods begin to turn of a brown or chocolate color. 
 They must be promptly cut at this stage, or the 
 beans will pop from the pod and be lost. 
 
 Have ready a shed with a plank floor, or a 
 piece of ground, well cleaned, beaten and rolled, 
 like an old-time threshing floor, twenty or thirty 
 feet square, well exposed to the sun, on which 
 throw your spikes, and turn them over occa- 
 sionally until all the beans drop out. Then 
 scrape away the husks, gather the beans, and go 
 ivito the field for a new supply, as they will con- 
 tinue to bear and mature until frost. Do not al- 
 
 low the beans, when drying, to get wet. Hence 
 an open shed is best. If you have no shed, 
 when the weather is threatening, rake into a 
 heap, and cover with a tarpaulin or boards. 
 They should be well fanned and winnowed of 
 chaff before being sacked for market. P'rom 15 
 to 25 bushels per acre is the average yield. 
 
 BEECHNUTS, Uses ^.--Beechnut oil is 
 most valuable for culinary and lighting purposes. 
 The oil is obtained from the beechnuts by the 
 same means as from castor beans and from cot- 
 ton seed, the crushed material being subjected 
 to the action of heavy presses. The nuts yield 
 16 per cent, of their weight of oil, or about a 
 gallon of oil to the bushel. In England, as long 
 ago as the time of Queen Anne, a company was 
 formed to carry on tne manufacture of beechnut 
 oil, and afterward, in the reign of George I., an 
 application was made for a patent for making 
 butter from beechnuts. In France, and in some 
 parts of Germany, the inhabitants use beechnut 
 oil in place of butter, and sometimes grind the 
 nuts into flour, from which a nutritious but rath- 
 er indigestible bread is made. Roasted beech- 
 nuts are among the many substitutes in vogue 
 for coffee. 
 
 BLACKBERRY.— Yox the cultivated black- 
 berry the soil should be rich, dry and mellow. 
 Barn-yard manure and bone-dust are its best 
 fertilizers ; it is a good plan to mix them with 
 half-rotten straw, or some such thing. They 
 should be planted three feet apart in the rows, 
 and the rows should be six feet asunder. 
 
 BLIGHT IN FRUIT TREES, To Cure.-- 
 A smothering straw fire should be made early in 
 October, in calm weather, under each tree, and 
 kept up during an hour or more. This done, 
 scrape the moss and other impurities from the 
 trunk, and from every obscure hole and corner; 
 set your ladders to the branches, carefully clean- 
 ing them in the same way, taking from the re- 
 maining leaves every web or nidus of insects. 
 If need be, wash the trunk, and all the larger 
 wood, with a solution of lime and dung. Last 
 of all, it is necessary to destroy the insects and 
 eggs which may have dropped upon the ground, 
 and it may be useful to loosen the soil in the cir- 
 cumference. In the spring, or early blighting 
 season, apply your ladders, make a careful sur- 
 vey of every branch, and act accordingly ; repeat 
 this monthly, picking off all blights by hand, and 
 using the water engine, where ablution may be 
 necessary. To those who have fruit, or the 
 market profit thereof, every orchard or garden, 
 little or great, will amply repay such trouble and 
 expense. 
 
 BOYS, Ilcnv to Attach to FARM LIFE.— 
 One of the surest methods of attaching a boy to 
 the farm is to let him have something upon it for 
 his own. Give him a small plot of ground to 
 cultivate, allowing him the proceeds for his own 
 use. Let him have his steers to break, or his 
 sheep to care for. The ownership of even a 
 fruit tree, planted, pruned, and brought to bear- 
 ing by his own hands, will inspire him with an 
 interest that no mere reward or wages can give. 
 In addition to the cultivation of a taste for farm 
 life which such a course will cultivate, the prac- 
 tical knowledge gained by the boy will be of the 
 highest value. Being interested, he will be 
 more observant, and will thoroughly learn what- 
 ever is necessary for his success. Do not, when 
 the boy is in a position to realize from the sale 
 
DICTIONARY OF E VERY-DAY WANTS. 
 
 of his produce or animals, (as many farmers 
 very wrongly do,) take the money that is rightly 
 his — the result of his care, labor and anxiety; 
 but otherwise allow him to do just as his tastes 
 and plans suggest. Another and equally im- 
 portant advantage will be the accustoming him 
 early to feel responsibility. Many young men, 
 though well acquainted with all the manual op- 
 erations of the farm, fail utterly when intrusted 
 •with the management of an estate, for want of 
 experience in planning for themselves. It is a 
 great deal better that responsibility should be 
 gradually assumed, than that a young man should 
 be first thrown upon himself on attaining his 
 majority. 
 
 BOULDERS AND ROCKS, {Big,) To Re- 
 move. — It is the opinion of some farmers that it 
 is better to burn than to bury the granite rocks 
 of which one may desire to relieve his fields. 
 Make a slow fire across the rock in the direction 
 in which you wish it to break ; keep it up for 
 one hour, more or less. When the rock begins 
 to heat, thump on it with the point of a bar 
 where it is hot, and if it has started a scale, re- 
 move it, and keep up your fire as before. The 
 heat will swell the rock near the fire, and if the 
 rock is sound will crack it where it is not hot. 
 One man will break more hard rocks with fire in 
 that way than a half dozen with drills and pow- 
 der. Wood does not cost more than powder. 
 You need not throw on water, as that will not 
 do the least good. 
 
 BUGS, To Destroy. — ^The striped bug on cu- 
 cumbers and melons may be destroyed as fol- 
 lows: I. By a strong solution of hen-house ma- 
 nure — say I peck of the manure to 1)4 g^ls. of 
 water; let it stand 24 hours, and sprinkle the 
 plants freely with it after sunset. — 2. By sifting 
 charcoal dust over the plants ; if repeated 3 or 4 
 times the plants will be entirely freed from the 
 annoyance. — 3. Plant a few kernels of buck- 
 wheat in each hill of cucumbers or melons, and 
 striped bugs will not trouble the vines. 
 
 BUTTER, Management of the Milj^.—The 
 advantage gained during the hot season by the 
 rapid and complete cooling of milk as soon as it 
 comes from the cow, can hardly be over-esti- 
 mated, as recent experiments show that the milk 
 thus cooled will keep sweet much longer, and 
 yield its cream more readily and abundantly ; 
 and, as all experience has proven that the quan- 
 tity of butter made, depends greatly upon keep- 
 ing the milk in such a state as to secure all the 
 cream. A saving of labor is effected by' this 
 process, as the milk, when cooled to the required 
 temperature, (60,) maybe set in deeper vessels, 
 thus diminishing greatly the number of vessels 
 required, and, consequently, the labor of clean- 
 sing them. The milk may be cooled by setting 
 some large pails into a trough or box partly filled 
 with very cold water, and pouring the milk into 
 these pails as fast as it is drawn from 'the cows, 
 allowing it to stand until of the required tem- 
 perature, and, if necessary, renewing the water. 
 The pails used in milking should be made of tin 
 —never of wood. It is very difficult — almost 
 impossible — to cleanse wooden pails so perfectly 
 that they will not impart some degree of acidity 
 to the milk, though it may be an insensible de- 
 gree. T/ie Dairy Room. — Much of the success 
 of butter-making depends upon the fitness of the 
 place or room where the dairy is kept, and upon 
 Its condition as to cleanliness and freedom from 
 
 taints and odors of every descri'ption. If a cel- 
 lar is used, it should be a dry one, and perfectly 
 clean to the remotest corners, having no hidden 
 remnants of decayed vegetables or fruit, or any- 
 thing which could possibly offend the most deli- 
 cate olfactories. If a room in the dwelling- 
 house is used, or a milk-house, built separately, 
 which is, perhaps, better, it should not be situ- 
 ated near a hog-pen, stable, or anything of the 
 kind, nor should anything likely to impart its 
 odor to the milk — as smoked ham, codfish, po- 
 tatoes, onions, etc. — be allowed a place in the 
 room. Nothing will receive a taint more easily 
 than milk or cream ; and all bad odors absorbed 
 by the milk are certain to be concentrated in the 
 butter, they not having the accommodating dis- 
 position to run off with the buttermilk. Ter/i- 
 perature. — The milk, whether in a cellar or in a 
 room above ground, should be kept cool in the 
 summer, never being allowed to reach a temper- 
 ature above 60', though it may fall below that 
 without detriment. Milk should be set upon 
 racks, rather than shelves, so that the air may 
 circulate freely under it, as well as over and 
 around it. Racks are made in various ways ; 
 the most convenient we know of is constructed 
 as follows : Take a 6x6 pine post, of a length 
 •suited to the height of the room, place it upright 
 upon a pivot so that it will revolve, and nail slats 
 of half-inch stuff to each side of the post, at such 
 intervals as will give room for the pans or other 
 vessels used. Two such slats nailed to opposite 
 sides of the post, will support two pans of milk, 
 one on each side of the post. The rotary ar- 
 rangement allows one to stand in the same place 
 to skim a whole rack full of milk. If pans are 
 used, the seamless ones are best — but deeper 
 vessels, either of tin or earthenware, are perhaps 
 preferable, provided the milk is cooled before 
 being set. Washing the Utensils. — The great- 
 est care is requisite in cleaning these vessels, of 
 whatever material and form, as also of all the 
 other utensils employed in butter-making. This 
 is a matter of much greater importance than 
 many suppose, as the smallest neglect in regard 
 to it is sure to tell upon the cream and butter. 
 The pans and pails should be washed thorough- 
 ly, in two waters, each time being made as clean 
 as possible with the water used ; they should 
 then be scalded thoroughly with boiling water. 
 The churn, butter-bowl and ladle, or butter- 
 worker, if one is used, should be washed and 
 scalded with equal care, and all should be care- 
 fully wiped and dried, unless some arrangement 
 is made for drying in the sun, which will do very 
 well for tin and earthenware, and save the labor 
 of wiping. In summer it will be necessary to 
 see that all utensUs are cooled perfectly before 
 using them. Skimming. — The milk should be 
 skimmed as soon as all the cream has risen, and 
 before the milk has thickened. At the time the 
 cream should be removed it will have a bright, 
 healthy appearance, a rich, uniform, yellow col- 
 or, 'and such an adherency of particles as will en- 
 able one, sometimes, to remove the entire cream 
 at one dip of the skimmer. If allowed to stand 
 too long without skimming, both the quantity and 
 quality of the cream will be seriously affected. 
 The surface will become discolored, knobby, 
 and blotched, while underneath the cream is rap- 
 idly yielding to the corrosive tendency of the 
 acid m the milk. Yet, in order to make the 
 I largest quantity of butter, care must be taken 
 
FAUM, ORCHARD, GARDEN AND DAIRY. 
 
 123 
 
 not to remove the cream too soon. The milk 
 should all be skimmed at the same age, provided 
 it has had the same conditions as regards tem- 
 perature, etc. ; it follows, then, that some milk 
 should be skimmed every night and morning. 
 
 BUTTER, Winter Treatment in Making.— 
 — It will be found that in winter milk and cream 
 require somewhat different management. The 
 effort must now be to keep the milk warm rather 
 than to keep it cool ; and a failure in this respect 
 will very materially affect the quality of the but- 
 ter. If the milk is very much too cold, it will 
 have to stand so long for the cream to rise that 
 it will become bitter, often long before it turns 
 sour, and the quality of bitterness will be still 
 more apparent in the butter. To prevent this 
 the milk should be kept at a temperature of 60° 
 if possible ; if not, the milk may be scalded as 
 soon as strained, and the cream will then have a 
 fair start- before the milk has parted with this 
 extra heat, unless the place where it is kept is 
 very cold. If scalding is not found sufhcient, 
 two or three spoonfuls of sour milk (which has 
 soured quickly and is not bitter) may be added 
 to each pan of milk when it is set away. This 
 will help to sour the milk and cause the cream 
 to rise quicker, thus making it less liable to be- 
 come bitter. It may also help to prevent bitter- 
 ness to salt the cows often, and see that they do 
 not eat decayed vegetables, or any substances 
 which may impart a bad taste to the milk. The 
 cream should be kept at about the same temper- 
 ature, (60'*,) and should be well stirred as often 
 as new is added. It should not be kept too long 
 before churning, never more than a week — four 
 or five days is better. 
 
 BUTTER, Churning Creatn for. — The cream 
 should be churned at a temperature of 62" or 
 63°. A great deal of experience may enable one 
 to guess at this temperature with tolerable clev- 
 erness, but it is better to use a thermometer and 
 be sure. This temperature will be increased du- 
 ring the process of churning to 68", or there- 
 abouts, when the butter will come. If it should 
 be hard and granular, refusing to come together 
 well, throw in a little warm water, churning all 
 the while, and the butter will soon be gathered 
 and ready to take up. 
 
 Sweet cream should never be mixed with sour 
 cream just before churning, as sweet cream is 
 much longer coming, and hence likely to lose 
 itself in the buttermilk. To salt the cows once 
 a week is generally believed .to facilitate the pro- 
 cess of churning. In case they have not been 
 thus salted, some put a little salt into the cream 
 before churning ; but we think that in most in- 
 stances where butter is very long coming, it is 
 owing to the temperature of the cream. It may 
 be so cold as to require churning all day to bring 
 the butter ; a tax upon one's patience and one's 
 strength, if performed by hand, equal to the cost 
 of a dozen thermometers. Rapid churning must 
 be avoided, for it not only affects the quality, 
 but lessens the quantity. Churning should oc- 
 cupy from one-half to three-quarters of an hour 
 in its operation. 
 
 BUTTER, COLORING.— X% a rule, it is 
 absolutely essential in the winter to color butter, 
 in order to make it marketable, or at all attract- 
 ive as an article of table use at home. There 
 may be a possible exception to this rule, in cases 
 where cows are fed largely upon yellow corn, 
 meal, pumpkins, carrots, etc., but this does not 
 
 lessen the importance of the rule. Of the vari- 
 ous substances used in coloring butter, we think 
 that carrots (of the deep yellow variety) give the 
 most natural color and the most agreeable flavor. 
 Annotto, however, is principally used, and with 
 most satisfactory results. Some of the most cel- 
 ebrated butter-makers in the country color their 
 butter with pure annotto, giving it a rich, deep 
 orange color. If carrots are used, take two large 
 sized ones, clean them thoroughly, and then with 
 a knife scrape off the yellow exterior, leaving the 
 white pith ; soak the yellow part in boiling milk 
 for ten or fifteen minutes. Strain boiling hot 
 into the cream ; this gives the cream the desired 
 temperature, colors it nicely, and adds to the 
 iSweetness of the butter. 
 
 BUTTER, Improved Coloring for.— hn im- 
 proved coloring matter for butter — carotine — has 
 been successfully employed by Dr. Quesneville 
 as a substitute for annotto, to which it is in ev- 
 ery respect superior, although symewhat more 
 expensive. This carotine is the representative 
 in carrot of alizarine in madder, and is obtained 
 by slicing, drying, and grinding the roots to a 
 powder, exhausting the powder with sulphide of 
 carbon, and, having removed the solvent, rapidly 
 crystallizing out the carotine from the extract. 
 
 BUTTER, Salting and IVbriing.— While 
 salt is not to be undervalued as a preserving 
 agent, it must be remembered that too much of 
 it destroys or overpowers the fine flavor and del- 
 icate aroma of the best butter. Be careful to 
 preserve all the sweetness of the fresh butter, 
 salting just enough to remove its insipidity. It 
 is important to use the best salt. Pure salt is 
 perfectly white and destitute of odor. It will 
 dissolve in cold water without leaving any sedi- 
 ment, or throwing any scum to the surface, and 
 the brine will be as pure as clean water, and en- 
 tirely free from any bitter taste. The butter- 
 milk should be nearly all worked out and the 
 butter well washed before salting. Washing 
 may abstract somewhat from the flavor of the 
 butter, but it is, nevertheless, a necessity, if the 
 butter is expected to keep long, as it completely 
 removes the cream and casein of the buttermilk, 
 a part of which might otherwise remain in the 
 butter. 
 
 Butter should stand but a short time after it is 
 salted, before it is worked enough to remove all 
 the water, when it may be resalted if necessary ; 
 there should be sufficient salt left in the butter 
 at this time to make a strong brine of the little 
 water that remains. It m.iy then stand until the 
 next day, when it should be worked and packed. 
 On no account should butter be allowed to stand 
 long before working, as it is apt to become very 
 streaked, often so much so as to necessitate its 
 being worked over in order to restore a uniform 
 color. Besides, if neglected too long at this pe- 
 riod, a tendency to rancidity will be rapidly de- 
 veloped. 
 
 We realize the difBculty of giving explicit di- 
 rections for the second and last working of the 
 butter — its final preparation for packing. If not 
 worked enough, every one knows that the but- 
 ter will soon spoil; if worked too much, it is 
 spoiled already; though the danger of its being 
 overworked is less. A great deal of judgment 
 and discretion, and somewhat of experience, are 
 requisite in order to determine when it has 
 been worked just enough; the virtue of stop- 
 i ping, in this, as in many other cases, being sec- 
 
124 
 
 DICTIONARY OF EVERY~DAY WANTS. 
 
 ord only to that of doing. There are some sug- 
 gestions, however, which may prove valuable, 
 particularly to those having little experience. I. 
 The butter should not be too warm when it is 
 worked, nor should it be so cold as to make its 
 working difficult. Immerse the ladle for a few 
 minutes in boiling water, and cool perfectly in 
 cold water ; then, if the butter in the bowl is 
 warm enough to admit of putting the ladle en- 
 tirely through the whole mass without difficulty, 
 and dividing it up without crumbling, and still 
 hard enough to cut clean and smooth, not the 
 slightest particle adhering to the ladle, then it is 
 in the right condition to work. 2. It should be 
 worked with careful and gentle, yet telling pres- 
 sure, and not by a series of indiscriminate stir- 
 rings and mashings and grindings against the 
 sides of the bowl. The butter is composed of 
 minute globules, which are crushed by this care- 
 less handling, thus rendering the butter greasy 
 and sticky, whereas it should retain its clean, 
 solid individuality, up to the time of packing, 
 always working clear from the bowl, and never 
 sticking, in the least, to the ladle. 3. The but- 
 ter should not be worked until it is perfectly 
 dry. When ready to pack it should have a very 
 slight moisture about it, a sort of insensible re- 
 mains of the clear brine which has been working 
 oiT, and at the last enough, so that when a trier 
 is thrust into it, a drop or two of brine will ooze 
 cut around it, and the trier be slightly wet, as if 
 by a light dew. Overworking destroys all the 
 beautiful consistency of the butter, and makes it 
 dry and sticky ; greasy in summer and tallowy 
 in winter ; gives it a dull appearance, and a ten- 
 dency to become rancid. 
 
 BUTTER, Packing and Marl-cting:— Butter 
 should be packed solid, leaving no interstices for 
 air, and should completely fill the firkin, tub, or 
 
 ?ail, as the case may be, leaving a flat surface, 
 t is common to put a cloth over the top, and a 
 layer of salt on the cloth. Some think it better 
 to wet the salt, making a brine. The cover 
 should then fit tightly, leaving no room for air 
 between it and the butter. Some butter, also, 
 goes into market in the form of rolls, some pine- 
 apple, and other fancy forms for the table, etc. 
 Every person should be guided by circumstances 
 in his choice of styles for putting up butter, al- 
 ways being careful to give it a neat and attract- 
 ive appearance. If living at a distance from 
 market, and the dealers at his market-place buy 
 for New York, he should pack in firkins or in 
 tubs, so that the butter can be safely kept the 
 entire season through, and the M'hole lot dis- 
 posed of at once in the fall. If at a convenient 
 distance from New York, fresh tubs or pails 
 may be sent in at intervals, all through the sea- 
 son, or the whole kept through as he chooses. 
 Or if in the vicinity of any city, good chances 
 offer in the way of supplying hotels, restaurants, 
 etc., the butter should be put up in a style to 
 suit the customers. Some, who are hundreds 
 of miles away, make shipments of butter to 
 New York on their own account, instead of sell- 
 ing to buyers at home, in which case, if their 
 butter is really superior, they will not be long in 
 making a reputation, and will soon be able to 
 secure a high price. Some few have a stamp of 
 their own, and labor assiduously to establish a 
 value for it as a trade-mark. It is said that the 
 best butter-maker in the vicinity of Philadelphia 
 (who never sells for less than a dollar a pound), 
 
 uses a stamp inherited from his father, and that 
 "not a pound of inferior butter ever went to 
 market with that stamp upon it." If you would 
 attain to a goodly fame, then, as a butter-maker, 
 and reap a rich reward for your pains, attend 
 carefully to the minutest details in making, and 
 never sell any but good butter, put up in neat 
 packages; never ailow your "trade-mark" to 
 lose its value. 
 
 BUTTER {Rancid) To Restore.— KznciA 
 butter may be restored by melting it in a water- 
 bath with some fresh burnt and coarsely pow- 
 dered animal charcoal, (which has been thor- 
 oughly freed from dust by sifting,) and strain it 
 through clean flannel. A better and less trouble- 
 some method is to well wash the butter, first 
 with good new rnilk, and next with cold spring 
 water. Butyric acid, on the presence of which 
 rancidity depends, is freely soluble in fresh 
 milk. 
 
 BUTTER, To Preserve Fresh.— M.t\t it in a 
 well glazed earthen pan, set in a water-bath at a 
 heat not exceeding 180" Fahr., and keep it heat- 
 ed, skimming it from time to time, until it be- 
 comes quite transparent ; then pour off the clean 
 portion into another vessel, and cool itas quickly 
 as possible, by placing the vessel in very cold 
 water or ice. This is the method employed by 
 the Tartars who supply the Constantinople mar- 
 ket. In this state it may be preserved perfectly 
 fresh for six or nine months, if kept in a close 
 vessel and a cool place. 
 
 CABBAGE, CAULIFLOWER and LET- 
 TUCE. — Sow the seeds for early cauliflower, 
 cabbage, or lettuce, about February i, in well- 
 prepared soil — say one-third each of leaf-mold, 
 sand and loam ; spread three or four inches 
 deep on the benches of the greenhouse, or in 
 boxes of about that depth. Keep a tempera- 
 ture of from 55" to 60", and in three weeks they 
 will be ready to replant — this time in boxes — at 
 about 2.% inches apart each way for the cab- 
 bages, and \% inches for the lettuce. By the 
 middle of March they will, if the temperature 
 has averaged 55", be strong plants, superior in 
 every respect to those wintered over in cold- 
 frames. By this date (the middle of March) the 
 weather is such that they may be set out in cold- 
 frames, and covered at night either with wooden 
 shutters or sashes for five or six days, when they 
 will be sufficiently hardened off to be pbnted in 
 the open field. The conversion of sash that has 
 been used on cold-frames into greenhouses is a 
 very simple matter ; two sashes of 6 feet in 
 length, give, when placed at the proper angle, a 
 width to the greenhouse of 11 feet; 2 feet of 
 this space is used as a walk ; the remainder, 9 
 feet, for bench room, on which to grow plants. 
 The outer walls may be formed of wood. 
 
 CABBAGES, The Cut Worm on.—lo pre- 
 vent the ravages of the cut worm take pieces of 
 newspaper six inches square, tear a slit in one 
 side to the centre and insert the plnnt. Bring 
 the slit edges together, and place a little earth or 
 a pebble on the corners, and the work is done. 
 A platform of paper is formed around the plant, 
 through which the worm cannot penetrate. 
 
 CABBAGE PLANTS, SALTING.— T\\& 
 use of salt is said to make the cabbage mora 
 crisp, of better flavor, and to keep better when 
 salt is used, than without. After setting out the 
 plants, and when they are damp, either after a 
 rain or when the dew is on, take a small dish of 
 
FARM, ORCHARD, GARDEN" AND DAIRY. 
 
 125 
 
 fine salt and walk among the rows, sprinkling a 
 little pinch of salt on the centre leaves of each 
 plant : when the leaves begin to grow you re- 
 peat the salting, and when the centre leaves be- 
 gin to form the head, apply salt again, scatter- 
 ing it over the leaves ; after this look them over 
 occasionally, and if you find any plants that do 
 not head well or appear diseased, sprinkle the 
 salt over freely ; this will save all such plants. 
 A quart of salt is sufficient for 500 plants in a 
 season, although more can be used with safety. 
 
 CARROTS, To Cultivate.— Sdtct a good, 
 rich clover sod, deep loamy soil, or even grav- 
 elly, well drained; spread on evenly fifteen to 
 twenty ox-cart loads of good manure to the acre. 
 In the spring, after the ground is well settled and 
 dry, with settled warm weather, plow the ground 
 thoroughly, eight inches deep, or more, depend- 
 ing upon its previous management. In plowing 
 it ought not to be plowed more than an inch 
 deeper than before, unless the deeper soil has 
 been ameliorated and is richer than the upper 
 soil. A soil having a close, stiff subsoil, unless 
 thoroughly subsoiled, will grow poor crops of 
 roots generally. After plowing, harrow so as 
 to make the soil perfectly fine, and even this is 
 essential to the ready drilling and germinating of 
 the seed ; now drill in the seed, putting the 
 drills two feet apart. The seed should be fresh 
 and of the previous year's growth. It is best 
 to commence the culture as soon as the rows can 
 be distinguished. Have a cultivator of light 
 frame, with eight teeth, similar to the coulter of 
 a plow, only narrower, and about ten inches 
 long, and a shovel for the front. With this and 
 a horse go through, cutting the soil deep close 
 to the rows without covering the plants ; this 
 will save the greatest part of the work usually 
 done with the hoe, and do it much better. 
 When the carrots are well growing and about 
 the size of the small end of a clay pipe stem, 
 take a narrow hoe and cut them into hills, thin- 
 ning them to four or five inches apart. The af- 
 ter culture is performed with the cultivator, go- 
 ing through once in about tv/o weeks. If any 
 weeds come in the rows, pull them out by hand 
 — but it is not probable that weeds will trouble 
 if the soil be selected as above, and well pre- 
 pared before planting, and the culture as di- 
 rected. To harvest, it is best to take a sharp 
 hoe with a short handle and clip off the to ps 
 close to the crown, gather them, and then plow 
 around a plat a deep furrow, as close to the 
 roots as you can go ; now take them by hand 
 and draw them out, and throw four or more of 
 the rows into one. Carrots should be taken out 
 when the ground is dry, and lie a few hours to 
 dry, and then be hauled to the root cellar to be 
 stored, and if in tight bins and covered with 
 sand they will keep better. They should be 
 left in the ground to ripen as long as safe with- 
 out freezing, as they improve till freezing weath- 
 er, and keep fresher than if gathered before fully 
 matured ; be careful not to let them remain too 
 long to get frosted, for a light freeze injures the 
 carrot more than other roots. 
 
 CA TS CA TCHING CHICKENS, To Cure. 
 When a cat is seen to catch chickens, tie one of 
 them around her neck, and make her wear it for 
 two or three days. Fasten it securely, for she 
 will make incredible efforts to get rid of it. Be 
 firm for that time, and the cat is permanently 
 cured; she will never again touch a bird. 
 
 CELERY, To Cultivate. — Celery seed usu- 
 ally germinates slowly, and the plants are ex- 
 ceedingly small and tender when they first ap- 
 pear ; consequently a carefully prepared seed 
 bed is positively necessary. If there are no hot- 
 beds that can be used for this purpose, select a 
 warm spot on the south side of^a fence or build- 
 ing, and as soon as the frost is out of the ground 
 dig up a bed, say three feet wide and ten feet 
 long, cover it with fine manure, two to four 
 inches deep, and dig it in and mix it with the 
 soil. Rake the bed level, and sow the seeds 
 evenly over one-half the surface, leaving the re- 
 mainder vacant, and for use when the plants are 
 large enough for their first removal. Pat down 
 the surface with the back of a hoe or spade, and 
 this will usually cover the seed sufficiently deep ; 
 if not, sift on a very little fine soil. Give the 
 bed a good soaking of tepid water, applied, if 
 possible, through a watering pot with a fine 
 rose. It will not do to dash on water with a 
 pail or some similar vessel. 
 
 The seed bed must be frequently watered un- 
 til the plants appear, and thereafter sufficiently 
 to keep them growing. If the plants come up 
 too thickly, thin them out ; but as soon as large 
 enough to handle, take up and transplant into 
 rows, beginning on the vacant end of the bed, 
 placing them four inches apart each way; and a 
 bed of the size named will hold about three hun- 
 dred. The plants may remain in this position 
 until wanted for final planting in the garden, 
 which is usually done from the first to the mid- 
 dle of July. Plants that have been transplanted 
 in the seed bed can be safely removed at almost 
 any time, whether the weather is moist or dry. 
 In the Final Planting, it is best to adhere to 
 the old practice of trench planting for ordinary 
 garden culture. A trench is dug of the required 
 length, or several of them, four feet apart, and 
 one spade deep, which, as a general thing, will 
 not be more than six or eight inches, and about 
 a foot wide. This trench is then half filled with 
 fine stable manure, and this is mixed into the 
 soil in the bottom of the trench. The trench, 
 when thus prepared, will be about four inches 
 deep, exclusive of the soil, which has been cast 
 out upon either bank. The plants are then set 
 in the centre of the trench six inches apart, and, 
 after planting, carefully watered. The reason 
 why a shallow trench is most desirable is because 
 of the convenience of watering, as when applied 
 it is sure to reach the roots, and not spread over 
 the surface, as when level culture is adopted. 
 From this time forward, until the blanching is 
 commenced, all that is required is to keep the 
 plants growing by careful culture, such as fre- 
 quently stirring the soil and giving water when 
 required. 
 
 CELLARS, To Keep fro7n Freezing.— T\r,z 
 following experiment was tried by a gentleman 
 with the cellar of an out-house, in which on sev- 
 eral occasions vegetables have frozen, though 
 the cellar was fortified against frost by a process 
 known to farmers as "banking-" The walls 
 and the ceiling were pasted over Avith four or 
 five thicknesses of newspapers, a curtain made 
 of the same material being also pasted over the 
 ow window at the top of the cellar. The papers 
 were pasted to the bare joist over head, leaving 
 an air space between them and the floor. The 
 result was that no frost entered the cellar, though 
 the cellar was left unbanked. We do not coun- 
 
t26 
 
 DICTIONAR Y OF E VER Y-DA Y WANTS. 
 
 sel the special use of old newspapers for this 
 purpose. It is just as well, or better, to use 
 coarse brown paper. Whatever paper is em- 
 ployed, it will be necessary to sweep down the 
 walls thoroughly, and to use a very strong size 
 to hold the paper to the stones. It is not nec- 
 essary to press the paper down into all the de- 
 pressions of the wall ; every air space beneath 
 it is an additional defence against the cold. 
 
 CELLAR, VEGETABLE.—^ cSxQz.^\^z^. 
 table cellar can be made in the following man- 
 ner: Sink a barrel two-thirds of its depth into 
 the ground, (a box or cask will answer a better 
 purpose;) heap the earth around the part pro- 
 jecting out of tlie ground, with a slope on all 
 sides ; place the vegetables that you desire to 
 keep in the vessel ; cover the top with a water- 
 tight cover, and when winter sets in you may 
 throw an armful of straw, hay, or something of 
 that sort, on the barrel. If the bottom is out of 
 the cask or barrel it will be better. Cabbages, 
 celery, and other vegetables, will keep in this as 
 fresh as when taken from the ground. The cel- 
 ery should stand nearly perpendicular, celery and 
 earth alternating. Freedom from frost, ease of 
 access, and especially freshness and freedom 
 from rot, are the advantages claimed. 
 
 CIiEESE, To Make. — The following de- 
 scription of how cheese is made is by a noted 
 dairyman, who has taken many first premiums 
 at State Fairs : In the first place, we keep every 
 vessel and everything connected with cheese- 
 making scrupulously clean. We are careful to 
 have our milking done in a cleanly way. If nec- 
 essary we wash the cow's bag with water and 
 wipe dry before milking, never allowing the 
 milker to wet or moisten the cow's teats with 
 milk. We strain the evening's milk through 
 two thicknesses of cloth into the cheese-vat, hav- 
 ing previously filled the space between the two 
 vats with cold water, and if the weather is ex- 
 tremely warm, we change the water during the 
 night, generally before retiring to bed. 
 
 The milk is stirred gently until reduced to 65 
 or 70", when it is left until morning, when the 
 cream is skimmed off and mixed with warm 
 morning's milk and stirred until melted, and it 
 is then passed through the strainer into the vat 
 to be mixed with the evening's milk. A fire is 
 made in the stove connected with the vat, so by 
 the time the milking is completed the heat of the 
 milk in the vat will mark 82 to 84" — the milk 
 having been gently stirred most of the time since 
 the fire was started, so as to have evening's and 
 morning's milk and cream thoroughly mixed. 
 We add the rennet at 82" in hot, and 84*^ in cold 
 weather, shutting off the heat at this point. The 
 quantity ol rennet depends on its strength ; we 
 wish to use only enough to bring the curd in 
 from 30 to 45 minutes. We do not color our 
 curd, as we think that it injures the flavor, and 
 is a practice that should be abolished — annatto, 
 with which the curd is colored, being so often 
 adulterated with red lead. 
 
 When the curd breaks with a good, clean 
 fracture, we cut it both ways with the curd knife, 
 which will leave the curd standing in half inch 
 columns. The heat is now applied or started, 
 and when the columns of curd will break clean 
 over the finger, leaving no soft, milky curd, we 
 stir or lift it up by passing both hands under it, 
 very gently raising it from the bottom to the 
 top, and so break and mix it up. Then we let 
 
 it rest a few minutes, stirring it occasionally 
 with the curd board until the curd hardens a lit- 
 tle, and the heat has risen to 90", when we cut 
 it very gently at first, not so much so as the curd 
 hardens ; as the heat rises we cut it until it is 
 about as fine as the size of wheat or barley. 
 
 Of course we do not do this in a hurry, and 
 we occasionally let the curd rest ; it should be 
 done with great care so as not to work out the 
 cream ; this cutting process will take from two 
 to three hours. When the heat has risen to 
 100" we shut it off, stirring the curd frequently, 
 so that it will not settle on the bottom of the 
 vat. 
 
 We cook the curd until it loses its milky and 
 glossy appearance, feels a little firm in the hand, 
 and the particles are looking a little contracted 
 or shrunken, readily dropping apart after press- 
 ing a handful of it together, and the whey, if all 
 has been done right,, will have a green shade. 
 We now put the curd strainer in the vat and run 
 off the whey ; then stir and cool the curd before 
 you apply the salt, breaking the lumps, if any, 
 making it fine and lively, using two and a halt 
 pounds of Ashton salt for one hundred pounds 
 of curd ; mix it thoroughly, and do not put it to 
 press until cool. 
 
 Press from two to three hours; then take out 
 the cheese, turn and bandage it, return it to the 
 press, and let it remain until the next curd needs 
 its place, having been in the press about twenty- 
 four hours. The cheese, after being taken from 
 the press, is weighed and put on the rack to 
 cure ; the next day it is greased with the oil or 
 butter made from whey colored with annatto, 
 and kept at about 70" ; turned and rubbed with 
 oil daily for three months, when they are ready 
 for market. 
 
 CHEESE, FRENCH. — ^The cheese manu- 
 factured in the old province of Bresse, now the 
 department of the Ain, is made by boiling the 
 milk, adding a little saffron, taking it off the fire, 
 and putting it in the rennet immediately. The 
 curd is then dried in a cloth, pressed for a few 
 hours, put into a cellar, and salted five or six 
 days after, this latter operation being continued 
 for a month. 
 
 Auvergne or Cantal cheese is made without 
 boiling the milk, but curdling it while fresh from 
 the cow; the whey being then separated, a man, 
 with his legs bare up to the thighs, gets upon 
 the table on which the curds have been put in a 
 tub pierced with holes, and kneads the paste 
 thoroughly with his arms and legs, an operation 
 which takes about an hour and almlf. The uni- 
 form mass thus obtained is left to ferment for 48 
 hours, and is then salted, put into molds, and 
 pressed for 24 hours ; after which the cheeses 
 are put into a cellar, frequently looked alter, and 
 rubbed with a cloth dipped in freth water. 
 
 The celebrated Roquefort cheese, made in the 
 village of that name in the Aveyron, is obtained 
 with a mixture of sheep's and goat's milk ; but 
 even in the milking there is a secret — for when 
 the udder appears to yield ro more, the maid 
 strikes it repeatedly with the back of her hand, 
 whereby a little more milk is obtained, much 
 richer in butter. This operation, which is ap- 
 parently harmless, causes the udders to increase 
 in size in course of time. The next reason as- 
 signed for the peculiar flavor of the Roquefort 
 cheese is, that when made into cakes it is kept 
 in caverns hollowed out in a calcareous kind of 
 
FARAf, ORCHARD, GARDEN AND DAIRY. 
 
 127 
 
 rock which skirts the village ; the temperature 
 of these recesses is kept low by various contri- 
 vances, and seldom rises above 4" Cent. (41*' 
 Fahr. ) The cheese is made with the milk of the 
 morning and of the evening before. 
 
 CHEESE, DUTCH— Th\s is the curd of 
 sour milk drained from the whey, pressed into 
 balls or molded in small fancy shapes, and eaten 
 when fresh, or soon after it is made. 
 
 The milk is allowed to sour and become lop- 
 pered or thick, when it is gently heated, which 
 facilitates the separation of the whey. The 
 curds are then gathered up, salted, or otherwise, 
 to suit the taste, and pressed in small molds, or 
 formed with the hand into suitable shape, when 
 it is ready for the table, and may be used imme- 
 diately. In cool weather, when milk does not 
 readily thicken, the sour milk may be put in a 
 suitable vessel set in hot water over the range. 
 The milk is then stirred for a few minutes, when 
 the whey will begin to separate, and it is then 
 removed, and another batch may be treated in 
 the same manner. 
 
 Sometimes this kind of cheese is potted and 
 left to decompose, and when it has acquired a 
 strong, villainous smell, it is regarded as most 
 delicious by those who have acquired a taste for 
 eating it in this state. In some markets cottage 
 or Dutch cheese finds a ready sale, and quite a 
 profit is made by certain butter-makers, in turn- 
 ing their sour milk into this product. 
 
 CHEESE, NE UFCHA TEL. — Neufchatel 
 cheese, in its manufacture, differs from the 
 above (Dutch cheese) only in being not allowed 
 to ripen so long, two or three weeks being con- 
 sidered enough. Variations of this cheese are 
 made by adding some chopped herb — the favor- 
 ite is sage — and not allowing the cheese to ripen 
 over three or four days. 
 
 CHERRIES. — The cherry, as a rule, luxu- 
 riates in a warm, sandy soil, in an elevated situ- 
 ation ; but some of the best varieties will thrive 
 in all soils and aspects. In order to obtain this 
 fruit early, some of the varieties are planted up 
 against walls, but all the sorts do well as dwarfs 
 - or espaliers in general situations, and most of 
 them as standards. Full standards should be 
 planted from twenty to thirty feet, and the small 
 standards from fifteen to eighteen feet apart. 
 The proper season for planting is from the end 
 of October till February or March. Varieties 
 of the cherry are perpetuated by grafting or by 
 budding on stocks of the black or red wild cher- 
 ries, and new sorts are procured from cherry 
 stones, which are preserved in sand from the 
 autumn till spfing, and then sown. The plants 
 come up the same season, but should not be re- 
 moved till the second autumn after sowing, when 
 they may be transplanted into rows three feet 
 apart, the plants being placed from a foot to fif- 
 teen inches apart in the row. Next summer 
 they will be fit to bud if intended for dwarfs ; 
 but if for standards, they should be allowed to 
 stand one or more seasons, generally till they are 
 four years old. They should be budded or be 
 grafted about six inches from the ground, the 
 usual way being to bud in summer, and to graft 
 those which do not succeed the following spring. 
 There are various methods of training the cher- 
 ry, when grown on walls or espaliers, which, of 
 course, must be left to the judgment of the 
 grower. Occasional pruning is all that is re- 
 quired, the object being to remove any irregu- 
 
 larity in cross placed or overcrowded branches, 
 and to take away all cankery and decayed wood. 
 CREAM, CLOTTED {as Made in Eng. 
 land.) — The dairy-house is of stone, in connec- 
 tion with the dwelliog — stone floor, and stone 
 benches for the milk to set, and all well venti- 
 lated and scrupulously neat and clean. Their 
 milk at this season of the year is strained in very 
 large, deep pans, and put in the dairy-house, 
 where it stands from eight to ten hours, when 
 the pans are taken out, and the milk scalded by 
 the pan in an iron skillet, filled with- water, and 
 placed upon the range. At the bottom of the * 
 skillet there is a grate, on which the pan of milk 
 rests, so as to keep it from the bottom, and from 
 burning. The milk is here slowly heated, until 
 the cream begins to show a distinctly marked 
 circle around the outer edges, when it must be 
 immediately removed. Some experience is nec- 
 essary in applying the heat, to have it just right, 
 otherwise the cream is spoiled. When properly 
 scalded, the milk is removed to the dairy, where 
 it stands from twelve to twenty-four hours, ac- 
 cording to the condition of the weather, when 
 the cream is removed, and is in a thick, com- 
 pact mass, very much unlike our ordinary cream. 
 It is considered a great delicacy, and is largely 
 used as a dressing, with sugar, upon pastry, 
 puddings, etc. 
 
 CLOVER, How Cured in Germany. — A far- 
 mer provides in winter a number of stakes from 
 three to four inches thick and seven to eight feet 
 long, about eighty or one hundred to an Ameri- 
 can acre. In each of the stakes six holes one 
 inch wide are bored in this way : Suppose that 
 the stake is firmly planted in the ground, the 
 first hole is bored two feet above ground from 
 north to south, the second three inches higher 
 from east to west, not quite half way from the 
 first hole to the top of the stake hole. No. 3 is 
 bored again north and south, three inches high- 
 er ; hole No. 4, east and west. A little below 
 the top come holes Nos. 5 and 6. Through 
 these holes sticks about five to six feet long are 
 put, so that, seemingly, twelve sticks of about 
 equal length protrude from the stake, crossing 
 each other at right angles. On these sticks the 
 clover is put, either right away after mowing, or 
 a little wilted, and there left to dry. This makes 
 a better, more nutritious hay than the best sun- 
 shine would, and rains do not much harm, par- 
 ticularly if care is taken to spread the clover well 
 on the two top sticks. The whole fixture is 
 called a " heintzen," and is mostly used on deep 
 clay soils, where the holes for the stakes can be 
 made easily by a peculiar kind of borer. For 
 stony grounds the pyramids are used. Three 
 stakes, six to seven feet long and two to three 
 inches thick, are bored near the top, and then 
 joined there by a wooden or iron bolt, on which 
 they can turn. This pyramid is then put up- 
 right on the ground. Small pegs are fixed in 
 each limb. From one peg to the other on the 
 next limb sticks are laid, and on the sticks come 
 the clover. The number of pyramids wanted 
 for an acre is one-half of the " heintzen," and, 
 as old rails will answer for the limbs, the pyra- 
 mids would probably suit the American farmer 
 best. 
 
 CORN. — In the cultivation of corn, the best 
 time to plow is just previous to planting. Do 
 not commence too soon — not until the ground 
 will turn up mellow ; every one should calculate 
 
128 
 
 DICTIONARY OF E VERY-DAY WANTS. 
 
 about the amount of time it will take to fit the 
 ground, and if too wet when you wish to com- 
 mence, perhaps the plowing can be safely de- 
 layed a few days. 
 
 Let all the grass grow that will previous to 
 the first of May ; all weed seeds in manure and 
 on the surface of the ground will by this time be 
 sprouted, and with the grass make almost an ex- 
 tra coat of manure. 
 
 In plowing, commence in the centre of the 
 field, back-furrowing the whole field, thus you 
 will have a field with not a particle of it trodden 
 solid in turning, as you turn each corner on un- 
 plowed land and with no dead furrow ; a little 
 practice will enable you to finish without carry- 
 ing a furrow. 
 
 As soon as plowed harrow well ; a good plan 
 is to harrow each morning that plowed the pre- 
 \-ious day. The proper time to plant — let the 
 location be what it may — can be determined by 
 observing the natural vegetation and the warmth 
 of the soil. Whenever the ground is warm 
 enough to cause a speedy germination and 
 growth, then is the time to plant. This can be 
 ascertained by plunging the lower end of a ther- 
 mometer into the ground. If the mercury goes 
 much below 60*, there is no use in putting corn 
 seed in. A generally safe rule is to plant when 
 the apple is in full bloom. 
 
 Much has been said in regard to hills vs. 
 drills. It has been found that the best results 
 Avill be found in planting in drills about three and 
 one-half feet apart, and putting hills about eight- 
 een inches apart, leaving only two stalks to each 
 hill. 
 
 The great difficulty with those who drill is that 
 they do not thin sufficiently. Drills should run 
 north and south. Three inches is about the cor- 
 rect depth for planting. As soon as the corn be- 
 gins to push through the ground start the drag, 
 going diagonally across the drills, paying no at- 
 tention to the corn ; for if planted at that depth 
 you will not destroy a hill ; go over the piece at 
 least once each week until the corn is of such a 
 height that the drag will break it off, when use a 
 wheel cultivator, or any of the various imple- 
 ments. The thinning should be done about the 
 last of June, and directly after harvest go over it 
 and cut out any remaining weeds, etc. 
 
 CORN COBS.— In shelling corn most farm- 
 ers thro\V the cobs into the manure pile. This 
 is poor economy, as they are slow to decay, and 
 are a source of perpetual trouble. Rather put 
 them into the wood-house, or some other dry 
 place, and use them as fuel ; they make a quick 
 and very hot fire, excellent for summer use, and 
 excellent kindlings. A few shavings and one or 
 two handsful of dry cobs will start a fire as quick 
 as any kindlings ever used, and the ashes make 
 the best of soap. 
 
 CORN, To Ptrjcnt Being Destroyed When 
 Newly Planted. — To prevent the corn being de- 
 stroyed or eaten by chickens, birds, or insects, 
 before it grows through the surface of the soil, 
 prepare the seed before planting by sprinkling a 
 sufficient portion of coal tar, procured at the gas 
 manufactory, through it, stirring so that a por- 
 tion will adhere to each grain ; then mix among 
 the corn some ground plaster-of- Paris, which 
 will prevent the tar from sticking to the fingers 
 of those who drop the corn, and vegetation will 
 be promoted thereby. The tar and plaster will 
 not injure the corn so as to prevent its growing, 
 
 by being kept some days after it is so mixed to- 
 gether. 
 
 CORN STACKS, To Prevent Ravages of 
 Mice in. — Sprinkle from four to six bushels of 
 dry white sand upon the root of the stack before 
 the thatch is put on. The sand is no detriment 
 to the corn, and stacks thus dressed have re- 
 mained without injury. So very efTective is the 
 remedy, that nests of dead young mice have been 
 found where the sand has been used, but not a 
 live mouse could be seen. 
 
 CORiV CRIBS, RA T-PROOF.—Tskc posts 
 10 or II feet long and 8 inches square ; mortise 
 2 feet from one end; for end-sills, 2-inch mor- 
 tise with tusk. Taper post from sill to the end, 
 by hewing off inside until the end is reduced to 
 4 inches diameter ; make smooth with the draw- 
 knife, and nail on tin smooth half way to the 
 end, below the sill. Let sills be 8 inches square, 
 also end tie them and the rafter plates strong 
 with moderate inter-ties. Brace well, and lath 
 up and down with ^ inch lath ; dove-tail or 
 counter-sink joints crosswise ; lay the floor, and 
 board up the ends with ungrooved boards ; let 
 each bend be 12 feet long, 6 feet wide at the sill, 
 and 7^ feet at plate ; and, if full to peak, it will 
 hold 250 bushels. If preferred, lay the floor 
 with lath or narrow boards, with room for ven- 
 tilation. Each post should stand on stone, and 
 be about 3 inches from the ground, and each 
 stone have a foundation 2 feet square and below 
 the frost. 
 
 CORN, BROOM.— Broom com should be 
 planted at the same time Indian corn is planted. 
 It requires a richer soil than Indian corn — at 
 least Indian corn will produce a better crop on a 
 less fertile soil than is required for broom corn, 
 in consequence of its growing faster, and feeling 
 the effects of fertilizers more perceptibly. Bot- 
 tom lands on the banks of rivers that are annu- 
 ally overflowed in early spring are particularly 
 adapted to the growth of broom corn. It is 
 sowed in drills, about three feet apart, and the 
 corn thinned out to stand from four to six inches 
 apart. Any good upland soil that consists of a 
 rich mould, easily tilled, will produce an excel- 
 lent crop of broom corn, with the aid of barn- 
 yard manure or other fertilizers. It requires 
 careful cultivation, by running the cultivator be- 
 tween the rows as soon as the corn is well up ; 
 and then the rows require hand-weeding, and 
 thinning out to the proper distances. Boys and 
 girls can do this work better than men can, and 
 at one-third the expense that it would cost to em 
 ploy men to do it. No weeds should be per- 
 mitted to grow, as the value of the crop depends 
 on the cleanness of cultivation. 
 
 The seed is valuable for fowls, and for every 
 kind of live stock when ground ; and some cul- 
 tivators think that the seed alone is worth the 
 cost of cultivation. 
 
 COTTON.— The most suitable soil for the 
 cotton plant is a rich loam. It cannot be too 
 rich, and it is a poor crop on poor land. Cot- 
 ton has been raised with success in Delaware, 
 and tven in Pennsylvania, but the finest long- 
 staple cannot be produced so far north. 
 
 The seed are planted in hills, the rows three 
 or three and a half feet asunder, and the plants 
 about two feet apart in the row. After spring- 
 ing it should be thinned to one plant in a hill. 
 The season for planting is as early as the ground 
 can be prepared. The soil should be well cul- 
 
FARAf, ORCHARD, GARDEN AND DAIRY. 
 
 129 
 
 tivated, and care should be taken to keep it free 
 from weeds. 
 
 In the fall, when the pods open, it must be 
 gathered every day and stowed away until there 
 is a sufficiency to run through the cotton gin, 
 which cleans it of seed. It is then packed in 
 bales, when it is ready for market. The yield 
 of cotton per acre is from 500 to 1,000 pounds, 
 according to soil, cultivation, season, etc. 
 
 CRANBERRIES.— 1\\& most favorable lo- 
 cation for the cultivation of cranberries is where 
 the soil is peat from one to several feet in depth, 
 and where the surroundings are such that during 
 the summer months the water can be thoroughly 
 drained off at least one foot below the surface, 
 and at the same time such that the water can be 
 let on in a few hours in a sufficient quantity at 
 any season of the year to cover the surface from 
 4 to 6 inches in depth ; and also in the vicinity 
 of a good sand-hill. 
 
 In preparing the soil, the surface should be 
 removed down to the peat; it should then be 
 covered at least with 3 inches of sand, or, when 
 this cannot readily be found, fine gravel will an- 
 swer a very good purpose. 
 
 In selecting plants, care should be taken to 
 use only such as are known to produce good 
 crops. It is found that while some varieties can 
 produce 4 bushels to a rod, others, on the same 
 soil and with the same care, will produce only i 
 bushel. The month of May is undoubtedly the 
 best time to transplant the vines. The water at 
 the time should be nearly even with the surface, 
 and kept so for a week or 10 days, and then be 
 gradually drawn off. The vines should be set 
 singly, about 6 inches each way. The first sea- 
 son great care should be taken to keep out all 
 grass and weeds — after that, if the location be a 
 good one, and the plants properly set, but little 
 labor will be required to keep down the grass : 
 if possible, they should, during the winter, be 
 kept covered with at least 2 feet of water, nor 
 should they be left entirely out of water until 
 all danger of frost in the spring is over ; for — 
 what is very singular — while the blossom buds 
 are able to withstand our coldest winters, a very 
 slight frost the last of May will kill them, and 
 entirely ruin the crop. This is a fact not so gen- 
 erally known as it should be. When the worms 
 make their appearance, the flowing of the land 
 for a few hours is sufficient to destroy them. If 
 during the month of September there should be 
 any days which promise to be followed by frost, 
 the water should be let on and the fruit thus pro- 
 tected, 
 
 CUCUMBERS.— In cultivation, the cucum- 
 ber ordinarily requires a deep and rich soil, an 
 abundance of moisture, and continued heat. Its 
 nature is to support itself by its tendrils in an 
 upright position upon pieces of brushwood^ in 
 which manner the cleanest and best fruits are to 
 be obtained. This, by the way, will be found 
 to be a good practice, too, where there is but 
 little room for a horizontal growth upon the 
 ground. 
 
 Cucumbers, also, like most varieties of mel- 
 ons, have been found to possess in the leaves 
 immense perspiratory power, so that they re- 
 quire a greater supply of fluid than those of 
 most otlier plants, which accounts for the singu- 
 lar fact that they seem to thrive best where the 
 roots find their way to an abundant supply of 
 Trater. Such a supply of moisture is requisite 
 
 under exposure to an intense sunshine, the heat 
 and bright light of which decompose and alter 
 the fluids of the plants, and elaborate from them 
 an abundance of sweet juices. This is peculi- 
 arly so with melons in hot climates; and expe- 
 rience has demonstrated that the moisture must 
 be applied to the roots, and not upon the sur- 
 face of the soil upon which they grow, so as not 
 to cool the surface, check the growth, and kill 
 the plants. 
 
 The plan recommended is as follows : Take a 
 tight barrel or cask, remove one head, and par- 
 tially fill the barrel or cask with large pebbles or 
 stones, say half full; upon these stones place a 
 mixture of compost with rich alluvial soil, or 
 fine fresh vegetable mold, until the barrel or the 
 cask is filled to within 3 or 4 inches of the top; 
 in which plant the seed, and cover to the requi- 
 site depth. This barrel or cask may be placed 
 in any convenient situation where sufficient room 
 or space can be obtained, and around which ar- 
 range lattice work or brush to sustain the out- 
 spreading plants in whatever manner may be 
 found most convenient for affording access at all 
 times to both the barrel and the plants. 
 
 Upon the outer side of the cask insert a pipe 
 of convenient size, through which water may be 
 introduced to the lower or under half of the cask 
 daily, or as often as occasion may require ; this 
 portion of the cask should be kept constantly 
 filled with water. Mid-way of the cask the 
 staves should be perforated with several half- 
 inch holes, for the free escape of any surplus 
 water, and at the same time to permit the ad- 
 mission of an equal distribution of air; this pur- 
 pose would be better accomplished if the holes 
 were bored upon a Une at equal distances apart 
 around the cask. 
 
 The effect of this arrangement, as will be seen 
 at once, is that through the capillary attraction 
 of the soil sufficient moisture is absorbed at all 
 times to nourish the plants, while the admission 
 of air can be controlled at pleasure by opening 
 or closing the apertures upon the sides of the 
 cask. 
 
 CURCULIO. — To annihilate curculio, make 
 a very strong solution of gas-tar and water, so 
 that after standing a couple of days it will be 
 dark-colored, and as pungent as creosote. On 
 the first appearance of the curculio, with a small 
 hand-forcing pump (which every gardener ought 
 to have) give the trees an effectual drenching, 
 and repeat it every three days for two weeks. 
 As a preventive measure, destroy all the fruit as 
 it falls, and this can best be done by allowing 
 your fowls free range of the orchard. 
 
 DAIRY, Charcoal in the. — The power of 
 milk to absorb the noxious gases and odors from 
 the atmosphere is known to every dairyman, and 
 this power extends also to all productions made 
 from milk, be they cream, butter or cheese. 
 Much of the bad flavor in butter and cheese is 
 not caused so much by anything derived from the 
 cow, or the food which she eats, as by the odors 
 imparted either to the milk after it is drawn, or 
 to the cheese after it is made, and before it is 
 put in the cloth and rendered impervious to at- 
 mospheric influences. Hence the necessity of 
 the greatest efforts being made, not only to keep 
 the dairy and every utensil used in a state of the 
 most perfect cleanliness, but also the attendants 
 should be in every way cleanly in person, and 
 the air kept pure aad uocoutaminated by any 
 
130 
 
 DICTIONARY OF EVERY-DAY WANTS. 
 
 odors whatever. To do this, charcoal, finely 
 powdered, is probably the best and cheapest ar- 
 ticle that can be used. It is capable, when it is 
 fresh, of absorbing ninety times its own volume 
 of ammonia or other gases, which can again be 
 driven out of the charcoal by the application of 
 heat. 
 
 DRAINING. — A cheap mode of draining is, 
 instead of digging the ditch altogether with a 
 spade, to use the plow, taking a land 15 or 20 
 feet wide, and leaving the dead furrow where the 
 drain is to be. By plowing several times the 
 dead furrow may be sunk nearly 2 feet, and from 
 the bottom of this a trench, the width and depth 
 of the space, may be thrown out, and a drain 
 made of 3 fence boards (4 inches wide will be 
 sufficient) in the shape of the letter V, may then 
 be put into this branch, and the plowing reversed 
 till the ground is made level. This method has 
 a double advantage — i. It is a cheaper method 
 than to dig the full depth by hand, and the wood 
 is cheaper than tile. 2. By turning up and thus 
 loosening the subsoil to that depth on each side 
 of the drain, the water would find its way into 
 the drain more readily than if only a narrow 
 ditch had. been dug from the surface down, leav- 
 ing the sides unmoved and almost impervious to 
 water. 
 
 DOCKS, To Eradicate.— Cvii them off close 
 to the ground when the tops are fully out, but 
 the seed not fully formed, and they are done for. 
 The stalk dies in the ground ; but you must cut 
 them so close to the ground that you leave no 
 leaves on the stalk, else they will not die. The 
 end of June is generally about the best time to 
 cut them ; but it depends on the season. In the 
 pasture-fields they are soon cut with a scythe. 
 In wheat and meadows they have to be cut with 
 a knife. 
 
 FARM LIFE, How to Make Attractive.— \. 
 By less hard work. Farmers often undertake 
 more than, they can do well, and consequently 
 work too early and too late. 
 
 2. By more system. Farmers should have a 
 time to begin and stop labor. They should put 
 more mind and machinery into their work ; they 
 should theorize as well as practice, and let both 
 go together. Farming is healthy, moral and re- 
 spectable; and, in the long run, may be made 
 profitable. The farmers should keep good stock, 
 and out of debt. 
 
 3. By taking care of health. Farmers have a 
 healthy variety of exercise, but too often neglect 
 cleanliness, eat irregularly and hurriedly, sleep 
 in ill-ventilated apartments, and expose them- 
 selves needlessly to cold. 
 
 4. By adorning the home. Books, papers, 
 pictures, music, and reading, should be brought 
 to bear upon the in-door family entertainments; 
 and neatness and comfort, order, shrubbery, 
 flowers and fruits should harmonize all without. 
 There would be fewer desertions of old home- 
 steads if pains were taken to make them agree- 
 able. Ease, order, health and beauty are com- 
 patible with farm, and were ordained to go with 
 it. 
 
 JARMING, Rules for Success in.—\. Never 
 purchase land on credit, unless it be in a new 
 country where it is certain to enhance in value 
 rapidly. 
 
 2. Keep no more live stock of any kind than 
 you can keep in good condition. 
 
 3. Never allow your stock to suffer from cold, 
 
 by housing them in open, rickety buildings, and 
 remember that warm, comfortable stables are a 
 saving of one quarter of the feed that otherwise 
 would be required. 
 
 4. If your farm is so large that you cannot 
 cultivate all of it to advantage, nor keep good 
 fences on it, sell a part, and put the money out 
 to interest. You may depend that by so doing 
 you will save a great deal of care and trouble, 
 and make money faster than by skimming over 
 a large surface to get poor crops, and those half 
 destroyed by unruly cattle breaking over your 
 dilapidated fences. 
 
 5. Look well to your orchard, and remember 
 that it costs no more to produce apples that sell 
 for fifty cents a bushel than it does those that sell 
 for twelve and a half cents. 
 
 6. Keep none but the best implements that 
 can be produced, and when y6u possess them 
 take care of thepi. It is shocking to a good 
 farmer to see his neighbors leaving their plows 
 and harrows in the field week after week, to 
 soak in the rains and crack in the sun. 
 
 7. Never suffer yourself to be unprovided 
 with suitable work for yourself and hands on a 
 rainy day. A commodious workshop is neces- 
 sary on such days, and a plenty of good tools. 
 In such cases a good farmer will never lack for 
 work. Much money may be thus saved that 
 otherwise would go to the wheelwright. 
 
 8. Never borrow tools, unless it be in some 
 unforeseen contingency. Every farmer should 
 own every kind of implement necessary on his 
 farm. 
 
 9. Never put off till to-morrow what may as 
 well be done to-day. Thousands of tons of hay 
 have been ruined by not heeding this rule. 
 
 10. Do all your work well. What is worth 
 doing at all, is worth doing well. 
 
 11. Don't try to make merchants, lawyers, 
 physicians or clergymen of your sons, because 
 the farmer's vocation is without honor. Gen. 
 Washington was not ashamed of being a farmer, 
 and you are no better than he was. 
 
 12. The soil must, like the hor.se or the ox, 
 be fed, in order to give forth abundantly, and it 
 must have rest. A judicious rotation of crops 
 is the grand secret of prosperous farming. 
 
 13. The manure heap is an important consid- 
 eration with the farmer. It should be increased 
 by all substances that are easily procured, of a 
 decaying nature. Remember that ammonia is 
 the essence — the life of all manures, and that 
 plaster absorbs it, and retains it in the heap, 
 while lime sets it free and causes it to escape. 
 Carting manure to the field, and leaving it in 
 heaps for months or weeks before it is spread 
 and plowed under, is but one step short of in- 
 sanity. It should be carted out no faster than it 
 can be spread and plowed under. 
 
 14. Never leave your hired hands to work 
 alone. Be present with them, even if you do 
 nothing but look on. A pair of eyes will some- 
 times do wonders with workmen. 
 
 15. The farmer who refuses to lay before his 
 children several good periodicals of the day, in- 
 cluding one agricultural paper, is allowing his 
 wealth and the usefulness of his family to run 
 away at the bung, while he is saving at the 
 spigot. 
 
 FARMERS, Sleep >;-.— Said one of the old- 
 est and most successful farmers in this State : 
 "I do not care to have my men get up before 
 
FARM, ORCHARD, GARDEN AND DAIRY. 
 
 I3» 
 
 five or half-past five in the morning, and if they 
 go to bed early and can sleep soundly, they will 
 do more work than if they got up at four or half- 
 past four." We do not believe in the eight-hour 
 law, but, nevertheless, are inclined to think that, 
 as a general rule, we work too many hours on 
 the farm. The best man we ever had to dig 
 ditches seldom worked, when digging by the 
 rod, more than nine hours a day. And it is so 
 in chopping wood by the cord — the men who ac- 
 complisn the most, work the fewest hours. 
 They bring all their brain and muscle into exer- 
 cise, and make every blow tell. A slow, plod- 
 ding Dutchman may turn the grindstone of a 
 fanning-mill better than an energetic Yankee, 
 but this kind of work is now mostly done by 
 horse-power, and the farmer needs, above all 
 else, a clear head, with all his faculties of mind 
 and muscle light and active, and under complete 
 control. Much, of course, depends on temper- 
 ament, but, as a rule, such men need sound 
 sleep and plenty of it. 
 
 FENCE-POSTS, Preservation of. — Any sort 
 of timber, when employed for fence-posts, will 
 be more than twice as durable if allowed to be- 
 come thoroughly seasoned before being set in 
 the ground. The durability of seasoned posts 
 may be promoted, so as to make them last for 
 an age, by the application of a heavy coat of 
 coal-tar to the portion buried in the earth, and a 
 few inches above the surface of the ground. 
 Some farmers set the ground-end in hot tar, and 
 let it boil fifteen minutes. When cool, cover 
 with coal-tar,' thickened with ground slate or 
 ground brick. The boiling stiffens the albumen 
 and causes the pores to absorb tar. The coat- 
 ing prevents the action of moisture. But such 
 a treatment of green posts would do very little 
 good, and perhaps mischief. Others contend 
 that the better way is to season the post well be- 
 fore setting it, and, when the post-hole is filled 
 to within lo inches of the surface of the ground, 
 to apply a heavy coat of tar and fill up with 
 earth. As fence-posts always decay first near 
 the surface of the ground, it is only necessary 
 to protect the post a few inches above the sur- 
 face, and about a foot below it. The timber be- 
 gins to decay, usually, on the surface of the 
 posts. Therefore, if the surface can be pro- 
 tected by some antiseptic material, posts will 
 last a lifetime. 
 
 FLY ON TURNIPS, To Desifoy.— Take i 
 bushel of newly slaked lime, and mix therewith 
 }4 a bushel of wood ashes ; mix and blend the 
 whole intimately together, and sift the powder 
 lightly along the top of the drills. 
 
 FRUIT TREES, Over-bearing.— The bend- 
 ing of branches of trees by an over crop of fruit 
 is most injurious ; for the pores of the woody 
 stalk are strained on one side of the bend and 
 compressed on the other ; hence the vessels 
 through which the requisite nourishment flows 
 being partially closed, the growth of the fruit is 
 retarded in proportion to the straining and com- 
 pression of the stalk. 
 
 FRUITS, To Gather. — In respect to the time 
 of gathering, the criterion of ripeness, adopted 
 by Forsyth, is their beginning to fall from the 
 tree. Observe attentively when the apples and 
 pears are ripe, and do not pick them always at 
 the same regular time of the year, as is the cus- 
 tom with many. A dry season will forward the 
 ripening of fruit, and a wet one retard it, so that 
 
 there will sometimes be a month's difference in 
 the proper time for gathering. If this is at- 
 tended to the fruit will keep well, be plump, 
 and not shrivelled, as is the case with all fruit 
 that is gathered before it is ripe. 
 
 The art of gathering is to give them a lift, so 
 as to press away the stalk, and if ripe they read- ♦ 
 ily part from the tree. Those that will not come 
 off easily should hang a little longer ; for when 
 they come off hard they will not be so fit to be 
 stored, and the violence done at the toot-stalk | 
 may injure the bud there formed for the next 
 year's fruit. 
 
 Let the pears be quite dry when pulled, and 
 in handling avoid pinching the fruit, or in any 
 way bruising it, as those which are hurt not only 
 decay themselves, but presently spread infection 
 to those near them ; when suspected to be dam- 
 aged, let them be carefully kept from the others, 
 and used first ; as gathered, lay them gently in 
 shallow baskets. 
 
 FRUITS, Time for Gathering.— This should 
 take place in the middle of a dry day. Plums 
 readily part from the twigs when ripe; they 
 should not be much handled, as the bloom is 
 apt to be rubbed off. Apricots may be accounted 
 ready when the side next the sun feels a little 
 soft upon gentle pressure with the finger ; they 
 adhere firmly to the tree, and would over-ripen 
 on it and become mealy. Peaches and necta- 
 rines, if moved upwards, and allowed to come 
 down with a slight jerk, will separate, if ready ; 
 and they may be received into a tin funnel lined 
 with velvet, so as to avoid touching with the 
 fingers or bruising. 
 
 A certain rule for judging of the ripeness of 
 figs is to notice when the small end of the fruit 
 becomes of the same color as the large one. 
 
 The most transparent grapes are the most ripe. 
 All the berries in a bunch never ripen equally ; 
 it is therefore proper to cut away the unripe or 
 decayed berries before presenting the bunches at 
 table. 
 
 Autumn and winter pears are gathered, when 
 dry, as they succesively ripen. 
 
 Immature fruit never keeps so well as that 
 which nearly approaches maturity. Winter ap- 
 ples should be left on the trees till there be dan- 
 ger of frost ; they are then gathered on a dry 
 day. 
 
 FRUIT, Sun-printing OK. — Monograms, in- 
 itial letters, or other designs, can be printed on 
 such fruit as apples, pears or peaches by the ac- 
 tion of the sun, with very pretty effect, of either 
 a light or dark color. To do this, draw the 
 monogram, letter or design on a piece of writing 
 paper, and paste it with mucilage or glue upon 
 the side of the fruit exposed to the sun. Just 
 before the fruit begins to color, and when the 
 fruit is ripe, and the paper is removed, the de- 
 sign will appear in a lighter or different color to 
 the rest of the fruit ; as, for instance, if the ex- 
 periment is tried on a yellow-fleshed peach with 
 a red cheek, the design will appear in gold, sur- 
 rounded with red. If the opposite effect is in- 
 tended, take a small oval or circular piece of pa- 
 per, and cut out or pierce the letter or design in 
 it, and paste on the fruit, which, when ripe, will 
 have the design in high color on a yellow or on i 
 a light green ground of the shape of the piece of h 
 paper, and this again will be surrounded by the 
 brighter color of the fruit. 
 
 FRUIT TREES, To Protect from Rabbits, 
 
132 
 
 DICTIONARY OF EVERY-DAY WANTS. 
 
 — To protect fruit trees in the winter from rab- 
 bits, it is recommended to make a strong decoc- 
 tion of tobacco, simmer it down in lard to the 
 consistency of thin paint, add a little soft soap, 
 stir well, and it is ready for use. Apply with a 
 brush or swab from the root of the tree upwards 
 until above the reach of the rabbits. This dose 
 would seem calculated to spoil the appetite of 
 the hungry depredators of whatever kind. See 
 also "Apple Trees, To Keep Rabbits from 
 Barking." 
 
 GARDEN SPIDERS, To Destroy.— \^x\- 
 ous Icjnds of fruits and plants, both in the gar- 
 den and the hot-house are frequently infested 
 with insects, such as aphides, earwigs, red spi- 
 ders, and other pests. The vine, the peach, the 
 melon, the cherry, the currant, and some hum- 
 bler plants, afford them appropriate places of 
 abode, to the discomfort of the gardener and the 
 detriment of his fruit. Several modes of expel- 
 ling these pests have been devised. One of the 
 most successful is that of frequently washing the 
 plants and fruits by means of the watering-pot 
 and rose. This itself will vastly diminish their 
 numbers, and at length destroy them. Lime- 
 water, however, will be found much superior to 
 common water for the purpose, care being taken 
 that the fluid shall reach the lower sides of the 
 leaves, and those parts of the twigs and branches 
 in which the insects take refuge. Six o'clock in 
 the morning is an excellent time to perform the 
 work. And when the leaves and fruit have been 
 thoroughly washed, care should be taken to com- 
 pletely shade the plants in the hot-house or the 
 forcing-house with matting, to prevent injury to 
 them from the heat of the sun while they are in 
 a wet, cool state. The washing maybe repeated 
 about three o'clock in the afternoon. 
 
 GARDENING, WINDOW.— Soil.— Tiiz 
 first point is good soil — without this no plant can 
 thrive well Fresh sandy loam, with a third of 
 well rotted manure, will do for many plants ; and 
 keep a reserve stock of soil in a heap, and turn 
 it over occasionally, then it will be ready for use. 
 In potting, press the soil well down in the pot, 
 and never use wet soil for this purpose on any 
 consideration, or disappointment will be your in- 
 evitable reward. See that the pot used is not 
 too hard burned, as in that case it becomes al- 
 most non-porous and unfit for plant culture. 
 Heat. — Most plants will survive if the tempera- 
 ture gets below 40* ; but no healthy growth or 
 bloom can be looked for at a lower average daily 
 temperature than 60 or 65*" ; it is better that the 
 night temperature should fall 15*^ less than this. 
 One difficulty with plants in our dwellings is that 
 they are as hot at night as during the day. Wa- 
 ter. — Give water only when the plants need it. 
 A plant with its roots constantly in mud cannot 
 thrive. It is better to wait until the flagging of 
 a plant shows that it needs water than to keep it 
 constantly soaked. Sprinkling or showering 
 should be done as often as possible. Take the 
 plants to a sink or a bath-tub and give them a 
 good dousing. Air. — Do not be afraid of open- 
 ing the windows whenever the outside air is not 
 freezing. Give air every day when it is safe to 
 do so. Not only will the plants be benefited, 
 but the atmosphere will be better for human be- 
 ings. Dust is a great obstacle to the growth of 
 plants in the house. The showering we have 
 recommended will help to remove it ; but all the 
 smooth-leaved plants, such as camelias, ivies. 
 
 and the like, should be occasionally sponged to 
 keep the foliage clean and healthy. Insects. — 
 Don't have any. If the plants are daily looked 
 over, and the thumb and finger properly applied, 
 they will be kept in check. If a plant is badly 
 infested by the green fly, put it in a box or un- 
 der a barrel and smoke it thoroughly. If the 
 red spider appears, as it will be apt to do in hot 
 and dry rooms, smoke will not help it. Remove 
 the plant into hospital and shower it daily. Fre- 
 quent wetting and a moist atmosphere is the 
 best remedy. 
 
 GARLIC. The common garlic is propa- 
 gated usually by offsets known technically as 
 " cloves" — that is, the old bulbs are pulled 
 apart, and the small divisions planted in spring. 
 They are usually set in rows eighteen inches 
 apart, and the sets four to six inches in the 
 rows ; plant with a dibble, or by thrusting them 
 into the soil with the fore finger and thumb. 
 Give them the same culture as onions, gathering 
 in autumn, and tie in bundles, the tops being 
 left on for this purpose. The young bulbs will 
 throw op long stalks, and if not checked are 
 very likely to run to seed, which must be pre- 
 vented by breaking down the stems, or tying 
 them in a knot, which is the practice of Euro- 
 pean gardeners. Garlics are mainly used by 
 foreigners, especially the Germans, and by our 
 people for medicinal purposes. 
 
 GRAFTING WAX.—i. Take i lb. of tal- 
 low, 3 lbs. of beeswax, and 4 lbs. of resin ; put 
 into a kettle and melt Slowly until all the ingre- 
 dients are combined. If to be used in the opeti 
 air in cool weather, add a ^ to ^ lb. more tal- 
 low. Melt the resin first, and be sure it is well 
 melted before adding the wax and tallow. If 
 this be not done, the grafting wax will be full of 
 lumps. When melted pour it into cold water, 
 and work it by hand into rolls of convenient 
 size. In cold weather, soften the wax by put- 
 ting it into warm water before using. When the 
 scions are set — say as many as 20 or 30, or few 
 as is wished — have the mixture ready and apply 
 it warm, with a small wooden paddle. See that 
 every part is covered and the air completely ex- 
 cluded. It requires no bandage. 
 
 GRAFTING WAX, Liquid.— Mr. L'Hom- 
 me-Lefort invented, not many years ago, a graft- 
 ing composition, which, when generally known, 
 will no doubt supersede all others now in use, 
 either for grafting purposes or for covering the 
 wounds of trees. It is very cheap, very easily 
 prepared, and keeps, corked up in a bottle with 
 a tolerable wide mouth, at least six months un- 
 altered. It is laid on in as thin a coat as possi- 
 ble, by means of a flat piece of wood. Within 
 a few days it will be as hard as a stone. In ad- 
 dition to all the advantages indicated above, it is 
 not in the least affected by the severe cold of 
 our winters ; it never softens or cracks when ex- 
 posed to atmospheric action or changes. There 
 is no better preparation for covering the wounds 
 of trees. As long as the inventor kept it a se- 
 cret it was sold at a very high price, and even 
 now it is generally unknown. The recipe is as 
 follows: Melt I lb. of common resin over a gen- 
 tle fire. Add to it x oz. of beef tallow, and stir 
 it well. Take it fr.om the fire, let it cool down a 
 little, and then mix with it a tablespoonful of spir- 
 its of turpentine, and after that about 7 oz. of 
 very strong alcohol (95 per cent.) to be had at 
 any druggist's store. The alcohol cools it down 
 
FAR.^f, ORCHARD, GARDEN AND DAIRY. 
 
 133 
 
 so rapidly that it will be necessary to put it once 
 more on the fire, stirring it constantly. Still the 
 utmost care must be exercised to prevent the al- 
 cohol from getting inflamed. To avoid it, the 
 best way is to remove the vessel from the fire, 
 when the lumps that may have been formed com- 
 mence melting again. This must be continued 
 till the whole is a homogeneous mass similar to 
 honey. 
 
 GRAFTING, INDIA RUBBER.— Somt 
 of the English gardeners have successfully used 
 strips of India rubber in the place ol grafting 
 wax, being neater, more perfect, and not soiling 
 the fingers. Sheets are purchased in market for 
 sixpence per square foot. They are about as 
 thick as brown paper. They are obtained of the 
 manufacturers of this article before it is applied 
 to muslin and other surfaces. The strips cut 
 from it are about an inch long and an eighth of 
 an inch wide, for small grafting ; the pieces will 
 stretch two or three times their first length ; the 
 ends adhere when pressed firmly with the thumb 
 nail, the sheet having been previously washed 
 and wiped dry. 
 
 GRAFTING. — In grafting, a sharp penknife 
 and a good fine saw are indispensable. Split- 
 ting the stalk so that the bark shall not be at all 
 bruised, and shaping the scion wedge-fashion 
 both ways, preserving also the bark uninjured, 
 and placing the rim of the wood of both stock 
 and scion exactly together, so that the sap can 
 intermingle — there is no danger of failure if they 
 are properly waxed. One year's wood should 
 always be used when it can be obtained, as it is 
 more certain to take and grows more vigorously. 
 For grafting generally, any time is good when 
 growth is going on, and there is not too much 
 sap in the scion ; the amount in the stock makes 
 no difference. If there is much in the scion, it 
 is liable to rot before the union takes place. If 
 scions are taken from healthy trees, and are kept 
 from drying, sprouting, or other injuries, graft- 
 ing may go on from early in the spring till mid- 
 summer. 
 
 GRAFTING {ROOT) APPLE TREES.— 
 This kind of grafting is performed as follows : 
 Take seedling stocks one or two years old, cut 
 off the stock at the collar of the plant, and re- 
 move the top root and all unnecessary fibrous 
 roots, leaving only a few of them four or five 
 inches long. Wash the stocks, and make a very 
 smooth cut sloping upward an inch or so across 
 the collar. In the center of this cut make a slit 
 or tongue to receive the scion. The scion, three 
 or four inches long, should be made to fit the 
 tongue exactly, both the woody part and the in- 
 ner bark. On this close fitting depends the suc- 
 cess pf the operation. This done, cover the en- 
 tire graft with the wax, or with prepared wax 
 cloth, which is nothing more than cotton cloth 
 spread thinly with grafting composition while it 
 is hot. This work is commonly done in the leis- 
 ure of winter. After the required number of 
 stocks have been grafted, they are packed away 
 in sand in a cool cellar to be planted in the 
 spring. 
 
 GRAFTING GRAPES.— Grsl\:mg grape 
 vines may be done early in the spring, before 
 the sap begins to flow, or after the vines have 
 leaved out partially, and just after the main flow 
 of sap is over ; or it may be done in the fall, but 
 in all cases it is to be done on the stock so low 
 down that the saons may be covered with earth 
 
 up to their buds. Attention to this point is nec- 
 essary to success. 
 
 The operation is similar to grafting fruit trees 
 — the scions should each have a single bud, and 
 they should be cut off an inch above, and not 
 less than three inches below the buds. The 
 grape stocks are to be split, and the scions made 
 with long, wedge-shaped ends, with shoulders, 
 just as apple or other fruit-tree grafts are made, 
 and with the inner sides of the wedges narrow- 
 est, so that the pressure will be greatest where 
 the inner bark of vine and scion meet. These 
 stocks are then bound with basswood bark, and 
 grafting wax applied, and the soil packed firmly 
 around the scions, leaving the buds just above 
 the ground. 
 
 When the grafting is done in the fall — and we 
 think that the best season to do it — a flower pot 
 should be inverted over such stock and grafts, 
 (insert two scions to each stock,) and covered 
 with straw or barnyard litter to prevent freezing 
 — and in the following spring the earth may be 
 packed around the stocks as above. It is thought 
 by those who graft in the fall that the stocks and 
 scions have more time to unite, and form a com- 
 plete junction during the winter, and will grow 
 sooner than when grafted in the spring. 
 
 When grape vines are cut off when the sap is 
 flowing Ireelj^ for the purpose of grafting them, 
 they will be liable to " bleed" to death — that is, 
 the sap will escape to such a degree that the vi- 
 tality of the roots will be destroyed, consequent- 
 ly, all grafting in the spring should be done be- 
 fore the sap begins to flow, or after the flow of 
 sap is over, early in Tune, in the climate of New 
 York. 
 
 If vines are to be grafted above the ground, 
 they should be bent over and covered with earth 
 where the junction takes place, and a mulch of 
 grass, or otherwise, put upon them, to cause 
 them to continue moist. It is a rather difficult 
 operation to graft grape vines three, four or more 
 feet from the ground ; yet we think it can be 
 done, and a dozen varieties of grapes made to 
 grow on one vine. 
 
 GRAPES.— The best soil for the vine is a 
 light, dry loam, with a slight intermixture of clay 
 and calcareous matter, moderately rich, the soil 
 inclining a little to the south. This should be 
 plowed in the fall of the year, at least one foot 
 deep, and trench plowing would be better, mak- 
 ing one plow follow directly after another in the 
 same furrow, turning up the ground, if possible, 
 15 or 18 inches deep. The utiHty of this is, to 
 give a light, deep surface for the roots to strike 
 into the earth, and thus draw the more nourish- 
 ment from it, and be sufliciently low and out of 
 the way of being cut off, when the plow is run 
 between the rows for after-cultivation. Plants 
 ing and Culture. — Early in the spring, before 
 vegetation commences, replow and harrow the 
 land fine, strike off the rows 6 feet apart, then 
 take cuttings or roots, as they can be best ob- 
 tained, and plant them 3 feet from each other in 
 the rows. As the vines grow they will require 
 staking and tying up with the stalks of long, 
 tough grass, or green, flexible straw. The after 
 cultivation is precisely like that of corn or any 
 root crop, it being necessary merely to plow out 
 between the rows occasionally, and keep weeds 
 down by hoeing the ground about the vines, 
 where it may be slightly elevated from the cen- 
 tre of the rows, in order to keep them from any 
 
>34 
 
 DICTIONARY OF EVERY-DAY WANTS. 
 
 standing water. Two vines only are left from 
 each main stem of a different year's growth, the 
 rationale of which may be thus simply defined : 
 The branch that grew, for instance, in the sea- 
 son of '80, bears in '81, and in the spring of '82 
 it is pruned off, and that season another grows in 
 its place, prepared to bear in '83, while that 
 which grew in '81 bears in '82, and is cut off in 
 ^S^, and the one growing in '82, when the last 
 gave fruit, will bear in '83. 
 
 GRUBS, {White,) Remedies for.— An au- 
 thority says : A good coat of unrotted ma- 
 nure, plowed in six or eight inches deep, is al- 
 most a specific against white grubs in corn or po- 
 tatoes. We suppose the grubs work in the ma- 
 nure and leave the corn plants alone. Plowing 
 under clover, immediately before planting, often 
 has the same effect. 
 
 GOOSEBERRY BUSHES. Mildew on— A. 
 weak solution of saleratus, pretty strongly tinc- 
 tured with alum, sprinkled over gooseberry 
 bushes, is sure to prevent mildew. 
 
 HA Y, Cutting and Curing. — I. Get ready 
 for haying — that is, put your mowing machine, 
 etc. , in good order, so as to have no delay when 
 you begin the work. 
 
 2. If you have a good deal of grass to cut, 
 some of it should be cut a few days before it is 
 actually mature, or you will be compelled to cut 
 other fields so much later than it ovfght to be cut, 
 that you would lose more by waiting till your 
 earliest grass is fully ripe, than you would gain 
 by waiting till it is mature ; besides grass cut a 
 few days before it is strictly ready for the mow- 
 er makes excellent hay, but not quite so much of 
 it as when cut later. 
 
 , 3. When the time comes to commence mow- 
 ing — which should be when there is a prospect 
 of fair weather, go ahead and do not wait until 
 the dew is off, on accoimt of any injury the hay 
 may sustain, as you will never be able to see any 
 difference in value between hay, from grass cut 
 with or without the dews upon it. 
 
 4. Just as soon as the sun has dried the upper 
 surface of the grass, the spreading operation may 
 commence ; and you should have help enough to 
 do the work well. No grass cut during the pre- 
 vious afternoon, and up to 10 o'clock that day, 
 should remain unspread at dinner-time, unless it 
 be such as is light, and is left in good shape to 
 dry by the machine, as is often the case. Keep 
 the grass moving as long as possible before you 
 begin to protect it for the night ; and here we 
 will say that we never would allow a load of hay 
 to be put into our bams that was cut the same 
 day, except when the grass had been delayed to 
 be cut till it was past its prime and partially dry, 
 so that a few hours of sun and wind sufficed to 
 cure it. 
 
 5. After drying the hay as much as possible 
 up to 3 or 4 o'clock, P. M. , according to the 
 quantity of it, and hands to take caro of it, the 
 question comes up : Is it best to cock it, or to 
 rake it into windrows, and so leave it till the suc- 
 ceeding day, when, if the weather be fair, it may 
 be put into the barn or stack ? If left in win- 
 drows a great deal of labor is saved, and if the 
 next day is fair, the hay is in a better condition 
 to be spread than if in cocks ; but if a storm en- 
 sues, the hay is in a bad shape, and will suffer 
 injury, according to the length of unfair weather 
 that takes place. No farmer should leave his 
 hay over night in windrows, unless he shall 
 
 have the very best of reasons for believing that 
 the next day will be fair. 
 
 6. Hay may be injured by drying too much ; 
 but the wide awake farmer will avoid that, and 
 either get his hay into windrows or cocks before 
 it is thus damaged. 
 
 HAY, {CLOVER,) Management of.— Clo- 
 ver should be mowed as soon as it is well in 
 blossom. There is no necessity to wait for a 
 brown head ; there will be plenty to be seen be- 
 fore the crop is well down. Cut when the dew 
 is off, and allow to dry until the afternoon, when 
 it should be shaken up and turned before the dew 
 falls. If a tedder is employed, its constant use 
 will fit the clover to be put in cocks the same 
 day. If turned by hand, it may lie until the 
 noon of next day, when it may be put in cocks, 
 made as high and narrow ajs possible ; they will 
 shed rain better in this shape, and, if caps are 
 to be used, a yard square will be sufficiently 
 large to cover them. Caps are to be strongly 
 recommended, and the above size is sufficient, as 
 the top only needs protection. Put up, and thus 
 protected, the hay may stay in the field until it is 
 all made, when it may be haulted together. If 
 any cock should be damp inside, spread for a few 
 minutes ; it will dry rapidly. Clover cured in 
 the cock is much more valuable than that dried 
 in the sun, and wastes less in hauling. Put 
 away the first cut hay by itself, in a place conve- 
 nient for use in the spring. Cows coming in 
 early in the spring will thrive on this hay ; the 
 milk will be largely increased in quantity, and ba 
 richer in quality, while the butter will come eas. 
 ily, be free from white curdy specks, and in col- 
 or will not be far behind that made from June 
 grass. 
 
 HAY STACKS, To Ventilate.— Stacks o| 
 hay, corn-stalks, etc., maybe ventilated by mak- 
 ing a hole perpendicularly through the centre, 
 with apertures through the base and top or side^ 
 of the stack to admit a current of air. The ori, 
 fice should be constructed when the stack is be- 
 ing built, which can easily be done by filling a 
 bag of the requisite size with hay or straw, plac- 
 ing it upright in the centre of the stack, drawing 
 it upward according as the stack rises. In this 
 way a chimney will be formed in the centre of 
 the stack, which will carry off the steam, if the 
 hay or corn-stalk should ferment, and by admit- 
 ting air will prevent damage from mold. The 
 top of the air-tunnel should be protected by a 
 roof to keep out rain. 
 
 HEDGES, H(Kv to Riant.— A good way of 
 planting hedges is to plow the ground about 12 
 or 15 inches deep, and pulverize completely ; 
 then set stakes in range as the hedge is to stand. 
 Then take a common garden hoe and dig a hole 
 as deep as the plants are to be set, standing with 
 thfc face in range with the stakes ; then put a 
 plant down with the top toward you, leaving at 
 an angle of about 45 degrees, being careful to 
 put it a little deeper than it grew in the nursery; 
 then cover that one up by digging the dirt out for 
 the next plant, and so on, standing in the range 
 of the stakes. It will facilitate the job by hav- 
 ing a dropper to put the plants in their places as 
 you need them. 
 
 HEDGE, BARBERRY.— A^XGT obtaining 
 
 good seed, mix it with moist earth, and keep it 
 
 in a cool cellar, free from frost, until the spring 
 
 I opens. Then sow it in drills, like carrot seed. 
 
 I Thin out the plants to six inches apart, and keep 
 
FARM, ORCHARD, GARDEN AND DAIRY. 
 
 135 
 
 the rows free from weeds. The following spring 
 they will be ready to transplant. Set them out 
 by a line, six inches apart in the row. 
 
 HEDGE, CEDAR, {For Cold Latitudes. )— 
 First dig a ditch about I foot deep by 2 feet 
 wide where the hedge is to be, then go and cut 
 down second growth cedars, (out of thick clumps 
 or clusters are best, they having most all their 
 branches on one side,) about 3 or 4 inches 
 through at the butt ; take branches and all and 
 lay them in the ditch, with the thickest branches 
 up ; turn up the branches so they are — that is, 
 the branches — not more than 8 inches apart, and 
 if there are not enough on I tree, lay down 2, 
 side by side, butt and top together ; then chop 
 off all branches that cannot be got to lay in the 
 ditch to about lo inches long or so, so that they 
 •will cover up ; then cover up, taking a little pains 
 to stake and bend the branches that are to form 
 the hedge into a straight row, or nearly so ; then 
 cover about two-thirds up, and then water and 
 finish covering, and with a very little trouble the 
 hedge in 5 years will be so thick that a hen can- 
 not get through it, or sheep or cattle get over it, 
 and will get stronger and larger every year. 
 "Where small second growth cedars cannot be 
 got, small trees will answer nearly as well — or 
 even sow the seeds, which s a rather slow pro- 
 cess, but sure. 
 
 HEMP CULTURE.— Ihc land should be 
 thoroughly pulverized with plow and harrow. 
 The seed-bed cannot be put in too fine tilth. 
 Fifty to seventy-five pounds of seed per acre 
 should be sown evenly broadcast. The amount 
 should depend upon the strength of the land ; 
 the stronger or richer the soil the more seed may 
 be sown, the object being to secure all the plants 
 the land will develop, and thereby a fine and a 
 long fibre. The seed should be covered with a 
 light harrow, running it both ways. The sow- 
 ing should. commence as soon as the ground is 
 dry and warm enough to put into proper condi- 
 tion to receive the seed. There is no after-cul- 
 ture. 
 
 HORSE-RA DISH.— For the cultivation of 
 this vegetable the soil should be deep and moist. 
 Cut off slips from a root with a little of the 
 crown and plant 3 or 4 inches deep in rows, it 
 for field culture, so as to admit of handy work- 
 ing. If in a garden it matters little whether in 
 rows or not, as it soon sprouts up in every di- 
 rection. Unless the whole crop is removed the 
 bed will supply itself year after year, and a plat 
 10 feet square will be enough for an ordinary 
 family. 
 
 HOTBED, To Make ^.— Make a frame 6 
 feet long by 4 feet wide ; let the one end be 2 
 feet in height, and the other end i foot. Along 
 the top of the long sides, about an inch from the 
 upper edges, nail 2 cleats. This frame may be 
 made of one inch boards. Glaze the sash and 
 fit it upon these cleats, thus forming an inclined 
 plane, which, when the bed is completed and the 
 frame permanently arranged, should be made to 
 face the south-east. In this manner the rays of 
 the morning and noonday sun fall directly upon 
 the growing plants. 
 
 To make the bed, draw well-rotted horse-ma- 
 nure and pile it in a square heap, about 3 feet 
 deep, and of sufficient dimensions to admit of 
 the frame being placed securely upon the top. 
 Within the frame, cover the manure heap with 
 about 6 inches of rich earth. Put on your sash 
 
 and leave it until the fermentation of the heap 
 causes the earth to become warm. When this 
 is effected, large dewdrops will form upon the 
 inside of the glass. If the fermentation is not 
 very active, cover the sash with boards, so as to 
 prevent all radiation of heat from the pile. The 
 frame may be kept still warmer by banking up 
 the outside to the top with manure. 
 
 When the earth has become thoroughly heat- 
 ed the bed is ready for sowing. To sow with 
 the finger, draw drills about half an inch deep, 
 take the seed of cabbages, cauliflowers, toma- 
 toes, peppers, etc., between the forefinger and 
 thumb, and by rubbing the two gently and mov- 
 ing the hand along the drill, the seed may be 
 sown evenly and thickly. 
 
 The great principle in the successful forcing 
 of plants in a hotbed is to subject them to a suf- 
 ficient amount of heat without allowing them to 
 bum. This can only be regulated by experience 
 and judgment. If, however, the weather be 
 very warm, by throwing open the sash during 
 the day and closing it at night, the plants may 
 be brought in contact with external air, and will 
 become more hardy and better able to bear the 
 chilling effects of transplanting into the open 
 air. 
 
 A constant succession of early plants may in 
 this manner be forced, and after their removal 
 melons and cucumbers may be planted in their 
 places in small sods, and, when sufficiently 
 forced, may be removed without being at all dis- • 
 turbed. 
 
 HYACINTH CULTURE.— Ttie hyacinth 
 requires a light but rich soil, sandy loam, well 
 dressed, and mixed with thoroughly rotted ma- 
 nure, but if the soil is not sandy, add a third of 
 silver sand. The soil for a hyacinth bed must 
 be deeply dug, well mixed and turned over. 
 Plant the bulbs eight inches apart, and four 
 inches under the soil. To Grffiv Hyacinths in 
 Pots. — Select the bulbs, and plant each one sep- 
 arately in a four-inch pot, well drained with pot- 
 sherds, and filled within an inch of the top with 
 the same soil recommended for the beds. If the 
 plants are to remain outdoors until rooted, place 
 them in a dry level place, and cover them about 
 six inches deep with straw, decayed leaves, or 
 cocoanut fibre, putting a piece of bass mat over 
 to keep off rain ; they will not require watering. 
 In ten weeks they will have made sufficient roots, 
 and may be brought into the house and watched 
 carefully. If brought into the house directly 
 they are potted, keep them in a dark, moist at- 
 mosphere for about ten weeks, then gradually 
 expose them to the light, and give them water 
 frequently. To Grow Hyacinths in Glasses. — 
 Single flowering hyacinths are the best for this 
 purpose. Fill the glasses with soft water, (rain 
 water is the best,) so as nearly to touch the 
 bulb. Exclude the light totally from them for 
 five weeks, by which time the glass ought to be 
 full of roots ; they may then be placed where 
 they will have plenty of light and an equable 
 temperature. Do not change the water while 
 they are in the dark, but when exposed to the 
 light pour out half the water in each glass once 
 a" week, and fill it up with fresh Abater, which 
 should have been kept for some time in the same 
 room, that the temperature may be the same. 
 A very little guano, mixed with the water, 
 strengthens the plant. 
 
 IMPLEMENTS, {Farm,) Care o/.— It is a 
 
T36 
 
 DICTIONARY OF EVERY-DAY WANTS. 
 
 lamentable fact that a large majority of our farm- 
 ers lose as much from a want of proper care of 
 tools as from the actual wear and tear of them. 
 Repeated wetting and drying injures, sooner or 
 later, any kind of wood-work ; the moisture get- 
 ting into the cracks soon begins the work of de- 
 cay. This may be prevented by the timely and 
 occasional application of some cheap paint. The 
 shovels, spades, and forks are brought into the 
 tool-house with the dirt sticking to them, and in 
 that condition they remain through the winter, 
 or until they are again needed. All practical 
 farmers know how much better a bright plow 
 turns the furrow, how much easier it is on the 
 team and driver, and yet they will bring their 
 plows and harrows in every fall with the dirt 
 sticking to them, and allow them to remain in 
 that condition until again wanted, much to their 
 irreparable injury, and also to their own loss 
 and expense. There are various mixtures which 
 might be applied to the iron to prevent rusting, 
 the cheapest of which is common (unsalted) 
 grease. A better article may be formed by the 
 melting together of six pounds of fresh (not 
 salted) lard and two of resin. An old iron pot 
 is a good thing to keep and compound the mix- 
 ture m. As soon as a tool is done being used 
 for the season, clean it off and give it a coat of 
 this mixture, and even if it remains undisturbed 
 for years it will come out as bright as when put 
 away. Implements properly cared for will not 
 only last twice as long as where this is not the 
 case, but, as we said before, they are far better 
 in every way. 
 
 INSECTS, To Exterminate. — By scattering 
 chloride of lime on a plank in a stable, biting 
 fleas are driven away. Sprinkling beds of vege- 
 tables with a weak solution of this salt effectu- 
 ally preserves them from caterpillars, slugs, etc. 
 It has the same effect when sprinkled on fruit 
 trees or shrubbery. Mixed in a paste with fatty 
 matter, and applied in a narrow band around the 
 trees, it prevents insects from creeping up. An- 
 other plan is to carry all the toads you may find 
 to your gardens. They will devour immense 
 numbers of bugs. A toad will swallow the 
 largest specimen of the tomato worm, though 
 sometimes he will have a hard time of it. Hens 
 and wasps and spiders are all devourers of your 
 enemies. A common duck will go up and down 
 rows of tomato and potato vines, and pick off 
 the large worms usually found on such vines, as 
 fast as it can see them ; and they will see a half 
 dozen when a man would not see one. Young 
 turkeys will do the same service, though they 
 are not so easily controlled and guided. All fal- 
 len fruit is to be picked up twice a day — at any 
 rate, one time — boiled, and then given to your 
 cattle to be devoured. By doing this it will pay 
 ten times over, and the result of it will be that 
 the next year you will not have insects. See also 
 the recipes for a like purpose in this depart- 
 ment. 
 _ LA WNS, KEEPING.— 'L^i.vms. must be kept 
 rich, if you would have a good, fresh, green 
 carpet of^ grass. Mowing them repeatedly year 
 after year, and raking off the fallen leaves that 
 drop from the trees, which neatness demands, 
 and which thus removes a useful top dressing, 
 requires an occasional addition of manure. By 
 far the best time to apply this manure is late in 
 autumn. If spread earlier it defaces the lawn at 
 a time when it proves offensive. Fine, dry ma- 
 
 nure, which may be readily pulverized, is Lest, 
 as it spreads evenly and neatly over the surface. 
 But where this can not be had, coarse or lumpy 
 manure will answer a good purpose if treated in 
 the following manner : Spread it as evenly as 
 may be convenient, and if there happens to be a 
 sharp November freeze, followed by thaw, it 
 will loosen the lumps and render them quite fri- 
 able. Then immediately run a smoothing har- 
 row over the ground, and it will grind these 
 lumps to powder and spread them over the grass 
 in better style than can be done by a skillful 
 hand, and with great rapidity. 
 
 LETTUCE IN WINTER.— It is said that 
 heads of lettuce can be produced in winter in 
 from 24 to 48 hours, by taking a box filled with 
 rich earth, in which one-third part of slaked lime 
 has been mixed, and watering the earth with 
 lukewarm water ; then taking seed which had 
 been previously softened by soaking in strong 
 brandy for twenty-four hours, and sowing in the 
 usual way. We are assured, but will not vouch 
 for the fact, that a good-sized head of lettuce 
 may be obtained in the time mentionea. 
 
 MANURES. — There are two important re- 
 quisites to the luxuriant and healthy growth of 
 plants — plenty of nutriment, and a suitable place 
 for growth. There are soils, it is true, so rich 
 in the elements of plant-food, and so bountifully 
 supplied with those partially decayed remains of 
 vegetable growth which we call humus, that de- 
 cades of continued cropping do not suffice to ex- 
 haust their supply of the one, nor to rob them 
 of the mellowness imparted by the other. Un- 
 fortunately, however, but little of the earth's 
 surface is of this character, and the question : 
 " How much and what sort of fertilizers shall 
 we use ?" is a very weighty one. 
 
 MANURES, STABLE.— CareM experi- 
 ments by German agriculturists have demon- 
 strated that the plant requires a certain list of 
 substances for its nourishment, its food, such as 
 nitrogen, carbon, potash, lime, soda, iron, phos- 
 phoric acid, sulphuric acid, and that as far as its 
 nourishment alone is concerned, it is a matter of 
 total indifference to the plant whether these are 
 applied in the form of stall manure or of guan- 
 oes, superphosphates ; the one and the only re- 
 quisite being that these substances be present in 
 the soil in sufficient quantity and in an assimila- 
 ble form. Farmers followed the teachings of 
 science in supplying food to plants in the form of 
 artificial rather than natural fertilizers. Science 
 had told them that the nitrogen and phosphoric 
 acid of the one were just as nutritious as those 
 of the other. But this was not all that science 
 had to say. The use of a part of its teaching, 
 and not the whole, was the mistake. The rea- 
 son of the failure here is clear. Science informs 
 us that the plant, like the animal, requires not 
 only good and sufficient food, but also an appro- 
 priate place to grow in — or, in other words, that 
 the physical character of the soil, its condition 
 as regards warmth, moisture, compactness, or 
 looseness, are just as important as its chemical 
 contents, or the supply of nutritive elements it 
 furnishes to the plant. 
 
 And it is precisely here that the superiority of 
 stable manure appears. Not only is it a com- 
 plete manure, furnishing all the elements of 
 plant food, as special fertilizers do not, but it 
 contains also a large amount of organic matter, 
 undigested portions of the food of the animal. 
 
FARM, ORCHARD, GARDEN AND DAIRY. 
 
 m 
 
 and straw used for bedding, and the like. This 
 organic matter decays in the ground, and by its 
 decay warms the soil, loosens it if it be compact, 
 and aids in binding it together if it be too loose, 
 and assists in the working over of the mineral 
 matter contained therein into a condition fit for 
 the use of the plant. 
 
 The general rule to be deduced from the above 
 facts would be, if tersely expressed, keep stock 
 upon the farm to produce such an amount of stall 
 manure as will be sufficient to keep the soil in 
 good physical condition, and rely on artificial fer- 
 tilizers only to supply the still remaining defi- 
 ciencies of plant nourishment. 
 
 MANURE HEAP, Management o/.—Ewtrv 
 manure heap consists of three portions, and all 
 of these require very different means for their 
 preservation. We have first the carbonaceous 
 matter. This forms the chief bulk of every ma- 
 nure heap, and from the fact that it came origi- 
 nally from the atmosphere, and that it can be re- 
 placed from the same source, theorists who have 
 not carefully watched the results attained in the 
 practice, are apt to depreciate its value. It is 
 not as valuable as the other two constituents, but 
 it serves to bring the land into fine, friable, mel- 
 low condition, and it is by no means certain that 
 the carbonic acid, furnished by its decomposi- 
 tion, is not a source of plant-food. Under any 
 circumstances, however, it is well to be econom- 
 ical of it, and allow none to go to waste. 
 
 The second portion is the inorganic plant-food 
 of animals. It consists of phosphoric acid, lime, 
 potash, soda, magnesia, soluble silica, etc., and 
 the great source of loss of these constituents is 
 from their being washed out. They cannot 
 evaporate, but if the rain and liquid manure are 
 allowed to fall on a manure heap, and drain 
 through it and out of it, the manure pile becomes 
 a mere caput mortuttm — a worthless residuum 
 of originally valuable materials. Hence eVery 
 barnyard where manure is kept exposed to the 
 weather, should be hollowed out in the centre 
 and well puddled, so. as to prevent the soluble 
 matters from draining or soaking away. More- 
 over, if the farm is located iu a region where a 
 great deal of rain falls, it is necessary to place a 
 large portion of the barnyard under the cover of 
 sheds, which prevent excessive wetting. Some 
 moisture is absolutely necessary. Too much is 
 decidedly injurious. 
 
 The third constituent of the manure heap is 
 nitrogen. This is a substance of great and un- 
 doubted value, and every care should be taken 
 to preserve and increase it. When vegetable 
 substances containing nitrogen undergo putre- 
 faction, in a moist state, the nitrogen in general 
 becomes converted into ammonia. The same 
 
 Erocess of putrefaction, however, produces car- 
 onic acid in large quantities, and this combines 
 with the ammonia to form carbonate of ammo- 
 nia. This salt is comparatively volatile, and if 
 the manure is allowed to dry up, while exposed, 
 to thin layers, the ammonia disappears. Sev- 
 eral agents may be set to work to fix and retain 
 it. 
 
 Water is one of these — carbonate of ammonia 
 dissolves very readily in water, and does not 
 then evaporate to the same extent that it would 
 do from a dry mass. 
 
 The great agent in the fixing of ammonia on 
 the manure heap is the humic and similar acids 
 produced daring the decomposition of the straw. 
 
 These acids do it very effectually, and hence the 
 importance of mixing animal excrement with a 
 large proportion of moist straw. 
 
 One of the most powerful fixers of ammonia 
 is plaster or sulphate of lime. When this meets 
 carbonate of ammonia in solution, decomposi- 
 tion ensues. Carbonate of lime and sulphate of 
 ammonia are formed, and as sulphate of ammo- 
 nia is not volatile at ordinary temperatures, there 
 is no danger of loss except by its being washed 
 out. 
 
 Hence a few simple rules will enable us to 
 manage a manure heap so as to avoid any very 
 great loss : 
 
 1. Prevent all loss by drainage and soaking. 
 
 2. See that the animal excrements are covered 
 with moist straw. 
 
 3. See that, while too much water is avoided, 
 there is a sufficiency to keep the manure moist. 
 
 4. Moisture and packing prevent fire fanging 
 — that is, too rapid fermentation. 
 
 5. If you find it convenient to use a few bush- 
 els of plaster, sprinkle them over the heap so 
 that the plaster will be incorporated with the 
 successive layers. It will thus prove of great 
 service. 
 
 MANURE, APPLYING.—ln spreading 
 manure, care should be taken to scatter it evenly 
 over the land, breaking to pieces all large and 
 hard lumps. This should always be done im- 
 mediately, or not more than half a day, before 
 plowing, especially if the weather is dry and 
 very windy. The manure should be plowed un- 
 der, before it dries very much, or loss will ac- 
 crue. Another way is to plow the land first, and 
 then put the manure on and harrow it in, if put 
 on plowed land ; if on meadow, spread on in 
 early spring on the latest seeded piece. That 
 ground is mellow, and when it rains it carries 
 the manure down around the young roots, and 
 the result is a heavy crop of grass. 
 
 MANURE, Converting Dead Animals into. 
 — The conversion of the entire bodies of dead 
 animals into manure, can be done by subjecting 
 them to the action of dilute hydrochloric acid, by 
 means of which they are completely dissolved, 
 and converted into a uniform pulp, which is in- 
 odorous and can be kept for any length of time, 
 to be applied when needed towards fertilizing 
 the soil. Another method is to cut them up, and 
 compost the dead meat with dry swamp muck or 
 peat. The ammonia and phosphate will all pass 
 into the peat, making a rich pile of compost, and 
 that without smell. 
 
 MANURE, Converting Bones into. — Take 
 one hundred pounds of bones, broken into as 
 small fragments as possible ; pack them in a 
 tight cask or box with one hundred pounds of 
 good wood ashes. Mix with the ashes, before 
 packing, twenty-five pounds of slaked lime and 
 twelve pounds of sal soda, powdered fine. It 
 will require about twenty gallons of water to 
 saturate the mass, and more may and should be 
 added from time to time to maintain moisture. 
 In two or three weeks, it is asserted, the bones 
 will be broken down completely, and the whole 
 may be turned out upon a floor and mixed with 
 two bushels of dry peat or good soil, and, after 
 drying, it is fit for use. It has been recom- 
 mended to pour on to this mass dilute sulphuric 
 acid to aid decomposition and prevent the escape 
 of ammonia. 
 
 Another method is to take a kettle holding a 
 
138 
 
 DICTIONARY OF EVERY-DAY WANTS. 
 
 barrel or more ; fill with bones ; pour caustic 
 ley over to cover them. A gentle fire is built 
 for two or three successive days, to barely warm 
 the liquid through. In a week the bones will 
 become softened. Mix the mass with three 
 loads of muck, afterward adding the leached 
 ashes, from which the ley was obtained. Let the 
 whole remain, in order to decompose the muck, 
 and apply. 
 
 MANURE, Garden Refuse as. — Green stuff, 
 such as cabbage leaves, radish and beet tops, and 
 the like, should not be allowed to dry. Let 
 them go while fresh to the pig-pen or to the 
 compost heap. Young weeds — and old ones 
 ought not to be found in the garden — should 
 have the same destination. By saving all the 
 refuse of the garden in a heap by itself, or put- 
 ting it in the pig-pen, a surprising accumulation 
 of valuable compost will be found at the end of 
 the season. 
 
 MANURE, HEN.—k mixture of hen-dung, 
 unleached wood-ashes and plaster, frequently has 
 a wonderful effect on corn. If the ashes and the 
 hen-manure arc perfectly dry, no decorhposition 
 or chemical change will take place when tiiey are 
 mixed together. But if moist, more or less am- 
 monia will escape, and the plaster will not hold 
 it. The only advantage of mixing these articles 
 together, aside from the ease of applying them, 
 is probably this : When the dry hen-manure is 
 thoroughly broken up fine, and mixed with the 
 ashes and plaster, and applied in the hill, the 
 moist soil soon induces chemical action. This 
 produces more or less heat immediately under 
 the seed and favors germination ; carbonate of 
 ammonia would also be given off, and would be 
 absorbed by the soil immediately in contact with 
 the roots of the young corn plants, and would, if 
 everything is favorable, cause them to grow rap- 
 idly and assume a dark-green color. But care 
 must he used in applying the mixture, or it may 
 do more harm than good by burning the roots. 
 It should be well mixed with the soil, and not 
 come in direct contact with the seed. Some per- 
 sons apply it on the hill after the plants are up, 
 just as they frequently apply the plaster or ashes 
 alone. 
 
 MANURE, Leaves as. — Forest leaves are 
 excellent to supply the stable-yards, and, where 
 straw is scarce, also the cow-stables and hog- 
 pens. They can be most conveniently gathered 
 after the first snow, or at least before the wintry 
 blasts have scattered them. They then lay com- 
 pactly, and, being moist, can be handled with 
 greater facility. Leaves absorb large quantities 
 of liquid manure, and are an excellent fertilizer 
 in spring. They can be gathered, too, when 
 other labor about the farm is slack. 
 
 MANURE, LIQUID.— In cwQTy lOO lbs. of 
 cow's urine there are 60 lbs. of water, 5 lbs. of 
 urea, 5 lbs. of phosphate of lime, 12 lbs. of sal 
 ammoniac and muriate of potash, and lo.lbs. of 
 carbonate of potash and ammonia. While the 
 solid excrements obtained from one cow are es- 
 timated to manure three times the amount. Our 
 dairy farmers will see, therefore, how important 
 it is to have tanks connected with their stables 
 in which to deposit this material, or a good sup- 
 ply of sawdust, dry earth, or muck, for absorb- 
 ing it in the gutters of the stable. A careful and 
 accurate farmer in Scotland has found that while 
 14 head of cattle would make 6 loads of solid 
 manure, the liquid would saturate 7 loads of 
 
 loam, rendering it of equal value. He had re- 
 peated the experiment for 10 years, and found 
 the saturated earth fully equal to the best pu- 
 trescent manure. 
 
 MANURE, NIGHT-SOIL.— TYiCTQ is no 
 better manure than night soil. It should be 
 mixed thoroughly with three or four times its 
 bulk of muck or charcoal dust, or in the absence 
 of either, good loam or coal ashes will answer. 
 Mixed with some such absorbent, it will have 
 lost its offensive odor, and become as portable as 
 any manure. If it is to be used to assist garden 
 crops, apply after spading or plowing the land 
 in the spring, and mix it thoroughly with the 
 surface soil; if to corn, apply in the hill before 
 planting ; cover the manure with soil before you 
 drop the soil on it. 
 
 MANURE, Sawdust and C^«>.— These are 
 excellent articles for promoting the growth of 
 the vines, shrubs and small plants. They must 
 be thrown into a pile, after removing the coarser 
 portions of the mass, and thoroughly saturated 
 once or twice a week with a mixture of urine and 
 soapsuds. This will induce incipient fermenta- 
 tion, and so far break down the texture of the 
 mass as to prepare it to act with energy when 
 applied to any soil or crop. 
 
 MAPLE TREES, To 7a/.— Much injury is 
 often ignorantly and thoughtlessly inflicted on 
 sugar maple trees by excessive tapping, and va- 
 rious negligent practices in connection with the 
 operation. As a guard against such malpractice 
 the following rules will be useful : I. Use noth- 
 ing larger than a three-fourth inch auger or bitt. 
 One-half to five-eighths of an inch is best. 2. 
 Do not open the trees until they will run equally 
 well on all sides. 3. Select the thriftiest part of 
 the tree that is farthest from an old orifice. 4. 
 Never put more than one spout to a tree that is 
 less than one foot in diameter, nor more than 
 one, bucket to one less than 18 inches in diame- 
 ter. 5. Never bore trees more than once in a 
 season, but freshen them once, or any time after 
 a long and hard freeze. 6. Never leave spouts 
 in the trees a single day after they have done 
 running. The quicker the orifices dry, the less 
 they decay. 
 
 The following facts should also be remem- 
 bered : The root of a tree will sometimes run 
 more than the body. A healthy tree runs in 
 proportion to the size of its top, and should be 
 opened with respect to its capacity for pro- 
 duction. Trees in open grounds, with spread- 
 ing tops, discharge more and much sweeter wa- 
 ter than those in a forest. 
 
 MAPLE SUGAR, MAKING.— Preserving 
 the Trees. — If the trees are worth having they 
 are worth keeping, and it is bad political econ- 
 omy, and a very immoral waste, to spoil that 
 which will enable posterity to live. Consequent- 
 ly, do not tap the tree with a huge gash, but 
 smooth off the outside bark about the size of a 
 man's hand. At the bottom of this, with a three 
 quarter of an inch auger, bore from half to tliree 
 quarters of an inch into the wood, but not deep- 
 er. Cut a V into the wood above the auger 
 hole, with a mallet and firmer chisel, to commu- 
 nicate with the auger hole. Spouts. — Tin spouts 
 are the handiest. They save time in making and 
 adapting to the purpose. You will waste time 
 in making elder spouts, or wooden spouts of any 
 kind. Vessels. — Unpainted pails are the best, 
 and if they are well scalded before being used 
 
FARAf, ORCHARD, GARDEN- AND DAIRY. 
 
 139 
 
 they are all the better. Furnace. — Instead of 
 the old plan o\ a kettle hanging over a fire, build 
 a furnace, over which you can place shallow 
 pans for evaporating the sap. In many places 
 maple sugar making is abandoned on account of 
 the waste of fuel ; but in the way last recom- 
 mended the fuel is saved very much, and what, 
 under the old system, was a losing operation in 
 farming, may become moderately profitable. If 
 you will use a kettle, a built-up furnace, over 
 which the kettle may stand or hang, is still a 
 great economizer of fuel. Boiling Down. — If 
 you have two or more pans, or kettles, you will 
 save time, for while one is evaporating, the other 
 may be poured off through a straining cloth, pre- 
 vious to sugaring off. Pouring Off. — When the 
 syrup has become nearly as thick as ordinary 
 New Orleans molasses, strain through a flannel 
 into a pan or kettle, which place again over the 
 fire. When warm, you can add half a pint of 
 milk, or an egg beaten in the same quantity of 
 water, as a clarifier, if it needs it. If everything 
 has been carefully handled this will not be nec- 
 essary. Sugaring Off. — While the thick syrup 
 is boiling take off the scum. Keep the fire reg- 
 ular and steady. While this is going on, try 
 several times a drop of the boiling syrup on a 
 bright ax blade ; when a drop thus cooled slides 
 off with ease, leaving no trace, take the kettle 
 from the fire, and stir it till it begins to form fine 
 grains, when pour it into moulds of any desired 
 shape. Moulds with sheet iron or zinc bottoms, 
 and wooden sides and subdivisions, are handy 
 and clean. Strained Sugar. — By boiling some- 
 what less, and placing the sugar (after it is 
 cooled and granulated) in vessels with false bot- 
 toms, perforated, much molasses drains off, and 
 a finer article of sugar is produced. During the 
 draining the sugar should be kept moderately 
 warm, say at about 70" Fahrenheit. Clarifying. 
 — Where the sap has been kept entirely free from 
 dust, twigs, leaves, etc., the milk or the egg is 
 unnecessary. Souring. — The tendency to fer- 
 ment and turn sour may be prevented by a little 
 quicklime added to the sap. Draining. — The 
 forms of the sugar should not be drained until 
 all the sugar possible has been granulated. To 
 secure this, turn them upside down soon after 
 taking them out of the moulds ; after a little 
 while turn them back again, and so on for three 
 or four hours, after which, with a vessel under 
 them to catch the molasses, they may be left to 
 drain thoroughly. A Slarge Sugar. — If you 
 have many trees, and wish to make a consider- 
 able business of the maple sugar-making, build 
 a good furnace of brick or stone, with one deep 
 evaporating pan, and several shallow ones, and 
 arrange a barrel or hogshead of strained sap, so 
 that it will supply the deep pan with a constant 
 stream of sap, from which it may be ladled into 
 the thin ones as needed. 
 
 MEADOWS, Worn Ou(. —There is no more 
 profitable field belonging to the farm than a good 
 meadow, and yet comparatively few farmers un- 
 derstand the art of keeping them in a productive 
 state. Meadows become worn out, and conse- 
 quently unprofitable, from two causes — namely, 
 from want of proper manures, or from a kind of 
 mess which farmers usually call fog. The first 
 is easily remedied by spreading a light coat of 
 chaff of any kind over the sod, any time between 
 November and the middle of April, as this is 
 not only the best manure for meadows, but must 
 
 not be put on farm lands at any time, as it con- 
 tains a great quantity of the seeds of noxious 
 plants that greatly thin, and sometimes almost 
 destroy the grain crop. The second is effectu- 
 ally and permanently destroyed and converted 
 into a highly nutritious manure by a top-dressing 
 of lime, say twenty bushels to the acre. 
 
 MELONS. — First give the ground a good 
 coat of fine manure, thoroughly dig or plow the 
 ground, and then level with a rake or otherwise. 
 Then make a marker, by taking any piece of 
 wood that will not bend, eight feet long ; fasten 
 two pegs to this, seven feet apart, and nail a han- 
 dle in the centre, bracing it both ways ; then 
 draw a tight line for the first mark, drawing the 
 marker the first time through with one peg 
 against the line ; the next time through, but one 
 peg run in the last mark ; then you get all per- 
 fectly straight. Mark across these in the same 
 manner, and then place on each comer or hill 
 two shovelfuls of well rotted manure ; take the 
 digging fork and mix with the soil thoroughly to 
 the depth of the fork tines. After this take the 
 r.ike and rake the soil on the top of this to the 
 depth of three inches, which makes the hill a 
 little higher than the surface of the ground. 
 
 The seed should not be planted until the 
 ground gets thoroughly warm — say the last of 
 May or first of June in this section. Too early 
 planting is one cause of failure. Then stick nine 
 seeds in each hill. As soon as they come up, 
 sprinkle a little plaster on the plants while the 
 dew is on, to keep the bugs off; do this as often 
 as the plaster gets off, until the plants get to be 
 of good size, and then thin out to four plants in 
 a hill. When these begin to run nicely, pinch 
 off the tip end of the runners, which will cause 
 them to throw out side runners ; pinch these in 
 the same manner; keep the ground well culti- 
 vated and free from weeds till the vines take 
 possession. If treated in this manner they will 
 cover the ground completely, and you will have, 
 from a small patch, watermelons by the hundred, 
 while others, pursuing a different course, will 
 frequently lose all their plants by the dry weath- 
 er, because they had a manure pile underneath 
 the plants. 
 
 Some persons raise Mountain Sweets alto- 
 gether, which is supposed to be the sweetest 
 melon grown. 
 
 MELONS AND CUCUMBERS, Barrel 
 Culture for. — The plan recommended is to take 
 a tight barrel or cask, remove one head, and par- 
 tially fill the barrel or cask with large pebbles or 
 stones — say half full ; upon these stones place a 
 mixture of compost with rich alluvial soil, or 
 fine, fresh vegetable mold, until the barrel or 
 cask is filled to within three or four inches of the 
 top, and in this plant the seed and cover to the 
 requisite depth. This barrel or cask may be set 
 in any convenient situation where sufficient room 
 or space can be obtained, and around which ar- 
 range lattice work or brush to sustain the out- 
 spreading plants, in whatever manner may be 
 found most convenient for affording access at 
 all times to both the barrel and the plants. 
 
 Upon the outer side of the cask insert a pipe 
 of convenient size, through which water may be 
 introduced to the lower or under half of the bar- 
 rel daily, or as often as occasion may require ; 
 this portion of the cask should be kept con- 
 stantly filled with water. Midway of the cask 
 the staves should be perforated with several half 
 
140 
 
 DICTIONARY OF EVERY-DAY WANTS, 
 
 inch holes, for the free escape of any surplus 
 water, and at the same time to permit the ad- 
 mission of an equal distribution of air ; the pur- 
 pose would be better accomplished if the holes 
 were bored upon a line at equal distances apart 
 around the cask. 
 
 The effect of this arrangement, as will be very 
 readily seen, is that, through the capillary at- 
 traction of the soil, sufficient moisture is ab- 
 sorbed at all times to nourish the plants, while 
 the admission of air can be controlled at pleasure 
 by opening or closing the apertures upon the 
 sides of the cask. 
 
 As to the production of cucumbers alone un- 
 der this plan, it has been found to greatly exceed 
 any other ; the yield, under proper management, 
 from one "generating tub" has been found am- 
 ply sufficient to fill a closely packed barrel with 
 salted pickles, 
 
 MICE-GIRDED TREES, To Save.—C\xi 
 from the trees branches of green wood of the 
 length required to connect the bark above and 
 below the gnawed space, sharpen them at each 
 end in the shape of a wedge, drive a narrow, 
 sharp chisel into the bark above and below the 
 space, and press each end of the shoots firmly 
 into the cuts made by the chisel. Then wax the 
 gnawed space well, or bandage it with fresh ex- 
 crement from the cow stable. Pains must be 
 taken to have the bark on the body of the tree 
 and the bark of the branches driven therein co- 
 incide. Another method is to cover the dam- 
 aged parts with clay, bound on with a bandage, 
 done as soon as possible, as the death of the 
 tree is caused by the seasoning of the sap- 
 wood. 
 
 MILDEW, Sulphur for.— 1)\Q efficacy of 
 sulphur in destroying and preventing mildew is 
 now well known, and it is the chief reliance of 
 the vine-grower, whether he cultivates under 
 glass or in the open air. Where sulphuring is 
 systematically followed, it is applied at least 
 three times — just before the blossoming of the 
 x-ines, after the fruit has set, and when it begins 
 to color ; and, beside these stated periods, it is 
 applied whenever the appearance of mildew in- 
 dicates that it is necessary. The mode of appli- 
 cation, by La Vergne's bellows, is the popular 
 way of applying the sulphur. The bellows may 
 now be obtained at most implement stores. 
 The character of the sulphur is of importance, as 
 much of that found in commerce is liable to con- 
 tain acid, and be injurious to the foliage. Sul- 
 phur contaminated by acid may be detected by 
 the taste, but a more delicate test is litmus pa- 
 per. This is paper stained with a blue dye, 
 which turns red when it is touched by acids ; it 
 is kept by the druggists. The sulphur to be 
 tested is mixed with a little water and the paper 
 wetted with the liquid. If the least trace of the 
 acid be present, it will be indicated by the change 
 in color of the paper. Sometimes sulphur is not 
 sublimed as above described, but the crude 
 lumps are ground to powder in a mill. Sulphur 
 thus prepared is free from acid. 
 
 MILK-ROOM, CJiarcoal *«.— The fact that 
 milk will absorb noxious gases to such an extent 
 as to greatly impair its excellence as well as its 
 healthfulness, is known to every dairyman. The 
 power of absorption is not confined to the milk 
 itself, but it extends to all the products that nat- 
 urally form, or are artificially prepared from it, 
 where they are cream, or butter and cjieese. 
 
 The ill flavor, as well as the disagreeable odor, 
 of much of our butter and cheese, are not im- 
 parted to them from substances that existed in 
 the milk when it was drawn from the cow, but 
 which were taken up while the milk was setting 
 in pans or tanks, during the manufacture into 
 butter and cheese, or while these products of 
 the dairy are awaiting sale. How shall the air 
 that enters our milk- room be purified ? The 
 answer is easily made — use charcoal. This com- 
 mon and inexpensive substance, when freshly 
 prepared, is capable of taking up and securely 
 holding ninety times its volume of ammonia, and 
 a proportionate amount of other gases. Not 
 only does it tightly hold the portions of noxious 
 matter that pass through its meshes, but it also 
 seems to have the property of attracting them 
 from the surrounding air. 
 
 MILK, To Deodorize. — It frequently occurs 
 in the spring, when the farmers are feeding the 
 cows upon ruta-bagas, or turnips, that the milk 
 becomes so strongly impregnated by their disa- 
 greeable taste and odor as to be unfit for butter- 
 making. To obviate this, put a pinch of finely 
 pulverized saltpetre into every gallon of cream. 
 A little saltpetre worked into butter that has be- 
 come sour, or rancid, will render it sweet and 
 palatable. 
 
 MILK, {Richness of) ToTest. —Vxocwtz any 
 long glass vessel — a cologne bottle or long phial. 
 Take a narrow strip of paper, just the length 
 from the neck to the bottom of the phial, and 
 mark it off with one hundred lines at equal dis- 
 tances ; or, if more convenient, and to obtain 
 greater exactness, into fifty lines, and count each 
 as two, and paste it upon the phial, so as to di- 
 vide its length into a hundred equal parts. Fill 
 it to the highest mark with milk fresh from the 
 cow, and allow it to stand in a perpendicular po- 
 sition for twenty-four hours. The number of 
 spaces occupied by the cream will give you its 
 exact per centage in the milk, without any guess 
 work. 
 
 Now, if you wish to carry the experiment any 
 further, and ascertain the per centage of butter, 
 set the milk in a large dish, and collect say one 
 hundred or two hundred ounces of cream ; make 
 your butter in the cream by ascertaining the 
 number of ounces of butter you have made. 
 Thus, if one hundred ounces of cream give five 
 ounces of butter, you will know that one hun- 
 dred ounces of milk will give five ounces of but- 
 ter. 
 
 MILKING IN SILENCE.— k noted dairy- 
 man has said that no talking should be allowed 
 while milking was going on. He had discharged 
 a man because he would interrupt the milking 
 by talking, and in three days the increase of the 
 milk was equal to the man's weekly w.iges. 
 
 MILDEW ON ROSES, To Kill.—Tslix 
 equal parts, by weight, of powdered sulphur and 
 quicklime. Moisten with water, and let the 
 lime slake in contact with tlie sulphur. After 
 the lime is slaked, place the whole in a kettle 
 with plenty of water, and boil it until you get a 
 saturated solution of the sulphuret of lime. 
 This will be transparent and of an amber color, 
 and should be drawn off and preserved in bot- 
 tles for use. A gill of this added to a gallon of 
 water, and applied with a syringe, will kill the 
 mildew without injuring the roses. 
 
 MOTHS, {Codlittg,) To Trap.—Tzkt old 
 cider, or cider vinegar, not very sharp ; put halt 
 
FARM, ORCHARD, GARDEN AND DAIRY. 
 
 Uf 
 
 a pint in some open vessel, and hang it in all 
 parts of the orchard when in bloom — empty fruit 
 jars, or tin oyster cans with the top all off would 
 do. The string holding the vessel should be so 
 placed that it would not turn the water running 
 down the limb into the vinegar or cider. If you 
 have a large crop to harvest, you will want to 
 look to them every week or two to empty and 
 renew if necessary. 
 
 MUSHROOM BEDS, Artt/idal.—'Mnsh- 
 rooms may be grown in pots, boxes, or hamp- 
 ers. Each box may be three feet long, one and 
 a half broad, and seven inches in depth. Let 
 each box be half filled with horse-dung from the 
 stables, (the fresher the better, and if wet to be 
 dried for three or four days before it is put into 
 the boxes ; the dung is to be well beat down in 
 the box. After the second or third day, if any 
 heat has arisen amongst the dung, break each 
 spawn brick into three parts as equally as possi- 
 ble, then lay the pieces about four inches apart 
 upon the surface of the dung in the box ; here 
 they are to lie for six days, when it will probably 
 be found that the side of the spawn next to the 
 dung has begun to run in the dung below ; then 
 add one and a half inch more of fresh dung on 
 the top of the spawn in the box, and beat it 
 down as formerly. In the course of a fortnight, 
 when you find that the spawn has run through 
 the dung, the box will be ready to receive the 
 mould on the top ; this mould must be two and 
 a half inches deep, well beat down, and the sur- 
 face made quite even. In the space of five or 
 six weeks the mushrooms will begin to come up. 
 If then the mould seems dry, give a gentle wa- 
 tering with lukewarm water. The box will con- 
 tinue to produce from six weeks to two months, 
 if duly attended to by giving a little water when 
 dry, for they need neither light nor free air. If 
 cut as button mushrooms, each box will yield 
 from twenty-four to forty-eight pints, according 
 to the season and other circumstances. They 
 may be kept in dry, dark cellars, or any other 
 places where the frost will not reach them ; and 
 by preparing, in s\iccession of boxes, mushrooms 
 may be had all the year through. They may be 
 grown without the dung, and be of a finer fla- 
 vor. Take a little stsaw, and lay it carefully in 
 the bottom of the mushroom-box, about an inch 
 thick, or rather more. Then take some of the 
 spawn bricks and break them down — each brick 
 into about ten pieces, and lay the fragments on 
 the straw, as close to each other as they will lie. 
 Cover them up with mould three and a half 
 inches deep, and well pressed down. When the 
 surface appears dry give a little tepid water, as 
 directed for the last way of raising them ; but 
 this method needs about double the quantity of 
 water that the former does, owing to having no 
 moisture in the bottom, while the other has the 
 dung. The mushrooms will begin to start in a 
 month or five weeks — sometimes sooner, some- 
 times later, according to the heat of the place 
 where the boxes are situated. The spawn bricks 
 may be obtained from seedsmen, or be collected 
 from meadows. 
 
 OA TS. — Oats are chiefly sown after grass ; 
 sometimes upon land not rich enough for wheat, 
 that has been previously summer-fallowed, or 
 has carried turnips ; often after barley, and very 
 rarely after wheat, unless cross-cropping, from 
 particular circumstances, becomes a necessary 
 evil. One plowing is generally given to the 
 
 grass lands, usually in the month of January, so 
 that the benefit of frost may be gained, and the 
 land sufficiently mellowed for receiving the har- 
 row. In some cases a spring furrow is given, 
 when oats succeed wheat or barley, especially 
 when grass seeds are to accompany the crop. 
 The best oats, both in quantity and quality, are 
 always those which succeed grass ; indeed, no 
 kind of grain seems better qualified by nature 
 for foraging upon grass land than oats ; as a full 
 crop is usualljr obtained in the first instance, and 
 the land left m good order for the succeeding 
 crops. 
 
 ONIONS, Cultivation o/.—Tht best soil for 
 onions is a light, loamy, deep, mellow soil, and 
 on a dry bottom. Select ground that has been 
 well tilled and kept clean. If potatoes, turnips, 
 or carrots have been carefully grown on it, it 
 will be likely to be in good condition to prepare 
 for onions. The best crop to prepare ground 
 for onions is onions, but as there must be a first 
 time, let them follow the crop that has had deep 
 plowing, high manuring, and the cleanest culti- 
 vation. Manure the ground heavily with the 
 test thoroughly rotted manure. Put it on at the 
 rate of twenty-five tons to the acre, and it you 
 can add to it the cleanings of the poultry house, 
 the pig pen, and your dry earth closet, and a 
 ton or two of pure finely ground bones, all the 
 better. Onions are gross feeders, and require 
 rich manures, and plenty of them. Old onion- 
 growers say that the very best manure in which 
 to grow large prize onions, size to rule, is well- 
 rotted onions. Pulverize the soil thoroughly by 
 plowing, harrowing, and raking, and make the 
 surface as level as possible, to prevent washing 
 by rains, and free from stones. Sow the seed 
 as early in the spring as it is possible to get the 
 ground in good working condition. The earliest 
 sown produces the heaviest crop. In field cul- 
 tivation the seed is usually sown with a machine 
 used for this purpose only, which sows two rows 
 at once, making the drills and sowing at the one 
 time. In sowing with the machine it will re- 
 quire about four pounds of seed to the acre. If 
 the machine is not used, it will be found conve- 
 nient to run the drills a foot or fifteen inches 
 apart and sow thinly — say not thicker than an 
 inch apart, if the seed be new and fresh. It is 
 very easy to test the vitality of onion seed. 
 Place a little on some damp cotton or a bit of 
 moss in a warm room — say the kitchen ; if it be 
 fresh it will sprout in three or four days. Seed 
 more than one year old is not apt. to produce a 
 vigorous plant. Sow shallow, making a mere 
 scratch in which to drop the seed, and cover by 
 rolling a light roller over the ground, lengthwise 
 of the drills'. As soon as the plants are an inch 
 or two high they will need hoeing and weeding, 
 and should be thinned out to about two inches 
 apart. Hoe shallow, and do not draw the earth 
 up around the plants, but keep the ground level 
 and clean. Hoe before the weeds start, and 
 much time and labor will be saved. If there be 
 a market for very young onions, they may be al- 
 lowed to grow for awhile at two inches apart, 
 thinning out to four inches as fast as needed. 
 If there be no use for them, the onions may be 
 thinned to four inches as soon as the plants seem 
 to be well established. 
 
 In wet seasons onions sometimes grow thick- 
 necked. To remedy this, growers are in the 
 ! habit of gently bending down the tops late in 
 
I4a 
 
 DTCTION'ARY OF E VERY-DAY WANTS. 
 
 July, with the hoc-handle, which checks their 
 growth and makes them form better bulbs. In 
 August or early in September the onions will be 
 ripe, which is indicated by the dying off of the 
 tops. They may now be pulled or raked out, 
 and left spread out to dry in the sun for two or 
 three weeks, by which time they are ready for 
 market, or storing for winter. The same ground 
 will be the best for onions next year, and so for 
 the next twenty-five years, but it will need to be 
 manured every year very heavily, and if a prac- 
 tice is made of saving all the soot from the chim- 
 neys, all the soapsuds from the washtub, and all 
 the slops from the chambers, and spreading it 
 upon the onion patch, the crop of onions will 
 amplv repay all the labor, 
 
 OPIUM CULTURE.— Thz time to com- 
 mence operating upon the seed capsules (seed 
 pods) is soon after the petals have fallen. The 
 way to do this is to take a common two-bladed 
 penknife, or a pocket knife with two blades of 
 equal length, and both at one end of the handle. 
 Slip a piece of cork or wood on to these blades, 
 pushing the point through one-sixteenth of an 
 inch, or more, according to the thickness of the 
 pod shells. The cork guard is to prevent cut- 
 ting the pods too deeply when making the incis- 
 ions, for, if cut through to the seeds, the juice, 
 or a portion of it, will pass inside and be lost. 
 In setting the guard, it is well to cut off a poppy 
 pod and cut it in two ; then arrange the blades 
 so that the cut shall not be too deep. Wind the 
 blades below the guard down to the handle, and 
 the tool is ready for use. The afternoon, or just 
 before evening, is the best time to make the in- 
 cision, as the juice exudes most freely at night. 
 To Cut, take the knife in the right hand, with 
 the edges upward ; then insert the points at the 
 base of the pods, and pass them up nearly to 
 the apex, making a half dozen longitudinal cuts, 
 dividing them equally around the pods. The 
 cuts may also be made around the pods horizon- 
 tally, if more convenient for the operator. The 
 object sought is to wound the pod, which allows 
 the juice or opium to exude. The following day 
 the opium should be gathered, commencing af- 
 ter the dew has dried off — say by 9 or 10 o'clock 
 in the morning. To Gather, take a small and 
 smooth-edged, but not sharp knife, and gather 
 by scraping off the opium from the pods. A 
 small vessel with a sharp edge must be used in 
 which to put the opium as gathered, because it 
 sticks to the knife, and requires some force to 
 separate it therefrom. When a sufficient quan- 
 tity is gathered, it may be pressed into small 
 cakes weighing a pound, more or less, and it is 
 then ready for market. 
 
 ORCHARDS, To Manage.— The whole of 
 the ground of an orchard should be dug in the 
 autumn and laid up in a rough state for the win- 
 ter, giving it as much surface as possible in or 
 der that the weather may fully act upon and me- 
 liorate the soil, thus following it as far as the 
 case will admit. Observe to dig carefully near 
 to the trees, and so as not to hurt their roots and 
 fibres. If the soil be shallow, and if these lie 
 near to the surface, it would be advisable to dig 
 with a fork instead of the spade. 
 
 Crop to within two feet of the trees the first 
 year, a yard the second, four feet the third, and 
 so on until finally relinquished ; which, of 
 course, would be against the eighth year, pro- 
 vided the trees were planted at thirty or forty 
 
 feet apart, with early bearing sorts between. 
 By this time, if the kinds have been well chosen, 
 the temporary trees will be in full bearing, and 
 will forthwith defray every necessary expense. 
 
 PARSNIPS, To i^flw^.— Select a heavy, but 
 clean and rich, loam. Plow it deep, and har- 
 row it thoroughly as early as it can be worked ; 
 mark off in rows fifteen inches apart, and drill 
 in the seed or sow by hand. Use plenty of the 
 seed, two or three to the inch, and be sure it is 
 fresh. Go through the rows with a pronged 
 hoe, or other implement, as soon as they can be 
 distinguished. When large enough, thin thi 
 plants to stand four or five inches apart, and be 
 sure that they stand singly. Keep the land very 
 clean by frequent hoeing. 
 
 PEACH TREES, Management (7/.— Seed- 
 ling trees are the longest livers, most prolific and 
 most profitable. Secure a good variety of pits 
 which produce the same kind of fruit — these are 
 rare. Plant pits where you desire your trees to 
 remain, or, if transplanted, they should be of 
 the first year's growth. After your trees have 
 attained to a proper size, cut back, and prevent 
 their bearing ; this will cause the roots to spread 
 in the soil, and will add to the longevity of the 
 tree. Trees which send down one large root 
 and small fibrous roots, will soon become cov- 
 ered with moss and die. Use coal ashes and 
 soap suds plentifully, and if you wish to keep the 
 trees from blooming early, spread manure, coal 
 ashes or sawdust deeply upon the roots when 
 the ground is hardest frozen, and do not remove 
 till late in the spring. (This has been sold as a 
 great secret. ) The largest roots of a peach tree 
 will be found upon the north and west sides. 
 Branches grow fastest toward the south and the 
 east. 
 
 PEACH BORER, To Destroy.— Ont method 
 is to bank up to the height of from 8 to 10 inch- 
 es, adding a little each successive spring. This, 
 it is said, will prevent the depredations of the 
 peach borer. Another is the use of scalding 
 water. Early each spring scrape around the 
 trees with a large knife on the morning of 
 " washing day." When the washing is done, 
 take buckets full of boiling suds into the or- 
 chard, and dash the trees just where the trunks 
 join the ground. In this way thousands of lit- 
 tle worms are scalded to death. Another is by 
 the use of carbolic acid soap, and lastly by pot- 
 ash, as follows : 
 
 PEACH TREES, Potash for.—V)x. George 
 B. Wood, President of the American Philo- 
 sophical Society, having noticed that his peach 
 trees, after producing a few crops, ceased bear- 
 ing, and died in a few years, and believing that 
 the cause of decay was worms at the roots of the 
 tree, put into operation a plan for the destruc- 
 tion of the worms. He dug holes five or six 
 inches deep at the base of the stem, scraped 
 away all worms that could be found, and filled 
 up with wood ashes fresh from the stove, which, 
 of course, contained all the potash. This was 
 done in the autumn, and with a result in the fol- 
 lowing spring at which he was astonished. The 
 trees appeared to have been restored to all their 
 early freshness and vigor — put forth bright green 
 leaves, blossomed copiously, and bore a heavy 
 crop of fruit. 
 
 PEARS. — The best soil for the pear is a mod- 
 erately heavy, sandy, and dry soil, with a sub- 
 soil of light clay which is easily penetrated by 
 
FARM, ORCHARD, GARDET^ AND DAIRY. 
 
 143 
 
 the roots to a great depth ; a moderate portion 
 of iron in the soil is desirable. The best situa- 
 tion is an undulating eastern or southern expo- 
 sure. The best fertilizers, as in the case of the 
 apple, are barn-yard manure, lime, and bone- 
 dust. Iron cinders are a good application when 
 there is a deficiency of that element in the soil. 
 
 PEANUT CULTURE.— 1\. requires about 
 two bushels to plant an acre. Well cured seeds 
 are essential. The soil selected should be fri- 
 able and light; red or chocolate-colored soils 
 stain the nuts and impair their value. Land 
 that has been in corn, or other hoed crops, ex- 
 cept sweet potatoes, is preferred, and if it has 
 not been heavily marled for previous crops, may 
 be dressed with 150 bushels of marl or 50 bush- 
 els of lime to the acre. These may be sown 
 broadcast or strewed in the furrow over whioh 
 the beds are to be raised. The soil of a peanut 
 farm requires to be continually renewed by very 
 heavy dressings of marsh mud, woods litter and 
 lime, and the putting of a piece of land in order 
 for a single crop costs a good deal more per 
 acre than is required to purchase good cotton 
 land in the South. It is a very exhausting crop 
 — it is therefore customary not to take a crop of 
 peanuts from land oftener than once in threa 
 years. 
 
 PRUNING. — The practice of indiscriminate 
 lopping off of limbs, large and small, is the 
 cause of disease and a weakening of the consti- 
 tution of the tree, which in numberless cases 
 leads to premature death. It has been found in 
 nine cases out of every ten, where a branch of 
 considerable size had been taken off it would 
 leave a rotten spot in the tree. In a great many 
 varieties of the apple tree, where any incision is 
 made in the tree, there is a liability to decay and 
 rot. The tree may, and perhaps in most cases 
 will, heal over this, but a diseased spot is left 
 in the tree, and hence to that extent is left in an 
 unhealthy state. And the more these spots are 
 multiplied, the more is the tree weakened and 
 diseased. 
 
 PLANTS, HOUSE.— S&Q "Gardening— 
 (Window)." 
 
 PLANTS, {House) LICE ON, To Destroy. 
 — Take some of the common fine-cut smoking 
 tobacco, strong, and sprinkle it over the top of 
 the earth about the plant, and keep the plant 
 well watered. The strength of the tobacco now 
 passes through the earth and about the roots, 
 and is just as sure to kill all creeping things as 
 it is used and is a great benefit to the plant. 
 These worms, etc., die, and with the strength of 
 the tobacco form a most valuable manure for the 
 plant, and those using it will find that the plant 
 will soon show much more vigor and begin to 
 grow very fast. 
 
 PLANTS, Boxes for Starting. — There is not 
 any better for this purpose than paper boxes. 
 To make these boxes, cut strips of thick paper 
 about 6 inches wide and 17 long; paste the ends 
 together, lapping an inch, which will make a 
 circle 16 inches in circumference ; then press the 
 sides of the circle together flat, and double once, 
 making a book of four uncut leaves ; now open 
 with the fingers, pinch down the corners prop- 
 erly, and a bottomless box 4 inches square is the 
 result. Place as many of these as are needed 
 close together in a wooden box, fill with earth, 
 and sow seeds or prick out the plants. It is 
 best not to have the box that holds the paper 
 
 ones so high by 2 inches as they are, as the pa- 
 
 Eer then does not decay so rapidly as in higher 
 oxes, and holds the earth together better in 
 transplanting. 
 
 PLANTS, {Outdoor,) LABELS FOR.— A. 
 convenient method of preparing outdoor labels 
 for plants, capable of resisting weather, consists 
 in first cutting them out of smooth pasteboard, 
 and writing upon them whatever may be desired 
 in ordinary ink. When this is dry they are im- 
 mersed in linseed soil, or, what is still better, 
 linseed-oil varnish, until they are completely 
 permeated by the liquid ; after which they are 
 hung in the open air upon threads to dry ; they 
 become like iron, and resist wet for a long time, 
 and are more durable than slips of metal. 
 
 PLUM, THE.— The plum tree is hardy, and 
 requires but little attention ; it bears abundantly, 
 and maybe considered a sure crop when the soil 
 suits. The best for it is a stiff clay, which is 
 not suitable to the habits of the curculio, the 
 great enemy of the plum. 
 
 POTA TOES, Eart-Ziing Up.—li has been de- 
 monstrated that earthing up potatoes diminishes 
 the product, and retards the ripening of the tu- 
 bers. Long experiments in England have fully 
 proved this fact — that hilling up the potato will 
 reduce the crop one-fourth. 
 
 POTA TOES, RAISING, Under Straw.— 
 We give an experiment in raising potatoes under 
 straw, by a noted agriculturist : "I fitted the 
 ground as for planting in the old way, by mark- 
 ing rows one way, three feet apart, and dropped 
 the potatoes on the mark from eighteen inches 
 to two feet apart, covering them slightly with 
 soil. I then covered to about the depth of ten 
 inches with old straw, and did nothing more 
 with them. When the crop was ripe I raked off 
 the straw, and raked out the potatoes, which 
 were mostly on the surface, looking very nice, 
 fresh and large. The result was, I had at the 
 rate of one hundred and eighty-six bushels per 
 acre ; while the yield from those planted the old 
 way in drills, and cultivated on ground by the 
 side of them, was only seventy-five bushels per 
 acre, which was rather small for this section, 
 owing to the dry season. The soil is a sandy 
 loam." 
 
 POTATOES, SWEET.— The first week in 
 June is quite early enough to set out sweet po- 
 tatoes in northern localities. Where but a very 
 few are grown, it is much easier and cheaper to 
 buy the plants than it is to start them. They 
 carry readily by express. In preparing the soil, 
 put upon the level surface a strip of fine manure 
 a foot wide, and turn two furrows over it to form 
 a ridge. Dress up the ridge with the spade, 
 and set the plants about fifteen inches apart. 
 Unless the soil is moist, water the holes before 
 setting the plants, which should be set well 
 down, so that the stalk of the first leaf is cov- 
 ered. Press the soil firmly around the plants — 
 much of the success will depend upon this. 
 Should the tops wilt and dry up, a new shoot 
 will spring up if the plant has been set deep 
 enough. The sides of the ridges should be kept 
 free of weeds by the proper use ol the rake. 
 The vines will soon get so large as to smother 
 most of the weeds. 
 
 POTATO ROT, Bamet's Certain Prevent- 
 ive for the. — Sow unleached ashes over the field 
 once a week for six or seven weeks, commencing 
 soon after the second hoeing. Apply two or 
 
144 
 
 DICTIONARY OF E VERY-DA Y WANTS. 
 
 three bushels to the acre, using care to dust the 
 tops well. 
 
 POTATO BUG, {Colorado,) To Destroy.— 
 A great many preparations have been invented 
 to destroy this marauder on the potato fields. 
 The principal ingredient in all is the powdered 
 paint known as Paris green. Its poisonous ef- 
 fect upon the plant is obviated by the admixture 
 of other ingredients. The Paris green, accord- 
 ing to price, is more or less pure. If unadulte- 
 rated, it should be mixed with four, five, or six 
 times the quantity of meal, flour, ashes, calcined 
 plaster and lime. The more it can be diluted, 
 without destroying its efficacy, so much the less 
 expensive it will be, and the less injurious to the 
 vines, and also the less dangerous to the op- 
 erator. 
 
 PLOWING AND HARROWING.— l^&v&r 
 plow, if it can be avoided, or ^o on the ground 
 for any purpose, when it is wet and sticky ; keep 
 the furrows straight, and, if "possible, reverse 
 them at every plowing, so ^s to keep the land 
 level. To fill in furrows, b^ck-furrow pretty 
 widely once around, and haitl once around very 
 wide; this will generally be sufficient. Harrow 
 soon after plowing, and before the lumps, if any, 
 get dried hard ; twice over with the teeth down, 
 and once with the back of the harrow, will pre- 
 pare the land for ordinary crops. 
 
 PLOWS, {Rusty,) To C/mw.— Take a quart 
 of water and pour slowly into it half a pint of 
 sulphuric acid. (The mixture will become quite 
 warm from chemical action, and this is the rea- 
 son why the acid should be poured slowly into 
 water, rather than the water into the acid.) 
 Wash the mould-board (or any other iron that is 
 rusty) with this weak acid, and let it remain on 
 the iron until it evaporates. Then wash it once 
 ' more. The object is to give time for the acid to 
 dissolve the rust. Then wash with water, and 
 you will see where the worst rusty spots are. 
 Apply some more acid, and rub those spots with 
 a brick. The acid and the scouring will remove 
 most of the rust. Then wash the mould-board 
 thoroughly with water, to remove all the acid, 
 and rub it dry. 'Brush it over with, petroleum 
 or other oil, and let it be until spring. When 
 you go to plowing, take a bottle of the acid wa- 
 ter to the field, and apply it frequently to any 
 spots of rust that may remain. The acid and 
 the scouring of the earth will soon make it very 
 bright and smooth. 
 
 PUMPKINS Amongst CC^iV.— Almost all 
 " old-fashioned farmers" take a crop of pump- 
 kins off their corn fields, much to the annoyance 
 of the theorist who demonstrates to his entire 
 satisfaction that the one crop must detract from 
 the full force of the other. But the most careful 
 experiments show no loss to the corn. The very 
 tcijic weight results from an acre, with or with- 
 out the pumpkins. 
 
 QUINCES, To Cultivate. — ^The quince ap- 
 pears to flourish best on a rather stiff and moist 
 soil, in somewhat sheltered locations. Get the 
 '• Orange" variety. See that they are entirely 
 free of the borer before planting. Set eight feet 
 apart in rich soil. Bandage the stem with two 
 or three wrappings of muslin, or any kind of 
 cloth, as far down in the ground as possible, as 
 the roots start from near the surface. Let this 
 bandage run six or eight inches above ground, 
 then pile the soil compactly a couple of inches 
 around the bandage, and renew this early every 
 
 spring. Fine, large golden quinces, rivaling the 
 largest oranges, will reward your efforts, annu- 
 ally. 
 
 .Should the borer by any means steal in, the 
 same plan may be adopted for its destruction as 
 in the apple. Should they, however, get the ad- 
 vantage of you, and your trees become honey- 
 combed, set out again young trees, so that by 
 the time the old ones are gone the young ones 
 will be finely in bearing. 
 
 RADISHES. — It is said that, when radishes 
 cannot be grown on account of worms or unsuit- 
 able soil, if common wheat bran be strewed one 
 inch thick on any good soil, well hoed in, and 
 the seed is then planted, perfect radishes will re- 
 sult. 
 
 RAIN, To Produce. — Rain is such a neces- 
 sity to the success of crops, that whatever will 
 aicf its occasional appearance should be culti- 
 vated. It has been proved without doubt that 
 trees do this, for it has been noticed that wher- 
 ever the country has been denuded of its forests 
 rains gradually become more infrequent, and 
 that in parts of the country where formerly there 
 was little or no rain — as on the western prairies 
 — and trees have afterward been planted, occa- 
 sional and copious rains have always resulted. 
 Farmers should be guided by this fact. 
 
 RASPBERRIES.— Raspberry canes, when 
 set out, should be planted three feet apart in the 
 row, and the rows three and a half to four feet 
 apart. Cut down the canes to within six inches 
 of the ground and set firmly. Prefer a rather 
 moist spot for them, and if in the shade a por- 
 tion of the day so much the better. They can 
 be planted under fruit trees, where scarcely any- 
 thing else will grow, and the berry will be much 
 larger and finer. They like a cool, moist soil, 
 kept so by liberal mulching with leaves, light 
 manure, or any trash, and if a foot in depth it is 
 an advantage. 
 
 RENNET (also called ^m««^/.)— The Bava- 
 rian mode of curing consists in turning out the 
 contents of the skin of the stomach, wiping off 
 all specks or dirt with a cloth, and then blowing 
 up the skin or filling it with air like a bladder. 
 The ends are tied with a string, and a little salt 
 applied to this part only. The skin, treated in 
 this way, soon dries perfectly, and is as sweet 
 and clean as can be desired. Salt neutralizes in 
 some degree the action of rennet, therefore the 
 rennets treated on the Bavarian plan are much 
 more effective than those cured in the old way. 
 When the rennets cured on this plan are dry, the 
 air may be expelled, and the skins can be packed 
 away in a small space, and are easily kept clear 
 of insects. The defect in salted rennets is, that 
 the salt in wet weather accumulates dampness, 
 and, if care is not taken to keep them in a dry 
 place, they drip, and thus lose their strength. 
 
 RENNET, Mode of ;7j<?.— The way to use 
 rennet is to cut off a bit of suitable size (a piece 
 an inch square is large enough to coagulate sev- 
 eral gallons of milk) and soak it for some hours 
 in water; then add the whole to the milk, a lit- 
 tle warmed. The mixture is now very gradually 
 heated to something above blood-heat, or about 
 120". Very soon it undergoes a great change, 
 and a solid white curd is separated from the 
 whey. 
 
 RHUBARB, Transplanting.— kW rhubarb 
 plants ought to have af heavy dressing of manure 
 every spring, to be forked in, and two or three 
 
FARM, ORCHARD, GARDEN AND DAIRY. 
 
 145 
 
 lioeings through the season to keep down all the 
 weeds. It is a great point to have the stalks ten- 
 der, and to secure this they ought to be grown 
 rapidly under stimulating manures or a warm, 
 rich soil. The ground before setting out ought 
 to be plowed thoroughly and subsoiled or trench- 
 ed deeply, and, if necessary, drained. Turn un- 
 der a plenty of well-rotted manure, at the rate 
 of at least sixty dr seventy horse cart loads to 
 the acre, for the greater the quantity of manure, 
 the larger and finer will the rhubarb grow, and 
 the larger and finer it is the more it will bring. 
 RHUBARB, Transplanting.— Rhnhdixh roots 
 require replanting occasionally. If the stools 
 remain undisturbed for several years, they often 
 commence to decay in the centre, and after a 
 while the whole plant becomes diseased. Every 
 four or five years the stalks should be lifted and 
 divided, leaving but one large crown, with its 
 accompanying roots attached. These may be 
 again planted in the same soil, or upon some 
 fresh plat, the latter method being preferable, 
 although we are not a very strong disciple of the 
 theory that plants run out if grown for many 
 years in the same soil. 
 
 ROCKS, To Remove.— Sq& " Boulders." 
 
 R YE, To Cultivate. — Rye ought never to be 
 sown upon wet soils, nor even upon sandy soils 
 where the subsoil is of a retentive nature. Upon 
 downs, links, and all soft lands which have re- 
 ceived manure, this grain thrives in perfection, 
 and, if once covered in, will stand a drought af- 
 terwards that would consume any other of the 
 culmiferous tribe. The several processes may 
 be regarded as nearly the same with those an- 
 swering for wheat, with the single exception of 
 pickling, which rye does not require. Rye may 
 be sown either in winter or spring, though the 
 winter-seeded fields are generally bulkiest and 
 most productive. It may succeed either sum- 
 mer fallow, clover or turnips ; even after oats 
 good crops have been raised, and where such 
 crops have been raised the land will always be 
 found in good condition. 
 
 SAGE, To Cultivate. — Put it out in rows 
 two feet apart, and the plants a foot apart in the 
 rovTS. Cultivate and keep clean ; it does well in 
 sandy soil. Dry in the shade. Put up in square 
 pound packages hard pressed. 
 
 SEED, How to Select. — It is of very great 
 importance that the farmer, whose desire it is to 
 have splendid grain and root crops, be very care- 
 ful in his choice and selection of seed. He will 
 see to it that they are large, plump, perfect, and 
 of uniform size. In the selection of many seeds 
 it will pay the farmer to carefully examine with 
 a powerful magnifying glass, and reject all that 
 do not meet the above requirements. 
 
 SEED CORN. — In shelling corn for seed, 
 discard the buts and tips, using only the central 
 portion of each ear, as the early blade and root 
 are in size in proportion to the kernel used ; and 
 a plant from the large grains of the centre of the 
 ear will get the start and keep ahead of the 
 small ones from the tip. And especially select 
 from ears that have the grains as near uniformly 
 large as possible. 
 
 SEED BARLEY.— Thshcst is that which 
 is free from blackness at the tail, and is of a pale 
 lively yellow, intermixed with a bright, whitish 
 cast, and if the rind should be a little shrivelled, 
 so much the better, as it indicates a very thin 
 skin. 
 
 SEED OA TS. — Place your oats in a heap 
 at the leeward end of the threshing floor on a 
 day when a gentle breeze is blowing through the 
 barn. Take a common wooden flour-scoop, and 
 throw the oats against the wind, towards the 
 other end. of the floor. A few minutes' experi- 
 ence will enable you to throw them so that they 
 will fall in a semi-circle at a nearly uniform dis- 
 tance from where you stand. The oats which 
 fall farthest from you are the best for seed, and 
 are to be carefully swept together as fast as they 
 accumulate in considerable quantities. 
 
 SEED ROTA TOES.— Be careful to secure 
 large, sound, and well-ripened seed; cut the 
 large potato into pieces of one eye. Begin at 
 the butt end ; cut towards the centre, leaving a 
 due proportion of the potato with each eye. Po- 
 tatoes inadvertently left undug, if they do not 
 freeze during winter, inyariably produce sound 
 ones, larger and more abundant than those kept 
 in the cellar through winter. This has lately 
 suggested the plan of keeping potatoes excluded 
 from the air from the time oi digging and plant- 
 ing, which has been found to invariably prevent 
 rot. 
 
 SEED IFf/EA T— Seed wheat should not 
 only be thoroughly cleaned from the seeds of 
 weeds, but small grains should be taken out with 
 a separator or suitable fanning mill, leaving only 
 the largest, plumpest, and earliest ripened ker- 
 nels. 
 
 SEED, Hoxo to Test the Vitality of.— By plac- 
 ing almost any of the larger seeds and grains on 
 a hot pan or griddle, where the vitality is per- 
 fect the grain will pop, or crack open with more 
 or less noise. Where the vitality is defective or 
 lost, it lies immovable in the vessel. 
 
 SEED, To Improve All Sorts.— <ZVax\es Mil- 
 ler, son of the celebrated botanist, published a 
 recipe for fertilizing seed, and tried it on wheat, 
 by mixing lime, nitre, and pigeon's dung in wa- 
 ter, and therein steeping the seed. The produce 
 of some of these grains is stated at sixty, sev- 
 enty, and eighty stems, many of the ears five 
 inches long, and fifty corns each, and none less 
 than forty. 
 
 SLUGS AND SNAILS.— These are great 
 enemies to every kind of garden plant, whether 
 flower or vegetable ; they wander in the night to 
 feed, and return at daylight to their haunts; the 
 shortest and surest direction is : " Rise early, 
 catch them, and kill them." If you are an early 
 riser, you may cut them off from their day re- 
 treats, or you may lay cabbage leaves about the 
 ground, especially on the beds which they fre- 
 quent. Every morning examine these leaves, 
 and you will find a great many taking refuge be- 
 neath ; if they plague you very much, search 
 for their retreat, which you can find by their 
 slimy track, and hunt there for them day by day. 
 Lime and salt are very annoying to snails and 
 slugs ; a pinch of salt kills them, and they will 
 not touch fresh lime ; it is a common practice to 
 sprinkle lime over young crops, and along the 
 edges of beds, about rows of peas and beans, 
 lettuces and other vegetables ; but when it has 
 been on the ground some days, or has been 
 moistened by rain, it loses its strength. 
 
 SMUT IN WHEAT, Remedy /;/.— Soak 
 the seed wheat in brine, and then dust it with 
 unslaked lime. This will prove a perfect pre- 
 vention. 
 
 SORGHUM CULTURE.— The soil anddi-. 
 
 10 
 
X4fi 
 
 DICTIONARY OF EVERY-DAY WANTS. 
 
 mate suitable for the cultivation of corn is well 
 adapted to the growth of sorghum, but a rich up- 
 land loam will yield the richest juice. The land 
 should be well worked, and kept clean, it requi- 
 ring about the same treatment as com. It may 
 be either planted in hills or drills. As the cane 
 is a very deep-rooted plant, it is very essential 
 that the land should be made mellow to a good 
 depth, but the seed should be covered very shal- 
 low, not more than half inch deep. It should 
 be planted about the same time as corn. The 
 young plants when they first come up look like 
 blades of fall grass ; they are of slow growth and 
 feeble appearance for some time, or until the hot 
 weather of July and August, when the plants 
 will go far ahead of corn in a rank and healthy 
 growth. It appears to delight in hot, dry weath- 
 er, as its roots penetrate deep. Drouth does not 
 affect it as it does corn ; it is surprising to see at 
 what a rate it will develop itself after the hot 
 weather has come. It is also very hardy, and 
 may be transplanted with entire safety. There 
 is a difference of opinion in regard to keeping 
 the suckers pulled off. Experience shows that, 
 although we may lose a little in quantity, it is 
 more than made up in the quality of the syrup ; 
 therefore have a deep, mellow soil for the roots 
 to penetrate in search of food by thoroughly cul- 
 tivating it during the early stage of its growth ; 
 but avoid deep plowing after the cane has once 
 acquired considerable size, as the roots then fill 
 the ground, and if severed the plants are greatly 
 dwarfed ; keep the suckers off, and be sure and 
 not let a weed show its head. 
 
 SORREL, To Renitnre. This field pest may 
 be eradicated by the judicious application of ei- 
 ther lime or ashes. The souring principle of 
 sorrel is oxalic acid ; if this be removed from the 
 soil, sorrel cannot grow. Lime or potash unite 
 with the oxalic acid, forming oxalate of lime or 
 potash. These substances are sometimes called 
 sweeteners of the soil, from their ability to re- 
 move acids from it. Sorrel will never grow on 
 lime soil. 
 
 SQUASH, Cultivation of. — ^The squash, be- 
 ing a tropical vegetable, requires much care and 
 attention in northern latitudes in order to be cul- 
 tivated with success. Of all the varieties tested, 
 the " Hubbard" has proved to be the very best 
 for winter. The planting should be done as 
 early in the spring as possible after the weather 
 becomes sufficiently warm, so that there will be 
 no danger of frost nipping the young plants, as 
 they are very tender. A few hills can be plant- 
 ed earlier, and covered with hay or straw when 
 there is danger of frost ; in fact, if the season is 
 late, it will pay well to plant a goodly patch and 
 protect them in that way, for a very few young 
 plants will cover a wide space of ground when 
 old. 
 
 The land should be made deep and rich, the 
 richer the better, particularly in the hills ; the 
 best manure being composted hen-droppings. 
 The soil should contain a sufficient amount of 
 sand to make it quick and warm, and a piece of 
 land should be selected sloping well to the south 
 so that the rays of the spring sun can be quickly 
 felt by the young plants. 
 
 Plant in rows at least l6 feet apart, in hills 
 from 8 to lo feet ; putting from 2 to 3 seeds in 
 a hill, and when well started tiiin out to I plant. 
 Cultivate thoroughly all the ground between the 
 rows, as well as around the plants, until the vines 
 
 cover the ground. If the above hints are fol- 
 lowed a good crop will result. 
 
 STRAWBERRY CULTURE.~Tox this 
 fruit the most suitable soil is light and sandy. 
 It may be enriched by ashes, bone, barnyard 
 manure, etc. The plants should be set one foot 
 apart, in rows two feet from each other. Put 
 in the young plants from the middle of August 
 to the middle of September. Keep the ground 
 mellow and free from weeds. In the following 
 spring manure and hoe the ground well, to keep 
 it moist and firee from weeds. With such care, 
 a quart of fruit has sometimes been picked from 
 one plant, the next season after planting. Some 
 cultivators prefer to cut off all the blossoms the 
 first spring, so as to strengthen the plants for 
 growth. 
 
 STRAWBERRY PLANTS, Protecting.^ 
 In latitudes where snows fall about the first of 
 December, and remain on the ground all winter, 
 no other protection to strawberry plants is need- 
 ed; but in all other sections of the country, some 
 slight covering is necessary, as poor hay, straw, 
 leaves, or the coarse barn-yard litter, that is al- 
 ways thrown out of stables with manure. For 
 garden plats of plants barn-yard litter, mixed 
 with manure, is the best protection that can be 
 used, acting as a fertilizer at the same time, by 
 being drenched with rain. In field cultivation of 
 strawberries, near the ocean, salt hay makes a 
 cheap and good protection. Rye straw is very 
 good, but more expensive than salt hay. The 
 plants should be covered but shghtly, about two 
 inches deep with whatever may be used. If it 
 is put on thicker there is liability to smother the 
 plants. Early in December is a good time to 
 mulch strawberry plants, if not done before. 
 
 STUMPS, To Remove.— One method is as 
 follows : In the fall of the year bore a i inch 
 hole 18 inches deep into the centre of the stump 
 and put in an ounce of saltpetre, filling up with 
 water, and plugging the hole up. In the spring 
 take out the plug, put in half a gill of kerosene 
 and set fire to it. It will burn the stump out to 
 its farthest root. Here is another plan : In the 
 fall, with an inch auger bore a hole in the centre 
 of the stump 10 inches deep, and put into it a 
 ^ lb. of oil of vitriol, and cork the hole up very 
 tight. In the spring the whole stump and roots 
 extending all through their ramifications wiU be 
 found so rotten that they can be easily eradi- 
 
 S TUMP MACHINE {Home Maeie.)—T2kt 
 3 pieces of common joists, put them together in 
 form like the common harrow, letting the taper- 
 ing ends lap by each other some 6 inches, mak- 
 ing a place for the chain to rest in. Cut off the 
 roots at any distance you please from the stump, 
 place the machine on one side of the stump, ta-^ 
 pering end up ; hitch the chain on the opposite 
 side and pass it over the machine ; then hitch a 
 good yoke of oxen thereto, and you will see the 
 stump rise. 
 
 SUBSOILINC— The subsoil plow has now 
 become one of the most important implements 
 upon the farm. It is used to run in the bottom 
 of the furrow before the potato is dropped, to 
 loosen the earth under the seed, to admit the air, 
 and after the potatoes are up a one-horse subsoU 
 plow is run between the rows, and, when prop- 
 erly done, it is equal to trenching with a spade. 
 It is also run between the rows of corn, when 
 the corn is about four inches high. This will 
 
FARM, ORCHARD, GARDEN AND DAIRY. 
 
 U7 
 
 lift the soil slightly, and also the young corn 
 plants, but will not separate the particles of 
 earth from the roots. This will be a more thor- 
 ough disturbance of the soil than a dozen hoe- 
 ings, and will permit the corn roots to descend 
 in search of food. In raising carrots, beets and 
 turnips, in heavy ground, it is almost indispen- 
 sable. 
 
 SUGAR, New Mode of Making. — A new way 
 of extracting the juice from sugar cane has been 
 practiced at Aska, in India, during the past few 
 years. It is founded upon what is known as the 
 " diffusion" process of extracting the saccharine 
 matter from beet roots, and which is in use in 
 about one hundred and fifty beet sugar factories 
 in Europe ; it consists substantially in washing 
 out the sugary juice by soaking in water. The 
 cane is cut by machinery into thin transverse 
 slices, which, when treated with water, yield a 
 bright yellow liquid, that on boiling yields very 
 little scum, and which, provided the cane be ful- 
 ly ripe and in good condition, does not require 
 to be filtered through animal charcoal, but can 
 be transferred at once to the evaporators and 
 vacuum pans for the fabrication of a good grade 
 of raw sugar. 
 
 SUNFLO IVER, The.—1\A sunflower is very 
 useful. Its leaves soon become large enough to 
 be used as a covering for young cabbage and to- 
 mato plants. Its stem affords an excellent hop 
 or bean pole, and when dead in the fall, if cut 
 up and kept dry, it answers well for kindling- 
 wood. The leaves can be plucked off through 
 the summer without injury to the plant, and then 
 dried for fodder, or feed green to milch-cows or 
 horses. Its seeds make a fine oil, or chicken 
 feed. It is said to be an absorbent of malaria, 
 and is often cultivated as a preventive of fevers 
 near dwellings that occupy low places. Plant 
 in drills 4 feet apart, and 18 inches in the drill, 
 requiring 2 quarts of seed per acre. Many of 
 the stalks grow 16 feet high. They want rich 
 land. From 8 to 10 tons of leaves have been 
 gathered from an acre. The first leaves are gen- 
 erally pulled in July, going up 3 or 4 feet high. 
 The next pulling is as high as a man can reach, 
 putting a dozen bundles in a shock, as soon as 
 the seed glazes. In winter the seed is threshed 
 with a flail, the main heads reserved for seed, 
 and the small ones threshed separately. The 
 main heads gave thirty-one bushels per acre, and 
 the small ones sixteen bushels — forty-seven per 
 acre. 
 
 THISTLES, CANADA.— Ho effectually 
 destroy Canada thistles, allow them to grow un- 
 til about the middle of June ; their vitality has 
 then greatly expended itself; then plow the land 
 deeply and well, and afterwards harrow fine and 
 level ; then, and during the remainder of the 
 season, horse-hoe with such a horse-hoe that 
 cannot possibly miss one top of a thistle, first 
 one way, then across, and again, until the sea- 
 son for growth has entirely gone by. Another 
 method is, after the land is well saturated with 
 moisture, draw them by hand with stout gloves, 
 with a piece of old-sacking sewed over the palm, 
 to prevent the plant from slipping when the 
 gloves become wet. With a very little care, the 
 thistle may be drawn with 6 or 8 inches of the 
 root ; and you will be rid of the nuisance in two 
 seasons. 
 
 TIAfBER, To Test the Soundness of. — Large 
 trees of \'aluable timber are frequently unsound 
 
 — either hollow, "dozy," or full of cracks at the 
 butt-end, even when the external appearance in- 
 dicates a good condition of the interior or heart. 
 This is particularly the case with white-oak tim- 
 ber. Large and valuable trees have frequently 
 been purchased at an exorbitant price for some 
 special purpose. But when the woodman's ax 
 had made a kerf half-way to the middle of the 
 butt, the interior was found to be dozy or hol- 
 low, rendering the timber wholly worthless for 
 the purposes intended. 
 
 In order to determine whether the heart of a 
 tree is defective, without cutting into it with an 
 ax, the most expeditious way is to bore into the 
 butt, say one foot from the surface of the ground, 
 with a two-inch auger, drawing out the chips 
 frequently for examination. In case the tree is 
 of so large dimensions that the heart cannot be 
 reached with an auger of ordinary length, an 
 iron rod one or more feet long may be attached, 
 either by welding, or by means of a socket made 
 in the rod to fit the shank of the auger. An au- 
 ger-hole near the ground will not injure a tree 
 for timber, except in case it is to be employed 
 for sleigh-runners or for ship-building. 
 
 TIMBER, Best Time for Cutting.— Tht 
 best time to cut timber is in midsummer, just 
 after the sap has ceased to flow upward, when 
 the leaf is fully formed. Some contend that 
 midwinter is equally as good, but while contend- 
 ing that timber cut in midsummer lasts well, we 
 may say from experience, and according to the 
 authorities on the subject, that the former time 
 is best. Again, by cutting in midsummer, the 
 bark can be stripped off and saved, which, in 
 many localities, is a matter of great importance. 
 This is a difficult thing to do in winter, as then 
 it clings closely to the wood. 
 
 TRANSPLANTING.— The frozen-ball way 
 of removing ornamental trees is preferred by a 
 great many to all others for some purposes. It 
 is well adapted to evergreens growing wild, if 
 they are of much size. In order that it may be 
 easily and expeditiously performed, preparations 
 should be made in autumn, or before the ground 
 freezes hard, by digging a trench in the shape of 
 a circle about every tree a foot deep, or as far 
 down as the frost penetrates, and then filling 
 these trenches with dead leaves, which are gen- 
 erally very abundant indeed at that time of the 
 year in the borders of woods, or wherever these 
 trees are sought. 
 
 The leaves will prevent the trenches from ever 
 freezing in winter, and the earth within them 
 being frozen hard, the trees are easily loosened 
 and tipped over, and may then be readily trans- 
 ferred to sleds and conveyed to their place of 
 destination, where holes, dug at the same time 
 that the trenches were made, and similarly filled 
 with leaves if convenient, or left open and froze, 
 may receive them. If holes and balls are both 
 frozen hard, and are nearly equal in size, the 
 first thaw will soften the ball and give it a close ^ 
 fit. But it is rather better to keep the hole un- / 
 frozen, so that the balls may be snugly imbedded / 
 in the mellow earth when placed there. / 
 
 TRANSPLANTING, Position of J^w.c— The I 
 theory has been broached that trees bend toward 
 the east, and that in transplanting them care 
 should be taken to set them in the same' position, 
 relative to the points of the compass, that they 
 had before transplanting. 
 
 TRANSPLANTING During the Night.— 
 
148 
 
 DICTIONARY OF E VERY-DAY WANTS. 
 
 A gentleman, anxious to ascertain the effect of 
 transplanting at night, instead of by day, made 
 an experiment with the following results : He 
 transplanted ten cherry trees while in bloom, 
 commencing at four o'clock in the morning. 
 Those transplanted during the daylight shed 
 their blossoms, producing little or no fruit, while 
 those planted in the dark maintained their con- 
 dition fully. He did the same with ten dwarf 
 trees, after the fruit was one-third grown. Those 
 transplanted during the day shed their fruit; 
 those transplanted during the night perfected 
 their crop, and showed no injury from having 
 been removed. With each of these trees he re- 
 moved some earth with the roots. The inci- 
 dent is fully vouched for, and if a few more sim- 
 ilar experiments produce a like result, it will be 
 a strong argument to horticulturists, etc., to do 
 such work at night. 
 
 TRANSPORTATION OF VEGETA- 
 BLES, Rules for. — The first principle to be 
 observed is the packing, and the main point in 
 this is ventilation. 
 
 Onions and potatoes should be fully matured 
 before shipment, for if they are not fully ma- 
 tured and packed dry, they will easily rot. Do 
 not expose them long to the sun to dry, but as 
 they become dry pack them, for the sun will 
 burn them. 
 
 Tomatoes should be pulled just on the turn to 
 ripen. If they are pulled too green they will 
 rot before they will ripen, and if pulled ripe they 
 will rot before they reach their destination. 
 
 Cucumbers, peas and beans should be ripe, 
 but not enough to be liable to turn yellow, they 
 being saleable only while having a green color. 
 
 Citron melons should be shipped green — 
 nearly matured. 
 
 Watermelons should be ripe. 
 
 Onions, tomatoes, cucumbers, peas and beans 
 should be shipped in bushel crates. 
 
 Potatoes should be shipped in barrels well 
 ventilated. Bore at least three holes an inch in 
 diameter in each stave, and several in the bot- 
 tom. Cover with stout cloth covers, and cooper 
 the barrels. 
 
 Cull the Irish and sweet potatoes well before 
 shipment, and the culls can be shipped marked 
 " culls." They will bring half price. If they 
 are shipped mixed in with large potatoes they 
 will injure the sale of them. Every one will 
 find it advantageous to ship good quality stuff. 
 
 Water melons and citron melons can be ship- 
 ped in three bushel crates, made the same as the 
 Dushel crate, but much stronger. 
 
 Always fill the crates well, packing the articles 
 tightly, so they cannot shake about, and they 
 will not rot as quick as they would if they could 
 shake about. 
 
 TREES, {SHADE,) Best to Plant.— h 
 moderate number of trees are necessary on ev- 
 ery farm, both for shelter and shade. Some 
 farms have been completely denuded by the ax 
 of the wood-chopper, and, as screens and shade 
 trees are almost indispensable, the most desira- 
 ble and profitable are black walnut and sugar 
 maple. The walnuts will bear abundantly in 8 
 or 10 years from the time of planting, and the 
 timber will be increasing in value every year. 
 The sugar maple is a beautiful shade, and its 
 product is exceedingly valuable. It is a good 
 plan to raise the trees in some corner of the or- 
 chard or garden until they have become strong. 
 
 TREES, OAR. — The process of deforesting 
 our lands upon the Atlantic border has gone on 
 for centuries, and in the very populous States 
 has necessitated replanting. It is a fact not suf- 
 ficiently known, that oaks may be rapidly grown, 
 and will develop, within an ordinary lifetime, 
 fine groves of those noble trees which give so 
 much dignity to an old homestead. Major Ben. 
 Perley Poore has upon his estate in Massachu- 
 setts, a splendid oak forest or wood of 30 acres, 
 every acorn for which was planted by himself 30 
 years ago. The trunks of the trees are now l^ 
 feet in diameter. 
 
 TOADS. — Toads are among the best friends 
 the gardener has; for they live almost exclu- 
 sively on the most destructive kinds of vermin. 
 Unsightly, therefore, though they may be, they 
 should on all accounts be encouraged ; they must 
 never be touched nor molested in any way ; on 
 the contrary, places of shelter should be made 
 for them, to which they may retire from the heat 
 of the sun. If you have none in your garden, 
 it will be quite worth your while to search for 
 them in your walks, and bring them home, tak- 
 ing care to handle them carefully, for although 
 they have neither the will nor the power to in- 
 jure you, a very little rough treatment will in- 
 jure them. 
 
 TOMA TO PLANTS, To Raise.— M^^Vg a 
 hot bed in the customary way about 3x6 feet. 
 On about 3 square feet at one end, sow your seed 
 I- 16 of an inch thick ; cover with ^ an inch of 
 rich, sifted soil. When the plants are 3 inches 
 high, make a trench across the bed, leaving one 
 side at an angle of 52 degrees. Wet the plants 
 so that they can be taken up without injuring the 
 roots. Place them in the trench 2 inches apart. 
 Cover them up to the last leaves by making an- 
 other trench so near that the rows of plants will 
 be 3 inches apart. When they are from 4 to 6 
 inches high transplant them into the garden, ta- 
 king care not to injure the roots. Plants raised 
 as above directed will be very stocky, will not 
 wilt when transplanted, and will ripen their fruit 
 before frost comes. 
 
 TOMA TOES, Cultivation ^— Set your to- 
 mato plants in rows three and a half feet apart, 
 and the same distance apart in the rows. Let 
 the rows be of an even number, and, if possi- 
 ble, running north and south, for the better ad- 
 vantage of the sunshine. 
 
 Now, beginning with the first couple of rows, 
 at one end set a pair of stakes in such manner 
 that they will enter the ground just outside of 
 the line of the rows, and cross each other at the 
 height of about four feet over the middle space. 
 Set corresponding stakes at the opposite end of 
 the rows, and also intermediate ones, if neces- 
 sary. 
 
 This done, along the outside of these sloping 
 stakes fasten horizontal strips of edging, begin- 
 ning with the first about eight inches from the 
 ground, and finishing with the one which will 
 run in the crossing of the stakes. 
 
 As the plants grow, carefully train them oyer 
 this framework, securing them in place by tying 
 with strings, and judiciously trimming when 
 needed. 
 
 After the crop is removed in the fall, the ma- 
 terial of this simple structure may be easily ta- 
 ken apart and laid away for use the coming and 
 subsequent seasons. 
 
 TOMA TOES, French Mode of Cultivating. 
 
f^ARM, ORCHARD, GARDEN AND DAIRY. 
 
 149 
 
 — ^The French method is as follows , As soon as 
 a cluster of flowers is visible they top the stem 
 down to the clusters, so that the flowers termi- 
 nate the stem. The efiect is, that the sap is im- 
 mediately impelled into the two buds next below 
 the cluster, which soon push strongly and pro- 
 duce another cluster of flowers each. When 
 these are visible the branch to which they be- 
 long is also topped down to their level, and this 
 is done five times in succession. By this means 
 the plants become stout, dwarf bushes, not over 
 eighteen inches high. In addition to this, all 
 the laterals whatsoever are nipped off. In this 
 way the ripe sap is directed into the fruit, which 
 acquires a beauty, size and excellence unattain- 
 able by any other means. 
 
 TURNIP CULTURE.— 'Y'^^ most desira- 
 ble soil for the cultivation of this root is a sandy 
 loam free from stagnant water — one easily culti- 
 vated to a considerable depth, notwithstanding 
 that a heavier crop may occasionally be obtained 
 from a clay loam. 
 
 Early in the fall the land intended for turnips 
 should receive a heavy coating of farmyard ma- 
 nure, and be deeply plowed; cross-plowed in 
 the spring about the end of May or the begin- 
 ning of June, harrowed and rolled until a fine 
 tilth is secured. Getting the soil into a finely 
 divided state is a matter of the highest import- 
 ance. It is a well established fact that all soils 
 have the power of absorbing and retaining to a 
 greater or less degree a certain ariiount of moi- 
 sture, and the more finely divided and thor- 
 oughly pulverized the land, the greater amount 
 of moisture will it absorb and retain. It would 
 be very difficult to state absolutely when is the 
 best time to sow, inasmuch as soils and seasons 
 vary. On clay or clay loam perhaps the most 
 desirable time is from the fifth to the fifteenth of 
 June, and on sandy loams from the tenth to the 
 twentieth of that month. The quantity of seed 
 required per acre will also vary with the weath- 
 er. In damp weather, on sandy soils, 2 lbs. is 
 ample, and on clay loam, and in weather ordi- 
 narily dry, it will be well to use 3 lbs. or more. 
 The depth of the seed should be from i to l^ 
 inches below the surface. It is better for plants 
 to come up thickly, for they grow faster than 
 when thin, and are more apt to escape the rav- 
 ages of the fly; and, moreover, they require 
 immediate attention as soon as they are large 
 enough to thin. Sowing upon drills is altogether 
 preferable to sowing on the level ; not only can 
 a much larger crop be produced, but the weeds 
 are far more easily destroyed. The distance be- 
 tween the drills should be from 26 to 30 inches, 
 and the plants should be left, by thinning, 12 to 
 15 inches apart. When a good braird has been 
 Secured, the great secret of success is in stirring 
 the soil frequently when dry, and keeping the 
 ground perfectly free from noxious weeds. 
 
 WAGONSy To Grease. — But few people are 
 aware that they do wagons and carriages more 
 injury by greasing too plentifully than in almost 
 any other way. A well made wheel will endure 
 common wear from ten to twenty-five years, if 
 care is taken to use the right kind and proper 
 amount of grease ; but if this matter is not at- 
 tended to, they will be used up in five or six 
 years. Lard should never be used on a wagon, 
 for it will penetrate the hub, and work its way 
 out around the tenons of the spokes, and spoil 
 the wheel Tallow \s the best lubricator for 
 
 wood axle trees, and castor oil for iron. Just 
 enough grease should be applied to the spindle 
 of a wagon to give it a light coating ; this is bet- 
 ter than more, for the surplus put on will work 
 out at the ends, and be forced by the shoulder 
 bands and nut washers into the hub around the 
 outside of the boxes. To oil an iron axle tree, 
 first wipe the spindle clean with a cloth wet with 
 spirits of turpentine, and then apply a few drops 
 of castor oil near the shoulder and end. One 
 teaspoonful is sufficient for the whole. 
 
 WALNUT TREE.—'Y\ift r|ost common 
 mode is to propagate from the nut or seed. It 
 is also propagated by a species of grafting called 
 "marching," by budding, and by grafting by 
 the ♦' approach" method. In any common fer- 
 tile soil the walnut will succeed, but it thrives 
 best in a good depth of loam, mixed with sand 
 or gravel. Those who intend planting walnuts 
 should procure plants from the nursery, either 
 marched or budded, and in as advanced a stage 
 of growth as is compatible with their safe re- 
 moval. Plants from 8 to 12 years old may be 
 safely removed, if properly prepared by previous 
 transplantation. Plants for fruiting should be 
 planted 20 feet distant from each other. The 
 usual period at which they commence bearing is 
 18 or 20 years. The fruit is produced on the 
 extremities of the previous year's shoots, and 
 should be gathered so as not to injure the 
 tree. 
 
 WEEDS, To Destroy. — Annual weeds, or 
 such as spring from seed and die the same year, 
 are most easily destroyed. For this purpose it 
 will be sufficient to let them spring up till near 
 the time of ripening their seed, and then plow 
 them down before it comes to maturity. It is 
 also of service to destroy such weeds as grow in 
 borders or neglected corners, and frequently 
 scatter their seeds to a great distance — such as 
 the thistle, dandelion, rag weed, etc., for these 
 propagate their species through a deal of ground, 
 as their seeds are carried about with the wind to 
 very considerable distances. A farmer ought 
 also to take care that the small seeds of weeds, 
 separated from corn in winnowing, be not sown 
 again upon the ground ; for this certainly hap- 
 pens when they are thrown upon a dunghill, be- 
 cause, being the natural offspring of the earth, 
 they are not easily destroyed. The best method 
 of preventing any mischief from this cause is to 
 burn them. Perennial weeds are such as are 
 propagated by the roots, and last for a number 
 of years. They cannot be effectually destroyed 
 but by removing the roots from the ground, 
 which is often a matter of some difficulty. The 
 only method that can be depended upon in this 
 case is frequent plowing, to render the ground 
 as tender as possible, and harrowing with a par- 
 ticular kind of harrow, in order to collect these 
 pernicious roots. When collected, they ought 
 to be dried and burnt, as the only effectual way 
 of insuring their doing no farther mischief. 
 
 WEEDS IN WALKS, To Destroy.— h. 
 most efficient agent for the destruction of weeds, 
 and one that is not expensive, can be made by 
 boiling 4 lbs. of arsenic and 8 lbs. of soda in 12 
 gallons of water. To every gallon of this boil- 
 ing mixture 3 gallons of cold water should be 
 added, and the liquid carefully sprinkled over 
 the walks while it is yet warm. It is desirable 
 to do this in fine weather, and when the walks 
 are dry, so that the weeds and weed-seeds may 
 
ISO 
 
 DICTION^ARY OF EVERY-DAY WANTS. 
 
 have the full benefit of the application. Care 
 must be taken not to let any of the hquid fall on 
 the leaves or reach the root of any plants it is 
 not desired to kill. In 24 hours after the poison 
 is put on the walks every weed will be killed ; 
 and, if it be once thoroughly done, it will keep 
 the walks clean through the whole season. 
 
 WHEA 7; To Prez'ent Mildew «>«.— Dissolve 
 three ounces and two drachms of sulphate of 
 copper, copperas, or blue vitriol, in three gallons 
 and three quarts, wine measure, of cold water, 
 for every three bushels of grain that is to be pre- 
 pared. Into another vessel, capable of contain- 
 ing from fifty-three to seventy-nine wine gallons, 
 throw from three to four bushels of wheat, into 
 which the prepared liquid is poured, until it rises 
 five or six inches above the grain. Stir it thor- 
 oughly, and carefully remove all that swims on 
 the surface. After it has remained half an hour 
 in the preparation, throw the wheat into a bas- 
 ket that will allow the water to escape, but not 
 the grain. It ought then to be immediately 
 washed in rain, or pure water, which will pre- 
 vent any risk of its injuring the germ, and after- 
 wards the seed ought to be dried before it is put 
 in the ground. It may be preserved in this 
 shape for months, 
 
 WHEA T, To Prevent Rust in. — Some hours 
 — at the longest six or eight before sowing — pre- 
 pare a steep of three measures of powdered 
 quicklime, and ten measures of cattle urine. 
 Four two quarts of this upon a peck of wheat, 
 stir with a spade until every kernel is covered 
 white with it. By using wheat so prepared, 
 rust of every kind will be avoided. I have of- 
 ten noticed, while in the neighboring fields, a 
 great part of the crop is affected by rust ; in 
 mine, lying closely by it, not a single ear so af- 
 fected could be found. 
 
 The same writer says he takes the sheaves and 
 beats off the ripest kernels with a stick, and uses 
 the grain thus obtained for seed. 
 
 WHEAT, {Slugs upon,) To Destroy.— QoV 
 lect a number of lean ducks, keep them all day 
 without food, and turn them into the field to- 
 wards evening; each duck would devour the 
 slugs much faster than a man could collect them, 
 and they soon would get very fat for market. 
 
 WORM, {CUT) To Destroy.— The climbing 
 cut worm is the larva of moth known as the 
 Lance Rustic, and is quite common all over the 
 country. If you will place old rags about the 
 stems of young peach trees, the worms will hide 
 under them in daytime, and can thus be caught 
 and destroyed. A few rags, or some similar 
 material, placed on the ground near each tree, 
 will also answer as a trap. These traps should 
 be examined every morning, and the worms 
 killed. We do not know of a better method of 
 destroying them, as the worms work all night, 
 while their natural enemies, or a portion of 
 them, are asleep. 
 
 WORM, CURRANT— h multitude of de- 
 vices have been tried for destroying this pest. 
 Some persons, who have only a few bushes, suc- 
 ceed by hand-picking and burning ; others by 
 
 dusting the leaves with lime ; others by burning 
 smudges of old leather and sulphur under the 
 bushes ; others by dusting the leaves with pow- 
 dered hellebore, using for this purpose a tin box 
 perforated at the top like a pepper-castor. The 
 latter method has been found very successful. 
 Another method is with a solution of copperas, 
 made at the rate of i lb. of copperas to 6 gals, 
 of water, and sprinkled on the bushes through 
 a common watering-pot. This is cheaper than 
 hellebore, and does not annoy the operator. It 
 is sure and speedy death to the worm, and does 
 no harm to the bushes. The Scotch method of 
 treatment is with soot. When soot is dusted on 
 the bushes after a slight shower has fallen, or 
 after the leaves have been wetted, the vermin 
 will soon drop off the leaves and perish. Tlie 
 application of a sprinkling of dry soot round the 
 roots of bushes, when early digging operations 
 are being proceeded with in spring, will act most 
 successfully in preventing their appearance; and 
 this, resorted to in successive seasons, will en- 
 tirely extirpate the pests. 
 
 WORM, PEA CH.— It is said that a mixture 
 of one ounce of saltpetre and seven ounces of 
 salt, applied on the surface of the ground, in 
 contact and around the trunk of a peach tree 
 seven years old and' upwards, will destroy the 
 worm, prevent the yellows, and add much to the 
 product and quality of the fruit. 
 
 WOUNDS IN TREES, To Heal.—^lzke a 
 varnish of common linseed oil, rendered very 
 drying by boiling it for the space of an hour, 
 with an ounce of litharge to each pound of oil, 
 mixed with calcined bones, pulverized and sifted 
 to the consistence of an almost liquid paste. 
 With this paste the wounds are to be covered 
 by means of a brush, after the bark and other 
 substance have been pared, so as to render the 
 whole as smooth and even as possible. This 
 varnish must be applied in dry weather, in order 
 that it may attach itself properly. • 
 
 See also " Liquid Grafting Wax." 
 
 YAM, CHINESE.— In the first place, send 
 off to get the tubers or seed, if you cannot ob- 
 tain the roots ; however, the roots are better. 
 Cut the roots in two slices, from one-half to one 
 inch in length, according to their size, and plant 
 in the spring in rows two and a half feet one 
 way by six inches apart in the row — one piece in 
 a place, and cover three inches in depth ; culti- 
 vate to keep clear of weeds, and the following 
 spring dig up one-quarter of the bed, taking up 
 the one-year-old roots, and cut them into pieces 
 and plant a new bed, and thus have a supply of 
 two- year-old roots that may be dug each fall and 
 placed in the cellar for winter use. For cook- 
 ing purposes they are excellent, apparently pai;- 
 taking of the general nourishing characteristics 
 of the arrowroot as well as the potato. They 
 will keep well, without rotting, all winter. If 
 thought best the roots can remain in the ground 
 all winter, and be allowed to grow three or four 
 years, and thus grow to an enormous size. But 
 most land without plowing for two years will get 
 hard and full of weeds. 
 
HOUSEHOLD MISCELLANY. 
 
 »Si 
 
 HOUSEHOLD MISCELLANY. 
 
 ALABASTER, To Clean.— i. Wash with 
 Boap suds. If stained, whitewash the stains ; 
 let the whitewash remain on several hours, then 
 clean it off. — 2. Take ground pumice stone of 
 the finest quality, and mix it up with verjuice ; 
 let it stand for two hours, then dip in a sponge 
 and rub the alabaster therewith ; wash it with a 
 linen cloth and fresh water, and dry it with clean 
 linen rags. 
 
 BEDS, Care of. — The care of beds is not un- 
 derstood, even by some good housewives ; when 
 a bed is freshly made it often smells strong. 
 Constant airing will, if the feathers are good, 
 and only new, remove the scent. A bed in con- 
 stant use should be invariably beaten and shaken 
 up daily, to enable the feathers to renew their 
 elasticity. It should lie, after it is shaken up, 
 for two or three hours in a well- ventilated room. 
 If the bed is in a room which cannot be spared 
 so long, it should be put out to air two full days 
 of the week. In airing beds the sun should not 
 shine directly upon them. It is air, not heat, 
 which they need. We have seen beds lying on 
 a roof where the direct and reflected rays of the 
 sun had full power, and the feathers, without 
 doubt, were stewing, and the oil in the quill be- 
 coming rancid, so that the bed smells worse af- 
 ter airing than before. Always air beds in the 
 shade on cool and windy days. Featherbeds 
 should be opened every three or four years, the 
 ticks washed, the seams soaped and waxed, and 
 the feathers renovated. 
 
 Feathers were never intended for human be- 
 ings to sleep on. They are always without ex- 
 ception debilitating. Straw, corn husks, com- 
 pressed sponge, or curled hair, should always be 
 used in preference. 
 
 BLA CK LEAD, To Remove. — To remove 
 black lead from polished steel sides of a grate, 
 first wash them with strong soap and water, using 
 a bit of old flannel for the purpose ; then rub 
 them with sweet oil and rotten stone ; afterwards 
 polish in the usual manner with soft leather. 
 
 BLANKETS, To C/^a«.— When soiled they 
 should be washed, aud not scoured, which latter 
 they will be if sent to the scourer's. Shake all 
 the dust from them, plunge them into plenty of 
 hot soap-suds, let them lie till the hands can be 
 borne in the water, wash quickly, rinse in new 
 clean hot suds, shake thoroughly, stretch well, 
 dry, and they will be as nice as new. 
 
 BRASS, To Clean. — Rotten stone 2 oz., ox- 
 alic acid ^ oz., sweet oil ^^ of an oz., turpen- 
 tine enough to make a paste. Apply it with a 
 little water. 
 
 BRASS ORNAMENTS, To Clean.— Brass 
 ornaments, that have not been gilt or lacquered, 
 may be cleaned, and a very brilliant color given 
 to them, by washing them with alum boiled in 
 strong lye, in the proportion of an ounce to a 
 pint, and afterward rubbing them with a strong 
 tripoli. 
 
 BOARDS, To Take Ink <?«/ (7/.— Strong mu. 
 riatic acid, or spirits of salts, applied with a pieo^ 
 of cloth ; afterwards well washed with water. 
 
 BOARDS, To Get Oil OJ'.—Uix together 
 fuller's earth and soap lees, and rub it into the 
 
 boards. Let it dry, and then scour it off with 
 some strong soft soap and sand, or use lees to 
 scour it with. It should be put on hot, which 
 may easily be done by heating tbe lees. 
 
 BONNETS, To Prevent Being Injured by 
 the Hair. — Great advantage will be found in 
 having a piece of white or yellow oiled silk 
 basted inside of that part of your bonnet where 
 the crown unites with the brim, carrying it up 
 some distance into the crown, «nd some distance 
 down into the hair between the outside and the 
 lining. This will prevent the bonnet being in- 
 jured by any oiliness about your hair. Or you 
 may have an oiled silk bonnet cap. 
 
 BOOKS, To Remove Stains from. — To re- 
 move ink stains from a book, first wash the pa- 
 per with warm water, using a camel's hair brush 
 for the purpose. By this means the surtace ink 
 is got rid of; the paper must now be wet with a 
 solution of oxalate of potash, or, better still, ox- 
 alic acid, in the proportion of one ounce to 'half 
 a pint of water. The ink stains will immedi- 
 ately disappear. Finally, again wash the stained 
 place with clean water, and dry it with white 
 blotting paper. 
 
 BOOKS, To Remove Grease from. — Lay upon 
 the spot a little magnesia or powdered prepared 
 chalk, and under it the same ; set on it a warm 
 flat-iron, and as soon as the grease is melted it 
 will be all absorbed, and leave the paper clean. 
 BOOTS AND SHOES, Care e/".— Boots 
 and shoes, if taken care of properly, will last 
 two or three times longer than they usually do, 
 and, at the same time, fit the feet far more satis- 
 factorily, and keep them dry and more comfort- 
 able in wet and cold weather. The upper 
 leather should be kept soft and pliable, while the 
 soles need to be hard, tough, and impervious to 
 water. 
 
 The first thing to be done with any pair of 
 new shoes, is to set each one on a platter or a 
 dinner-plate, and pour on boiled linseed-oil suf- 
 ficient to fill the vessel to the upper edge of the 
 soles. Allow the leather to absorb as much oil 
 as it will for eight hours. Linseed oil should 
 not be applied to the upper leathei', as it will 
 soon become dry, rendering the leather hard and 
 tough. But if the soles be saturated with this 
 oil, it will exclude the dampness and enlarge the 
 pegs, so that the soles will never get loose from 
 the upper leather. 
 
 If the shoes be sewed, the linseed oil will pre- 
 serve the thread from rotting. Now wet the 
 upper leather thoroughly when the boots or the 
 shoes are to be put on the feet, so that those 
 parts which are tight may render a trifle, and 
 thus adapt the form of the shoe to the foot far 
 more satisfactorily than when the upper leather 
 is not wet. Keep them on the foot until nearly 
 dry. Then give the upper leather a thorough 
 greasing with equal parts of lard and tallow, or 
 tallow and neat's foot oil. 
 
 If shoes be treated in this manner, and a row 
 of round-headed shoe nails be driven around the 
 edge of the soles, they will wear like copper, 
 and always set easy to the feet. Boots and 
 shoes should be treated as suggested, and worn 
 
IS2 
 
 DICTIONARY OF E VERY-DAY WANTS. 
 
 a little several months before they are put to 
 daily service. They should be cleaned fre- 
 quently, whether they are worn or not., and 
 should never be put to stand in a damp place, 
 nor be put too near the fire to dry. In cleaning, 
 be careful to brush the dirt from the seams, and 
 not to scrape in with a knife, or you will cut the 
 stitches. Let the hard brush do its work thor- 
 oughly well, and the polish will be all the brighter. 
 Do not put on too much blacking at a time, for 
 if it dries before using the shining brush the 
 leather will look brown instead of black. 
 
 BOOTS AND SHOES, India Rubber, Water 
 Eroof for. — Spermaceti, 4 parts; India rubber 
 (small), I part. Melt with a gentle heat, then 
 add tallow or lard, 10 parts ; amber or copal var- 
 nish, 5 parts. Well mix and apply the compos- 
 ition to the leather with a paint-brush. Cut the 
 rubber into very small pieces, and let it take its 
 time to d^solve, say four or five hours. 
 
 BOOTS {White Jean) To Clean.— li you 
 have not boottrees, stuff the boot as full as pos- 
 sible with common cotton wadding or old rags, 
 to prevent any creases ; then mix some pipeclay 
 with water to rather a stiff paste, wash the jean 
 boots with soap and water and a nail-brush, 
 using as little water as possible to get the dirt 
 off. When they look tolerably clean rub the 
 pipeclay with a flannel well over them and hang 
 them to dry. When dry beat out the superfluous 
 clay with the hand and rub them till they look 
 smooth. Flake white may also be used. 
 
 BOOTS, KID, To Clean.— li the kid boots 
 are not very soiled they may be cleaned in the 
 following manner: — Put half an ounce of harts- 
 horn into a saucer, dip a bit of clean flannel in it 
 and rub it on a piece of white card soap ; rub the 
 boots with this, and as each piece of flannel be- 
 comes soiled, take a fresh piece ; the boots will 
 look like new. 
 
 BOOTS, KID, To Restore color of.—Taktz. 
 small quantity of good black ink, mix it with the 
 white of an egg, and apply it to the boots with a 
 soft sponge. 
 
 BOOTS, KID, 71> 5^//^«.— Melt a quarter of 
 a pound of tallow, then pour it into a jar, and add 
 to it the same weight of olive oil, stir, and let 
 it stand still ; apply a small quantity occasionally 
 with a piece of flannel. Should the boots be 
 very dirty, cleanse with warm water. It will 
 soften any leather. 
 
 BOOTS, BEGGED, To Prevent Ripping.— 
 Pegged boots, it is stated, if occasionally dressed 
 with petroleum between the soles and the upper 
 leather, will not rip. If the soles of boots or 
 shoes are dressed with petroleum they will resist 
 wet and wear well. The pegs, it is said, are not 
 affected by dryness after being well saturated 
 with this liquid. 
 
 BOOTS, {PATENT LEATHER), Care of . 
 — The old plan of washing them with milk is 
 simply absurd — a waste of time. If they crack, 
 brush a little blacking into the cracks, and then 
 rub them over* with 5'rench polish, or common 
 furniture polish, using the finger to lay on the 
 
 {)olish, and a soft dry rag to finish off with. In 
 ieu of furniture polish, a mixture of sweet oil 
 and turpentine will answer. This treatment will 
 preserve their bright polish until they are utterly 
 worn out. 
 
 BOOT LEA THER, Presei-jation ^/.— Shoe 
 leather is generally abused. Persons know noth- 
 ing or care less about the kind of material used 
 
 than they do about the polish produced. Vitriol 
 blacking is used until every particle of the oil in 
 the leather is destroyed. To remedy this abuse, 
 the leather should be washed once a month with 
 warm water, and when about half dry, a coat of 
 oil and tallow should be applied, and the boots 
 set aside for a day or two. This will renew the 
 elasticity and life in the leather, and when thus 
 used upper leather will seldom crack or break. 
 
 BOOTS AND SHOES {Summer) ToPreservt 
 through the Winter. — Wash the blacking off; 
 let them dry ; then oil them with castor or neats- 
 foot oil. When you wear them they will be soft 
 and pliable, and will last longer if preserved in 
 this way. After you have worn them a few days 
 they are ready for blacking. 
 
 BOOTS AND SHOES, {RUBBER), To 
 Mend. — I. Get apiece of pure rubber — an old 
 shoe — vulcanized rubber will not do ; cut it into 
 small bits. Put it into a bottle, anr'. cover to 
 twice its depth with spirits of turpentine or re- 
 fined coal tar naphtha — not petroleum naphtha. 
 Stop the bottle and set one side, shaking it fre- 
 quently. The rubber will soon dissolve. Then 
 take the shoe and press the rip or cut close to- 
 gether, and put on the rubber solution with a 
 camel's hair brush. Continue to apply so fast as 
 it dries until a thorough coating is formed. 
 Spirits of turpentine dissolves the rubber slow- 
 est, but forms the most elastic cement. — 2. Pur- 
 chase a can of rubber cement, which can be 
 found in large cities at rubber stores ; also some 
 rubber for patches, as new rubber is much better 
 than old boots or shoes. To make the patches 
 adhere, it is necessary to remove the cloth from 
 them. To do this, moisten the cloth with benzine 
 and remove immediately. Cut the patches the 
 proper size to cover the hole in the boot. Make 
 the boot around the hole rough, the size of the 
 patch, with a wood or shoemakers file ; apply 
 the cement to the boot, and the patch with a case 
 knife, and let them lie in a 7varm, dry room from 
 thirty to sixty minutes; then put the patch on the 
 boot, and press it down firmly. Be very parti- 
 cular about the edges of the patch. After it has 
 been on a short time examine it again, to see that 
 it has not started off; if it has, press it down 
 again. Do not use the boot under forty-eight 
 hours after the patch is put on. One fifty cent 
 can of cement will last a family several years. 
 Keep the cover on the can when not in use, as 
 it dries up very quickly. If the cement becomes 
 dry, cut it with benzine. 
 
 BOOTS,SQUEAKING,ToPrevent.—S,(iViC3\i- 
 ing boots or shoes are a great annoyance, espec- 
 ially in entering a sick room, or a church after 
 the service has commenced. To remedy it, boil 
 linseed oil and saturate the soles with the 
 same. 
 
 BOOTS AND SHOES, {Soles of ) To Make 
 Waterproof. — Experience has proved that a coat 
 of gum copal varnish applied to the soles of boots 
 and shoes, and repeated as it dries, until the 
 pores are filled and the surface shines like pol- 
 ished mahagony, will make the soles water- 
 proof, and also cause them to last three times as 
 long as ordinary soles. 
 
 BOOTS AND SHOES, Water-proof -compo- 
 sition for. — Boiled oil i pint; oil of turpentine, 
 black rosin, and bees' wax, of each 3 oz. Melt 
 the wax and rosin, then stir in the oil, remove 
 the pot from the fire, and when it has cooled a 
 little, add the turpentine. 
 
HOUSEHOLD MISCELLANY. 
 
 »S3 
 
 BRITANIA METAL, To C/,rrtM.— Moisten 
 the articles to be cleaned with sweet oil ; then 
 apply a little pounded rotten-stone, and polish 
 with chamois leather and fine chalk. 
 
 BROOMS, Use and Management of .—T\r%\., 
 buy your broom ; and in buying, choose green 
 brush. See that the broomhead will not shake 
 in the handle ; if it does, reject it ; for the handle 
 having been green when the broom was made, 
 in sweeping the brush will keep falling out. 
 Next, open the broom below the sewing, and see 
 if there is any stalk. It should be all brush ; 
 for as the stalk of broom corn is brittle, if there 
 are any below the twine, they will be continually 
 breaking off. 
 
 Now, in using a broom, don't expect it to 
 support you through the process of sweeping; 
 that is how it gets its bent appearance or curl 
 on the edge which some brooms have, and all 
 the good that comes of it is, that you wear your- 
 self, carpet and broom out quicker. We have 
 seen a broom used sounskillfuUy, that one would 
 almost think the person engaged in using it was 
 endeavoring to change the place of the dust from 
 the floor to the furniture. It requires some 
 science, or at least some skill, to use a broom 
 well, as it does to do anything else. 
 
 To use a broom skillfully, the handle should 
 incline forward and not backward, as is often the 
 case. If the top of the broom inclines forward 
 of the part next the floor, it will prevent much 
 of the dust from rising into the air, and will 
 carry it along by a gentle sliding motion toward 
 the place where it is to be disposed of. 
 
 If, on the other hand, the handle of the broom 
 inclines backward, the dust is sent into the air 
 by a kind of jerk, to the great annoyance of those 
 who occupy the room, and to the great detrim- 
 ent of everything the apartment contains. More 
 than this, it wears off the threads of the carpet 
 quicker, injures the paint more, if the room is 
 uncarpeted, and destroys the broom sooner than 
 if the sweeping was done in a more rational way. 
 
 A new broom sweeps clean, because it is the 
 proper shape ; keep it so by sweeping on each 
 side alternately. Wetting it before sweeping, 
 will restore its flexibility; and if wet in boiling 
 suds, once a week, they will become very tough, 
 will not cut a carpet, last much longer and al- 
 ways sweep like a new broom. Do not keep a 
 broom near the fire ; the brush is liable to break, 
 being so dry. Do not store brooms where there 
 are rats or mice ; they like the corn. A broom that 
 is all out of shape, may be restored by soaking, 
 then pressed in shape between something 
 heavy. 
 
 CALICO, To Prevent Fading.— VvX three 
 gills of salt into four quarts of hot water, put in 
 the calico, while the water is hot, allowing it to 
 remain in until the water becomes cold. 
 
 CANDLE, To Make Burn All Night.—To 
 make a candle burn all night, when, as in the 
 case of sickness, a dull light is wished, put finely 
 powdered salt on the candle till it reaches the 
 black part of the wick. In this way a mild and 
 steady light may be kept through the night by a 
 small piece of candle. 
 
 CANDLE-STICK, {Silver-Plated) To clean. 
 — Silver-plated candlesticks should be cleaned by 
 pouring on the tops boiling hot water, to remove 
 the grease ; when wiped dry, use whiting, 
 rubbing them until bright. This will not injure 
 f.i; plate 1 Avare. 
 
 CARPETS, To Choose. — The carpet ought to 
 assimilate with the style of the paperhangings, 
 but the quality of the material must depend on 
 the capability of the purchaser's pocket. In 
 carpets, as in many other things, the dearest 
 articles are generally the cheapest in the end. 
 In illustration of this we may state that the carpet 
 in our dining-room cost $1.25 a yard, and al- 
 though it has been in daily use for four years it 
 looks as well as ever. For dining and drawing 
 rooms Brussels carpets are the best. If the 
 rooms are small choose small patterns with few 
 colors, or of a pattern formed of shades of the 
 same color as the ground, such as a green car- 
 pet with mosses or small ferns in various shades 
 of green, or a carpet with an indistinct pattern 
 of ribbons or arabesques of a small size. When 
 there is nothing very decided to attract the eye, 
 the defects of wear are not so obvious. Stair 
 carpets are also best of Brussels make ; crimson 
 wears longest ; they must be of a pattern that 
 will admit of being turned upside down, as it is 
 a good plan frequently to change the position of 
 the carpet, that the edge of each step may not 
 always come in the same spot, which would soon 
 wear the fabric. A small gay pattern of crimsons 
 or oak colors wears best; avoid blues or lilacs 
 or shades of stone color : the two former fade 
 quickly, and the latter always looks dirty. 
 
 CARPETING, CHEAP. — Sew together 
 strips of the cheapest cotton cloth, of the size of 
 the room, and tack the edges to the floor. Then 
 paper the cloth as you would the sides of a room, 
 with any sort of room paper. After being well 
 dried, give it two coats of varnish, and your car- 
 pet is finished. It can be washed like carpets 
 without injury, retains its gloss, and, on cham- 
 bers or sleeping-rooms, where it will not meet 
 rough usage, will last for two years, as good as 
 new. 
 
 CARPETS, How To Lay.— Cover the floor 
 with thick brown paper, which is sold in large 
 rolls for the purpose ; have the carpet properly 
 fitted, and, on the binding of the edges, sew at 
 regular distances small brass rings in such a 
 manner that when the carpet is laid they will 
 not appear beyond the edges. Round the sides 
 of the room drive medium-sized brass-headed 
 nails, at the same distances from each other as 
 the rings are sewed on the carpet ; when ready, 
 begin at the top of the room and hook the rings 
 over the brass-headed nails, which must be driven 
 into the floor far enough to admit of the rings 
 catching a firm hold. When the top is hooked 
 on, stretch the carpet to the opposite side and 
 hook it on, then fasten the sides in like manner. 
 This is much less troublesome and is more econo- 
 mical than nailing down carpets. 
 
 CARPETS (STAIR), To make last.—SX\^% 
 of paper should always be placed over the edges 
 of the stairs, under the carpet. This will dimin- 
 ish the friction between the carpet and the boards 
 underneath it. The strips shouldi^e in length 
 within an inch or two of the width of the carpet, 
 and four or five inches in breadth, as convenient. 
 Tiiis simple expedient will preserve the carpet 
 half as long again as it would last without the 
 strips. 
 
 CARPETS. To 5w^^/.— Sweeping carpets 
 too often wears them out rapidly. It is obvious 
 to any one, that a brisk, daily brushing over the 
 whole surface must wear away and carry offmore 
 woolly particles than tli£ occasional stepping of 
 
154 
 
 DICTIONARY OF EVERY-DAY WANTS. 
 
 feet during the day without the rubbing and 
 scraping given by the broom. To allow sand 
 and grit to accumulate on the surface, and to 
 become ground into the fibres by the pressure 
 of sole leather is, however, worse than sweeping. 
 A handful or so of salt sprinkled on the carpet 
 will carry the dust along with it and make the 
 carpet look bright and clean. A very dusty car- 
 pet may be cleaned by setting a pail of cold water 
 out by the door, wet the broom in it, knock it 
 to get off all the drops, sweep a yard or so, then 
 wash the broom as before and sweep again, being 
 careful to shake all the drops off the broom, and 
 not sweep far at a time. If done with care it 
 will clean a carpet very nicely and you will be 
 surprised at the quantity of dirt in the water. 
 The water may need changing once or twice, if 
 the carpet is very dirty. Snow sprinkled over 
 a carpet and swept off before it has time to melt 
 and dissolve, is also nice for renovating a soiled 
 carpet. Moistened Indian meal is used with 
 good effect by some housekeepers. 
 
 In libraries, cabinets, etc., where dust might 
 badly injure or wholly spoil the specimens and 
 books, it is better to procure a patent carpet 
 sweeper, merely using the broom or brush to 
 clean out the corners and sides. 
 
 CARPETS, To Clean. — Brussels carpets may 
 be cleaned as follows : — Take them up and shake 
 and beat them, so as to render them perfectly 
 free from dust. Have the floor thoroughly scour- 
 ed and dry, and nail the carpet firmly down 
 upon it. If still much soiled, it may be cleaned 
 in the following manner : — Take a pailful of clean 
 cold spring water, and put into it about 3 gills 
 of ox-gall. Take another pail with clean cold 
 water only. Now rub with a soft scrubbing 
 brush some of the ox-gall water on the carpet, 
 which will raise a lather. When a convenient 
 sized portion is done, wash the lather off with 
 a clean linen cloth dipped in the clean water. 
 Let this water be changed frequently. When all 
 the lather has disappeared, rub the part with a 
 clean dry cloth. After all is done, open the win- 
 dow to allow the carpet to dry. A carpet treated 
 in this manner will be greatly refreshed in color, 
 particularly the greens. — In nailing down a car- 
 pet after the floor has been washed, be certain 
 that the floor is quite dry, or the nails will rust 
 and injure the carpet. Puller's earth is used for 
 cleaning carpets, and weak solutions of alum or 
 soda are used for reviving the colors. The crumb 
 of a hot wheaten loaf rubbed over a carpet has 
 been found effective. 
 
 CARPETS, To Remove Grease from.— l. Mix 
 a little soap into a gallon of warm soft water, 
 then add half an ounce of borax ; wash the part 
 well with clean cloth, and the grease or dirty 
 spot will soon disappear. — 2. Cover the grease 
 spot with whiting, and let it remain until it be- 
 comes saturated with the grease ; then scrape it 
 off, and cover it with another coat of whiting, 
 and if this does not remove the grease, repeat the 
 application. Three coats of whiting will, in most 
 cases, remove the grease, when it should be 
 brushed off with a clothes brush. If oil has been 
 spilt on a carpet, that part of the carpet must be 
 loosened up, and the floor beneath it well 
 scrubbed with warm soap and water, and fuller's 
 earth; otherwise the grease will continue yet to 
 come through. — 3. To remove spots of spermac- 
 eti, scrape off as much as you can with a knife, 
 then lay on a thin, soft, white paper upon the 
 
 spots, and press it with a warm iron. By repeat- 
 ing this you may draw out the spermaceti. 
 Afterward rub the cloth where the spots have 
 been, with some very soft brownish paper. 
 
 CARPETS, To Prevent Moths m.— To prevent 
 moths from injuring carpets, buy half a pound 
 of gum camphor, and that will save all the car- 
 pets in your house for a year, by placing a few 
 little crumbs under the edges of the carpets with' 
 out moving them. 
 
 CASKS, {WATER) To Clean.— Scour the 
 inside well out with water and sand, and after- 
 ward apply a quantity of charcoal dust ; another 
 and a better method is to rinse them with a 
 strong solution of oil of vitriol and water, which 
 entirely deprives them of their foulness. 
 
 CHAIRS {Cane-Bottom) To Clean. — Turn up 
 the chair bottom, etc. and with hot water and a 
 sponge wash the cane-work well, so that it may 
 become completely soaked. Should it be very 
 dirty you must add soap. Let it dry in the open 
 air, if possible, or in a place where there is a 
 thorough draught, and it will become as tight 
 and firm as when new, providing that it has not 
 been broken. 
 
 CHIMNEYS, Leaks Around.— These may 
 be stopped by applying a paste made of tar, and 
 dry, sifted road dust. The paste should be 
 lapped over the shingles to form a collar. 
 
 CHINA OR GLASSWARE, To Mend.— 
 A useful cement is produced by powdered chalk 
 and white of egg. A mixture of equal parts of 
 white of egg, white-lead, and glue, forms a 
 strong cement. Or take a very thick solution of 
 gum arable in water, and stir into it plaster of 
 Paris until the mixture becomes a viscous paste. 
 Apply it with a brush to the fractured edges, 
 and stick them together. In three days the 
 article cannot again be broken in the same place. 
 For other preparations for this purpose see 
 "Cements". 
 
 CHILDREN, To Protect From Binning.— 
 Add one ounce of alum to the last water used in 
 rinsing children's dresses, and they will be ren- 
 dered uninflammable. It would be better still 
 to dress them in woollen materials during the 
 season when fires are needed. 
 
 CLINKERS.— Oysicx shells on top of a coal 
 fire will cause the clinkers adhering to the sides 
 of the grate or to the fire-brick to drop off. Be V 
 liberal with your oyster shells and you will have 
 no trouble with clinkers. 
 
 COLOR, To Restore. — It is well known that 
 when the color on a fabric has been destroyed by 
 acid, ammonia is applied to neutralize the same. 
 But it is not so well known that after the applic- 
 ation of ammonia, chloroform will, in almost all 
 cases, restore the original color. Chloroform 
 will also remove paint from a garment when al- 
 most everything else fails. 
 
 CROCKERY WARE, To Mend.— Wash the 
 vessel gently and thoroughly with soap and 
 water, and let it dry without wiping. The pieces 
 should then be fitted together as soon as possible, 
 and kept in their places by winding firmly over 
 the bowl or dish a strong thread, or a piece of 
 twine ; put the broken article into a boiler, an 
 inch or two larger each way, and fill them both 
 with sweet, cold, skimmed milk ; set the boiler 
 over the fire, and boil for ten or fifteen minutes; 
 take it off, and let it stand till quite cold, when 
 the string, or twine, may be cut, and the article 
 washed in warm water. 
 
HOUSEHOLD MISCELLANY. 
 
 155 
 
 CUR TA INS, WINDO fF.— Window curtains 
 are alike useful and ornamental. Thev ought to 
 be chosen of a color harmonizing with the car- 
 pet, paperhangings, and other drapery of the 
 apartment. As a rule, red or green curtains 
 will blend pleasantly with ordinary draperv. 
 Window curtains are composed of satin, silk, 
 rep, damask, moreen, calico, and other fabrics. 
 Rep is very durable, but damask, which may be 
 periodically refreshed by the dyer, is the most 
 economical and useful. Net and muslin curtains 
 should be substituted or added during the summer 
 months. Top valances have been dispensed with 
 as collecting dust and obscuring the light ; and 
 the curtains are now suspended by large rings on 
 brass or mahagony rods, having ornamental ter- 
 minals. Window curtains are seldom drawn, 
 their principal use being to conceal the window- 
 shutters, intercept draughts from the window- 
 sashes, and impart a comfortable aspect to the 
 apartment. 
 
 DISHES, Hoiu To Wash.—Y\x%\. make sure 
 before breakfast or dinner that there is plenty 
 of water in the boiler, and also in the tea- 
 kettle. After the table is cleared, the table- 
 cloth brushed off and neatly folded away, 
 and the dining-room disposed of, proceed 
 with your dishes. First take a large dish-pan, 
 put into it a piece of soap, and pour over the soap 
 three or four dipperfuls of hot water from the 
 boiler. Then add 2 or 3 dipperfuls of cold soft 
 water. Then the dish-cloth. The water should 
 now be so cool as not to turn the hands red when 
 put into it. Take the dish-cloth and rub from 
 the soap the melted surface, and put the re- 
 mainder away. Wash a dish at a time and pass it 
 to another pan. When all are done, or the pan 
 is full, take the tea-kettle and pour over enough 
 hot water to thoroughly rinse and heat them. 
 Now take them from the water, one at a time, 
 and place them bottom-side up upon a tray or 
 pan to drain. If they have been properly washed, 
 this hot rinsing water will run off or evaporate 
 in a minute, leaving the dishes nearly dry. 
 However, they should now be wiped with a clean, 
 dry towel, and put away. Dishes must be washed 
 in soft water. Especially is this necessary where 
 soap is used. And soap is really indispensable 
 in washing dishes properly. The dishes should 
 be scraped free from grease, crumbs, bones, etc., 
 before commencing to wash them. A heat house- 
 keeper will have the same dish-cloth in use until 
 it is worn out, when it should be put into the 
 ragbag. Never allow the dish-cloth to be used 
 for any thing else but washing dishes. 
 
 DISH FOR DISHWASHING, Hem) To 
 Make. — A handy dish for this purpose can be 
 secured by making it, oval, in shape, 20 inches 
 by 12 inches at the bottom 24 inches by 16 inches 
 at the top and 6 inches deep ; 1 1 inches from one 
 end there is a tin partition, dividing the pan into 
 two compartments, the smaller for washing, the 
 larger for rinsing the dishes in hot water. 
 
 DOORS, To Prevent Creaking. — Apply a 
 little soap to the hinges. Or take lard, soap, 
 and black lead, equal parts, mix and apply. 
 
 EARTHENWARE, To 7>;///^r. — When 
 new, and before used for baking, put in cold 
 water to cover, and heat it gradually until the 
 water boils. It is then less likely to crack. 
 
 FEA TIIERS, To Clean. — Feathers are com- 
 monly cleaned by washing them in a weak 
 solution of carbonate of soda or in lime water, 
 
 after which they are rinsed in clean water, 
 and then dried in the sun or in a stove. They 
 will now be improved by a thorough beating. 
 The best way to clean feathers, is to clean them 
 out of the house, by taking them up on the roof 
 of the house, barn, or shed, selecting a windy 
 day, carefully ripping the tick the whole length 
 of the seam, and suddenly opening it widely, so 
 that the wind will clean them out in every 
 direction. — Don't sleep on feathers they are an 
 utter abomination and are the cause of a vast 
 amount of weakness, being as they are prime 
 extracters of vital force. 
 
 FIRES OF KEROSENE, To Extinguish. 
 — In cases of kerosene fires, don't try to extin- 
 guish the flame with water ; that will only spread 
 the fire. Instead, use blankets, or woolen 
 clothes, quilts, shawls, or whatever may be at 
 hand that can be used to smother the flames. 
 
 FIREBOARD OF PAPER FLOWERS. 
 — Take a piece of board which fits exactly into 
 the space. Tack over it a cover of green baize, 
 stretching it smoothly. Make out of stiff, green 
 paper a number of leaves, dahlia, rose, tulip, lily, 
 etc. , enough of them to entirely cover the baize. 
 Baste these leaves down at the stem ; curl them 
 at the edges with the scissors, and gum them 
 down in the baize. Do not sew them, except at 
 the stem. Now make large paper flowers, or, 
 if you have them, take artificial flowers, and 
 smooth them over. Place the flowers amid the 
 leaves, using you^own taste in the arrangement. 
 Sew the flowers at the stem ; or, if you wish to 
 fasten the flowers themselves down, use dissolved 
 gum Arabic. 
 
 FLOORS, Mopping and Cleaning.— The 
 practice of mopping floors too often, is a loss 
 of time, and a waste of strength, and.is as incon- 
 sistent with reason, as the habit of lilacking 
 cooking stoves every time they are used ; and I 
 am not sure but wet floors are as detrimental to 
 health as the dust sent forth by the too frequent 
 use of the common stove blacking. Mopping 
 painted floors too often, and with hot soapsuds, 
 wears off the paint, causing needless expense 
 of both time and money. 
 
 It is difficult to say, how often a painted, or an 
 unpainted floor should be washed, for that 
 depends on circumstances ; but it requires that 
 the cloth, mop and water, should be as clean as 
 a supply of the latter will admit, and the floor 
 wiped as dry as possible ; and that every corner, 
 and other retired spots, under beds, bureaus, 
 or any other articles which may be in the apart- 
 ments, should have a fair chance to partake of 
 the cleansing. 
 
 FLOORS, To Scour.— Take some clean, well- 
 sifted sand, scatter it on the floor, have ready one 
 ounce potash dissolved in a pint of water, 
 sprinkle it over the sand, and with a scrubbing- 
 brush and good mottled soap rub the boards 
 along their length. Changing the water frequently 
 and using it very hot, makes the boards white; 
 the potash, if properly applied, will remove all 
 stains. 
 
 FLOORS, To Remot-e Stains /ww.— For' 
 removing spots of grease from boards, take equal 
 parts of fullers' earth and pearlash, a quarter of 
 a pound of each, and boil in a quart of soft watei" ; 
 and, while hot, lay it on the greased parts, 
 allowing it to remain on them for ten or twelve 
 hours ; after which it may be scoured off with 
 sand and water. A floor much spotted with 
 
IS6 
 
 DICTIONARY OF EVERY-DAY WANTS. 
 
 grease should be completely washed over with 
 this mixture the day before it is scoured. Fullers' 
 earth or ox-gall, boiled together, form a very 
 powerful cleansing mixture for floors or carpets. 
 Stains of ink are removed by strong vinegar, or 
 salts of lemon will remove them. 
 
 FRAMES {Gill), To Revive.— ViKitQ of 
 eggs, 2 oz.; chloride of potash or soda, I oz.; 
 mix well, blow off the dust from the frames ; then 
 go over them with a soft brush dipped in the 
 mixture, and they will appear equal to new. 
 
 FRAMES {Picture) To Prevent Flies soiling. 
 — To prevent the flies going on picture frames 
 and furniture, immerse a quantity of leeks for five 
 or six days in a pail of water, and wash the pic- 
 tures, etc., with it. 
 
 FURNITURE, Care ^— Keep the paste or 
 oil in a proper can or jar, that there may be no 
 dariger of upsetting when using it. Have two 
 pieces of woollen cloth, one for rubbing it on, 
 the other for rubbing it dry and polishing ; also 
 an old linen cloth to finish with, and a piece of 
 smooth soft cork to rub out the stain. Use a 
 brush if the paste be hard. Always dust the table 
 well before the oil or paste is put on ; and, if it 
 should be stained, rub it with a damp sponge, 
 and then with a dry cloth. If the stain does not 
 disappear, rub it well with a cork or a brush the 
 way the wood grows ; for if rubbed cross-grained 
 it will be sure to scratch it. Be careful to keep 
 the cork and brush free fro#i dust and dirt. 
 When the dust is cleaned off and the stains have 
 been got out, put on the oil or paste, but not too 
 much at a time ; rub it well into the wood. If 
 oil, be as quick as possible in rubbing it over the 
 table, and then polish it with another woollen 
 cloth. If wax, put a little bit on the woollen 
 cloth, with the finger or a small stick ; rub it well 
 with thi^ till the table has a high polish, then 
 have another cloth to finish it with. Be very 
 careful to have the edges of the table well cleaned, 
 and the oil and wax well rubbed off. 
 
 Tlie furniture which is not in constant use will 
 not require to be oiled above once a week ; it 
 ought, however, to be dusted every day and 
 well rubbed. Tables which are used daily must 
 be well rubbed every morning, and great care 
 should be taken to remove all spots from them, 
 particularly ink. This can very easily be done, 
 if not left to dry long, by putting on a little salt 
 of lemons with the finger. 
 
 When cleaning tables or chairs, be careful to 
 remove them into the middle of the room, or at 
 a distance from the wall. If the sideboard or 
 sidetable is fixed to the wall, be still more careful 
 in cleaning it, and roll up the woollen cloth tight 
 in the hand, and into a small compass. 
 
 FURNITURE, To Take Bruises Out of.— 
 Wet the part with warm water; double a piece 
 of brown paper five or six times, soak it in the 
 warm water, and lay it on the place ; apply on 
 that a warm, but not hot flat-iron till the moist- 
 m-e is evaporated. If the bruise be not gone, 
 repeat the process. After two or three appli- 
 cations, the dent or bruise will be raised to the 
 surface. If the bruise be small, merely soak it 
 with warm water, and hold a red-hot iron near 
 the surface, keeping the surface continually wet 
 — the bruise will soon disappear. 
 
 GLASSWARE {Nru<) To Season. — V^i 
 dishes, tumblers, and other glass articles into a 
 kettle; cover them entirely with cold water, and 
 put the kettle where it will soon boil. When it 
 
 has boiled a few minutes, set it aside, covered 
 close. When the water is cold, take out the glass. 
 
 GLA SS- CLEANING.— Glass windows, look- 
 ing-glasses, etc., may be cleaned as follows: — 
 Dip a moistened rag or flannel into indigo, fuller's 
 earth, ashes, or rotten-stone, in impalpable 
 powder, with which smear the glass, and wipe it 
 off with a dry soft cloth. Powder-blue or white- 
 ning, tied up in muslin and dusted upon the 
 glass, and cleaned off with chamois-leather, also 
 gives glass a fine polish. . The spots in the silver- 
 ing of old looking-glasses are caused by damp at 
 trie Oficlc 
 
 GLASS CHIMNEYS, To Prevent cracking. 
 — If the chimney-glass of a lamp be cut with a 
 diamond on the convex side, it will never crack, 
 as the' incision affords room for the expansion 
 produced by the heat, and the glass, after it is 
 cool, returns to its original shape, with only a 
 scratch visible where the cut is made. 
 
 GLASS-GLOBES, To C/^aw.— If the globes 
 are much stained on the outside by smoke, soak 
 them in tolerably hot water with a little washing 
 soda dissolved in it, then put a teaspoonful of 
 powdered ammonia into a pan of lukewarm water, 
 and with a tolerably hard brush wash the globes 
 till the smoke stain disappears ; rinse in clean 
 cold water, and let them drain till dry ; they will 
 be quite as white and clear as new globes. 
 
 GREASE, To Remove from STONE STEPS 
 Or Passages. — Pour strong soda and water boil- 
 ing hot over the spot, lay on it a little fuller's- 
 earth made into a thin paste with boiling water, 
 let it remain all night, and if the grease be not 
 removed, repeat the process. Grease is some- 
 times taken out by rubbing the spot with a hard 
 stone (not hearthstone), using sand and very hot 
 water with soap and soda. 
 
 GRAINING, Ho7u To JFa'j/i.— Take clear 
 warm water, a clean, white cloth, and wash a 
 small place and wipe dry with another clean,-, 
 white cloth. Do not wet any more space than 
 you can dry immediately with your cloth as it 
 must not be left to dry in the atmosphere ; it must 
 be rubbed dry, hence the necessity for clean 
 white cloths. If the paint has been neglected 
 until very much soiled with greasy fingers, or 
 specked with a summer's growth of flies, a very 
 little hard soap may be put in the first water, 
 and then rinsed off with clear water, but avoid 
 soap if you possibly can, as it dulls the varnish, 
 however carefully used. On no account must it 
 be rubbed on with a cloth. 
 
 HOUSE CLEANING.— \n cleaning a room, 
 the carpet should come up first, not only because 
 of the dust, but to give the floor all day to dry, 
 not leaving it to be scrubbed last, as we have 
 seen some bad managers do, and pay for it by 
 influenzas. Where the walls are papered, they 
 should next be swept with a clean towel pinned 
 firmly round a broom, if there is not a brush 
 kept for the purpose. The ceilings of chambers 
 are usually whitewashed ; this is the next pro- 
 ceeding ; and the walls scrubbed, if painted or 
 hard finished. Then come windows and wood- 
 work, in all things being careful to use as little 
 slop as will thoroughly answer the purpose. In 
 cleaning wood-work, use little soap, but plenty 
 of clean water, which will prevent discoloration. 
 If. dirty spots and patches are wiped off the year 
 round, faithfully, there will be much less need of 
 scrubbing the boards bare in "house cleaning". 
 Oak, or dark woods, now so much the fashion, 
 
HOUSEHOLD MISCELLANY. 
 
 157 
 
 ' need not be touched, with good care, more than 
 once a year; frequent dry rubbing will answer 
 every purpose. 
 
 HOUSE, Hmv To Choose In Renting.— Tht 
 choice of a house is in importance second only to 
 the selection of a friend. The best residence is, 
 one which is not inconveniently distant from your 
 place of business — is in a cheerful and healthy 
 locality, and of which the rent, including rates 
 and taxes, does not exceed one-sixth of your in- 
 come. Do not choose a neighborhood merely 
 because it is fashionable, and carefully avoid 
 occupying a dwelling in a locality of doubtful 
 reputation. Be particular as to whether it is dry, 
 with convenient sewage and plenty of water. A 
 southern or western aspect is to be preferred. 
 Should the house be infested with vermin, avoid 
 it. See that the windows and doors are well 
 secured, that there are proper means of ventila- 
 tion, and that the chimneys do not smoke. 
 
 Let all needful repairs be made by the land- 
 lord before the completion of your agreement, 
 otherwise you will probably be required to ex- 
 ecute them at your own expense. Do not deal 
 with a landlord who is commonly reputed as 
 being disobliging, greedy, or litigious. In every 
 case have a lease properly drawn out and 
 stamped. 
 
 Avoid the neighborhood of a sluggish stream, 
 a mill-dam, or fresh-water lake. The penalties 
 are rheumatism, ague, impaired eyesight, loss 
 of appetite, asthma and other distressing ail- 
 ments. Choose a house away from the vicinity 
 of tan-yards, and tallow, soap, and chemical 
 works. The neighborhood of old and crowded 
 burial-grounds and of slaughterhouses is to be 
 shunned. A low situation is perilous, espe- 
 cially, during the prevalence of epidemics. 
 
 Never lease a house in a narrow street, unless 
 the back premises are open and extensive. Be- 
 fore closing your bargain try to obtain some 
 account of the house from a former occupant. 
 
 HOUSE, How To Furtiish a.— If you are 
 about to furnish a house, do not spend all your 
 money, be it much or little. Do not let the 
 beauty of this thing, and the cheapness of that, 
 tempt you to buy unnecessary articles. Doctor 
 Franklin's maxim was a wise one — "Nothing is 
 cheap that we do not want. " Buy merely enough 
 to get along with at first. It is only by experi- 
 ence that you can tell what will be the wants ot 
 your family. If you spend all your money, you 
 will find you have purchased many things you do 
 not want, and have no means left to get many 
 things which yoii do want. If you have enough, 
 and more than enough, to get everything suitable 
 to your situation, do not think you must spend 
 it all, merely because you happen to have it. 
 Begin humbly. As riches increase, it is easy and 
 pleasant to increase in comforts ; but it is always 
 painful and inconvenient to decrease. After all, 
 these things are viewed in their proper light by 
 the truly judicious and respectable. Neatness, 
 tastefulness, and good sense may be shown in 
 the management of a small household, and the 
 arrangement of a little furniture, as well as upon 
 a larger scale; and these qualities are always 
 praised, and always treated with respect and 
 attention. The consideration which many pur- 
 chase by living beyond their income, and, of 
 course, living upon others, is not worth the 
 trouble it costs. The glare there is about this 
 • ialse and wicked parade is deceptive ; it does not 
 
 in fact, procure a man valuable friends, or extens- 
 ive influence. 
 
 HOUSE, How To Choose in Purchasing. — 
 In purchasing a house, whether old or new, do 
 not trust to appearances, or rely on your own 
 judgment. When you have selected a house 
 likely to suit your family and your purse, employ 
 a surveyor to inspect every portion of it. He 
 will examine the foundations, the state of the sew- 
 age, and the character of the materials which form 
 the walls. He will be able to detect if soft bricks 
 have been used, by finding traces of damp at the 
 bottom of the walls. In examining the joists, 
 flooring, and other woodwork, he will be enabled 
 to report whether cheap wood has been used inr 
 stead of well-seasoned timber. By your solicitor 
 you must look into the nature of the tenure and 
 the duration of the building lease. If you can 
 obtain a freehold property, so much the better ; 
 if not, be particular in considering whether the 
 ground-rent is such as to justify the purchase. 
 You will do well to secure a portion of ground 
 beside your house, on which you might erect an 
 addition should your family increase; or your bu- 
 siness demand further accommodation. Beware 
 of rashly purchasing fixtures, — such as window- 
 blinds, hall carpets, and kitchen Turnishings; 
 new articles may be found in the end more eco- 
 nomical. Make an effort to pay the whole of 
 the purchase-money. A bond on your house 
 will «ndanger your credit, and affect your com- 
 fort. 
 
 HOUSE PLANTS, To Keep Without Fire. 
 — Take an old bed quilt, put it on the floor, and 
 set the plants together in the center. Set a 
 stand over them, and bring the quilt up over the 
 top. If any of the plants are very sensitive to 
 the cold, a newspaper pinned around them would 
 be an additional protection. 
 
 ICE-HOUSE, Extemporaneous. — An ice- 
 house can be extemporised without making a 
 tenon or sawing a board. Construct a pen near 
 the pond or stream where the ice is to be gath- 
 ered, choosing if possible a gravel-bank m here 
 there will be good drainage. The pen may be 
 made of rails twelve feet long, or of any desired 
 length. 1 The larger the pen, the better the ice 
 will keep. Lay up two tails upon each of the 
 four sides. Make the bottom level, and cover it 
 a foot or more with straw, sea- weed, or any con- 
 venient refuse vegetable matter. Sawdust is 
 better than straw, if it can be had. Spent tan- 
 bark is a good material for this foundation. Cut 
 the cakes of ice in the usual manner, and pack 
 them closely, filling the interstices with pounded 
 ice, and if the weather is freezing pour on a little 
 water to make it solid. Pack the outside with a 
 foot of straw, sawdust, or other material, and 
 put up the fence as the pile of ice rises. The 
 pile can be conveniently made about eight feet 
 high. Cover the top with at least eighteen 
 inches of sawdust, or two feet of straw trodden 
 down closely. Make a roof of boards or slabs 
 slanting to the north, sufficiently steep to shed 
 water, and fasten with a few nails. Such a pile 
 of ice as this can be secured by a couple of men 
 and a team in a day. A cheap ice-box made with 
 double sides and packed with sawdust will be 
 wanted. The inner chamber should be about 2 
 feet long, 2 feet deep, and i8 inches wide. This 
 will hold a single cake of ice weighing a hundred 
 pounds or more, and leave room on top to keep 
 milk, fresh meats, fruit, and other matters. It 
 
158 
 
 DICTIONARY OF E VERY-DAY WANTS. 
 
 will last from four days to a week, according to 
 the quantity that is used in the drinking-water. 
 If the extemporaneous ice-house is not disturbed 
 more than once a week, it will probably supply 
 the family through the summer with abundance 
 of ice. 
 
 INK STAINS, To Remove From Books.— 
 To remove ink stains from a book, first wash the 
 paper with warm water, using a camel's hair 
 pencil for the purpose. By this means the sur- 
 face ink is got rid of; the paper must now be 
 wetted with a solution of oxalate of potash, or, 
 better still, oxahc acid, in the proportion of one 
 ounce to half a pint of water. The ink stains will 
 immediately disappear. Finally, again wash the 
 stained place with clean water, and dry it with 
 white blotting paper. 
 
 INR', To Remove From DRESS GOODS. 
 — Oxalic acid is considered one of the best 
 agents for this purpose. Dissolve ten cents worth 
 in a pint of soft water ; dip the stained spots in it 
 quickly, and then into clear water, and rub well ; 
 repeat the process until the stains are removed. 
 If the goods remain in the acid, the texture will 
 be destroyed. The skin of the hands is unpleas- 
 antly affected, if brought into frequent contact 
 with a strong solution ; care should be taken to 
 dip only the spots into this liquid. If the color 
 of the dress is affected mix with warm water and 
 wet with a dilute solution of ammonia which will 
 restore the original color. Ink stains on table 
 covers can be removed in the same way, 
 
 INIC STAINS, To Remove From linen.— 
 With a clean rag or sponge rub the soiled spot 
 with lemon juice in which has been dissolved a 
 small quantity of salt. 
 
 INK, To Extract From Mahogany. — Dilute 
 half a tea-spoontul of oil of vitriol with a large 
 spoonful of water, and apply the mixture with a 
 feather to the stained wood. The ink mark will 
 disappear. 
 
 INK (^Marking), To Remove.— "Wti the stain 
 with fresh solution of chloride of lime : and, after 
 ten or twelve minutes, if the marks have become 
 white, dip the part in solution of ammonia (the 
 liquid ammoniee of chemists), or hyposulphate 
 of soda. In a few minutes, wash in clean water. 
 IRON MOULDS, To Remove.— Kxih on the 
 spot a little powdered oxalic acid, or salts of 
 lemon and warm water, let it remain a few min- 
 utes and well rinse in clean water. 
 
 IRON MOULD (.Old), To Remove.— The 
 part stained should be remoistened with ink, and 
 this removed by the use of muriatic acid diluted 
 with five or six times its weight of water, when 
 it will be found that the old and new stain will 
 be removed simultaneously. 
 
 IRON RUST, To Remove.— Every particle 
 of rust on iron maybe removed by first softening 
 it with petroleum, and then rubbing well with 
 coarse sand-paper. To paint iron, take lamp- 
 black sufficient for two coats, and mix with equal 
 quantities of Japan varnish and boiled linseed oil. 
 
 IVORY, To Whiten.— \. When ivorv orna- 
 ments get yellow or dusky looking, wash them 
 well in soap and water, with a small brush to 
 clean the carvings, and place them while wet in 
 full sunshine; wet them for two or three days, 
 several times a day, with soapy water, still keep- 
 ing them in the sun ; then wash them again, and 
 they will be beautifully white. — 2. Immerse the 
 ivory in a saturated solution of alum and allow 
 it to soften in it for an hour; then take it out, 
 
 I rub with a woolen cloth, wrap in a piece of linen 
 to dry throughout, and polish afterward.— 3. The 
 ivory is heated in a thin paste of lime until it 
 turns white, it is then dried and polished. 
 
 IVORY, To Take Stains Out of.—h. little 
 prepared white chalk, tinged with sweet oil and 
 sal volatile into a paste ; rub it on wet with a 
 piece of wash-leather ; let it remain until dry, 
 then brush it off. 
 
 FIRE KINDLINGS.— Tske one quart tar, 
 three pounds rosin ; melt them ; when somewhat 
 cool add one gill spirits turpentine, and mix as 
 much sawdust, with a little charcoal, as can be 
 worked in ; spread out while hot on a board ; 
 when cold break up in small lumps about the 
 size of hickory nuts. They will easily ignite with 
 a match and burn with a strong blaze long 
 enough to burn any wood fit to burn. 
 
 KNIVES, To Clean. — I. Cut a good-sized 
 solid, raw potato in two ; dip the flat surface in 
 powdered brick-dust, and rub the knife-blades. 
 Stains and rust will disappear. — 2. One of the 
 best substances for cleaning knives and forks is 
 charcoal, reduced to a fine powder, and applied 
 in the same manner as brick dust is used. — 
 3. Water lime is also used for -this purpose. 
 Have a box with a partition and keep the lime 
 in one part and the cloths in the other. Wet a 
 small cloth a little and dip it in the lime, and 
 after the articles are well washed and wiped, rub 
 them until the spots are removed. Then take a 
 larger, dry cloth, dip it in the lime, and rub the 
 articles until polished to suit. Wipe off the 
 dust from the knives and forks with a dry cloth, 
 and thev are ready to put awav. 
 
 KNIVES, To Presence From Rust.— y!eyer 
 wrap them in woolen cloths. When they are not 
 to be used for some time, have them made bright 
 and perfectly dry ; then take a soft rag. and rub 
 each blade with dry wood ashes. — Wrap them 
 closely in thick brown paper, and lay them in a 
 drawer or dry closet. A set of elegant knives, 
 used only on great occasions, were kept in this 
 way for over a hundred years without a spot of 
 rust. 
 
 IVORY KNIFE HANDLES, To Prevent 
 Being Cracked. — Never let knife-blades stand 
 in hot water, as is sometimes done to make them 
 wash easily. The heat expands the steel which 
 runs up into the handle a very little, and this 
 cracks the ivory. Knife -handles should never 
 lie in water. A handsome knife, or one used for 
 cooking, is soon spoiled in this way. 
 
 KNIFE HANDLES, {Loose) To Fasten.— 
 The best cement for this purpose consists of one 
 pound of colophony( purchasable at the druggist's) 
 and eight ounces of sulphur, which are to be 
 melted together, and either kept in bars or re- 
 duced to powder. One part of the powder is to 
 be mixed with half a part of iron filings, fine 
 sand or brick dust, and the cavity of the handle 
 is then to be filled with this mixture. Ilie stem 
 of the knife or fork is then firmly inserted and 
 kept in position until the cement hardens. 
 
 LACQUERED ARTICLES, To Clean.— 
 Brush with hot water and soap, wipe and dry 
 before the fire ; finish with a soft cloth. Avoid 
 the use of pearlash or soda which may remove 
 the lacquer. 
 
 LAMP ACCIDENT, To Prevent.— Scarcely 
 a week passes, during the winter months, but 
 we read accounts of frightful accidents from kero- 
 sene lamps exploding and killing or scarring for 
 
HOUSEHOLD MISCELLANY. 
 
 »S9 
 
 life, women and children. A simple knowledge ' 
 of the inflammable nature of the fluid, would prob- 
 ably put a stop to nearly all the accidents. As 
 the oil burns down into the lamp, or highly 
 inflammable gas gathers over its surface, and as 
 the oil decreases, the gas increases. When the 
 oil is nearly consumed a slight jar will often in- 
 flame the gas, and an explosion is sure to follow, 
 dealing with death and destruction. A bombshell 
 is not more to be dreaded. Now if the lamp is 
 not allowed to burn more than half way down, 
 such accidents are almost impossible. Always 
 fill your lamps in the morning ; then you never 
 need fear an explosion. 
 
 The charred wick should also be cut off, for 
 observation shows that in a few times using the 
 wick becomes charred, and after the lamp has 
 burned a little time the tube becomes overheated, 
 and the charred wick is all on fire. From this 
 extra heat the oil is set on fire, and then comes an 
 explosion. Cut off the charred wick daily. 
 
 It would seem as though no one need be told 
 that it is dangerous to use any burning oil for the 
 purpose of kindling a fire, but the frequent rec- 
 ord of deaths from that practice, shows that great 
 numbers follow that wasteful and dangerous 
 way. 
 
 LA MPS,(^Kerosene) Turning Down The Wicks 
 Vf. — Many people who use kerosene oil are in 
 the habitofburningnight-lamps,and turning them 
 down as they would gas, not knowing how much 
 mischief they thus do. When the light of the 
 kerosene lamp is turned down low, the combus- 
 tion is not perfect, and the atmosphere of the 
 room becomes vitiated by the unconsumed oil 
 vapor, by the gas produced by combustion, and 
 also legitimate particles of smoke and soot thrown 
 off, to be taken into the lungs of the occupants. 
 Air thus poisoned is deadly in its effects, and the 
 wonder is that the people are not immediately 
 and fatally injured by breathing it. Its conse- 
 quences are the unaccountable and mysterious 
 headaches, irritation of throat and lungs, dizzi- 
 ness and nausea. 
 
 LAMPS, To Clean. — Bronzed lamps should 
 be wiped carefully; if oil be frequently spilled 
 over then, it will cause the bronzing to be rubbed 
 off sooner than it would disappear by wear. Brass 
 lamps, are best cleaned with crocus, or rotten 
 stone and sweet oil. Lacquered lamps may be 
 washed with soap and water, but should not be 
 touched with acid or very strong lye, else the 
 lacquer will soon come off. When lamps are foul 
 inside, wash them with potash and water, rinse 
 them well ; set them before the fire, and be sure 
 that they are dry before oil is again put into 
 them. 
 
 LAMP CHIMNEYS, To C/mn. — Most 
 
 Eeople cleaning lamp chimneys, use either a 
 rush made of bristles twisted into a wire, or a 
 rag on the point of scissors. Both of these are 
 bad; for, without great care, the wire, or scissors 
 will scratch the glass as a diamond does, which 
 under the expansive power of heat, soon breaks, 
 as all scratched glass will. If you want a neat 
 thing that costs nothing, and will save half your 
 glass, tie a piece of soft sponge the size of your 
 chimney to a pine stick. 
 
 LAJIfP CHIMNE YS, To Prevent Breaking. 
 •'-To prevent lamp glasses breaking by the sud- 
 den contact with heat, the best way is to cut or 
 scratch the base of the glass with a glazier's 
 diamond. Another method is to put the glasses 
 
 into a saucepan of water and boil them. This 
 seasons them. 
 
 LAMPS, To Prevent Smoking. — Soak the 
 wick in strong vinegar, and dry it well before 
 you use it; it will then burn both sweet and 
 pleasant, and give much satisfaction for the trifl- 
 ing trouble taken in preparing it. 
 
 LAMP WICKS, Home Made.—K good sub- 
 stitute for a regular lamp-wick may be made of 
 canton flannel, taking a strip three times as wide 
 as the lamptube, and folding it, overcasting the 
 open edge. The little bits can thus be utilized, 
 and many times considerable annoyance saved by j 
 having a supply of these needed articles always 
 in the house. 
 
 LEAK, To Stop a. — ^Beat yellow soap and 
 whiting, with a little water, into a thick paste. 
 Rub this over the part where the leakage is and 
 it will be instantly stopped. 
 
 LEA THER {BLOCK) OF OLD FURNI- 
 TURE, To Restore. — Eggs, yolk and white well 
 beaten, 6 parts; treacle, l part; isinglass, l part; 
 water, 5 parts. Dissolve the isinglass in the 
 water, then add it to the other articles. Mix well. 
 Color with lampblack. This also forms a good 
 varnish for dress shoes. 
 
 UNEN, Care (y.— WTien linen is well dried 
 and laid by for use, nothing more is necessary 
 than to secure it from damp and insects. The 
 latter may be agreably performed by a judicious 
 mixture of aromatic shrubs ^d flowers, cut up 
 and sewed up in silken bags, to be interspersed 
 among the drawers and shelves. These ingre- 
 dients may consist of lavender, thyme, roses, 
 cedar shavings, powdered sassafras, cassia lignea, 
 &c. , into which a i^w drops of otto of roses, or 
 other strong-scented perfume, may be throv/n. 
 In all cases, it will be found more consistent with 
 economy to examine and repair all washable ar- 
 ticles, more especially linen, that may stand in 
 need of it, previous to sending them to the laun- 
 dry. It will also be prudent to have every ar- 
 ticle carefully numbered, and so arranged, after 
 washing, as to have their regular turn and terra 
 in domestic use. 
 
 LINEN, To Remove Frtiit Stains in. — To 
 remove them, rub the part on each side with 
 yellow soap, then tie up a piece of pearl-ash in 
 the cloth, «S:c., and soak well in hot water, or 
 boil; afterwards expose the stained part to the 
 sun and air until removed. 
 
 LINEN, To Take Ink Out Of.—\xik spots 
 maybe effectually removed from linen by a simple 
 and ready process. Take a piece of tallow, melt 
 it, and dip the spotted part of the linen into the 
 tallow ; the linen may be washed and the spot 
 will disappear, the linen remaining uninjured. 
 
 LINEN, To Take Marking Ink Out Of.— A. 
 saturated solution of cyanuret of potassium, ap- 
 plied with a camel's-hair brush. After the mark- 
 ing ink disappears, the linen should be well 
 washed in cold water. 
 
 LINEN, To Remove Mould From.—Spots of 
 mould on fabrics can, it is said, be removed from 
 cotton or linen, by first rubbing them over with 
 butter and afterwards applying potassa moistened 
 with a little water, and then rubbing the spot, 
 when all traces of it will disappear. 
 
 LINEN, To Remove Stains From. — Stains 
 caused by acids can be removed by wetting the 
 part and laying it on some salt of wormwood ; 
 then rub it without diluting it with more water. 
 Or, tie up in stained part some per lash; then 
 
i6o 
 
 DICTIONARY OF EVERY-DAY WANTS. 
 
 scrape some soap into cold soft water, to make a 
 lather, and boil the linen till the stain disappears. 
 Recent stains of fruit may be removed by holding 
 the linen tightly stretched over a tub and pouring 
 hot water over the part. This must be done be- 
 fore any soap has been applied to it. As soon 
 as the stain is made on table linen, etc., rub on 
 it common table salt, before it has had time to 
 dry ; the salt will keep it damp till the cloth is 
 washed, when the stain will disappear ; or, wash 
 the stain lightly when the cloth is removed. 
 
 LINEN, To Make FIRE PROOF.— A quan- 
 tity of phosphoric acid lime is dissolved in water; 
 to this a little ammonia is added and the whole 
 filtered and discolored with animal carbon. It 
 is then put on the fire and left to evaporate until 
 it is concentrated, when gelatine and five per 
 cent, silicic acid is added, and again reduced by 
 evaporation to a crystallic substance, which is 
 dried and pulverized. This powder is called 
 ' "Hottina", from the name of tne Inventor. The 
 cloth to be made fire-proof is dipped in a solution 
 made of thirty per cent, of the above powder, 
 thirty-five per cent, of gum, and thirty-five per 
 cent, of starch. The cloth, when dry, will be 
 perfectly fire-proof, and preserve its color. 
 
 LINEN {SCORCHED) To Restore.— Tske 
 two onions, peel and skin them, and extract the 
 juice by squeezing or pounding. Then cut up 
 half an ounce of white soap, and two ounces of 
 fuller's earth ; mi^with them the onion juice, 
 and half a pint of vinegar. Boil the composition 
 well, and spread it when cool over the scorched 
 part of the linen, leaving it to dry thereon. Af- 
 terward wash out the linen. 
 
 LOOKING GLASSES, To CUan.-Take a 
 newspaper, or part of one, according to the size 
 of the glass. Fold it small, and dip it into a basin 
 I of clean cold water; when thoroughly wet, 
 * squeeze it out in your hand as you would a 
 sponge, and then rub it hard all over the face of 
 the glass, taking care that it is not so wet as to 
 run down in streams. In fact, the paper must 
 only be completely moistened, or damped all 
 through. After the glass has been well rubbed 
 with a wet paper, let it rest a few minutes, and 
 then go over it with a fresh dry newspaper 
 (folded small in your hand), till it looks clear 
 and bright — which it will Jilmost immediately, 
 and with no further trouble. 
 
 This method, simple as it is, is the best and 
 most expeditious for cleaning mirrors, and it will 
 be found so on trial — giving it a clearness and 
 
 folish that can be produced by no other process, 
 t is equally convenient, speedy, and effective. 
 The inside of window frames may be cleaned in 
 this manner to look beautifully clear ; the win- 
 dows being first washed on the outside. 
 
 MAHOGANY FURNITURE, To Give a 
 Good Color to. — Let the tables be washed per- 
 fectly clean with vinegar, having first taken out 
 any ink-stains there may be, with spirits of salt. 
 Use the following liquid : Into a pint of cold- 
 drawn linseed oil, put a mixture of alkanet-root 
 and rose pink in an earthen vessel ; let it remain 
 all night, then, stirring well, rub some of it all 
 over the tables with a linen rag ; when it has lain 
 ■ some time, rub it bright with linen cloths. 
 
 MARBLE, To Clean. — Take 2 ounces of 
 common soda, and one of pummice stone, and 
 one of finely powdered chalk ; sift them through 
 a fine sieve and mix them with water. Then 
 rub the mixture well all over the marble, and the 
 
 stains will be removed; now wash the marble 
 over with soap and water, and it will be as clean 
 as it was previous to its being stained. Some- 
 times the marble is stained yellow with ironrust ; 
 this can be removed with lemon juice. 
 
 MARBLE, To Remove Grease Or Oil in. — 
 French chalk reduced to powder, dusted over 
 the spot, and a hot flat-iron held very near, to 
 soften the grease and make the chalk absorb it. 
 If this will not do, try common clay mixed wiih 
 benzine smeared over the spot. 
 
 MARBLE, To Remove Smoke-stains from. — 
 Take a large lump of Spanish whiting, soak it in 
 water, not more than enough to moisten it, and 
 put into the water a piece of washing soda ; put 
 some of this whiting on a flannel, and rub the 
 marble repeatedly, leaving the whiting on for 
 some hours. Wash it all off with soap and 
 water, dry well, and polish with a soft duster. 
 
 MARKETING, Hints on.—Thz purchaser 
 will do well to keep in view one or two simple 
 rules. Whatever kind of provisions may be re- 
 quired, it is invariably the wisest course to deal 
 with those tradespeople who have % large busi- 
 ness, and who are known and respectable. It 
 is the interest of such persons to supply their 
 customers with the best articles, and for this pur- 
 pose they themselves must go to the best markets. 
 As a general rule they are under no temptation 
 to overcharge their customers. Their success in 
 business and their profit depend on the number 
 of their retail transactions, and if the number be 
 gieat, they are all the more able to supply the 
 best articles, and to be content with the smallest 
 profits on each individual sale. As an illustration 
 of this it may be stated that, with very few ex- 
 ceptions, all commodities are dearer, as well as 
 of inferior quality, in shops in the suburbs than 
 in those situated in places of the greatest con- 
 course : the reason is that small dealers, who 
 have comparatively few transactions, must neces- 
 sarily make up for the defects of their business 
 by obtaining large profits on individual sales, 
 while, at the same time, they have little or no 
 encouragement to obtain the best goods, and in 
 many cases want of sufficient capital renders this 
 impracticable. It will be usually found, how- 
 ever, that there is no economy in purchasing in- 
 ferior articles. In butcher's meat, for example, 
 the best meat, and the best parts of the meat, 
 although at first a little dearer, are in reality 
 cheaper in the end. 
 
 MILDEW, To Remove.— "hWx soft soap with 
 powdered starch, half as much salt, and the juice 
 of a lemon ; lay the mixture on both sides of the 
 stain with a painter's brush; let it lie on the grass 
 day and night till the mildew mark disappears. 
 
 MOULD IN BOOKS AND INK, To Pre- 
 vent. — A few drops of lavender will save a li- 
 brary from mould ; a single drop will save a pint 
 of ink. A little salt or white wine will also pre- 
 serve ink from mould. 
 
 MUSLINS, To Make Uninflammable.— Txxng- 
 state of soda, prepared expressly for rendering 
 fabrics noninflammable, is used for this purpose. 
 Directions for use : — ^To 3 parts of dry starch 
 add I part of tungstate of soda, and use the 
 starch in the ordinary way. If the material does 
 not require starching, mix in the proportions of 
 I pound of tungstate of soda to 2 gallons of 
 water, saturate the fabric well with this solution 
 and dry it. The heat of the iron in no way af- 
 fects the non-inflammability. 
 
HOUSEHOLD MISCELLANY. 
 
 i6i 
 
 OIL CLOTH, Hmu To Clean.— lormxi them 
 — clean them with hot water or soap suds, and 
 leave them half wiped, and they will look very 
 bright while wet, and very dingy and dirty when 
 dry, and soon crack and peel off. But if you 
 wish to preserve them, and have them look new 
 and nice, wash them with soft flannel and luke- 
 warm water and wipe thoroughly dry. If you 
 want them to look extra nice, after they are dry, 
 drop a few spoonfuls of milk over them, and rub 
 them with a small dry cloth. 
 
 OIL {KEROSENE), To 7>j/.— The only 
 reliable test is the temperature of the flashing 
 point, that is, the temperature at which the pe- 
 troleum takes fire when a burning match is ap- 
 plied to its surface. This test can be easily ap- 
 plied. Into a flat dish or saucer, pour the oil to 
 be tried, until it is at least half an inch deep; 
 then hold a burning match or paper near the sur- 
 face. At the point of contact the combustion is 
 often very lively, as the taper draws up some 
 of the liquid, but if the petroleum be safe 
 and free from naphtha, the flame does not spread 
 over the surface. If the petroleum has been 
 adulterated, as soon as the match touches the 
 surface a blue lambent flame flashes across it, 
 and in a few moments the body of the oil will be 
 on fire. Such an oil is dangerous — liable to ex- 
 plode in lamps, and to give off inflammable va- 
 pors at all times. Any oil which takes fire when 
 a match is held near its surface, and continues to 
 burn, ought to be condemned at once and thrown 
 into the streets. 
 
 OVEN AND IRON WARE {New) To Tern- 
 fer. — Before new ovens are used, they should 
 De heated half a day, and then put up the lid to 
 keep the heat in. When heated the second time, 
 they may be used for baking. If not treated in 
 this way, they will never retain heat well. New 
 flat-irons should be heated half a day before they 
 are used. Iron ware of all kinds, and stoves 
 should be heated gradually at first or they may 
 crack. 
 
 PAINT, To C/^««.— Provide a plate with 
 some of the best whiting to be had, and have 
 ready some clean warm water and a piece ol 
 flannel, which dip into the water and squeeze 
 nearly dry ; then take as much whiting as will 
 adhere to it, apply it to the painted surface, when 
 a little rubbing will instantly remove any dirt or 
 grease. After which wash well with clean water, 
 rubbing it dry with soft flannels. Paint thus 
 cleaned looks as well as when first laid on, with- 
 out any injury to the most delicate colors. It is 
 far better than using soap, and does not require 
 more than half the time and labor. 
 
 PAINT, To Remove Odor of. — Place a vessel 
 full of lighted charcoal in the middle of the room 
 and throw on it two or three handfuls of juniper 
 berries. Shut closely the windows, doors and 
 all means of ventilation for about twenty-four 
 hours, when they may be opened and it will be 
 found that the unpleasant smell will be entirely 
 gone. This will not mjure articles leftm the room, 
 such as tapestry, etc., and can be considered 
 reliable. 
 
 PAPER-HANGINGS, To C/ean.— Cut into 
 8 half-quarters a stale quartern loaf; with one 
 of these pieces, after having blown off all the 
 dust from the paper to be cleaned by means of a 
 good pair of bellows, begin at the top of the 
 room, holding the crust in the hand, and wiping 
 lightly downward with the crumb, about half a 
 
 yard at each stroke, till the upper part of the 
 hangings is completely cleaned all round ; then 
 go again round with the like sweeping stroke 
 downward, always commencing each successive 
 course a little higher than the upper stroke had 
 extended, till the bottom be finished. This op- 
 eration, if carefully performed, will frequently 
 make very old paper look almost equal to new. 
 Great caution must be used not by any means to 
 rub the paper hard, nor to attempt cleaning it 
 the cross or horizontal way. The dirty part of 
 the bread too must be each time cut away, and 
 the pieces renewed as often as is necessary. 
 
 PAPER-HANGINGS {Poisonous), Test for. 
 — A good test for poisonous paper-hanging is 
 common spirits of hartshorn, or ammonia is a 
 sure one of arsenic. On application the beautiful 
 but dangerous green turns to a blue. The ex- 
 istence of arsenic in rooms hung with green paper 
 may also be immediately detected by lighting a 
 bit of the suspected paper at a candle. When 
 the paper is well lighted, blow it out, then smell 
 the smoke, if it contains arsenic, the smell will 
 be that of garlic. 
 
 PAPER, To Remove Stains from. — The pro- 
 cess must depend on what the stains are. If they 
 are those of writing ink, a solution of citric, tar- 
 taric, or oxalic acid will be successful. If grease, 
 take a heated iron and press it upon blotting- 
 paper placed on the stains. After this process 
 has been frequently repeated, take a soft brush 
 and apply oil of turpentine to the stains on both 
 sides of the paper; lastly, with a clean brush, 
 apply to the spots already almost gone rectified 
 spirit of wine. 
 
 PAPER, To Take Writing Out ./.—Solution 
 of muriate of tin, two drachms; water, four 
 drachms. To be applied with a camel's hair 
 brush. After the writing has disappeared, the 
 paper should be passed through water, and 
 dried. 
 
 PAPER-MACHE, To aean.—VZ&sh the 
 article well with cold water and a sponge, dust 
 flour over it while still damp, and rub dry with 
 flannel. 
 
 PEWTER, To Clean.— Apply to the surface 
 of the vessels a fine sand mixed with oil of tartar; 
 then polish. 
 
 PICTURE FRAMES, To Prevent Flies 
 From Injuring. — Boil three or four onions in a 
 pint of water : then with a gilding brush do over 
 your glasses and frames, and the flies will not 
 alight on the article so washed. This may be 
 used without apprehension, as it will not do the 
 least injury to the frames, 
 
 PICTURES, How To Hang.— The worst 
 position in which a painting can be placed is 
 directly opposite a window, as its surface so re- 
 flects the light that the object cannot be seen 
 except from a side view. The picture ought to 
 be hung so as to allow the light from the win- 
 dow to fall upon it from the same side in which 
 the artist saw or imagined the picture to appear 
 in nature ; that is to say, the shadows in the pic- 
 ture ought to be on that side of the objects which 
 is opposite to the direction from which the light 
 comes : for example, in the case of a tree or 
 house, if the window is on the right hand the 
 shadows on the picture must be towards the left 
 hand of the observer, as if projected from the 
 right side to the left, as would be the case in 
 nature if the light fell upon the. right, of the ob- 
 jects perceived. 
 
 21 
 
l62 
 
 DICTIONARY OF EVERY-DAY WANTS. 
 
 PLATE, Haw To Clean. — In the first place 
 every particle of grease must be removed by 
 means of a thorough hot soap suds in which is 
 dissolved a small bit of cooking soda, it must 
 then be thoroughly rinsed in clear warm water, 
 and wiped with a dry soft towel or a piece of 
 wash leather. It may then be rubbed with fine 
 whiting with a bit of flannel or chamois skin ; if 
 there are stains on the plate the whiting should 
 be rubbed on mixed with water or a little sweet 
 oil and allowed to remain several hours, but if 
 the silver is merely tarnished it will be sufficient 
 to give it a dry polish by using the whiting of 
 very fine plate powder, dry, and polishing by a 
 soft wash leather, cleansing the chased portions 
 with a soft bristle brush. 
 
 All plate and silver in common use should be 
 cleaned at least once a week, but too severe rub- 
 bing will soon wear out even the celebrated 
 Sheffield plate. 
 
 Plate should be well protected in a dry closet 
 or drawer; a box lined with flannel is the best 
 article. The practice of leaving plate exposed 
 on the side board is injurious to the plate, from 
 the fact that there exists in the air a portion of 
 sulphureted hydrogen gas, which turns the sil- 
 ver black. 
 
 Another habit of melting off spermaceti from 
 candle-sticks by placing them near the fire is also 
 destructive; if moderately hot water will not re- 
 move the grease, a little alcohol will. 
 
 POTS, {IRON) To Mend.— mx finely sifted 
 lime with some white of an egg, till a thin kind 
 of paste is formed, then add some iron filings. 
 Apply this to the fracture, and the vessel will be 
 found nearly as sound as ever. 
 
 PUTTY, To Remove. — Putty that has become 
 hardened may be rendered soft, so as to be 
 easily removed, by the application of a hot iron 
 to it. In this way it may be readily removed, 
 where glass is broken, without injury to the sash. 
 UMBRELLAS, To Make Last Twice As 
 Long As Usual. — Most persons, when they come 
 in from the rain, put their umbrellas in the rack 
 with the handle upward. They should put it 
 downward; because when the handle is upward 
 the water runs down inside to the place where 
 the ribs are joined to the handle, and cannot get 
 out, but stays rotting the cloth and rusting the 
 metal until slowly dried away. The wire secur- 
 ing the ribs soon rusts and breaks. If placed the 
 other end up, the water readily runs off, and the 
 umbrella dries almost immediately. 
 
 VENTILATION, Hmv easily to secure.— 
 For ventilation, open your windows at top and 
 bottom. The fresh air rushes in one way and 
 the foul air makes its excit by the other. 
 
 RAZOR STRAP, To Renru}.—^yx\> clean tal- 
 low over the surface, then apply the fine snuffings 
 ' of a candle, or rub the strap with soft pewter or 
 lead. 
 
 RIBBONS OR SILK, To Keep.— In putting 
 away ribbons or silk, wrap or fold them in coarse 
 brown paper, which, as it contains a portion ol 
 tar or turpentine, will preserve the color of the 
 article, and prevent white silk from turning yel- 
 low. The chloride of lime used in manufacturing 
 white paper renders it improper to keep silks in, 
 as it frequently causes them to spot or to change 
 color. 
 
 RUG, To Make a. — A very economical rug 
 can be made in the following manner: take coffee- 
 sacks and sew together of the required size, 
 
 which fasten upon a rough frame of lath nailed 
 together. Trace a design in the center — for in- 
 stance a diamond, and a waved or pointed bor- 
 der. Geometrical designs are usually prettier 
 than those miserable, stiff masses called flowers. 
 To work this sacking as if it were canvas, prepare 
 balls of assorted rags sewed together, as for car- 
 pets, except that they must be cut evenly and not 
 more than half an inch wide ; wind each color in 
 a separate ball. Now take a large hook — you can 
 manufacture one from a piece of wire. Put the 
 strip to be worked underneath, and insert the ■ 
 hook from the upper side, catch the strip below, 
 and draw it up through the foundation about one 
 half an inch, making a loop; put the hook through 
 the next diagonal place, and draw up another 
 loop ; proceed in this way, following the outline 
 of the center design. Three times around is 
 enough of the outline color ; then work the out- 
 line of the border, and fill up the margin. Fill 
 up the inside figure with a contrasting color. 
 Next work the corners; and fill up the ground 
 with a dark color. Remove from frame and hem 
 the edges underneath the work. This rug is 
 durable, and can be made quite handsome, with 
 good colors. 
 
 RUGS, {SHEEPSKIN) To C/^««.— Make 
 a very strong lather, by boiling soap in a little 
 water, mix this with a sufficient quantity of water 
 (rather more than luke-warm), to wash the mat 
 or rug in, and rub boiled soap on those portions 
 of it which require additional cleansing. When 
 the mat has been well washed in this M-atcr, pre- 
 pare another lather in the same way, in which a 
 second washing must take place, followed by a 
 third, which ought to be sufficient to cleanse it 
 thoroughly. Rinse it well in cold water until 
 all the soap is removed, and then put it in water 
 in which a little blue has been mixed, sufficient 
 to keep the wool of a good white, and prevent its 
 inclining to yellow. After this it should be 
 thoroughly wrung, shaken, and hung out in the 
 open air with the skin part towards the sun, but 
 not while it is scorching, otherwise the skin will 
 become hard. It must also be shaken often while 
 drying, for if not it will be quite stiff and crackly. 
 It should be frequently turned, being hung up 
 first by one end and then by the other, until it 
 has dried entirely. 
 
 SILVER, lo Give Luster To. — Dissolve a 
 quantity of alum in water, so as to make a pretty 
 strong brine, and skim it carefully ; then add 
 some soap to it, and dip a linen rag in it, and rub 
 over the silver. 
 
 SILVER ORNAMENTS, To Clean.— "^oW 
 them in soap and water for five minutes; then 
 put them in a basin with the same hot soap and 
 water, and scrub them gently with a very soft 
 brush while hot; then rinse and dry with a linen 
 rag. Heat a piece of common unglazed earthen 
 ware, or a piece of brick or tile in the fire ; take 
 it off, and place the ornaments upon it for the 
 purpose of drying them, and causing every par- 
 ticle of moisture to evaporate; as the moisture, 
 which otherwise would remain on the silver, will 
 cause it to tarnish, or assume a greenish hue. All 
 ornaments, whether gold or silver, can be kept 
 from tarnishing if they are carefully covered from 
 the air in boxwood sawdust, which will also dry 
 them after being washed. 
 
 SILVER PLA TE, To Take Stains Out Of. 
 — Steep the plate in soap lyes for the space of 
 four hours ; then, cover it over with whiting, wet 
 
HOUSEHOLD MISCELLANY. 
 
 163 
 
 with vinegar, so that it may stick thick upon it, 
 and dry it by a fire; after which rub off the 
 whiting, and pass it over with dry bran, and the 
 spots will not only disappear, but the plate will 
 look exceedingly bright. 
 
 SPOTS, GREASE, To Remcroe.—l. Take 
 benzine, 20 ounces; alcohol (strong), 5 ounces; 
 ether, 2 drachms ; ammonia, I drachm. — 2. ( Ja- 
 velle -water. ) Take bleaching powder, i ounce ; 
 carbonate of potassa, i ounce ; water, 33 ounces. 
 Triturate the bleaching powder in the cold with 
 25 ounces of water, then add the carbonate of 
 potassa, previously dissolved in the rest of the 
 water, shake well and let it settle. The super- 
 natant liquor is filtered, if necessary, and mixed 
 with one ounce of hydrochloric acid, when it is 
 ready for use. 
 
 SPOTS, {GREASE) To take out of Silk. 
 — ^Take a lump of magnesia, and rub it wet over 
 the spot ; let it dry, then brush the powder off, 
 and the spot will disappear; or, take a visiting 
 card, separate it, and rub the spot with the sou 
 internal part, and it will disappear without taking 
 the gloss off the silk. 
 
 STAINS OF NITRA TE OF SIL VER, To 
 Remove. — Grimm states in a German journal that 
 chloride of copper completely removes nitrate of 
 silver stains from colored cotton cloth. It should 
 afterward be washed with hyposulphite of soda, 
 and then thoroughly washed with water. Such 
 stains are more effectually removed from white 
 cotton or linen cloth, by applying to it a dilute 
 solution of permanganate of potash and hydro- 
 chloric acid, which is to be followed by washing 
 with hyposulphite of soda and plain water. This 
 process renders the use of the highly poisonous 
 cyanide of potassium unnecessary. 
 
 STEEL ARTICLES, To Presen<e from 
 Rust, ivhen not in Use. — Sleigh runners, skates, 
 &c., which are only used for a limited time during 
 the year, may be effectually preserved from rust 
 by a coating of common lard and pulverized black 
 lead, containing a little camphor. 
 
 STEEL, To Renioz'e RUST from. — ^This can 
 be done by a free application of kerosene oil, 
 allowing the oil to remain on until the rust is 
 loosened, and can be rubbed off. 
 
 STOPPER {Glass) To i?^w^.'^.— Apply hot 
 water to the neck of the bottle, which will expand, 
 while the stopper retains its former temperature 
 and becomes loose. 
 
 STO VES BLA Ci^/A"t7.— Blacking for stoves 
 may be made with ^ a pound of black lead finely 
 powdered, and (to make it stick) mix with it the 
 whites of 3 eggs well beaten ; then dilute it with 
 sour beer or porter till it becomes as thin as 
 shoe-blacking; after stirring it, set it over hot 
 coals to simmer for 20 minutes ; when cold it may 
 be kept for use. 
 
 TABLES, To remove Marks from. — If a 
 whitish mark is left on a table, by carelessly set- 
 ling on a pitcher of boiling water, or a hot dish, 
 pour some lamp oil on the spot, and rub it hard 
 with a soft cloth. Then pour on a little spirits 
 of wine or cologne water, and rub it dry with 
 another cloth. The white mark will thus dis- 
 appear, and the table look as well as ever. 
 
 TAR, PITCH OR TURPENTINE, To Re- 
 move. — Scrape off as much as you can ; then wet 
 the place thoroughly with good salad oil, and let 
 it remain for twenty-four hours. If linen or 
 cotton wash it out in strong warm soap-suds ; if 
 
 woollen or silk, take out the oil with ether or 
 spirits of wine. 
 
 If the stain is of tar, you may remove it (after 
 scraping and wiping), by using cold tallow in- 
 stead of sweet oil. Rub and press well on the 
 spot a small lump of good tallow, and leave it 
 sticking there till next day. Then proceed as 
 above. 
 
 TEA-KETTLE, To Clean.— YvX into the 
 tea-kettle a flat oyster-shell, and keep it constantly 
 there. It will attract the stony particles that are 
 in the water to itself, and prevent their forming 
 upon the tea-kettle. 
 
 TIN, How To Clean. — Never use lye to clean 
 tin, it will soon spoil it. Make it clean with 
 suds, and rub it with whiting, and it will look 
 well, and last much longer. 
 
 TIN-PANS, How To Mend.— This can be 
 done quickly and easily by the use of putty, and 
 is much better than to throw them away. Put 
 it on the outside ; let it dry thoroughly, and they 
 will never need mending in the same place again. 
 WALLS {DA MP), Remedy for.— An excellent 
 remedy for damp walls is washing them with a 
 strong solution of alum. 
 
 WALL-PAPER, To Extract Grease Stains 
 from. — Oil marks can be taken from the paper 
 on drawing-room walls, and marks where people 
 have rested their heads, by mixing pipeclay with 
 water to the consistency of cream, laying it on 
 the spot, and letting it remain till the following 
 day, when it may be easily removed with a pen- 
 knife or brush. 
 
 WATER, H<nv To 71\f^.— Mechanical im- 
 purities in water are removed only by filtration ; 
 chemical impurities cannot be removed in this 
 manner. If lime is supposed to be present in 
 water, the best test is to mix with it a small quan- 
 tity of oxalic acid in a small vessel ; lime, if pres- 
 ent, will be revealed in a white precipitate. Car- 
 bonate of iron is best detected by the tincture of 
 galls, which produces a black precipitate. If 
 the penknife, dipped in water, assumes a yellow- 
 ish coating, copper is present. The best method 
 of detecting the presence of vegetable and animal 
 matter is by dropping into it a small quantity of 
 sulphuric acid ; the water becomes black. 
 
 WATER, Purification of— Mr. Booth, of 
 Birmingham, England, has lately made known a 
 very simple process for disengaging from water 
 all organic matters. By this method it is suffi- 
 cient to prepare a neutral solution of bi-sulphate 
 of alumina, and add the water to be purified in 
 the proportion of one ounce to 435 gallons. As 
 soon as this is done, a cloud is formed in the li- 
 quor, and flocks rapidly descend, taking to the 
 bottom all organic matters, and debarrassing the 
 water of all coloring matter, and disagreeable 
 taste and smell. In six or eight hours the deposit 
 is complete. The principle of this operation is 
 the following : All water contains bi-carbonate of 
 lime, in a more or less proportion. The sul- 
 phuric acid of the bi-sulphate of alumina com- 
 bines with the lime to form a sulphate of lime 
 nearly insoluble, which is precipitated. The 
 hydrate of alumina becomes free, and forms with 
 the organic matters an insoluble product. The 
 carbonic acid of the bi-carbonate is set free and 
 communicates to the water an agreeable taste. 
 For very hard waters, it is sufficient to add to 
 them a very weak dose of bi-carbonate of soda, 
 to entirelv free them of their excess of lime. 
 
 WA TER {Muddy) To Clcan.—Vf&t.ci other- 
 
1 64 
 
 DICTIONARY OF E VERY-DA Y WANTS. 
 
 wise pure, but contaminated simply with clay (as 
 may be the case with the water of rivers after 
 heavy rain or fall of snow), becomes at once clari- 
 fied by very minute quantities of some salts of 
 lime ; one thousandth part of chloride of calcium 
 for one part of water effects this purpose in a 
 moment ; the nitrate, ,bi-carbonate, and caustic 
 lime act in the same manner. The precipitated 
 substance may be readily separated from the wa- 
 ter by filtration, whereas the filtration of the wa- 
 ter containing the suspended matter is very diffi- 
 cult, because the pores of the filters become 
 choked. The practical importance of this matter 
 is very great, since it is, for instance, a well- 
 known fact that the water o*f some rivers does 
 not, in winter time, and after heavy rain-fall or 
 snow-storms, become quite clear, even if left at 
 rest in large ponds for a considerable time. 
 
 WATER FILTER, Home - made. —'Rz.m 
 water is much healthier than hard water as a bev- 
 erage ; and the following will be found an easy 
 and cheap way to fit it for drinking purposes : 
 
 Have an oak tub made, holding from half, to 
 
 a barrel, according to the amount of water needed 
 
 in the family; let it stand on end, with a faucet 
 
 r the bottom ; or, I prefer a hole through the 
 
 tom, near the front side, with a tube in which 
 prevents the water from rotting the outside of the 
 tub; then put clean pebbles 3 or 4 inches in 
 thickness over the bottom of the tub ; now have 
 charcoal pulverized to the size of small peas (that 
 made from hard maple is best) and put in half a 
 bushel or so at a time; pound it down quite 
 firmly, then put in niore and pound again until 
 the tub is filled to within 8 inches of the top ; and 
 again put on 2 inches more of pebbles ; then put 
 a piece of clean white flannel over the whole top 
 as a strainer. 
 
 The flannel can be washed occasionally, to re- 
 move the impurities collected from the water, and 
 it might be well to put a flannel between the 
 pebbles and charcoal at the bottom also. WTien 
 the charcoal becomes foul, it can be renewed as 
 before, but will work a year without renewing. 
 
 WINDOWS, To C/^flM.— Remove stains and 
 dust with soap and water, then apply with a 
 moistened rag powdered indigo, rotten-stone, or 
 fuller's earth. Dry with a soft cotton cloth. 
 
 WINDOW GLASS, To Prevent the Sun 
 from Passing Through. — Pound gum tragacanth 
 to a powder, and put it, for twenty-four hours, 
 to dissolve in white of eggs, well-beaten. Lay 
 a coat of this on your glass with a soft brush, and 
 let it dry. ■ 
 
 WINDO W SASHES, To Prevent Rattling. 
 — The sashes in very many costly and elegant 
 dwellings are frequently so loose from some 
 cause, tnat when winds blow even gently they 
 will rattle and bang from stop to stop, like the 
 
 shrunken and decayed portions of some forsaken 
 and dilapidated castle. The remedy is by no 
 means difficult or expensive. Let the sashes be 
 taken out of the window frame, and every part 
 of the window examined. If the jamb-casings 
 have been sprung, or are warped and twisted, 
 the first step will be to remove the stops and 
 straighten the face of the casings, which may be 
 done most conveniently with a large rabbet-plane 
 and a smpothing-plane. In case the sashes should 
 be much too narrow for the frame, let one edge 
 be dressed off true, and a thin strip fitted neatly, 
 and glued and nailed to the edge of one stile. 
 See that the outside edge of such stile is not ta- 
 pering, even by the thickness of a heavy shaving. 
 When the stile are tapering only a trifle, the 
 sashes cannot be moved up and down easily. 
 Now put the upper sash in its place, and fasten 
 the central stop with two or three long, slender 
 wood screws, after which remove the outside 
 stops and place them so closely to the stiles of 
 the sash that the window will not rattle. Then 
 let the stops be secured on the inside so closely 
 to the stiles of the sash that will move up and 
 down easily, without having so much play that 
 the wind will rattle it. When the sashes have 
 been fitted as directed, there will be no more 
 need of "weather strips" of any kind to exclude 
 dust and cold air, and the expense of refitting a 
 window as directed will be much less than the 
 cost of weather strips. 
 
 WINDOW SASHES, To Keep in PUue.— 
 These may be kept up without sash-lines and 
 pulleys, by means of cork, in the simplest manner, 
 and with scarcely any expense. Bore three or 
 four holes in the sides of the sash, into which in- 
 sert common bottle corks, projecting about the 
 sixteenth part of an inch. These will press 
 against the window - frames, along the usual 
 groove, and by their elasticity support the sash at 
 any height which may be required. 
 
 WEIGHTS AND MEASURES Household. 
 — ^\Vheat flour weighs one pound to a quart. 
 Indian meal, one pound two ounces to a quart. 
 Butter, when soft, one pound to a quart. Loaf 
 sugar, broken, one pound to a quart. White 
 sugar, powdered, one pound one ounce to a quart. 
 Eggs, average size, ten to a pound. 
 
 WOOD {New) To Remoz'e Taste from.—S. 
 new keg, churn, bucket, or other wooden vessel 
 will generally communicate a disagreeable odor 
 to anything that is put into it. To prevent this 
 inconvenience first scald the vessel with boiling 
 water, letting the water remain in it till cold. 
 Then dissolve some pearlash or soda in lukewarm 
 water, adding alittle bit of lime to it, and wash the 
 inside of the vessel well with the solution. After- 
 ward scald it well with plain hot water, and rinse 
 it with cold water before you use it. 
 
 HOUSEHOLD PETS. 
 
 A VI A R Y, The. — Strictly speaking, an aviary 
 is a considerable space fitted up and adapted to 
 accommodate a large number and variety of birds 
 remarkable for their singing qualities, the beauty 
 
 of their plumage, or other peculiarities. An 
 aviary, as a matter of course, is a large cage in 
 which an attempt is made to give a natural ap- 
 pearance to the interior of the place where the 
 
HOUSEHOLD PETS. 
 
 I6S 
 
 feathered prisoners are confined. Perches re- I 
 sembling the branches of trees, grass, moss, 
 various plants, patches of gravel or sand, a rill 
 of clear water, secluded places for nests — in a 
 word, everything is provided that the birds can 
 require short of liberty ; which, indeed, in a cli- 
 mate like ours, and in the absence of those na- 
 tural supplies so easily obtained in their native 
 places, would be a more than doubtfid blessing 
 to inany of them, inasmuch as no foreign species 
 would long survive emancipation. 
 
 In a large aviary possessed of all such appli- 
 ances as we have adverted to, favorably situated 
 and carefully attended, most of the little captives 
 will thrive and be cheerful, and many of them 
 will build and bring up their young. Such estab- 
 lishments, however, are rare ; and it may be 
 doubted whether the expense, trouble, and anx- 
 iety inseparable from the keeping of them, are 
 not too great for any satisfaction which they pro- 
 duce. This, however, is a matter of opinion. 
 
 AQUARIUM {The) Principles <7/. — The 
 aquarium may consist either of salt water, with 
 marine animals and plants, or fresh water with 
 fresh water animals and vegetable life. But wheth- 
 er the one or the other be chosen, the principle 
 on which its freshness and actual existence depend 
 is the same — namely, the proper balance between 
 the oxygen given off by the plants and the carbon 
 thrown off by the fish or other animals ; the com- 
 bination of the two gases preserving the water 
 pure, keeping the animals alive, and sustaining 
 the growth and renewal of the plants. The scien- 
 tific principle by which we imitate nature in the 
 aquarium is very well explained by Sir David 
 Brewster: "Water has the power of absorbing 
 certain quantities of atmospheric air and various 
 gases ; the presence of air gives to rain and spring 
 water their refreshing qualities, as may be proved 
 by expelling the air from water by boiling and 
 then tasting the insipid liquor that' remains. Or- 
 dinary water always contains a certain amount of 
 atmospheric air and also a trace of carbonic acid, 
 which gas is a compound of oxygen and carbon 
 in the proportion of sixteen to six. The leaves 
 of plants when acted upon by light, decompose 
 this gas, and, having no necessity for oxygen, 
 they merely absorb the carbon. Animals, on the 
 other hand, require oxygen for the purpose of 
 removing the waste carbon of great divisions of 
 organized beings. But two other elements play 
 an important part in the phenomenon of life — 
 namely, nitrogen and hydrogen. Both plants 
 and animals require these gases as food. They 
 combine to form ammonia, which is found in 
 small portions in the atmosphere and in water. 
 Ammonia is indeed the main fertilizing element 
 in vegetable life. Plants obtain their supply of 
 it either through the natural water absorbed at 
 their rootlets, or by means of artificial manures ; 
 animals, through the means of the substances 
 they devour. All forms of vegetable and animal 
 life are built up of these four elements." 
 
 AQUARIUM, How to Make and Fill.— 
 First, as to the tank or globe — the receptacle for 
 your water and its living plants and animals. 
 Whether you determine on a marine or a fresh 
 water aquarium, the tank is the same. It may 
 be either square or round. If square or rectang- 
 ular, it should be perfectly water tight, with a plain 
 piece of glass to place loosely over the top at 
 night and when the room is being dusted. A 
 propagating glass turned upside down forms a 
 
 good, strong round tank, which may be pur- 
 chased cheaply of the dealers in horticultural 
 glass ; lately, indeed, they have been made of 
 graceful shape in perfectly white glass, purposely 
 for use as aquaria. The advantage of square over 
 round tanks, is that they do not enlarge or distort 
 the objects seen within them. 
 
 Having bought your tank, your next task is to 
 fill and stock it. It must be prepared for the 
 plants and animals by placing at the bottom a 
 layer of stones and gravel : fresh water gravel 
 for fresh water, stones and sand for salt water. 
 These form a basis or foundation for the roots of 
 the plants. It is well also to have a little rock 
 work rising from the bottom, just above the sur- 
 face of the water. Then fill it with water. For 
 a fresh water aquarium, ordinary water will do, 
 but for a marine aquarium you must have the 
 proper sea water. Do not try the artificial sea 
 water advertised, but get a sufficient quantity 
 from the sea itself, taken at some distance from 
 the shore. This you can procure without much 
 trouble or expense. But if real sea water is very 
 difficult to procure, the following mixture will 
 form a tolerably good substitute. It so nearly 
 assimilates to the actual composition of salt water 
 that it will support life in the marine aquarium: 
 Common salt (chloride of sodium) 3^/^ ounces ; 
 Epsom salts (sulphate of magnesia), X ounce ; 
 chloride of magnesium, 200 grains troy ; chloride 
 of potassium, 40 grains troy. These materials, 
 properly dissolved, are to be added to four quarts 
 of common soft water, the same proportions being 
 observed if you enlarge the quantity. 
 
 AQUARIUM, Home Made. — Cut a narrow 
 groove in a board the size you wish, set four 
 pieces of glass on edge in the grooves ; put a 
 piece of zinc in the bottom ; on the board make 
 a light frame, the size of the top, with grooves ; 
 pass a small rod through the frame down the in- 
 side of the corners, through the bottom, and 
 screw up tight ; put cement in all the corners, 
 and you will have an aquarium at very trifling 
 cost. To make the cement, take one part, by 
 measure, of litharge ; one part plaster of Paris ; .^ 
 one part fine beach sand; one-third part fine ' 
 powdered rosin ; mix all together. This may be 
 kept for years, while dry, in a well-corked bottle ; 
 when used, make in a putty with boiled linseed 
 oil ; a little patent dryer may be used ; it will 
 stand water at once, either salt or fresh. 
 
 AQUARIUM {FRESH IVAIER), To 
 Make. — Presuming that you begin with a fresh 
 water aquarium, you will find the best weed to 
 grow in the water is the anacharis alsinastrum^ 
 the weeds which often choke the canals and in- 
 land streams. This pretty moss-like plant may 
 be easily procured from almost any canal at any 
 time of the year. Another weed which does ad- 
 mirably in the aquarium is the ranunculus aquti- 
 lis (the water crowfoot), which may be taken 
 from any pool during the spring months, and 
 placed in the tank, when it will send down roots 
 and grow abimdantly. Be careful to remove all 
 broken or decaying shoots, and keep the weeds 
 from multiplying too fast, or the balance between 
 animal and vegetable life will be destroyed. 
 
 In stocking a fresh water aquarium great choice 
 is left for the young naturalist. He may have 
 small carp, gold fish, minnow, or almost any 
 kind o£ river fish, with water newts, or efts, or 
 even a good sized frog, which is by no means an 
 ugly or uninteresting animaL .The frogs and 
 
l66 
 
 DICTIONARY OF E VERY-DAY WANTS. 
 
 newts will crawl occasionally to the top of the 
 rock and sun themselves. A diving spider is 
 also a good addition; but you must by no means 
 neglect a good supply of water snails and fresh 
 water shrimps, which will be found very useful 
 in eating away the conferva, or green slime-weed 
 that collects on the glass. Sticklebacks are very 
 amusing little fish, but they must be kept by 
 themselves, for they are quarrelsome fellows, 
 and have an ugly knack of poking their sharp 
 spikes into and mortally wounding the other in- 
 habitants of the tank. Some water beetles are 
 also harmless, but others prove a great nuisance. 
 You must avoid placing young pike in your tank, 
 though by themselves they are amusing. 
 
 AQUARIUM, {MARINE) To Make.— For 
 the marine, or sea water aquarium, the sea ane- 
 mone (actinia) and various kinds of crabs may 
 be had in great variety of the dealers; and if you 
 are fond olsea side wandering you may procure 
 them for yourselves among the rocks and in the 
 little pools on the shore when the tide is out. Sea 
 snails, shrimps, star-fish, &c., may be introduced 
 at pleasure ; while for the plants, any of the small 
 sea weeds will do. When gathered, a little piece 
 of the rock to whicb they grow should be chipped 
 off, and the plants placed in the tank without 
 being detached or bruised. The plants and rock- 
 work should be arranged picturesquely. Remove 
 any sick or dying animals, so as to prevent the 
 water from becoming foul. 
 
 AQUARIUM, How to Manage when 
 Complete. — ^The aquarium should be placed on a 
 stand or table in a good light ; and if the sun 
 shine directly on either side, that part should be 
 protected by a green baize curtain which may be 
 removed when the sunshine departs. Once fixed, 
 the tank should not be disturbed. A window 
 with north-western or western aspect is a capital 
 situation. Be careful not to crowd your tank, 
 and when you find the water level getting too 
 low, raise it by addition of more water ; but do 
 not meddle .with the arrangement of the tank too 
 often or you will alarm your live stock. In the 
 management of the aquarium, as in other pet 
 fancies, cleanliness is the grand secret of success. 
 
 BIRDS, ( TAME) Disorders Of.—NSS. tame 
 animals are much more subject to disease than 
 wild ones : and birds so much the more, as they 
 are often shut up in very small cages, where they 
 can take no exercise. It is often supposed that 
 birds, in their natural free state, have no diseases; 
 but people who will take the trouble to observe, 
 will soon perceive the falsehood of this assertion. 
 We have often found hedgesparrows full of pim- 
 ples, particularly in the naked parts, the feet, 
 and round the beak. Their diseases are often 
 increased by the delicacies of all kinds which are 
 given them, such as biscuits and sugar, which 
 injure the stomach, and cause a slow decay. 
 
 BIRDS, The PIP ;«.— This is a catarrh, or 
 cold, by which the nostrils are stopped up, and 
 the membrane covering the tongue is hardened 
 by inflammation. In large birds it is common 
 to remove this skin, taking it off from the base to 
 the tip; by this means this part can again per- 
 spire, the saliva necessary for digestion can now, 
 and the taste and appetite returns. A mixture 
 of fresh butter, pepper, and garlic, generally 
 cures this catarrh. It is a good thing, also, for 
 the birds to drink the pectoral infusion of speed- 
 well; and the nostrils may be opened by passing 
 up a small feather. The ruffing of the head, the 
 
 beak often open and yellow at its base, and the 
 tongue dry, are the most decisive indications of 
 this disease. 
 
 BIRDS, The Rheum in. — The symptoms of 
 this disease are frequent sneezing and shaking of 
 the head. Some drops of pectoral elixir in the 
 infusion of speedwell, which the sick birds must 
 be made to take, appears to me to be the most 
 efficacious remedy. Give fowls about 20 drops 
 of the elixir in a glass of the infusion. 
 
 When it is merely hoarseness. Dr. Handel, of 
 Mayence, gave to his birds for several days, as 
 their only drink, a very diluted decoction of dry 
 figs, sweetened with a little sugar, and afterward 
 purged them for two days following, with the 
 juice of carrots. 
 
 BIRDS, Asthma in, — This is a very common 
 disease among house birds. Those attacked with 
 it have their breath short, often open their beaks 
 as if to gasp for more air, and, when agitated or 
 frightened, keep them open for a long time. 
 
 The cause of this disease may doubtless be 
 found in the mode of life which these birds lead. 
 Their food is generally too dry and heated, being 
 principally hemp seed, which is very injurious, 
 but liked by all ; and is the more hurtful, as it 
 inclines them to eat too much. If to this be add- 
 ed the unchanged air of the rooms, particularly 
 those which have stoves instead of chimneys, and 
 the great heat which is kept up during winter, it 
 is plain that there is much to injure the delicate 
 lungs of these birds. 
 
 A moist and refreshing regimen and some ap- 
 erients, more or less often, according to the vio- 
 lence of the disease, appears the most appropriate ' 
 remedy. A favorite linnet and gfldfinch, when 
 attacked with very bad asthma, were relieved and 
 preserved for several years by the following 
 method. 
 
 The first thing was to leave offhempseed en- 
 tirely, confining them solely to rapeseed; but 
 giving them at the same time abundance of bread, 
 soaked in pure water, and then pressed ; lettuce, 
 endive, or watercresses, according to the seasons, 
 twice a week, giving them boiled bread and milk, 
 about the size of a nutmeg. This is made by 
 throwing a piece of the crumb of white bread, 
 about the size of a nut, into a teacupful of milk, 
 boiling it, and stirring it all the time with a wood- 
 en spoon till it is of the consistency of pap. It 
 must be quite cold before it is given to the birds, 
 and must always be made fresh, for if sour it will 
 prove injurious. 
 
 This paste, which they are very fond of, purges 
 them sufficiently, and sensibly relieves them. In 
 very violent attacks, nothing but this paste ought 
 to be given for two or three days following, and 
 this will soon give the desired relief. 
 
 When the disease is slight, or only begun it is 
 sufficient to give the bread and milk once in three 
 or four days. When employed under similar 
 circumstances, this treatment has cured several 
 very valuable birds. It may not be useless here 
 to renew the advice of always giving the birds an 
 opportunity of bathing every day, by putting in 
 their way a saucer, or any other small shallow 
 bath, filled with water, which should never be 
 too cold, and in winter always milk warm. 
 
 One thing which is very injurious to the lungs 
 of birds, and which too often occurs, is the fright 
 occasioned by tormenting them, or by seizing 
 them too suddenly; for the poor little things 
 often rupture a blood-vessel in the breast whUe 
 
HOUSEHOLD PETS. 
 
 167 
 
 beating themselves about ; a drop of blood in the 
 beak is the sign, and a speedy death is the gene- 
 ral consequence. If this does not happen, the 
 breathing is not the less difficult and painful; and 
 recovery is rare, at least without the greatest care 
 and attention. 
 
 Birds which eat insects and worms, occasion- 
 ally, by accident, swallow some extraneous sub- 
 stances, which, sticking in their throat, stops 
 their respiration, and stifles them. The only 
 remedy is to extract the foreign body, which re- 
 quires much skill and dexterity. 
 
 When asthma is brought on by eating seeds 
 which are too old, spoiled, or rancid, Dr. Handel 
 recommends some drops of oxymel to be swal- 
 lowed for eight days following. But the best way 
 is to change the seed, and be sure there is none 
 but good seed in the trough. 
 
 BIRDS, Atrophy or Wasting »«.— This is 
 caused by giving unnatural food to the bird, 
 which destroys the digestive power of its stomach. 
 In this case it disgorges, ruffles its feathers, and 
 does not arrange them, and becomes thin very 
 fest. The best thing is to make it swallow a 
 common spider, which purges it, and put a rusty 
 nail into its water, which strengthens the intes- 
 tines, giving it at the same time its proper and 
 natural food. Green food, such as lettuce, endive, 
 chickweed, and particularly watercresses, is the 
 safest remedy. A very great appetite is a sign 
 of this disease. A siskin, that was dying of 
 atrophy, had nothing but watercresses for three 
 days following, and on the fourth he sung. 
 
 BIRDS, Consumption or Decline in. — This 
 disorder may be known by the extreme thinness 
 of the breast, the swelling of the lower part of 
 the belly, the total loss of appetite, and similar 
 symptoms. As a cure. Dr. Handel recommends 
 the juice of the wild turnip to be given to drink 
 instead of water. 
 
 BIRDS, Costiveness in. — ^This disease may be 
 discovered from the frequent unsuccessful en- 
 deavors of the bird to relieve itself. Aperients 
 will be of use. If a spider does not produce the 
 desired effect, anoint the vent of the bird with the 
 head of a pin steeped in linseed oil ; this sort of 
 clyster generally succeeds ; but if the disease 
 attacks a bird which eats meal worms, one of 
 these, bruised in sweet oil and saffron, is the 
 most certain remedy, and the bird will swallow 
 it \\-ithout the least hesitation. Boiled bread and 
 milk is generally of great use. 
 
 BIRDS, Diarrhaa in. — This is a disease to 
 which birds that have been caught recently 
 are very subject, before they are accustomed to 
 their new food. Most of these die of it ; they 
 continually void a white calcareous matter, which 
 sticks to the feathers round the vent, and being 
 very acrid causes inflammation in that part and 
 in the intestines. Sometimes chalybeate water 
 and the oil clyster produce good effecf ; but it is 
 better, if possible, to procure for the bird its 
 most natural food. Some people pull out the 
 feathers from the tail and vent, and then rub 
 these parts with fresh butter, but this is a very 
 painful and cruel operation. They also mix the 
 yelk of an egg boiled very hard with their food, 
 but we have never found this succeed very well. 
 If there be any hope of curing this disease it is 
 by attacking it at the beginning, before inflam- 
 mation is violent ; boiled bread and milk, a great 
 deal of lettuce, or any other similar green re- 
 freshing food, in general completely cures them. 
 
 In a case of chronic diarrhoea, which almost 
 reduces the birds to skeletons. Dr. Handel pre- 
 scribes chalybeate water mixed with a little milk 
 for their drink, which, he says, is an easy and 
 certain cure. 
 
 BIRDS, Bloody Flux in. — ^This is a disease 
 with which some parrots are attacked. The best 
 remedy is to make the birds drink a great deal 
 of boiled milk, or even very fat broth ; for their 
 intestines, which are very much irritated, re- 
 quire something soothing to protect them from 
 the acrid discharges, which, at the same time, 
 must be corrected by healing food. Birds in this 
 state generally do nothing but drink, therefore 
 plenty of boiled milk should be given them, as it 
 nourishes them as well as acts medicinally, but 
 should it appear to turn sour in the stomach it 
 must, at least for some time, be discontinued. 
 
 BIRDS, Obstruction in the Rump Gland. 
 — This gland, which is on the rump, and 
 contains the oil necessary for anointing the 
 feathers, sometimes becomes hard and inflamed, 
 and an abscess forms there. In this case the bird 
 often pierces it itself, or it may be softened by 
 applying fresh butter without any salt ; but it is 
 better to use an ointment made of white lead, 
 litharge, wax, and olive oil, which may be had at 
 any good chemist's. The general method is to 
 pierce or cut the hardened gland, in order to let 
 out the matter, but if this operation removes the 
 obstruction it also destroys the gland, and the bird 
 will die in the next molting, for want of oil to 
 soften the feathers. 
 
 The gland is known to be obstructed when the 
 feathers which surround it are ruffled, the bird 
 never ceasmg to peck them, and instead of being 
 yellow it becomes brown. This disease is very 
 rare among wild birds, for being exposed to 
 damp, and bathing often, they make more use of 
 the liquor in the gland, consequently it does not 
 accumulate sufficiently to become corrupted, sour, 
 or cancerous. This confirms the necessity of 
 giving tliem the means of bathing as often as in- 
 stinct would induce them, as nothing can be more 
 favorable to their health. 
 
 BIRDS, {Cage) Moulting of. — Moulting, or 
 changing their feathers, is a natural operation 
 with birds, which cannot be prevented, but which 
 must be assisted with care and attention. Cold 
 is the greatest danger to which they are exposed; 
 in passing through this state therefore, all 
 draughts of air should be carefully guarded 
 against. When the cages are open ones, or have 
 much wire-work they ought to be partly covered 
 up with a cloth or paper, to keep the birds warm 
 and the cleaning of the cage need not take place 
 more than once a week, though they must be 
 carefully supplied with fresh food and water 
 daily. A little saffron in their water, a little 
 nourishing food, and the extra warmth occasioned 
 by the covering to the cage, will soon restore the 
 birds to a plumage more beautiful than that they 
 cast off. The covering of the cage should not be 
 cast off all at once, but gradually ; it should then 
 be cleaned thoroughly, and the birds have their 
 ordinary food. They should, while moulting, 
 be put in the sun for an hour or two, if the 
 weather is fine and warm. 
 
 BIRDS (Singing) Food /or.— Knead together 
 3 pounds of split peas, ground or beaten, i)4 
 pounds of fine crumbs of bread, the same quan- 
 tity of coarse sugar, the raw yolks of 6 eggs, and 
 6 ounces of fresh butter. Put about y^ of the 
 
i68 
 
 DICTIONARY OF EVERY-DAY WANTS. 
 
 mixture at a time in a frying pan over a gentle 
 fire, stir it until a little browned, but not burned. 
 When the other 3 parts are done, and all cold, 
 add to the whole, 6 ounces of maw seed and 6 
 pounds of bruised hemp seed, separated from the 
 husks. Mix together, and it will be found ex- 
 cellent food for thrushes, robins, larks, linnets, 
 canaries, finches and most other singing birds, 
 preserving them admirably in song and feather. 
 
 BIRDS, RasU/or.—Take a white loaf which 
 is well baked and stale, put it into fresh water till 
 it is quite soaked through ; then squeeze out the 
 water and pour boiled milk over tlie loaf, adding 
 about two-thirds the quantity of barley meal, 
 from which the bran has been carefully sifted, or, 
 what is still better, wheatmeal. Another method, 
 howe%'er, may be adopted. Grate a carrot very 
 nicely, soak a small white loaf in fresh water, 
 press the water out of it, put it along with the 
 carrot into an earthen pan, add handfuls of barley 
 or wheaten meal, and mix the whole together 
 with. a pestle. These pastes ought to be made 
 fresh every morning, for they quickly become 
 sour, and are consequently injurious to the birds. 
 
 BIRDS, Almond Paste for.— V&2. meal 2 lbs., 
 blanched sweet almonds i lb. ; fresh butter or 
 lard }l lb.; moist sugar 5 02.; a shred or two of 
 hay saffron ; beat to a smooth paste, and granu- 
 late it by passing it through a colander. The 
 addition of the yelks of 2 or 3 eggs improves it. 
 Used to feed larks, nightingales, and other in- 
 sectirorous birds. It will keep good for 6 months 
 in a dry place. 
 
 BIRDS, German Paste for.— Take 4 fresh 
 eggs, boiled very hard, ^ lb. white peasemeal, 
 and about a table spoonful of good salad oil — 
 if the least rancid it will not do. The eggs must 
 be grated very fine, and mixed with the meal and 
 olive oil, and the whole then be pressed through 
 a tin colander, to form it into grains like small 
 shot, it should next be put into a frying pan, set 
 over a gentle fire, and gradually stirred with a 
 ^road knife, till it be partially wasted and dried, 
 the test of which will be its yellowish brown 
 color. All insect eating birds maybe kept upon 
 this food throughout the year, except when they 
 appear drooping and unwell, or at moulting time, 
 when a few meal worms may be given to them 
 twice or thrice a day. 
 
 BULLFINCHES.— Old birds should be fed 
 with German Paste, and occasionally rape-seed. 
 The Germans occasionally give them a little 
 poppy-seed, and a grain or two of rice, steeped 
 m Canary wine, when teaching them to pipe, as 
 a reward for the progress they make. Bird or- 
 gans, or flageolets are used to teach them. 
 
 BLACKBIRD, 7%^.— The blackbird should 
 be kept in a large cage, for it is not prudent to 
 allow it to associate with other birds, as it will 
 attack the smaller kinds. It is fond of frequent 
 bathing and should be furnished with the means. 
 The natural food of the blackbird is berries, 
 worms, insects, shelled snails, cherries, and other 
 similar fruit ; and its artificial food, lean fresh 
 meat, cut very small, and mixed with bread, or 
 German paste. 
 
 CA TS, Care ^.— The cat is subject to several 
 diseases ; but, as a general rule, is seldom se- 
 riously ill. The best rule to keep the animal in 
 good health is to have it fed with regularity, kept 
 clean, and furnished with plenty of pure water. 
 In respect to the ailments of puss, "prevention 
 is easier than cure," as it is in many matters of 
 
 higher moment. The cat ought not tc be over- 
 fed. If she appears out of sorts, a little brim- 
 stone in milk will frequently be found useful. 
 
 CANARIES, Hints in Choosing. — In buy- 
 ing canaries, the birds which seem moderately 
 shy are generally the best ; an inexperienced 
 person is too apt to be attracted by a very quiet 
 manner ; the birds seem so tame that they are 
 bought quite eagerly, but unhappily they are apt 
 to die soon after ; the too great quietness being 
 caused by illness. A real good bird will make 
 no end of fuss, pretending to be a vast deal shyer 
 than it really is, hopping from perch to perch, 
 twisting its head about, and having, in fact an 
 infinity of pretty airs and groans. 
 
 Bird dealers, again, always recommend the 
 birds which sing loudly, and this to many per- 
 sons is not at all desirable. The lower the tone 
 the prettier and sv.-eeter many would think the 
 song. Birds with long, straight and tapering 
 bodies are the best singers. 
 
 CANARIES, To Distingidsh Sex ^/.— The 
 male has generally deeper and brighter colors, 
 a head rather larger and longish, and longer 
 body, and a more elegant form. There is a feather 
 under the beak, of Sie shape of a bean, placed 
 lower than the rest, and the temples and circle 
 around the eyes are of a deeper yellow than the 
 other parts of the body. Tlie throat of the male 
 vibrates while singing, this never happens with 
 the hen. If the bird be observed when it is sing- 
 ing, and if it be a cock you will perceive the 
 throat heaving with this vibratory pulse-like mo- 
 tion, a peculiarity which is scarcely perceptible 
 in the hen. 
 
 CANARIES, Care of. — I. Especial care must 
 be taken to keep the canary thoroughly clean. For 
 this purpose the cage should be strewed every 
 morning with clean sand, or rather, fine gravel, 
 for small pebbles are absolutely essential to life 
 and health in cage birds ; fresh water must be 
 given every day, both for drinking and bathing ; 
 the latter being in a shallow vessel ; and, during 
 the moulting season, a small bit of iron should 
 be put into the water for drinking. The food of 
 a canary should consist principally of summer 
 rape seed, that is, of those small brown rape-seeds 
 which are obtained from plants sown in the 
 spring, and which ripen during the summer; 
 large and black rape-seeds, on the contrary, are 
 produced by such plants as are sown in autumn, 
 and reaped m spring. A little chickweed in spring, 
 lettuce-leaves in summer, and endive in autumn, 
 with slices of sweet apple in winter, may be 
 safely given, but bread and sugar ought to be 
 generally avoided. Occasionally also, a few- 
 poppy or canary-seeds, and a small quantity of 
 bruised hemp-seed may be added, but the last 
 very sparingly. Cleanliness, simple food, and 
 fresh but not cold air are essential to the well- 
 being of a canary. During the winter, the cage 
 should never be hung in a room without a fire, 
 but even then, when the air is mild, and the sun 
 shines bright, the little prisoner will be refreshed 
 by having the window open. The cage should 
 never be less than eight inches in diameter, and 
 a foot high, with perches at different heights. 
 
 CANARIES, Care of. — 2. Place the cage so 
 that no draft of air can strike the bird ; give 
 nothing to healthy birds but canary and rapeseed 
 mixed, water, cuttle fish bone, and gravel on the 
 floor of the cage ; also occasionally, a little water 
 for bathing; the room should not be overheated; 
 
HOUSEHOLD PETS. 
 
 169 
 
 %vhen moulting (shedding feathers) avoid drafts 
 of air ; give plenty of rape-seed slightly moist- 
 ened, a little hard-boiled egg, and cracker grated 
 fine is excellent ; by observing these simple di- 
 rections, birds may be kept in fine condition for 
 years. Bad seed kills most of the birds that die; 
 to which it might have been added, that canary 
 birds are not only fond of, but benefited by hav- 
 ing often a leaf of cabbage, piece of apple or 
 other green food, which serves to keep down the 
 tendency to fever and p^-ents constipation. 
 Birds usually bathe each day as regularly as any 
 one washes the face, and with apparent benefit 
 too. When birds are sick and inclined not to 
 eat well, remove all the food for a day, and then 
 only give soaked bread, from which most of the 
 moisture has been squeezed. 
 
 CANARIES {YOUNG) Hmu to Tame.— 
 Tlie best way to tame a young bird is to keep it 
 constantly beside you when working or writing ; 
 accustom the bird to having the hand put close 
 to it, taking care never to startle it. Endeavor 
 to get it to take hemp seed (of which they are 
 very fond) from the fingers. When the cage is 
 standing near the person who desires to tame the 
 canary, it is a good plan, when the bird is quiet 
 and no longer afraid, to open the cage door and 
 lay a few cracked hemp seeds near it on the 
 table ; the bird will come out and hop about, but 
 care must be taken that all is secure in the room, 
 no open windows, no cat or dog present. It is 
 also a good plan at night, when the bird is asleep, 
 to put the hand into the cage, awaking it by 
 bringing a light close to it, and then withdraw 
 the hand with a gentle exclamation of fright when 
 the bird pecks at it. He will thus consider him- 
 self the conqueror, and will cease to fear the in- 
 vader. When this has been repeated two or 
 three nights, the bird will be ready to fight the 
 hand by daylight when out of the cage, and will 
 take a hemp-seed from the fingers. He will also 
 learn to shake hands, if the claw be suddenly 
 touched at night very gently, and the words 
 "shake hands" repeated in soothing tones. The 
 greatest gentleness is required, and a cracked 
 hemp seed should be invariably given by the 
 hand only of the person who is training the bird ; 
 it should not be mixed with the ordinary food, 
 but used merely as a reward, and he will soon 
 learn to take it from between the lips of his 
 trainer. 
 
 A bird may be easily taught to simulate death 
 by placing it on its back in the hand, where it 
 will remain perfectly quiet until summoned to 
 rise at its instructor's voice, when its reward 
 must be ready for it. It is also recommended by 
 bird keepers to remove all food from the canary's 
 cage after it has gone to roost, and to offer it to 
 the bird in the morning in the hand. It will 
 soon lose its fear, and will fly to meet its owner. 
 
 It must be remembered that in these pretty 
 creatures there is a great difference of temper 
 and disposition, and the aptitude for learning is 
 not equally great in all; indeed, in some cases it 
 is extremely difficult, and much patience is re- 
 quired to make them accomplished. With young 
 birds there is always a much greater chance of 
 success, particularly if they have been reared by 
 the person who tries to tame them. 
 
 CANARIES, Insects on. — Parasites are among 
 the most deadly enemies of canary birds, gold- 
 finches and other household pets. Many people 
 have observed a bird in a state of excitement and 
 
 anxiety, plucking at himself continually, his 
 feathers standing all wrong. In vain is his food 
 changed, and in vain is another saucer of clean 
 water always kept in his cage, and all that kind- 
 ness can suggest for the little prisoner done, but 
 still all is of no use: he is no better, because the 
 cause of his wretchedness has not been found 
 out. If the owner of a pet in such difficulties 
 will take down the cage and look up to the roof, 
 there will most likely be seen a mass of stuff 
 looking much like red rust as anything, and 
 thence comes the cause of the poor birds uneasi- 
 ness. The red rust consists of myriads of para- 
 sites infesting the bird and for which water is no 
 remedy. By producing a lighted candle, and 
 holding it under every particle of the top of the 
 cage till all chance of anything being left alive is 
 gone, the remedy is complete. The pet will soon 
 brighten up again after his "house-warming," 
 and will, in his cheerful and delightfVil way, 
 thank his master or mistress for this important 
 assistance. 
 
 DOGS, Management of. — All dogs are capable 
 of education, although it is certain tliat great dif- 
 ference in intelligence is known to exist be- 
 tween individuals even of the same species. There 
 are stupid dogs and clever dogs, as there are 
 clever and stupid members of the human family. 
 Clever or stupid, however, dogs kept in a dwell- 
 ing-house ought to be taught good manners ; to 
 be silent, and to lie down when so ordered ; to 
 refrain from leaping on the knees of strangers ; 
 and not to sit watching and staring at meals, as 
 if coveting the food partaken of by their master 
 and mistress. To make them behave well, they 
 must be taught when young; and one of the best 
 modes of doing this is to let them be certain of 
 being punished if disobedient, and rewarded 
 when dutiful. A clever dog will soon be able to 
 comprehend and act upon a look, a sign, or a 
 word. 
 
 DOGS, Feeding. — The dog is naturally carni- 
 vorous, but when domesticated he does not re- 
 fuse farinaceous food, especially if early accus- 
 tomed to it. Those who keep dogs ought not to 
 leave their feeding to the scraps they may chance 
 to obtain at the breakfast or dinner table ; more- 
 over, irregular supplies are injurious to the ani- 
 mal's health. The dog ought to have his regular 
 meals, and his food should be chiefly flesh of 
 some kind, boiled and cold; when given raw, it 
 is act to produce some ferocity of temper, and to 
 cause him to have an offensive smell. If possible, 
 the dog should be induced to eat some farinaceous 
 food along with his meat. Liver is not proper 
 food for a dog, unless occasionally, as it acts as 
 an aperient ; but any ordinary pieces of meat or 
 tripe will suit very well. The dog ought to be 
 fed only once a day if he gets as much as he 
 requires, and this allowance should be given in 
 the morning or forenoon; but as he requires to 
 drink frequently throughout the day, care must 
 be taken to give him plenty of pure water. 
 
 DOGS, To Keep Healthy. — To maintain a 
 dog in vigorous health he must have abundant 
 exercise in the open air, and be kept clean. 
 Washing him keeps him in health, frees him from 
 irritation of the skin, and destroys fleas. Every 
 house-dog or lap-dog ought to be washed once a 
 week with soap and water, and delicate dogs 
 ought afterwards to be combed and brushed and 
 dried with a hard cloth. Washing is absolutely 
 indispensable — independently of the consideration 
 
I70 
 
 DICTIONARY OF E VERY-DA Y WANTS. 
 
 of health — where the dog has a thick coat of hair, 
 as the Scotch terriers have ; he is apt to contract 
 an offensive smell, the causes of which, for the 
 animal's own sake, as well as his owner's, ought 
 to be at once removed. When soap is used in 
 washing, a thorough rinsing must follow, for 
 if there is the least particle of soap left, it will 
 prevent their licking themselves, 
 
 DOGS, Teaching to go Errands. — This ac- 
 complishment may often be put to great practical 
 use, and it is an excellent plan to teach all dogs, 
 which are large enough to be of any service in 
 this manner, to carry baskets or parcels when 
 accompanying their masters. The mode of train- 
 ing is very simple, consisting of merely placing 
 the articles in the dog's mouth, and when he lets 
 go of it give him a slight box on the ear and re- 
 place the article in his mouth. Whatever is 
 given him to carry should be of such a form as 
 to be grasped easily by him without hurting his 
 mouth or teeth. The weight should at first be 
 very light and never more than he can easily 
 carry. Most dogs will take a real pleasure in 
 carrying articles in this manner, and they seem 
 to feel the responsibility attached to their duty, 
 for they will carry their own or their master's 
 dinner without attempting to appropriate any 
 portion of it until the proper time when their 
 share shall be given them. In teaching dogs to 
 carry food, however, it is necessary to take a 
 little special pains to overcome their instinctive 
 inclination to eat it. A good plan is to place the 
 articles in a covered basket which they cannot 
 open, and when the dog has learned to carry an 
 ordinary parcel give him this. If he attempts to 
 get at the food, which he readily detects by his 
 sense of smell, box his ears. By-and-by reward 
 him with the food, and then try him with a bas- 
 ket from which he can abstract the contents ; if 
 he tries to do so punish him slightly, never per- 
 mitting him to steal the food. If a dog ever de- 
 serves a reward for well doing he certainly does 
 in this case, for it is too bad to tantalize him 
 with the smell of some dainty and then not to let 
 him finally have something for his good conduct. 
 
 To make a dog carry articles from one person 
 to another it is only necessary for two persons to 
 take their position at some distance from another. 
 One gives the dog some article saying "go sir," 
 at the same time. As the first says this, let the 
 other person call or whistle to tfie dog. Now 
 let this one give the dog something and let the 
 other one call him, and so on back and forth 
 until he will go from one to the other at the 
 command, "go sir." 
 
 It is not very difficult to teach a dog to go on 
 errands. Suppose you wish him to go to market 
 for you of a morning; take him with you regu- 
 larly for a few mornings, letting him carry the 
 basket. In a few days he will understand when 
 you start where it is you propose to go, and will, 
 perhaps, run on ahead and arrive there some mi- 
 nutes before you do. It would be well on all 
 occasions before starting to give the command, 
 "Go to market," which will accustom him to it. 
 
 DOGS, Hydrophobia, Rabies or Canine Mad- 
 ness in. — One of the earliest symptoms of rabies 
 in the dog is restlessness. He is constantly 
 running round and round before he will lie down; 
 his countenance becomes anxious ; his eyes 
 bloodshot; he fancies that he sees objects around 
 him which have not real existence, and he snaps 
 at the err.pty air; his fondness for his master in- 
 
 creases, and with it his propensity to lick the 
 hands and face — a filthy practice at any time, and 
 one most dangerous; — the appetite becomes 
 depraved, his natural food is neglected, and, nt 
 the same time, every sort of filthy trash is greedily 
 devoured ; eating his own excrement is an early 
 symptom, and so sure a one, that the moment a 
 dog is seen doing so he should be destroyed, or, 
 at all events, carefully confined. For no cura- 
 tive treatment will avail, when a dog is seized 
 with this terrible disease. 
 
 DOG, Bow to tell the Age of, [Until 6 
 Years of Age.) — A dog has a very visible mark 
 in his teeth, as well as a horse, which mark does 
 not disappear totally until he is very near or full 
 6 years old. Look to the 4 front teeth, both in 
 the upper and lower jaw, but particularly to the 
 teeth in the upper jaw, for in those 4 front teeth 
 the mark remains the longest. At 12 months 
 old you will observe every one of the 4 front 
 teeth, both in the upper and under jaw, jagged 
 and uneven, nearly in ths form of a fleur de lis, 
 but not quite so pointed at the edges of the jags 
 as a fleur de lis is. As the dog advances in age 
 these marks will wear away, gradually decrease 
 and grow smoother and less jagged eveiy year. 
 Between 3 and 4 years old these marks will be 
 full half worn down, and when you observe all 
 the 4 front teeth, both in the upper and lower 
 jaw, quite worn smooth and even, and not in the 
 least jagged, then you may conclude that the dog 
 is nearly if not full 6 years old. When those 
 marks are worn quite flat and even, and those 
 teeth quite level and even, you can no longer 
 judge the age of a dog. 
 
 DOG {PUPFi), How to C^o^j^.— Sportsmen 
 assure us that, in order to make choice of a 
 puppy from among a number of others, it i« bet- 
 ter to leave the choice to the mother herselt. In 
 carrying them back to their bed, the first one 
 she takes up will always be the best; if we pre- 
 tend to set fire to the bed on all sides, then the 
 one she will try to rescue first. 
 
 DOGS, Best Bed for. — The best bed which can 
 be made for a dog consists of dry, newly made 
 pine shavings, a sackful of which may be had for 
 a shilling at almost any carpenter's shop. The 
 dog is delighted in tumbling about in them until 
 he has made a bed to suit himself. Clean wood 
 shavings will clean a dog as well as water, and 
 fleas will never infest dogs that sleep upon fresh 
 pine shavings ; the turpentine and resin in new 
 pine soon drive them away. 
 
 DOGS, Eggs Eating. — To cure this, blow an 
 ordinary hen's egg, expelling the entire contents, 
 stop up one end of the shell with wax. Then 
 fill it from the other end with strong spirits of 
 ammonia, or 'Hartshorn.' Seal that end and 
 then put it where the dog can get it. If he 
 crushes it, he will never be desirous of repeating 
 the luxury of egg eating. After the dog has had 
 one ammonical feast, a little of the fluid poured 
 into the nest, will remind him of the fact, that 
 he once was burnt, and also will serve to cleanse 
 the nest from vermin. 
 
 DOGS {IVkite,) to WW/.— Make a good 
 lather of white soap with a little spirit of turpen- 
 tine; wash the dog as quickly as possible in this 
 while it is warm, but not hot, takmg care not to 
 let the soap lather get into its eyes. Have a tub 
 with clean tepid water in which a little blue has 
 dissolved, ready; when the coat is clean dip the 
 dog into the blue water and rinse out the soap 
 
HOUSEHOLD PETS. 
 
 171 
 
 Then rub it well in a cl?an sheet before the lire ; 
 if the hair is long comb it out and brush it as it 
 dries. The turpentine will kill fleas unless the 
 dog is much infested with them. 
 
 DOG DISTEMPER, Remedy for.— 'D\%i&m. 
 per in dogs is characterized by a running from the 
 nose and eyes, and a short dry cough, followed 
 by a wasting of the flesh, and loss of strength 
 and spirits. At length the brain suffers, and fits, 
 paralysis of the extremities, or convulsions come 
 on. A handful of common fine salt thrown 
 down the throat and the mouth kept closed until 
 it goes down, is an infallible remedy. One dose 
 is enough in the early stage of the disease; if 
 given later, it may have to be repeated. 
 
 DOGS, Eleas on. — Suds made from carbolic 
 soap will rid a dog of fleas. An other remedy 
 is to rub olive oil into the dog's coat, so as to 
 saturate the hair to the surface of the skin; then 
 to let it remain on for half an hour, and wash it 
 well out with the best yellow soap and warm 
 water. A small portion of any sweet oil brushed 
 into the coat of a woolly dog will eff'ectually pre- 
 vent its being infested with vermin. 
 
 DOGS, Mange in. — Is similar to the itch in 
 man and require the same treatment. Wash with 
 soft soap and apply sulphur ointment. 
 
 DOGS, Worms in. — Are a frequent cause of 
 fits, and when they get into the nostrils, wind- 
 pipe, &c., generally cause death. For those in 
 the bowels, Youatt recommends powdered glass 
 made up into a ^oU with butter or lard. Cow- 
 hage (cow-itch, mucuna) is probably quite as 
 effectual, and is safer, A teaspoonful may be 
 given in lard, and repeated if necessary. Tur- 
 pentine should not be given to dogs. 
 
 GOLD FLSH, How to Breed.— The following 
 is the experience of a well known naturalist. He 
 says : In the spring I put into one of my tanks, 
 two feet long, one foot wide, and six inches deep, 
 ivith a rustic basket in the centre filled with gravel, 
 and planted with watercresses and other water 
 plants, three gold-fish, two females and one male. 
 Going into the room one day I observed the 
 water, which had always been clear, very muddy. 
 Seeing the water in such a disturbed state, I at 
 once knew that spawningwas going on. I looked 
 with a microscope and saw a number of little gol- 
 den balls sticking on the roots of the cresses. 
 The thought struck me that, if I removed the 
 ova, I could breed them, as the fish are known 
 to devour their young. I put a handful of gravel 
 and some weeds into a glass sugar-basin. I then, 
 •with a pair of tweezers, picked off the roots, with 
 the ova sticking on them, and put them into the 
 basin. In eight days I had a shoal of little 
 fishes, 
 
 GOLD FISH, Care e;^.— Gold fish may be 
 kept ten or twelve years in vessels — the average 
 period of existence — by the following precautions: 
 
 I. Allow not more then one fish to a quart 
 of water. 2. Use the same kind of water, 
 whether spring or river water, and change it daily 
 in summer ; every other day in winter. 3. Use 
 deep rather than shallow vessels, with small 
 
 Eebbles on the bottom — to be kept clean, — and 
 eep them in the shade and in a cool part of the 
 room, 4. Use a small net rather than the hand 
 while changing the water. 5. Feed the fish with 
 cracker, yolk of egg, lettuce, flies, etc., rather 
 than with bread, and then only every third or 
 fourth day, and but a little at a time. 6, Do not 
 feed them at all from November to the end of 
 
 February, and but little during the three follow- 
 ing months. 
 
 GUINEA-PIG, 77/^.— This little animal, 
 although called by the name of "pig," is in no 
 way whatever related to the family to which the 
 wild boar and the domestic hog belong. It is, 
 on the contrary, comprehended in the order Ro- 
 dentia, along with mice, rats, squirrels, and the 
 various kinds of animals remarkable, as the name 
 of the order implies, for. their habits of gnawing. 
 The guinea-pig is a native of Brazil and Para- 
 guay, where it is found wild; and there are 
 various species of the same animal. ^Vhen do- 
 mesticated in this country, it very much resem- 
 bfes the rabbit, although it is smaller in size. It 
 is frequently marked with irregular patches of 
 black, white, and orange. The ears are round 
 and almost naked, the feet are short, and there is 
 no tail. It is a very cleanly animal, and the male 
 and female spend much ot their time in licking 
 and smoothing each other's fur. It breeds at 
 two months old, and brings forth from four to 
 twelve young ones at a time. It is a pretty little 
 animal, but can hardly be said to make a desirable 
 pet, as it seems entirely devoid of attachment. 
 In order to keep the little creature in comfort, 
 the chief object, besides that of furnishing it with 
 appropriate food, is to keep it scrupulously clean, 
 — an object which its own instinctive habits ought 
 to suggest to its owner. 
 
 LINNETS. — Cock-birds are browner on the 
 back than the hens, and have some of the large 
 feathers of the wings white up to the quills. 
 Canary and hemp-seed, with occasionally a little 
 groundsel, water-cress, chickweed, etc., consti- 
 tute their food. 
 
 MOCKING BIRDS, Food for. — Mix 
 thoroughly together corn meal, pea meal, each 
 one part; moss meal, half a part; add to the mix- 
 ture enough melted lard not to make it too fat or 
 greasy, and sweeten with molasses. Now fry 
 this m.ixture in a frying-pan for about half an 
 hour, stirring it all the time, and being very care- 
 ful not to let it burn. If not fried sufficiently, it 
 will not keep. When properly made it will keep 
 in a covered glass jar for se veriil weeks. Mocking, 
 and other birds of similar nature, will leave all 
 other food for this, which is rather healthful than 
 injurious to them. Pea meal is made by drying 
 split peas in an oven, and then finely grinding 
 them in a mill. Moss meal is prepared from the 
 moss seed imported into this country from Ger- 
 many. 
 
 MOCKING BIRDS, To Trap.—Thz best 
 way to catch them is to have a cage with two or 
 three separate compartments, in one of which 
 you have a decoy bird. The cage is to be set 
 down near a bush, away from other undergrowth, 
 in a locality resorted to by the birds. Cut three 
 or four twigs and revolve them in bird lime until 
 entirely covered, then cut a slit in the butt, and 
 fasten to the most prominent part of the bush 
 by this slit, then retire 150 yards. The decoy 
 will begin to sing, thereby attracting the wild 
 mocking birds, who will attempt to whip him 
 away. They will probably light on the prepared 
 twigs and will be held fast; their flutterings only 
 causing their wings to stick likewise. A little 
 lard rubbed on their feet and wings will remove 
 the bird lime. 
 
 It will be found that the birds improve in 
 strength and fullness of tone when kept some 
 years; and it is not so difficult to keep the 
 
172 
 
 DICTIONARY OF E VERY-DAY WANTS. 
 
 bird as is generally supposed. Feed regularly, 
 keep cage clean and dry, do not let victuals get 
 stale or sour. 
 
 Another method is about the first of May to 
 take a tramp through the woods and along the 
 hedges until you find a nest, and be sure it is the 
 right kind. Do not touch the nest, but visit it 
 every few days, and when the young are hatched 
 and can open their eyes and mouths take the 
 nest and birds home with you and set them in a 
 cage. You then prepare some corn meal very 
 soft and feed them every half hour by putting it 
 in their mouths; when hungry they will open 
 their mouths and cry if you approach them, then 
 is the time to feed them; when they become 
 strong enough to hop about the cage you may 
 then put water and the meal in the cage and they 
 will soon learn to feed themselves. The cage 
 should be cleaned out at least every other morning 
 and fresh dry clean sand put on the floor. The 
 regular feed of the birds should be corn meal and 
 hard boiled eggs mashed together with a little 
 water; scalded fresh beef is very fine for them, 
 also a few polke berries occasionally, all kinds of 
 fruits, bread that is not "short," meat not salt; 
 never give them anything sweet. I nearly lost 
 a fine bird by allowing him to get some sour 
 molasses. The best medicine for the mocking 
 bird is two or three spiders. 
 
 Be sure to put a pan of fresh water in the 
 cage every day, as he is a great washer and in- 
 variably sings better if you give him plenty of 
 water and spiders. The bird should never be let 
 out of the cage, and he then does not know what 
 liberty is. 
 
 PARROTS, Cages fcr. — The first requisite for 
 all parrots is a strong roomy cage. The "In- 
 destructible Cage," made of corrugated wire, 
 with perches of lignum vitse, is the best, as they 
 are most destructive birds, and delight in mis- 
 chief. If it be possible to find a loose wire or a 
 weak spot in the cage, it is worked upon with 
 beak and claws till it is quite destroyed. Macaws 
 and cockatoos are chained to a perch by the leg, 
 and two little tins, one containing food, the other 
 water, are fastened to the perch, and a large flat 
 tin underneath contains gravel, which is indis- 
 pensable to their health. All parrots must be 
 kept in a warm room during the winter ; they 
 are natives of the tropics, and in this climate are 
 extremely susceptible of cold, and should be care- 
 fully guarded from draughts, which often produce 
 asthma, of which disease a large proportion of 
 parrots in confinement die; at the same time 
 they require a good deal of fresh air and water, 
 both to drink and bathe in. A parrot ought to 
 have a bath, at least once a week in summer, and 
 if the bird will not bathe himself, he should have 
 tepid water poured over him from a watering-pot; 
 he should then be set in the sun or before a fire 
 to dry, and great care must be taken that the cage 
 is perfectly dry. Parrots are subject to gout, 
 and sometimes loose their t6es from this disease, 
 which is brought on by damp. 
 
 PARROTS, Food for.— WM parrots live on 
 grain, fruit, and nuts of various kinds ; the food 
 of the tame bird is much the same, — Indian corn, 
 boiled and allowed to become cold, and canary 
 seed. They are very fond of hemp seed ; this 
 last is, however, too heating for general use. 
 Ripe fruit, and nuts of any kind, they may have 
 in moderation ; a bit of dry mealy potato, a crust 
 of bread or toast, is also a great favorite with 
 
 some ; and a little white bread, soaked in fresh 
 milk with some sugar, should be given once a 
 day, just as much as the bird will eat at one time. 
 If the food is allowed to remain in the cage it will 
 get sour, and it is then most prejudicial; in fact, 
 parrots are like children, some prefer one thing 
 and some another. But one rule must be scru- 
 pulously observed — never give them meat, no 
 matter how small the quantity, it is always hurt- 
 ful ; and, indeed, butter or grease of any kind is 
 very objectionable. With ordinary care these 
 birds live to a great age, and they are so amusing, 
 and often so affectionate, that it is a sad affair to 
 lose one by carelessness. 
 
 PARROTS, To Teach how to Sfeak.—i:'h& 
 quickest way is to send the bird, if possible, 
 where there is another parrot who can speak. 
 They should be placed near enough to hear, but 
 not see each other, and the one will soon imi- 
 tate the other. A good way is to speak to the 
 bird at night ; just when his cage has been 
 covered over (which must always be done with 
 a woollen rug in winter) repeat over several 
 times in the same tone the sentence you wish him 
 to learn. He may not appear to notice at first, 
 but some day, quite unexpectedly, he will repeat 
 the sentence exactly in the same tone that he 
 has heard it. He should at once be rewarded 
 with a bit of sugar, or fruit, any little dainty that 
 he is fond of. They are very quick at under- 
 standing that rewards are given for obedience. 
 We have had a grey parrot for many years ; he is 
 now fully sixteen years old ; his plumage is beau- 
 tiful and his health most excellent, and he is a 
 most amusing and clever bird ; he speaks ex- 
 ceedingly plain, and it is quite easy to teach 
 him a new sentence, or even to make him repeat 
 words and whistles when desired. He knows 
 that he will be rewarded if he does what he is 
 told, and be scolded if he is disobedient. Never 
 allow a parrot to be startled or teased, or permit 
 it to be fed indiscriminately by visitors. Keep 
 the cage extremely clean ; let it be wiped out and 
 fresh sand given every day. Some birds drink 
 very little, but they should always be able to get 
 a drink of fresh water if they wish. It is also a 
 good plan to let a small quantity of canary seed 
 be in the seed can. If a bird is left to the care 
 of a servant during absence, it is possible that 
 the morning bread and milk may be forgotten, 
 and the seed will thus prevent the bird being 
 starved. 
 
 PARROTS, To Prez'ent Plucking its cnvn 
 Feathers. — The morbid condition of the bird may 
 be induced from one or both of two causes. The 
 bird may be suffering from an accumulation of 
 parasites upon its body; the cage may be infested 
 with them, especially in the corners and crevices 
 of the wood of the perch. Those insects crawl 
 upon them and usually infest the head, neck, 
 and under the wings, and the poor bird may be 
 simply trying its best to get rid of them ; or the 
 blood of the bird may be in a highly inflammatory 
 condition, probably induced by excess of kind- 
 ness, in pampering its appetite by feeding upon 
 dainty morsels but ill suited to birds, by which 
 at length they will almost refuse their natural 
 food. If such is the case, gradually leave off 
 giving the bird those tidbits compelling it to feed 
 upon those seeds only suited to its condition, and 
 it will soon recover. If it is caused by insects 
 the cage must be well cleaned ; place a drop of 
 turpentine in each corner of the cage, and upon 
 
HOUSEHOLD PESTS. 
 
 »73 
 
 the perch, this M'ill soon destroy them ; and rub 
 a little train oil upon the bare part of the bird's 
 body, or dust the body well with some insect 
 powder (pyrethrum rosea). 
 
 ROBIN, Hcrw to Tame and Feed. — If we wish 
 to tame a robin, one of the most pleasant ofliome 
 pets, it must be done very gradually, making 
 great friends with a young bird, and feeding it, 
 when it will often come contentedly to roost in- 
 doors, in the colder weather, and will cheerfully 
 introduce its small brown brood, to hop about 
 before us on the gravel walk, later in the season. 
 And one tame robin will then bring in another, 
 when they are at peace, which is very rare. A 
 young bird brought up from a nest is a most 
 agreeable pet. He ought in that case to possess 
 a cage, but to be allowed to go in and out at will. 
 When confined, water should be kept in some 
 convenient locality so that he can take his bath 
 when ever he wishes it. Old birds should never 
 be caught for the purpose of tameing or con- 
 fineing. 
 
 Robins eat hard-boiled eggs, bread crumbs, 
 German paste, hemp and canary seed, and must 
 have abundant water. 
 
 RABBIT, Habits of ike.—Tiv^ rabbit litters 
 four or five times a year, bringing forth from five 
 to eight young ones at a time, and beginning to 
 breed at the age of six months. The animal de- 
 lights in a sandy soil, with a superficial layer of 
 fine vegetable mould, clothed with thyme, fine 
 grass, and other herbage. In such situations it 
 can easily make its burrows, and enjoy abundant 
 food. It is remarkable that while the young of 
 the hare are born covered with fur, and possessed 
 of sight so as to be able to shift for themselves, 
 
 ?roung rabbits are bom blind, naked, and help- 
 ess ; they cannot see for about twelve days after 
 birth, nor leave the burrow for more than a 
 month. 
 
 RABBITS, Best Kinds ^/I- Stout, short- 
 legged rabbits are better breeders than others, 
 as well as more healthy. The large hare-colored 
 variety is much esteemed, but the white, or white 
 mottled with yellow or black, is said to be the 
 most delicate for the table. The grey is said to 
 approach nearest to the flavor of the wild rabbit. 
 Rabbit fanciers have different opinions as to the 
 colors of the animals. Grey, as being the com- 
 monest, is held in least estimation; the black 
 occupies the next place ; the fawn, the white, and 
 
 grey hold the third place ; the pure albino with 
 pink eyes is considered better than any of these ; 
 various admixtures of brown, grey, or black 
 mixed with white, take the highest rank, and a 
 uniform mouse color is greatly admired by a few 
 as superior to any other. 
 
 RABBITS, To Rear, — It is of great impor- 
 tance that the rabbitry be properly adapted to 
 the purpose intended. The rabbit in its natural 
 state prefers a dry and airy situation, and the 
 rabbit-house or hutch ought, on that account, to 
 be kept always dry, clean and well aired. Tlie 
 hutch may be most suitably placed against the 
 south wall of a house, so as to obtain the advan- 
 tage of the sunlight. It should be surrounded 
 by a wire fence, and, in the interior of the enclo- 
 sure, boxes ought to be fixed as breeding places, 
 separated by partitions from other boxes adapted 
 for the young rabbits, which partitions are fur- 
 nished with doors capable of being closed so as 
 to separate the young ones from the parents 
 when required. 
 
 RABBITS, To Feed.—U ought to 'be kept in 
 mind that all the various vegetables and roots 
 used at table may be given to them, and that per- 
 haps celery, parsley, and the tops as well as the 
 roots of carrots are preferred by the animals; 
 lettuces, stumps of cabbage and cauliflowers, 
 turnips, and parsnips, are all useful. In spring, 
 tares are excellent, and the dandelion, the milk 
 thistle, and sow thistle, are all much relished by 
 them. 
 
 SQUIRRELS, Hmo to Manage.— \n a do- 
 mestic state these little animals are fed with hazel 
 nuts, or indeed any kind of nuts ; and occasionally 
 bread and milk. They should be kept very 
 clean. 
 
 THRUSHES. — A cock may be distinguished 
 from a hen by a darker back and the more glossy 
 appearance of* the feathers. The belly also is 
 white. Their natural food is insects, worms, and 
 snails. In a domesticated state they will eat raw 
 meat, but snails and worms should be procured 
 for them. Young birds are hatched about the 
 middle of April, and should be kept very warm. 
 They should be fed with raw meat, cut small, or 
 bread mixed in milk with hemp-seed well bruised; 
 when they can feed themselves give them lean 
 meat cut small, and mixed with bread or German 
 paste, plenty of clean water, and keep them in a 
 warm dry, and simny situation. 
 
 HOUSEHOLD PESTS. 
 
 ANTS, To Destroy and Banish.— \. Perfect 
 cleanliness. — 2. Pulverised borax sprinkled in pla- 
 ces they frequent. — 3. A few leaves of green worm- 
 wood, scattered among their haunts. — 4. The 
 use of camphor. — 5. A sponge can be sprinkled 
 with sugar and laid upon shelves when ants are 
 numerous ; the next morning plunge quickly into 
 boiling water, and most of the intruders will be 
 destroyed. — 6. Carbolic acid wiped around the 
 edges of the shelves and wherever they seem to 
 come from. 
 
 BED-BUGS^ To Exterminate.^!. Perfect 
 
 cleanliness. No bed-bugs or other vermin will 
 infest a house, the mistress of which, is of or- 
 derly and cleanly habits, and fine tastes. — 2. Two 
 ounces of red arsenic, a 34" of a pound of white 
 soap, ^ an ounce of camphor dissolved in a tea- 
 spoonful of spirits rectified, made into a paste of 
 the consistency of cream. Place this mixture in 
 the openings and cracks of the bedstead. — 3. 
 \\'here bed-bugs are present the best, quickest 
 and handiest exterminator is kerosene or crude 
 
 t petroleum oil, drenching all parts of the article of 
 
 ; furniture thoroughly and effectively. 
 
174 
 
 DICTIONARY OF EVERY-DAY WANTS. 
 
 CATERPILLARS, To Destroy.— Y,o\\ to- 
 j^ether a quantity of rue, wormwood, and any 
 cheap tobacco (equal parts), in common water. 
 The liquid should be very strong. Sprinkle it 
 on the leaves and young branches every morning 
 and evening during the time the fruit is ripen- 
 ing. 
 
 CRICKETS, To Destroy.— K single cricket in 
 the kitchen grate will disturb a household. There 
 is a superstition which prevents uneducated per- 
 sons from attempting the destruction of the insect. 
 It flaps its wings, producing its well-known 
 sound, chiefly at night. A little ginger cordial 
 being placed in a dish before the fire will attract 
 it, and on partaking of the liquor it will die. The 
 best mode of destroying the insect in its nest is 
 to put snuff" into the chinks of the grate. 
 
 COCKROACHES AND BEETLES, To 
 Destroy. — i. Strew the roots of black hellebore, 
 at night, in the places infested by these vermin, 
 and they will be found in the morning dead, or 
 dying. Black hellebore grows in marshy grounds, 
 and may be had at the herb shops. — 2. Put about 
 a quart of water sweetened with molasses in a 
 tin wash basin or smooth glazed china bowls. 
 Set it at evening in a place frequented by the 
 bugs. Around the basin put an old piece of car- 
 pet that the bugs can have easy access to the 
 top. They will go down in the water, and stay 
 till you come. — 3. Take pulverized borax 4 parts, 
 flour I part, mix intimately and distribute the 
 mixture in cupboards which are frequented by 
 the roaches, or blow it, by means of^a bellows, 
 into the holes or cracks that are infested by them. 
 — 4. By scattering a handful of fresh cucumber 
 parings about the house. — 5. Take carbonic acid 
 and powdered camphor in equal parts ; put them 
 in a bottle; they will become fluid. With a 
 painter's brush of the size called a sash-tool, put 
 the mixture on the cracks or places where the 
 roaches hide; they will come out at once. Then 
 kill. — 6. Mix up a quantity of fresh burned plas- 
 ter of paris (gypsum, such as is used for making 
 molds and ornaments), with wheat flour and a 
 little sugar, and distribute on shallow plates and 
 box boards, and place in the corners of the kitchen 
 and pantry, where they frequent. In the dark- 
 ness they will feast themselves on it. Whether 
 it interferes with their digestion or not, is difficult 
 to ascertain, but after three or four nights renew- 
 al of the preparation, no cockroaches will be 
 found on the premises. 
 
 FLEAS, To get Rid ^— Much of the largest 
 number of fleas are brought into our family cir- 
 cles by pet dogs and cats. The oil of pennyroyal 
 will drive these insects off"; but a cheaper method, 
 where the herb flourishes, is to throw your cats 
 and dogs into a decoction of it once a week. 
 W^hen the herb cannot be got, the oil can be pro- 
 cured. In this case, saturate strings with it and 
 tie them round the necks of dogs and cats. 
 These applications should be repeated every 
 twelve or fifteen days. Mint, freshly cut, and 
 hung round a bedstead, or on the furniture, will 
 prevent annoyance from bed insects; a few drops 
 of essential oil of lavender will be more effica- 
 cious. 
 
 FL Y, Nature and Habits of. — But of what use 
 are flies ? is the inquiry often made. They are 
 scavengers, and delight not only in sweet things 
 and fresh blood, but also in things unclean, espe- 
 cially in decomposing animal substances. With 
 tlieir proboscis, sucking up the juices which by 
 
 evaporation would contaminate the air, very use- 
 ful indeed, in the houses of slovenly house- 
 keepers. The blue-bottle, or blow fly deposits 
 its eggs on animal substances, which are recog- 
 nized as fly blows. In a warm temperature they 
 hatch in three or four hours alter they are laid, 
 and then are called larvae or maggots. Linnaeus 
 asserts that the maggots from three flies will con- 
 sume a dead horse as quickly as a lion. So vo- 
 racious are they that they increase in weight 
 about 200 times in 24 hours. The flesh fly. a 
 little longer than the blow fly, drops living mag- 
 gots on dead flesh, the maggots being hatched 
 within the fly. The cheese fly is very small; of 
 a shining black color, with transparent wings and 
 yellow hind legs. It deposits about 200 or 250 
 eggs into the cracks in cheese, which are deve- 
 loped into skippers. The maggots of some 
 species of flies spin cocoons; with others, the 
 skin simply hardens and incases the pupa, or 
 chrysalis. At length the fully developed fly makes 
 its escape by forcing off" with its head the chry- 
 salis case. The difi"erent-sized flies, we notice, 
 are diff"erent varieties, and not young and old, as 
 some suppose ; for flies never grow to any very 
 perceptible extent. A large proportion of the 
 swarms of flies generated during the warm 
 weather of summer are destroyed by the frosts 
 of winter. Only a few that are so fortunate as to 
 find shelter and warm places escape; and in sim"- 
 lar situations, some of them pass the winter in 
 the chrysalis state, and only emerge when warm 
 weather returns. The house fly is a domestic 
 insect, and is said never to be found except in the 
 vicinity of man's present or recent habitations. 
 
 FLIES, {Hoitse) To Destroy. — House flies are 
 present just in proportion to the dirt and unclean- 
 liness there is in a house. The cleaner the house 
 and surrounding, the fewer flies there will be. — 
 I. They may be eff'ectually destroyed by putting 
 half a spoonful of black pepper in powder on a 
 teaspoonful of brown sugar, and one teaspoonful 
 of cream ; mix them well together and place them 
 in a room where the flies are troublesome, and 
 they will soon disappear. — 2. The butchers of 
 Geneva have, from time immemorial, prevented 
 flies from approaching the meat which they ex- 
 pose for sale, by the use of laurel oil. This oil, 
 the smell of which, although a little strong, is 
 not very off"ensive, drives away flies ; and they 
 dare not come near the walls or the wainscots 
 which have been rubbed with it. — 3. Flies are 
 kept out of stables, (a place they propagate in 
 great numbers) by using sawdust which is satu- 
 rated with carbolic acid diluted — one part of acid 
 to a hundred parts of water — the sawdust scat- 
 tered about in stables keeps all flies away. A 
 similar application of the acid ought to keep them 
 from kitchens. 
 
 FL Y PAPER {Adhesive).— VLtW. resin in any 
 vessel over the fire, and while soft add to it 
 enough sweet oil, lard or lamp oil, to make it 
 when cold of the consistency of molasses. This 
 spread upon writing paper with a brush will not 
 dry in a long time and is so sticky as to hold fast 
 the legs of any insect attracted to it, or accident- 
 ally coming in contact. It may be placed about 
 the house, the pantry or elsewhere, and will soon 
 attract and hold fast ants and other vermin. It 
 is also used on table legs, the edges of shelves 
 and other places to prevent the ascent of ants. 
 Strips of this paper fastened closely about the 
 trunks of trees, plants, etc., the varnish 'lide out. 
 
HOUSEHOLD PESTS. 
 
 1 75 
 
 prevents the ascent of insects. It possesses the 
 great advantage over the ordinary fly papers in 
 that it is not poisonous. 
 
 MICE, To dnve away. — Gather any kind of 
 mint and scatter it about your shelves, and they 
 will forsake the premises. Sec also "Rats". 
 
 MOSQUITOES, To keep out of a Room.— 
 I. Oil of pennyroyal, scattered about in small 
 quantities. — 2. Take of gum camphor a piece 
 about one third the size of an egg, and e\'aporate 
 it by placing it in a tin vessel, and holding it over 
 a lamp or candle, taking care that it does not 
 ignite. The smoke will soon fill the room, and 
 expel the mosquitoes. — 3. Jagor, a celebrated 
 German traveller, who spent a number of years 
 in the jungles of the Malayan Archipelago, recom- 
 mended, the roots of pyrethrum roseum. In a 
 paper recently published by Dr. Birdwood, on 
 olibanum, the author say that in Bombay nothing 
 so quickly clears one's room of mosquitoes as the 
 burning of a little olibanum or myrrh in it. — 
 4. Carbonic acid has recently been successfully 
 used for the extermination of mosquitoes and 
 flies. A small piece of cloth, saturated with the 
 acid, was hung in the room, and in two hours 
 the flies had entirely disappeared. In the evening 
 the acid was tried in the kitchen where the mos- 
 quitoes were very troublesome, with like success. 
 
 MOSQ UITOES, To prevent Biting. —Dilute 
 a little of the oil of thyme with sweet oil, and dip 
 pieces of paper in it. Hang in your room, or 
 rub a little on the hands and face when going to 
 bed. — 2. It is said that petroleum is a good mus- 
 quito bar, if used in this way : A little coal oil is 
 dropped on some raw cotton, the excess of it 
 squeezed out, and the cotton then rubbed over 
 face and hands. It is said that the little pests 
 will not come near it. To us the remedy seems 
 nearly as bad as the disease; to those who do not 
 mind the smell of kerosene it may by useful. 
 
 MOSQUITOE BITES, Solution for.— h^^\y 
 at once a few drops of aqua ammonia, or an in- 
 fusion of tobacco, either of which will allay the 
 itching almost instantaneously. Carbolic acid 
 has also been tried, and with good success, but 
 it should be very much diluted, to prevent pro- 
 ducing a blister. 
 
 MO TIIS, To preserve Cloth ing and Furs from . 
 — I. Procure shavings of cedar-wood, and enclose 
 in muslin bags, which should be distributed freely 
 among the clothes. — 2. Procure shavings of cam- 
 phor-wood, and enclose in bags. — 3. Sprinkle 
 pimento (allspice) berries among the clothes. — 
 4. Sprinkle the clothes with the seeds of the musk 
 plant. — 5. An ounce of gum camphor and one of 
 the powdered shell of red pepper are macerated 
 in 8 ounces of strong alcohol for several days, 
 then strained. With this tincture the furs or 
 cloths are sprinkled over, and rolled up in sheets. 
 — 6. Carefully shake and brush woollens early in 
 the spring, so as to be certain that no eggs are 
 in them : then sew them up in cotton or linen 
 wrappers, putting a piece of camphor gum, tied 
 up in a bit of muslin, into each bundle, or into 
 the chests and closets where the articles are to 
 lie. No raoth will approach while the smell of 
 the camphor continues. When the gum is eva- 
 porated, it must be renewed. Enclose them in a 
 moth-proof box with camphor no matter whether 
 made of white paper or white pine, before any 
 eggs are laid on them by early spring moths. 
 The notion of having a trunk made of some par- 
 ticular kind of wood for this purpose, is non- 
 
 sense. Furs or woollens, put away in spring 
 time, before moth eggs are laid, into boxes, 
 trunks, drawers, or closets even, where moths 
 cannot enter, will be safe from the ravages of 
 mothworms, provided none were in them that 
 were laid late in the autumn, for they are not of 
 spontaneous production. 
 
 MOTHS IN CARPETS, To A7//.— Wring 
 a coarse crash towel out of clear water, spread it 
 smoothly on the carpet, iron it dry with a good 
 hot iron, lepeating the operation on all parts of 
 the carpet suspected of being infested wi<h moths. 
 No need to press hard, and neither the pile nor j, 
 color of the carpet will be injured, and the moths 
 will be destroyed by the heat and steam. 
 
 RA TS, Methods for Destroying. — i. Mix some 
 fine plaster of Paris with an equal quantity of 
 flour ; put the mixture in the place infested by 
 the vermin, and a vessel full of water beside it. 
 The rats will devour the mixture, and then drink; 
 whereupon the plaster, brought into contact with 
 the water, will become solid, and like a stone in 
 their stomachs, which will cause their death. 
 This method is evidently highly preferable to the 
 use of arsenic, which is always attended with 
 danger. — 2. Flour, 6 pounds ; sugar, i pound ; 
 sulphur, 4 pounds ; phosphorus, 4 pounds. — 
 3. When a house is infested by rats which refuse 
 to nibble at toasted cheese, and the usual baits, 
 a few drops of the highly scented oil of rhodium, 
 poured on the bottom of a cage top, will always 
 attract before morning. Where a trap baited 
 with all manner of edibles had failed to attract a 
 single rat, the oil of Rhodium caused it to be 
 completely crowded night after night. — 4. Mix 
 powdered nux vomica with oatmeal, and lay it in 
 their haunts, observing proper precaution to pre- 
 vent accidents. — 5. {Phosphorous paste.) Take of 
 phosphorus, 8 parts, liouify it in 180 parts of 
 luke-warm water, pour the whole into a mortar, 
 and add immediately 180 parts of rye meal; when 
 cold, mix in 180 parts of butter melted, and 125 
 parts of sugar. If the phosphorus is in a finely- 
 divided state, the ingredients may be all mixed 
 at once, without melting them. This mixture 
 will retain its efficacy for many years, for the 
 phosphorus is preserved by the butter and only 
 becomes oxydized on the surface. Rats and mice 
 eat this mixture with avidity, after which they 
 swell out and soon die. — 6. Cover the floor near 
 their holes, with a thin layer of moist caustic 
 potash. W'hen the rats walk on this it makes 
 their feet sore. These they lick with their tongues, 
 which makes their mouths sore, and the result 
 is that they not only shun this locality, but ap- 
 pear to tell all the neighboring rats about it, and 
 eventually the house is entirely abandoned by 
 them, notwithstanding that the neighborhood 
 maybe teeming with them. — 7. Corks, cut as thin 
 as wafers, roasted or stewed in grease, and placed 
 in their tracks ; or dried sponge in small pieces, 
 fried or dipped in honey, with a little oil of rho- 
 dium, cr bird-lime, laid in their haunts, will stick 
 to their fur and cause their departure. If a live 
 rat be caught, and well rubbed or brushed over 
 with tar, and train-oil, and afterward put to es- 
 cape in the holes of others, they will disappear. 
 — 8. Cover a common barrel with stiff, stout 
 papers, tying the edge around the barrel ; place 
 a board so that the rats may have an easy access 
 to the top; sprinkle cheese parings or other 
 "feed" for the rats on the paper for several days, 
 until they begin to believe they have a right to 
 
176 
 
 DICTIONARY OF EVERY-DA Y WANTS. 
 
 their daily rations from this source. Then place I 
 at the bottom of the barrel a piece of rock alx)ut 
 six or seven inches high, filling with water until { 
 only enough of it projects above the water for 
 one rat to lodge upon. Now replace the paper, 
 first cutting a cross in the middle, and the first 
 rat that comes on the barrel top goes through into 
 the water and climbs on the rock. The paper 
 comes back to place, and the second rat follows 
 the first. Then begins a fight for the possession 
 of the dry place on the stone, the noise of which 
 attracts the rest, who share the same fate. — 
 9. Fill a deep smooth vessel of considerable capa- 
 
 city, to within 6 inches of the top with water, 
 cover the surface with bran," and set the 
 vessel in a place most frequented by these pests. 
 In attempting to get at the bran, they will fall in, 
 and be drowned. Several dozen have been taken 
 by this simple method at a time. — 10. The smell 
 of a goat is obnoxious to the nostrils of rats ; 
 the two wont be friends and companions on any 
 account whatever, and the introduction of goats to 
 one's barn or premises will cause an immediate 
 stampede of all the rats. — II. The possession of 
 a ferret is at once the safest and deadliest enemy 
 of the raU 
 
 HUNTING, TRAPPING AND TANNING. 
 
 BEAVER SKINS, To Dress.— Yom. must 
 rip the skin the same as you would a sheep. 
 Stretch it in all ways as much as possible ; then 
 it is to be dressed with equal parts of rock salt 
 and alum dissolved in water and made about as 
 thick as cream by stirring in coarse flour. This 
 should be spread on nearly half an inch thick to 
 be scraped off when dry and repeated if one time 
 is not enough. This same process of dressing 
 applies likewise to otter skins. 
 
 BIRD LIME.— I. The middle bark of the 
 holly, any quantity; boil it for seven or eight 
 hours in water, or until it is soft and tender, then 
 drain the water off, and place it in pits under 
 f ground, surrounded with stones ; let it remain to 
 ' ferment, and water it if required until it passes 
 . into a mucilaginous state. Then pound it well 
 and wash it in several waters, next leave it for 
 four or five days to ferment and purify itself. — 
 2. Linseed oil boiled and burned down to a thick 
 varnish answers even better than the above. In 
 preparing it the oil is put into an iron kettle and 
 set upon a fire, when warm it is lighted also and 
 allowed to burn until it is of the destined thick- 
 ness. The iron pot should not be over one-third 
 full of oil, and should have a lid to fit pretty 
 closely by which the oil can be quenched at will. 
 From time to time this must be done to ascertain 
 the condition of the oil. It takes from nine to 
 ten hours to boil it down, and when done it 
 should be put away in a vessel as nearly air-tight 
 as possible, otherwise it will continue to grow 
 thicker and thicker until it becomes unusable. It 
 should be of the consistency of thick syrup. 
 
 BIRD LIME, How to Use. — There are 
 various methods of using it. It can be either em- 
 ployed on sticks made for the purpose, by which 
 means there is not so much loss of bird lime, or 
 plastered on spots to which the birds are accus- 
 tomed to come. If used in the former way, holes 
 must be bored into the tree in which to fix the 
 limed sticks. Birds taken with lime should be 
 relieved as soon as caught, or they will flutter 
 themselves to death. Alcohol will wash off the 
 lime. But take care in applying it ; small birds 
 can be killed with the smell of alcohol. If their 
 heads are not limed, cover that part of them with 
 a silk handkerchief and use a sponge to wash oft 
 the lime. 
 
 BIRD CATCHING, English Secrets of.— 
 "Jingling f6r robins" is a simple art, but it is 
 founded upon close observation of nature. The 
 jingler provides himself with a tame robin caged; 
 a piece of timber about a foot square, to which 
 is attached a net, which flies over it at the proper 
 moment by means of a spring; and two penny 
 pieces. He selects a rural spot, deposits the 
 cage on the board at the foot of a tree, retreats 
 to a little distance, and then balancing the 
 pennies, one on each forefinger, chinks them 
 together. Now, if there is such a thing as a 
 cock-robin in the vicinity, he immediately ex- 
 poses himself. Birds, like men, have their 
 weaknesses, and jealousy and inquisitiveness 
 are the especial weaknesses of cock-robins. 
 "Chink, chink," is the call note of the male 
 bird to his mate; and an unwonted "chink" 
 affects him to that degree, that he is almost 
 thrown off his perch. His ever bright, round 
 eyes, grow rounder and brighter, with all the 
 keenness of curiosity and the greenness of green 
 eyed jealousy. "Chink, chink," go the pence. 
 The deluded bird sets his head awry; and he 
 says in his heart, "What does this mean, I 
 should like to know." " Chink, chink ! Chink, 
 chink!" he can stand it no longer. His quick 
 vision has detected the bird in the cage, and he 
 sweeps down to demand an explanation of the 
 stranger's intentions, and may be to require 
 immediate satisfaction. But, alas! no sooner 
 does the yictim of his own passions alight on 
 the board, than the spring that hitherto withheld 
 the net is released, and encloses both the caged 
 bird and the wild one. 
 
 "Trolling for larks" at night. Selecting a 
 meadow which larks are known to frequent, the 
 snarers provide themselves with a long net. This 
 is loaded all down one side with stones or leaden 
 weights, to keep it close to the ground. Stretch- 
 ing the net out to its fullest extent, two men take 
 a corner of the side that is not weighted, and 
 slowly drag the field, until the fluttering and 
 screaming of the poor little prisoners tell them 
 they have had a good haul. AH in the dark the 
 men go on their knees, and thrusting their hands 
 through the meshes, make their captures, which 
 they slip into store cages. These are long 
 wooden cages, with a round hole cut in the top. 
 
HUNTING, TRAPPING AND TANNING. 
 
 177 
 
 to which is fastened the leg of a stocking, which 
 hangs loosely inside, thus making it an easy 
 atlair to drop the larks, and an impossible one 
 for them to get out again. It generally happens 
 that as many larks are taken dead as alive by 
 this system. Indeed it is almost impossible to 
 take them at all, except with the assistance of 
 two horses. This is explained by the fact that 
 the sense of hearing is very acute in the lark — 
 the slightest noise, if it be of an unusual char- 
 acter, alarming them. Now larks are used to 
 the tramping of cattle, but not to the footsteps 
 of men ; sometimes, therefore, the snarers take 
 each one of the dragging ropes in their hand, 
 and lead a horse by the bridle with the other ; 
 the birds are undisturbed by the tramping of the 
 four footed creature, and the bipeds, keeping 
 step with the horses, are not detected. 
 
 The metropolitan bird catcher is not content 
 with larks — he must have nightingales also; but 
 none but the most enthusiastic bird catchers are 
 addicted to this branch of the business, which is 
 called "lying out." For in the first place, it is 
 almost without excitement; and in the next, 
 although the birds, when caught in prime sing- 
 ing condition, fetch a high price, the difficulty in 
 catching them is so great as to make the trade 
 unprofitable. This is how it is practiced. A 
 trap exactly similar to the robin trap is used, 
 only instead of a tame bird in a cage, a hook is 
 driven in the center of the board and on the 
 hook is impaled a lively worm. The first thing 
 is to discover a bush frequented by a night- 
 ingale. You must watch him into the bush, 
 allow him to pass the night there, and see him 
 well off in the morning before you set your trap. 
 Then you dig the ground up within a few yards 
 of the bush and bury the trap so that only the 
 writhing worm in the middle of the net attached 
 is visible; the net being as much the color of 
 fresh earth as possible. Then you must retire 
 and watch for the chance of the bird spying out 
 the worm when he hops down to look for food 
 in the morning. If the worm happens to be still 
 alive, and its wriggling attracts the attention of 
 the nightingale, then you have a chance of catch- 
 ing him; if not, you must wait until this lucky 
 collusion of circumstances does occur. 
 
 " Pegging for chaffinches" is by far the most 
 curious and interesting of all the branches of the 
 bird-catching art. Before you think of going 
 pegging, you must get a thorough good pegging 
 chaffinch. These birds are trained to the busi- 
 ness. As soon as the new year's bird gives sign 
 of coming into song (which you will know by 
 the beak turning blue), you must put the cage in 
 a stout black bag, and hang him up in his usual 
 place. He will perhaps sulk a little at first; if 
 so, he will require a little encouragement. It is 
 astonishing what odd noises will bring him out — 
 the rasping of a tobacco pipe on the back of a 
 knife, the frying of beef steaks, or scraping a 
 bow on a fiddle. In a little time he will pipe 
 away as well in the black bag as he would out 
 of it. Tlien, by degrees you must use him to 
 being handled. Stand his cage on the table at 
 your elbow, carry him about the house, or in the 
 garden, and if he will stand all this, and sing as 
 he goes, you may venture a pegging trip with 
 him. 
 
 Besides the decoy bird, you will require a 
 stuffed chaffinch — or "stall" — looking as much 
 like life as possible. Then you must have half a 
 
 dozen pegs. These are made of whalebone, and 
 must be eight inches long, and about as thick as 
 an ordinary meat-skewer, fixed with the pointed 
 half of a stout needle in one end. 
 
 Then you want some bird lime, and good bird 
 lime it must be, or all your other j^reparations 
 are ot no avail. It should be so plastic that a 
 piece the size of a small pea may be drawn out 
 in a thread half a yard long. 
 
 A bright, warm May morning is the best time ; 
 and, supposing you to have everything in perfect 
 order — the pegs, the stall, the lime in a little tin 
 box, and your decoy in his cage, tied in a hand- 
 kerchief of the most unobtrusive color — you 
 start ofT. When you get among the trees, you 
 will ])resently hear perhaps one, perhaps two, 
 chaffinches piping away over your head. Now 
 to business. Mark the tree that contains the 
 stoutest singer, take out your pegs and lime, 
 fasten the stuffed bird securely to one of the pegs, 
 and then smear another peg all over with bird 
 lime. Stick the perch on which is standing the 
 stuffed bird firmly into a tree adjoining the one 
 containing the wild songster; and, about six 
 inches above the "stall," drive the limed peg. 
 Place the decoy (still in the handkerchief) at the 
 foot of the tree. If he is a good bird, the sing- 
 ing of the wild chaffinch will stimulate to the 
 utmost his exertions to drown the voice of the 
 other ; if he is a coward, the wild fellow is the 
 conqueror, and the trained decoy will whine and 
 chirrup pitifully. Plowever, supposing him to 
 be " a good brazen bird," the wild chaffinch will 
 gradually work himself into a rage, and flutter- 
 ing here and there — screaming out his notes in 
 defiance — to find the intruder. Presently his eye 
 catches the stuffed bird on the peg ; and has not 
 the least doubt but that he has discovered the 
 delinquent ; with an angiy cry, down he swoops 
 sheer on to the stuffed bird's back ; the sticky 
 
 !)eg just above catches his pinions, and either he 
 langs there, or he brings the peg down with him, 
 and runs screaming along the ground till you 
 overtake him. 
 
 BIRDS, To Preserve. — Birds may be pre- 
 served in a fresh state for some time by remov- 
 ing the intestines, wiping the inside out quite dry 
 with a towel, and then flouring them. A piece 
 of blotting paper, on which one or two drops of 
 creosote have been placed, is now to be put in- 
 side them, and a similarly prepared piece of 
 paper tied round them. They should then be 
 hung up in a cool dry place, and will be found to 
 keep much longer than without undergoing this 
 process. 
 
 BIRDS, To Skin and Stuff.— A great as- 
 sistance in skinning animals is to suspend the 
 body by a hook, so that both hands are at liberty. 
 For small kinds a common fishhook will answer, 
 with the barb broken off, and a cord attached a 
 foot or two in length. This may be inserted 
 among the bones near the tail after the skin has 
 been partly detached. 
 
 Other implements required are the following: 
 I. A sharp knife, of almost any shape, but a sur- 
 geon's scalpel without a jointed handle is the best 
 for small kinds, and the common butcher-knife, 
 which is of similar shape, for larger ones. 2. A 
 strong, sharp pointed scissors, and for large skins, 
 a shears is often useful. 3. Triangular glovers* 
 needles, for sewing up skins; two or three sizes. 
 4. A pair of spring forceps, such as are used by 
 surgeons, though not essential, are very useful. 
 
 12 
 
tfS 
 
 DICTIONARY OF E VERY-DAY WANTS. 
 
 5. A tape measure, three to six feet long. 6. A I 
 fine saw, or coarse flat file, to notch small bones 
 before breaking them, so as to break them evenly. 
 Some use sharp-edged nippers for this purpose. 
 Large bones may be broken roughly, and the 
 ends smoothed off. When a bird is shot, all large 
 holes must be plugged with cotton or paper, and 
 this also inserted in the mouth and throat, so as 
 to prevent the flow of blood or other fluids. 
 Blood on the feathers may be absorbed by sprinkl- 
 ing with plaster of Paris, ashes, dust, or sand, 
 shaking off all that does not stick ; then make a 
 cone of paper, large enough to put the bird in, 
 head down, and twist up the other end over it, 
 taking care not to injure the tail feathers, 'fhis 
 will secure smoothness of the feathers when the 
 body stiffens. In cool weather it is best to 
 postpone skinning for twelve to twenty-four hours, 
 in order to allow the blood to coagulate, so that 
 it will not flow so freely, and the fat hardening, 
 also gives less trouble. Some use a ring of 
 paper pinned round the body to obtain its exact 
 girth, so that it can be stuffed out to the same 
 dimensions afterward. 
 
 Before skinning, put fresh plugs in the mouth, 
 nostrils, and large shot-holes. Take the measure- 
 ments and notes required; then make an incision 
 from the breast-bone down to the tail, not so 
 deep as to open the intestinal cavity, and care- 
 fully separate the skin on each side, plugging or 
 sewing up any holes accidentally cut too deep. If 
 blood or fluid run too freely, absorb them by 
 some dry ashes, plaster, or paper, and use these 
 so as to protect the feathers; if necessary, keeping 
 the fingers well powdered. Separating the skin 
 from one side, the leg is soon reached ; this must 
 be drawn out by the knee-joint as far as it can 
 be, and the tendons cut where they go toward 
 the foot. Break off the bone within the skin, 
 and, having freed that leg, treat the other in the 
 same way. It is most convenient in small birds 
 to break these bones, and also those of the upper 
 wing-joint, before beginning to skin, thus having 
 the limbs less in the way. 
 
 After the legs are freed, cut down to the tail, 
 and separate the body, leaving some of the 
 vertebrae attached to support the feathers. Re- 
 move the oil-glands above the tail carefully from 
 the skin, then insert the hook in the body, and 
 hang it up, head downward. The skin is then 
 easily peeled off until the wings are reached, 
 when it must be drawn to one side until the 
 broken end of the shoulder^bones are reached, 
 w^hich may be slipped through the muscles, and 
 pulled out as far as possible. The muscles must 
 then be cut off, and this wing being freed, the 
 same process is used for the other. 
 
 The skin then slips off easily as far as the head, 
 and, if large, must be supported, so that its 
 weight may not stretch the neck. In drawing it 
 over the head, be careful not to tear it, and use 
 the finger-nails more than the knife. The ear 
 membranes are easily drawn out with it, and on 
 reaching the eyes, the attachment of the lids 
 must be carefully separated from the eye-ball, so 
 as to injure neither the lids nor the eye-ball, as 
 the fluids escaping give trouble. Then cut off the 
 back part of the skull, remove the brains and the 
 eyes, clear away r:!l remains of muscle, etc, 
 from the skull, .and sprinkle or smear the skin 
 with arsenic. Fill the eye-sockets and other 
 cavities around the head with cotton or other 
 Stuffings and draw the skia back to its original 
 
 shape. If the neck has dried during the opera- 
 tion, it will need moistening before retraction. 
 
 The second joints, of the wings now require 
 cleaning from the muscles, etc. This may be 
 done in small birds by carefully drawing the skin 
 down over the bones, loosening it with the fin- 
 ger-nails. Large birds, however, need an incision 
 under the wing, reaching the whole length of the 
 joint, which may be sewed up afterward by a few 
 stitches. Arsenic ointment must be applied freely 
 to all these parts. The wing-bones must now be 
 connected by a string passed through the space 
 between the bones, or a thread sewed through 
 the ligaments, so that it can not slip. Do not 
 draw the wings too close together, but leave as 
 nearly the natural distance between them as is 
 practicable. Cotton or tow may be now wound 
 round the broken ends of the wing and leg bones, 
 a roll of it inserted in the neck, and enough put 
 in the body to fill it out to its natural shape. 
 
 When the legs are tied together, no stitches 
 arc generally necessary to sew up the cut, li 
 there are large holes in the skin, they should be 
 sewed up from the inside before putting in the 
 stuffing. In large birds it is well to sew on wide 
 strips of rag along the inner edges of the cut 
 made in the skin to protect the feathers during 
 the operation of skinning, removing the rags 
 afterward. Very badly soiled skin can, how- 
 ever, be cleaned by the taxidermist; and, pro- 
 vided they have not lost any feathers, are still 
 useful. The bill should generally be tied shut 
 by a string passed through the nostrils, and the 
 label may be put there or on the legs. Very 
 long necks are best stuffed by rolling up a long 
 cylinder of paper, and passing it down the throat 
 or from the inside. The neck may then be bent 
 down along the side of the body, and the legs 
 bent up so as to make as compact a specimen as 
 possible. Having smoothed down the feathers, 
 the bird must now be pushed carefully inside a 
 cylinder of stiff paper of the proper size, and laid 
 on its back to dry. Hanging it up by the bill or 
 feet stretches it too much. If carefully dried, it ■ 
 retains a good shape, and may be freely handled 
 afterwards. 
 
 Some birds, especially ducks and woodpeckers, 
 have the neck so slender that the head can not 
 be drawn through it by skinning in the usual 
 manner. In these an incision must be made on 
 the most injured side, from the ear down far 
 enough to allow the head to be cleaned through 
 it. The body may then be skinned as usual, or 
 the incision may be continued down the neck to 
 the bare space under the wing, and the skin 
 taken off without cutting it elsewhere. To sew 
 this up requires care in order to adjust the 
 feathers nicely, and the' stitches must be taken 
 from within outward. Some persons skin all 
 birds in this manner ; but the feather are more 
 apt to fall out of those birds that have them loosely 
 attached. 
 
 There is much difference in the ease with which 
 a bird may be skinned, according to the relative 
 toughness of skin, and adhesion of feathers, A 
 humming-bird is more easily skinned than a 
 pigeon, and those of the size of a robin take much 
 less time than an eagle. For practice, the best 
 are blackbirds and jays, those not too fat being 
 preferable, 
 
 BIRDS, To Mounf.—'LaY the bird upon the 
 table with the head to the left ; having arranged 
 the wings and legs to keep the bird in tlic right 
 
HUNTING, TRAPPING AND TANNING. 
 
 179 
 
 position, place a -weight on the tail. Brush the 
 skin of the neck with the soap, then stuff with the 
 flax, taking care not to distend it. Anoint the 
 back as far as the rump, stuffing it one-third of 
 the thickness, that the wire may rest on a thick 
 layer of flax. Prepare four wires. One for the 
 tack which may be a little longer than the lx)dy; 
 at about one-quarter of its length it should be 
 twisted into a small ring, by the pincers, and 
 pointed with the file at the extreme end ; two 
 others are to be cut somewhat longer than the 
 legs. The tail wire is to beibrmed into an oval, 
 an size, about one-third of the length of the bird's 
 body, twisting it a short distance from the ends, 
 that they may form a fork ; the two prongs to be 
 pointed and bent near enough together to enter 
 the rump ; the ends will be hidden imder the 
 tail, the oval to enter the body of the bird. The 
 back wire being oiled, may now be introduced 
 across the skull, passing into the back in the 
 middle of the flax, so that the ring in this wire 
 will be brought a little toward the anterior part, 
 and can receive the extremities of each of the 
 wires which have passed through the thighs and 
 claws. 
 
 The leg wires are introduced by making a 
 passage through the shank and bone at the thigh, 
 by piercing them with an awl, the size of the 
 wire. The wire must be passed in a straight 
 line over the knee, and is to be brought to the 
 little ring of the body wire, both leg wires and 
 the end of the back wire are to be twisted to- 
 gether with the pincers, and be lowered toward 
 tlie tail. The wires thus adjusted and resting on 
 the flax, the skin must be well anointed and 
 filled to its natural dimensions. 
 
 The body may now be sewed up with a fine 
 glover's needle and sewing silk, with what is 
 known as ball or carpet stitch. 
 
 If the orbits of the eye are not sufficiently 
 plump, a little cotton may be added, moistened 
 with the gum with which the artificial eyes are 
 to be fixed. Gi\'e the eye a natural appearance 
 having the lids well rounded and brought over 
 the glass. 
 
 In fixing the bird to a standard its natural at- 
 titude should be copied as accurately as possible. 
 The feet should not be too wide apart, the legs 
 should be so bent at the knee-joints and the body 
 so inclined forward that the root of the tail will 
 be on an exact line with the knees. This forms 
 the natural angle. The head may be inclined a 
 little to one side. If the bill is likely to sepa- 
 rate, a thread should be passed through the 
 nostrils and tied beneath, until the bird is quite dry. 
 
 The feathers should now be carefully smoothed 
 and arranged with a camel's hair brush, and the 
 wings tied in a natural position, and the body 
 should be bound with a little piece of muslin un- 
 til every part is perfectly dry. 
 
 A little paper cone may be put over the head, 
 to keep the feathers in place, for a few days. 
 
 Stuffed birds should be kept free from dust, in 
 a moderate temperature, out of the sun. A 
 common bell glass will answer to cover a single 
 specimen or a small group. They should be fre- 
 quently examined, for moths and insects are very 
 apt to get into the feathers. 
 
 Five drops of Prussic acid, on a piece of cotton, 
 placed in a case will effectually destroy insects. 
 
 BLEACHING WOOL ON TANNED 
 PELTS. — Put an old pot or other iron vessel in 
 the bottom of a hogshead, and in the vessel a 
 
 roll of brimstone. P'asten near the top a stick or 
 two, to place the skin on. The wool must be 
 wet, when hung on the sticks. Heat an old iron 
 red hot, or take live coals to start the brimstone. 
 When it is burning briskly cover the hogshead 
 tight to keep the smoke in. In bleaching blankets 
 we put them in after dinner and take them out 
 next morning. If not white enough, repeat the 
 process. 
 
 BUFFALO SKINS, Indian Mode of Tann- 
 ing. — The hard and incessant labor that is ne- 
 cessary to properly 'Indian tan' a robe is not 
 easy to realize unless one may see the work go 
 on day by day from the first step, which is to 
 spread out the pelt or undressed hide upon the 
 ground, where it is pinned fast by means of 
 wooden pins driven through little cuts in the edge 
 of the robe into the earth. The flesh side of the 
 robe, being uppermost, is then worked over by 
 two, and sometimes three, squaws. The tools 
 used are often very rude, some being provided 
 simply with sharp stones or buffalo bones. 
 Others, more wealthy, have a something that 
 much resembles a drawing knife or shave of the 
 cooper. The work in hand is to free the hide 
 from every particle of flesh, and to reduce the 
 thickness of the robe nearly one half, and some- 
 times even more. This fleshing, as it is termed, 
 having been thoroughly accomplished, the hide is 
 thoroughly moistened with water in which buffalo 
 brains have been steeped; for ten days the hide is 
 kept damp with this brain water. Once each day 
 the hide is taken up, and every portion of it 
 rubbed and re-rubbed by the squaws, who do not 
 have recourse to anything like a rubbing board, 
 but use their hands until it would seem as if the 
 skin would soon be torn off. There seenTs to be 
 no definite rule as to the length of time which 
 the robe shall occupy in curing. The squaw 
 labors until the hide becomes a robe, which may 
 require the work of one week or two, sometimes 
 even more ; but I think that ten days may be 
 considered as the average time which it takes to 
 properly cure a robe. 
 
 DEERSKINS, To Dress.— ?vX the skin into 
 the liquid while warm, viz.: eight quarts rain 
 water, to one pint soft soap. Warm it. Then 
 
 [)unch the hide, or work it with a soft stick and 
 et it lay one day. It is then to be taken out and 
 wrung — rolled between two logs — or even a 
 wringing machine will be better. Then stretch 
 it until it is dry, in the sun is best, or by a hot 
 fire. Then oil it thoroughly with any oil con- 
 venient. It should then be treated to the same 
 bath of suds (heated quite warm), and lay an- 
 other day. Then pull it out and dry as before. 
 Any oil will do, but good fresh butter is better 
 than anything else. When the skin is dry rub it 
 with ochre, which will give it a splendid yellow 
 color. 
 
 DEER SKINS, Oil Dressing.— Yor curing 
 deerskins etc., take the green hide, as soon as 
 removed from the animal and grain it. This is 
 done by getting a beam seven or eight inches 
 through and six to eight feet long, with two legs 
 in one end and the other resting on the ground so 
 that it will stand at a steep slant. Tha beam 
 should be of hard wood, should be clean and 
 smooth and with no ridges on it. Take a knife, j 
 the corners should be whet smooth so as not to % 
 cut the skin. Set down the upper end of the 
 beam against your belly and lay on the skin, hair 
 side down and take off all tke unequal substances 
 
i8o 
 
 DICTIONARY OF E VERY-DA Y WANTS. 
 
 before yo i turn the hair side up. 1 hen com- 
 mence to g,rain by beginning with the neck of the 
 skin next t\) you, shoving it against the hair, 
 holding firn \ly and using some strength it will 
 soon begin \o go and bring a streak of grain. 
 In this way I ides are giained when green; when 
 dry they ha''e to be soaked in lime and water 
 until mellow, and then treated the same as a 
 green hide. 
 
 DEER StVINS, Tanning and Buffing for 
 GLOVES.-^ Y ox each skin, take a bucket of 
 water, and jut into it I quart of lime; let the 
 skin or skins lay in from 3 to 4 days ; then rinse 
 in clean wate.*, hair, and grain ; then soak them 
 in cold water to get out the glue ; now scour or 
 pound in good soap suds; for half an hour ; after 
 which take white vitriol, alum, and salt, I table- 
 spoon of each to a skin ; this will be dissolved 
 in sufficient water to cover the skin and remain 
 in it for 24 hours ; wring out as dry as convenient; 
 and spread on with a brush ^ pt. of currier's 
 oil, and hang in the sun about 2 days ; after 
 which you will scour out the oil with soap suds, 
 and hang out again until perfectly dry ; then pull 
 and work them until they are soft ; and if a rea- 
 sonable time does not make them soft, scovir out 
 in suds again as before; until complete. The oil 
 may be saved by pouring or taking it from the 
 top of the suds, if left standing a short time. 
 The buff color is given by spreading yellow ochre 
 evenly over the surface of the skin, when finished, 
 rubbing it in well with a brush. 
 
 DOGS, Characteristics of a well bred Pointer. 
 — The head should be broad at the tip, long and 
 tapering, the poll rising to a point ; nose open 
 and large ; ears tolerably long, slightly erect and 
 falling between the neck and jaw bone, slightly 
 pointed at the top ; eyes clear and bright ; neck 
 f and head set on straight ; chest broad and deep ; 
 legs and arms strong, muscular and straight ; 
 elbows well in ; feet small and hard; body not 
 over long, and well ribbed up ; loins broad at 
 the top, but thin downwards ; hind quarters 
 broad ; hind legs strong and large ; tail long, fine 
 and tapering ; hair short, sleek and close. 
 
 DYEING FOR BUCKSKIN {Buffi.) — t^ 
 parts of whiting to 2 parts of ochre (yellow), and 
 mix them with water to a paste, make into cakes 
 and dry. When a dressed skin is dry rub one 
 of the balls over the surface, rub the powder in. 
 Take a piece of sand paper and raise a nap on the 
 leather by going over with \i.— {Black.) — Take 
 clear logwood ; after it is dry use copperas water 
 to blacken it. Be careful and not use too much 
 copperas. — {Dark Brown.) — 5 pounds of oak 
 bark; 4 pounds of fustic; 14 ounces of logwood. 
 Use alum water (strong) to make it strike in. — 
 {Drab.) — Mix blue clay with soft soap; add 
 blue vitriol to shade the color. It can be made 
 any shade you wish. 
 
 D YEING FOR MOROCCO AND SHEEP 
 LEA THER. — The following colors may be im- 
 parted to leather, according to the various uses 
 for which it is intended. — {Blue.) — Blue is given 
 by steeping the subject a day in urine and indigo, 
 then boiling it with alum ; or, it may be given by 
 tempering the indigo, with red wine, and washing 
 the skins therewith. — {Another.)— BoW elder- 
 berries or dwarf-elder, then smear and wash the 
 skins therewith and wring them out ; then boil 
 the elderberries as before in a solution of alum- 
 water, and wet the skins in the same manner 
 once or twice , dry them, and they will be very 
 
 blue. — {Red.) — Red is given by washing the 
 skin and laying them 2 hours in galls, thenv ring- 
 ing them out, dipping them in a liquor made 
 with ligustrum, alum and verdigris ; in water, 
 and lastly in a dye made of Brazil-wood boiled 
 with lye. — {Purple.) — Purple is given by wetting 
 the skins with a solution of roche alum in warm 
 water, and when dry, again rubbing them with 
 the hand with a decoction of logwood in cold water. 
 — {Green.) — Green is given by smearing the skin 
 with sap-green and alum-water boiled. — {Dark 
 Green.) — Dark green is given with steel-filings 
 and sal ammoniac, steeped in urine till soft, then 
 smeared over the skin, which is to be dried in 
 the shade. — ( Yellow. ) — Yellow is given by 
 smearing the skin over with aloes and linseed- 
 oil, dissolved and strained, or by infusing it in 
 weld. — {Light Orange. ) — Orange color is given 
 by smearing it with fustic berries boiled in alum 
 water, or, for a deep orange, with turmeric. — 
 {Sky-color.) — Sky-color is given with indigo 
 steeped in boiling water, and the next morning 
 warmed and smeared over the skin. 
 
 FISH CULTURE.— T,Too\i trout that hatch 
 in the winter, lay their first crop of spawn a year 
 from the next fall; each female producing about 
 300 eggs, and doubhng in number yearly until 
 they reach about 6,000. Salmon begin spawn- 
 ing at the same age and time, and produce from 
 5,000 to 20,000 eggs, according to the age and 
 size of the female. When these fish are spawned 
 and artificially impregnated at the proper time, 
 nearly all the ova hatch, and if kept in the hatch- 
 ing boxes until they commence in the spring, and 
 are then turned into the stream they will take of 
 themselves. In this way the number of fish can 
 be increased a hundred fold annually in each 
 river, beyond the natural increase, till the waters 
 are literally filled with them. — Genetal Directions, 
 (as given Dy Mr. Seth Green). Build your ponds 
 according to the amount of water you have. If 
 you have but little, build small. The water 
 should be changed every 24 or 48 hours, and the 
 oftener it changes the better. The trout can be 
 very plenty if they have sufficient fresh water 
 food. Impregnated spawn can be had from the 
 first of November to the first of March, for ten 
 dollars per thousand, shipped in moss. They 
 can be sent a fifty days' journey packed in a box 
 with moss. I place the moss box in a tin pall, 
 filled with sawdust, so that the spawn will not 
 feel the changes of heat and cold. They can- 
 not be shipped with safety in warm weather. — 
 Handling the Spawn. — Pick the moss carefully 
 of! from the top of the spawn. Then put the 
 box in a pan of water and turn it nearly bottom 
 side up, and pick the moss out very carefully. 
 The spawn will sink to the bottom, and you can 
 
 !)ick the moss out of the pan. If there is a little 
 eft in it will do no harm. Then pour the spawn 
 in your hatching trough by holding the edge o| 
 your pan under water, and "place" them with- 
 out touching the spawn, by agitating the wcter 
 with the bearded end of a feather. The dead 
 spawn will turn a milk white color, and should 
 be picked out. Your trough should be so ar- 
 ranged that the water will run in at about twelve 
 feet per minute. The water should be filtered 
 by running through gravel, or cloth screens, to 
 prevent the sediment from reaching the spawn. 
 I run about one inch of water over my spawn, 
 and if any sediment gets on them and is allowed 
 to remain there long, it will surely kill them. 
 
HUNTING, TRAPPING AND TANNING. 
 
 i8i 
 
 Remove all sediment with the bearded end of a 
 quill by agitating the water, without touching the 
 spawn. 
 
 Large ponds with but little water, get too 
 warm in summer and too cold in winter, for trout 
 to do well. It is detrimental to have any other 
 fish with trout. Any kind of fish or fi^h spawn 
 is good for feed. The young should be fed twice 
 per day very slowly — if fed fast the feed sinks 
 and befouls the trough, and the trout will sicken 
 and die. If fed regularly and the trough kept 
 dean with a good change of water, and not kept 
 too thick, they will live and do well. If neg- 
 lected they will surely die. — What is death to 
 Spawn. — The sun, sediment, rats, mice, snails, 
 crawfish and many water insects. My troughs 
 are 25 feet long and 15 inches wide. The water 
 that feeds each trough would go through a half- 
 inch hole with a three inch head. Use fine 
 gravel that has no iron rust in it. My troughs 
 are three inches higher at the head. The aver- 
 age temperature of the water is 45 dcgs., and 
 the fish hatch in 70 days. Every degree colder 
 or warmer will make about six days' difference 
 in hatching. Trout hatch the soonest in warm 
 water. The sack of their bellies sustains them 
 for forty or forty-five days after hatching; then 
 they need food. I use beef liver, chopped with 
 a razor or sharp knife, nearly to the consistency 
 of blood. If you have small streams or shallow 
 ■water near the head of your pond, put a few 
 trout in a place in the stream and pond, and they 
 will take care of themselves better than you can. 
 The object of distributing them is that they wnll 
 get more food. All old streams and ponds have 
 plenty of food for small trout and large, which 
 you will find by examining the moss, sticks and 
 stones in your ponds and streams, as they are 
 full of water insects. ' 
 
 Young trout, one inch long, cost forty dollars 
 per thousand delivered at your nearest express 
 station. They can be carried in cans or barrels 
 any distance when small, and during the months 
 of January, February and March. They cannot 
 be carried with safety in warm w^eather without 
 a great deal more trouble. It takes as much 
 water to support a one year old trout as it does a 
 thousand small ones, of sufiicient size for stock- 
 ing ponds and for shipping. 
 
 My trout begin to spawn the first of November 
 and cease the first of March. Spawning. — 
 Fishes, whether in the freedom of nature or in 
 artificial receptacles, show plainly enough the 
 approach of spawning. The belly of the female 
 becomes distended and yields readily to pressure. 
 There is a fluctuation under the hand, which 
 shows that the eggs are free from the ovary and 
 easily displaced. This being the case, take up 
 in your left hand a female fish, and hold it sus- 
 pended by the head and thorax over a flat-bot- 
 tomed vessel containing clear water. Then with 
 the right hand passed from above downwards, 
 squeeze the loosened eggs through the anal 
 opening. A male fish is then taken, and the 
 milt is expressed in the same way, though often 
 it flows by the mere act of suspending. This 
 substance, white and cream-like, soon gives to 
 the water the appearance of whey. To insure 
 effectual fecundation, the mixture in this state 
 should be gently stirred with the hand, or with 
 a soft brush. It requires but 2 or 3 minutes to 
 accomplish the fecundation. 
 
 FISHING.— Rods /or .—At aU fishing tackle 
 
 shops, rods made of vine, bamboo, hazel, and 
 hickory, of various lengths and fashions, may be 
 procured; some are made to fit into canvas bags, 
 whilst others resemble walking canes ; the for- 
 mer, however, are decidedly the best, being 
 longer and better made, as the joints are more 
 carefully fitted together. The rod should, when 
 put together, taper gradually from the butt end 
 to the top, and should be perfectly straight and 
 even. For general purposes, a rod of about 
 twelve feet in length is the most convenient ; but 
 in wide rivers, fifteen and eighteen feet rods are 
 required. It is a good plan to have a rod for 
 each kind of fishing, as by such an arrangement 
 they can be kept in complete order, and ready 
 for immediate ser\-ice. The rods should be 
 ringed to guide the line from the reel ; and when 
 screwing the joints together, particular attention 
 should be paid to these rings to see that they 
 run regularly on the under side of the rod, so 
 that there may not be the least likelihood of the 
 line getting twisted. The rods should always 
 be kept in a place of moderate temperature, 
 neither too dry nor too moist ; as in the former 
 case they w'ould become brittle, and in the latter, 
 rotten ; in warm, dry weather, if the joints are 
 slightly shrunk, they may be moistened a little 
 to make them adhere better; but if, through 
 being too wet, they stick together so that you 
 cannot readily take them to pieces, wait till they 
 dry, rather than strain them by a forcible separ- 
 ation. It is a good plan to varnish the rods once 
 in two or three years with copal varnish, or else 
 with india rubber dissolved over a slow fire in 
 linseed oil ; either of these preparations preserves 
 the rods, but especial care must be taken, when 
 re-varnishing, to scrape off the old surface before 
 putting on the new; and the same precaution 
 should be taken if the rods are carried to a fish- 
 ing tackle warehouse to be repaired, 
 
 FISHING, Lines for. — The most serviceable 
 lines are made of pure horsehair, for such as are 
 composed of hair and silk, from retaining the 
 water, soon become rotten ; neither can they be 
 thrown with the same precision, as they get soft 
 and flabby, and fall hea\-ily on the w^ater. Good 
 lines should be perfectly twisted, round, and 
 without any irregularities, and in point of color 
 those which are of a light gray, or brown, or 
 white, are the most useful: some anglers, how- 
 ever, prefer a light sorrel tint. The bottom or 
 casting line for fly fishing, which is affixed to the 
 line on the reel, must be of gut, and of about the 
 same length as the rod ; the gut should be strong 
 at the top, and very fine at the dropper or bot- 
 tom, and before any flies are made upon it, it 
 should be picked and tried to see that it is of a 
 uniform thickness throughout, 
 
 FISHING, F/oats for.— Floats can always be 
 procured ready made, of all sizes and every 
 variety of shape. For small fish and slow streams, 
 quill floats will be found the best, and in strong 
 and rapid rivers, or for the larger kinds of fish, 
 cork floats can be employed. If the angler pre- 
 fers making cork floats to purchasing them, he 
 must procure a piece of fine grained sound cork, 
 and bore a hole through it with a small red hot 
 iron, then put in a quill which wi41 exactly fit the 
 aperture, and afterward cut the cork into the 
 shape of a pear. When this is finished he must 
 grind it smooth with pumice stone, and paint 
 and varnish it; and if he uses two or three bright 
 colors in the painting he will add much to the 
 
l82 
 
 DICTION-ARY OF EVERY-DAY WANTS. 
 
 gaiety of its appearance. The cork float should 
 swim perpendicularly in the water, so that it may 
 betray the slightest nibble, and must be carefully 
 poised by fastening a few shot on the line ; the 
 sizes of shot proper for this purpose are from 
 swan shot down to No. 4; they should be split 
 about half way through with a small chisel, so as 
 to make a gap sufficiently wide to admit the line, 
 and when the latter is put in the gap should be 
 closed with a pair of pliers. 
 
 FISHING, Reels for.— K reel is very useful, 
 as with its assistance parts of a river may be 
 reached which could not otherwise be attemp- 
 ted, it enables the angler also to play his fish 
 •with the greatest ease and certainty. When 
 purchasing a reel, a multiplying one should be 
 • selected, as it is superior to all others, and en- 
 ables the angler to lengthen and shorten his line 
 rapidly. It must be kept clean and well oiled, 
 and great care taken that no grit of any kind 
 gets into it. 
 
 FISHING, Hooks for. — Hooks are of various 
 patterns and sizes, beginning at No. I, which is 
 the largest salmon size, and ending at No. 14, 
 called the smallest midge. American hooks are 
 also very good, especially those made by Clarke's 
 patent. Limerick hooks are excellent ; and those 
 made in Dublin, marked with 2 F's, 2 B's, and 
 so on, are second to none. A bad hook, be it 
 remembered, is worse than a bad knife, only fit 
 to be thrown away. 
 
 WTien fastening the hooks on your lines, use 
 strong but fine silk, and if you can get it near 
 the color of your bait, so much the better ; wax 
 the silk thoroughly with shoemaker's wax, and 
 wrap it four or five times round the body of the 
 hook, then place the gut or hair on the inside of 
 your hook, and continue winding the silk tightly 
 round till you have wrapped it about three parts 
 down the hook. 
 
 Whipping is finished off by slipping the end of 
 the silk through the last circle, and drawing it 
 tight. Knotting, by laying two pieces of gut or 
 hair together, one overlapping the other some 
 three inches or so, then holding one end in the 
 left hand, while forming a simple slip knot on it ; 
 then turning the other end to the right, and doing 
 the same ; after that drawing the two together, 
 when the knot is complete. No direct pull will 
 ever unloosen this water knot, though it can be 
 undone easily. Gut is obtained from the silk- 
 worm. Gimp is any kind of tackle covered with 
 fine brass wire, to protect it from the teeth of 
 fish, sharp stones, or other injury. 
 
 FISHING, Baits for. — Fish, in their natural 
 element, take such baits as the changing seasons 
 produce, and will not at one time of the year bite 
 at the same bait which they may be caught with 
 at another; for instance, in the spring and autumn, 
 worms may be used all day long, but in summer, 
 worms must only be used early and late, morn- 
 ing and evening. An earth-worm is naturally 
 the first bait the young angler looks out for: it is 
 always to be had, is put on the hook without 
 difficulty, and (exceptmg at the times above 
 stated) may always be used for certain kinds of 
 fish, with the certainty of hooking something, if 
 proper patience is used. When baiting with a 
 worm, the hook should be put in close to the 
 top of the worm's head, and then passed care- 
 fully down, gently working tho worm up the 
 hook at the same time. Not more than a quarter 
 of an inch of the worm should be left hanging 
 
 over the hook. To scour or starve these worms, 
 and get rid of the earthy matter they contain, 
 they must be placed in damp moss, not soddened 
 with water, but only damp. In creeping through 
 the fibers of tlae moss, they compress and empty 
 themselves. 
 
 The ash-grub, which is found in the rotten 
 bark of a tree that has been felled some time, is 
 an excellent bait for all small "pan" fish, such 
 as chub, sun-fish, perch, etc., and may be used 
 all the year round ; it should be kept in wheat 
 bran. All grubs or worms make good bait for 
 little fresh water fish. \ 
 
 Grasshoppers are good baits during June, July, 
 and August ; their legs and wings must be taken 
 off before they are put on the hook. 
 
 Shrimp are good for bass, tom cod, and lafay- 
 ette fish. Crab and clam are good bait for these 
 also, shedder crab especially. 
 
 FISHING, Paste Baits for.— {Cheese Pastes.) 
 Take some old cheese and the crumb of white 
 bread, and mix them up to a tolerable degree of 
 consistency, and you will make a good bait for 
 chub. ( IV/iite Bread Paste. ) Knead crumbs of 
 white bread dippgd in honey in the palm of your 
 hand until they attain a fair degree of consistency; 
 it is good for small fish. ( Wheat Paste. ) Pro- 
 cure some new wheat, remove the husks, and 
 afterward pound it; then pour some milk or 
 water over, and gently simmer the composition ; 
 when cold, it will be somewhat like a jelly, and 
 a very small piece only should be put on the 
 hook. 
 
 Paste baits are not at all adapted for swift, run- 
 ning streams, but for quiet brooks, ponds, or very 
 still rivers ; you must be sharp of eye, and quick 
 to strike, otherwise both fish and bait will give 
 you the slip. A quill float is better than a cork 
 one when baiting with paste, as it betrays the 
 slightest nibble. 
 
 FISHING, Ground Bait for. — Ground baiting 
 is a most essential part of angling, and ought 
 never to be omitted, as success in bottom or float 
 fishing cannot be expected, unless the proper 
 means for drawing the fish together are resorted 
 to. The object for throwing bait into the water, 
 is to collect fish to one particular spot, and then 
 to use a superior kind of bait, though of a simi- 
 lar kind, on the hook. Thus, if going to angle 
 with earth worms, throw in for ground bait 
 those that are unscoured, and fish with those 
 that are well scoured. 
 
 For small creek fish, mix bran and clay to- 
 gether into lumps about the size of an apple ; 
 place some grubs in the middle, and close the 
 clay over them. It is a very useful bait in a still 
 pond, hole, or slight eddy. 
 
 Or take the crumb of white bread, soak it in 
 water, squeeze it almost dry, add bran, and work 
 them up together until they acquire the consist- 
 ency of^clay. 
 
 Brewer's grains will also be found very ser- 
 viceable ; they must be perfectly fresh. 
 
 Grubs, worms, the toughest parts of crabs, 
 lobsters, or clams, may be thrown in without 
 taking the trouble of working them into balls or 
 clay, if the water is perfectly still; but if you/ire 
 fishing in a stream, such a system of ground bait- 
 ing is injurious, as they are carried away by the 
 stream, and draw the fish from the spot. 
 
 FISH, Chinese Art of Cntchitig. — Take Coc- 
 culus Indicus, pulverize and mix with dough, 
 then scatter it broadcast over the water as you 
 
HUNTING, TRAPPING AND TANNING. 
 
 183 
 
 would sow seed. The fish will seize it with great 
 avidity, and will instantly become so intoxicated 
 that they will turn belly up on top of the water, 
 by dozens, hundreds or thousands, as the case 
 may be. All that you now have to do, is to have 
 a boat or other convenience to gather them up, 
 and as you gather, put them into a tub of clean 
 water, and presently they will be as lively and 
 healthy as ever. 
 
 FISH, Charms. — ^The so called fish charms, as 
 given in many books and retailed as great secrets, 
 are as a rule a mass of nonsense, and when em- 
 ployed successfully make the fish, caught, un- 
 desirable for eating, impregnated more or less as 
 they must be, with the "charms". These re- 
 marks apply also to the above "Chinese art of 
 catching". The only legitimate way of catching 
 fish is by the hook and net and no other should 
 be resorted to. Some of these "secrets" are as 
 follows : For bait, take a handful of swamp-apple 
 blossoms; put them in a glass jar or bottle, 
 together with a gill of rum; cork the bottle tight 
 and let it stand in the sun for three or four hours; 
 then take half a pint of water that is found in 
 places where grows the plant commonly termed 
 flytrap. This plant, the botanical name of which 
 is dioncea muscipula, vegetates in quag moss 
 around fresh ponds. Saturate your bait with the 
 liquid two or three hours before using. The 
 liquid should be kept in a wooden or earthen 
 vessel. Another is to put the oil of RhocUum on 
 the bait when fishing with a hook, and you will 
 always succeed; or, take the juice of smallage or 
 lovage, and mix with any kind of bait. As long 
 as there remain any kind of fish within many 
 yards of your hook, you will find yourself busy 
 pulling them out- Or, get over the water after 
 tbrk, with a light and a dead fish that has been 
 smeared with the juice of stinking gladwin. The 
 fish will gather around you in large quantities, 
 and can easily be scooped up. 
 
 FISHING, without Nets, Lines, Spears, 
 Snares, '^Bobs", or Bait. — The following plan 
 we have known used with great success to catch 
 fish in winter, in Pennsylvania. Where the water 
 was clear and still, say the back water of a dam, 
 it would often freeze hard enough to make good 
 skating and yet the ice would be so clear that the 
 fish could be seen lying at the bottom or lazily 
 moving about. By striking the ice (not to hard) 
 immediately over the fish, a sufficient concussion 
 would be produced to stun the fish. It would 
 immediately turn over and come up to the ice, 
 its white belly showing clearly against the ice 
 below, when we proceeded to cut a hole and take 
 out the fish. A mallet generally was used to 
 strike the ice, as we produced a stunning blow 
 with it without killing the fish, as would be likely 
 to occur were the blow struck with the poll ol 
 the ax. On taking the fish home and putting 
 them into water — although some or all would be 
 frozen stiff, quite a number would often revive, 
 and it was to produce this result that the mallet 
 was preferred to strike with. 
 
 FISHING, With. Natural Fly.— This con- 
 sists in fishing with the living flies, grasshoppers, 
 etc., which are found on the banks of the rivers 
 't)r lakes where you are fishing ; it is practiced 
 with a long rod, running tackle, and fine line. 
 When learning this system of angling, begin by 
 fishing close under the banks, gradually increas- 
 ing your distance until you can throw your live 
 bait across the stream, screening yourself behind 
 
 a tree, a bush, or a cluster of weeds,' otherwise 
 you will not have the satisfaction of lifting a 
 single fVsh out of the water. In rivers where 
 immense quantities of weeds grow in the sum- 
 mer, so as almost to check the current, you must 
 fish where the stream runs most rapidly, taking 
 care that in throwing your line into those parts 
 you do not entangle it among the weeds. Draw 
 out only as much line as will let the fly touch 
 the surface, and if the wind is at your back, it 
 will be of no material service to you in carrying 
 the fly lightly over the water. In such places 
 the water is generally still, and your bait must 
 if possible be dropped with no more noise than 
 the living fly would make if it fell into the water. 
 Keep the top of your rod a little elevated, and 
 frequently raise and depress it and move it to 
 and fro very gently in order that the fly by its 
 shifting about may deceive the fish and tempt 
 them to make a bite. The instant your bait is 
 taken, strike smartly, and if the fish is not so 
 large as to overstrain and snap your tackle, haul 
 it out immediately, as you may scare away many 
 while trying to secure one. There are very 
 many baits which may be used with success in 
 natural fly fishing, of which, however, we shall 
 content ourselves with enumerating some of the 
 most usual and useful. 
 
 Wasps, hornets and humble bees are esteemed 
 good baits for dace, eels, roach, bream and chub; 
 they should be dried in an oven over the fire, 
 and if not overdone, they will keep a long while. 
 
 FISHING, With Arti/icialFly.—Ar\.\fidsL\fiy 
 fishing consists in the use of imitations of these flies 
 and of other fancy flies, and is unquestionably the 
 most scientific mode of angling, requiring great 
 tact and practice to make the flies with neatness 
 and to use them successfully, and calling forth as 
 it does so much more skill than the ordinary 
 method of bottom fishing, it merits its superior 
 reputation. It possesses many advantages over 
 bottom fishing, but at the same time it has its 
 disadvantages ; it is much more cleanly in its 
 preparations, inasmuch as it does not require the 
 angler to grub for clay and work up a quantity 
 of ground baits, and is not so toilsome in its 
 practice, fot the only encumbrances which the 
 fly fisher has are simply a light rod, a book of 
 flies, and whatever fish he may chance to catch ; 
 but there are several kinds of fish which will not 
 rise at a fly, and even those that do will not be 
 lured from their quiet retreat during very wet or 
 cold weather. It would be as well if the young 
 angler could go out for some little time with an 
 old experienced hand, to observe and imitate his 
 movements as closely as possible; but as many 
 of our readers will not, in all probability, be 
 able to enjoy such an advantage, we subjoin some 
 instructions by which they may pursue this in- 
 teresting branch of angling. 
 
 FISH, Skinning and Mounting. — This class 
 of animals possess many beauties, which when 
 removed from their native element, vanish for- 
 ever, and it is in vain for the taxidermist to try 
 to imitate those iridescent tints which characterize 
 the living specimens. The best he can do is to 
 preserve in form and general outline those char- 
 acteristics by which he may be able to recognize 
 his subject. Before proceeding to describe the 
 operation of skinnijig, it may be well to state 
 that the scales, as well as their color, may be 
 preserved to a certain degree by applying tissue- 
 paper to them, which from the natural glutinous 
 
184 
 
 DICTIONARY OF E VERY-DAY WANTS. 
 
 matter which covers the scales will adhere firmly; 
 this being allowed to remain until the skin has 
 dried, may be easily removed by moistening with 
 a damp cloth. All small fish should be mounted 
 in section, while the larger varieties may be 
 preserved entire. Suppose the fish to be of such 
 a size as to be mounted in section. First, it is 
 necessary that it be as fresh as possible, as the 
 scales will become detached if decay be allowed 
 to commence. Lay the fish on one side, and 
 cover the side uppermost with tissue-paper, as 
 stated above ; also extend the fins by means of 
 the same, and allow them to remain a few mo- 
 ments until they become fixed and dry; this will 
 be a protection to the fins and scales during the 
 process of skinning. Ha\nng provided yourself 
 with a dariip cloth, spread it smoothly upon the 
 table, and place the fish upon it with the papered 
 side down. With the dissecting-scissors cut the 
 skin along a line following the contour of the 
 body, but a little below the extreme dorsal edge, 
 and a little above the ventral one, and remove 
 the skin included within this line. The remain- 
 ing skin must now be detached from the flesh, 
 beginning at the head and separating it down- 
 ward toward the tail. The spine must be severed 
 close to the head, and also at the tail, and the 
 entire body removed. All the flesh having been 
 taken from the skin, and the eyes removed, the 
 inside must be wiped out and the preservative 
 apphed. It is necessary here to repeat the caution 
 not to use any unnecessary strain that will be 
 liable to distend the skin. The skin should now 
 be filled with cotton or tow, and this must be 
 laid so evenly that there shall be no prominences 
 upon the outside of the same. When filled, it 
 should be laid with the open side down, upon a 
 board of proper dimensions previously prepared, 
 and fastened to it by means of small tacks, com- 
 mencing at the head, and fastening the edges 
 downward toward the tail. It should then be set 
 aside in the air to dry, care being taken not to 
 expose it to the rays of the sun. W^hen dry the 
 paper which covers the exposed side, and with 
 which the rays are distended, may be removed 
 in the manner previously stated, and the glass 
 eyes inserted with a little putty. As the glass 
 eyes used by taxidermists are generally -too 
 spherical, and polished, it is well to manufacture 
 them of wood, using common paint to restore 
 the color, avoiding the use of varnish. Finally, the 
 skin should receive a coat of thin colorless varnish, 
 after which it is ready for the cabinet. In sharks 
 and large fishes an incision should be made be- 
 low the head at its base, along the ridge of the 
 back, following to either side of the dorsal fin 
 down to the tail. The skin can then be separated 
 on each side, and by severing the vertebrae at 
 the head and tail, the entire body may be re- 
 moved. The tail having been skinned, the head 
 should be pushed inward and the skin passed 
 over it, when all the cartilage can be freely cut 
 away. In stuffing these large species it becomes 
 necessary to use a body support, and a bar of 
 light wood may be used for this purpose ; this 
 should enter the skull, thereby being more easily 
 kept in position, and extend to the base of the 
 tail. Hooks can be fastened to this bar, and by 
 means of wire the specimen can be suspended 
 from above. The body should then be stuffed 
 with hay, and the incision upon the back carefully 
 sewed up. If the first coat of varnish is observed 
 to rise in scales, it should be removed with a so- 
 
 lution of nitric acid and water, and the skin 
 allowed to dry, when a second application of 
 varnish will ever afterward remain quite solid. 
 
 lOXES, To Trap. — The trap should be well 
 smeared with blood, or beeswax, to destroy the 
 odor of the iron. Set it in soft earth, packing 
 moss or leaves lightly around the pan and jaws. 
 Bait with fried meat. An old trapper says : "to 
 make the allurement doubly sure, obtain from 
 the female of the dog, fox or wolf, the matrix, in 
 the season of coition, and preserve it in alcohol, 
 tightly corked. Leave a ."^mall portion of it on 
 something near the trap ; also, when visiting the 
 traps, put some on your boots." 
 
 Another method is to make a bed of chaff" in 
 the open field, in a locality the fox is supposed 
 to visit, but where it will be least likely to be 
 visited by passing hunters. Visit it daily, and 
 stir into the chaff", very old or toasted cheese, or 
 scraps of meat made fine, using the iln.ost cau- 
 tion not to change the ajipearance of the bed or 
 its surroundings, and making as few tracks as 
 possible. The materials of which the bed is 
 composed should not be handled any more than 
 is absolutely necessary. Too much care cannot 
 be taken in making the bed ; for if foxes are 
 plenty, and you get several to visit it, it will last 
 for some time, and will afford you a great deal 
 of amusement. As soon as you are satisfied a 
 fox has visited the bed regularly for five or six 
 nights, you may put in your trap. It should be 
 a small sized double spring, and should be fas- 
 tened to a clog, light enough for the fox to drag, 
 but heavy enough so that he cannot get too far 
 away ; though if there is snow on the ground, 
 there will be no difficulty in finding him, if he 
 goes some distance. He may be caught the first 
 night, but more likely than not, will dig out your 
 trap, or show his contempt in some other way, 
 compelling you to bring into force all your inge- 
 nuity, before your efforts are successful. 
 
 FURS, HcTM to Select. — In purchasing furs a 
 sure test of what dealers call a "prime" fur is 
 the length and density of the down next the skin ; 
 this can be readly determined by blowing a brisk 
 current of air from the mouth against the set of 
 fur. If the fibers open readily, exposing the skin 
 to the view, reject the article ; but if the down is 
 so dense that the breath cannot penetrate it, or 
 at most shows but a small portion of the skin, 
 the article may be accepted. 
 
 FURS, To Clean. — Strip the fur articles of 
 their stuffing and binding, and lay them as much 
 as possible in a flat position. They must then 
 be subjected to a very brisk brushing, with a stiff 
 clothes-brush ; after this, any moth-eaten parts 
 must be cut out, and be neatly replaced by new 
 bits of fur to match. Sable, chinchilla, squirrel, 
 fitch, etc., should be treated as follows : warm a 
 quantity of new bran in a pan, taking care that it 
 does not burn, to prevent which it must be ac- 
 tively stirred. When well warmed, rub it thor- 
 oughly into the fur with the hand. Repeat this 
 two or three times ; then shake the fur, and give 
 it another sharp brushing until free from dust. 
 White furs, ermine, etc., may be cleaned as fol- 
 lows : lay the fur on the table, and rub it well 
 with bran made moist with warm water ; rub until 
 quite dry, and afterward with dry bran. The wet 
 bran should be put on with flannel, and the dry 
 with a piece of book-muslin. The liglit furs, in 
 addition to the above, should be well rubbed with 
 magnesia, or a piece of book-muslin, after the 
 
HUNTING, TRAPPING AND TANNING. 
 
 185 
 
 bran process. Furs are usually much improved 
 by stretching, which maybe managed as follows: 
 to a pint of soft water add three ounces of salt ; 
 dissolve ; with this solution sponge the inside of 
 the skin (taking care not to wet the fur), until it 
 becomes thoroughly saturated ; then lay it care- 
 fully on a board with the fur side downward, in 
 its natural disposition ; then stretch, as much as 
 It will bear to the required shape, and fasten with 
 small tacks. The drying may be quickened by 
 placing the skin a little (Sstance from the fire or 
 stove. 
 
 FURS, To presenie from Moth. — Darkness is 
 all that is necessary. The "miller," the eggs 
 from which moths are hatched, only moves in 
 light ; the moths themselves work in darkness. 
 Hang the furs in a very dark closet and keep the 
 ' doors shut ; keep it always dark, and you can 
 have no trouble. But, as closet doors are some- 
 times left open, the better way is to enclose the 
 articles loosely in a paper, put this in a pillow- 
 case, or wrap around a cloth, and hang it up in 
 a dark closet. Camphors, spices or perfumes 
 are of no use. Continual darkness is sufificient. 
 And do not take out the furs in June or July to 
 give them an "airing," for even then cometh the 
 enemy, and it may be that, in fifteen minutes 
 after exposure, it has deposited a hundred eggs. 
 If you consider an airing indispensable, give the 
 furs a good switching, and put them quickly back. 
 
 FURS, Domestic Manufacture of — The skins 
 of racoons, minks, muskrats, rabbits, foxes, deer, 
 cats, dogs, woodchucks and skunks are all va- 
 luable. Handsome robes may be made from 
 the skins of the last two animals and the writer 
 has seen fur coats made from the skins of wood- 
 chucks, well tanned, dyed and trimmed, which 
 were elegant as well as comfortable, and no one 
 but a connoisseur would be able to guess their 
 origin. Of the finer and nicer furs, beautiful collars, 
 muffs, cuffs, caps, gloves and trimmings may be 
 made, with a little ingenuity and perseverance ; 
 and who would not feel a greater satisfaction in 
 wearing nice article, from the fact that it was 
 something of their own manufacture, a product 
 of their own taste and genius ? 
 
 Very handsome floor mats are made by tanning 
 sheep pelts, and dyeing them some bright color, 
 which is done with very little trouble ; the art of 
 dying is now so familiar to almost every house- 
 hold. Furs may be dyed as easily as woolen 
 goods, notwithstanding the impression that it is 
 an art known only to the trade. Any dye that 
 will color woolens will also dye furs, only care 
 must be taken not to have the dye too hot or the 
 texture of the skin will be injured. 
 
 The mode of tanning usually followed by city 
 furriers, is to rub the skins well with rancid but- 
 ter, then tread them thoroughly in a tub or vat, 
 after which a large quantity of sawdust is mixed 
 with them, and the process of treading continued 
 until all the grease is absorbed, when they are 
 finished off by beating, working and rubbing with 
 chalk and potter's clay, whipping and brushing. 
 An old trapper practised this method with small 
 skins, first washing with a suds of soap and sal- 
 soda to free them from grease, then rinsing in 
 clear water to cleanse them from the suds, then 
 rubbing as dry as possible, after which they were 
 put into a mixture of two ounces of salt to a quart 
 of water, added to three quarts of milk or bran 
 water containing one ounce of best sulphuric 
 acid, and stirred briskly for forty or fifty minutes; 
 
 from this they are taken dripping into a strong 
 solution of sal-soda and stirred till they will, no 
 longer foam; they are then hung to dry, when 
 they are very soft and pliable. A very good and 
 simple process in use among farmers is to sprinkle 
 the flesh side, after scraping it well, with equal 
 parts of pulverized alum and salt, or washing it 
 well with a strong solution of the same, then 
 folding the flesh side together, and rolling it 
 compactly; in which state it should remain for 
 eight or ten days ; then it is opened, sprinkled 
 with bran or sawdust to absord the moisture, and 
 rolled up again, and after remaining 24 hours, 
 the process is completed by a thorough rubbing 
 and manipulation, on which the pliability de- 
 pends. Skins, when taken off, should be freed 
 from grease or flesh, by thorough scraping, when 
 they may be dried, and left to await the leisure 
 of the owner. Previous to tanning they must be 
 well soaked and wrung dry. 
 
 It is no extravagance to assert that every farm- 
 er's family may furnish their own fur collars, 
 gloves, robes, and other articles of dress and or- 
 nament, with trifling expense from the resources 
 within their own reach ; but from want of more 
 knowledge on the subject, valuable skins are 
 wasted or disposed of for a mere fraction of their 
 real value, and articles of apparel that should 
 have been made from them are bought at extra- 
 vagant prices of fur dealers. 
 
 GOPHERS, To 7>«/.— Go where they work; 
 find the last mound made; open the hole, set in 
 a common spring trap, cover with a little light 
 sand ; leave the hole open. The gopher will 
 come to close the hole, and get trapped. ^ 
 
 GOPHER TRAP, H(no to Makc—I^t. a 
 hard piece of wood, about nine inches long, and 
 turn it so that one end will be two and a half 
 inches in diameter and the other end three inches 
 gradually sloping from one end to the other. 
 With a two inch auger bore a hole in the small 
 end eight inches deep. Then take a fine toothed 
 rip saw and split it open from end to end in two 
 equal parts. In one of these halves a spring 
 door is fixed, made of sheet iron, which is round 
 like the opening and curved to fit down in the 
 half. This is made fast on a hinge near the en- 
 trance, with a spring under it sufficient to raise 
 it to a perpendicular, the hinge so arranged that 
 it can only be raised to a perpendicular. Another 
 piece of sheet iron, made round to move easily 
 in the two-inch opening, is made which is at- 
 tached to a long, narrow strip of iron, which 
 strip moves easily under two staples in the bot- 
 tom of the half to which the door is fastened. 
 
 In order to set the trap the door is pressed 
 down, and the end of this strip projects over it 
 and thus holds the door open. Then take the 
 two halves and put them together, and slip over 
 them a thin wide ring, made sloping like the trap, 
 and it is ready for use. 
 
 With this trap you go out where the gopher is 
 at work, and find his last made hillock, and if it 
 is not quite finished, all you have to do is to stick 
 the trap in the hole, open end downward, and in 
 a short time he will bring up his load of dirt, 
 and, in pressing against the upper piece of iron, 
 he will push the strip of iron from over the door, 
 when the spring will lift it up and shut him in. 
 
 GUNS, To Guard against Bursting. — It is 
 stated that ninety-five out of every hundred in- 
 stances of the bursting of a double-barrel gun 
 can be traced to defects in the left barrel. The 
 
i86 
 
 DICTIONARY OF E VERY-DA Y WANTS. 
 
 rea-son is simply that the right is more frequently 
 used and reloaded, perhaps ten times to the left 
 one being discharged once. Every time the right 
 barrel is discharged the gunpowder in the left 
 is pulverized more or less by tne shock, and the 
 settling of the grains leaves a space between the 
 charge and the wadding. Hence when the left 
 barrel is discharged it frequently explodes. These 
 accidents, it is asserted, can be avoided by send- 
 ing the ramrod home with one or two smart 
 blows into the non-discharged barrel every time 
 the other is reloaded. 
 
 GUNS, How to Choose. — ^Whatever may be 
 the particular make you prefer, let your gun be 
 a good one. If you are not competent to select 
 yourself it would be best to obtain the aid of 
 some capable and reliable friend, and we recom- 
 mend you to purchase of some dealer of estab- 
 lished reputation. The claims of the different 
 makers can, in most cases, be ascertained from 
 their respective circulars. Breech-loaders have 
 several important advantages , though many 
 sportsmen retain a preference for the old-fash- 
 ioned muzzle-loading gun, for its supposed su- 
 perior shooting powers. In every other respect 
 the first rank seems conceded to the breech- 
 loader; with it the sportsman's hand need never 
 be at the muzzle under any circumstance. It is 
 far more expeditiously used, as powder, shot, cap 
 and wadding are all inserted in the barrel at the 
 same time ; and it is far more easily cleaned, as 
 all that is required is to draw a piece of flannel 
 attached to a string through the barrels once or 
 twice after a days shooting. 
 
 GUNS, IIo7v to Use Effectively. — The secret 
 of success is a very simple matter after all. It 
 consists in aiming well forward ; nine out of ten 
 misses are owing to the aim not being sufficiently 
 forward. When game is going from you near 
 the ground, the aim should be full high, or the 
 bulk of the charge, if not the whole of it, will 
 pass below it ; and when birds are higher than 
 the gun going from you, the aim should be 
 equally low, or the charge will pass above them. 
 In cross-shots within, say thirty-five or forty 
 yards, the aim should be at least a foot or a foot 
 and a half in front of it ; at greater distance the 
 allowance should of course be more. In par- 
 tridge shooting, always endeavor to get cross- 
 shots if possible, and this may generally be^ done 
 by walkmg across, or heading your dog when 
 pointing. If you go straight from him to the 
 birds, they will generally go straight away ; birds 
 when flying across you present a far easier shot, 
 and expose a more vital part. 
 
 GUN, {Scattering Shot) Hcno to Remedy. — 
 The only remedy known to gun-smiths is by 
 choke-boring, that is, boring from the breech of 
 the gun, and so as to have a gradual taper to- 
 ward the muzzle. This method of boring greatly 
 improves the shooting qualities of the gun, as 
 the charge concentrates at the muzzle. Large 
 shot are more apt to scatter than fine, but this 
 depends on the bore of the gun. A large-bored 
 gun does not shoot fine shot so well as medium. 
 A small-bored gun throws fine shot with greater 
 force than a large-bored one. As a general thing, 
 a small-bored gun is not adapted to large shot, 
 as it does not chamber them well. The length 
 of gun also depends on the size of bore — 28 or 
 30 inches for a gun of from 10 to 14 gage ; 30 to 
 34, of guns from 8 to 10; 26 to 28, guns of 15 
 to 18 gage. 
 
 GUN, {Shot) Hozvto Clean. — First place your 
 hammers at half-cock, draw out the lamroa and 
 bolt; then lift the barrels from the stock and 
 you are ready to wash. Place the barrels in cold 
 water, being careful the water is clean and that 
 there is not any dirt or sand in the pail ; then 
 if you have the three-jointed washing rod with 
 the necessary implements that accompany it, first 
 use the brush until you have removed most of the 
 dirty powder; next take tow, and wash until 
 you have gotten it perfectly clean; then take 
 soft cotton rags, and dry it out thoroughly. 
 It is best to rub the barrels until they feel warm 
 to the hand, then you may know your gun is dry, 
 and in no danger of rusting. Hot or boiling 
 water should never be used in the cleaning of a 
 shot gun because it will, — can not help — injur- 
 ing the "temper" of it. 
 
 HA WK and Chvl Traps. — To catch hawks or 
 owls, take a pole 20 feet long, to be set a short 
 distance from the house or barn or on the poultry 
 house. Split the top so as to admit the base of 
 a common steel trap, w^hich should be made fast. 
 When both trap and pole are set you may be sure 
 of game of some kind. These birds naturally 
 light on high objects such as dead branches of 
 trees or tops of stacks, and one should use judg- 
 ment about the place where he puts the traps. 
 An open field, near the chicken yard, is probably 
 best. 
 
 HIDES, New Mode of taking off. — A new 
 machine for taking off hides is now in use in 
 South America. The operation is short, sharp, 
 and decisive, requiring only a minute for each 
 hide. Cold air is forced by a pump between the 
 flesh and the hide, and the thing is done. The 
 process ought to be an improvement on the old 
 hacking and scraping system. 
 
 HIDES, {Green) To Cure. — A great many 
 butchers do not use proper care in this branch, 
 and the consequence is that the hides will not 
 pass city inspection, owing entirely to the igno- 
 rance and carelessness of persons preparing them 
 for market. The proper way to salt hides is to 
 lay them flat, flesh side up, and form a nearly 
 square bed say 12 by 15 feet, folding in the edges 
 so as to make them as nearly solid as possible. 
 Split the ear in the cords that run up the ear in 
 each one, so as to make them lie out flat. Sprinkle 
 the hide with two or three shovelfuls of^coarse 
 salt, as the size may require — say for a sixty or 
 eighty pound hide, from ten to fifteen pounds of 
 salt. At any rate cover the hide well, as it need 
 not be wasted ; then let them lie in this from 12 
 to 20 days, after which take them up, shake the 
 salt out and use it again. 
 
 INSECTS, To Rresefve.— After killing the 
 insect with chloroform, paint it with a solution 01 
 carbolic acid in alcohol — 4 grains to the ounce — 
 and then dry in the sun. This will keep it fresh 
 and beautiful. 
 
 LAMBSKINS, To Prepare for Ladies Over- 
 coats. — Make a strong suds with hot water; let 
 them get cold, and wash the skins, squeezing 
 them carefully to get out all the dirt from the 
 wool ; wash the soap out with clean cold water, 
 and cover them with water for labours; then 
 hang them over a pole to drain ; when partially 
 dry, stretch them carefully on a board, and when 
 a little damp, sprinkle on them an ounce each 
 of pulverized saltpeter and alum; lay the flesh 
 sides together, and hang in the shade for two or 
 three days, turning them over every day to bring 
 
HUNTING, TRAPPING, AND TANNING. 
 
 187 
 
 the under skin upjiermost till they are perfectly 
 dry ; then scrape the flesh side till all scraps of 
 flesh are removed ; rub it with pumice or rotten 
 stone and with the liands ; then lay the cloak- 
 pattern down on the flesh side of the skin, trace 
 It round with a pencil, and cut it out with a 
 sharp knife ; overcast the edges together on the 
 wrong side, and line with quilted silk. No col- 
 lar, uir, or trimming is worn with an astrachan 
 or lambskin cloak. 
 
 LEATHER, To Gild or Silver.— Ym^y.^^w. 
 dered resin, and dust it over the surface of the 
 leather, then lay on the leaf, and apply (hot) the 
 letters or impression you wish to transfer ; lastly, 
 dust off" the loose metal with a cloth. The cloths 
 used for this purpose become, in time, very 
 valuable, and are often sold to tlie refixiers at a 
 high price. 
 
 LEA THER, Oiling. — Oils should not be ap- 
 plied to dry leather, as they will invariably injure 
 It. If you wish to oil a harness, wet it over 
 night, cover it with a blanket, and in the morn- 
 ing it will be dry and supple; then apply neat's- 
 foot oil in small quantities, and with so much 
 elbow grease as will insure its disseminating it- 
 self throughout the leather. A soft, pliant har- 
 ness is easy to handle, and lasts longer than a 
 neglected one. Never use vegetable oils on 
 leather and among animal oils neat's foot is the 
 best. 
 
 LEA THER, French Patent.— V^orV into the 
 skin with appropriate tools 3 or 4 successive 
 coatings of drying varnish, made by boiling lin- 
 seed-oil with white lead and litharge, in the pro- 
 portion of one pound of each of the latter to one 
 gallon of the former, and adding a portion of 
 chalk or ochre, each coating being thoroughly 
 dried before the application of the rest. Ivory 
 black is then substituted for the chalk or 'ochre, 
 the varnish thinned with spirits of turpentine, 
 and five additional applications made in the same 
 manner as before, except that it is put on thin 
 and not worked in. The leather is rubbed down 
 with pumice-stone, in powder, and then placed 
 in a room at 90 degrees, out of the way of dust. 
 The last varnish is prepared by boiling %Vo. of 
 asphaltum with 10 lbs. of the drying oil used in 
 the first stage of the process, and then stirring in 
 5 lbs. copal varnish and 10 lbs. of turpentine. It 
 must have i month's age before using it. 
 
 LEA THER, French Polish or Dressing for. 
 — Mix 2 pts. best vinegar with l pt. soft water ; 
 stir into it ^ ^- g^"^> broken up, ^ lb. log- 
 wood-chips, % oz. of finely powdered indigo, ^ 
 oz. of the best soft-soap, ^ oz. of isinglass : put 
 the mixture over the fire, and let it boil ten 
 minutes or more ; then strain, bottle, and cork. 
 When cold, it is fit for use. Apply with a sponge. 
 
 LEATHER, (^Enameled) To polish. — 2 pints 
 of the best cream ; I pint of linseed oil ; make 
 them each lukewarm, and then mix them well 
 together. Having previously cleaned the shoe 
 from dirt, rub it over with a sponge dipped in 
 the mixture ; then rub it with a soft dry cloth 
 until a brilliant color is produced. 
 
 LEA THER, To Taw.— Soak the hide eight 
 or nine days in water, then put it in lime ; take 
 it out, and remove the hair by rubbing it, and 
 soak it in clear water until the lime is entirely 
 out. Put one pound of alum to three of salt, dis- 
 solve in a vessel sufficiently large to hold the 
 hide; soak the hide in it three or four days, then 
 take it out, let it get half dry, and then beat or 
 
 rub it until it becomes pliable. Leather prepared 
 by this process will not do so well for shoes, but 
 answer well for ham strings, back bands, and 
 various other purposes on the farm. See "Tan- 
 ning" further on. 
 
 LEATHER SCRAPS, To Utilize.— Utxe is 
 a method lately proposed by a Danish inventor, 
 one Mr. Thamsen, of Copenhagen. He takes 
 leather waste, cuttings, shaving or other small 
 bits of leather, either new or old, and reduces it 
 to a kind of fibrous pulp by hand-labor or by a 
 machine or mill, (either by grinding, pounding, 
 cutting, rasping, carding, or grating); if old 
 waste is used, it should first be cleaned thorough- 
 ly. This matter or pulp is then kneaded with 
 India-rubber, which is rendered fluid or dis- 
 solved in oils or spirits, and treated with am- 
 monia. Then he dissolves the India-rubber in 
 oil of turpentine. To effect this, the India-rubber 
 is cut into pieces and mixed with turpentine, 
 after which he lets it remain quiet in a closed ves- 
 sel until it is dissolved. When the India-rubber 
 is dissolved, he adds ammonia of a strength of 
 30 per cent, in the proportion of about equal parts 
 by weight of ammonia to the India-rubber con- 
 tained in the solution ; when the mass has be- 
 come of a grayish-white color, it is ready to be 
 mixed with the pulp. 
 
 Another and better mode is as follows. The 
 scraps are first cleansed, then soaked in water 
 containing I per cent.of sulphuric acid until the 
 material becomes soft and plastic, and afterward 
 compressed into blocks ana dried by steam. In 
 order to soften the blocks one pound of glycerine 
 is added to 100 pounds of material ; they are 
 then passed through rollers, and brought to the 
 proper thickness to be used as inner soles of 
 boots and shoes. 
 
 MINK BREEDING, To Trap YoimgMink. 
 — Adult minks are almost untamable, but young 
 ones readily submit to handling, and are easily 
 domesticated. The time to secure young minks 
 is in May and June, when they begin to run 
 with their dams. The streams must be quietly 
 watched for mink trails, and these tracked to the 
 nest. When they leave the hole the old one may 
 be shot, and the young ones secured, or, they 
 may be dug out. Those who own a breeding 
 stock of minks ask high prices for them ; but 
 trappers represent to us that it is an easy matter, 
 with a little patience, to get the wild young ones. 
 Habits. — A successful breeder says that he does 
 not attempt to tame the wild mink, but only aims 
 to supply for it in a small space all the neces- 
 sities of its natural instincts. He says the mating 
 season commences about the first of March, and 
 lasts two weeks, never varying much from that 
 date. The female carries her young about six 
 weeks. In the minkery, where diet, water, tem- 
 perature, etc., are similar with each animal, there 
 IS so little difference in the time of mating and 
 time of bearing young in different animals, that 
 five out of six litters dropped last spring, were 
 born within twelve hours of each other. The 
 young are blind from four to five weeks, but are 
 very active, and playful as kittens. The mother 
 weans them at from eight to ten weeks old. At 
 four weeks the mother begins to feed them meat ; 
 this they learn to suck before they have teeth to 
 eat it. The nests in which the young are born 
 are lined by the mother with soft material, and 
 are made in the hollow of some old stump, or 
 between the projecting roots of some old tree. 
 
i88 
 
 DICTIONARY OF E VERY-DAY WANTS. 
 
 and always where it is perfectly dry. The nest 
 is located near pure running water, which the 
 mother visits twice every twenty-four hours. She 
 feeds her young on frogs, fish, birds, mice, crabs, 
 etc., etc. The mink is from birth a pattern of 
 neatness and cleanliness, and as soon as a nest 
 begins to get foul and offensive, she takes one of 
 the young in her mouth, and depositing it in a 
 clean, suitable place, builds a nest about it, and 
 then brings the balance of the litter. She feeds 
 and cares for them until they are three and a-half 
 or tour months old. When the young are weaned, 
 about the loth of July, she builds her nest near 
 the water, in which the young soon learn to play. 
 There are usually four in a litter, though the 
 number ranges from two to six. Towards fall 
 the mother separates them into pairs. One pair 
 — or if the number be odd, the odd one-^is left 
 in the nest; the other pair, or pairs, she places 
 often half a mile from each other, and then seeks 
 new quarters for herself. The young soon se- 
 parate, and each one catches his own frogs. 
 They do not pair, but the male is a sort of rover 
 and freelover. Minks, are unsociable, petulant, 
 vicious in play, savage in war. Late in the fall 
 they establish regular runways from one stream 
 to another, and usually under brush, fallen trees, 
 weeds, swale and under banks — anywhere, in 
 fact, where they can avoid the sunshine and 
 escape the chances of observation. The mink is 
 a sure prophet, and just before hard winter 
 begins, he lays by a store of food for the winter 
 in safe places, near his winter nests, of which he 
 has several. As the snows fall he burrows 
 under the snow, where he remains until about 
 February, when his supply of food is ex- 
 hausted and he is forced to search further for food. 
 Management of . — Mink being by nature solitary 
 wandering creatures, being seldom seen in com- 
 pany except during the breeding season, are 
 therefore impossible to be reared successfully, if 
 large numbers are kept constantly together there- 
 fore their inclosure should be a large one. — The 
 male and female should be permitted to be to- 
 gether frequently from the middle of February 
 until the middle of March. At all other times 
 keep them entirely separate. The young mink 
 make their appearance about the first of May. 
 When wild in the woods they will seldom vary 
 five days from this time; but when kept in con- 
 finement there is greater variation. About this 
 season they should have plenty of fine hay, 
 which they will carry into their boxes to make 
 nests. A box three or four feet long and i8 
 inches wide is the shape they prefer ; it should 
 be placed as far as possible from the water, to 
 prevent the mink from carrying water and mud 
 into it. The young mink when first born are 
 small and delicate, destitute of any kind of fur, 
 and much resembling young rats. If the old 
 mink is tame, the young ones may be taken out 
 of the nest and handled when they are three 
 weeks old. They will soon learn to drink milk, 
 and may be fed every day. At five weeks old 
 they may be taken from the mother and put into 
 a pen by themselves, when they will soon be- 
 come very playful and pretty, and make much 
 better mothers than they would if allowed to run 
 with the old ones. The shelter should be in the 
 shape of a long box, 5 or 6 feet wide, and 3 or 4 
 feet high, set upon legs, and with a good floor 
 and roof. Divide it into separate apartments, 
 6 feet long (or longer would be better), the front 
 
 of each apartment to be furnished with a swing- 
 ing-door of strong wire screen, with the hinges 
 at the top, and a button or some kind of fastener 
 at the bottom. A trough, 6 inches square, made 
 by nailing three boards together, should run the 
 whole length of the pen on the back side ; one 
 end of the trough should be made several inches 
 lower than the other, so that the water can be 
 drawn off. With this arrangement the water 
 can be turned in at one end of the trough, and 
 be drawn off and changed as often as desired. 
 The lower end of the trough should be a little 
 deeper than the other, to prevent the water from 
 running over. Each apartment is furnished 
 with a box 3 feet long and 18 inches wide. On 
 one side of the box and near one end is made a 
 round hole, 2^ inches in diameter, and provided 
 with a sliding cover, so that by means of a stick 
 it can be opened or closed from the outside. 
 This is so the mink can be shut up when the pen 
 is being cleaned out. On the top of the box and 
 at the other end should be a door large enough 
 to put in hay for the nest and take out the young. 
 It is necessary that they have abundance of pure, 
 soft water, fresh air, desirable shade and plenty 
 of exercises. These conditions secure to the 
 mink a good quality of dark fur, and good health. 
 Brush, weeds, etc., are allowed to grow in the 
 yard, but not near enough the wall to admit of 
 their climbing up and out. 
 
 MINIC BREEDING. In addition to the 
 above direction for breeding mink, we give the 
 following experience of a gentleman in Vermont: 
 "I purchased one female and her litter of five, 
 two males and four females in all, and constructed 
 a building of rough boards, 10 by 4 feet, for a 
 minkery. It had a floor tight enough to prevent 
 the escape of the animals ; was properly ventil- 
 ated, and divided into 6 apartments, one of which 
 is an ante-room into which to step from the out- 
 side and close the door. Water is supplied by a' 
 lead pipe running in at one side, through all the 
 rooms, and out at the other into a trough where 
 small fish are kept, and occasionally given to the 
 minks. They were kept together until December 
 the 1 8th, when the males were put in an apart- 
 ment by themselves. On the loth of March 
 each male was put in with a female, each pair 
 separate, and after a couple of days one of the 
 males was put in with another female, and finally 
 with the third. They were separated about the 
 1st of April, each female being kept alone and 
 supplied with a suitable box, with warm material 
 for a nest. When it was supposed they were 
 about to bring forth their young, they were 
 disturbed as little as possible ; anything to ex- 
 cite them at this time, should be avoided, for 
 when irritated, they will sometimes eat their 
 young. The first female put with the perfect 
 male brought forth seven, one of which disap- 
 peared after they began to crawl around out of 
 their nest. The other two females had each a 
 pair, all of which (but the one mentioned) are 
 now alive, fine, fat, sleek fellows, and fully grown. 
 They are very easily kept, being fed once a day 
 upon warm milk with wheat Ijread crumbs, a 
 quart sufficing now for the whole lot, and once 
 upon fresh meat, care being taken not to over- 
 feed. Any kind of meat and oflfal that is not 
 too fat will answer. They are very fond of beef 
 liver, chickens' heads and entrails, woodchucks, 
 (being careful not to give them the gall on the 
 liver, which is poisonous,) rats, mice, etc. They 
 
HUNTING TRAPPING AND TANNING. 
 
 iZg 
 
 are more easily cared for than one hog, and much 
 more cheaply kept. Nothing was paid out for 
 meat for them, until after 1st of July, when 
 a contract was made with a butcher to leave a 
 bullock's head once a week. I am confident 
 that the increase of the minkery would have 
 been fully one-third more if both the males had 
 been perfect. I intend to keep them in pairs 
 hereafter. They are not easily h.indled, but 
 struggle when caught against their will, and 
 exude the thick fetid substance from glands near 
 the vent. They will bite severely, but can be 
 handled safely with thick buckskin gloves. 
 
 MINK, To Trap. — For mink the trap should 
 be set near some stream. If their holes cannot 
 be found make one. Set the trap in the cavity, 
 three sides of which should be barricaded with 
 stones, bark or any equivalent substance. Place 
 the bait at the farther extremity of the cavity, 
 beyond the trap. Bait with any kind of fresh 
 meat ; muskrat meat is good, but fish, either fresh 
 or stale is better. Bait should be smoked in 
 cold weather, to give it a stronger smell. The 
 best scent for attracting mink is prepared from 
 the decomposition of minnows, eels or trout. 
 Cut the fish into small pieces ; put into a bottle, 
 cork loosely, and let it hang in the sunshine two 
 or three weeks in the summer. A few drops of 
 this on the bait, or on a stick near the trap, will 
 draw mink a long distance. 
 
 MOLES (^Ground), To Destroy. — There are 
 several mole traps in market that work well, pro- 
 vided the moles can be induced to go where they 
 will be caught. In addition to the traps, set men 
 to watching the moles during light showers in 
 summer, at which time they are more active, and 
 when one is found moving the soil he is to be 
 dug out and killed. More moles have been 
 caught in this way than with all the traps used. 
 Poisons of various kinds have been recommended, 
 but on trial they have proved worthless. 
 
 MUSKRAT, To 7>-a/.— Find a log with 
 some recent droppings of the muskrat on it, a 
 notch is cut in the log for the trap, an inch or 
 two uhder the water. The trap is fastened to a 
 tally-stick. These tally-sticks are green saplings 
 with a fork at the upper end, and a hook near the 
 bottom to hold it in the loose ground. The chain- 
 ring is slipped on to this tally-stick, and care is 
 taken to so place the tally-stick and trap that 
 when caught, the muskrat shall take to the water 
 and be drowned. If on the land, among weeds 
 and bushes, he will not unfrequently twist off his 
 leg and escape. The traps are also placed in the 
 runs, on bogs and old muskrat houses, and wher- 
 ever there are recent indications that the musk- 
 rats come to feed. Where the game is scarce, 
 the traps are sometimes baited, but otherwise 
 this is not necessary. Carrots, parsnips, apples, 
 potatoes, or a piece of the flesh of muskrat can 
 be used for bait. A stick is stuck in the ground, 
 slanting in such a manner that the end shall be 6 
 or 8 inches above the treddle of the trap. The 
 bait is stuck on the end of the stick, and in this 
 way, if there are any rats in the vicinity, you are 
 pretty sure to catch them. Sometimes the traps 
 are covered with an inch or two of weed; and 
 some trappers put a drop or two of the oil, found 
 in the glands of the muskrat, on or near the traps. 
 The next morning the hunter takes his boat and 
 visits his traps. 
 
 MUSKRATS, Home-made Trap for. — A trap 
 e<iual if not better than a steel trap is an old bar- 
 
 rel. Sink it near the bank of the ditch, where 
 there are evidences ot the presence of the ani- 
 mals, to the level of the ground, and half fill it 
 with water. Put in a couple of shingles, or light 
 strips of board, to float on the water. Place sweet 
 apples or carrots cut in small bits in the runs of 
 the muskrats, and toll them to the barrel. Put 
 several pieces upon the floats, inside. The rats 
 will jump in after their food, and will not be able 
 to get out. Where they are plenty, several musk- 
 rats may be taken in a night by this simple trap, 
 it costs nothing but labor, can be visited at one's 
 convenience, and there is plenty of room in it for 
 a dozen or more at once. 
 
 MUSKRATS, To catch without Traps.— 
 It is a mystery to many how muskrats, beavers, 
 and other animals, are able to stay so long under 
 water, apparently without breathing, especially 
 in winter. The way they manage is, they take 
 in a good breath at starting, and then remain un- 
 der water as long as possible. Then they rise 
 up to the ice and breathe out the air in their 
 lungs, which remains in a bubble against the 
 lower part of the ice. The water near the ice is 
 highly charged with oxygen, which it readily im- 
 parts to the air breathed out. After a time, this 
 air is taken back in the lungs, and the animal 
 again goes under the water, repeating this pro- 
 cess from time to time. In this way, they can 
 travel almost any distance, and live almost any 
 length of time under the ice. The hunter takes 
 advantage of this habit of the muskrat in the fol- 
 lowing manner. When the marshes and ponds 
 where the muskrat abounds are first frozen over, 
 and the ice is thin and clear, on striking into their 
 houses with his hatchet, for the purpose of sett- 
 ing his trap, he freqently sees a whole family 
 plunge into the water and swim away under the 
 ice. Following one for some distance, he sees 
 him come up to recover his breath, in the manner 
 above described. After the animal has breathed 
 against the ice, and before he has time to take his 
 bubble in again, the hunter strikes with his hat- 
 chet directly over him, and drives him away from 
 his breath. In this case he drowns in swimming 
 a few rods, and the hunter, cutting a hole in the 
 ice, takes him out. 
 
 MUSKRATS, To Skin.—T^z muskrat is 
 usually skinned by beginning at the head, ripp- 
 ing from the chin to between the fore legs, and 
 then stripping the skin off over the body. When 
 taken off in this manner the skin is stretched on 
 a bent rod of tough, pliable wood. When skin- 
 ned from the tail it is stretched on a board. 
 
 MUSKRAT SKINS, To Tan with the Fur 
 07t. — First, for soaking, to lo gallons of cold soft 
 water add 8 parts of wheat bran, ^ pint of old 
 soap, I ounce of borax ; by adding 2 ounces sul- 
 phuric acid the soaking may be done in one-half 
 the time. If the hides have not been salted, add 
 a pint of salt. Green hides should not be soaked 
 more than 8 or lo hours. Dry ones should soak 
 till very soft. 
 
 For tan liquor, to 10 gallons warm soft water 
 add yi bushel bran ; stir well and let stand in a 
 warm room till it ferments. Then add slowly 
 2^ pounds sulphuric acid ; stir all the while. 
 Muskrat hides should remain in about 4 hours ; 
 then take out and rub with a fleshing knife — an 
 old chopping knife with the edge taken off will 
 do. Then work it over a beam until entirely dry. 
 
 OTTER, To TVrt'/.— Of all animals, the otter 
 is the most cunning; its sense of smell is re- 
 
190 
 
 DICTION A R YOFE VER Y-DA Y WANTS. 
 
 markably good. If a person visits an otter slide, 
 they will leave it immediately, and perhaps not 
 return for two or three weeks. They appear to 
 have a natural dread of man, and in their travels, 
 will scarcely ever follow the creek or river close 
 by a house. They land some distance above or 
 below the dwelling of their dreaded enemy, and 
 transport their precious coats over land, through 
 the fields, to the water again. To trap the otter 
 is almost out of the question. You must take a 
 large sized steel trap, set it, hang it over a fire 
 and smoke it for two or three hours ; then take a 
 stick or board, and get into your canoe, (if you 
 have one,) go to the place most frequented by 
 them, and place the trap about 3 inches under 
 water and carefully cover it with leaves, light 
 trash or grass, which you can fish up from the 
 bottom of the stream. Be very careful not to 
 touch the bank above water, if you do, it is all 
 over with you. He can read in the print of boot 
 heels his death warrant, and he bids adieu to his 
 haunts, and seeks a peaceful home many miles 
 distant. In going to your trap, never go nearer 
 than the opposite side of the stream. If Mr. Otter 
 should accidentally put on a wristlet, he will make 
 directly for his den. If the trap is not heavy 
 enough to drown him, a weight can be attached 
 to the chain. 
 
 OTTER, To skin. —This is done by rip- 
 ping down the back of each hind leg until the 
 slits meet in the crotch; skin the body whole; 
 don't rip up the belly; put a split stick over the 
 bone of the tail between the hide and body and 
 skin in this way, when skinned draw the head 
 over a stretcher and let it remain until dry. 
 
 OWL {The) To Catch. — Owls are very de- 
 structive to poultry, especially in the breeding 
 season, and are much more dangerous than 
 hawks, in as much as they pay their visits to the 
 roosts in the night. There is no effectual safe- 
 guard against their visits unless you have the 
 hennery made owl-proof. Most farmers make 
 their roosts under an open shed, or upon the 
 trees, which are as free to birds of prey as to the 
 hens. Chickens are very delicate food for young 
 owls, and sometimes a dozen will be missing 
 from the perch in a night, and their feathers and 
 claws be found the next day in a neighboring 
 owl's nest. Old hens will be taken and their 
 heads be eaten off and the carcass be dropped 
 under the tree, quite too heavy for the owl to 
 carry off. Not a moment should be lost when 
 these depredations occur. Tie the dead fowl 
 upon the limb or the perch whpre it was accus- 
 tomed to roost, and shut up the other fowls. The 
 dead fowl should be tied in a roosting position, 
 so as to seem alive to the owl. Place a small 
 steel-trap on the back of the hen and fasten it to 
 a neighboring limb. The owl will generally make 
 his appearance the following night, and in 
 swooping down upon the back of the hen will 
 find his claws securely fastened in the trap. A 
 small rat-trap without teeth is the best. The 
 teeth would be apt to cut off the legs or claws 
 and release the owl. The trap will often save 
 many days of hunting a mean, skulking enemy, 
 who only plunders in the night. 
 
 PARCHMENT, How to wff>(v.— This article 
 is manufactured from sheep skins, cleared from 
 lime. The skin is stretched on a frame where 
 the flesh is pared off with an iron circular knife; 
 it is then moistened with a rag, and whiting 
 spr«ad over it j the workman then, with a large 
 
 pumice-stone, flat at the bottom, rubs over the 
 skin, and scours off the flesh. He next goes over 
 it with the iron instrument as before, and rubs it 
 carefully with the pumice-stone without chalk ; 
 this serves to smooth the flesh side. He drains 
 it again by passing over it the iron instrument as 
 before; he passes it over the wool side, then 
 stretches it tight on a frame. He now throws 
 more whiting and sweeps it over with a piece of 
 wooly lambskin. It is now dried, and taken off 
 the frame by cutting it all round. Thus prepared 
 it is taken out of the skinner's hands by the 
 parchment maker, who, while it is dry, pares it 
 on a summer (which is a calf-skin stretched on a 
 frame), with a sharper instrument than that used 
 by the skinner, who, working it with the arm 
 from the top to the bottom of the skin, takes 
 a way about half its substance, which leaves the 
 parchment finished. 
 
 PRESER VI NG ANIMALS.— k mixture of 
 equal parts of good commercial glycerine and 
 water, to every gallon of which is added one 
 ounce of the crystals of carbolic acid, constitutes 
 a good preserving liquid for all animal substan- 
 ces. The use of pure glycerine, with about one- 
 half pint of alcohol, and half a ounce of carbolic 
 acid added to each gallon, makes an excellent 
 mixture for preserving the tissues of soft animals, 
 where it is important to preserve the color as 
 well as the tissues. 
 
 RABBITS, To Trap.— To trap rabbits, take 
 brass wire, make a noose, large enough for them 
 to put their head through ; then trim a small 
 tree near their road, fasten the wire to the top,, 
 bend over p.nd fasten by a notch to a peg drivt^n 
 in the ground; then make a fence of fine brush 
 a little across their road, leaving a hole to hang 
 the wire in. — Some use box traps, baited with 
 sweet apple ; also steel traps laid in their roads 
 and fastened. 
 
 RACCOON, To Catch.— The surest way to 
 catch them is with a good cur dog. One that 
 will not give tongue on track but will bark at the 
 tree. But if you wish to trap them with steel 
 traps, go to the woods, near a swamp, find a big 
 log lying in or near the swamp, set your trap on 
 the log and then get two old limbs, set one on 
 each side of the log over the trap, crossing at 
 the top, forming an x, so that the coon will have 
 to go under them and over the trap. Bait if you 
 choose with frogs or chicken. But whether you 
 bait -or not the coon will run the old log if he 
 comes in the neighborhood. Or on the same 
 plan you can set a dead-fall. 
 
 RACCOON SKINS, To Prepare— Tht skin 
 of the raccoon should be nailed to boards to dry, 
 then treated to a paste of I oz. alum ; I oz. salt ; 
 about ^ drachm sulphuric add ; 2 gills water 
 and a little wheat bran. It should when dry be 
 scraped off with a spoon or other thing as in 
 case of mink skins. To work the skin soft, in- 
 stead of nailing it on boards, roll it up and work 
 it soft, 
 
 SALMON, Propagation of. — Tliis salmon, 
 like several other species of fish, possess the 
 home sentiment in a marked degree. No matter 
 how much it may wander, it will return to the 
 same river, to its old spawning ground, in the 
 season of procreation. It will go out of its river, 
 and swim perhaps all over the ocean, and after- 
 ward return to tne same river. It does not mat- 
 ter how much storm or turbid water it may be 
 obliged to pass through when on the return 
 
HUNTING, TRAPPING AND TANNING. 
 
 191 
 
 voyage, though he may not be able to see clearly 
 a foot in front of him, he steers surely for his 
 old home. The bottom of all rivers and creeks 
 that have water adapted to salmon is dotted with 
 springs ; and these fish spawn and hatch wher- 
 ever they find springy bottom, particularly at the 
 heads of streams. The impression is prevalent 
 that salmon spawn and hatch anywhere, for the 
 reason that they are seen during the breeding 
 season in many different parts of the river; but 
 the fact is, they do not spawn in any place unless 
 there is a spring close by or immediately beneath. 
 I think the reason that salmon spawn near a 
 spring consists in the fact, that if the eggs were 
 deposited in a part of the stream which was free 
 from springy bottom, many of them would be- 
 come buried in sediment and not hatch out ; but 
 being deposited in the vicinity of or over springy 
 bottom, they are kept clear from sediment by the 
 upward burst of the water. In the great lakes 
 the salmon appears to be strictly a shore fish, 
 and has never been caught more than sixty rods 
 from the shore, except in very rare instances. 
 By the application of the improved methods of 
 fish culture our waters can be restocked with 
 salmon, and so the good old times of good fish, 
 plenty and cheap, may be recovered. In the 
 matter of artificial production, it may be unneces- 
 sary to say more than this, th^t salmon are bred 
 artificially, and taken care of in precisely the 
 same way as brook-trout. 
 
 SHEEP-SKINS, To prepare for Mats.-^ 
 Make a strong lather with hot water, and let it 
 stand till cold ; wash the fresh skin in it, care- 
 fully squeezing out all the dirt from the wool ; 
 wash it in cold water till all the soap is taken 
 out. Dissolve a pound each of salt and alum in 
 two gallons of hot water, and put the skin into 
 a tub sufficient to cover it ; let it soak for twelve 
 hours, and hang it over a pole to drain. When 
 well drained, stretch it carefully on a board to 
 dry, and stretch several times while drying. 
 Before it is quite dry, sprinkle on the flesh side 
 one ounce each of finely pulverized alum and 
 salpetre, rubbing it in well. Try if the wool be 
 firm on the skin; if not, let it remain a day or 
 two, thqn rub again with alum ; fold the flesh 
 sides together and hang in the shade for two or 
 three days, turning them over each day till quite 
 dry. Scrape the flesh side with a blunt knife, 
 and rub it with pumice or rotten stone. 
 
 SHEEP-SKINS, To 7a«.— Sheep-skins, 
 which are used for a variety of purposes, such 
 as gloves, book-covers, etc., and which, when 
 dyed, are converted into mock Morocco leather, 
 are dressed as follows: They are first to be 
 soaked in water and handled, to separate all im- 
 purities, which may be scraped off by a blunt 
 knife on a beam. They are then to be hung up 
 in a close warm room to putrefy. This putre- 
 faction loosens the wool, and causes the exudation 
 of an oily and slimy matter, all which are to be 
 removed by the knife. The skins are now to be 
 steeped in milk of lime, to harden and thicken ; 
 here they remain for i month or 6 weeks, accord- 
 ing to circumstances, and when taken out, they 
 are to be smoothed on the fleshy side with a 
 sharp knife. They are now to be steeped in a 
 bath of bran and water, where they undergo a 
 partial fermentation, and become thinner in 
 their substance. 
 
 The skins, which are now called pelts, are to 
 be immersed in a solution of alum and common 
 
 salt in water; in the proportion of 120 skins to 
 3 lbs. of alum and 5 lbs. of salt. They are fo 
 be much agitated in this compound saline bath, 
 in order to become firm and tough. From this 
 bath they are to be removed to another, com- 
 posed of bran and water, where they remain 
 until quite pliant by a slight fermentation. To 
 give their upper surfaces a gloss, they are to be 
 trodden in a wooden tub, with a solution of yolks 
 of eggs in water, previously well beaten up. 
 When this solution has become transparent, it is 
 a proof that the skins have absorbed the glazing 
 matter. The pelt may now be said to be con- ^ 
 verted into leather, which is to be drained from 
 moisture, hung upon hooks in a warm apartment 
 to dry, and smoothed over with warm hand- 
 irons. 
 
 SKELETONS, Preparation <?/:— Skulls of 
 animals may he rapidly prepared by boiling in 
 water for a few hours. A little potash or lye 
 added will facilitate the removal of the flesh. 
 
 Skeletons may be roughly prepared in the field 
 by skinning the animal and removing all the vis- 
 cera, together with as much of the flesh as pos- 
 sible. Whenever practicable, they should be 
 allowed to soak a few hours in water to extract 
 the blood. The bones should then be exposed 
 to the sun or air until completely dried. Pre- 
 viously, however, the brain of large animals 
 should be removed by separating the skull from 
 the spine, and extracting the brain through the 
 large hole in the back of the head. The head 
 may be cleaned by boiling. In case it becomes 
 necessary to disjoint a skeleton, care should be 
 taken to attach a common mark to all the pieces, 
 especially when more than one individual is 
 packed in the same box. 
 
 Skulls and skeletons may frequently be picked 
 up, already cleaned by other animals or exposure 
 to weather. By placing small animals near an 
 ant's nest, or in water occupied by tadpoles or 
 small Crustacea, very beautiful skeletons may 
 often be obtained. The sea-beach sometimes 
 affords rich treasures in the remains of porpoises, 
 whales, large fishes, as sharks, and other aquatic 
 species. 
 
 Although, to save time and opportunities in 
 the field, it is usually necessary to prepare skulls 
 by boiling in water, as just explained, the process 
 is sometimes apt to leave the bones colored, or 
 even somewhat greasy. The best method of 
 preparing skulls and skeletons for a museum is 
 undoubtedly, after cutting away the greater mass 
 of flesh, that of macerating, or allowing them to 
 remain in cold water until the decaying flesh 
 separates from the bones. At first, the water, 
 as it becomes charged with blood, is poured off 
 and replaced by fresh ; after this is repeated for 
 a time, the flesh becomes bleached, and the bones 
 may then be suffered to remain as long as neces- 
 sary (sometimes for weeks), removing the speci- 
 men from time to time and scraping off the soften- 
 ing flesh. After this has been all removed and 
 the bones well scrubbed under water with a stiff 
 brush, they should be soaked a little longer to 
 remove any remnant of infiltrated blood. Dur- 
 ing these operations, care must be taken not to 
 injure or separate any of the ligaments. Shreds 
 of tendon may be cut off with a sharp knife or 
 pair of scissors. The ligaments may then, ac- 
 cording to Eyton, be converted into a tough, 
 leathery substance by immersion in a liquid pre- 
 pared by making a saturated solution of common 
 
igs 
 
 DICTIONARY OF E VERY-DA Y WANTS. 
 
 alum and, when cold, diluting it with an equal 
 quantity of water, and adding half an ounce of 
 common salt for every half pound of alum. If 
 the bones are free from blood, twenty-four hours' 
 immersion will be sufficient ; large birds or other 
 animals may require nearly a week. When 
 removed from the solution, the bones must be 
 washed under a current of water, or in a basin, 
 and then allowed to dry in any desirable position. 
 
 It is important, in preparing skeletons, not to 
 allow the flesh to dry too soon on the bones, or, 
 at least, to allow them to soak in water for a time 
 before drying, as the subsequent operations will 
 be rendered much easier. 
 
 Greasy skulls or bones can be readily cleansed 
 by immersion in ether for a length of time. The 
 ether should be kept in a tight jar, and every 
 
 })recaution taken to prevent undue proximity to a 
 ight or the fire, the vapor being exceedingly ex- 
 plosive. A simpler method consists in boiling 
 them in a large quantity of water, having a little 
 potash added. 
 
 SKINS OF ANIMALS, Composition of.— 
 When fresh, from two-thirds to three-fourths of 
 the weight of the skin consists of water ; and if 
 dried at 220°, it gradually absorbs water ; but 
 dried at the ordinary temperature, the moisture 
 in it varies with the amount in the atmosphere. 
 An analysis of a perfectly dried skin gave about 
 95 per cent, of gelatine tissue ; 3 per cent, of 
 cellular tissue not soluble in water; i per cent, 
 of fat; and half of I per cent, of mineral 
 material. 
 
 SKINS AND FURS, Coloring and Dyeing. 
 — Furs are dyed by dealers to suit some fashion, 
 to conceal defects, or to pass off inferior furs for 
 better ones. The best way is to brush the dye 
 over the fur with a good sponge, brushing with 
 -the hair. As a matter of course, you can only 
 ^ dye them of a darker color than they are, and 
 retain the handsome lustrous look peculiar to fur. 
 They may be bleached, but the process leaves 
 the fur looking like coarse flax or even hemp. 
 {Blue. ) Sulphate of indigo (soluble indigo, sold 
 by all druggists), is the readiest and best to get 
 ,a blue with. Furs are never dyed blue for sale, 
 for that would be spoiling a white fur, but sheep- 
 skins are. The skin should be dipped several 
 times in a bath of hot alum water ; allowed to 
 drain, and then dipped into a solution of sulphate 
 of indigo and water, witji a few drops of sulphuric 
 acid added ; this gives a pale blue. Aniline blue 
 is very fine, and dyeing with it is very simple. 
 A solution of the color in water is made, a hot 
 solution, and the skin put in all at once, (if a 
 part of the skin is put in first that part will be 
 darkest, so quick is the absorption of these 
 colors.) Fancy sheep-skin mats, are colored 
 blue, red, green, and yellow, and have a ready 
 sale when they are new. — {Black). The best 
 black is obtained by first dyeing the skin a blue. 
 Then boil one ^ pound gall nuts, powdered, 
 and ^ ounce of logwood, in 3 gallons of water. 
 If the flesh side is wanted blue, while the fur or 
 wool is another, this decoction must be sponged 
 on. Get the wool or hair, thoroughly im- 
 pregnated with this end then add a ^ pound 
 ' copperas, to the dye, and go over the fur 
 or wool many times with the sponge. The pro- 
 cess above given will answer without previous 
 blueing, but the black is not so brilliant. An- 
 other "home made" dye, which will answer for 
 djeing clothes a black, as well as sheep-skins, is 
 
 this, just make a bath of 8 ounces of bi-chromate 
 of potash, 6 ounces alum, 4 ounces fustic; boil in 
 water enough to cover 5 pounds of yarn, cloth or 
 a single sheep skin. Make another bath of 4 
 pounds of logwood, 4 ounces each bar wood and 
 fustic, or Bounces fustic, same amount of boiling 
 water, as last ; stir the goods well around in the 
 first bath, keeping the water hot for an hour, then 
 work it in the second bath the same length of 
 time. Take them and wring them ; then adding 
 j^ pound of copperas, to the last bath, put the 
 goods in again, and give them a good stirring. 
 This is a good black dye for wool goods (or fur), 
 but not for silks or cotton. — {Red.) — Furs of 
 course are never dyed red, at least in this country. 
 Sheep skins might . be dyed with madder or 
 cochineal, but in the former case, the skin would 
 of necessity be boiled with the dye, as that is ne- 
 cessary in using madder. Cochineal would be 
 expensive and require much working, while as 
 brilliant reds and purples may be got from the 
 aniline colors, dissolved in moderately warm 
 water, the scum taken off, and skin dipped. 
 These colors are the cheapest too, as they go 
 very far. But always have the wool as free from 
 grease as possible by working in weak hot lye or 
 hot soapsuds. — ( Yellow. ) — Can be got on sheep 
 skins with black oak bark, (quercitron bark) old 
 fustic, annotto, and Persian (also called French) 
 berries. The skin should be previously dipped 
 into a hot bath of alum, cream of tartar or spirit 
 of tin, about 2 ounces to the gallon. About ^ 
 pound of annotto, or I pound of the other articles, 
 are enough for a single skin. If you wish to use 
 fustic, be particular to ask for old fustic, as what 
 is known in the trade as young fustic, is a dif- 
 ferent article and gives a different color. There 
 is also now an aniline yellow which works like 
 the other colors. — {Green.) Dye first blue as 
 explained above, then pass through a yellow dye, 
 until you get the shade required. An alum bath, 
 cream of tartar, or spirits of tin, as above, must 
 be used before the blue is given. 
 
 SKINS AND FURS, Dressing and Tanning. 
 — The cheapest and readiest as well as the best 
 method of dressing skins for use with the hair 
 or wool on, is to first scrape off all the fat with a 
 knife rather blunt on the edge, as not to cut holes 
 into the hide, upon a round smooth log. The 
 log for convenience sake should have a couple of 
 legs in one end, like a trestle ; the other end 
 should rest upon the ground. After the fat is 
 well cleaned off, take the brains of the animal, 
 or the brains of any other recently killed, and 
 work them thoroughly into the hide. This rend- 
 ers the hide pliable. Then to preserve from the 
 ravages of insects scatter on it some powdered 
 alum and a little saltpeter. If the hair side has 
 become greasy, a little weak lye will take it out. 
 Sheepskins may be dressed in the same way, 
 though the wool should be cleaned with soap- 
 suds before using the brains. Another way but 
 more expensive, is to use a paste made of the 
 yelk of eggs and whiting instead of brains, work- 
 ing it in the same way, letting it dry and brushing 
 off the whiting. Then add the powdered alum 
 as before. Deerskins and even small calf skins 
 are often tanned as the process is called with the 
 hair on for garments. If it is desired to give 
 the deerskin a yellow color, yellow ocher or 
 chrome yellow may be used in combination with 
 the brains or yelks of eggs, and afterward brushed 
 
HUNTING, TRAPPING AND TANNING. 
 
 J93 
 
 If it is simply desired to preserve skins until 
 they are sold, it is only necessary to dry tliem 
 thoroughly. If the weather should be damp and 
 warm, salt the flesh side slightly with fine salt. 
 
 SKINS, Preservatives for. — The best material 
 for the preservation of skins of animals consists 
 of powdered arsenious acid, or the common ar- 
 senic of the shops. This may be used in two 
 ways ; either applied in dry powder on the moist 
 skin, or, still better, mixed with alcohol or water 
 to the consistency of molasses, and put on with 
 a brush. Some camphor may be added to the 
 alcoholic solution, and a little strychine will un- 
 doubtedly increase its efficacy. There are no 
 satisfactory substitutes for arsenic; but, in its 
 entire absence, corrosive sublimate, camphor, 
 alum, etc., may be employed. Many persons 
 prefer the arsenical soap to the pure arsenic. 
 This is composed of the following ingredients : 
 arsenic, i ounce; white soap, i ounce; carbonate 
 of potash, I dram ; water, 6 drams ; camphor, 2 
 drams. Cut the soap into thin slices, and melt 
 over a slow fire with the water, stirring it con- 
 tinually ; when dissolved, remove from the fire, 
 and add the potash and arsenic by degrees ; dis- 
 solve the camphor in a little, alcohol, and when 
 the mixture is nearly cold, stir it in. 
 
 The proper materials for stuffing out skins will 
 depend much upon the size of the animal. For 
 small birds and quadrupeds, cotton will be found 
 most convenient ; for the larger, tow ; for those 
 still larger, dry grass, straw, sawdust, bran, or 
 other vegetable substances, may be used. What- 
 ever substance be used, care must be taken to 
 have it perfectly dry. Under no circumstances 
 should animal matter, as hair, wool, or feathers, 
 be employed. 
 
 The bills and loral region, as well as the legs 
 and feet of birds, and the ears, lips, and toes of 
 mammals, may, as most exposed to the ravages 
 of insects, be washed with an alcoholic solution 
 of strychnine applied with a brush to the dried 
 skin ; this will be an almost certain safeguard 
 against injury. 
 
 SKINS {SfftalP), Stretching and Curing. — 
 The market value of a skin is greatly affected 
 by the care taken in removing it from the animal, 
 and in drying it. The common way is to tack 
 the skin to the barn-door and let it remain 
 stretched until quite dry. The trapper in the 
 woods, having no such convenience as the barn- 
 door at hand, is obliged to resort to other me- 
 thods. One plan is to dry the skin on a hoop. 
 A skin to be dried in this manner must not be 
 ripped down the belly, but it is cut from the 
 lower jaw of the animal to just below its fore- 
 legs ; the lips, eyes, and ears being cut around, 
 the skin is stripped off", leaving the fur side in- 
 ward. The hoop consists of a branch of hickory 
 or other elastic wood, an inch through at the butt. 
 This is bent and pushed into the skin, which is 
 drawn tight, and fastened in place by notches in 
 the bow, drawing the skin of the lip, into these 
 notches. A much neater way, and one generally 
 preferred, is to use stretchers of thin wood. As 
 these have to be carried by the trapper, they are 
 made of light wood and very thin. They are 
 three-sixteenth of one inch thick, 20 inches long, 
 6 inches wide at the larger end, and slightly 
 tapering. They are rounded to a blunt point at 
 the lower end, and the edges chamfered. The 
 skin is drawn over the board, and secured with 
 tacks. Skins stretched by either of these me- 
 
 «3 
 
 thods should not be dried in the sun nor by a 
 fire, but in a cool place where they will be shel- 
 tered from the rain. No salt or other preserva- 
 tive is used upon skins intended for the market. 
 SKUNKS, To Trap. — Take an old barrel, and 
 place it on its side on a triangular stick of wood 
 about 7 inches high fastening the bait on the 
 bottom of the barrel. When the skunk goes for 
 this bait as soon as he passes the centre the barrel 
 turns up with the skunk, without making any 
 scent. Then take it by the tail and do with it as 
 desired. Care must be taken not to place the 
 barrel too high, as it might throw over and not 
 remain upright. The more skunks you catch in 
 the same barrel, the better the trap. 
 
 SKUNK SKINS, To Deodorise.— 'Yq deodo- 
 rise skunk skins or articles for clothing scented, 
 hold them over a fire of red cedar boughs, and 
 sprinkle with chloride of lime ; or wrap them in 
 green hemlock boughs, when they are to be had, 
 and in 24 hours they will be cleaned. 
 
 SNARES. — Snares are not very certain, but 
 they are little trouble to make. They must be 
 set in the paths or runs of the birds it is intended 
 to take. They are of horse hair or thin copper 
 wire tied in a running knot. The tendency of 
 every bird when it finds itself touched about the 
 head is to push forward. This draws the knot 
 tighter, until the bird kills itself. 
 
 SNIPES,How to Shoot successful.— To thebe- 
 ginner no bird is more puzzling, and, therefore, 
 more difficult to shoot. Its flight is most un- 
 certain, most variable, and most irregular — rising 
 at one time as evenly as a lark, and flying close 
 to the ground with scarcely the slightest deviation 
 from a straight line ; at another, springing from 
 the ground as if fired from a gun, and then flying 
 in a zigzag course to the right or left, and, in- 
 deed, in every direction ; and sometimes, again, 
 rising to a great hight, and then going straight 
 away with the rapidity of lightning. And yet, 
 with all these apparent difficulties, when the 
 knack is once acquired, it becomes comparatively 
 easy — indeed, is reduced almost to a certainty : 
 the great art in this kind of shooting is coolness 
 and to avoid too much hurry. And, in this, as 
 in every other kind of shooting, the first sight is 
 the best: the moment you are "well on" your 
 bird, the trigger should be pulled. In cross- 
 shots, fire well before your bird. Contrary to 
 the usual practice, you should always walk down 
 wind ; the reason for this is that snipe always 
 rise against it. Sometimes snipe are very wild, 
 and at others will lie until they are almost trod- 
 den upon. If there be much wind, your best 
 chance is to "down with them" as soon as they 
 rise from the ground, or you have little hope of 
 getting a bag. 
 
 SOAP, Arsenical. — This soap, used for pre- 
 paring the skins of birds and other small animals, 
 is made by taking of carbonate of potassa 12 oz., 
 white arsenic 4 oz., white soap 4 oz., lime 
 (slacked in the air) 4 oz., camphor (powdered) ^'^ 
 oz., water sufficient to make the whole into a paste. 
 
 SQUIRRELS, To Trap.— In trapping squir- 
 rels, set a steel trap on the upper rail of a fence 
 near where they frequent ; set a pole with an ear 
 of corn, or some other squirrel food fastened to 
 the end of it, up against the side of the fence, 
 leaning in such a position as to spring the bait 
 over the trap at a hight of six or nine inches ; 
 when the squirrel reaches to get the bait he will 
 get into the trap. 
 
194 
 
 DICTION A R YOF E VER Y-DA V WANTS. 
 
 SQUIRREL SKIN, To 7d«.— Place them in 
 a vessel with strong wood ashes. Wet the ashes 
 till they will make a mortar. Leave them in 
 about nine days, or until the hair can be pulled 
 off; take them out and remove the hair. Then 
 place them in strong, soft soap six days ; then 
 remove and wash them in cold water till all the 
 soap is out of them. When nearly dry, rub them 
 with the hands till dry. ( Wiih the hair on. ) 
 Place the hide on a smooth, round sided slab, 
 made for the purpose, with two legs in one end, 
 and let the other end rest on the ground ; drive 
 a nail in the upper end to hold the skin from 
 slipping while fleshing. Scrape off all the flesh 
 with a blunt knife, being careful not to tear the 
 hide. Then take the brains of the squirrel and 
 work them thoroughly into the skin ; this ren- 
 ders the skin pliable. Then scatter on some 
 powdered alum and a little saltpeter. Let dry ; 
 then stretch and work it until as pliable as may 
 be desired. 
 
 TANNING, Chemistry of.— The skins of 
 animals are constituted mainly of glue or gluten. 
 This is soluble, and the principle derived from 
 the bark, tannin, or tannic acid, is also to a con- 
 siderable extent soluble. W^hen the latter is 
 allowed to act upon the former, chemical com- 
 bination takes place, and leather is produced 
 which is wholly insoluble. 
 
 TAN BARIC.-:— The tannin properties of bark 
 mainly consist of the inner lining of the same ; 
 a great saving in transportation would be made 
 by separating the inner from the outer coating 
 before sending to market. It is also recommend- 
 ed that this liber be ground to a very fine powder, 
 in order that its virtues may be the better extract- 
 ed, and that it be transported in barrels, to pro- 
 tect it from moisture, and the better to prevent 
 the oxygen of the air from acting on the tannin, 
 and thus converting it into gallic acid. 
 
 TANNING, Operation of.— The. first opera- 
 tion is to soak the hide, as no hide can be pro- 
 perly tanned unless it has been soaked and broken 
 on a fleshing beam. If the hide has not been 
 salted add a little salt and soak it in soft water. 
 In order to be thoroughly soaked green hides 
 should remain in this liquor from 9 to 12 days, 
 of course the time varies with the thickness of 
 the hide. The following liquors is used to re- 
 move hair or wool, viz : 10 gallons cold water 
 (soft), 8 quarts slacked lime, and same quantity 
 of wood ashes. Soak until the hair or wool will 
 pull off easily. 
 
 As it frequently happens it is desirable to cure 
 the hide and keep the hair clean, the following 
 paste should be made, viz : Equal parts of lime 
 and hard wood ashes (lime should be slacked,) 
 and made into a paste with soft water. This 
 should be spread on the flesh side of the hide 
 and the skin rolled up flesh side in and placed in 
 a tub just covering it with water. It should re- 
 main 10 days or until the hair will pull out easily, 
 then scrape off with a knife. 
 
 TANNING, without the Wool or Hair.— The 
 skins are first soaked in warm water, scraped on 
 the flesh side to get off fat, and hung in a warm 
 room until they begin to give a slight smell of 
 hartshorn. The wo )1 or fur then comes off read- 
 ily. The hair sidj should now be thoroughly 
 scraped against the hair. The skin is next soaked 
 two or three weeks in weak lime water, changing 
 the water two or three times. Then they are 
 brought out again, scraped smooth and trimmed. 
 
 Then rinsed in clean water, then soaked in wheat 
 bran and water for two or three weeks. After 
 this they are well stirred around in a pickle of 
 alum, salt and water. Then they are thrown 
 again into the bran and water for two or three 
 days. Then stretched and dried somewhat in a 
 warm room. After this they are soaked in warm 
 water and then worked or trodden on in a trough 
 or pail filled with yelk of eggs, salt, alum, flour 
 and water, beaten to a froth. They are finally 
 stretched and dried in an airy room, and last of 
 all smoothed with a warm smoothing iron. This ' 
 makes the beautiful leather we see in gloves, 
 military trimmings, etc. The proportions for the 
 egg paste are as follows: 3/^ pounds salt, 8 
 pounds alum, 21 pounds wheat flour and yelks 
 of nine dozen eggs. Make a paste with water, 
 dissolving first the alum and salt. A little of 
 this paste is used as wanted with a great deal of 
 water. 
 
 Chamois skins and deer skins not wanted for 
 gloves, are similarly treated up to the point of 
 treating with egg paste. Instead of using this 
 process they are oiled on the hair side with very 
 clean animal oil, rolled into balls and thrown 
 into the trough of a fulling mill, well beaten two 
 or three hours, aired, re-oiled, beaten again and 
 the process repeated a third time. They are 
 then put into a warm room until they begin to 
 give out a decided smell, then scoured in weak 
 lye to take out superfluous grease. Here the 
 intention is merely to get a thick felt-like skin of 
 good color, a nicely grained surface is not re- 
 quired as in gloves. The skins are finally rinsed, 
 wrung out, stretched and dried, and when nearly 
 dry slightly rubbed with a smooth, hard round 
 stick. 
 
 These are the fine processes. A dried skin 
 oiled so as to become smooth and pliable will 
 retain the hair or wool a considerable time. Or 
 it may be made more durable where the color of 
 the flesh side is no object by scraping, washing 
 in soap suds and then putting directly into the 
 tan pit. For ordinary purposes rabbit, squirrel 
 and other small skins can be efficiently preserved 
 with the hair by the application of powdered 
 alum and -fine salt, put on them when fresh, or if 
 not fresh by dampening them first. Squirrel 
 skins when wanted without the hair will tan very 
 well in wheat bran tea, the fat and hair having 
 been previously removed by soaking in lime water 
 and scraping. Old tea leaves afford tannin 
 enough for small skins but they give a color not 
 nearly so pleasant as bran. Almost any of the 
 barks afford tannin enough for small skins, wil- 
 low, pine, poplar, hemlock of course, sumach, etc. 
 TANNING, without Bark or Mineral astring- 
 ents. — The astringent liquor is composed of 
 water, 17 gallons; aleppo galls j^ lb. ; Bengal 
 catechu, l^ oz. and 5 lbs. of tormentil, or sept- 
 foil root. Powder the ingredients, and boil in the 
 Wtiter I hour ; when cool, put in the skins (which 
 must be prepared by being plunged into a pre- 
 paration of bran and water for 2 days previously); 
 handle them frequently during the first 3 days, 
 let them alone the next 3 days, then handle three 
 or four times in one day; let them lie undisturbed 
 for 25 days more, when the process will be com- 
 plete. — {Canadian Process.) — The Canadians 
 make four liquors in using the japonica. The 
 first liquor is made by dissolving, for 20 sides of 
 upper, 15 lbs. of terra japonica in sufficient 
 water to cover the upper, being tanned. The 
 
HUNTING, TRAPPING AND TANNING. 
 
 I9S 
 
 second liquor contains the same amount of japo- 
 nica, and 8 lbs. of saltpetre also. The third con- 
 tains 20 lbs. of japonica, and 4_J^ lbs. of alum. 
 The fourth liquor contains only 15 lbs. of japo- 
 nica, and l^ lbs. of sulphuric acid; and the 
 leather remains 4 days in each liquor for upper ; 
 and for sole the quantities and time are both 
 doubled. They count 50 calf skins in place of 
 20 sides of upper, but let them lie in each liquor 
 only 3 days. 
 
 TANNING, Curriers Siz£ /or.— Take of 
 sizing, I quart; soft-soap, I gill; stuffing, I gill; 
 sweet milk, % pt.; boil the sizing in water to a 
 proper consistence, strain, and add the other 
 ingredients ; and, when thoroughly mixed, it is 
 ready for use. 
 
 TANNING, Curriers Paste for.— Yixsi Coat. 
 Take of water, 2 quai^Js ; flour, yi pint ; Castile 
 soap, I oz.: make into paste. Second Coat. 
 Take of first paste, _J^ pt,; gum-tragacanth, i 
 gill ; water, I pt.: mix all together. This will 
 finish eighteen sides of upper. 
 
 TANNING, Curriers Skirting for, — This is 
 for finishing skirting and the flesh of harness 
 leather, in imitation of oak-tanning. Take of 
 chrome yellow, _J^ lb.; yellow ochre, I lb,; cream 
 of tartar, I oz.; soda, j^ oz.; paste, ^ qts.: mix 
 well. This will finish twelve sides. For the 
 Grain to imitate Oak Tan. — Take of chrome yel- 
 low, ^4, lb.; yellow ochre, yi lb.; cream of tartar, 
 I oz.; soda, I oz.; paste, 2 qts,; spirits of turpen- 
 tine, I pt.; mix well. This will finish twelve sides. 
 TRAPPERS, Hints to.— {Valuable z'erstis 
 Wbri/iless Skins.) The skins of animals trapped 
 are always valued higher than those shot, as shot 
 not only make holes, but frequently plow along 
 the skin making furrows as well as shaving off 
 the fur. To realize the utmost for skins they 
 must be taken care of, and also cleaned and pre- 
 pared properly. Newhouse gives these general 
 rules derived from experience. 
 
 1. Be careful to visit your traps often enough, 
 so that the skin will not have time to get tainted. 
 
 2. As soon as possible after an animal is dead 
 and dry, attend to the skinning and curing. 
 
 3. Scrape off all superfluous flesh and fat, and 
 be careful not to go so deep as to cut the fiber of 
 the skin. 
 
 4. Never dry a skin by the fire or in the sun, 
 but in a cool, shady place, sheltered from rain. 
 If you use a Ijarn door for a stretcher (as boys 
 sometimes do), nail the skin on the inside of the 
 door, 
 
 5. Never use "preparations" of any kind in 
 curing skins, nor even wash them in water, but 
 simply stretch and dry them as they are taken 
 from the animal. 
 
 TRAPPING, Season /or.— All furs are best 
 in winter ; but trapping may be carried on to ad- 
 vantage for at least six months in the year, i. e. 
 any time between the first of October and the 
 middle of April. There is a period in the warm 
 season, say from the first of Alay to the middle 
 of September, when trapping is out of the 
 question, as furs are worthless. The most trap- 
 ping is done late in the fall and early in the spring. 
 The reason why furs become worthless in summer 
 is, that all fur-l:)earing animals shed their coats, 
 or at least lose the finest and thickest part of 
 their fur as warm weather approaches, and have 
 a new growth of it in the fall to protect them in 
 winter. This whole process is indicated in the 
 case of the muskrat, and some other animals, by 
 
 the color of the inside part of the skin. As sum- 
 mer approaches, it becomes brown and dark. 
 That is a sign that the best fur is gone. After- 
 ward it grows light-colored, and in winter when 
 the fur is in the best condition it is altogether 
 white. When the pelt is white it is called prime 
 by the fur-dealers. The fur is then glossy, thick, 
 and of the richest color, and the tails of such 
 animals as the mink, marten, and fisher are full 
 and heavy. Beavers and muskrats are not tho- 
 roughly prime till about the middle of winter. 
 Other animals are prime about the first of No- 
 vember. There is probably some variation with 
 the latitude, of the exact period at which furs be- 
 come prime, the more northern being a little in 
 advance. Trappers are liable to begin trapping 
 too early in the season, consequently much poor 
 fur is caught, which must be sold at low prices, 
 and is unprofitable to the trapper, the fur-buyer 
 and the manufacturer. 
 
 TRAPS, SETTING.— T\iQ first thing to se- 
 cure in setting your trap, is that the animal will 
 go to it, second, that it shall catch him when he 
 comes, and last that he shall not be able to get 
 away, when once caught. Next it is necessary 
 always to smoke the trap in burning hemlock, 
 cedar, or juniper boughs, dipped in the blood of 
 pigs that have just been killed, or letting the 
 blood of a chicken run over it, dipping it in 
 melted fat or rubbing it while warm with a ball 
 of bees-wax. But remember that in baiting a 
 rabbit trap your hands must never be greasy ; 
 there is nothing a rabbit will so quickly avoid as 
 grease of any kind. 
 
 Now having arranged this, your next business 
 must be to induce your animal not to be shy. If 
 you are carrying on trapping in wild woods the • 
 surrounding scenery is generally wild enough, 
 but near at home, on the farm care must be taken 
 to take awa^ the appearance of preparation, and 
 yet preparation must be made. A cautious ani- 
 mal such as a fox or raccoon, should be invited 
 to come several times before the trap is set ; ar- 
 range a place with sawdust, hay-seed, chaff, and 
 chicken feathers, several inches deep, scatter 
 through it food adapted to the animal intended to 
 becaught,offal ofchickens, bones, and bits of waste 
 meat, fish heads, etc, if for fox ; nubbins of corn, 
 etc., for coon, leave it and when you have cer- 
 tain indications, set your trap (free from the iron 
 smell) and cover with the material you have 
 used, scattering bits of food therein as before, 
 the creature you are after, will probably be there 
 the next morning, if you have properly secured 
 your trap. Another way is to set your trap under 
 water two or three inches with the bait above it, 
 hung upon a sapling or spile so as to make the 
 animal stand upon the trap to get it, or to plant 
 your trap well covered at the foot of an old stump, 
 by the side of a sapling, by the side of a barn, \ 
 hay-stack, smoke house, pig pen, but always \ 
 covering the trap and hanging the bait above it, 
 so as to make the animal step into it. 
 
 Last of all you must secure the trap by a 
 weight of wood or metal, by a bent sapling 
 that pulls it up into the air, or by a weight 
 or stick that will pull it into the Mater and 
 drown it. A short light chain ought to be 
 attached to every trap of iron, as animals gnaw 
 with ease through anything like rope or hide. If 
 you are catching animals only to get rid of a nui- 
 sance, no spring is necessary, but if for fur, you 
 want to hoist the land animal into the air where 
 
196 
 
 DICTIONARY OF E VERY-DAY WANTS. 
 
 they cannot damage themselves, and if water 
 animals, you want to drown them quick, the for- 
 mer result is attained by bending over a sapling 
 with a stout cord attached containing the bait, a 
 portion of the cord continues down to the trap 
 and is fastened slightly by a notched peg driven 
 into the ground, when the animal is caught its 
 struggles free the cord, and the sapling springs 
 back and hoists it into the air. If your trap is 
 set in water it may be fastened by a ring at the 
 end of the chain to a pole running out into deep 
 water, the pole should be fastened into its posi- 
 tion and securely anchored, or the whole thing 
 may be rolled far down the stream when you 
 come to look for it; the struggles of the animal 
 caught cause the ring to go farther and farther 
 down the stick and the weight of the trap finally 
 drowns the animal. 
 
 TRAPS, Baiting. — Strong smelling substan- 
 ces are the best baits, other things being equal ; 
 and if the smell of the kind of animal to be caught 
 can be given to the bait in any way, it will be 
 sure to lure the animal to the trap. If a fox 
 skin be dragged along ihe ground in the direction 
 of the trap, every fox striking the trail will follow 
 it up. So it is with other animals. Beaver bait 
 is made thus : The castor or bark stone, which 
 is found in the male beaver, is pressed Irom the 
 bladder-like bag which contains it into a vial 
 with a wide mouth. Five or six of these stones 
 are taken, and a powdered nutmeg, a dozen or 
 more cloves, a teaspoonful of ground cinnamon, 
 all mixed with alcohol or whisky until it is about 
 as thick as good syrup, cork the bottle and keep 
 three or four days. In using this it should be 
 employed for attracting the beaver toward the 
 trap, but not be put into it. For the beaver has 
 ' a habit when he smells the bark stone of another 
 beaver of covering it with leaves and twigs and 
 then voiding his own bark-stone or scent upon 
 it. Doing this, he would be more likely to cover 
 the trap than to be caught. _\Vhat the object of 
 this is IS of course unknown ; but it is similar to 
 the voiding of urine by dogs, foxes and wolves 
 in spots already used by another animal for the 
 same purpose. 
 
 But the beavers will take any fresh root or 
 sapling for bait. The muskrat will take carrots, 
 potatoes, apples, or any similar food. All of the 
 weasel tribe — ^the mink, sable, fisher, skunk, or- 
 dinary weasel, etc., will take fish; fresh or salt. 
 "When using the latter, it should be toasted, so 
 as to emit more smell. Old hunters, to get a 
 good "fish smell," cut up any small fish, put the 
 pieces into a bottle, and let it be in as warm a 
 place as convenient for several days. As it de- 
 cays the fish oil rises, and this oil they put on 
 any bait they happen to have. All of the weasf 1 
 tribe, as well as foxes and wolves, are fond of 
 any kind of fowl. The heads and legs and any 
 other waste parts of both wild and domestic fowl 
 are the best of bait. Even feathers scattered 
 around the trap make the thing more attractive 
 and real. A little musk mixed with assafcetida, 
 or mixed like the bark-stone, or even a muskrat 
 skin, fixed so as to drag along the ground toward 
 a trap, will make most ol this tribe, as well as 
 the fisher, follow it up to the trail. A strong 
 piece of codfish will do the same. Some old 
 hunters just keep one of these trail-bags tied by 
 a string to tlieir belt and let it drag as they go 
 from trap to trap. This multiplies their chances 
 of having someming in them next morning. An- 
 
 other secret of old hunters is to take the parts 
 peculiar to the sex of the female wolf, fox or dog, 
 and preserve it in alcohol or whisky for use. A 
 small piece of this is used in drawing either fox 
 or wolf to traps, and proves irresistible to the 
 male, and no matter from which species it is 
 taken, it proves alike attractive to cither fox or 
 wolf. It is not used as a bait that is as food, but 
 as the trail or drag is to bring the animal toward 
 the trap. The trap may be baited as usual, or 
 this substance may be suspended over the trap ; 
 in trying to reach it to smell at it, the animal 
 steps into the trap. Foxes, wolves and all the 
 weasel tribe will take flesh and fish of any kind 
 with tliis exception; foxes, wolves (and dogs) 
 will not eat their own kind; weasels of every 
 kind will. Toasted cheese forms a strong allure- 
 ment for a fox. The beaj: will go anywhere for 
 honey, and it is usual to smear this over a piece 
 of pork or beef, or even upon an ear of corn, or 
 just to smear it on the tree or stump near where 
 the trap is set. The skunk considers mice a 
 dainty, and raccoons will travel far for frogs, fish 
 (broiled), salt or fresh; but an ear of corn is not 
 disdained by him. Squirrels take Indian corn, 
 nuts, etc. Woodchucks will take roots, corn and 
 bread. Wild cats take flesh or fish of any kind. 
 In the northwest they are also taken with the 
 bark-stone bate previously described. In arrang- 
 ing traps for small birds hemp-seed will be found 
 more attractive than any other. Buckwheat is per- 
 haps more attractive for quails than any other grain. 
 The partridge — also called pheasant in some places 
 — may be caught with an apple once in a hundred 
 years. We think even that unlikely. Otters, 
 also, can be caught with the various grains — the 
 small grains being best. 
 
 TRAP SPRINGS, To Temper.— See "Work- 
 ers in Metals" department. 
 
 TRAP, Dead Fall.— The simplest dead fall is 
 made with one log, heavy enough to hold the 
 creature which it is proposed to trap. Cut a 
 notch into a stump, or drive a short stake with 
 a notch in it, or fasten the log with a withe to a 
 stake or sapling, or in any case allow it a hinge- 
 like motion. This is done with the log lying on 
 the ground. Raise one end and support it upon 
 a figure four, baited of course (see description 
 hereafter). The bait stick of the figure four must 
 be at right angles with the log, and enclosed with 
 stakes or otherwise to ailow the animal to ap- 
 proach only from one side, and obliging it to 
 stand across the line in which the log would fall. 
 Another way is to arrange two logs, one to fall on 
 the other in the same way. Stakes may be driven 
 at the side, if found necessary, to insure one log 
 falling on top of the other. 
 
 TRAP, FARMERS, Far Mink, Weasels, 
 Skunks, etc. — ^Take boards ^ inch thick, and 
 make a box the two sides and top 12 inches long, 
 with one end closed ; the size of the box inside 
 being 4 inches square. A steel spring is fastened 
 on the closed end of the box, to which is fastened 
 a square ring at its extremity, through which 
 the game thrusts its head to reach the bait at one 
 end of a catch, which holds the ring depressed 
 and held by a wire running from the front end of 
 the trap to the catch on the upper extremity of 
 the bait hook. One who has tried it extensively 
 says: "This is the best trap for skunks in the 
 world, I believe. I have used many different 
 kinds, but none work so well as this. You can 
 set it at the hole in a wall or fence. It is sure fire." 
 
INKS AND BLACKING. 
 
 197 
 
 TRAP, Figure Four. — The "figure four" 
 ^hich forms the basis in the construction of a 
 large variety of traps, is made of three sticks — 
 an upright, a diagonal piece and the trigger or 
 horizontal piece. The first may be made say 8 
 inches in length, the upper end being whittled to 
 a thick edge — not a ponit. The horizontal piece 
 or trigger, about 10 inches long and square, has 
 a notch on one side, about 7 inches from one end. 
 On the upper face of the trigger, about 6^ in- 
 ches from the side notch, is another notch. The 
 diagonal has both ends beveled or brought to a 
 wide edge, and a notch cut near one end. In 
 setting up the figure hold the perpendicular up, 
 fit the trigger to its side, then adjust the notch 
 in the diagonal to the perpendicular, and then 
 insert the other end of the diagonal in the notch 
 near the end of the trigger. Now let the lid of 
 the trap or the fall, wjiatcver it may be, rest on 
 the end of the diagonal immediately over the 
 trap; this makes the figure four stand firmly, yet 
 ready to fall at a very slight pull upon the trig- 
 ger, to which the bait is fastened — the trigger 
 extending some 3 inches from the perpendic- 
 ular. 
 
 TRAP, Sieve. — ^Take a large sieve and prop 
 it up with a stick to the middle of which one end 
 of a piece of string is tied. Strew some crumbs 
 of bread or seeds under the trap, and also a few 
 near by, and taking the other end of the string in 
 your hand, retire and conceal yourself at some 
 distance until the birds are attracted by the bait. 
 As soon as you perceive them feeding directly 
 under the trap, jerk the string quickly and the 
 sieve falls. This is the simplest of boy's traps, 
 but answers very well when there is time to spare. 
 When a chicken is wanted about the farm-house, 
 it is often time saved to catch it in this way, 
 
 TRAP, Quail. — A quail trap may be any kind 
 of coop, supported by a figure 4. The spindle of 
 the figure must cither be so made as to hold 
 grain, or, what is better, some grains of wheat 
 or buckwheat are strung over a strong thread 
 •with the aid of a needle and tied to the spindle. 
 Quails and prairie hens easily enter a trap when 
 the ground is covered with snow. At other times 
 it is rather difficult to catch them. 
 
 TRAP, Wild Turkey. — A wild turkey trap is 
 made by first digging a ditch ; then over one end 
 i-s built a rude structure of logs, covered at the 
 top. The structure should not be tight, but, of 
 course, sufficiently close not to let the birds 
 through. Indian corn is scattered about and in 
 the ditch, and in the inside of the pen. The 
 turkeys follow up corn in the ditch, and emerge 
 from it on the inside. Once there, the silly 
 
 birds never think of descending into the ditch, 
 but walk round and round the pen, looking 
 through the chinks of the logs for escape that way. 
 To make all sure, the ditch should end about the 
 centtr of the pen, and a bridge of slicks, grass 
 and earth should be built over the ditch, just 
 inside of the pen, and close to the logs. Other- 
 wise in going around the bird might step inside 
 the ditch, and once there, it would follow the 
 light and thereby reach the outside of the pen. 
 
 TROUT BREEDING.— The experience of 
 a breeder on Long Island is as follows: He has 
 put in use a race with a floor of slats ; and upon 
 the slats a layer of gravel of the size preferred 
 by the fish for spawning ground. The water is 
 admitted from a powerful spring "piped" to the 
 spot, (and from other springs in the bottom, ) 
 beneath the floor of slats, and wells up with 
 great uniformity through the entire mass of 
 gravel, so that everywhere there is an upward 
 rising, yet very gentle, current. This race is 
 290 feet in length, varying from 4 to 8 feet in 
 width; the water standing from 12 to 18 inches 
 deep over the gravel, and having a very percep- 
 tible flow at the outlet where the race is widest. 
 Below the race is the nursery, a low building, 
 100 feet in length by 10 in width, made of rough 
 boards, and entirely occupied by the water-course 
 and a narrow walk. From the nursery the water 
 flows through "the brook," a boarded, roofed, 
 and gravelled channel, 500 feet long, to its out- 
 let into the main pond. This is a beautiful sheet 
 of the purest water, long and narrow, doubling 
 upon itself, and filled with breeding trout, some 
 of which are of very large size. The parent 
 trout seek the race of their own accord and make 
 hardly any nests in this beautifully clean and 
 well-prepared bed, but lay indiscriminately any- 
 where. The eggs disappear among the gravel, 
 and are not touched. The old fish return to the 
 pond, and, after the laying season, are shut off. 
 The race is roofed in its entire length, the roof 
 being movable, and not entirely excluding the 
 light. The feeding of the fry takes place at 
 certain spots in the race, and here the largest 
 quantity of excrement accumulates. The upward 
 flowing water makes it easy to collect and remove 
 this, but the fry are chiefly fed in the nursery. 
 
 VELLUM, Tomake.—'YMx's, is a species of 
 parchment made of the skins of abortives, or 
 sucking calves ; it has a much finer grain, and is 
 white and smoother than parchment, but is 
 prepared in the same manner, except its not be- 
 mg passed through the lime-pit. The article is 
 used for binding superior books, and covering of 
 drum heads. 
 
 INKS AND BLACKING. 
 
 BLACKING. 
 
 BLA CKING, Preliminary remarks on mak- 
 ing. — To produce a first-rate article of blacking 
 it is absolutely necessary that the ingredients be 
 of the best quality, and used in the proper pro- 
 portions; and that the order of their admixture, 
 and ■&€ general manipulations, be conducted, 
 
 under ordinary circumstances, in tlie manner 
 described in the first of the following formulas. 
 The proportions of the molasses and the oil, the 
 most expensive of the ingredients should not be 
 stinted ; and, indeed, that of the latter may be 
 safely increased in quantity, without materially 
 affecting the polish, and with manifest advantage 
 as far as the softness and durability of the leather 
 
198 
 
 DICTIONARY OF EVERY-DAY WANTS. 
 
 to which it is apphed, is concerned. The manip- 
 ulations required in the manufacture of both paste 
 blacking and liquid blacking, are essentially the 
 same ; the difference between the two articles, 
 when the same materials are used, depending 
 entirely on the quantity of liquid added. Thus, 
 by diluting paste blacking with water, vinegar, 
 or beer bottoms, it may be converted into liquid 
 blacking of a nearly similar quality; and, by 
 using less fluid matter, the ingredients of liquid 
 blacking will produce paste blacking. One 
 thing must, however, be observed, and that is, 
 that the ivory-black used for liquid blacking 
 should be reduced to a much finer powder than 
 for paste blacking; as, if this is not attended to, 
 it is apt to settle at the bottom, and to be with 
 difficulty again diffused through the liquid. Per- 
 sons who object to the use of blacking contain- 
 ing oil of vitroil, will find recipes in which it is 
 omitted below. The vitriol, however, greatly 
 contributes to promote the shining properties of 
 the blacking ; and in small quantities, or in the 
 
 firoper proportion, is not so injurious to the 
 eather as some persons have represented ; as it 
 wholly unites itself to the lime of the bone- 
 phosphate contained in the ivory -black, and is 
 thus neutralized, insoluble sulphate of lime, and 
 an acid-phosphate, or super-phosphate, being 
 formed. It is the latter that gives the acidity to 
 a well made sample of blacking, and not the 
 sulphuric acid originally added to it. In this 
 way, the larger portion of the ivory-black is 
 reduced to a state of extremely minute division, 
 and with the other ingredients forms a strongly 
 adhesive paste, which clings to the surface of 
 the leather, and is susceptible of receiving a 
 high polish by friction when in a scarcely dry 
 state. This is the reason why lamp-black should 
 never be employed for blacking to the exclusion 
 of the necessary proportion of bone-black, as it 
 has no earthly base to absorb or neutralize the 
 acid, which, if left in a free state, would prove 
 very hurtful to the leather. Oil of vitriol is now 
 employed in the manufacture of all the more 
 celebrated and expensive blackings; and that, 
 simply because no other substance is known so 
 efficient, and so little injurious to the leather. In 
 the common blackings of Germany, hydrochloric 
 acid is often used to the entire exclusion of oil of 
 vitriol; but blacking so prepared possesses 
 several disadvantages from which the better 
 qualities are free. In the best German blackings 
 only a small portion of this acid is used. The 
 addition of white of egg, isinglass, and similar 
 articles to blacking, alwavs proves injurious, as 
 they tend to stiffen the leather, and to make it 
 crack, without at all improving its polishing 
 properties. Even gum-arabic, in quantity, is on 
 this account, objectionable. Oil has an opposite 
 tendency, and, as already stated, the quantity 
 commonly used may be increased with advantage. 
 Resin oil should be particularly avoided. 
 
 The only improvement that has been in- 
 troduced in the manufacture of blacking, since 
 the early days of the celebrated Day & Martin, 
 is, a few hours after the conclusion of the mixture 
 of the ingredients, but before adding the vinegar, 
 if any, to simmer the whole very gently, for 
 about 8 or lo minutes, obser\-ing to stir it as- 
 siduously all the time. The fire must then be 
 withdrawn, and the pan covered over until it is 
 quite cold, when half an hour's lusty stirring will 
 finish the process. In this way a degree of 
 
 maturity and brilliancy will be imparted to the 
 product, which without the application of heat, 
 it would take months to acquire, if indeed it ever 
 reached it. 
 
 As it is generally more convenient to measure 
 than to weigh liquids, it may be useful to remem- 
 ber that, in round numbers : 
 
 I gal. of oil weighs 9^ pounds. 
 
 I " sour beer " loj^ " 
 
 I •' vinegar) „ „ 
 
 I " water \ ^" 
 
 We may here further remark that the blackings 
 of different houses vary considerably in some of 
 their properties ; as also do those of even the 
 satne maker by age. Some blackings dry off rap- 
 idly, and give a very brilliant polish with very 
 little labor ; while others take a little longer to . 
 dry off, and somewhat more labor to pohsh them. 
 The former are best adapted to hasty use, and 
 when a very brilliant surface is desired ; the lat- 
 ter, when depth of polish, without extreme bril- 
 liancy, satisfie's the wearer. The first meets best 
 the requirements of fashionable life; the last, 
 those of the middle classes and pedestrians ex- 
 posed to dirt, mud, and the various vicissitudes 
 of travelling and weather. Time, however, 
 equalizes the qualities of these two classes. 
 Blackings which are crude, moist, and oily, lose 
 these properties, and become drier and more 
 brilliant by age. The practice of several of the 
 first-class London boot and shoemakers is never 
 to use a blacking which they have not had in their 
 stock at least a twelvemonth. 
 
 Blacking, both liquid and paste, should be 
 stored in a cool and moderately dry cellar ; and 
 when in use should be kept corked or otherwise 
 excluded from the air. Exposure or desiccation 
 destroys most of its best qualities. 
 
 AUTOMATIC or Self-Shining.— i. Gum- 
 arabic, 4 oz. ; molasses or coarse brown sugar, 
 lyi oz.; good black ink, % pint; strong vinegar, 
 2 oz. ; rectified spirit of wine and sweet oil, of 
 each I oz.; dissolve the giim in the ink, add the 
 oil, and rub them in a mortar, or shake them 
 together for some time, until they are thoroughly 
 united; then add the vinegar, and lastly, the 
 spirits. 
 
 2. Lamp-black, ^ oz. ; indigo in fine powder, 
 I dr. ; put them in a mortar, or basin, and rub 
 them with sufficient mucilage (made by dissolv- 
 ing 4 oz. of gum in X pii^* of strong vinegar) to 
 form a thin paste ; add very gradually, of sweet 
 oil, I oz. ; and triturate until their union is com- 
 plete, adding toward the end the rest of the mu- 
 cilage; then further add of molasses, i^oz. ; 
 and afterward, successively, of strong vinegar, 2 
 oz. ; rectified spirit, i oz. ; lastly, bottle for use. 
 
 3. Mix the whites of 2 eggs with a tablespoon- 
 ful of spirit of wine, 2 large lumps of sugar crush- 
 ed, and sufficient finely powdered ivory-black to 
 give the required color and thickness, avoiding 
 excess. 
 
 The above are chiefly used for dress boots and 
 shoes. The first two are applied to the leather 
 with the tip of the finger, or a sponge, and then 
 allowed to dry out of the dust. The third is 
 commonly laid on with a sponge or soft brush, 
 and when almost dry or hard may have its polish ' 
 hightened with a brush or soft rubber, after 
 which it is left for a few hours to harden. It may 
 also be used to revive the faded black leather 
 seats and backs of old chairs. They all possess 
 great brilliancy for a time; but are only adapted 
 
I.VA'S AND BLACKING. 
 
 199 
 
 to clean, dry weather, or indoor use. They 
 should all be applied to the leather as thinly as 
 possible, as otherwise they soon crack off. 
 
 BALLS, Heel. — i. Mutton suet, 4 oz., bees'- 
 wax, I oz., sweet oil, i oz., oil of turpentine, ^ 
 oz., melt and add gum Arabic, I oz., lamp black, 
 Yxoz. 
 
 2. Bees'-wax, 8 oz,, tallow, I oz., melt and 
 add powdered gum Arabic, i oz., lamp black to 
 color. Used by shoemakers, and to copy in- 
 scriptions, or raised patterns, by lying paper on 
 the pattern and rubbing the ball on it. 
 
 CAOUTCHOUC^ Blacking.— \% ounces ot 
 caoutchouc are to be dissolved in about 9 pounds 
 of hot rape oil. To this solution 60 pounds of 
 fine ivory black and 45 pounds of molasses are 
 to be added, along with i pound of finely-powder- 
 ed gum arabic, previously dissolved in 20 gallons 
 of vinegar. These mixed ingredients are to be 
 finely triturated in a paint-mill, till the mixture 
 becomes perfectly smooth. To this varnish 12 
 pounds of sulphuric acid are to be now added, in 
 small successive quantities, with powerful stirr- 
 ing for half an hour ; at the end of which time, 3 
 pounds of finely-ground gum arabic are added; 
 after which the stirring is repeated half an hour, 
 for 14 days longer, when the liquid blacking is 
 ready for use. In making the paste blacking, 
 the patentees prescribe the above quantity of 
 India-rubber oil, ivory black, molasses, and gum 
 arabic — the latter being dissolved in only 12 
 pounds of vinegar. These ingredients are to be 
 well mixed and than ground together in a mill, 
 till they form a perfectly smooth paste. To this 
 paste 12 pounds of sulphuric acid are to be added 
 in small quantities at a time, with powerful stirr- 
 ing, which is to be continued half an hour after 
 the last portion of the acid has been introduced. 
 Ready for use in seven days. 
 
 FOR MOROCCO SHOES.— Vound some 
 black sealing wax, and put in a bottle with half a 
 pint of alcohol; shake it frequently, and when ir is 
 dissolved, you may rub it on Morocco sho^s 
 when they are scaled or defaced, and they will 
 look almost like new ; dry it on in the sun. 
 
 GERMAN Blacking. — Ivory-black, i part; 
 molasses, ^ part; sweet oil, y% part; mix, as 
 before ; then stir in a mixture of hydrochloric 
 acid, Yi part ; oil of vitriol, % part each separat- 
 ely diluted with twice its weight of water before 
 mixing them. This forms the ordinary paste 
 blacking of Germany, according to Liebig. 
 
 GRAIN-SIDE Blacking.— rvikQ a barreland 
 put into it quite a quantity of old iron, cast or 
 •wrought, then fill nearly full of soft water, and 
 add I pt. of oil of vitriol ; stir it up well, and in 
 a month or two you have just as good blacking 
 for the grain-side, as could be made by using 
 vinegar in place of water. 
 
 HARNESS Blacking. — i. Good glue or ge- 
 latine, 4 oz. ; gum arabic, 3 oz. ; water, }^ pint; 
 dissolve by heat ; add of molasses, 5 oz. ; ivory- 
 black in very fine powder, 5 oz. ; and gently 
 evaporate, with constant trituration, until of a 
 proper consistence when cold ; when nearly cold 
 put it in bottles, and cork them down. For use, 
 the bottle may be warmed a little to thin it, it 
 necessary. Does not resist the wet. — 2. Mutton 
 suet, 2 oz. ; bees-wax pure, 6 oz. ; soft soap, 2 
 oz.; lamp-black, 2j4 oz. ; indigo (in fine powder) 
 % oz. ; when thoroughly incorporated, further 
 add of oil of turpentine ^ pint ; and pour it into 
 pots or tins. Waterproof. — ^3. Bees-wax, I lb. ; 
 
 soft soap, 6 oz. ; ivory-black % lb. ; Prussian 
 blue, I oz.; ground in linseed oil, 2 oz. ; oil of 
 turpentine, ^ pint ; to be mixed, etc. , as before. 
 Waterproof. — 4. {English Water Proof.) Take 
 3 ounces turpentine, 2 ounces white wax, to be 
 dissolved together over a slow fire ; then add i 
 ounce of ivory-black and I dram of indigo, to 
 be ^vell pulverized and mixed together. When 
 the wax and the turpentine are dissolved, add the 
 ivory-black and the indigo, and stir till cold. 
 Apply very thin ; brush afterward, and it will 
 give a beautiful polish. — 5. A good blacking is 
 made of 4 ounces of hog's lard, 16 ounces of 
 neat's-foot oil, 4 ounces of yellow wax, 20 ounces 
 of ivory black, 16 ounces of brown sugar, and 16 
 ounces of water. Heat the whole to boihng, and 
 stir it until it becomes cool 'enough to handle, 
 then roll it into balls about two inches in dia- 
 meter. — 6. A cheap and good blacking can be 
 made as follows : Soften two pounds of glue in 
 one pint of water, dissolve two pounds of soap 
 (castile is the best, but most expensive) in one 
 part of warm water ; after the glue has become 
 thoroughly soaked, cook it in a glue-kettle, and 
 then turn it into a large pot ; place the pot over 
 a hot fire and pour in the soap-water, slowly 
 stirring urttil all is well mixed ; then add a half- 
 pound of yellow wax cut in slices. Let the mass 
 boil until the wax becomes melted, then add half 
 a pint of neat's-foot oil and a sufficient quantity 
 of^ lampblack to give it color ; let it boil a few 
 minutes, and it will be fit for use. — 7. When a 
 harness has become soiled, it can be restored by 
 the use of the French polish. The ingredients 
 are 4^ pounds stearine, 6?/ pounds turpentine, 
 and 3 ounces of coloring or ivorj' black. I3eat the 
 stearine out to thin sheets with a mallet, then 
 mix it with the turpentine, and subject it to a 
 water bath. While heating, it must be stirred 
 continually; the coloring matter is thrown in 
 after the mass has become thoroughly heated. It 
 is thrown into another pot and stirred until it is 
 cool and thick ; if not stirred, the mass will crys- 
 tallize and the parts become separated. When 
 used, it must be warmed, and a small quantity 
 rubbed on the leather with a cloth ; use but little 
 at a time and put on very thin. After it has par- 
 tially dried, rub with a silk cloth, and a pohsh 
 will be produced equal to that of newly varnished 
 leather. This polish is also good for carriage- 
 tops, straps, etc., and will in no way injure 3ie 
 leather. 
 
 INDIA RUBBER LIQUID, Blackiitg.— 
 Take of India rubber (in small pieces), 18 oz.; 
 hot rape oil, 9 lb. (say I gal.); dissolve ; to the 
 solution add of ivory black (in very fine powder), 
 60 lb.; jnolasses 45 lb.; mix thoroughly ; further 
 add of gum-arabic, i lb., dissolved in vinegar 
 (No. 24), 20 gal.; reduce the whole to a perfect 
 state of smoothness and admixture by trituration 
 in a paint mill ; throw the compound into a 
 wooden vessel, and add, very gradually, of sul- 
 phuric acid, 12 lb.; continue the stirring for ^ 
 hour, re[5eating it daily for 14 days ; then add of. 
 gum-arabic (in fine powder), 3 lb.; again mix 
 well, and repeat the stirring for % an hour daily 
 for 14 days longer, when the liquid blacking will 
 be ready for use, or for bottling. The quality is 
 very excellent ; but this, probably, does not de- 
 pend on the presence of India rubber, but on the 
 general correctness of the proportions, and the 
 care and completeness Avith which they are 
 mixed. 
 
soo 
 
 DICTIONARY OF EVERY-DAY WANTS. 
 
 INDIA RUBBER PASTE, Blacking.— 
 Of India rubber, oil, ivory-black, molasses, and 
 gum-arabic, the same as for their liquid blacking 
 (see above), but dissolving the last in only 12 
 pounds, say 5 quarts, instead of 20 gals, of vin- 
 egar; grinding to a smooth paste in a color-mill, 
 and then adding of oil of vitriol, 12 lbs., as be- 
 fore. The mass is to be stirred daily for a week, 
 when it will be fit for use, or potting. 
 
 LEATHER SEATS, Blacking for.— '^^zX 
 well the yolks of two eggs and the white of one ; 
 mix a table-spoonful of gin and a tea-spooniul of 
 sugar, thicken it with ivory-black, add it to the 
 eggs, and use as common blacking ; the seats or 
 cushions being left a day or two to harden. ITiis 
 is good for dress hpots and shoes. 
 
 LIQUID BLACKING.— \. Take of bone- 
 black (commercial ivory-black) 16 parts; molas- 
 ses, 12 parts; oil of vitriol, 3 parts ; sperm oil, 2 
 parts; gum-arabic, I part; strong vinegar, or 
 sour beer, 48 to 50 parts ; (all by weight ; ) place 
 the 'bone-black' in a capacious wooden, stone- 
 ware, or enameled iron vessel, (avoid vessels of 
 metal only), add the oil, and rub them well to- 
 gether ; next gradually add the molasses, and 
 actively and patiently grind or rub the mass, 
 after each addition, until the oil is perfectly killed, 
 and finally for some time afterward, to insure 
 complete admixture ; then cautiously dilute the 
 vitriol with about three times its bulk of water, 
 and add it in sepaiate portions, to the former 
 mixture, observing to stir the whole together, as 
 rapidly as possible, on each addition of the acid, 
 and for some minutes after the whole is added, 
 so as to render the mass thoroughly smooth and 
 homogeneous ; let it stand, covered over, for two 
 or three days, or longer, stirring it, in the mean 
 time, for 15 or 20 minutes daily; lastly, having 
 dissolved the gum in the vinegar, add the solution 
 gradually to the rest, and stir the whole together 
 briskly for some time, and again daily for 3 or 4 
 days. It maybe further diluted, at will, with a 
 little more vinegar or beer, or with water ; but 
 unnecessary or excessive dilution should be 
 avoided, as the richness and quality of the black- 
 ing becomes proportionately reduced. If all the 
 ingredients (except the vitriol) be made hot be- 
 fore admixture, the shining quality of the pro- 
 duct will be greatly improved, and the process 
 may be shortened. — 2. Ivory-black, 16 parts ; 
 molasses, 8 parts ; oil of vitriol, 4 parts ; (diluted 
 with) water, 2 parts ; oil, 2 parts; gum-arabic, i 
 part ; soft water (for the final dilution, instead of 
 vinegar), 64 parts; mixed, etc., as before. Ex- 
 cellent. — 3. As the last ; but taking only 6 parts 
 of molasses, I part of oil, and omitting the gum- 
 arabic. Good. A commoner article oY liquid 
 blacking does not sell. — 4. (Without vitriol.) 
 Take of ivory black (in very fine powder), 2 lb.; 
 molasses, \% lb.; sperm oil, ^pmt; mix as be- 
 fore; then add of gum-arabic, i oz.; (dissolved 
 in) strong vinegar, )^ pint ; mix well ; the next 
 day further add of good vinegar, or strong sour 
 beer, 3 to 4 pints; stir briskly for a ^of an 
 hour, and again once a day for a week. Excellent, 
 A cheaper, but inferior article, maybe made by 
 the reductions and omissions noticed above. — 
 ^^ From paste blacking (see below), by reducing 
 it with sufficient vinegar, sour beer or water to 
 give it the liquid form. 
 
 PASTE BLACKING.— I. Qualities from 
 good to superexcellent may be made from any 
 of the preceding formulas, by simply omitting 
 
 the final dilution with the vinegar, sour beer, or 
 water, therein ordered at the end of the process. 
 — 2. Ivory-black, I cwt.; molasses, 28 lb.; rape 
 oil or other cheap oil, i gal.; mix as before; then 
 add of oil of vitriol, 21 lb.; diluted with water, 2 
 gal.; mix them quickly and thoroughly by forci- 
 ble stirring with a strong wooden spatula, and as 
 soon as admixture is complete, but while still 
 fuming, put the cover on the tub and leave it till 
 the next day, when without further stirring it 
 will be fit for use or sale. Good ordinary. Used 
 for tins. — 3. As the last ; but adding, with the 
 ivory-black, etc., 14 to 28 lb. of coal-soot sifted, 
 omitting one half of the oil, and diluting the 
 vitriol with an extra gallon of water. Inferior. 
 Chiefly used for low price packages. — 4. Ivory- 
 black, "killed" with a tablespoonful alcohol, ^ 
 pound ; sweet oil, I fluid ounce ; molasses, y^, 
 pint; hydrochloric acid, i ounce; sulphuric acid, 
 I ounce; mix the first three ingredients, add the 
 acids, and 3 pints of vinegar if it is to be liquid 
 blacking. No "challenge blacking" equals this. 
 
 VARMSII Blacking.— I. Take 9§ per cent, 
 alcohol, I gal.; white pine turpentine, i^ lbs.; 
 gum shellac, lyi lbs.; Venice turpentine, i gill. 
 Let these stand in a jug in the sun or by a stove 
 until the gums are dissolved, then add sweet oil 
 I gill, and lamp-black, 2ozs., rub the lamp-black 
 first with a little of the varnish. — 2. Alcohol, I . 
 gallon, white turpentine, i^ lbs., gum shelac, 
 lyi lbs., Venice turpentine, i gill. Let these 
 stand in a jug in the sun, or by a stove, until the 
 gums are dissolved, then add sweet oil, i gill, 
 and lampblack, 2 oz., and you have a varnish 
 which will not crack when the harness is twisted 
 like the the old shellac varnish. 
 
 VARNISH, for Edge.— Tike 98 per cent al- 
 cohol, I pt.; shellac 3 ozs.; rosin, 2 ozs.; pine ! 
 turpentine, i oz.; lamp-black, ^ oz.; mix, and 
 when the gums are all cut, it is ready to use ; 
 but bear in mind that low proof alcohol will not 
 cut gums properly, for any varnish. 
 
 WA TER PROOF Blacking.— Take an old 
 pair of India rubber shoes, (boots or any old 
 India rubber,) cut them up and pull off the cloth- 
 lining ; put the rubber into about a pint of neat's 
 foot oil, and set it on the stove until the rubber 
 is entirely melted, stirring it once in a while. 
 Don't let it boil or burn. It will take about two 
 days to melt the rubber. As soon as the rubber 
 is melted, stir in one and a half pounds of beef 
 or mutton tallow, and one-half pound of bees- 
 wax. If it is not black enough, you may add a 
 little lamp-black. To apply to the boots : Wash 
 them clean of mud and blacking. When they 
 are nearly dry, apply the water-proof all over 
 them. If the weather is cold, work near the 
 stove. The best thing to use in applying this 
 blacking is one's hands, and considerable elbow- 
 grease to rub it well into the leather. Two days 
 after it is applied to leather, the leather will re- 
 ceive a polish from ordinary blacking which will 
 resist both fresh and salt water. 
 
 INKS. 
 
 ASIA TIC. — Logwood shavings and powdered 
 galls, of each 2 lbs. ; green vitriol i lb. . gum 
 yi lb. ; pomegranate bark ^ lb. ; water i gal- 
 lon ; infuse 14 days, with frequent agitation. 
 
 AUTHOGRAPHIC, for Lithographers.— 
 W^hite soap, 25 parts ; white wax, 25 parts ; 
 mutton suet, 6 parts ; lamp-black, 6 parts : shell 
 
INJCS AND BLACKING. 
 
 lac, lo parts; mastic, lo parts. Mix with heat, 
 and proceed as for lithographic ink. 
 
 BLUE. — I. Take soft Prussian blue and oxalic 
 acid in equal parts, powder them finely, and then 
 add soft water to bring it to a thin paste. Let 
 it stand for a few days, then add soft water to 
 make the desired shade of color, adding a little 
 gum arable to prevent its spreading. 
 
 2. — Chinese blue, 3 ounces, oxalic acid (pure), 
 % of an ounce: gum arabic, powdered; I ounce, 
 distilled water ; 6 pints. Mi^. 
 
 BLUE, Indelible. — This ink, for marking 
 clothing, is made of five parts of oxide of molyb- 
 oenum dissolved in the requisite quantity of 
 hydrochloric acid ; two parts of the extract of 
 liquorice, and six of gum arabic dissolved in 
 200 parts of water. These two solutions are 
 mixed, and after writing with them on the ob- 
 jects, the side written upon is moistened with a 
 solution of chloride of tin in water. This in- 
 delible ink not only withstands washing, but also 
 all kinds of soaps and alkalies, except those 
 which also destroy the linen. 
 
 BLUE ^Z^CA:— Bruised galls, lib., water, 
 6 quarts ; steep for ten days, add iron filings, i 
 oz., sulphuric acid, I oz., copperas, 3 oz. ; stir 
 frequently, and in a few days strain the liquor. 
 Powder i oz. of indigo very finely, dry it by a 
 strong heat, and stir it into 40Z. of the strongest 
 sulphuric acid ; reduce the product by heat to 
 the consistence of syrup. After twenty- four 
 hours add i pint of water, and mix with the 
 ink. The free acid must now be neutralized with 
 chalk or whiting. A little of this ink, properly 
 prepared, should color a pint of clear water 
 throughout immediately. 
 
 BRANDE'S. — Galls, 6 oz., water, 6 pints; 
 boil, and add 4 oz. each of gum and copperas ; 
 bottle, and add to each pint, i grain of bi-chloride 
 of mercury, or 4 drops of creosote. 
 
 BROOME' S.—Q2\\%, 10 lbs., logwood, 4 
 lbs., copperas, 4 lbs., brown sugar, i lb., water, 
 13^ gallons, gum, 4 lbs. Boil the galls, log- 
 wood, and gimi separately, mix the liquors, add 
 tlie copperas ; and make up 13 5^ gallons. 
 
 BROWN. — Digest powdered catechu, 4 parts, 
 with water, 60 parts, for some hours ; filter, and 
 add sufficient of a solution of bichromate of 
 potassa, I part in 16 of water. 
 
 CARBON. — Mix good Indian-ink with 
 common writing-ink. A useful ink for ticket 
 and shop-window labels. 
 
 CARMIN^E. — Boil i pound 4 ounces of 
 ground cochineal, and a very little of the carbon- 
 ate of soda in 4 gallons of soft water for 20 
 minutes ; then take it from the fire, and add 6 
 drachms of alum, and stir the mixture for a few 
 minutes, and let it stand for a quarter of an hour 
 for the dregs to subside; then run off the clear 
 liquor ; strain the sediment through a fine sieve 
 or cloth, and then, when cold, add the white of 
 two eggs with the sediment ; fish glue or isin- 
 glass will answer as well as the eggs. The 
 muriate of tin may be used instead of alum. 
 The weight of the cochineal may be reduced to 
 ,' any amount to make a small quantity if the 
 proportions are preserved. 
 
 CHINESE INK, See "India Ink." 
 
 COPPER-PLATE, Printers.Ink.—lnV. for 
 the rolling-press is made of linseed-oil, burnt 
 just as for common printing- ink, and is then 
 mixed with Frankfort black, finely ground. 
 There are no certain proportions, every workman 
 
 adding oil or black to suit. Good ink depends 
 most on the purity of the oil, and on its being 
 thouroughly burned. Test it occasionally by 
 cooling a drop on the inside of an oyster-shell ; 
 feel it between the thumb and finger, and if it 
 draws out into threads, it is burnt enough. 
 Weak oil well charged with black is called stiff 
 ink. Oil fully burned and charged with as much 
 black as it will take in, is termed strong ink. 
 The character of the engraving to be printed 
 determines which is suitable. 
 
 COPYING.— I. Take two gallons of rain 
 water, and put into it % pound of gum arabic, 
 % pound brown sugar, ^ pound clean copperas, 
 % pound powdered nut galls. Mix, and shake 
 occasionally for ten days, and strain. If needed 
 sooner, let it steep in an iron kettle until the 
 strength is obtained. — 2. Take 2 gallons rain 
 water, and put into it gum arabic, % lb. ; brown 
 sugar, ^ lb. ; clean copperas, % lb. ; powdered 
 nutgails, ^ lb. ; mix, and shake occasionally for 
 ten days, and strain ; if needed sooner, let it 
 stand in an iron kettle until the strength is 
 obtained. This ink will stand the action of the 
 atmosphere for centuries, if required. 
 
 COPYING, Requiring no Press. — A black 
 copying ink, which flows easily from the pen, 
 and will enable any one to obtain very sharp 
 copies without the aid of a press, can be prepared 
 in the following manner: One ounce of coarsely 
 broken extract of logwood and two drachms of 
 crystalized carbonate of soda are placed in a 
 porcelain capsule with eight ounces of distilled 
 water, and heated until the solution is of a deep 
 red color, and all the extract is dissolved. The 
 capsule is then taken from the fire. Stir well 
 into the mixture one ounce ot glycerine of spe- 
 cific gravity of 1.25, fifteen grains of neutral 
 chromate of potash, dissolved in a little water, 
 and two drachms of finely pulverized gum arabic, 
 which may be previously dissolved in a little hot 
 water so as to produce a mucilaginous solution. 
 The ink is now complete and ready for use. In 
 well closed bottles it maybe kept for a long time 
 without getting moldy, and, however, old it may 
 be, will allow copies of writing to be taken with- 
 out the aid of a press. It does not attack steel 
 pens. This ink cannot be used with a copying 
 press. Its impression is taken on thin moistened 
 copying paper, at the back of which is placed a 
 sheet of writing paper. 
 
 DRA WING. — A very black and indelible 
 drawing ink can be madd by dissolving shellac 
 in a hot aqua solution of borax, and rubbing up 
 in this solution a fine quality of Indian ink. After 
 using, dip the drawing pen in alcohol, and wipe . 
 dry to keep it clean and bright. 
 
 ELDERBERRY.— ThQ bruised berries are 
 placed in an earthen vessel, and kept in a warm 
 place for three days, than pressed out and filtered. 
 The filtered juice is of such an intense dark color 
 that it takes 200 parts of water to reduce it to 
 the shade of dark red wine. Add to 12^ quarts 
 of this filtered juice i oz. of sulphate of iron, and 
 the same quantity of crude pyroligneous acid ; 
 and an ink is prepared which, when first used, 
 has a violet color, but when dry is indigo-blue 
 black. This ink is said by a German chemist to 
 be superior in many respects to that prepared 
 with galls ; it does not become thick so soon, it 
 flows easier from the pen without gumming, and 
 in writing the letters do not run into one another. 
 
 EXCHEQUER,— Bx\iisQ^ gall, 4 parts; gum 
 
DICTIONARY OF E VERY-DAY WANTS. 
 
 arable, powdered, i part ; green vitriol nine-tenth 
 of a part ; rain water, or the water of melted ice, 
 45 parts ; mix and let stand ; shake once a day. 
 Fit for use in three weeks. 
 
 FADED INK, To Restore.— Wriiing rendered 
 illen'ible by age may be restored by moistening 
 it by means of a feather with anmfusion of galls, 
 or a solution of prussiate of potash slightly aci- 
 dulated with muriatic acid, observing so to apply 
 the liquid as to prevent the ink spreading. 
 
 FLUIDS, WRITING. —yN\ia.\. are called 
 writing fluids, in distinction from ink, are fluids 
 which flow freely from the pen and do not clog 
 — have a good color when written, but do not 
 necessarily retain that color after the lapse of a 
 few months. Ink, distinguished from writing 
 fluids, retains its colors, if rightly made, for cen- 
 turies ; and it is evidently necessary that it should 
 do so, for, on account of its use in legal docu- 
 ments, the most important interests of society 
 are dependent upon that very quality. 
 
 The best writing fluids are made either from 
 logwood extract or a decoction of logwood, with 
 the aid of a bichromate of potass in the former 
 case, and the chromate (yellow) in the latter — or 
 from some of the many forms of Prussian blue. 
 I. Dissolve ordinary soluble Prussian blue in 
 clean soft water until the desired shade is ob- 
 tained. This gives a good color, and is not af- 
 fected by alcohol ; but any salt added to the water 
 will throw down the color. Should this happen, 
 throw away the salty water and redissolve the 
 Prussian blue in fresh soft water. Gradual ex- 
 posure to the air on or near the seacoast, and the 
 constant use of a steel pen, will therefore cause 
 this ink to have a sediment ; but notwithstanding 
 that, when frequently made, or kept from the air 
 as much as possible, it is quite good. — 2. Soluble 
 ferro-cyanide of potassium and iron dissolved in 
 water, as in No. I. Alcohol throws down the 
 coloring matter in this solution as well as salt. — 
 
 3. Powdered Prussian blue, one ounce ; mu- 
 riatic (hydrochloric) acid, concentrated, one and 
 a half fluid ounces. Mix in abottle; after thirty 
 hours, dilute with water to the required shade. — 
 
 4. {Lavis^s Black Writing- Fluid.) One part 
 powdered copperas, I part logwood, 3 parts 
 crushed gall-nuts, I part gum-arabic, 100 parts 
 white wine or vinegar, — 5- {,Reban Cortes Writ- 
 ing-Fluid. ) Boil 8 parts powdered Aleppo gall- 
 nuts, and 4 parts thin shavings of logwood, for 
 one hour, in 200 parts of water until reduced to 
 100 parts. Filter and add 4 parts copperas, 3 
 parts gum arabic, I part blue vitriol, (cupric sul- 
 phate, ) and I part white sugar ; let the mixture 
 stand one day and preserve in closed bottles. In 
 these six prescriptions, of German, English, and 
 French origin, copperas or sulphate of iron is 
 the chief ingredient. Lately, however, a sub- 
 stitute has been found in the chromate compound, 
 which is the chief ingredient in the following 
 prescription: 6. {Runge's Writing-Fluid for Steel 
 Fens,) consists of 1000 parts of extract of log- 
 wood, made by boiling down 155 parts of log- 
 wood in 2000 parts of water ; filter and add i 
 part of yellow chromate of potash. This ink is 
 of a very bluish tint when first used ; but unlike 
 those made from iron, it leaves no deposit when 
 exposed to the air. To prevent mould, add a 
 few drops of a solution of bi-cloride of mercury. 
 
 FLUID, BLUE WRITING.— l. Ferrocya- 
 nide of iron, powdered, and strong hydrochloric 
 acid, each 2 parts. Dissolve, and dilute with 
 
 soft water. — 2. {Indestructible.) Shellac, 4 parts; 
 borax, 2 parts ; soft water, 36 parts. Boil in a 
 close vessel till dissolved ; then filter, and take of 
 gum arabic, 2 parts ; soft water, 4 parts. Dis- 
 solve and mix the two solutions together, and boil 
 for five minutes as before, occasionally stirring 
 to promote their union ; when cold, add a suffi- 
 cient quantity of finely-powdered indigo and 
 lamp-black to color ; lastly, let it stand for two 
 or three hours, until the coarser powder has sub- 
 sided, and bottle for use. Use this fluid with a 
 clean pen, and keep it in glass or earthen ink- 
 stands, as many substances will decompose it 
 while in the liquid state. When dry, it will re- 
 sist the action of water, oil, turpentine, alcohol, 
 diluted sulphuric acid, diluted hydrochloric acid, 
 oxalic acid, chlorine, and the caustic alkalies and 
 alkaUne earths. 
 
 GEIZZLER'S BLACK.— \ lb. crushed gall- 
 nuts ; 10 ozs. copperas; 3 ozs. gum-arabic; I qt. 
 vinegar, and 7 qts. water. Let the mixture stand 
 for two weeks, and pour off" the liquid, which is 
 the ink. The residum at the bottom will be 
 the gall-nuts with some ink adhering, and may 
 be used again by adding 3 ozs. copperas, I oz. 
 gum-arabic, and a corresponding quantity of 
 water and vinegar — keeping the preparation in a 
 warm place. 
 
 GREEN. — I. Digest I part of gamboge with 
 from 7 to 10 parts of the blue ink. — 2. To pow- 
 dered bichromate of potassa, 8 parts, contained 
 in a porcelain dish, add oil of vitriol, 8 parts, 
 prcN-iously diluted with 64 of water ; then heat, 
 while evaporating, add gradually 24 parts of al- 
 cohol, and reduce to 56 parts, which filter, and 
 in the clear liquor dissolve 8 parts of gum arabic. 
 
 GREGORY'S {Having a greenish tint.)— 
 Bruised galls, I pound ; logwood, %, pound ; gum 
 6 ounces ; copperas, 8 ounces ; blue vitriol, i 
 ounce ; sugar, i ounce. Boil the galls and log- 
 wood in twenty pints of water down to ten pints, 
 strain, dissolve the other ingredients, and bottle. 
 
 GOLD. — Genuine gold leaf is rubbed on a 
 glass or agate plate with honey, by means of a 
 muller, until a perfectly uniform mixture is ob- 
 tained ; this is Avashed in a glass or other suitable 
 vessel, and the honey removed by frequent wash- 
 ing with pure water. The resulting gold powder 
 is dried, and when used is suspended in a so- 
 lution of gum arabic. After writing with this 
 ink, the letters are to be burnished with a smooth 
 piece of ivory, to produce their golden color and 
 brightness. 
 
 HAENLE'S Black. — This ink, it is claimed, 
 does not attack steel pens. Two parts crushed 
 gall-nuts, I part gum-arabic, I part copperas, and 
 16 parts distilled or rain-water, adding a few 
 grains of mercurial sublimate to prevent mould. 
 In prescription No. I, the latter is avoided by 
 using vinegar. 
 
 INCORRODIBLE Black.— l. A black ink, 
 not corroding steel pens, and neutral, may be 
 prepared by digesting in an open vessel 42 ounces 
 coarsely powdered nutgall, 15 ounces of gum Se- 
 negal, 18 ounces of sulphate of iron, free from 
 copper, 3 drachms of aqua ammonia, 24 ounces 
 of alcohol, and 18 quarts of distilled or rain water. 
 Continue the digestion until the fluid has assum- 
 ed a deep black color. — 2. Boil i^ ozs. of well- 
 picked logwood in little more than a quart of 
 water, down to a pint ; let it cool ; then add 1 7 
 or 18 grains of chromate of potash, and stir it 
 briskly. The ink is then ready for use. It re- 
 
INKS AND B LA CITING. 
 
 S03 
 
 sists the action of all ordinary destructive agents 
 better than the old ink. It may be washed, after 
 use, with a wet sponge, or steeped for 24 hours 
 in water, or even tested with dilute acids, and 
 yet preserve its original blackness. As it con- 
 tains neither gum nor acid, and is a perfect liquid, 
 it neither thickens, deposits a sediment, nor cor- 
 rodes the steel of the pen. 
 
 INDESTRUCTIBLE.— On many occasions, 
 it is of importance to employ an ink indestructible 
 by any process, that will not equally destroy the 
 material on which it is applied. For black ink, 
 25 grains of copal, in powder, are to be dissolved 
 in 200 grains of oil of lavender by the assistance 
 of a gentle heat, and are then to be mixed with 
 2 J^ grains of lampblack, and half a grain of indigo. 
 This ink is particularly useful for labeling phials, 
 etc., containing chemical substances of a corro- 
 sive nature. 
 
 INDELIBLE.— X. To 4 drachms of lunar 
 caustic, in 4 ounces of water, add 60 drops of nut- 
 galls, made strong by being pulverized and steep- 
 ed in soft water. The mordant which is to be 
 appUed to the cloth before writing, is composed 
 of I ounce of pearlash dissolved in 4 ounces of 
 water, with a little gum arabic dissolved in it. 
 Wet the spot with this ; dry and iron the cloth ; 
 then write. — 2. 1% drachms of nitrate of silver, 
 I ounce of distilled water, j4 ounce of strong mu- 
 cilage of gum arabic, ^ of a drachm of liquid 
 ammonia. Mix the above in a clean glass bottle, 
 cork tightly, and keep in a dark place till dis- 
 solved, and ever afterwards. Directions for use: 
 Shake the bottle, then dip a clean quill pen in 
 the ink, and write or draw what you require on 
 the article ; immediately hold it close to the fire 
 (without scorching), or pass a hot iron over it, 
 and it will become a deep black. 
 
 INDELIBLE, Aniline— rhe discovery of 
 an aniline black has led to the employment of 
 this coloring matter in marking linen. This ink 
 has the advantage of being cheaper than the ink 
 prepared from nitrate of silver. It has also an- 
 other advantage over the latter salt, viz. : that it 
 is chemically indelible. The ink made with 
 nitrate of silver can be removed by washing the 
 linen with a solution of hyposulphite of soda, or 
 by moistening it with a solution of bichloride of 
 copper and then washing with liquid ammonia. 
 This is not the case with the aniline ink, the 
 color of which cannot be removed by any chemi- 
 cal agent whatever. Linen therefore marked 
 with this ink can never be appropriated by other 
 persons than the right owner. 
 
 I. Such aniline ink may be prepared in the 
 following way : ^% grains of bichloride of cop- 
 per are dissolved in 30 grains of distilled water, 
 then are added 10 grains of common salt, and 
 9% grains of liquid ammonia. A solution of 
 30 grains of hydrochlorate of aniline in 20 grains 
 of distilled water is then added to 20 grains of 
 a solution of gum arabic, containing 2 pints water, 
 I pint gum arabic, and lastly 10 grains of glycerine 
 4 parts of the analine solution thus prepared are 
 mixed with one part of the copper solution. 
 ' The liquid which results has a green appear- 
 ance, and may be at once employed for 
 marking linen, since it invariably becomes black 
 after a few days. A steel pen may be employed 
 as well as a quill. If it is desirable not to wait 
 so long for the appearance of the black color, a 
 hot iron may be passed over the writing when 
 the ink is dry, or the linen may be held over the 
 
 flame of a spirit lamp, or over a hot plate, or hot 
 water, when the black tint will readily appear. 
 
 2. {Ptisckcr's.) Dissolve 4 parts of aniline 
 black in 16 parts by weight of alcohol, with 60 
 drops strong hydrochloric acid, and dilute the 
 dark blue solution with 90 parts by weight of 
 water, in which 6 parts of gum arabic has been 
 previously dissolved. 
 
 INDELIBLE, To be used with Type.— The 
 thin nitrate of silver marking inks may be thick- 
 ened with gum or sugar or with printer's ink to 
 bring them to the proper consistency. Inks for 
 using with types or stencil plates are sometimes 
 prepared by taking sulphate of manganese, two 
 parts; lampblack, one part; sugar, four parts; 
 all in fine powder and triturated to a paste with 
 a little water. Or black oxide of manganese and 
 hydrate of potassa are mixed, heated to redness 
 in a crucible, and then triturated with an equal 
 weight of pure white clay, and water enough to 
 give consistency. The work to be rinsed well in 
 water after it has become dry. 
 
 INDIA /iVA''.— Take 8 parts well-burnt lamp- 
 black, 64 parts water, 4 parts fine pulverized in- 
 digo, well rubbed up and boiled till the greater 
 portion of the water is evaporated; then add 5 
 parts gum-arabic, 2 parts bone-glue, i part ex- 
 tract of succory ; boil till the mixture is as thick 
 as paste, then mould in wooden forms, well 
 greased with olive or almond-oil, in order to 
 prevent adhesion. By using burnt peach kernels 
 or cork, in place of ordinary lamp-black, a finer 
 quality may be given to the ink. The glue would 
 better be left out, and gum-arabic substituted. 
 The mass is then pressed into flat cakes weighing 
 from one to two pounds, and left to ripen for a 
 couple of days, after which it is formed into the 
 customary shape. The moulder takes for this 
 purpose a piece of the dough, and warms it by 
 means of a basin full of live coals, kneads it long 
 enough in his hands and then fills the form, which 
 he puts under a long lever, pressing it by his 
 own weight, while in the meantime he works the 
 next piece of the mass. The moulds are made of 
 wood, and also the pistons on which are cut the 
 letters. The lustre is produced by brushing the 
 dried ink with a hard brush saturated with rosin, 
 which also prevents the ink from blackening the 
 fingers afterwards. The peculiar odor is derived 
 from a small quantity of camphor or musk, which 
 is incorporated with the warm dough. All or- 
 dinary inks are without it. The colored letters 
 are painted on with a fine brush ; the gold and 
 silver colors by suspending the finely divided 
 metals in water to which has been added a little 
 gelr,tine. 
 
 INDIA INK, Hcna to 6>/^r/.— Indian ink for 
 drawings is best tested in the following manner: 
 Rub off a portion on a porcelain surface with 
 water to the proper consistency, then with a ruler 
 draw a number of lines of varying thickness on 
 a piece of drawing-paper. When dry, brush over 
 with water freely. If good the ink lines will keep 
 sharp and clear, whilst jjoor ink will run or spread 
 sideways. A piece of slate is better than glass/ 
 for rubbing it clown to the condition fit for use. 
 
 INDIA INK, For Ordinary Writing. — India 
 ink is composed of carbon, and will keep for any 
 length of time without undergoing change, al- 
 though dissolved in water. Neither great heat 
 nor extreme cold affects it. All that is requisite 
 is to keep the liquid from evaporating — so far as 
 that is possible, — and to protect . it from dust. 
 
204 
 
 DICTIONAR YOF E VER Y-DA V WANTS. 
 
 The solution makes an excellent ink, and is of a 
 fine black. 
 
 INDIA INK, Substitute for. — Boil parchment 
 slips or cuttings of glove-leather in water till it 
 forms a size, which, when cool, becomes of the 
 consistence of jelly; then, having blackened an 
 earthen plate, by holding it over the flame of a 
 candle, mix up, with a camel-hair pencil, the fine 
 lampblack thus obtained with some of the above 
 size, while the plate is still warm. This black 
 requires no grinding, and produces an ink of the 
 same color, which works as freely with the pen- 
 cil, and is as perfectly transparent as the best 
 "Indian-ink. 
 
 yAHN^S Black. — Two parts ground logwood, 
 12 parts Bablah, (an oriental gum containing 
 tannin, and derived from acacias, ) 200 parts 
 water. Boil down to 100 parts, filter through 
 linen, and add i part powdered gum-arabic, I 
 part sugar, and 3 parts copperas. To prevent 
 mould, add a solution of l-ioo part of mercurial 
 sublimate in i part water. 
 
 yAPAN Black. — In 6 quarts of water boil 4 
 ounces of logwood in chips cut very thin across 
 the grain. The boiling may be continued for 
 nearly an hour, adding from time to time, a little 
 boiling water t» compensate for waste by evapora- 
 tion. Strain the liquor while hot; allow it to 
 cool, and make up the quantity equal to five quarts 
 by the further addition of cold water. To this 
 decoction put one pound of blue galls coarsely 
 bruised, or % pound of the best galls in sorts, 
 4 ounces of sulphate of iron calcined to whiteness, 
 ^ ounce of acetate of copper, previously mixed 
 with the decoction till it forms a smooth paste, 3 
 ounces of coarse sugar, and 6 ounces of gum 
 Senegal or arabic. These several ingredients 
 may be introduced one after another, contrary to 
 the advice of some, who recommend the gum, 
 etc., to be added when the ink is nearly made. 
 The composition produces the ink usually called 
 Japan ink, from the high gloss which it exhibits 
 when written with. 
 
 LEIVIS'. — Bruised galls, 3 lbs., gum and 
 copperas, of each i lb., vinegar, I gallon, water, 
 2 gallons ; macerate, with frequent shaking, for 
 14 days. Product 3 gallons. 
 
 LITHOGRAPHIC. — i. Take Venice tur- 
 pentine, I part; lampblack, 2 parts ; tallow, 6 
 parts ; hard tallow soap, 6 parts ; mastic in tears, 
 8 parts; shell lac, 12 parts; wax, 16 parts. Melt 
 and pour it out on a slab. 2. Take dry tallow 
 soap, 5 parts ; mastic in tears, 5 parts ; Scotch 
 soda, 5 parts ; shell lac, 25 parts ; lampblack, 2 
 parts. Fuse the soap and lac, then add the 
 remainder. 
 
 For use this ink must be rubbed down with 
 water, in a saucer (warmed), until an emulsion 
 is formed of a proper consistence to flow easily 
 from a pen or pencil. 
 
 L UMINO US /«^.—Phosphorus,half drachm; 
 oil cinnamon, half ounce ; mix in vial, cork tight- 
 ly, heat it slowly until mixed. A letter written 
 with this ink can only be read in a dark room, 
 when the writing will have the appearance of fire. 
 
 MARKING Ink, .See "IttJelMe". 
 
 MARKING Ink, To Take out.— UosimM- 
 ible ink contains silver as a basis, and may be re- 
 moved by a solution of cyanide of potassium. When 
 the basis of the ink is carbon, however, this will fail. 
 Chlorine will destroy stains and markings depend- 
 ent upon organic matters except the carbon ink. 
 
 MARKING Ink for Parcels. — Dissolve as- 
 
 phaltum, grahamite, albertite, or any mineral of 
 this character in naphtha or oil of turpentine to 
 a thin fluid, and you will obtain an ink to answer 
 all purposes, viz., to dry quickly, not to spread, 
 and the markings to be nearly indestructible. 
 
 METALS, Inks for Writing on.—i. Mix I 
 oz. of powdered sulphate of copper and ^ oz. of 
 powdered sal ammoniac, with 2 oz. of diluted 
 acetic acid; adding lampljlack or vermilion. — 2. 
 Dissolve I part of copper in 10 of nitric acid, and 
 dilute with 10 parts of water. The above two 
 receipts will answer for writing on steel, or tinplate 
 or sheet zinc. — 3. Verdigris, one ounce ; sal am- 
 moniac, I ounce; lampblack, half an ounce; water, 
 half a pint. Mix in an earthenware mortar, with- 
 out usmg a metal spatula. To be shaken before 
 use, and used with a clean quill pen on bright, 
 freshly-cleaned zinc. 
 
 MOULD in Ink, To Prevent.— Iht micros- 
 cope has revealed the fact that mould is a plant, 
 propagated like other plants ; and any thing that 
 will kill vegetation will prevent ink or any other 
 mould. The common remedies applied for this 
 purpose are, creosote, carbolic acid, oil of cloves, 
 bergamot, or many other ethereal oils, acetic 
 acid, alcohol, corrosive sublimate, arsenic, etc. ; 
 but always added in comparatively small quan- 
 tities. 
 
 OILINESSin Ink, To Rem(n>e.—M<\. a little 
 ox-gall and vinegar to the ink. 
 
 PERMANENT Ink, For Use with Stamps 
 or Type. — I. Equal parts of black oxide of man- 
 ganese and hydrate of potash are mixed, heated 
 to redness, rubbed, with an equal quantity of 
 smooth white clay, into a paste, water being 
 added for the purpose. — 2. Sulphate of manga- 
 nese, 2 drams; lampblack, i dram; powdered 
 loaf sugar, 4 drams; rubbed into paste with 
 water. Ai^ter stamping, dry the linen, etc., and 
 wash well in water. 
 
 • PERPETUAL Ink, For Tombstones etc.— 
 Pitch, II lbs.; lampblack, I lb.; turpentine 
 sufficient : mix with heat. 
 
 PREROGATIVE Court /«/&.— Galls, i lb., 
 gum, 6 oz., alum, 2 oz., copperas, 70Z., kino, 3 
 oz., logwood, 4 oz., water, 8 lbs. Used to write 
 on parchment. 
 
 PRINTING INK.—?,e:t on a fire, in a large 
 iron pot, 12 gallons of clear linseed oil, boil, and 
 stir until it smokes, then ignite it, remove it from 
 the fire, and let it burn until a sample will draw 
 into strings between the fingers. Put the lid on 
 to extinguish the flame, then add i lb. of resin 
 to each quart of oil ; dissolve, and add gradually 
 in slices l^ lb. of soap ; heat the pot until the 
 solution is complete, when the varnish is ready. 
 — Two sorts are kept, one thick, and the other 
 thin, so as to mix when required ; the difierence 
 is caused in the boiling and firing being kept up 
 for different periods. For large printing-type a 
 thin is required, as thick ink would only print 
 in patches ; for small type very stiff ink is used, 
 to prevent it running off. For making black ink, 
 mix together mineral lamp-black, 8 lbs., vege- 
 table black, 7 lbs., indigo and Prussian blue, of 
 each 5 oz., Indian red, 2 oz.; grind this with suf- 
 ficient varnish, gradually added as the grinding 
 goes on. In most manufactories steam is em- 
 ployed for this purpose. For colored ink use 
 colored pigments, according to the required 
 shade. 
 
 PRINTING, SA VA GES —Take of balsam 
 of copaiba (pure), 90Z.; lampblack, 30Z.; indigo 
 
IiVJCS AND BLACKING. 
 
 205 
 
 and Prussian blue, of each yi oz.; Indian red, 3^ 
 oz.; yellow soap (dry), 3 oz.; grind the mixture 
 to an impalpable smoothness by means of a stone 
 and muUer. Canada balsam may be substituted 
 for balsam of copaiba where the smell of the lat- 
 ter is objectionable, but the ink dries very quickly. 
 
 PRINTING, KIRCHER'S, {Patented.) — 
 This ink consists of 10 parts of hydrated peroxide 
 of iron, 6 parts of hydrated protoxide of iron, 
 and from 10 to 16 parts of varnish. The two 
 first-named ingredients are mixed in a moist 
 state by stirring ; 48 parts of water are then 
 added ; and the water being evaporated by boil- 
 ing converts the mixture into a fine velvety black 
 powder. This powder is washed and dried, and 
 finally mixed with the varnish, the proportion of 
 which varies in accordance with the desired qua- 
 lity of the ink. 
 
 The advantages claimed for this ink are that it 
 never changes its color. It has no disagreeable 
 odor ; it is a fine glossy black ; and is one third 
 cheaper than ordinary ink. 
 
 POVVDERJNK. — I. Sulphate of copper, i 
 dr.; gum arable % oz.; copperas, I oz.; nutgalls 
 and extract of logwood, 4 ozs. each ; all to be 
 pulverized and evenly mixed. — 2. Sulphate of 
 iron, 2 parts ; galls, 5 parts ; gum, i part. Re- 
 duce to a powder and divide into one-ounce pa- 
 pers, each of which will make half a pint of ink. 
 — 3. Aleppo galls, 3 lbs.; copperas (dry but not 
 calcined), i lb.; gum arable, 6 oz.; white sugar, 
 2 ozs.; all in powder ; mix. I pint of boiling 
 water poured on l^ or 2 ozs., makes a pint of 
 ink. 
 
 POWDER, {INK) PLATZER' S.— Take 100 
 parts dry extract of logwood, well mixed and 
 
 f round with one part fine bi-chromate of potash, 
 [alf an ounce is sufficient to change a whole pint 
 of water into beautiful black ink. 
 
 PURPLE. — A beautiful purple ink is made by 
 boiling I ounce of ground logwood in i^ pints 
 of soft water, and ^ ounce of pulverized alum. 
 Boil 20 minutes, strain, and bottle for use. Keep 
 the air out, and it will keep a long time. 
 
 RED. — I. Pernambuco-wood, 4 parts ; alum 
 and cream of tartar, each I part, with 30 of water; 
 boil down to 16 parts, let stand, pour off, filter, 
 and dissolve in the liquid gum arable, 1/^2 parts ; 
 white sugar, i part. 
 
 2. Digest powdered cochineal, 8 parts, and 
 carbonate of potash, 16 parts, in 144 of water, 
 for 24 hours ; then boil up with powdered alum, 
 4 parts, and add 24 of cream of tartar, with 3 
 parts of tartaric acid, and, when efTervescence has 
 ceased, another part of the acid, or enough to 
 produce the color ; let cool, filter, and boil the re- 
 sidue on the filter with 12 parts of water; filter 
 again, mix the liquids and dissolve in them 24 
 parts of gum arable, and lastly ^ part of oil of 
 cloves. No iron vessels must be used in this 
 process. 
 
 3. Digest powdered cochineal, 16 parts ; oxalic 
 acid, 2 parts ; dilute acetic acid, 80 parts ; distilled 
 water, 40 parts, for 36 hours ; then add powdered 
 alum, I part ; gum arable, I to 10 ; shake up, let 
 stand for 12 hours, and strain. 
 
 4. Dissolve I part of cirmine in 8 to 10 parts of 
 aqua ammonia, and add mucilage of gum arable 
 sufficient to reduce it properly. 
 
 RED, PERMANENT.— \Qrrm\\on, 4 parts; 
 sulphate of iron, i part ; drying oil to mix. Any 
 other color will answer besides red. This ink 
 will resist most of the usual reagents. 
 
 RESIN-OIL /A/A'.— Melt together 13 ounces 
 of resin, i pound of resin oil, and 1% ounces of 
 soft soap ; when cold, add lamp-black. 
 
 RIBAU COURT'S.— G&Ws, i lb., log-wood, 
 ^ lb., gum, 6 ozs., copperas, 8 ozs., blue vitriol 
 and sugar, of each I oz. Boil the galls and log- 
 wood in 20 pints of water down to 10 pints — 
 strain ; dissolve the other ingredients, and bottle. 
 
 RULING, Black, for. — Take good black ink, 
 and add gall as for blue ; do not cork it, as it will 
 prevent it from turning black. 
 
 RULING, Blue for. — ^Take 4 ounces of vitriol, 
 best quality, to I ounce of indigo ; pulverize the 
 indigo very fine ; put the indigo on the vitriol, 
 let them stand exposed to the air for six days, or 
 until dissolved ; then fill the pot with chalk, add 
 half a gill of fresh gall, boiling it before use. 
 
 RULING, Red for.— One pound of Brazil- 
 wood to one gallon of the best vinegar; let the 
 vinegar simmer before you add the wood, then 
 let them simmer together for half an hour, then 
 add three-quarters of a pound of alum to set the 
 color; strain it through a woollen or cotton cloth, 
 cork it tight in a stone or glass bottle. For rul- 
 ing, add half a gill of fresh gall to one quart of 
 red ink, then cork it up in a bottle for use. 
 
 SCARLET, — Take garancine of best quality 
 I ounce, digest with liquor ammonia I ounce, add 
 I pint of cold distilled water, triturate together in 
 a mortar, filter, and dissolve in the solution ^ 
 ounce of gum arable, or take pure carmine 20 
 grains, liquor ammonia 3 fluid ounces, dissolve 
 and add 18 grains of powdered gum. 
 
 SIL VER. — Triturate in a mortar equal parts 
 of silver foil and sulphate of potassa, until reduced 
 to a fine powder ; then wash out the salt, and mix 
 the residue with a mucilage of equal parts of gum 
 arabic and water. — 2. Mix to aproper consistency 
 finely ground mica, with a solution of gum ara- 
 bic, in water. 
 SYMPA THETIC INKS, For secret and other 
 Correspondence. — Chemistry gives us the means 
 of performing many curious feats. Among the 
 most interesting of these are the perfectly color- 
 less fluids, clear as water, which however, when 
 written with, produce a variety of colored letters, 
 by reason of simple chemical changes taking 
 place as soon as the fluid touches the paper. We 
 will describe a few of these transformations : — To 
 ■write blue letters with a colorless liquid. — A piece 
 of writing paper is prepared by moistening with 
 a solution of oxalic acid, and drying ; and a dilut- 
 ed (colorless) solution of nitrate of cobalt is used 
 for writing. The oxalate of cobalt which results 
 from the contact is blue. Or, the paper may be 
 moistened with the nitrate of cobalt, and the writ- 
 ing done with the oxalic acid. Another shade 
 of blue is produced by moistening the paper with 
 a solution of yellow prussiate of potash. After 
 drying it is read^ for use ; and when it is written 
 on with a solution of chloride or sulphate of iron, 
 letters of Prussian blue will appear. The paper 
 may also be prepared with sulphate of iron and 
 the writing performed with the prussiate of pot- 
 ash. — To write red letters with a colorless liquid. 
 — Prepare the paper with a weak solution of sul- 
 phate of iron, to which a little nitric acid has 
 been added ; then write with a very dilute solu- 
 tion of sulpho-cyanide of potassium. If the so- 
 lution is strong, the color is very dark ; if weak, 
 bright red. — To write black letters with a colorless 
 liquid. — Prepare the paper with a decoction of 
 gall-nuts or a solution of tannic acid, and write 
 
206 
 
 DICTIONARY OF E VERY-DAY WANTS. 
 
 with a solution of sulphate of iron; or, prepare 
 wth the latter and write with the former. An- 
 other black is obtained by preparing the paper 
 with a weak solution of bichromate of potash, 
 and writing with a solution of extract of logwood; 
 or inversely. Or, prepare the paper with a so- 
 lution of nitrate of bismuth or acetate of lead, 
 and write with a fresh solution of sulphate of 
 potassium. — 7"o zL'rite yellow letters 'with a color- 
 less liquid. — Prepare the paper with acetate of 
 lead, and write with bichromate of potash; or 
 inversely. Or, prepare the paper with a decoc- 
 tion of gall-nuts, and write with chloride of anti- 
 mony; or inversely. — To ivrite orange letters 
 •with a colorless liquid. — Prepare the paper with 
 a solution of the yellow protochromate of potash, 
 and write with the extractum Saturni of the drug- 
 gists; or inversely. — To write beautiful purple 
 letter luith a colorless liquid. — Prepare the paper 
 with a solution of chloride of tin, and write with 
 a solution of chloride of gold. 
 
 If in any of the above manipulations the pre- 
 paration of the paper is omitted, the letters writ- 
 ten will be entirely invisible, or nearly so, and 
 will become visible in their respective colors 
 when moistened with the solution otherwise used 
 for the preparation. In this manner, a secret 
 correspondence is often kept up, one party, for 
 instance, writing with a solution of yellow prus- 
 siate of potash, while another, for whom the 
 writing is intended, knows the secret to moisten 
 the paper with a solution of sulphate of iron, 
 when the letters will appear in blue; or, one 
 writing with chloride of gold, the other party 
 moistening with a tin-salt, when the letters appear 
 in purple. 
 
 Sometimes it is desirable that the writing may 
 be made to disappear again. For this purpose, 
 the writing is performed with a solution of nitrate 
 of silver. After becoming dry, it is made visible 
 by means of a solution of common salt, and ex- 
 posure to the sun or daylight. When desired to 
 disappear, it is washed with a solution of bichlo- 
 ride of mercury; and then it may be made to 
 resppear a second time by moistening with a so- 
 lution of hyposulphite of soda. 
 
 SYMPATHETIC Inks, Other.— l. Write 
 upon paper with a diluted solution of muriate of 
 copper, when dry it will not be visible, but on 
 being warmed before the fire the writing will be- 
 come of a beautiful yellow. 
 
 2. Write with a solution of muriate of cobalt, 
 and the writing, while dry, will not be percep- 
 tible ; but if held towards the fire, it will then 
 gradually become visible ; and if the muriate of 
 cobalt be made in the usual way, the letters will 
 appear of an elegant green color. 
 
 3. Write with acetate of cobalt, or with a mu- 
 riate of cobalt, previously purified from the iron 
 which it generally contains. When the writing 
 is become dry, these letters will also be invisible. 
 Warm the paper a little, and the writing will be 
 restored to a beautiful blue. 
 
 4- Draw a landscape with Indian ink, and 
 paint the foliage of the vegetables with muriate 
 of cobalt, some of the flowers with acetate of 
 cobalt, and others with muriate of copper. While 
 this picture is cold it will appear to be merely an 
 outline of a landscape, or winter scene; but 
 when gently warmed, the trees and flowers 
 will be displayed in their natural colors, which 
 thej will preserve only while they continue warm. 
 This may be often repeated. 
 
 5. Write with dilute nitrate of silver, which 
 when dry will be entirely invisible; hold the 
 paper over a vessel containing sulphate of am- 
 monia, and the writing will appear very distinct. 
 The letters will shine with the metallic brilliancy 
 of silver. 
 
 6. Write witli a solution of nitrate or acetate of 
 lead. When the writing is dry it will be invisible. 
 Then having prepared a glass decanter with a 
 little sulphuret of iron strewed over the bottom 
 of it, pour a little very dilute sulphuric acid upon 
 the sulphuret, so as not to wet the mouth of the 
 decanter, and suspend the writing, by means of 
 the glass stopper, within the decanter. By an 
 attention to the paper the writing will become 
 visible by degrees, as the gas rises from the bot- 
 tom of the vessel. 
 
 7. Write with a weak solution of sulphate of 
 iron, let it dry, and it will be invisible. By dip- 
 ping a feather in tincture of galls and drawing 
 the wet feather over the letters, the writing will 
 be restored and appear black. 
 
 8. Write with a similar solution, and when 
 dry wash the letters in the same way with prus- 
 siate of potash, and they will be restored to a 
 beautiful blue. 
 
 9. Write with a solution of sulphate of copper, 
 wash as before with prussiate of potash, and the 
 writing will be revived of a reddish-brown color. 
 
 10. Write on paper with a solution of nitrate 
 of bismuth ; when this is dry the writing will be 
 invisible ; but if the paper be exposed to sulphu- 
 retted hydrogen gas, the words will be distinctly 
 legible. 
 
 1 1 . A letter written with a diluted solution of 
 bismuth, becomes, when dry, illegible: but a 
 feather dipped in a solution of sulphuret of pot- 
 ash, will instantly blacken the oxide, and reyive 
 the writing. 
 
 TICKETING Ink, For Grocers, ^/r.— Dis- 
 solve I oz. of gum arable in 6 oz. water, and 
 strain; this is the mucilage; for a black color, 
 use drop-black, powdered, and ground with the 
 mucilage to extreme fineness; for blue, ultra- 
 marine is used in the same manner; for green, 
 emerald green; for white, flake white; for red, 
 Vermillion, lake, or carmine; for yellow, chrome 
 yellow. When ground too thick, they are thin- 
 ned with a little water. Apply to the cards with 
 a small brush. The cards may be sized with a 
 thin glue, and afterwards varnished, if it is de- 
 sired to preserve them. 
 
 TRANSFER Ink. — Mastic in tears, 4 ounces ; 
 shellac, 6 ounces ; Venice turpentine, ^ ounce ; 
 melt together ; add wax, ^ pound ; tallow, 3 
 ounces. When dissolved, further add hard tallow 
 soap (in shavings), 3 ounces ; and when the 
 whole is combined, add lampblack, 2 ounces. 
 Mix M'ell, cool a little, and then pour it into 
 molds. This ink is rubbed down with a little 
 water in a cup or saucer, in the same way as 
 water-color cakes. — In winter, the operation 
 should be performed near the fire. 
 
 LIRE'S. — Galls, 12 lbs., gum, 5 lbs., coppe- 
 ras, 5 lbs., rain-water, 12 gallons. Boil the galls 
 in 9 gallons of water for 3 hours, adding water 
 as it evaporates. Pour off the clear, add the 
 strained solution of gum, dissolve the copperas 
 separately; and mix the whole. To make 12 
 gallons. 
 
 VIOLET- — I. Take aniline violet, ^ ounce, 
 and digest it in 5 ounces of alcohol in a glass or 
 an enamelled iron vessel for 3 hours ; then add 
 
MEDICAL AND SURGICAL. 
 
 207 
 
 a full quart of distilled water and heat gently for 
 several hours, or until the odor of the spirit has 
 disappeared ; then mix in 2 drachms of gum ara- 
 ble dissolved in ^ pint of water, and allow the 
 • whole to settle.- Experiment will determine for 
 you the precise quantity of coloring matter that 
 will be required. — 2. Eight parts of logwood and 
 64 parts of water ; boil down to one-half, then 
 strain and add I part of chloride of tin. 
 
 VARIOUS OTHER Formulas for Black 
 Ink. — I. A method of making this has been re- 
 commended which is worthy of notice. Put into 
 a stoneware jar, containing a gallon of water, ^ 
 of a pound of bruised nutgalls, and then, 24 hours 
 after, add6ozs. of copperas, 6 ozs. of gum arable, 
 and 4 or 5 drops of creosote. The vessel is to be 
 closed and left for 2 or 3 weeks, but shaken every 2 
 days. The contents are then allowed to settle, 
 and the clear liquor will be fit for use, of a deep 
 black. — 2. To l gal. boiling soft water, add J/ 
 ounces extract logwood, boil 2 minutes, remove 
 from the fire and stir in 48 grains of bichromate 
 of potash, 48 grains of powdered gum arable, and 
 8 grains of prussiate potash. "For 10 gallons, use 
 7^ ounces extract of log\vood, i ouiY;e bichro- 
 mate potash. — 3. Take 2 ounces extract logwood; 
 I gallon soft water ; boil slightly, or simmer in 
 an iron vessel 15 minutes; dissolve in a little hot 
 water 24 grains bichromate of potash, 12 grains 
 Prussiate of potash, and stir into the liquid a few 
 minutes while over the fire ; take off, and when 
 settled, strain it twice through common muslin 
 or sheeting cloth. The above ink is a jet black 
 from the first, flows beautifully from the pen, 
 
 and is so indellible that even oxalic acid will not 
 remove it from paper. — 4. I pound of logwood is 
 boiled for 2 hours with 7 pounds of water ; the 
 latter must be renewed as fast as it evaporates ; 
 after cooling, 50 grains of yellow chromate of 
 potash are added, and the whole strained through 
 a cloth. It is then ready for use. — 5. Take cop- 
 peras 4 ounces, nutgalls 12 ounces, logwood, 8 
 ounces, gum arabic l ounce, glycerine, )^ ounce, 
 water 48 ounces , all the substances are to be 
 pulverized and boiled for I hour together; they 
 are then set to cool, strained through a flannel 
 bag, and after that filtered through a folded filter. . 
 A drop of oil of cloves is added, the whole well 
 shaken and filled into bottles. 
 
 WRITING WHICH DISAPPEARS IN 
 A FE W DA YS, Ink for. — A piece of sal am- 
 moniate is placed for 4 or 5 days in nitric acid, 
 and then powder of touchstone, such as jewelers 
 use for trying gold and silver, is mixed with the 
 liquid in sufficient quantity, this gives a writing 
 fluid which bleaches after six to eight days. A 
 still better ink of this kind may be obtained as 
 follows : Boil four ounces crushed gall-nuts in 
 diluted nitric acid, and add two ounces sulphate 
 of iron and some chloride of ammonium. Writ- 
 ing done with this mixture will disappear in a 
 few days. 
 
 YELLOW. — I. French berries, I pound; 
 alum, 2 ounces ; water, i gallon. Boil and strain, 
 then add gum arabic, 4 ounces. 
 
 2. A little alum, added to saffron, in soft hot 
 water, makes a beautiful yellow ink. 
 
 MEDICAL AND SURGICAL. 
 
 ABORTION.— The expulsion of the human 
 foetus, after the sixth week, and before the sixth 
 month of pregnancy. In its most extended sense, 
 the terra has been applied synonymously with 
 miscarriage. The latter term, however, has been 
 generally restricted to the first six weeks after 
 conception. The expulsion of the foetus after 
 the sixth but before the ninth month, is termed 
 premature labor. — Causes. — Nervous irritability, 
 
 f)lethora, advanced age, scurvy, syphilitic, scro- 
 ulous, or mercurial taints, malformation of spine 
 or pelvis, luxurious and indolent habits of living, 
 excessive indulgence of the passions, extreme 
 terror, anger, joy, etc. ; falls, blows, violent 
 exercise, vomiting, coughing, and rough purga- 
 tives; hot baths, stimulating liquors, and other 
 excitants generally. — Treatment. — Avoid all the 
 above mentioned exciting causes, and immediately 
 on the appearance of any suspicious symptoms 
 seek a recumbent posture, and repose in every 
 shape practicable. An aperient should be Liken, 
 and should there be much hemorrhage, injections 
 of cold water, or cold infusion of black tea, must 
 be had recourse to. A cold hipbath, or sponging 
 the lower part of the body with water and vin- 
 egar, often proves successful. Should the symp- 
 toms continue unabated, medical assistance 
 should be sought. Should the preceding meas- 
 ures prove ineffectual, and no violent symptoms 
 
 supervene, the remaining treatment may consist 
 in continuing the recumbent posture, keeping the 
 bowels regular, taking a light nutritious diet, and 
 avoiding exposure to draughts of cold air. This 
 treatment may be gradually abandoned by the 
 patient for her usual course of life, in proportion 
 as she feels herself able to do so. In many cases, 
 however, the only treatment required throughout, 
 is simply the adoption for a few days of the re- 
 cumbent posture, gentle laxatives, and a light 
 nutritious diet. 
 
 AGUE. — A species of fever which comes on 
 only at stated intervals, (hence called intermit- 
 tent,) leaving the patient between the periods of 
 attack, in apparently good health. The attacks 
 of this disease usually return with great regula- 
 rity, and have in consequence been distinguished 
 by names having reference to the periods of their 
 visits. From this characteristic nosologists have 
 divided them into the 
 
 Quotidian, returning after a lapse of 24 hours. 
 
 Tertian 48 do. 
 
 Quartan 72 do. 
 
 and so on until the interval extends to 9 or lo 
 days, as in the nonanus and decimanus. — Symp. 
 — The cold stage, marked by debility, paleness, 
 coldness, drowsiness, and general rigors through- 
 out the body, impaired respiration, nausea, vomit- 
 ing, etc These symptoms gradually abate, and 
 
208 
 
 DICTIONARY OF E VERY-DAY WANTS. 
 
 are fol'owed by — 2. The hot stage, distinguished 
 by the usual marks of fever, and, in some cases, 
 -snolent delirium, etc. After a certain time the 
 disease passes into. — 3. The sweating stage, 
 marked by a copious perspiration breaking out, 
 and a gradual return of most of the functions of 
 the bodv to their ordinary state. In many cases, 
 however, not only do the symptoms, but the suc- 
 cession of the stages and their duration also vary. 
 — Causes, Exposure to the miasmata of marshes 
 and stagnant water, putrefying animal and vege- 
 table matter, etc., poor diet, exposure to cold and 
 damps, damp bed-chamber or linen ; excessive 
 grief, fatigue, etc. To cure without quinine, — 
 take mandrake root, fresh dug, pound it, and 
 squeeze \% tablespoonfuls of the juice, add an 
 equal quantity of molasses, divide into 3 doses 
 of I tablespoonful each, to be given 2 hours apart, 
 commencing so that all will be taken before the 
 chill. Then steep dogwood bark (some call it 
 boxwood), make it strong, and continue to drink 
 it freely for a week or two at least. 
 
 AGUE in the BREAST.— Take i part of 
 gum camphor, 2 parts yellow beeswax, 3 parts 
 clean lard ; let all melt slowly, in any vessel, 
 (earthen best,) on stove. Use either cold or 
 warm ; spread very thinly on cotton or linen 
 cloths, covering those with flannel. No matter 
 if the breast is broken, it will cure if persevered 
 in. Do not, no matter how painful, cease from 
 drawing milk from the breast that is affected. 
 
 ANKLE, SERA INED.— Wush the ankle fre- 
 quently with cold salt and water, which is far better 
 than warm vinegar or decoctions of herbs. Keep 
 your foot as cold as possible to prevent inflam- 
 mation, and sit with it elevated on a cushion. 
 Live on very low diet, and take every day some 
 cooling medicine. By obeying these directions 
 ' only, a sprained ankle has been cured in a few 
 days. 
 
 '/ APOPLEXY. — Occurs only in the corpulent 
 or obese, and the gross or high livers. To treat, 
 raise the head to a nearly upright position ; un- 
 loose all tight cloths, strings, etc. , and apply cold 
 water to the head and warm water and warm 
 cloths to the feet. Have the apartment cool and 
 well ventilated. Give nothing by the mouth un- 
 til the breathing is relieved, and then only 
 draughts of cold water. 
 
 APPETITE, Loss of. — ^This may be caused 
 by the use or abuse of stimulants, tobacco or vio- 
 lent mental emotion, and can be remedied by the 
 avoidance of the exciting cause, regularity in eat- 
 ing and simplicity in diet. 
 
 ASTHMA. — A disease characterized by diffi- 
 culty of breathing, coming on by fits, accomp- 
 anied by a wheezing sound, cough, and tightness 
 of the chest, and generally terminating in a co- 
 pious expectoration, after the lapse of a few 
 hours. Asthma is principally confined to the 
 later periods of life, and appears in many cases 
 to be hereditary. The fits vary from two to 
 several hours' duration. Sometimes copious ex- 
 pectoration attends asthma, which has led to its 
 division into two kinds, — dry (asthma siccum) 
 and humid, (asthma humidum). It is brought 
 on by sudden exposure from heat to cold, to un- 
 wholesome effluvia, by h.ird drinking, full meals, 
 violent exercise, and by cold, damp, and foggy 
 weather. — Treatment. Avoid the above exciting 
 causes. Seek a dry, warm, and airy situation. 
 Wear flannel, keep the bowels regular, and the 
 stomach in order. The severity of the paroxysm 
 
 may be lessened by adopting the sitting posture, 
 and inhaling the vapor of hot water, or an infusion 
 of chamomile. Emetics and diaphoretics, follow- 
 ed by mild purgatives, may also be administered 
 with advantage. Various other remedies have 
 also been recommended; among them are the 
 following : — 
 
 ASTHAIA, Cure/or. — i. One ounce bonesett, 
 one ounce slippery elm, one ounce flax-seed, 
 stick liquorice. Simmer together in one quart of 
 water, strain carefully, add one pint of the best 
 molasses and one haU pound of loaf sugar. Sim- 
 mer them altogether and when cold, bottle tight. 
 — 2. A tea made from the leaves of the common 
 chestnut, which have fallen from the tree in au- 
 tumn, sweetened well, and used as a common 
 drink for 2 or 3 months has eflected a cure. A 
 light nutritious diet and strictly regular habits 
 should be adopted, which will often produce a 
 marked improvement and effect a cure, when me- 
 dicines have failed. 
 
 A TROPHY.— A wasting of the whole body- 
 generally produced by the body receiving an in- 
 sufficient supply of nourishment, arising from 
 imperfect digestion, diarrhoea, and in children, 
 very frequently from worms. The best treat- 
 ment is to keep the bowels regular, and ad- 
 minister mild tonics, or alteratives, accompanied 
 with a nutritious diet ; cleanliness, fresh air, and 
 moderate exercise are also essential. When 
 worms are the cause, attempts should be imme- 
 diately made to remove them. 
 
 BACK, Weak. — Take a beefs gall, pour it 
 into I pint alcohol, and bathe frequently. It 
 acts like a charm. Avoid the use of corsets and 
 all constrictions of dress. 
 
 BATHERS, Aphorisms for. — Avoid bathing 
 within two hours after a meal. 
 
 Avoid bathing when exhausted by fatigue or 
 from any other cause. 
 
 Avoid bathing when the body is cooling after 
 perspiration ; but 
 
 Bathe when the body is warm, provided no 
 time is lost in getting into the water. 
 
 Avoid chilling the body sitting or standing 
 naked on the bank or in boats after having been 
 in the water. 
 
 Avoid remaining too long in the water. Leave 
 the water immediately there is the slightest feel- 
 ing of chilliness. 
 
 Avoid bathing altogether in the open air if, 
 after having been a short time in the water, there 
 is a sense of chilliness with numbness of the hands 
 and feet. 
 
 The vigorous and strong may bathe early in 
 the morning on an empty stomach. 
 
 The young and those that are weak, had bet- 
 ter bathe three hours after a meal. The best 
 time for such is from two to three hours after 
 breakfast. 
 
 Those who are subject to attacks of giddiness 
 and faintness, and those who suffer from palpi- 
 tation and other sense of discomfort at the heart, 
 should not bathe without first consulting their 
 medical adviser. 
 
 BA TH, The <•<>/</.— Temperature 35 to 65 de- 
 grees. The application of cold water to the sur- 
 face of the body is attended with an immediate 
 tonic effect. This is evident from the glow which 
 takes place and the sense of renewed strength in- 
 dicating an increased action in all the vessels ol 
 the system. The application of the cold water 
 possesses the power of contracting the solid parts 
 
MEDICAL AND SURGICAL. 
 
 2og 
 
 of the body, and this contraction is followed by 
 a reaction in which the nerves, bloodvessels and 
 all the organs of the system are excited to a more 
 healthy and energetic performance of their func- 
 tions. The best method of taking a cold bath is 
 in the sea or in a river, and it is well not to pro- 
 tract the process, since the benefit derived 
 depends on the first impression the cold water 
 makes on the skin and nerves. 
 
 BA TH, The Shower.— The shower bath is 
 most useful when there is any determination of 
 the fluids to the head. Several other reasons 
 may here be stated for the superiority of the 
 shower bath. The sudden contact of the water 
 which in the ordinary cold bath is but momentary, 
 may in the shower bath be prolonged, repeated, 
 and modified at pleasure. The first shock is re- 
 ceived on the head, and the blood is therefore 
 impelled downwards ; the shower bath descends 
 in single streams and drops, and for this reason 
 is more stimulating and pleasant than immersion 
 in cold water. It is indeed an indefinite repe- 
 tition of the one single effect produced by a 
 plunge into cold water, and it is easily procured 
 and readily adapted to the circumstances of the 
 patient. 
 
 BA TH, The Tepid.— T\ie water for this bath 
 ought to be from 85 to 95 degrees of the thermo- 
 meter. The tepid bath has much efificacy in re- 
 ducing the general excitement, lessening the pul- 
 sation in fevers, and is of great service in pre- 
 gnancy and infancy. It is also very important 
 in complaints of the stomach and liver, in the 
 debility produced by long residence in hot cli- 
 mates, in the languor and weakness accompany- 
 ing delicate habits, and in gout, rheumatic affec- 
 tions, and cutaneous diseases. It is admirably 
 adapted for persons in advanced life. The best 
 period for the bath is the morning, between ten 
 and twelve o'clock. 
 
 BA TH, The IVarm.—Yor this bath the water 
 should be from 93 to 98 degrees of heat. It is 
 of great utility in a variety of ailments, such as 
 inflammatory and rheumatic affections, diseases 
 of the skin, intestinal obstructions, nervous irri- 
 tation, and debility, whether constitutional or 
 arising from previous illness, intemperance, late 
 hours and hard study, or irregularity in diet or 
 exercise. Women, who are delicate, weak, and 
 nervous, may, with much confidence, expect re- 
 lief from the use of a warm bath. If the warm 
 bath is not intended to produce perspiration, it 
 can properly be used at any time from an hour 
 after breakfast till dinner, but if increased per- 
 spiration be the object the evening is the best 
 time for this bath, and the patient should be con- 
 veyed from the bath to a warm bed. 
 
 BATH, The /(^t^A— Temperature 98 to 104 
 degrees. Bathing in tepid and warm water has 
 a sedative effect. It excites the sensation of heat, 
 lowers the pulse, relaxes the skin, diminishes ex- 
 citement, and proves eminently refreshing. On 
 the contrary, hot baths are stimulating ; they 
 quicken the action of the heart, redden the skin, 
 make the respiration more frequent, and produce 
 copious perspiration. 
 
 BATH, The Vapor. — lOO to 115 degrees. 
 This species of bath is recommended for the same 
 classes of ailments for which the warm bath is 
 applicable, and it has not unfrequently succeeded 
 in producing the desired effects when warm bath- 
 ing has failed to do so. 
 
 BATH, The Turkish.— 1\Cvs, bath, has been 
 
 greatly lauded, by those interested, as a perfect 
 panacea for all human ills, whereas it has been 
 proven by impartial judges that its use, only oc- 
 casionally, does grievous harm to the strength 
 of the person, and invariably retards a recovery 
 to perfect health. Every time a Turkish bath is 
 taken, the patient, whether healthy or sickly 
 looses a certain proportion of his vital force — of 
 his ability to generate life power, and in this 
 way, is lost the power to resist contagious or 
 inflamatory diseases. The lungs are also injured, , 
 they cannot help being so, breathing such a 
 super-heated atmosphere as is attached to Turk- 
 ish baths. The healthy, and elastic tone of the 
 skin of the whole body is impaired. The most 
 effeminate, idle and unprogressive of all nations 
 — the Turks — are made largely so, by the use of 
 this bath, (where it originated) and its almost in- 
 valuable accessories, — tobacco, coffee and licen- 
 tiousness. 
 
 BA TH, The Russian. — ^The remarks made 
 under the heading of Turkish Baths, apply with 
 equal force to the Russian, and should be avoid- 
 ed, by all who wish to keep their strength of 
 body mtact, or to recover from sickness. 
 
 BILIOUSNESS. — Persons subject to bilious 
 attacks should be particularly careful to avoid 
 excess in eating and drinking, and should espe- 
 cially avoid using those articles of food which, 
 from experience, they find to disagree with them. 
 Tea, coffee, chocolate, tobacco, alcoholic liquors 
 sugar, sweetened food, and grease in any shape, 
 if avoided will have a marked effect on a speedy 
 recovery. 
 
 BLOOD, Spitting of. — i. Take two spoon- 
 fuls of the juice of nettles every morning, and a 
 large cup of the decoction of nettles at night, for 
 a week. — 2. Take three spoonfuls of sage-juice 
 in a little honey. This presently stops either 
 spitting or vomiting blood. — 3.* Take twenty 
 grains of alum ir. water every two hours. 
 
 BLOOD, Transfusion of. — This operation 
 may be described in six parts : 
 
 1st. Preparation. The points to be attented to 
 are — to have a good light ; the two subjects to 
 be operated on close to one another ; two glasses 
 standing in a basin of water at temperature of 
 29" R. ; a bundle of fine, clean twigs ; a fine 
 piece of linen to strain the blood through after 
 defibrination ; a bistoury, scissors, thermometer, 
 sponges, restoratives, cold water. Also, a stout 
 double thread, and ear-sound, or Dechampsche' 
 needle. 
 
 2d. Consists of bareing and binding the arm as 
 for venesection ; choosing the largest vein ; mak- 
 ing an incision one and a half inches long parallel 
 and down to it. If there be any bleeding it must 
 be checked by cold, and the vein, as it lies in the 
 centre of the cut, must be carefully dissected 
 loose from the cellular tissue for about half an 
 inch, and the double thread be passed under it. 
 A cold-water compress should now be laid on the 
 wound. 
 
 The 3d act consists in drawing five or six oun- 
 ces of blood into one of the glasses, whipping it 
 five to eight minutes with the bundle of twigs, 
 and then straining it into the other glass. 
 
 The 4th act consists in placing the canula in 
 the vein. The latter is drawn out of the wound 
 by the threads— the bandage having been pre- 
 viously taken from the arm,and a V-shaped piece, 
 two lines long, cut out of the vein with the scis- 
 sors, or the vein cut half through. The canula 
 14 
 
DICTIONARY OF EVERY-DAY WANTS. 
 
 or tube of the syringe is now introduced, it hav- 
 ing been previously warmed and carefully filled 
 with blood, so that no air may be contained in it 
 (the point in this respect must be especially look- 
 ed to). When the tube is inserted the threads 
 must be tied around it tightly, so as to prevent 
 any escape of the blood. Some use a Nussbaum's 
 or conical canula, which itself fills up the vein 
 and prevents any return of the blood. 
 
 The 5th act is the transfusion proper. The 
 blood must be forced into the vein very slowly 
 and carefully, always remembering the results of 
 the introduction of a little air. The point of the 
 wanned syringe should never be entirely emptied. 
 If a refilling of the syringe is required the vein 
 should be held just above the point of the canula. 
 
 rhe 6th act consists of placing a large wet 
 compress over the wound, and binding it firmly 
 by a roller bandage. Sticking-plaster and other 
 methods of drawmg the lips of the wound to- 
 gether should be eschewed, as conducive to phle- 
 bitis. 
 
 Woman's blood should always, if possible, be 
 used in injecting into a woman, man's blood for 
 a man, although, if necessary, this precept may 
 be departed from. The blood should be taken 
 only from a strong, healthy individual. Blood 
 defibrinated by whipping is preferable to simple 
 blood, unless time be so important that the few 
 minutes occupied in preparing it are of conse- 
 quence. If simple blood be used, it must be 
 taken into the syringe as fast as it flows from the 
 veins, as exposure to the air favors greatly co- 
 agulation. 
 
 BOILS. — Boils are first formed from a little 
 knot of veins, nerves, etc., as warts and corns. 
 It first shows itself in a small, tender, red spot, 
 which continues to enlarge for four or eight days, 
 when it opens and discharges a little pus and 
 blood, and exposes to view a mass of dead mat- 
 ter, called the core. In two or three days more 
 this comes away, and the cup-like cavity gradual- 
 ly fills up. When there are many of them in 
 succession, constitutional treatment is needed; 
 generally the blood lacks alkalies, which must 
 be supplied ; or it may need iron. A boil should 
 always run its course, and should not be disturb- 
 ed, except to apply a flaxseed-poultice, when 
 painful. An incipient boil may be stopped by 
 touching it with lunar caustic. 1 1 is well to poul- 
 tice a boil for two or three days after it opens, 
 and after these a stimulating salve. To Prevent, 
 eat simple food, and less of it, and avoid grease, 
 sugar, and hot drinks. 
 
 BOWELS, Acute Inflammation of . — This is an 
 inflammation of the mucous membrane which 
 lines them.as it is generally understood, but really 
 involves more or less the whole substance of the 
 bowel. — Symptoms. — The disease begins with a 
 chill, and with uneasiness and slight gripingpains, 
 which increase in severity until they are intense 
 and burning. Pressure aggravates the pain, 
 which is greatest about the navel, but extends 
 over the whole bowel. There is sickness at the 
 itomach, and sometimes vomiting; loss of 
 strength, costivcness, great anxiety, thirst, heat 
 and fever, dry, furred, and red tongue, and but 
 little urine, with p. in in passing it. The matters 
 passed from the bowels are dark and fetid, and 
 the whole belly is sore to the touch. The pulse 
 is quick, hard, and small. If the stomach sym- 
 pathizes but little with the disease, it indicates 
 the seat of it to be in the lower portion of the 
 
 bowels. The length of time, also, before drink 
 and medicine are vomited up after being swal- 
 lowed, is a pretty sure indication of the distance 
 of the disease from the stomach. To discrimi- 
 nate this disease from colic, it is necessary to 
 know that pressure produces pain, which it does 
 not in colic ; the pain never wholly ceases, as it 
 does in colic ; the knees are drawn up and the 
 breathing short, or altered, as they are not in 
 colic. — Treatment. — Hot fomentations, mustard- 
 poultices, soothing and quieting injections, cool- 
 ing drinks, such as slippery elm, flaxseed-tea, 
 etc., with tincture of veratrum viride in full 
 doses, or ten drops every hour, to keep up a 
 free perspiration, will generally be all that is 
 necessary. If the disease has been occasioned 
 by the strangulation of a gut, or by hernia, it is 
 very unmanageable. The gut may be disentan- 
 gled by applying a large dry cup, or, what is 
 better, a number of small ones, but the tender- 
 ness of the belly makes this difficult. 
 
 BOWELS, Chronic Inflammation ^— The 
 signs of this disease are, a dull pain in the belly, 
 the tongue bordered with red, abdomen either 
 swelled or flat, skin dry and husky, cold extrem- 
 ities, small, frequent pulse, thirst, loss of flesh, 
 low spirits, scanty urine, slimy discharges from 
 the bowels from one to four times a day. The 
 treatment commences with mustard -poultices, 
 and hot fomentations. Cold compresses at night, 
 the body well covered up in flannel, should be 
 used if the bowels are very feverish. The warm 
 bath twice a week, taking care not to get cold. 
 The diet must be very simple and unstimulating 
 — beginning with gum water, rice or barley- 
 water, sago or arrow-root gruel, and gradually 
 raising it to chicken-broth, beef-tea or tender 
 beef-steak. Gentle carriage-exercise, as soon as 
 the patient is able, will prove beneficial. A very 
 mild laxative should be given on the inflamma- 
 tion being subdued. 
 
 BRAIN, Inflammation of. — Acute and general 
 inflammation of the brain has two stages. The 
 stage of excitement, in which there is intense and 
 deep-seated pain in the head, extending over a 
 large part of^it, a feeling of tightness across the 
 fore-head, throbbing of the temporal arteries, a 
 flushed face, injected eyes, looking wild and 
 brilliant, contraction of the pupils, great shrink- 
 ing from light and sound, violent dehrium, want 
 of sleep, general convulsions, a parched and dry 
 skin, a quick and hard pulse, a white tongue, 
 thirst, nausea and vomiting, and constipation of 
 the bowels. The Stage of collapse, in which there 
 are indistinct mutterings, dull and perverted 
 hearing and vision, double vision, the pupil from 
 being contracted expands largely and becomes 
 motionless, twitchings of the muscles, tremors 
 and palsy of some of the limbs, a ghastly and 
 cadaverous countenance, cold sweats, profound 
 coma, and death. The disease will not show all 
 these symptoms in any one case. It runs a rapid 
 course, causing death, sometimes, in twelve or 
 twenty-four hours ; or it may run two or three 
 weeks. — Treatment. — ^The treatment should be 
 very energetic, and early administered. The 
 measures usually employed are cold water applica- 
 tions to the head; hot application to the feet, and 
 emptying the bowels by copious injections of 
 water. 
 
 BRAIN, Enlargement of. — This chiefly aflfects 
 children, and consists in an unnatural growth of 
 the brain. The skull may grow with it, and there 
 
MEDICAL AND SURGICAL. 
 
 211 
 
 be no symptoms of disease, though children with 
 this large brain are apt to die of some brain 
 disease. The symptoms of enlargement of the 
 brain are, dullness of intellect, indifference to ex- 
 ternal objects, irritable temper, inordinate appe- 
 tite, giddiness, and habitual headache. Some- 
 times there are convulsions, epileptic fits, and 
 idiocy. There is also a peculiar prdection of 
 the parietal bones in this disease, — TreaUnenL 
 As much as possible, repress all exercise of th« 
 mind. Do not suffer the child to go to school; 
 but put it to the most active and muscular exer- 
 cise in the open wc. The moment there is any 
 heat in the top of the head, apply cold water, ice, 
 or cold, evaporating lotions. The diet should be 
 very simple, bread and milk only, if, as the child 
 grows up, the signs of disease increase. 
 
 BRAIN, Softening of-, — When this follows 
 inflammation, the most marked symptom is the 
 rigid contraction of the muscles which draw up 
 the limbs ; the hand may be clenched and pressed 
 against the shoulder ; or the heel drawn up to 
 the hip. The other symptoms are — tingling and 
 numbness in the ends of the fingers ; perverted 
 vision, or blindness; paralysis of one limb, or 
 half of the body ; difficulty of answering ques- 
 tions; forgetfulness, makmg it difficult some- 
 times for the patient to remember his own name. 
 
 BREA TIT, F(Etid. — Scarcely any thing is 
 more disagreeable or disgusting than a stinking 
 breath. Various means have been proposed to 
 remove this annoyance, depending principally on 
 the administration of aromatics, which by their 
 odor might smother it for a time ; but these re- 
 quire continual repetition, and are liable to in- 
 terfere with the functions of digestion. The real 
 cause of a stinking breath is either a diseased 
 stomach or carious teeth ; when the former is the 
 case aperients should be administered; and if 
 these do not succeed, an emetic may be given, 
 followed by a dose of salts, or castor oil occasion- 
 ally. When rotten teeth are the cause, they 
 should be removed ; or, if this be impossible, 
 they should be kept clean. Dirty teeth often 
 cause the breath to smell. The use of the tooth- 
 brush should be a daily habit. Occasionally 
 rinsing out the mouth with a little clean water, 
 to which a few drops of a solution of chloride of 
 lime, or chloride of soda, has been added, is an 
 effective method. The following lozenges have 
 also been recommended : — 
 
 BREATH, {FCETID) Lozenges for.— Qmxq. 
 catechu, 2 oz.; white sugar, 4 oz.; orris powder, 
 I oz.; make them into a paste with mucilage, and 
 add a drop or two of neroli. One or two may 
 be sucked at pleasure. 
 
 BREASTS, Caked.— -^6\\ a handful of camo- 
 mile, and as much mallows in milk and water. 
 Foment with it between two flannels, as hot as 
 can be borne, every twelve hours. It also dis- 
 solves any knot or swelling in any part where 
 there is no inflammation. 
 
 BRIGHT S DISEASE, Milk m.— Dr. Ar- 
 thur Scott Donkin extols a skim-milk diet in 
 this disease. "The first appreciable action", 
 he says, "of skim-milk taken to the extent of six 
 or seven pints daily, is that of a most energetic 
 diuretic, a profuse flow of urine being rapidly 
 produced. The effect of this, in Bright's disease, 
 is to flush the uriniferous tubules, and to dislodge 
 and wash out the concrete casts of diseased epi- 
 thelial cells bv which they are blocked up and 
 distended. This emptying of the tubules relieves 
 
 their pressure on the surrounding secondary ca- 
 pillaries ; the blood begins to flow more freely 
 through them ; the distension of the primary 
 Malpighian capillaries is relieved, less and less 
 albumen escapes through their walls until the 
 renal circulation is gradually restored, when it 
 finally disappears from the urine. While this 
 beneficial change is progressing, healthy epi- 
 thelium is developed in the tubules, and the urin- 
 ary excrement is withdrawn from the blood. In 
 short, a healthy nutrition becomes re-established 
 in thekMneys through the agency of milk, which, 
 above all other substances, seems to exercise a 
 controlling influence over this process. 
 
 B RON CHOC ELE, {Enlarged neck.) — To 
 cure take iodide of potassium, 2 drs.; iodine, i dr.; 
 water, 2)4 ozs.; mix and shake a few minutes 
 and pour a little into a vial for internal use. — 
 Dose. — Five to ten drops before each meal, to be 
 taken in a little water. — External application. — ' 
 With a feather wet the enlarged neck, from the 
 other bottle, night and morning, until well. 
 
 BRONCHITIS, ^r«//.— This disease begins 
 with chills followed by fever ; tightness across 
 the chest, difficulty of breathing, hoarseness, 
 loss of strength, costive bowels, and a quick, hard 
 pulse. Water runs from the eyes and nostrils, 
 and there is a dry, harsh, croupy, cough. After 
 a few days mucus begins to be raised, which is 
 thick and ropy, and occasionally streaked with 
 blood. There is more or less pain in the chest ; 
 pain across the forehead, increased by coughing, 
 and a pale, anxious countenance. In severe 
 cases there is a tightness across the chest, causing 
 the patient to call for the windows to be opened, 
 to avoid suffocation. There is difficulty of breath- 
 ing, a paleness and lividity of the cheeks and 
 lips ; a loud wheezing and rattling in the throat, 
 followed by cold sweat, insensibility and death. — 
 Treatment. — In mild cases, give warm flaxseed 
 or balm-tea, or hot lemonade — at the same time 
 soaking the feet in warm water, and on retiring 
 to bed, placing bottles of hot water to the feet 
 and sides to produce sweating. If the bowels 
 be costive, give rhubarb and magnesia, or salts 
 and senna. In severe cases, an active emetic is 
 needed, followed by tincture of veratrum viride in 
 full doses, so as to reduce the pulse. The room 
 should be kept warm, and the air should be moist, 
 if there is difficulty of breathing. A gentle per- 
 spiration should be kept up, either by compound 
 tincture of Virginia snake-root, by tincture of ver- 
 atrum, or by frequent bathing of the surface. A 
 mustard-paste on the chest, and soles of the feet, is 
 important ; and the diet should be of barley-water, 
 toast-water, rice-water, or a solution of gum-arabic. 
 The cough may be managed by a mixture of tinc- 
 ture of lobelia, half an ounce ; syrup of squills, ' 
 half an ounce. Mix and give twenty drops four 
 or five times a day. 
 
 BUNION. — The bunion, or swelling on the 
 ball of the great toe, is produced by the same 
 cause as the corn — pressure and irritation by 
 friction. It may be checked in their early deve- 
 lopment by binding the joint with adhesive 
 plaster and' keeping it on as long as any uneas- 
 iness is felt. The bandaging should l)e perfect, 
 and it might be well to extend it round the foot. 
 An inflamed bunion should be poulticed, and 
 larger shoes be worn. Iodine, twelve grains ; 
 lard or spermaceti ointment, half an ounce, makes 
 a capital ointment for bunions. It should be 
 rubbed on gently twice or thrice a day. 
 
212 
 
 DICTIONARY OF EVERY-DAY WANTS. 
 
 BURYING ALIVE.— To know when death 
 has really occur* d and so prevent burying alive 
 hold a lighted ca idle to any portion of the body, 
 a blister will soon rise; if on puncture it gives 
 out a fluid substance, death has not taken place ; 
 if it emits air only, it is perfectly certain that life 
 has become entirely extinct, for which we offer 
 but one reason among others, in case of actual 
 death the blood is congealed in a sense, 
 there is no moisture, simply a little air, this being 
 rarihed under the flame, raises up the skin ; if 
 there is life, the flame causes an inflayimation 
 and nature, in her alarm, sends increased mate- 
 rial there for repair, a kind of glairy fluid, and 
 this being sent there in excess, causes the skin 
 to rise ; inability to feel the pulse or heart beat ; 
 cold skin, no dew on a bit oiglass, none of these 
 are conclusive, as there has been life, when none 
 of these were observed. 
 
 CANCER, Treatment of. — Cancer has rwo 
 stages: that of induration or stony hardness; the 
 second, ulceration or open cancer. Cancer most 
 often attacks the female breast, the skin, the 
 tongue, the stomach, the neck of the womb, 
 the lips, etc. It rarely occurs in subjects under 
 thirty-five years of age, and not often in persons 
 under forty-five. 
 
 The symptoms of cancer in the breast are, a 
 puckered condition, and a dull, leaden color of 
 the skin, a hard, knotty, and uneven feel, and 
 occasional sharp pains. When it attacks the skin 
 and mucous membrane, there is a hard, warty 
 lump, which ulcerates after a time, producing an 
 open sore, with a hard base. The sore discharges 
 an irritating, excoriating matter, which has a pe- 
 culiarly fetid odor, so offensive and so different 
 from any other smell that it i^ seldom forgotten. 
 Various modes of treating cancer have been, 
 r at different times, recommended by the faculty 
 and empirics. Among these, extirpation with 
 the knife appears to be most in favor with the 
 former, when practicable. The removal of the 
 tumor does not, however, destroy the constitu- 
 tional taint, although it may lessen its intensity, 
 and render the subsequent treatment of the dis- 
 ease less diflScult. Recently, the application of 
 intense cold has been highly recommended in 
 cancerous affections of the glands. A little pound- 
 ed ice is tied up in the corner of a thin silk hand- 
 kerchief or a piece of bladder, and the "pad" 
 thus formed pressed gently against the tumor 
 and the parts immediately adjacent for a short 
 time, once or twice a day. The degree of cold 
 may be increased by mixing an equal weight 
 of common salt with the pounded ice, by which 
 tlie benumbing effect of the application will be 
 greatly augmented. It should be frozen solid to 
 Us roots, after which the skin should be carbo- 
 lized to insensibility, and a crucial incision made 
 down to, but not into, the tumor, in which the 
 ' caustic, consisting of chloride of zinc ; carbolic 
 acid, and tannin, is to be inserted and allowed 
 to remain five hours, after which time it becomes 
 very painful and should be removed. Then cover 
 with a mild poultice. In four or five days the 
 cancerous mass will slough off. 
 
 The reason why a cancerous tumor should not 
 be cut info, nor cut around, is, that the minute 
 germs, cells, or molecules, which constitute its 
 nuclei, iiny be diffused into the adjacent struc- 
 ture, and in a few months reproduce the cancer ; 
 and this is why the ordinary practice of surgeons 
 in cutting them out never euros, while the caustic 
 
 treatment if properly managed, destroys these 
 germs, and results in permanent recovery, 
 
 CANCER, Other Remedies for. — Common 
 salt has been put forth as a remedy by Col. Us- 
 sory, of De Soto, who says he learned the secret 
 of a Spanish woman. His mode of using this 
 remedy is as follows : Take an egg and break it, 
 pour out the white, retaining \he yolk in the 
 shell, put in salt, mix it with the yolk as long as 
 it will receive it, and stirr them together until a 
 salve is formed ; put a portion of this on a piece 
 of sticking plaster, and apply it to the cancer 
 twice or thrice a day. He says that he has tried 
 the remedy twice in his own family, with com- 
 plete success. — 2. The following is said to be a 
 sure cure for cancer : A piece of sticking plaster 
 is put over the cancer, with a circular piece cut 
 out of the centre, a little larger than the cancer, 
 so that the cancer and a small circular rim of 
 healthy skin next to it is exposed. Then a 
 plaster, made of chloride of zinc, bloodroot, and 
 wheat flour, is spread on a piece of muslin the 
 size of this circular opening, and applied to the 
 cancer for twenty-four hours. On removing it, 
 the cancer will be found burned into and appear 
 of the color and hardness of an old shoe sole, and 
 the circular rim outside of it will appear white 
 and parboiled, as if scalded by hot steam. The 
 wound is now dressed, and the outside rim soon 
 separates, and the cancer comes out in a hard 
 lump and the place heals up. The plaster kills 
 the cancer, so that it sloughs like dead flesh, and 
 never grows again. The remedy was discovered 
 by Dr. Fell, of London, and has been used by 
 him for six or eight years with unfailing success, 
 and not a case has been known of the reappear- 
 ance of the cancer when this remedy has been 
 applied. — 3. A salve made from the juice of the 
 wood sorrel, gathered in a green state, the juice 
 expressed and evaporated to the consistency of a 
 paste, on a pewter plate, in the sun, and applied 
 to the cancerous part, will, — it is said — 
 successfully remove the diseased part. The 
 oxalic acid of the plant acts upon the lead, and 
 the product is a salve which operates with more 
 healing power on cancerous sores than anything 
 so easily obtained. — i,. Boil fine Turkey figs in 
 new milk, which they will thicken ; when they 
 are tender, split, and apply them, as warm as can 
 be borne, to the part affected, whether broken or 
 not; the part must then be washed, every time 
 the poultice is changed, with some of the milk; 
 use a fresh poultice night and morning, and at 
 least once during the day, and drink a quarter of 
 a pint of the milk the figs are boiled in, twice in 
 the twentyfour hours. If the stomach will bear 
 it, this must be persevered in three or four decades 
 at least. The first application gives a good deal 
 of pain, but afterwards each dressing gives relief. 
 — 6. The latest discovered remedy is a plant call- 
 ed "cundurango" discovered in Ecquador. This 
 is said to be a specific, but from the limited use of 
 it at this date of writing, it is impossible to po- 
 sitively determine its supposed specific qualities. 
 
 CANKER. — To cure take I large teaspoonfiil 
 of watdr, 2 teaspoonfuls of honey, 2 of loaf sugar, 
 3 of powdered sage, 2 of powdered goldthread, 
 and I of alum. Stir up all together; put into a 
 vessel, and let it simmer moderately over a steady 
 fire. An oven is better. Then bottle for use. 
 Give a teaspoonful occasionally through the day. 
 
 CARBUNCLE.— Thi?. is a large and painful 
 boil, having a surface more flat than a boil, and 
 
MEDICAL AND SURGICAL, 
 
 213 
 
 greater inflammation. Tlie constitutional symp- 
 toms are also more severe. It generally appears 
 on the thighs, back or buttock, and goes through 
 the same process as a boil, only discharging a 
 much larger core. To treat make an incision the 
 full extent of the carbuncle, and stuff it with cot- 
 ton saturated with pure carbolic acid, also paint- 
 ing the whole surface of the hardened mass with 
 the acid. This will be followed with a sharp, 
 burning sensation for a few minutes, after which 
 the pain will subside completely and will not 
 again appear. In the same way the insertion of the 
 acid is to be renewed daily until a cure is effected. 
 CATARRH. — Catarrh is generally only a 
 cold — if it becomes chronic it assumes a dif- 
 ferent form. The phlegm or waste matter be- 
 comes acrid and almost poisonous, and serves 
 to keep up the disease. The phlegm or waste 
 matter appears to be matter which is not carried 
 off by the usual channels. The remedy when the 
 catarrh is not of long standing is the same as 
 for a cold — restore the perspiration. This can be 
 done by drinking warm gruel, or hot lemonade, 
 and putting the feet in hot water, and going to 
 bed immediately. Or by wringing out a towel 
 in tepid water and applying to the throat and 
 chest, putting two or three dry ones over it, so 
 that the chest and throat are well covered. Warm 
 drinks- help this also. The hot air bath, made 
 by putting a lamp on the floor, and sitting over 
 it in loose but warm clothing, the whole care- 
 fully surrounded by blankets, is also a good 
 process. Of course it needs to be carefully con- 
 ducted. Its purpose is also to induce perspira- 
 tion. Sometimes a cold runs into catarrh by 
 such slow degrees as not to be noticed until the 
 
 Eatient begins to feel as if there were a threader 
 air in the roof of his mouth or throat. This is 
 the beginning of chronic catarrh. The phlegm 
 is becoming a source of disease. In connection 
 with the above any of the following local appli- 
 cation may be used. — I. Snuff strong saltwater 
 three times a day ; draw up into the nostrils from 
 the palm of the hand all that can be taken, then 
 close the nostrils and retain the salt water as long as 
 it can be endured. It is quite painful, but the 
 cure depends wholly upon this. Cleanse the part 
 affected thoroughly each time it is used. — 2. Dr. 
 Pallon, a French physician, has discovered that 
 ammonia inhaled through the nose will cure 
 catarrh. If the case is severe, the inhalation 
 should be continued until the sense of smell is 
 restored, when it should cease for a minute, and 
 then re-applied for a shorter period, and so re- 
 peated seven or eight times in the course of five 
 minutes. — ^3. Take one part finely pulverized salt- 
 petre, and mix with two parts white sugar re- 
 duced to flour. It must be snuffed up the nose 
 a dozen times or more a day, according to the 
 severity of the affection. 
 
 CAUSTICS, New Alode of Ust'n^.— The. ex- 
 treme danger of conveying infection on the point 
 of a frequently used pencil of caustic, will recom- 
 mend this simple dence to the medical profes- 
 sion : Take a bundle of splints of wood, similar 
 to lucifer matches ; dip the ends in melted cau- 
 stic, seperate them, and allow them to dry. A 
 fresh match of caustic may be used for each af>- 
 plication, and a fine caustic point is thus always 
 ' at hand. Lunar and carbolic acid, and all the 
 solid caustic bodies, may be used in this manner. 
 CHAFING, Remedy for. — Among the annoy- 
 ances to which persons of an obese physique are 
 
 subject in hot weather, especially if they walk 
 much, is chafing in those parts where a con- 
 glomeration of muscles unite. Nothing is better, 
 as a remedy and also as a preventive, than a 
 lotion of alum in water. It should be applied 
 with a soft linen or cotton rag at night, l)efore 
 retiring. A piece of alum as large as a hazel nut, 
 dissolved in half a pint of water is sufficient. It 
 will quickly heal excoriated skin and harden the 
 unabraded cuticle. The use of this for years 
 with the most beneficial results, is sufficient 
 authority for trial of this simple remedy. It is 
 good aUo for tender feet and soft corns. 
 
 CHILBLAINS. — An inflammatory swelling, 
 of a purple or lead color, produced by the action 
 of cold. Children, especially those of a scrof- 
 ulous habit, and elderly persons are generally 
 most liable to chilblains. The common cause of 
 chilblains is holding the hands or feet to the fire, 
 after exposure to cold. The sudden change of 
 temperature partially destroys the vitality and 
 prevents the proper flow of blood through the 
 part The best preventives of chilblains are 
 woollen socks or stocking, good waterproof 
 shoes, woollen gloves, exercise and friction. 
 Among the cures for chilblains, are the following 
 recipes: — i. Sulphate of copper, (blue vitriol), 
 I oz.; rosemary water, I pt. Dissolve. Apply 
 as a wash. — 2. Sal ammoniac, I oz.; vinegar, y^ 
 pt. — 3. Sal ammoniac, i oz.; rum, ^ pt.; cam- 
 phor, I dr. The affected part is wetted night 
 and morning, and when dry, is touched with a 
 little simple ointment of any kind — cold cream 
 or pomatum. — 4. Oil of turpentine, 2 oz.; cam- 
 phor, 3 dr.; oil of cajeput, I dr. Apply with 
 friction. — 5, Sulphate of copper, 20 gr.; water, 
 
 1 oz. As a wash, and twice a day. — 6. Hydro- 
 chloric acid, I oz.; water, il oz. — 7. Olive oil, 
 
 2 oz.; white wax, 2 dr.; dissolved by the aid of 
 heat; balsam of Peru, i dr.; hydrochloric acid, 
 2 dr. Mix well. To be used for unbroken 
 blains. — 8. Olive oil, ^ pt.; white spermaceti, J^ 
 oz.; camphor, y^ oz.; mix with heat; addhydro- 
 cloric acid, ^ fluid oz. For unbroken blains 
 and good. — 9. — Russian remedy. — ^The rind of 
 perfectly ripe cucumbers, with part of the flesh 
 of the fruit tied on, having previously been soak- 
 ed in warm water, with the inner side toward the 
 affected part 
 
 All the above are for unbroken chilblains. — 
 10. For broken blains. Black oxide of iron, I 
 dr.; bole, i dr.; oil of turpentine, i dr.; bees- 
 wax, Yj, oz.; rosin, ^ oz.; sweet oil, ]A^ oz.; or 
 better still: — 11. Rosin, i oz.; beeswax, 1^2 oz.; 
 sweet oil, 3 oz.; calamine, (prepared carbonate 
 of lead) % oz. All but the last are melted to- 
 gether, and the last gradually stirred in until it 
 is cool. Any bottom sediment is rejected. 
 
 Of all the recipes above given, we think the 
 last the most valuable. 
 
 CHILDREN Care of. — Dress children 
 warmly, woolen flannel next their person during 
 the whole year. By every consideration, protect 
 the extremities well. It is an ignorant barbarism 
 that allows a child to have bare arms, and legs, and 
 feet, even in summer. The circulation should 
 be invited to the extremities ; warmth does that; 
 cold repels it. It is at the hands and feet we 
 begin to die. Those who have cold hands and 
 feet are never well. Plenty of warmth, plenty 
 of substantial food and ripe fruits, and plenty of 
 joyous out-door exercise, would save millions of 
 chiildren annually. 
 
214 
 
 DICTIONARY OF E VERY-DAY WANTS. 
 
 CHLOROFORM, To prevent Death from.— 
 Experiments on inferior animals show that they 
 may be restored from apparent death from chlo- 
 roform by the continuous galvanic current, the 
 negative pole being put in the mouth and the po- 
 sitive pole in the rectum. In some cases the 
 animal was left for two minutes in a state of ap- 
 parent death and then restored. 
 
 CHOLERA. — The symptoms in this disease 
 are, a derangement in the digestive organs, pain 
 in the loins or knees, twitchings of the calves of 
 the legs, impaired appetite, thirst, and a slight 
 diarrhea. These may last from a few hours to 
 several days. It has been recently averred that 
 the pulse is down to forty or fifty beats a min- 
 ute for several days before the attack. In the 
 second stage there is vomiting and purging of a 
 thin, whitish fluid, severe cramps in the legs, and 
 in the bowels and stomach. By these cramps the 
 muscles are drawn into knots. The tongue 
 is pale and moist ; the pulse feeble, though some- 
 times full and firm ; the breathing hurried, with 
 distress about the heart ; great thirst, with a feel- 
 ing of internal warmth; arid the secretion of 
 urine entirely stopped. The watery portion of 
 the blood is soon run off, and the patient sinks 
 into the third stage, which is characterized by 
 great prostration; pulse hardly perceptible; skin 
 cold and clammy; face blue or purple, and eyes 
 sunken; hands dark -colored and sodden; breath- 
 ing short and laborious; great heat in the 
 stomach, and intense thirst. Recoveries from 
 this stage seldom take place. Treatment. — The 
 usual treatment of this disease is with laudanum, 
 administered every three hours, in doses of five 
 to ten drops, to check the diarrhea, in the first 
 stage ; and to give chloroform, opium, and other 
 powerful narcotics. Pills made of pulverized 
 camphor, half a dram; pulverized opium, sixteen 
 grains ; pulverized cayenne, half a dram, made 
 into sixteen pills, and taken, one every hour, is 
 a popular and often effectual remedy. It is as 
 often, however, that the stimulants without the 
 narcotics effect a cure. Brandy and cayenne, 
 given freely, have proven very potent to arrest 
 the disease. To these must be added warming 
 injections ; and the whole surface of the body 
 must be warmed by hot bottles or bricks, by 
 rubbing with flannel, and tincture of cayenne. 
 The treatment must always be very active, as the 
 disease makes rapid progress. 
 
 CHOLERA MORBUS.— This disease be- 
 gins with sickness and distress at the stomach, 
 succeeded by violent gripings, with vomiting of 
 thin, dirty-yellowish, whitish, or greenish fluid, 
 ^ith discharges from the bowels similar to that 
 vomited. The nausea and distress continue 
 between the vomiting and purging, and the pain 
 at times is intense. The pulse is rapid, soon 
 becoming small and feeble, the tongue dry, the 
 urine high-colored, and there is much thirst, 
 though no drink can be retained on the stomach. 
 Treatment. — Apply a large mustard-poultice 
 over the stomach and liver. Give large drafts 
 of warm teas, by which means the stomach will 
 be cleansed of all its solid contents. Every 
 half-hour give tablespoonful doses of the com- 
 pound powder of rhubarb and potassa, until the 
 vomiting is checked. Warm injections must be 
 given frequently, and hot bricks applied to the 
 feet, while the whole body should be swathed in 
 warm flannels. To get up a warmth of the body 
 and the stomach, is, in fact, the most important 
 
 thing in this disease. Hot brandy, in which is 
 a dose of cayenne, is excellent, to quiet the 
 vomiting and griping. A few drops of laudanum 
 in the injections may be given, if the pain is ex- 
 cessive; but generally it is not needed. 
 
 COLD, To avoid catching. — Accustom your- 
 self to the use of sponging with cold water every 
 morning on first getting out of bed. It should 
 be followed with a good deal of rubbing with a 
 wet towel. It has considerable effect in gi\-ing 
 tone to the skin, and maintaining a proper action 
 in it, and thus proves a safeguard to the in- 
 jurious influence of cold and sudden changes of 
 temperature. Sir Astley Cooper said: "The 
 methods by which I have preserved my own 
 health are — temperance, early rising, and spong- 
 ing the body every morning with cold water, im- 
 mediately after getting out of bed; a practice 
 which I have adopted for thirty years without 
 ever catching cold. " 
 
 COLD, To put back. — So soon as you feel 
 that you are taking a cold — and you will generally 
 have notice before it amounts to much — place 
 your feet into water made as warm as you can 
 bear ; and keep them there about ten minutes. 
 Change them, then, into a vessel containing cold 
 water — if icewater, all the better — and hold them 
 into it about one minute ; after which wipe dry 
 and put on warm stockings. 
 
 COLD, To care. — Before retiring soak the 
 feet in mustard water as hot as can be endured, 
 and to bear it at any great temperature, the feet 
 should at first be plunged in a pail half full of 
 luke-warm water, adding by degrees very hot 
 water until the desired heat is arrived at; of 
 course the upper part of the body and the knees 
 should be well protected with a blanket. On 
 getting into bed take a hot camphor sling. Take 
 with one tablespoonful of white sugar twelve or 
 fourteen drops of strong spirits of camphor, 
 with two tablespoonfuls of boiling water. Rub 
 the bridge of the nose between the eyes with a 
 little oil. Cuddle in bed and sleep it off. 
 
 COLIC, BILIOUS.— Th\% is a dangerous 
 disease. There is griping, twisting, tearing 
 pain, about the navel or sometimes over the 
 whole belly. It comes and goes by paroxysms. 
 Sometimes the abdomen is drawn in, at other 
 times swelled out, and stretched like a drumhead. 
 At first, the pain is relieved by pressure, but 
 after a time the belly grows tender to the touch. 
 There is thirst and heat, and a discharge of 
 bilious matter from the stomach. In the worst 
 cases, the pulse is small, the face pale, the features 
 shrunk, and the whole body covered with a cold 
 sweat. It is caused by irritating articles taken 
 into the stomach, vitiated bile, long exposure to 
 cold, torpid liver and skin, great unnatural heat, 
 etc. — Treatment. — Administer an active purgat- 
 ive injection immediately. Give a mixture of 
 pulverized camphor, four grains ; cayenne, twelve 
 grains; white sugar, one scruple. This, divided 
 into four powders, and given once in fifteen 
 minutes, will relieve the pain — at the same time 
 mustard-poultice should be laid upon the belly. 
 The sickness of stomach may be allayed by hot 
 drafts over the stomach, in which are a few drops 
 of laudanum. Also on the feet. Croton oil, 
 one drop done up in a crumb of bread, will often 
 purge successfully; or castor oil and spirits ol 
 turpentine, equal parts, in t\vo great-spoonful 
 doses, may be used before trying the other. A 
 warm bath is good, and bottles filled with hot 
 
MEDICAL AND SURGICAL, 
 
 215 
 
 water, placed at the feet and sides, to promote 
 perspiration. 
 
 COLIC, fVIND.— This is a severe and dis- 
 tressing pain in the bowels, sometimes a stop- 
 page, and swelling about the pit of the stomach 
 and navel. The complaint may be caused by 
 weakness in the digestive organs, by indigestible 
 food, unripe fruit, or costiveness. — Treatment. — 
 If the pain is caused by having eaten any thing 
 indigestible, an emetic should be immediately 
 taken. If this does not bring relief, a dose of 
 salts, or sweet tincture of rhubarb may. If there 
 is no sickness at the stomach, a little essence of 
 peppermint in water, may be sufficient to expel 
 the wind and give relief. If there be costiveness, 
 and continued pain, a stimulating injection should 
 be given. 
 
 COLIC, LEAD. — Is a disease to which pain- 
 ters, and workers in red and white lead, are sub- 
 ject, causing severe pains, tedious sickness, and 
 often death. The disease is partially owing per- 
 haps to breathing the fumes, but mainly from 
 particles taken into the stomach by the food 
 which is handled. Workmen can effect a total 
 exemption from the disease by attending rigidly 
 to three things. — I. Keep the finger nails trimm 
 ed closely so as to prevent particles of lead from 
 collecting under them and transference to the 
 bread in eating it. — 2. Wash the hands well with 
 soap and water, and rinse the mouth before eat- 
 ing. — 3. Drink half a pint of sweet milk at each 
 meal to antagonize the influence of any particles 
 of lead which may find their way into the stomach. 
 It has been found in thousands of cases that an 
 habitual attention to these things secures an en- 
 tire exemption from lead colic. 
 
 CONSUMPTION.— \\.% symptoms and effects 
 are only too well known. It remains only to be 
 said, that where any such tendency exists, much 
 may be done toward preventing its development, 
 by attention to the general laws of health. Fresh 
 air, out-door exercise, cheerful company, and all 
 things that promote our best condition of health, 
 will do something toward warning off this dis- 
 ease, or even to cure it. 
 
 CONSUMPTION, Remedy for.— Tht follow- 
 ing is said to be an effectual remedy, and will in 
 time completely eradicate the disorder. Live 
 temperately — avoid spirituous liquors — wear flan- 
 nel next the skin — and take, every morning, 
 half a pint of new milk, mixed with a wine-glass- 
 ful of the expressed juice of green hoarhound. 
 One who has tried it says — "Four weeks' use of 
 the hoarhound and milk relieved the pains of my 
 breast, gave me ability to breathe deep, long, and 
 free, strengthened and harmonized my voice, and 
 restored me to a better state of health than I 
 had enjoyed for years." 
 
 CORNS, To cure. — Corns are entirely owing 
 to continued pressure, such as wearing small 
 boots or shoes. At first they are the production 
 of the outer skin only, but by gradually thick- 
 ening they at length come to be connected with 
 the true skin beneath, and even with the subja- 
 cent muscles. Prevention is better than cure. 
 Wear woollen stockings, and see that there is no 
 local and permanent pressure on any part of the 
 foot. — To cure : — i. Put the feet for hah an hour, 
 two or three successive nights, in a solution of 
 soda — two tablespoonfuls of soda, in a small foot 
 tub of hot water. The alkali dissolves the in- 
 durated cuticle, and the corns fall out. — 2. Tie a 
 piece of raw cotton to the corn, and wet it several 
 
 times a day with spirits of turpentine ; this will, 
 in three days, cure the corn without the least ap- 
 parent pain. — 3. Soak the feet in warm water, 
 pare off as much as possible of the horny part of 
 the corn, then l.iy upon it a moistened wafer, 
 and again upon this a piece of buckskin, with a 
 hole cut through it the size of the corn. Renew 
 the moist wafer twice a day, and in a few days 
 the corn will work out. — 4. To cure corns, take 
 a lemon, cut a piece of it off, then nick it so as 
 to let in the toe with the corn. Tie this on at 
 night so that it cannot move, and you will find 
 the next morning that, with a blunt knife, the 
 corn will come away to a certain extent. Two 
 or three applications will efl'ect a thorough cure. 
 — 5. The strongest acetic acid, applied night and 
 morning with a camel's hair brush. In one week 
 the corn will disappear. — 6. Dissolve glue as you 
 would to mend furniture ; spread it on the corns; 
 place muslin rags over them to prevent the glue 
 from sticking to the stocking ; repeat the appli- 
 cation a few times, and the cure will be effectuaL 
 
 CORNS, SOFT, Tocure.—Soii corns may 
 also be easily removed by applying ivy leaf pre- 
 viously soaked in strong vinegar, changing the 
 piece every morning ; or by placing a dressing of 
 soap cerate, spread on a "bit of lint or old rag, be- 
 tween the toes. Or take a piece of cotton just 
 large enough to fit comfortably between the toes, 
 spread it out and sprinkle prepared chalk over 
 it; then roll it up and place between the toes 
 where the corn is. The cotton and chalk absorb 
 the moisture from the toe, and, by keeping the 
 corn dry, soon effects a cure. 
 
 COSTIVENESS, {Constipation).— This is a 
 sluggish state of the bowels which causes them 
 to retain the feces longer than warrented by 
 health, is a very common disorder. In this 
 complaint, it is not always the case that the dis- 
 charges from the bowels are less frequent than 
 they should be, but they may be less in quan- 
 tity, hard, compacted, and passed with difficulty. 
 It occasions headache, dizziness, feverishness, 
 and bad feelings in the head not easily described, 
 loss of appetite, sometimes nausea, but little de- 
 sire to go to stool, a weight and heaviness about 
 the lower part of the belly, and a sense of con- 
 finement over the whole body. The disorder is 
 caused by sedentary habits, especially when con- 
 nected with close application of the mind, astring- 
 ent medicines, stimulating diet, nervous diseases, 
 and irregular habits of evacuating the bowels. 
 
 Treatment. — The first thing to be done is to 
 establish the habit of attempting to evacuate the 
 bowels at a particular hour every day. The best 
 hour for most people is just after breakfast in the 
 morning. Whether successful or not, the effort 
 should on no account be omitted, as this regu- 
 larity will do much to break up the costive habit. 
 To this should be added a diet composed of the 
 most digestible food. Bread made from unbolted 
 flour is the only suitable bread in this disorder. 
 Fresh vegetables and fruit are the proper diet ; 
 and puddings, cakes, doughnuts, etc., must be 
 avoided until a cure is effected. Exercise, not 
 to fatigue, between meals is important. Frequent 
 bathing, and water injections, are the most cer- 
 tain and simple remedies. The injection should 
 be taken just before going to stool, at the regular 
 hour, and whenever the disposition to evacuate 
 the bowels is felt, until they are able to relieve 
 themselves without much effort. 
 
 COLD in the HEAD. — ^According to an 
 
2l6 
 
 DICTION A R YOFE VER Y-DA Y WANTS. 
 
 eminent French physician, a cold in the head can 
 be cured by inhaling hartshorn. The inhalation 
 should be by the nose, seven or eight times in 
 five minutes. 
 
 COUGHS AND COLD, Remedies for.— x. 
 Drop 3 eggs in i pint of vinegar, and let them 
 stand for three days, then add ^ pound of hon- 
 ey, and mix well together. Boille tight, and 
 take a wine-glassful night and morning. This 
 remedy is unequalled. — 2. Take one teacup of 
 flaxseed, soak all night. In the morning put in 
 a kettle, 2 quarts of water, a handful, split up, of 
 licorice root, )^o{& pound of good raisins, broke 
 in half. Let them boil until the strength is thor- 
 oughly, extracted, then add the flaxseed, which 
 has been previously soaked. Let all boil about 
 half an hour more, watching and stirring, that 
 the mixture may not burn. Then strain and add 
 lemon-juice and sugar to taste. Take any quan- 
 tity, cold, through the day, and half a thimble- 
 ful, warm, at night. — 3. AcofFee-cup of flaxseed, 
 2 quarts of water, boil several hours until reduc- 
 ed to a jelly; strain through a thin cloth, squeeze 
 in the pulp and juice of a large lemon ; roll ^ of 
 a pound of the best raisins, mix them in the jelly, 
 simmer, without boiling, one hour ; strain again, 
 add half a teacup of the best loaf-sugar. Take a 
 tablespoonful every hour. 
 
 COUGHS, Soreness or Hoarseness frovi. — 
 Spikenard root, bruised and steeped in a tea-pot, 
 by using half water and half spirits ; then inhal- 
 ing the steam, when not to hot, by breathing 
 through the spout, will relieve the soreness and 
 hoarseness of the lungs, or throat, arising from 
 much coughing. 
 
 COUGH, WHOOPING.— TYie attack gene- 
 rally begins as a common cold, with slight feverish 
 symptoms. In eight or ten days the fever par- 
 tially subsides, and the child gets attacks of con- 
 -Vidsive coughing, accompanied by the peculiar 
 •'whoop" which gives the disease its name. The 
 number of attacks varies from one or two to ten, 
 or even fifteen in the twenty-four hours, accord- 
 ing to the severity of the disease. The child 
 should be kept in a warm room. He ought to 
 be clothed in flannel ; his diet should be light 
 and nourishing, such as fish, milk, light puddings, 
 and new-laid eggs. 
 
 When the severity of the disease has passed 
 off, change of air will be found most useful ; and 
 if the child has become debilitated, tonics with 
 nutritious diet should be given. 
 
 This disease being very infectious, great care 
 should be taken to prevent communication of any 
 kind with houses where there are children who 
 have not already had whooping-cough. 
 
 COUGH WHOOPING, Remedies for.— i. 
 Into half a pint of white vinegar break a freshly 
 laid egg : when the egg is dissolved, add half a 
 pound of rock candy. Dose from three to four 
 tablespoonfuls per day. — 2. Onions and garlics, 
 sliced, of each i gill ; sweet oil, i gill ; stew them 
 in the oil, in a covered dish, to obtain the juices; 
 then strain and add honey, i gill ; paregoric and 
 spirits of camphor, of each ^oz.; bottle and cork 
 tight for use. Dose — For a child of 2 or 3 years, 
 I tea-spoon 3 or 4 times daily, or whenever the 
 cough is troublesome, increasing or lessening, 
 according to age. — 3. Mix a quarter of a pound 
 of ground elecampane root in half a pint of strain- 
 ed honey and half a pint of water. Put them in 
 a glazed earthen pot, and place it in a stone oven, 
 with half the heat required to bake bread. I^t 
 
 it bake until about the consistence of strained 
 honey, and take it out. Administer in doses of 
 a teaspoonful before each meal, to a child ; if an 
 adult, double the dose. 
 
 CROUP. — Croup seldom comes on sud- 
 denly. Generally it has at first no other symp- 
 toms than those of a common cold, but the very 
 moment the child is seen to carry his hands 
 towards his throat, indicating discomfort there, 
 it should he considered an attack of croup, and 
 should be treated accordingly. In this disease, 
 speedy action is important. The best treatment 
 is by water. Immediately put cold, wet cloths 
 upon the throat, and upper part of the chest, 
 covered warmly by flannel, over the cloth. 
 Change them often. Keep the wet cloths on un- 
 til the inflammation is subdued. The moment a 
 mother observes croupy symptoms in a child 
 from two to eight years, the especially croupy 
 age, she should keep the child in her own room, 
 by her own side, day and night, not allowing it 
 for a moment to go outside of the doors, keeping 
 it comfortably warm, so that no chilliness or 
 draft of air shall come over it. Light food should 
 be eaten, no meats, hot bread or berries. The 
 whole body, the feet especially, should be kept 
 warm all the time. 
 
 CROUP, Other Remedies for. — I. Let a 
 healthy person fill his lungs with pure air, then 
 slowly breathe upon the patients throat and chest, 
 commencing at the point of the chin, and mov- 
 ing slowly down to the bottom of the windpipe. 
 Repeat for a few minutes and it will give relief 
 in cases where all other means fail. — 2. Cut 
 onions into thin slices ; between them but brown 
 sugar and let it dissolve; a teaspoonful of the syr- 
 up will give instant relief. 
 
 DEAFNESS. — When deafness is present in 
 infancy and childhood, it is accompanied with 
 dumbness, or imperfect articulation, in conse- 
 quence of the impossibility of conveying a know- 
 ledge of the sounds necessary for the exercise of 
 the imitative faculty of speech. A common 
 cause of deafness is some imperfection or ob- 
 struction of the passage leading to the membrane 
 of the tympanum or drum of the ear. In some 
 cases this passage is totally occluded by a mem- 
 brane, or some malformation of the tube, which 
 may frequently be removed by a surgical oper- 
 ation. Even instances of partial, obliteration of 
 this passage have occurred, which have been 
 effectually cured. A more frequent cause of 
 deafness is, however, the presence of foreign 
 bodies in the aural passages, or the accumulation 
 of hardened wax. In these cases the best 
 treatment is to inject warm water into the ear by 
 means of a proper syringe, the head being placed 
 with that side upwards during the operation. 
 Insects may be destroyed by pouring a spoonful 
 of warm olive oil, or camphorated oil, into the 
 ear over night, retaining it there until the next 
 morning by means of a piece of cotton wool, 
 when it may be washed out with a little mild 
 soap and warm water. When there is a deficient 
 secretion of wax, or a dryness of the aural pas- 
 sage, mild oleaginous stimulant.s should be em- 
 ployed. For this purpose a little olive or almond 
 oil, to which a few drops of oil of turpentine, 
 oil of juniper, or camphor liniment, have been 
 added, may be used with advantage. When 
 deafness is accompanied with continued acute 
 pain, or a discharge of a purulent matter, in- 
 flammation of the tympanum, or some other 
 
MEDICAL AND SURGICAL. 
 
 217 
 
 perlion of the internal ear, probably exists, and 
 medical advice should be sought as soon as pos- 
 sible. The deafness that frequently accompanies 
 a \-iolent cold, is generally caused by obstructions 
 in the Eustachian tube, and goes off as soon as 
 the secretions return to a healthy state. When 
 imperfect hearing depends upon obtundity of the 
 auditory nerve, or an extensive obliteration or 
 malformation of the internal ear, it scarcely ad- 
 mits of cure. 
 
 DEAFNESS, Remedies for.—l. Oil of al- 
 monds 1 lb. ; garlic, bruised 2 oz.; alkanet root 
 yi, oz.; infuse and strain. A little is poured into 
 the ear in deafness. — 2. Take a quarter of an 
 ounce of shark's oil, ten drops of laudanum, and 
 five drops of turpentine, mix. Put three drops 
 in each ear every morning, and insert soft wool, 
 so as to keep out the cold. 
 
 DEAFNESS {Temporary') To Cure. — ^Tem- 
 porary deafness, arising from cold, sitting in a 
 draught, and other causes, may be relieved and 
 cured by letting fall into the ear ten drops of a 
 mixture of sweet oil and one of glycerine every 
 night, until the duct which leads from the ear to 
 the nose is cleared ; this will be known by the 
 sensation of the fluid passing from the ear into 
 the nostril. 
 
 DEA TH, Sure Sign of. — Stick a needle an 
 inch or so into the supposed corpse. In the liv- 
 ing tissues the needle will soon become tarnished 
 and, oxidised, whilst in the actually dead it will 
 retain its polish. See also "Burying alive." 
 
 DELIRIUM ;,TREMENS.—ThQ greatest 
 difficulty in the treatment of mania-potu is to 
 procure sleep, which is the indispensable con- 
 dition of recovery. The desideratum seems to 
 have been secured in Dublin by the use of red 
 pepper. In a case recently treated, a 60-grain 
 dose made into a pill was taken without any 
 difficulty. The immediate and sensible effects 
 were a burning sensation in the mouth and 
 throat, and a sense of diffused warmth through 
 the stomach and bowels for a brief period sub- 
 sequently. In less than an hour after the pill 
 was taken the patient fell into a quiet sleep, and 
 after two or three hours awoke perfectly calm, 
 conscious and convalescent. The results thus 
 obtained are fully borne out by the experience 
 acquired, on a far larger scale of observation, in 
 the West Indies and in the Mehille Hospital, 
 Dublin. 
 
 DIABETES. — ^To cure take syrup of yarrow 
 2/i ozs. Mix — take 4 ounces once in 4 hours. 
 This must be continued for 30 days, or until per- 
 fectly well. The food should be boiled beef- 
 steak and nothing else, except a very little bread 
 once a day. The bowels should be moved by a 
 mild catharic, one ounce (sixty grains) of Rhu- 
 barb at bed time. 
 
 DIARRHEA.— This is a looseness of the 
 bowels occasioned either by unwholesome or 
 irritating food, by inflammation of some portion 
 of the bowels, or by debility. It is accompanied 
 by a rumbling noise in the bowels, some bearing 
 down and uneasiness just before an evacuation, 
 and generally griping. The strength soon be- 
 comes reduced, the skin pale, dry, and after a 
 time sallow. — Treatment. — The first, the most 
 important, and the most indispensable item in the 
 arrest and cure of looseness of the bowels, is ab- 
 solute quietude on a bed. Nature herself always 
 prompts this by disinclining us to locomotion. 
 The next thing is to eat nothing but common 
 
 rice parched like coffee, and then boiled, and 
 taken with a little salt and butter. Drink little 
 or no liquid of any kind. Bits of ice may be 
 eaten and swallowed at will. Every step taken 
 in diarrhea, every spoonful of liquid, only aggra- 
 vates the disease. If locomotion is compulsory, 
 the misfortune of the necessity may be lessened 
 by having a stout piece of woolen flannel bound 
 tightly around the abdomen, so as to be doubled 
 in front, and kept well in its place. In the prac- 
 tice of many years we have never failed to notice 
 a gratifying result to follow these observances. 
 
 DIARRHEA, Remedies for.— i. Take one tea- 
 spoonful of salt, the same of good vinegar, and a 
 tablespoonful of water : mix and drink. It acts 
 like a charm on the system, and even one dose 
 will generally cure obstinate cases of diarrhea or 
 the first stages of cholera. If the first does not 
 bring complete relief, repeat the dose, as it is 
 quite harmless. — 2. The best rhubarb root, pul- 
 verized, I oz.; peppermint leaf, I oz.; capsicum, 
 y% oz.; cover with boiling water and steep thor- 
 oughly, strain, and add bi-carbonate of potash 
 and essence of cinnamon, of each %, oz.; with 
 brandy (or good whiskey) equal in amount to the 
 whole, and loaf sugar, 4 oz. Dose — For an 
 adult I or 2 table-spoons ; for a child i to 2 tea- 
 spoons, from 3 to 6 times per day, until relief is 
 obtained. — 3. To half a bushel of blackberries, 1 
 well mashed, add a quarter of a pound of allspice, 
 2 ounces of cinnamon, 2 ounces of cloves ; pul- 
 verize well, mix and boil slowly until properly 
 done ; then strain or squeeze the juice through 
 home-spun or flannel, and add to each pint of the 
 juice I pound of loaf-sugar, boil again for some 
 time, take- it off, and, while cooling, add half a 
 gallon of the best cognac brandy. 
 
 DIARRHEA {Chronic), Injection for.— "^t^ 
 milk, with thick mucilage ot slippery elm, of 
 each I pint; sweet oil, i gill; molasses, Yz pt.; 
 salt, I oz.; laudanum, I dr. Mix, and inject 
 what the bowels will retain. 
 
 DISINFECTANTS.— \. Quicklime, to ab- 
 sorb moisture and putrid fluids. Use fresh stone 
 lime ; finely powdered ; sprinkle it on the place 
 to be dried, and in damp rooms place a number 
 of plates or pans filled with the lime powder. 
 Whitewash with pure lime, and not with kalso- 
 mine. — 2. Charcoal powder, to absorb putrid 
 gases. The coal must be dry and fresh, and 
 should be combined with lime. This compound 
 is the "calx powder", as sold in the shops. — 3. 
 Chloride of lime, to give off chlorine, to absorb 
 putrid effluvia and to stop putrefaction. Use it 
 as lime is used, and if in cellars or close rooms 
 the chlorine gas is wanted, pour strong vinegar 
 or diluted sulphuric acid upon your plates of 
 chloride of lime occasionally, and add more of 
 the chloride. — 4. Sulphate of iron (copperas) and 
 carbolic acid, to disinfect the discharges from 
 cholera patients and to purify privies and drains. 
 Dissolve 8 or 10 pounds of copperas in a common 
 pailful of water, and pour this strong solution 
 mto the privy, water-closets or drain, every hour, 
 if cholera discharges have been thrown in those 
 places ; but for ordinary use, to keep privies or 
 water-closets fi-om becoming offensive, pour a 
 pint of this solution into every water-closet pan 
 or privy seat every night and morning. If there 
 is cholera in the house or district, let carbolic 
 acid be added to this iron solution — one half pint 
 of the fluid acid to five gallons of the solution. 
 Bed-pans and chamber-vessels are best disinfected 
 
2X8 
 
 DICTIONARY OF EVERY-DAY WANTS. 
 
 with this mixed solution using a gill at a time. — 
 5. Permanganate of potassa, to be used in dis- 
 infecting clothing and towels from cholera and 
 fever patients, during the night, or when such 
 articles cannot be instantly boiled. Throw the 
 soiled articles immediately into a tub of water in 
 which there has been dissolved an ounce of the 
 permanganate salt to every three gallons of water. 
 Boil the clothing as soon as it is removed from 
 this colored solution. — 6. Carbolic acid, (fluid) 
 mr.y be diluted at the rate of from forty to one 
 hundred parts of water to one of fluid acid. Use 
 this solution for the same purposes as copperas 
 is used ; also to sprinkle upon any kind of garb- 
 age or decaying matter, and on foul surfaces or 
 m drains. When used to disinfect clothing, car- 
 bolic acid of good quality should be thoroughly 
 mixed with its own quantity of strong vinegar, 
 and next be dissolved in two hundred times its 
 own quantity of water, before the clothing is 
 immersed in it. This mixture with vinegar in- 
 sures such complete solution of the carbolic acid 
 that the clothing will not be "burned" by undis- 
 solved drops of acid when disinfected in the car- 
 bolic water. This weak solution ( i part to 200) 
 will not injure common clothing. But to destroy 
 clothing as well as infection, instantly, use the 
 acid diluted only ten to thirty times in its own 
 quantity of water. The dismfecting and anti- 
 septic gower of good carbolic acid is so great that 
 one part of it to fifty or one hundred parts of 
 water is sufficient for ordinary purposes. For 
 drains, sewers, foul heaps, stables, and privies, 
 the cheap "dead oil" of coal tar or the crude car- 
 bolic acid answers every purpose when freely 
 applied. Coal-tar itself is available as a disin- 
 fectant to paint upon the walls of stables, privy 
 vaults and drains. By mixing with sawdust or 
 dry lime, coal-tar or crude acid may be used on 
 foul grounds or heaps of refuse. — 7. Boiling or 
 high-steam heat.— Whenever foul clothing and 
 infected things can be boiled, or have a boiling 
 heat steadily applied and kept up for an hour, 
 this is one of the simplest and best modes of dis- 
 infection. But until such high heat is actually 
 applied to the infected things, some one of the 
 disinfecting solutions must be used. A common 
 steam tub (in a laundry or elsewhere) with a 
 tight cover is a good disinfecting vat. 
 
 First — Things that should be disinfected are : 
 Beds, bedding and upholstered stuffs. Expose 
 to sunlight and ventilation freely and frequently. 
 If actually infected, thoroughly moisten everv 
 part with best solution of 6 or 5. Second — Soil- 
 ed clothing, etc., from the sick with cholera or 
 any contagious disease. Use solution 5 or 6 
 precisely as directed, and as soon as the soiled 
 articles are removed from the patient ; or im- 
 merse them at once in boiling water. In any 
 case of infectious disease the clothing must be 
 boiled previous to washing or drying. Infected 
 clothing must be thrown into the water at boil- 
 ing heat, and that temperature should be kept up 
 for an hour. Third — Carpets, sofas, lounges, 
 mattresses, floors, etc., infected by cholera ex- 
 crement or small-pox and other contagions: — I. 
 Thoroughly moisten every infected thing with 
 one of the carbolic or permanganate solutions 
 (No. 5 or 6). — 2. To give still greater complete- 
 ness to the disinfection required for an infected 
 apartment and thick woollen stuffs, carpets, etc., 
 to which boiling heat cannot be applied, fumigate 
 with sulphurous acid, thus : — 3. Arrange to va- 
 
 cate the room for twelve hours ; close every 
 window and aperture, and upon an iron pipkin 
 or kettle with legs, burn a few ounces of sul- 
 phur. Instantly after kindling it every person 
 must withdraw from the place, and the room 
 must remain closed for succeeding eight hours. 
 If any other kind of fumigation is resorted to (as 
 that by chlorine, bromine or nitrous acid,) a sa- 
 nitary officer or a chemist should superintend the 
 process. Fumigation should be resorted to in 
 dwelling houses only by official orders or per- 
 mission, as the disinfecting gases are very poi- 
 sonous. Fourth— Finally let fresh air and sunlight 
 purify every place they can reach. Open and dry 
 all cellars and vaults, and keep the grounds and 
 surfaces about dwellings as dry and clean as pos- 
 sible. Use fresh lime or the "calx powder" 
 freely upon wet or offensive surfaces. Flush the 
 water-closets and drains daily before throwing in 
 the disinfectants as directed. Let domestic and 
 personal cleanliness be everywhere observed. 
 There are no substitutes for fresh air and water. 
 
 DISINFECTANTS, other.— \. One of the 
 best and most pleasant disinfectants is coffee; 
 the simplest way to use it is to pound the well- 
 dried raw beans in a mortar and strew the powder 
 over a moderately heated iron plate. The simple 
 traversing of the house with a roaster contain- 
 ing freshly-roasted coffee will clear it of offensive 
 smells. — 2. The onion is a superior disinfectant. 
 Two or three good-sized ones, cut in halves, and 
 placed on a plate on the floor, absorb the noxious 
 effluvia, etc., which are generated in the sick- 
 room, in an incredibly short space of time. They 
 should be changed every few (say 3) hours, 
 
 DIPTHEKIA. — I. A French medical journal 
 gives the following particulars of a case of 
 diptheria that was cured by ice : The patient was 
 a woman of twenty-four, who had just been 
 confined. She complained of sore throat, could 
 hardly swallow, and her tonsils, uvula, palate, 
 and adjacent parts were covered with an extrem- 
 ely adventitious membrane ; the sub-maxillary 
 ganglions were swollen and painful, and a short 
 cough was occasionally heard. After trying some 
 other remedies, ice was prescribed. During 
 seven hours the patient constantly kept a bit of 
 ice in her mouth ; it gave her pleasure, and she 
 felt that it eased her considerably. In the course 
 of that time, the membranes had nearly disap- 
 peared entirely, the pulse had fallen from eighty 
 to seventy-six, and the general state of the patient 
 had improved. In the course of the following 
 day the cure was complete. — 2. Take a common 
 tobacco pipe, place a live coal in the bowl, drop 
 a little tar upon the coal, draw the smoke into 
 the mouth, and discharge through the nostrils. — 
 3. A simple and successful treatment of diptheria 
 may be found in the use of lemon juice. Gargle 
 the throat freely with it at the same time swal- 
 lowing a portion, so as to reach all the affected 
 Earts. A French physician claims that he saved 
 is own life with this pleasant remedy. 
 
 DISEASES OF CHILDREN— ChMrcn 
 might be saved a great many kinds of disease, 
 if proper care was given them. By this I do 
 not mean that mothers should wear themselves 
 out in waiting upon them — that is what they do 
 now — but that they should give them the right 
 kind of care. 
 
 In the first place, their young lungs must have 
 pure air, and enough of it. Their sleeping- 
 rooms should be well ventilated, and they should 
 
MEDICAL AND SURGICAL. 
 
 219 
 
 be out of doors as much as possible. The next 
 thing is to clothe them warmly, so that they can 
 be out of doors, safely and comfortably. Put 
 flannel next their skin; let them wear high dres- 
 ses, moderately long; woolen stockings and 
 worsted drawers in winter, and cotton in sum- 
 mer; thick shoes, long sleeves, etc. If they do 
 not look quite so pretty for it now, they will 
 repay you in good looks and good health when 
 they are older. 
 
 Keep their skin clean and active, by frequent 
 baths; not exposing them to the air immediately 
 after bathing, unless it is to have a good run. 
 Give them plain, simple, nourishing food, plenty 
 of it ; but not too much, nor at irregular times. 
 Stuffed children always have a bowel complaint, 
 as they must. Give them plenty of sleep, too, 
 and have them go to bed always by a certain 
 early hour. Treat them kindly but firmly. Do 
 not disturb their digestion with cross humors, 
 nor allow them to do so themselves. Only by 
 habits of obedience can they be made either 
 healthy or good. Do not give young children 
 tea, or coffee, or liquors. They do not need 
 them, and are better without them. 
 
 DISEASE IN CHILDREN, Signs of.— 
 In the case of a baby not yet able to talk, it 
 must cry when it is ill. The colic makes a baby 
 cry loud, long, and passionately, and shed tears 
 — stopping for a moment and beginning again. 
 If the chest is affected, it gives one sharp cry, 
 breaking off immediately, as if crying hurt it. 
 
 If the head is affected, it cries in sharp, pierc- 
 ing shrieks, with low moans and wails between. 
 Or there may be quiet dozing, and startings 
 between. 
 
 It is easy enough to perceive, where a child is 
 attacked by disease, that there has some change 
 taken place ; for either its skin will be dry and 
 hot, its appetite gone; it is stupidly sleepy, or 
 fretful and crying; it is thirsty, or pale and 
 languid, or in some way betrays that something 
 is wrong. When a child vomits, or has a 
 diarrhea, or is costive and feverish, it is owing 
 to some derangement, and needs attention. But 
 these various symptoms may continue for a day 
 or two before the nature of the disease can be 
 determined. A warm bath, warm drinks, etc., 
 can do no harm, and may help to determine the 
 case. On coming out of the bath, and being 
 well rubbed with the hand, the skin will show 
 symptoms of rash, if it is a skin disease which 
 has commenced. By the appearance of the rash, 
 the nature of the disease can be learned. Measles 
 are in patches, dark-red, and come out first 
 about the face. If scarlet fever is impending, 
 the skin will look a deep pink all over the body, 
 though most so about the neck and fate. Chicken- 
 pox shows fever, but not so much running at the 
 nose, and appearances of cold, as in measles, 
 nor is there as much of a cough. Besides, the 
 spots are smaller, and do not run much together, 
 and are more diffused over the whole surface of 
 the skin; and enlarge into little blisters in a day 
 or two. 
 
 DIZZINESS. — ^This may come from dys- 
 pepsia, over exertion, or any derangement of the 
 circulation. Avoid the cause, and keep the feet 
 •warm, and the head cool. 
 
 DRINKING IN SUMMER.— \{ very 
 thirsty sip, do not gulp, especially if drinking 
 iced water. The sudden deaths while drinking 
 freq;uently recorded in summer, are due to para- 
 
 lysis of the stomach, produced by drenching it 
 suddenly with iced water. By sipping thirst is 
 more thoroughly quenched and less water is 
 needed ; for in all seasons the quantity taken is 
 an important matter, nearly as important as the 
 temperature. 
 
 DRUNKENNESS, Remedies for.—\. Who- 
 ever makes the attempt to abandon spirit-drink- 
 ing, will find, from time to time, ^ rankling in 
 the stomach, with a sensation of sinking, cold- 
 ness and inexpressible anxiety. The following 
 tonic will help restore the vigor of the stomach. 
 Take of gentian root, %, ounce; valerian root, 
 I drachm, best rhubarb root, 2 drachms ; bitter 
 orange peel, 3 drachms ; cardamon seeds, y^ an 
 ounce, and cinnamon bark i drachm. Having 
 bruised all the above together in a mortar (the 
 druggist will do it, if requested), pour upon it 
 l^ pints of boiling water, and cover up close; 
 let it stand till cold; strain, bottle, and cork 
 securely; keep in a dark place. Two table- 
 spoonfuls may be taken every hour before meals, 
 and half that quantity whenever the patient feels 
 that distressing sickness and prostration, so gen. 
 erally present for some time after alcoholic stim. 
 ulants have been abandoned. — 2. Sulphate of 
 iron, 5 grains; magnesia, 10 grains; peppermint 
 water, 1 1 drachms ; spirits of nutmeg, I drachm ; 
 twice a day. 
 
 DRUNKARDS, To Reform.— Tzxizx emetic, 
 eight grains, rose water, four ounces, mix. Put 
 a tablespoonful into the whole quantity the man 
 drinks through the day, and let him take it as 
 usual ; be sure^ot to exceed this quantity. An- 
 other cure is to compel the patient to drink 
 nothing but strong spirits for a week; he will be 
 thoroughly disgusted. 
 
 DYSENTERY.— TiM^ is an inflammation of 
 the mucous membrane lining the lower bowels. 
 The rectum, or lowest bowel, is generally the 
 part most affected. The disease comes on with 
 lassitude, shivering, a hot skin, and quick pulse. 
 These are followed by griping pains in the bow- 
 els, and a constant desire to pass their contents. 
 In general, the passages are small, composed of 
 mucus mixed with blood, and are attended with 
 griping and straining; and sometimes by nausea 
 and vomiting. The natural feces pass off in small, 
 round, hard lumps. The mucous discharges are 
 at first without much smell, but as the disease 
 increases become very offensive in odor. The 
 disease is caused by sudden changes from hot to 
 cold, by which the perspiration is suddenly 
 checked. Hot weather and indigestible food may 
 produce it. 
 
 DYSENTERY, C«w >r. —Tincture of 
 rhubarb, tincture of capsicum, tincture of cam- 
 phor, essence of ginger and laudanum, equal 
 parts ; mix, shake well, and take from ten to 
 twenty drops every thirty minutes until relief is 
 obtained. This is a dose for an adult. Half the 
 amount for a child under twelve years of age. — 
 2. Take some butter off the churn, immediately 
 after being churned, just as it is, without being 
 salted or washed; clarify it over the fire like 
 honey. Skim off all the milky particles when 
 melted over a clear fire. Let the patient (if an 
 adult) take two tablespoonfuls of the clarified 
 remainder, twice or thrice within the day. This 
 has never fkiled to effect a cure, and in many 
 cases it has been almost instantaneous. — 3. In 
 diseases of this kind, the Indians use the roots 
 and leaves of the blackberry-bush — a decoction 
 
DICTIONARY OF EVERY-DAY WANTS. 
 
 of which in hot water, well boiled down, is taken 
 in doses of a gill before each meal, and before 
 retiring to bed. It is an almost infallible cure. 
 — ^4. Beat one egg in a teacup; add one Lible- 
 spoonful of loaf sugar and half a teaspoonful of 
 ground spice; fill the cup with sweet milk. Give 
 the patient one tablespoonful once in ten minutes 
 until relieved. — 5. Take one tablespoonful of 
 common salt, and mix it with two tablespoonfuls 
 of vinegar and pour upon it a half-pint of water, 
 either hot or cold (only let it be taken cool.) A 
 wine-glass full of this mixture in the above pro- 
 portions, taken every half-hour, will be found 
 quite efficacious in curing dysentery. If the 
 stomach be nauseated, a wine-glass full taken 
 every hour will suffice. For a child, the quantity 
 should be a teaspoonful of salt and one of vinegar 
 in a teacupful of water. 
 
 DYSPEPSIA. — ^This disease, from which so 
 many suffer, and which is caused in so many 
 various ways, gives the physician a great amount 
 of trouble. Its symptoms are now so well known 
 as hardly to need description ; and they vary so 
 much according to the stage or cause of the dis- 
 ease, that it is difficult to give them in a small 
 space. Most often there is a sensation of tight- 
 ness or weight in the stomach, after meals, a 
 changeable appetite, flatulency, acidity of stom- 
 ach, general distress and nervousness, and some- 
 times vomiting. A feeling of sinking and empti- 
 ness in the stomach is also one of its signs, and a 
 weakness so great at that particular spot, that it 
 is hard to sit up straight. The tongue is coated 
 white, and there is a bad taste in the mouth, oc- 
 casional heartburn, headache, palpitation, and 
 tenderness at the pit of the stomach. The urine 
 is high-colored, and bowels irregular. Some- 
 times the nervous system becomes so affected by 
 long-continued indigestion, as to produce a com- 
 plication of disorders very difficult to cure. 
 
 The causes are insufficient mastication of food, 
 too highly-seasoned food, and sedentary habits, 
 as well as anxiety of mind. 
 
 The treatment should, in the first place, re- 
 move the cause. The bowels should be kept 
 open, the quantity of food taken should be rather 
 small, and well chewed, nothing exciting to the 
 stomach should be taken into it, and out-door 
 exercise should be taken, but not too soon after 
 meals. For removing costiveness, give a pre- 
 paration of rhubarb and bicarbonate of potassa. 
 For acidity, prepared charcoal, in teaspoonful 
 doses, m.iy be used. A good remedy is pulver- 
 ized guaiacum, rhubarb, and prepared charcoal, 
 equal parts, in teaspoonful doses. Too much 
 brain-work must not be done, and the spirits 
 should be kept cheerful, and the body active. 
 Nothing is better for digestion than laughter. A 
 remedy that has effected a cure is to take a piece 
 of rennet, the size of a dollar, and soak in a cup 
 of water. Give one great spoonful three times a 
 day. This simple preparation has effected a 
 complete cure, after trying every thing else, to 
 no purpose, for several years. 
 
 EAR-ACHE, Remedies for. — Generally heat 
 is the best remedy. Apply a warm poultice or 
 warm oil to the ear. Rub the back of the ear 
 with warm laudanum. In case of a fcetid dis- 
 charge, carefully syringe the ear with warm milk 
 and water. In all cases keep the ear thoroughly 
 cleansed. Relief is often given by rubbing the 
 back of the ear with a little hartshorn and water. 
 —2. Drop some warm glycerine into the ear by 
 
 means of a quill, and afterwards introduce a 
 piece of wool. Wool plucked from a blanket is 
 the most suitable ; the fibres are elastic, ahd do 
 not coalesce into a hard pellet as cotton is apt 
 to do. 
 
 EAR, To Remove Insects that have Entered 
 it. — Let the person, under this distressing cir- 
 cumstance, lay his head upon a table, the side 
 upwards that is afflicted; at the same time, let 
 some friend carefully drop into the ear a little 
 sweet oil, or oil of almonds. A drop or two will 
 be sufficient, which will instantly destroy the in- 
 sect and remove the pain, however violent. Then 
 syringe with warm water. 
 
 EAR, To Remove Foreign Bodies from. — Dr. 
 Hutchinson, in the London Medical Times, says 
 the safest and most effective way of removing all 
 foreign substances from the ear, is to make six 
 inches of very fine and flexible wire into a loop, 
 pass it down to the tympanum, and turn it gently 
 around. He thinks it far preferable to the scoop 
 or to syringing. 
 
 ERYSIPELAS. — This is an inflammation of 
 the skin, affecting only a portion of the body's 
 surface, and is accompanied by fever, which is 
 thought to be contagious. The local inflammation 
 spreads; it is deep, and attended by swelling, 
 burning, and tingling heat; and by a redness 
 which disappears when the skin is pressed by 
 the finger, and returns on remitting the pressure. 
 — Symptoms. — Chilliness and shaking, followed 
 by lieat ; depression of spirits ; weariness, pains 
 in the back and limbs and in the head ; quick, 
 hard pulse, thirst, loss of appetite, tongiie coated 
 white, bitter taste in the mouth, nausea, vomit- 
 ing, pain in the stomach, and costiveness. These 
 symptoms appear several days before the local 
 inflammation ; they increase with the redness of 
 the skin, and disappear upon its decline. The 
 nervous system is very much affected, and a low 
 delirium comes on. When the inflammation 
 subsides, the bowels relax, and the scarf-skin 
 peels off. Sometimes matter forms under the 
 skin, and occasionally mortification takes place. 
 The face is generally the seat of the disease ; and 
 it commonly begins on one side of the nose, and 
 spreads over that side of the face, closing up the 
 eye, and disfiguring the features shockingly. In 
 from three to five days small blisters are discern- 
 ible on the inflamed parts, which increase in size 
 until they break and discharge the water. The 
 disease runs about nine days, when the blisters 
 dry, and the skin peels off. — To cure keep the 
 patient in bed, on a low diet, — bread and water 
 — the nearer a starvation diet the better, keeping 
 the inflamed part of the face or other part of the 
 body covered by soft linen cloths, wrung out of 
 cool water and changed every half hour or hour. 
 A poultice made of cranberries, pounded fine, 
 and applied in a raw state has been recommended. 
 
 EMISSIONS, Involuntary. — An in\'oluntary 
 emission of semen during sleep, inducing great 
 emaciation and debility. — Treatment. — Abstain 
 from all sexual indulgence and lascivious ideas or 
 books, sleep on a hard bed, use the cold bath 
 daily, with a generous and nourishing diet. 
 Chalybeate water and all the different jirepara- 
 tions of iron, with the cold infusion of bark and 
 elixir of vitriol, as directed for indigestion, should 
 be freely employed. 
 
 EPILEPSY. — This is a disease characterized 
 by asudden loss of consciousness, strong spasms, 
 and intervals between the fits. The attack is 
 
MEDICAL AND SURGICAL. 
 
 221 
 
 sudden, and the patient falls do\yn, sometimes 
 with a cry, sometimes in silence; either with con- 
 vulsions, and foaming at the mouth, or with a 
 mere suspension of consciousness. In a short 
 time the struggles cease, if there be any, and the 
 patient seems to sleep, after which he recovers, 
 and is apparently well. — Treatment. — Very little 
 can be done for the patient during the fit, except 
 to protect him from injuring himself by . the vi- 
 olence of the convulsions, A piece of leather or 
 cork should be placed between the back teeth to 
 prevent the tongue being bitten. Remove the 
 neck-cloth and collar; and if the bowels are sus- 
 pected to be overloaded, give an injection. The 
 treatment during the intervals must depend on 
 the cause. If it be worms, expel them ; if diffi- 
 cult breathing, lance the gums ; if by uterine dis- 
 turbance, search out the nature, and treat ac- 
 cordingly ; if the complaint arise from indigestible 
 food, great attention must be given to diet and 
 the general health. Regular habits, and light, 
 digestible and nourishing food, are very import- 
 ant. The bowels must be kept regular by the 
 food if possible; if not, by mild laxatives. Ton- 
 ics must be given, and some strengthening lini- 
 ment rubbed upon the spine daily. 
 
 EXCORIA TION.—Yowng children are very 
 apt to be chafed under the arms, behind the ears, 
 between the thighs, and in the wrinkles and folds 
 of the skin, unless great attention is paid to clean- 
 liness and wiping the skin perfectly dry after 
 washing. Whenever there is a tendency to ex- 
 coriations of this kind, either in adults or children, 
 a little finely powdered starch, or violet powder, 
 applied by means of a pufT, or a small bag of 
 muslin, once or twice a day, will generally re- 
 move them, and prevent their occurrence m fu- 
 ture. See also "Chafing". 
 
 EYESIGHT, To Fresenie.—\. Never sit 
 for any length of time in absolute gloom, or ex- 
 posed to a blaze of light. The reason on which 
 this rule is founded proves the impropriety of 
 going hastily from one extreme to the other, 
 whether of darkness or of light, and shows us that 
 a southern aspect is improper for those whose 
 sight is weak and tender. 
 
 2. Avoid reading small print, and straining the 
 eyes by looking at minute objects. 
 
 3. Do not read in the dusk, nor, if the eyes be 
 disordered, by candle-light 
 
 4. Do not permit the eyes to dwell on glaring 
 objects, more particularly on first waking m the 
 morning ; the .sun should not of course be suf- 
 fered to shine in the room at that time, and a 
 moderate quantity of light only should be ad- 
 mitted. For the same reasons, the furniture, 
 walls, and other objects of a bed-room should not 
 be altogether of a white or glaring color ; indeed, 
 those whose eyes are weak, would find considera- 
 ble advantage in having green for the furniture, 
 and as the prevailingcolor of their bed-chambers. 
 Nature confirms the propriety of this direction, 
 for the light of the day comes on by slow degrees, 
 and green is the universal color she presents to 
 our eyes. 
 
 5. Those individuals who are rather long- 
 sighted should accustom themselves to read with 
 the book somewhat nearer to the eye than what 
 they naturally like ; while others, that are rather 
 short-sighted, should use themselves to read with 
 the book as far of as possible. By these means, 
 both will improve and strengthen their sight, 
 while a contrary course increases its natural im- 
 
 perfections. It is well to read or sew with the 
 light above or behind, rather than in front of the 
 face, or with a shade to protect the eyes from 
 glare. 
 
 EYES, To yudge when they require the 
 Assistance of SPECTACLES.— \. When weare 
 obliged to remove small objects to a considerable 
 distance from the eye in order to see them dis- 
 tinctly. 
 
 2. If we find it necessary to get more light than 
 formerly, as, for instance to place the candle be- 
 tween the eye and the object. 
 
 3. If, on looking at, and attentively considering 
 a near object, it fatigues the eye and becomes 
 confused, or if it appears to have a kind of dim- 
 ness or mist before it. 
 
 4. When small printed letters are seen to run 
 into each other, and hence, by looking steadfastly 
 on them, appear double or treble. 
 
 5. If the eyes are so fatigued by a little exer- 
 cise, that we are obliged to shut them from time 
 to time, so as to relieve them by looking at dif- 
 ferent objects. 
 
 When all these circumstances concur, or any 
 of them separately takes place, it will be neces- 
 sary to seek assistance from glasses, which will 
 ease the eyes, and in some degree check their 
 tendency to become worse : whereas, if they be 
 not assisted in time, the weakness will be con- 
 siderably increased, and the eyes be impaired by 
 the efforts they are compelled to exert. 
 
 EYE, {Black) How to cure. — Immediately 
 after the eye has been struck with force enough 
 to make it black, apply a cloth wet with water 
 just as hot as you can bear it ; keep on applying 
 the water for fifteen or twenty minutes, and the 
 coagulated blood will become thin and pass oft 
 into its natural channels, and leave the eye per- 
 haps swollen, but clear of blackness. 
 
 EYE {Sty, in) To cure. — Put a teaspoonful 
 of soda in a small bag, pour on it just enough 
 boiling water to moisten it, then put it on the eye 
 pretty warm, keep it on all night, and in the 
 morning the stye will most likely be gone; if not, 
 a second application is sure to remove it. 
 
 EYE, ( IVeak and Sore) Remedies for. — I. Sul- 
 phate of zinc three grains, tincture of opium 
 ten drops, water two ounces. To be applied 
 three or four times a-day. — 2. Take an egg and 
 roast it after which remove the shell, then half 
 it, take the yolk out and fill the cavities left in 
 the whites with finely pulverized alum. Place 
 in a thin cloth and press all the juice out. Bottle 
 the liquid thus obtained, and bathe the eyes with 
 it. For ordinary sore eyes it is an excellent re- 
 medy. — 3. Table salt and white vitriol, of each, 
 I table-spoon ; heat them upon copper or earthen 
 until dry; the heating drives off the acrid or bi- 
 ting water called the water of crystallization, 
 making them much milder in their action ; now 
 add to them soft water, ^ pt. ; putting in white 
 sugar, I table-spoon; blue vitriol a piece the size 
 of a common pea. If it should prove too strong 
 in any case, add a little more soft water to a vial 
 of it. Apply it to the eyes 3 or 4 times daily. — 
 4. Bathe the eyes night and morning with tepid 
 water, and then use the following lotion: — Oxide 
 of zinc, I drachm ; rose water, 8 ounces. Mix. 
 If the eyelids stick together in the morning a 
 little weak citrine ointment slightly warmed 
 should be applied at bedtime to the edges of the 
 lids with a feather or the tip of the finger. — 5. An 
 alum lotion is beneficial to weak and watery 
 
222 
 
 DICTIONARY OF E VERY-DAY WANTS. 
 
 eyes. It may be made by mixing half a drachm 
 of purified alum with six ounces of rose-water. — 
 6. Sulphate of zinc, 2 grs.; tincture of opium, 
 (laudanum), i dr.; rose-water, 2 ozs.; mix. Put 
 a drop or two in the eye 2 or 3 times daily. — "j. 
 Sulphate of zinc, acetate of lead, and rock salt, of 
 each % oz.; loaf sugar, I oz.; soft water, 12 ozs.; 
 mix without heat, and use as other eye water. — 
 8. Sulphate of zinc, I oz.; sugar of lead, ^ oz.; 
 precipitated carbonate of iron, ^ oz.; salt, and 
 sugar, of each i table spoon ; the whites of 2 eggs; 
 soft water, 32 ozs.; mix the whites of the eggs, 
 zinc, salt, lead, sugar, and iron well together, 
 then add the water. — 9. When excessively in- 
 cammed. Poultice by boiling a handful of^hops 
 in water, putting in from |^ to I dr. of opium, 
 while boiling; when still warm, lay the hops 
 over the eyes and keep them wet with the water 
 in which they were boiled. — 10. If sore eyes 
 shed much water, put a little of the oxide of zinc 
 into a vial of water, and use it rather freely — it 
 will soon cure that difficulty. — II. Castile soap, 
 scraped fine, and half the quantity of very finely 
 pulverized chalk ; wet them up to a paste with 
 strong juice of tobacco ; when desired to apply to 
 the eye, drop two or three drops of brandy mto 
 the box of paste ; then take out a bit of it where 
 the brandy was dropped, equal in size to the 
 fourth of a grain of wheat, to the diseased eye ; 
 wet it on a bit of glass, and put it into the eye 
 with a camel's hair pencil. — 12. Salve. Take 
 white precipitate, i tea-spoon and rub it into a 
 salve with 3 tea-spoons of fresh lard, and applied 
 upon the outside of the lid of the worst chronic, 
 (long continued), sore eyes, has cured them 
 when they were so bad that even the eye-lashes, 
 (cilia), had fallen out, from the disease. 
 
 FAINTIN^G. — Pl.ice the patient upon the 
 back, with the head low ; let fresh air into the 
 room instantly, and apply gentle friction. Apply 
 camphor or spirits of hartshorn upon the fore- 
 head, and about the nostrils. 
 
 FEET, Care of. — Many are careless in the 
 keeping of the feet. If they wash them once a 
 week, they think they are doing well. They do 
 not consider that the largest pores of the system 
 are located in the bottom of^ the foot, and that 
 the most offensive matter is discharged through 
 the pores. They wear stockings from the begin- 
 ning to the end of the week without change, which 
 becomes wholly saturated with offensive matter. 
 — Ill health is generated by such treatment of 
 the feet. Thfe pores are not repellants, but ab- 
 sorbants, and this foetid matter, to a greater or 
 less extent, is taken back into the system. The 
 feet should be washed every day with pure water 
 only, as well as the armpits, from which an of- 
 fensive odor is also emitted, unless daily abolution 
 is practiced. Stockings should not be worn more 
 than a day or two at a time. They may be worn 
 one day, and then aired and sunned, and worn 
 another day, if necessary. 
 
 FEET, BLISTERED.— To cure blistered 
 feet from long walking, rub the feet, at going to 
 bed, with spirits mixed with tallow. 
 
 FEET, Cold. — The best method of averting 
 coldness in the feet and lower limbs is to wear 
 two pairs of stockings of different fabrics, one of 
 silk or cotton, and the other of wool ; the two 
 fabrics serving to keep in the natural heat of the 
 feet. 
 
 FEET, {Cold) at Bed-Time.— DT&vf off the 
 stocking, just before undressing, and rub the 
 
 ankles and feet with the hand as hard as can be 
 borne for 5 or 10 minutes. This will diffuse a 
 pleasurable glow, and those who do so will never 
 nave to complain of cold feet in bed. Frequent 
 washing and rubbing them thoroughly dry with 
 a linen cloth or flannel, is useful for the same 
 purpose. 
 
 FEET, Frosted. — To relieve the intense 
 itching of frosted feet, dissolve a lump of alum in 
 a little water, and bathe the part with it, warm- 
 ing it before the fire. One or t<vo applications 
 are sure to give relief. 
 
 FEET, Tender. — Wear woollen socks or 
 stockings, and change them frequently. Bathe 
 both your feet and lower limbs in a solution ol 
 common salt, a pound of salt to a gallon of water. 
 When spring water is used, add a tablespoonful 
 of carbonate of soda to every pint of water. Use 
 boots or shoes with soft leather uppers, and soles 
 not too thin. 
 
 FELON, Cures for. — As soon as the disease 
 is felt put directly over the spot a fly blister, 
 about the size of your thumb nail, and let it re- 
 main for six hours, at the expiration of which 
 time, directly under the surface of the blister may 
 be seen the felon, which can be instantly taken 
 out with the point of a needle or a lancet. — 2. 
 Take equal quantities of soft-soap and quick-lime, 
 mix till about the consistency of putty, make 
 into little balls, and as often as one dnes apply 
 another; they will need to be changed about 
 every half hour, and will be increasingly painful 
 with each successive change, but in three or four 
 hours the suppuration will be complete, and the 
 felon all drawn out, leaving a little hole running 
 to the bone, which will soon heal up, needing 
 only to be washed daily with Castile soap and 
 warm water, and kept covered with adhesive 
 plaster. Hard-soap may be dissolved in warm 
 water and used instead of soft, but soap made of 
 woodashes is best. — 3. A poultice of onions, 
 applied morning, noon and night, for three or 
 four days, will cure a felon. — 4. Insert the finger 
 or thumb, whichever the case may be, into a 
 lemon, in the first stages of the disease, and keep 
 it on twelve to twenty-four hours, and it will re- 
 lieve the pain and cure without any further 
 trouble. — 5. Take equal parts of gum camphor, 
 opium, Castile soap, brown sugar; wet to a paste 
 with spirits of turpentine, and apply like a salve. 
 Those who have tried it say it is an invaluable 
 remedy. — 6. Take common rock salt, such as is 
 used in salting down beef or pork,- and mix with 
 spirits of turpentine in equal parts, and as it 
 gets dry put on more, and in twenty-four hours 
 you are cured. — 7. When you fear a felon is com- 
 ing, put a pint tin of boiling water on the stove; 
 then add to that a teaspoonful of saleratus and a 
 wineglass of vinegar ; heat this every little while, 
 say from half an hour to an hour, and hold your 
 finger in it till the pain subsides ; repeat this till 
 you see all the matter drawn to one place ; then 
 have it opened and your finger will heal. 
 
 FEVER. and AGUE.—Thh, the true inter- 
 mittent fever, comes on with an ague-fit, which 
 has three st.iges — the cold, the hot, and the 
 sweating. In the first stage, the patient yiiwns, 
 stretches, feels weak, has no appetite, and does 
 not wish to move. The face and extremities become 
 pale, the skin shrinks, and is covered with goose- 
 flesh ; the patient shakes, and his teeth chatter. 
 Then, after a time, these symptoms decline, and 
 the patient's fever comes on very violently, and 
 
MEDICAL AND SURGICAL. 
 
 2*3 
 
 with various uncomfortable sensations. As the 
 fever passes off, the sweating stage comes on, 
 when the perspiration is generally profuse ; the 
 body returns to its natural temperature, the pains 
 and aches vanish, and a feeling of health comes 
 back, and generally a voracious appetite. There 
 is not much regularity in the time of coming on, 
 or going off, of the ague-fits, though usually they 
 are a little later each day in appearing. In this 
 disease the spleen is very mucn oppressed with 
 blood driven in from the surface, and often be- 
 comes so much enlarged as to be plainly felt by 
 the hand. This is a malarious disease. — Treat- 
 ment. — The bowels may be opened with a gentle 
 physic, such as salts and senna. In the cold 
 stage, give hot and stimulating drinks, use foot- 
 baths, not bottles, etc., and try every expedient 
 to promote warmth. In the hot stage, give cool- 
 ing drinks, and administer quinine mixture, as 
 the following: quinine, one scruple; alcohol, 
 four ounces ; sulphuric acid, five drops. Mix. 
 Give a teaspooniul every half-hour during the 
 fever, at the same time giving five-drop doses of 
 veratrum viride every hour. When the sweating 
 stage comes on, stop the veratrum, and rub the 
 patient with dry towels. In the intermission 
 give quinine. In mild cases, other tonics than 
 quinine often effect a cure. The nursing of the 
 patient, and bathing, sweating and rubbing are 
 the most important part of the treatment, in this, 
 as in most other diseases. In ague districts, the 
 hot sun, and evening air, are to be avoided. 
 
 FE VER and A G UE, Other Remedies for.— 
 I. Take two ounces of gum camphor and enclose 
 it in a flannel bag about four or five inches 
 square. Suspend the bag over the pit of the 
 stomach by the means of a cord around the neck, 
 and a speedy cure will be effected. When the 
 camphor is dissolved the ague is gone, — 2. Ger- 
 man physicians, as appears from medical jour- 
 nals, have found a tincture of the leaves of the 
 Eucalyptus globulus, or Australian gum-tree, to 
 be a remedy for intermittent fever. Dr. Lorimer 
 gave it to fifty-three patients, of whom forty- 
 three were completely cured. — 3. The ordinary 
 sunflower, if planted around a house, will free 
 the atmosphere from the animal and vegetable 
 germs, supposed to contain the miasma product- 
 ive of fever and ague. — ^4. See also ^'Quinine, a 
 substitute for'^ on page 81. 
 
 FEVER, Bilious' Remittent.— This, makes its 
 attack in a sudden and marked manner. There 
 are no premonitory symptoms except, perhaps, a 
 little languor and debility, slight headache, and 
 a bad taste in the mouth, sometimes some pain 
 in the joints. Its commencement is with a chill, 
 sometimes slight, sometimes severe and prolong- 
 ed. The chill may begin in the feet, or shoul- 
 ders, or back, running thence like streams of 
 cold water. There is seldom more than this one 
 chill, the fever coming on afterward without the 
 cold stage. At certain periods of the day, there 
 is greater intensity of the symptoms, and possibly 
 the chill, though probably not. Between these 
 periods of increased fever, the disease seems to 
 decrease, though there is still some fever. Un- 
 like fever and ague, it does not go entirely off. 
 During the hot stage the pulse is up to one 
 hundred and twenty, or still higher, and there 
 are pains in the head, hack, and limbs, of the 
 most distressing kind. The tongue is covered 
 with a yellowish fur, and, in bad cases, is parch- 
 ed, brown, or almost black in the center, and red 
 
 at the edges. The appetite is gone, and there is 
 generally nausea and vomiting, and pain or ten- 
 derness in the upper part of the bowels. At first 
 there is costiveness, but afterward the bowels 
 become loose, and the evacuations are dark and 
 offensive. This disease is produced by malaria, 
 aiid prevails in hot climates, and in our summer 
 and autumn. — Treatment. — In the very begin- 
 ning, the disease may be arrested by an emetic 
 of lobelia or ipecac, followed by a mild cathartic. 
 But if the disease is fully developed, sponge the 
 body all over, several times a day, with water, 
 and give cooling drinks, such as cream tartar,'* 
 two scruples, in a quart of water, lemonade, etc. 
 To allay the fever, give tincture of veratrum 
 viride, m ten-drop doses. Cold water and ice 
 may be given the patient, if desired. Cool the 
 head, when it aches, with cold applications, and 
 put a mustard-poultice on the stomach, if tender. 
 During the remissions between the fever, quin- 
 ine, and other tonics, must be given, as in fever 
 and ague. 
 
 FEVER, Congestive. — Another form of mala- 
 rious fever, is the congestive. It may be either 
 remittent, that is, abating considerably ; or in- 
 termittent, that is, having intervals of entire free- 
 dom from fever. It may have intervals of twenty- 
 four or of forty-eight, hours. The first attack does 
 not differ from that of a simple intermittent, and 
 may excite but little attention; but the second 
 is always severe, producing great coldness, and 
 a death-like hue of the face and extremities. The 
 advancement of the disease brings dry, husky, 
 parched, and pungently hot skin, followed after 
 a time, by a cold, clammy sensation. The eyes 
 are dull, watery, and sometimes glassy; the 
 countenance dull, sleepy, distressed ; the tongue, 
 at first white, changes to brown or black, and is 
 usually tremulous ; the breathing is hurried and 
 difficult. Pressure over the liver, stomach, or 
 bowels, produces pain. The mind is often dis- 
 turbed, and falls into lethargy and stupor, or is 
 delirious. — Treatment. — This should be nearly 
 the same as in bilious remittent. While con- 
 valescing, the diet must be light and nutritious 
 at first, increasing in quantity as the strength 
 returns. Use a mild tonic, if the patient is weak. 
 Exercise out of doors must not be neglected. 
 
 FE VER, HA Y (^ot Asthma). — This very pecu- 
 liar disease appears generally as a severe attack 
 of catarrh, with asthmatic symptoms superadded. 
 The lining membrane of the eyes, nose, throat, 
 and lungs is all more or less affected. The pa- 
 tient sujfers from headache, sometimes severe, 
 sneezing, irritation of the nose and throat, \vith 
 a dry harassing cough. The asthmatic attacks 
 come on generally towards evening, and last 
 from one to three hours causing great distress. 
 Hay fever is not a very common complaint, and 
 only attacks those persons who from some pe- 
 culiarity of constitution are susceptible to the 
 causes producing it. It is supposed to be caused 
 by the inhalation of the pungent aroma of spring 
 grass and hay, but the inhalation of the powder 
 of ipecacuanha will also produce it in certain in- 
 dividuals. In the United States, where the rose 
 is largely cultivated, similar attacks sometimes 
 occur ; it is then called rose fever or rose catarrh. 
 The best treatment is change of air, to the sea- 
 side if possible. During the attacks antispasmod- 
 ics, such as sal volatile, ether, or an emetic, if 
 the patient is able to bear it, inhalations of hot 
 steam medicated with creosote, carbolic acid, or 
 
224 
 
 DICTIONARY OF E VERY-DAY WANTS. 
 
 turpentine will be found useful. When the at- 
 tack passes off the general health should be im- 
 proved by tonics, diet, etc. 
 
 FEVER, SCARLET.— This is an acute in- 
 flammation of the skin, both external and inter- 
 nal, and connected with an iniectious fever. — 
 Symptoms. — The fever shows itself between two 
 or ten days after exposure. On the second day 
 of the fever the eruption comes out in minute 
 pimples, which are either clustered together, or 
 spread over the surface in a general bright scarlet 
 color. The disease begins with languor, pains 
 in the head, back, and limbs, drowsiness, nausea 
 and chills, followed by heat and thirst. When 
 the redness appears the pulse is quick, and 
 the patient is restless, anxious, and often delir- 
 ious. The eyes are red, the face swollen, and the 
 tongue covered in the middle with white mucus, 
 through which are seen elevated points of ex- 
 treme redness. The tonsils are swollen, and the 
 throat is red. By the evening of the third or 
 fourth day the redness has reached its height, 
 and the skin becomes moist, when the scarf-skin 
 begins to come off in scales. 
 
 In this fever the flesh pufTs up so as to distend 
 the fingers, and disfigure the face. As it pro- 
 gresses the coating suddenly comes off the tongue, 
 leaving it and the whole mouth raw and tender. 
 The throat is very much swollen and inflammed, 
 and ulcers form on the tonsils. "The eustachian 
 tube which extends up to the ear, the glands un- 
 der the ear iind jaw, some times inflame and 
 break; and the abscesses formed in the ear fre- 
 quently occasion deafness more or less difficult 
 to cure. The symptoms of this disease may be 
 distinguished from that of measles by the absence 
 of cough ; by the finer rash ; by its scarlet color; 
 by the rash appearing on the second instead of 
 m the fourth day ; and by the ulceration of the 
 throat. — Treatment. — In ordinary cases the treat- 
 ment required is very simple. The room where 
 the patient lies should be kept cool, and the bed- 
 covering light. The whole body should be 
 sponged with cool water as often as it becomes 
 hot and dry, and cooling drinks should be ad- 
 ministered. If there is much fever and soreness 
 of throat, give cold water to drink and apply 
 cloths, wrung out of ice water. It would also be 
 useful to commence treatment with an emetic ; 
 and to soak the feet and hands in hot water con- 
 taining a little mustard or cayenne pepper; con- 
 tinuing this bath twenty minutes, twice a day, 
 for two or three days. The cold stage being 
 passed, and the fever having set in, warm water 
 may be used without the mustard or pepper. If 
 the head is affected, put drafts upon the feet ; and 
 if the bowels be costive, give injections of warm 
 water. Solid food should not be allowed; but when 
 the fever sets in, cooling drinks, such as lemon- 
 ade, tamarind-water, rice-water, flaxseed-tea, 
 thin-gruel, or cold water may be given in reaso- 
 nable quantities. 
 
 FEVER, TYPB'OII). —Typhoid fever is 
 generally preceded by several days of languor, 
 low spirits and indisposition to exertion. There 
 is also, usually, some pain in the back and head, 
 loss of appetite, and drowsiness, though not rest. 
 The disease shows itself by a chill. During the 
 first week there is increased heat of the surface, 
 frequent pulse, furred tongue, restlessness and 
 sleeplessness, headache and i^ain in the back; 
 some times diarrhea and swelling of the belly, 
 and sometimes nausea and vomiting. The second 
 
 week is often distinguished by small, rose-colored 
 spots on the belly, and a crop of little watery 
 pimples on the neck and chest, having the ap- 
 pearance of minute drops of sweat ; the tongue is 
 dry and black, or red and sore ; the teeth are 
 foul ; there may be delirium, and dullness of 
 hearing ; and the symptoms every way are more 
 serious than during the first week. Occasionally, 
 the bowels are at this period perforated or ate 
 through by ulceration, and the patient suddenly 
 sinks. If the disease proceeds unfavorably into 
 the third week, there is low, muttering delirium; 
 great exhaustion ; sliding down of the patient to- 
 ward the foot of the bed ; twitching of the musc- 
 les ; bleeding from the bowels ; and red or purple 
 spots upon the skin., If on the other hand, the 
 patient improves, the countenance brightens up, 
 the pulse moderates, the tongue cleans, and the 
 discharges look healthy. — Treatment. — Give the 
 patient good air, and frequent spongings with 
 water, cold or tepid, as most agreeable. Keep 
 the bowels in order, and be more afraid of diar- 
 rhea than costiveness. Diarrhea should be re- 
 strained by injection of cold water. For costive- 
 ness, give mild injections, made slightly loosen- 
 ing by castor oil, or common molasses. To keep 
 down the fever, and produce perspiration, give 
 tincture of veratrum viride, ten drops every hour. 
 If the bowels are swelled, relieve them by hot 
 fomentation of hops and vinegar. If the pain in 
 the head is very severe and constant, let the hair 
 be cut short, and the head bathed frequently with 
 cold water. Give light nourishment, and if the de- 
 bility is great, broth will be needed. Cleanse 
 the mouth with very weak tea — old hyson. If 
 the fever runs a low course, and the patient is 
 very weak, quinine maybe given from the begin- 
 ning. Constant care, and good nursing, are very 
 important. Typhus fever is distinguished from 
 typhoid by there being no marked disease of the 
 bowels in typhus. 
 
 FEVER, YELLOW. —This disease is most 
 prevalent in hot climates,and southern cities of our 
 country. It comes in the latter part of summer, 
 and lasts till frosty weather. — Symptoms. — The 
 disease begins with a chill, generally not very 
 severe. Following the chill, there is moderate 
 fever, and some heat of the surface, but this 
 rarely rises to any great height, and only con- 
 tinues to the second or third day, when, in fatal 
 cases, it gives place to coldness of surface, etc. 
 In many cases there is sweating. The pulse is 
 peculiar, not often over a hundred, but feeling 
 like a bubble under the finger, which breaks and 
 vanishes before it can be fairly felt. The tongue 
 is moist and white in the first and second days ; 
 but red, smooth, shining and dry as the disease 
 advances toward the close, having a dry, black 
 streak in the middle. The most striking symp- 
 toms are nausea and vomiting, which, in fatal 
 cases, is very persistent, and toward the last a 
 yellowish or greenish matter is thrown up, fol- 
 lowed by a discharge of thin black fluid, which 
 is called the black vomit. The bowels are gener- 
 ally costive, with tenderness in the upper bowels 
 or stomach. There is generally severe head- 
 aches, and a peculiar expression efface, in which 
 the lips smile, while the rest of the face is fixed 
 and sad, sometimes wild. The patient continues 
 wakeful night and day. There are discharges of 
 blood, often from the nose, the gums, the ears, 
 the stomach, the bowels, and the urinary pas- 
 sages. — Treatment. — First move the bowels with 
 
MEDICAL AND SURGICAL. 
 
 22S 
 
 some mild physic, such as sweet tincture of rhub- 
 arb, four ounces; bicarbonate of soda, two drams. 
 Mix. Give a tablespoonful once in three hours 
 until it operates. During the chill, use all the 
 usual means of warming the body by hot bottles, 
 mustard foot-bath, warm drinks, drafts, etc. A 
 warm poultice on the stomach is useful — some 
 would advise cupping. During the second, or 
 calm stage, give gentle stimulants, warm drinks, 
 and five-drop doses of veratrum viride, also 
 quinine. In the third stage, brandy, quinine, 
 and all stimulants freely. To quiet the vomiting, 
 give of this preparation : creosote, twenty drops ; 
 spirits of mindererus, six ounces ; and alcohol, 
 enough to dissolve the creosote. Dose, half an 
 ounce, every two hours. 
 
 Temperance, cleanliness, and all good habits, 
 do much to prevent this disease. 
 
 FITS. — See "Epilepsy". 
 
 FOOD for BABIES.— MothtTs who are not 
 able to nurse their babies, find it almost impos- 
 sible to keep the milk they are compelled to use 
 so perfectly sweet as not to injure their little 
 ones. Ice, if it can be had, does not wholly 
 answer, even if its excessive cold does not change 
 the character of the milk. A few years since the 
 writer of this, while in a southern state, recom- 
 mended the following plan to a mother : Mix 
 your babe's food milk with its due proportion of 
 sugar, and place the pitcher holding it in a deep 
 plate — a soupe-plate or pie-dish will do — and fill 
 the plate with cold water. Take a piece of thin 
 muslin, large enough to cover the whole pitcher 
 and reach down all sides into the water. Have 
 no cover on the pitcher, wet the cloth and cover 
 the pitcher with it ; put its ends into the water, 
 and set the whole in a place where a draught of 
 air will pass over it. The mother tried the plan, 
 and during an exceedingly hot summer, through 
 the most sultry days and nights of a long season, 
 the milk never turned at all. The rationale of 
 the thing is easy. The milk is not confined in a 
 close vessel, or in danger of being tainted by 
 nearness to other, perhaps not wholesome food ; 
 the thin gauze protects it, yet leaves it open ; 
 the draught of air keeps the temperature down 
 by the constant evaporation, while the water is 
 constantly sucked up by the cloth, acting like a 
 wick in a lamp to supply the moisture. 
 
 GONORRHCEA, {Clap).—K tingling sensa- 
 tion at the end of the penis, which swells, looks 
 red and inflamed, followed by a discharge of 
 matter that stains the linen, first of a whitish, 
 then of a yellow or green color, a scalding pain 
 in making water, involuntary and painful erec- 
 tion. — Treatment. — There are two kinds of this 
 affection, the mild and the virulent. The first 
 is of so trivial a nature, that plentiful draughts 
 of any soothing liquid, as barley-water, or flax- 
 seed-tea, with a low diet, are sufficient to remove 
 it. The second produces effects more or less 
 violent on different persons, and occasionally re- 
 sists for months every remedy that can be thought 
 of. If there be much pain and inflammation in 
 the penis, apply a bread and milk poultice to it, 
 take a dose of salts, and lose some blood. This 
 is the more necessary if, in consequence of the 
 swelling of the foreskin, it cannot be drawn back, 
 or being back, cannot be drawn forward. In the 
 meantime, take pretty large doses of the balsam co- 
 paiva daily. A very low diet should beadheredto, 
 and the patient should remain perfectly quiet. 
 GLEET. — The weeping of thin glairy fluid, 
 
 like the white of an egg, from the penis, caused 
 by a long-continued clap. — Treatment. — A gleet 
 is exceedingly difficult to get rid of, and frequently 
 defies every effort that is made for that purpose. 
 It must be attempted, however, by the daily use 
 of the cold bath, and thirty drops of the muriated 
 tincture of iron, taken three times a day, for 
 months, in a glass of the cold infusion of bark. 
 The best advice to be given in this case is to 
 apply at once to an intelligent surgeon, who will 
 prescribe injections of alum, sulphate of zinc, or 
 nitrate of silver. 
 
 GRA VEL. — Gravel, which is a deposit of un- 
 natural substances in the urine, is indicated by a 
 sudden attack of pain in the region of the kid- 
 neys, so acute and severe as to frequently cause 
 fainting, and even convulsions. The pain runs 
 down to the groin and thigh, causing a numbness 
 of the affected side, and a drawing up of the 
 testicle. The pain is excessive at times, and then 
 remits. Finally it stops suddenly. The pain is 
 caused by the passing along the tubes which lead 
 from the kidneys to the bladder, the stones or 
 gravel which is found there. Sometimes the 
 gravel is so fine as to cause no pain, and is depo- 
 sited with the urine at the bottom of the vessel. 
 The deposites are of various kinds, indicating the 
 state of the health, and must be treated differ- 
 ently. But as none but a chemist or physician 
 could determine the nature of the deposits, 
 whether they where acid or alkaline, we will 
 leave the treatment also entirely to them. 
 
 GOUT, To cure. — Take hot vinegar, and put 
 into it all the table salt which it will dissolve, 
 and bathe the parts affected with a soft piece of 
 flannel. Rub in with the hand, and dry the foot, 
 etc., by the fire. Repeat this operation four 
 times in the 24 hours, 15 minutes each time, for 
 four days; then twice a day for the same period; 
 then once, and follow this rule whenever the 
 symptoms show themselves at any future time. 
 A better cure, as also an infallible preventive, is 
 to live on bread and water alone twice a day, and 
 earn it by hard physical labor. 
 
 HEALTH, Rttles for Preserving.— I. Pure 
 atmospheric air is composed of nitrogen, oxygen, 
 and a very small proportion of carbonic acid gas. 
 Air once breathed has lost the chief part of its 
 oxygen, and acquired a proportionate increase of 
 carbonic acid gas ; therefore, health requires that 
 we breathe the same air only one. 
 
 2. The solid parts of our bodies are continually 
 wasting away, and require to be repaired by^ 
 fresh substances ; therefore, food, which is to re- 
 pair the loss, should he taken with due reference 
 to exercise and the waste of body. 
 
 3. The fluid part of our bodies also wastes con- 
 stantly ; there is but one fluid in animals, which 
 is water; therefore, water only is necessary, and 
 no artifice can produce a better drink. 
 
 4. The fluid of our bodies is to the solid in 
 proportion as nine to one ; therefore, a like pro- 
 portion should prevail in the total amount of 
 food taken. 
 
 5. Light exercises an important influence upon 
 the growth and vigor of^ animals and plants; 
 therefore, our dwellings should freely admit 
 light. 
 
 6. Decomposing vegetable and animal matter 
 yields various noxious gases, which enter the 
 lungs and corrupt the blood ; therefore, all im- 
 purities should be kept away from our abodes, 
 and every precaution used to secure pure air. 
 
 IS 
 
226 
 
 DICTIONARY OF E VERY-DAY WANTS. 
 
 7. Warmth is necessary to all the bodily func- 
 tions ; therefore, an equal bodily temperature 
 should be maintained by exercise, clothing or 
 fire. 
 
 8. Exercise warms, invigorates, purifies the 
 body; clothing preserves the warmth the body 
 generates ; fire imparts warmth externally ; there- 
 fore, to obtain and preserve warmth; exercise 
 and clothing are preferable to fire. 
 
 g. Fire consumes the oxygen of the air, and 
 produces noxious gases; therefore, the air is 
 less pure in the presence of candles, gas, or coal- 
 fire than otherwise ; and the loss should be re- 
 paired by increased ventilation. 
 
 10. The skin is a highly-organized membrane, 
 full of minute pores, cells, blood-vessels, and 
 nerves ; it imbibes moisture, or throws it off, ac- 
 cording to the state of the atmosphere and the 
 temperature of the body. It also breathes, as do 
 the lungs, though less actively. All the internal 
 organs sjonpathize with the skin; therefore, it 
 should be cleansed frequently. 
 
 11. Late hours and anxious pursuits exhaust 
 the nervous system, and produce disease and 
 premature death; therefore, the hours of study 
 and labor should be short. 
 
 12. Mental and bodily exercise are equally es- 
 sential to health and happiness; therefore, re- 
 creation and study should succeed each other. 
 
 13. Man will live most healthily upon simple 
 solids and fluids, of which a sufficient but tem- 
 perate quantity should be taken ; therefore, strong 
 drinks, tobacco, snuff, and opium, and all mere 
 indulgences, should be avoided. 
 
 14. Sudden alternations of heat and cold are 
 dangerous, especially to the young and aged; 
 therefore, the clothing should be sufficient, and 
 adapted to changes of temperature. 
 
 15. Moderation in eating and drinking, in labor 
 and study ; recreation taken with regularity ; rest, 
 cleanliness, even temper, an equable tempera- 
 ture, are the great essentials of health — which far 
 surpasses wealth in value. 
 
 HEADACHES. — Headaches are always 
 symptoms of some derangement of the system in 
 some of its parts, and should not be neglected. 
 In children, they generally indicate the ap- 
 proach of some disease. In adults, they are oc- 
 casioned frequently by a bad circulation, impaired 
 digestion, and by affections of the nerves. For 
 the first, active exercise, and a slight physic, are 
 only necessary ; for the second, light diet, with 
 exercise and a dose of some bitter alkali after 
 meals ; and for the third, the same treatment as 
 for neuralgia, being careful about the diet. Some- 
 limes a patient is subject to rheumatic headache, 
 which may be treated with warm fomentations, 
 stimulating liniment, and a gentle physic. The 
 patient should dress warmly, and avoid exposure 
 to cold and wet feet. 
 
 HEADACHE, Remedies pr.—i. A doctor in 
 Paris has published a new remedy for headaches. 
 He uses a mixture of ice and salt, in proportion 
 of one to one half, as a cold mixture, and this he 
 applies by means of a little purse of silk gauze, 
 with a rim of g-itta percha, to limited spots on 
 the head, when rheumatic headaches are felt. It 
 gives instantaneous relief. The skin is subjected 
 to the process from half a minute to one and a 
 half minutes, and is rendered hard and white by 
 the application.— 2. Put a handful of salt into a 
 quart of^water, add one ounce of spirits of harts- 
 horn and half an ounce of camphorated spirits of 
 
 wine. Put them quickly into a bottle, and cork 
 tightly to prevent the escape of the spirit. Soak 
 a piece of rag with the mixture, and apply it to 
 the head ; wet the rag afresh as soon as it gets 
 heated. — 3. It is stated that two tea-spoons of 
 finely powdered charcoal, drank in half a tumbler 
 of water, will, in less than 15 minutes, give relief 
 to the sick headache, when caused, as in most 
 cases it is, by superabundance of acid on the 
 stomach. We have tried this remedy time and 
 again, and its efficacy in every instance has been 
 signally satisfactory. 
 
 HEAD {Scald), in Infants. — This complaint 
 begins in brownish spots on the head, and in a 
 few days forms a scab, and discharges a thick, 
 gluey matter, that sticks upon the hair. The 
 sores gradually increase, until the whole head is 
 covered with a scab, discharging this matter, 
 which is very offensive. The hair is to be cut of? 
 as close as possible, and the head washed every 
 night and morning with lime water. This is 
 easily prepared by slacking a piece of quicklime, 
 of the size of a hen's egg, in a quart of water, 
 and when settled, it is to be put into a bottle and 
 corked for use. 
 
 HEART, Palpitation ^. — Palpitation and 
 irregular action of the heart are often experienced 
 in persons between the ages of sixteen and 
 twenty years ; they are, or have generally been, 
 growing rapidly, are of delicate appearance, and 
 frequently are addicted to some vicious habits. 
 In such persons, the blood is thin and poor, and 
 the heart and nerves fail to perform their proper 
 function for want of support. Derangement of 
 the stomach often gives rise to these symptoms, 
 and they may persist for a long period from this 
 cause. A lady who for years suffered from vio- 
 lent paroxysms of palpitation, which many phy- 
 sicians attributed to organic disease of the heart, 
 happened on one occasion to take some medicine 
 which induced vomiting, and this act was follow- 
 ed by immediate recovery. Subsequently, when- 
 ever she had the symptoms of an approaching at- 
 tack of palpitation, she resorted to an emetic, 
 which not only gave relief to the paroxysm, but 
 finally relieved her altogether. In another case, 
 a patient entered a hospital suffering severely 
 from violent action of the heart ; he was bled, 
 and blistered, and purged without benefit; hav- 
 ing taken a large dose of medicine, vomitmg en- 
 sued, with immediate and permanent relief. 
 
 Tea, and especially green tea, is very liable to 
 disturb the heart's action when used by suscep- 
 tible persons. And there is no doubt that an 
 immense number of persons in every community 
 suffer from minor forms of heart derangement, 
 due to the use of tea. 
 
 Tobacco, either smoked or che^ved, invariably 
 effects the hearts action, and produces irregular- 
 ity and palpitation. 
 
 HE A RTB[/RN~ Anxiety and pain about the 
 region of the stomach, generally attended by a 
 sense of gnawing and heat; hence called heart- 
 bum. Faintness, nausea, and eructation of a 
 thin, acidulous, watery liquid, especially in the 
 morning, are common symptoms of this com- 
 plaint. The usual causes of heartburn are excess 
 in eating or drinking, the use of improper food, 
 and sedentary habits. A good remedy is a tea- 
 spoonful of carbonate of magnesia, or carbonate 
 of soda, in a glass of peppermint or cinnamon 
 water, to which a little powdered ginger may be 
 added with advantage. This dose may be taken 
 
MEDICAL AND SURGICAL. 
 
 227 
 
 2 or 3 times daily until the disease is removed. 
 Articles of food that easily undergo fermentation 
 should at the same time be avoided, and a dry 
 diet had recourse to as much as possible. Soda- 
 water, toast and water, and weak spirits and 
 water, are the most suitable beverages in this 
 complaint. 
 
 HEMORRHAGE, Uterine, To Prevent.— 
 Take sugar of lead, 10 grs. ; ergot, 10 grs. ; 
 opium, 3 grs, ; ipecac, I gr. ; all pulverized and 
 well mixed. Dose, 10 to 12 grs., given in a 
 little honey or syrup. In very bad cases after 
 childbirth, it might be repeated m 30 minutes, or 
 the dose increased to 15 or 18 grs. ; but in cases 
 of rather profuse masting, repeat it once at the 
 end of 3 hours, or as the urgency of the case may 
 require. 
 
 HICCOUGH — A convulsive motion of the 
 diaphragm and parts adjacent. The common 
 causes are flatulency, indigestion, acidity, and 
 worms. It may usually be removed by the ex- 
 hibition of warm carminatives, cordials, cold 
 water, weak spirits, camphor julep, or spirits of 
 sal volatile. A sudden fright or surprise will 
 often produce the like elTect, An instance is re- 
 corded of a delicate young lady that was troubled 
 with hiccough for some months, and who was 
 reduced to a state of extreme debility from the 
 loss of sleep occasioned thereby, who was cured 
 by a fright, after medicines and topical applica- 
 tions had failed. A pinch of snuff, a glass of 
 cold soda-water, or an ice-cream, will Sso fre- 
 quently remove this complaint. 
 
 HOARSENESS, Remedy for.— Takz one 
 drachm of freshly scraped horse-radish root, to 
 be infused with four ounces of water in a close 
 vessel for three hours, and made into a syrup, 
 •with double its quantity of vinegar. A teaspoon- 
 fol has often proved effectual. 
 
 HYDROPHOBIA.— TKxs terrible disease, the 
 result of the bite of a mad dog, or mad wolf, is a 
 disease for which there is no certain remedy. The 
 symptoms, after being bitten, are lancinating 
 pains in the scar of the wound, which dart toward 
 the body, if it be a limb that was bitten. Some- 
 times the wound feels cold, or stiff, or numb, or 
 grows red, swelled, or livid, and sometimes 
 breaks open and discharges matter. The patient 
 feels a strange anxiety, is depressed in spirits, 
 has an occasional chill, and disturbed sleep, or 
 spasmodic twitches. The pulse is above its na- 
 tural state, both in quickness and strength, and 
 the nervous system is very impressible. The 
 senses are all more acute; trifling noises produce 
 agitation, and the eyes are so disturbed by the 
 light that the patient sometimes hides himself in 
 a dark place ; and the appetite is lost. In the 
 second stage there is thirst ; but when the patient 
 attempts to drink, a spasmodic shudder comes 
 over him; he pushes away the water in horror, 
 and the awful conviction flashes over him that he 
 is mad. After this he can not swallow fluids ; 
 has stiffness in the neck ; . is thrown into convul- 
 sions by the sight or sound of water, by a breath 
 of air blowing upon him, or by a bright light. 
 His throat is full of a viscid, glairy matter, which 
 he continually tries to clear away. Between con- 
 vulsions and exhaustion he lingers three or four 
 days, and dies. 
 
 In regard to preventive treatment, which is so 
 efficient, and therefore of vast importance, let it 
 be remembered thr.t a mere scratch on the hand 
 or face is the most dangerous — a bite through 
 
 clothing not without danger. As the poison ad- 
 heres to the part some time after the bite be- 
 fore it produces the effect, let the wound be in- 
 standy washed, again and again, with soap and 
 water. If a physician were to vaccinate a child 
 in the arm, and an hour after should wash the 
 part with soap and water, no efiect would result. 
 
 While washing is being done, send instantly 
 to the nearest druggist for a piece of caustic pot- 
 ash. This comes in small cylindrical pieces. If 
 the tooth of the dog has penetrated, cut the cau- 
 stic in the shape of a pencil or a dog's tooth, in- 
 sert it in the wound and hold it there firmly for 
 a quarter of a minute vnthout regard to the pain, 
 which will be severe. 
 
 Caustic potash can be made extempore by 
 pouring boiling water on wood ashes, straining 
 out the ley, and boiling it down to the consistence 
 of molasses. It may be applied with a smooth 
 stick. 
 
 When the wound is a scratch, and therefore 
 the most dangerous, wipe it over briskly with the 
 same material. If the caustic potash cannot be 
 procured, use nitric acid (aquafortis) or sulphuric 
 acid (oil of vitriol). Milder causdcs, which do 
 not destroy the surface of the wound in which 
 the poison is lodged, are not worthy of confi- 
 dfence, although Mr. Youatt recommends the ni- 
 trate of silver (lunar caustic). The part may be 
 poulticed with bread and milk for two days, and 
 then dressed with simple salve. 
 
 It is too common a practice to kill instantly a 
 savage dog who has bitten a person. This is 
 exceedingly wrong, as the person lives for years 
 with the torturing apprehension that he has been 
 bitten by a rabid dog. The animal should be 
 shut up and regularly fed. If rabid, he will cer- 
 tamly die ; but if he lives a week and takes food 
 there is no danger. 
 
 It is generally believed that canine madness 
 occurs almost exclusively in summer, and espe- 
 cially during what are termed the "dog days." 
 This is a popular error. According to the best 
 authority, the disease is communicated only by 
 contagion, and just as likely to be propagated in 
 winter as in summer, and therefore city ordinan- 
 ces, which allow dogs to be at large at one season 
 and not at another, are absurd. See also "Mad 
 Dog Bites" on page ll. 
 
 INDIGESTION, Remedy for. — Half an 
 ounce of ground Turkey rhubarb ; i drachm of 
 sulphate of quinine ; I drachm of extract of sar- 
 saparilla. Put the sarsaparilla into a cup with 
 3 or 4 teaspoonfuls of cold water ; let it stand till 
 disolved ; then add the other ingredients. Make 
 it into a stiff paste; it will then be ready to make 
 into pills with the use of a little flour. The 
 whole costs but a small sum and makes nearly 
 100 pills. The dose is 2 pills every other night. 
 
 INFLUENZA. — Influenza, which, in its 
 lighter form, is simply a cold, may become a 
 very serious and troublesome complaint. It be- 
 gins generally with a tingling and sense of full- 
 ness in the mucous membrane of the nose, mak- 
 ing breathing through the nose difficult, and pro- 
 ducing sneezing. The eyes become red and 
 watery, the throat is sore, and there is a dry 
 cough, hoarseness, thirst, lassitude, and chilli- 
 ness. The mucous membrane of the nose, throat, 
 and breathing-tulies, is red and inflamed, some- 
 times swollen and painful. Tlie water runs from 
 the eyes and nose, and the cough begins to be 
 accompanied by expectoration of yellow matter. 
 
228 
 
 DICTIONARY OF EVERY-DAY WANTS. 
 
 Pain in the back and limbs, alternate heat and 
 chills, and loss of appetite, accompany the dis- 
 ease. — Treatment. — A very mild treatment is 
 required only, such as bathing the feet in warm 
 ■water, sweating, drinking warm herb-teas, slip- 
 pery elm, and taking a very light diet. Some 
 slight laxative may also be given. If the disease 
 is very severe, it may be necessary to give an 
 emetic of the compound tincture of lobelia, or 
 the powder of ipecac, lo to 20 grains. If the 
 cough is severe, give this : tincture of lobelia, 
 half an ounce ; syrup of squills, half an ounce. 
 Mix. 20 drops four or five times a day. 
 
 INTOXICA TION, Remedies >r.— Among 
 the remedies employed to remove the intoxication 
 produced by the use of alcoholic drinks, the pre- 
 parations of ammonia and the vegetable acids are 
 the most common and important. About 2 or 3 
 fluid drachms of aromatic spirits of ammonia 
 (spirits of sal volatile) mixed with a wineglassful 
 of water will generally neutralize or greatly les- 
 sen the action of intoxicating liquors. This some- 
 times produces vomiting, but this is a desirable 
 result, as nothing so effectually removes the 
 drunken fit as the thorough removal of the liquor 
 from the stomach: hence tickling the throat with 
 the finger or a feather is a common resource. 
 Soda-water acts by the free carbonic acid it con- 
 tains, and serves also as a tonic to the stomach. 
 Vinegar, among the acids, is one of the most 
 effective remedies, a small teaspoonful being a 
 customary dose. In the West Indies, lime juice 
 and lemon juice are used. The use of bitter al- 
 monds, as a means of lessening or retarding the 
 effects of fermented liquors, was known to anti- 
 quity, and is still common among heavy drinkers 
 at the present day. See also ''Drunkeness." 
 
 ITCH. — This disease is generally consequent 
 upon personal uncleanliness, yet all classes are 
 liable to it. Its symptoms are the eruption of 
 distinct, cone-like, watery pimples, transparent 
 on their summits, accompanied by excessive itch- 
 ing, which is made worse by high-seasoned food, 
 by drinking liquor, and by the heat of the bed. 
 When these pimples are scratched and torn, a 
 sticky, watery fluid is poured out, which forms 
 small scabs ; and in time, if the disease is not 
 cured, these scabs being torn off, bad sores are 
 made. This disease is caused by a minute insect, 
 which forces its way into the skin, and makes 
 cavities for its own occupation, while the victim 
 itches and scratches in consequence. 
 
 Treatment. — To kill the insect which causes the 
 annoyance is the way to cure the disturbance. 
 For this purpose, the compound sulphur ointment 
 is a sovereign remedy. Four ounces of this 
 should be well rubbed into the skin, before the 
 fire, morning and evening, for three or four days. 
 Caustic potash, one part, to twelve parts of water, 
 as a wash to be thoroughly applied, is a good re- 
 medy. Before using any application, the person 
 should be washed with warm water and soap, 
 and well dried. The Prussian military authori- 
 ties cure itch by smearing the parts with a mix- 
 ture of two parts of liquid storax with one part 
 of sweet oil. The cure is said to be complete in 
 twenty four hours. 
 
 ITCH, Pctroleu7)i for. — Dr. Decaisne, of Bel- 
 gium, rejjorts having used successfully the oil of 
 petroleu:n in upward of six hundred cases of 
 Itch. In the great majority of cases the disease 
 •was completely cured after a single friction; in 
 several after two, and in a very few instances 
 
 three or four applications were required. The 
 method failed in two or three cases only, and in 
 these sulphurate of lime was necessary to etTect 
 a cure. It is not necessary, as some military sur- 
 geons have thought, to rub in the oil with coarse 
 towels and brushes, but on the contrary, the sof- 
 test brushes should be used to spread the oil on 
 the skin. Dr. Decaisne, from experiments insti- 
 tuted in the military hospital and garrison at 
 Antwerp, on the disinfection of the clothing, be- 
 lieves that this process is quite unnecessary. Even 
 if some of the germs of the itch insect should ad- 
 here to the wearing apparel, these are destroyed 
 by the action of the petroleum with which the 
 person of the patient is saturated. 
 
 ITCH, Bat-bet's. — This appears on the hairy 
 part of the face — the chin, upper lip, the region 
 of the whiskers, the eyebrows, and nape of the 
 neck. It consists in little conical elevations, 
 which maturate at the top, and have the shaft of 
 a hair passing through them. These pimples are 
 of a pale, yellowish color. In a lew days they 
 burst, and the matter running out, forms into 
 hard, brownish crusts. These crusts fall off in 
 one or two weeks, leaving purplish, sluggish 
 pimples behind which disappear very slowly. 
 The disease is thought to be caused by using a 
 dull razor in shaving; and is very obstinate, 
 lasting for months, or even years. — Treatment. 
 The most important part of the treatment is the 
 removal of the cause. The beard must not be 
 pulled will a dull razor, and the shaving had 
 better be discontinued altogether, the beard being 
 simply cropped off with the scissors. All intem- 
 perance, in eating or drinking must be avoided, 
 as well as exposing the face to heat. A light, 
 cool diet will do much toward a cure. 
 
 ITCH, Bakers. — This disease is of common 
 occurence on the hands of bakers ; hence the vul- 
 gar name. — Treat. — Frequent ablution in warm 
 water, keeping the bowels open with saline pur- 
 gatives, and the nightly use of sulphur ointment 
 will generally effect a cure. Salt food should be 
 avoided as much as possible, as well as keeping 
 the hands covered with dough and flour; the lat- 
 ter being the cause of the disease. 
 
 yAUNDICE. — ^The most prominent symp- 
 toms of this disease are, yellowness of the skin 
 and whites of the eyes, saffron-colored urine, and 
 whitish or clay-colored stools. An infusion of 
 thoroughwort, drank freely every day, is a good 
 remedy. The diet should be plain, wholesome 
 and nourishing, composed mostly of vegetable 
 articles. Cold water should be the only drink. 
 
 KIDNEYS, Acute Inflammation ^/.— The 
 symptoms ofthis disease are,at first, cold chills and 
 rigors, especially in the back and loins, followed 
 by fever and pain. The pain frequently extends 
 to the bladder, the loins, the thighs, and is of a 
 severe and lancinating kind — though a little ob- 
 tuse. Pressure, motion, straining, or taking a 
 full breath, add to its pungency. The urine is 
 scanty and high-colored, sometimes bloody, and 
 can only be passed drop by drop. In the loins 
 there is a sense of heat, gnawing, and constric- 
 tion, and the bowels are irregular. A numbness 
 of the thigh, and drawing up of the testicle, are 
 marked and peculiar symptoms. In some cases 
 thereis nausea .ind vomiting, faintness, hiccough, 
 distension of the bowels, which rumble, etc. The 
 skin is dry and hot ; pulse hard and frequent. — 
 Treatment. — Either put the feet in a hot mus- 
 tard bath, or put drafts of mustard on the feet. 
 
MEDICAL AND SURGICAL. 
 
 229 
 
 Also apply the same upon the small of the back, 
 and follow it up with hot fomentations of hops or 
 stramonium-leaves. Induce perspiration by the 
 use of veratrum viride, in ten-drop doses every 
 hour. If the bowels are costive, open them with 
 salts or cream of tartar, or, better still, by fre- 
 quent and copious injections of warm water con- 
 taining a few drops of rincture of arnica. The 
 drinks must be slippery elm, flaxseed-tea, and 
 the like cooling infusions. If the disease be- 
 comes chronic, which is indicated by weakness 
 in the small of the back, and dull, heavy pain in 
 the kidneys, by the small quantity of urine pas- 
 sed often, and its white color, use the diuretics, 
 buchu, trailing arbutus, queen of the meadow, 
 and open the bowels with a gentle physic, if 
 necessary. Use the alkaline Ijath, daily, with 
 friction. A mustard-poultice, two or three times 
 a week, upon the small of the back, should be 
 used. The diet should be very careful. 
 
 LEAD Poisoning;. — M. Didierjean, a red-lead 
 manufacturer, has discovered that the use of milk 
 at their meals, which he has made obligatory on 
 his workmen to the extent of one litre daily, pre- 
 serves those employed in lead works free from 
 any svmptom of lead disease. 
 
 LEECHES, To Apply.— One of the opera- 
 tions generally intrusted to the nurse is the ap- 
 plication of leeches. The part to which they are 
 to be applied should be carefully and thoroughly 
 washed with soap and warm water, then dried, 
 and again just moistened with fresh milk. The 
 leeches having been put into a wineglass or 
 tumbler (according to their number), it should 
 be quickly inverted, and pressed firmly on the 
 skin, so as to prevent them from escaping under 
 the edge of the glass. 
 
 LEUCORRHEA, (« Whites.") This is the 
 term applied to a colorless, white or yellowish 
 discharge, secreted from either the Mucus Mem- 
 brane of the Vagina or Uterus, or both. The 
 cause which produces the Whites may have its 
 seat either in the Vagina, or in the neck of the 
 Womb. If it be thin and watery, or thick and 
 cream like, it is from the Vagina ; if ropy, gluey 
 or albuminous, like white of egg, it is from the 
 cavity of the neck. The treatment consists in 
 strengthening the parts, by the wearing of perfect- 
 ly loose clothing, hip baths, and cold water injec- 
 tions five or six times a day, with active friction 
 on the back, hips and lower part of the abdomen. 
 No sexual intercourse must be allowed while a 
 cure is unaffected. 
 
 LIVER, Acute Inflammation of. — ^The office 
 of the liver is to take the superabundant carbon 
 out of the blood This carbon unites with other 
 elements, and forms bile — the peculiar bitter sub- 
 stance which is poured into the upper bowel, and 
 greatly aids digestion. The hver is liable to 
 become inflamed from several causes: such as 
 gravel-stones, external violence, suppressed se- 
 cretions, hot climates, inflammation of the duo- 
 denum, etc The symptoms of acute inflammation 
 of this organ are, fever, with pain in the right 
 side, and a sense of tension, inability to lie on the 
 left side, difficulty of breathing, a dry cough, vom- 
 iting and hiccough. The pain is generally acute 
 and lancinating, though sometimes dull and ten- 
 sive. When sharp, it is like the stitch of pleurisy, 
 and it indicates that the peritoneum which covers 
 the liver is inflamed. When dull, it is in the body 
 of the liver itself. The pulse is full, hard and 
 strong, the bowels costive, and the stools clay- 
 
 colored, owing to not being tinged with bile — 
 this having stopped flowing. The tongue is cov- 
 ered ^vith a yellow, dark-brown, or even black 
 coat, and there is a bitter taste in the mouth. 
 
 Treatment. — It may be necessary to apply wet 
 cups, or leeches, over the liver. Purgatives must 
 be used pretty freely, and those which produce 
 watery stools are the best. Senna-leaves, two 
 drachms, stetped in a pint of water, to which is 
 added, when cool, one ounce of Epsom salts. 
 Strain, and give one-fourth of the preparation for 
 a dose ; this is a brisk purge. It will be neces- 
 sary to blister the surface over the liver generally, 
 though a mustard-poultice will answer in mild 
 cases. A poultice of mustard on the spine is also 
 of service in relieving the pain. A foot-bath fric- 
 tion, and sour drinks, are good. Perspiration, 
 induced by a vapor-bath, and kept up by giving 
 the tincture of American hellebore, from three to 
 ten drops an hour, is excellent. When the urine 
 is scanty and high-colored, give some diuretic, as 
 an infusion of marshmallow-root, or the seeds of 
 the pumpkin steeped to make a tea. The diet 
 should be of the lightest kind, until the patient is 
 somewhat recovered. 
 
 LIVER, Chronic Inflammation of. — This is a 
 difficult disease to cure. Its symptoms are a 
 sense of fullness and weight in the right side, 
 with some enlargement, and shooting pains in 
 the same region, especially when it is pressed, 
 with pains in one or both shoulders, and under 
 the shoulder-blades ; uncomfortable sensation 
 when lying on the left side ; yellowness of the 
 skin, eyes, and urine ; bowels irregular, loose or 
 costive ; appetite disturbed ; sometimes a dry, 
 hacking cough ; shortness of breath, tongue 
 whitish, and brown or yellow toward the root ; 
 a bitter and bad taste in the morning. The urine 
 deposits a sediment on standing. There is usually 
 a low and desponding state of the mind, wth ir- 
 ritability and peevishness of temper. The sldn 
 is often covered with yellow spots, and with a 
 branny substance. The various symptoms of 
 dyspepsia are present. The nervous system is 
 apt to be disturbed, and there is a disinclmation 
 to apply the mind, or a dread of some impending 
 evil. 
 
 Treatment. — If there is much tenderness of the 
 liver, begin with mustard-poultices, and the com- 
 pound pills of podophyllin, or the compound pills 
 of leptandrin : podophyllin, fifteen grains ; lep- 
 tandrin, two scruples ; cream of tartar, five scru- 
 ples. Mix. Divide into ten powders. One is 
 a dose. The compound tar-plaster is often very 
 useful. Kw alterative will be found useful. The 
 daily alkaline sponge-bath must on no account be 
 neglected. Vigorous friction should follow it. 
 If the constitution will bear it, it is well to vary 
 the sponge-bath with an occasional shower-bath. 
 The diet must be simple, yet nourishing, and em- 
 bracing but a small amount of fat. But, above 
 all, out-door exercise must be taken to the full 
 amount of the strength, and the thoughts occupied 
 with cheerful subjects. Avoid the hot sun, and 
 let the summer exercise be taken in the cool of 
 the day. The recovery from any chronic disease 
 must necessarily lie slow, therefore the patient 
 must not be discouraged, but should persevere 
 steadilv until the benefit is felt. 
 
 LOCK-JA IV. — This is a spasmodic con- 
 traction or stiffness of the voluntary muscles. 
 Sometimes it is partial, and sometimes extends to 
 the whole system. It is produced by exposure 
 
230 
 
 DICTIONARY OF EVERY-DAY WANTS. 
 
 to cold, by bodily injuries, or by the injury of a 
 nerve. Symptoms. — There is long-continued, 
 violent and painful cramping of the voluntary 
 muscles. At first there is difficulty and uneasi- 
 ness in turning the head, with inability to open 
 the mouth easily — then the jaws close gradually, 
 but vnth great firmness, s^vallowing becomes 
 difficult, and a pain, starting from the breast bone, 
 pierces through to the back — probably caused by 
 cramp of the midriff. The cramps now extend to 
 the whole body, the muscles of which continue in 
 a state of rigid spasm till the disease yields or 
 the patient dies. The appearance of the patient 
 is frightful, the face being contorted, and the fea- 
 tures set in a ghastly grin. — Treatment. — The 
 only known remedy for this disease is chloroform 
 or ether, taken either into the stomach, or by in- 
 halation, in quantities sufficient to control the 
 spasm — being repeated as long as the spasms 
 occur. The costiveness must be removed by one 
 or two drops of Croton oil, given in a spoonful 
 of gruel. 
 
 LUNGS, Hffw to ascertain state of. — Persons 
 desirous of ascertaining the true state of their 
 lungs, are directed to draw in as much breath as 
 they conveniently can ; they are then to count as 
 far as they are able, in a slow and audible voice, 
 without drawing in more breath. The number 
 of seconds they can continue counting must be 
 carefully observed; in a consumptive the time 
 does not exceed ten, and is frequently less than 
 six seconds ; in pleurisy and pneumonia it ranges 
 fi-om nine to four seconds. When the lungs are 
 in a sound condition, the time will range as high 
 as from twenty to thirty-five seconds. 
 
 LUNGS, How to Strengthen. — Many inven- 
 tions have been sought out for expanding the 
 lungs, but the following simple means will ac- 
 complish the work as well as it can possibly be 
 done. Go into the air, stand erect, throw back 
 the head and shoulders, and draw the air through 
 the nostrils into the lungs as much as possible. 
 After having thus filled the lungs, raise your 
 arms, still extended, and suck in the air. When 
 we have thus forced the arms backwards, with 
 the chest open, change the process by which you 
 draw in your breath, till the lungs are emptied. 
 Go through the process several times a day, and 
 it wiU enlarge the chest, give the lungs better 
 play, and serve very much to ward off consump- 
 tion. If the lungs are tender, or the blo6d ves- 
 sels weak, due care must be used at first not to 
 over-strain them. 
 
 LUNGS, Inflammation of. — ^The patient lies 
 upon his back, and has some pain in his side, 
 some difficulty of breathing, a dry cough at first, 
 but soon accompanied by a mixture of phlegm 
 and blood. As the disease increases, this matter 
 becomes more tenacious ; there is increased dif- 
 ficulty in breathing; greater prostration ; and 
 often some delirium. In the first stage of the 
 disease, the lungs are crowded with blood; in 
 the second the lungs are so swelled and thickened 
 up as to force out the air, and become solid; in 
 the third stage, matter is found diffused through 
 the whole substance of the lungs. The matter 
 raised is thinner, and looks like prune-juice. 
 From this stage persons rarely recover. — Treat- 
 ment. — The first thing to be done is to give an 
 emetic, either of compound powder of lobelia, 
 tartrate of antimony, or pulverized ipecac. The 
 next thing is to produce sweating by the same 
 means as in pleurisy. ^ If there is much fever. 
 
 and a rapid pulse, it is better to give tincture ol 
 veratrum viride, every hour, in from three to 
 ten-drop doses, for the purpose of sweating. 
 Mustard-plaster on the chest, to be put on, and 
 taken off several times, an^ when the surface 
 grows sore, it must be changed to another, so as 
 to affect the chest extensively. 
 
 Open the bowels with a preparation rf salts, or 
 magnesia. Give the patient for drinks flaxseed 
 or slippery elm tea, and let the diet be barley- 
 water, lemonade, Indian-meal gruel, very thin, 
 crust-coffee, etc. As the fever abates, the cough 
 will need attention. To quiet this, give Tartar 
 emetic, one grain; boiling water, ten drams. 
 Mix. Take one teaspoonful every hour. When 
 the fever is gone, if the patient is feeble and low, 
 give tonics, such as compound infusion of gen- 
 tian, eight ouirees; nitro-muriatic acid, thirty 
 drops. Mix. Take a tablespoonful three times 
 a day ; and guard against a relapse. 
 
 If the fever takes a typhoid form, great care 
 must be used not to give reducing remedies. 
 The purgatives must be more mild, and the ton- 
 ics used more freely, while the cough is kept 
 loose by slippery elm, or flaxseed, or marshmal- 
 low-tea. 
 
 MEASLES. — This is an acute inflammation 
 of the skin, both external and internal, combined 
 with an infectious fever. — Symptoms. — Chills, 
 succeeded by great heat, languor, and drowsiness, 
 pains in the head, back, and limbs; quick pulse; 
 soreness of throat; thirst, nausea, vomiting, a 
 dry cough, and high - colored urine. These 
 symptoms increase in \-iolence for four days. 
 The eyes are inflamed and weak; and the nose 
 pours forth a watery secretion, with frequent 
 sneezing. There is considerable inflammation of 
 the larynx, windpipe, and bronchial tubes, with 
 soreness of the breast, and hoarseness. About 
 the fourth day the skin is covered with a break- 
 ing out which produces heat and itching ; and is 
 red in spots, upon the face first, gradually 
 spreading over the whole body. It goes off in 
 the same way, from the face first, and then from 
 the body, and the hoarseness and other symptoms 
 decline with it. At last the outside skin peels 
 off in scales. — Treatment. — In a mild form noth- 
 ing is required but a light diet, slightly acid 
 drinks, and flaxseed or slippery elm tea. Warm 
 herb teas, and frequent sponge baths with tepid 
 water, serve to allay the fever. Care should be 
 taken not to let the patient take cold. 
 
 MEASLES, {False) or Rose-Rash.— This z<p^ 
 
 f)ears with the same general symptoms as meas- 
 es, and continues for about five days ; or some- 
 times comes and goes for several weeks. The 
 rash appears in small irregular patches, paler 
 than those of measles, and of a more roseate 
 color. — Treatment should be a light di^t, acid 
 drinks and gentle laxatives ; or if the disease 
 assumes a darker red, and the patches are more 
 elevated, a tonic is needed. 
 
 MENSTRUATION, Age at which it Com~ 
 mences. — Dr. Walter Rigden gives the subjoined 
 statistics obtained from females who were con- 
 fined at University College Hospital. In 2,696 
 cases menstruation occured for the first time : 
 At the age of — At the age of — 
 
 9 in 3 cases. 14 in 560 cases. 
 
 10 " 14 " 15 " 540 " 
 
 11 " 60 «« 16 "455 ' ' 
 
 12 " 170 " 17 " 272 " 
 
 13 " 353 " 18 '« 150 " 
 
MEDICAL AND SURGICAL. 
 
 231 
 
 At tlie age of — 
 
 19 in 76 cases. 
 
 20 " 29 " 
 
 21 " 7 " 
 
 22 " 3 " 
 
 At the age of — 
 
 23 in 2 cases. 
 
 24 '♦ o " 
 
 25 " o " 
 
 26 " 2 " 
 
 It appears that it is most common at 14 years 
 of age. 
 
 MENSTRUATION', Retained.— This may 
 be known by a sense of weight or fulness in the 
 pelvic region, which is increased at each men- 
 strual period ; a feeling of weakness and heaviness 
 in the back and loins, aching sensation down the 
 thighs, etc The treatment requires the aid of a 
 surgeon. 
 
 MENSTRUATION, Painful.— This is ge- 
 nerally caused by sudden colds at the menstrual 
 period, or soon after delivery, by exhaustion, 
 caused by the luxurious indulgences of civi- 
 lized life, by unnatural or excessive excitement of 
 the organs. The symptoms are pain in the pel- 
 vis, weakness and distress in the small of the 
 back, tenderness and swelling of the breasts, 
 headache, etc. Clots of blood are formed in the 
 uterus, and sometimes a false membrane isthrowm 
 off, either entire or in shreds, which is expelled 
 with violent bearing-down efforts, with intervals 
 of comparative ease, like those of child-birth. 
 These pains, and the expulsion of a membrane, 
 might readily be mistaken for a miscarriage. The 
 attacks last from one to four days, during which 
 time many patients are unable to walk or even 
 stand, and especially so during the bearing-down 
 contractions of the uterus, while others are oblig- 
 ed to keep their beds. A cure can only be ef- 
 fected by means of proper treatment during the 
 intervals. The bowels should be kept regular 
 by right diet, and, when constipated, should be 
 freed by enemas of tepid water. Vaginal injec- 
 tions of warm water, and warm or hot sitz-baths, 
 should be employed. Every law of health should 
 be obser%'ed, and every possible cause of ill health 
 abstained from. A free, happy, unexcited and 
 unexhausting life will greatly help. During the 
 attack a cold or hot sitz-bath should be taken, 
 and continued while the pain lasts. The relief 
 is more immediate by the hot bath ; but the cold 
 bath, at a temperature of from sixty to seventy- 
 five degrees, is the best. At the same time a hot 
 foot-bath, as well as vaginal injections, may be 
 employed. These baths should be repeated on 
 every return of the pain. 
 
 MILK SICKNESS. — This is a disease 
 which prevails in the West, in the neighborhood 
 chiefly of level, heavily timbered, rather wet oak 
 land. The plant the eating of which causes the 
 milk to be poisonous is not known. The symp- 
 toms of the disease are, a sickness at the stomach, 
 and weakness and trembling of the legs. There 
 is vovaiting, and a peculiarly offensive breath. 
 These symptoms continue for weeks, and are 
 often all that are shown in this complaint ; but in 
 some severer cases, there are chills and flashes 
 of heat, great oppression about the heart, anxiety, 
 deep breathing, heat in the stomach, violent 
 retching and vomiting, alarming beatings of the 
 heart, and throbbing of the large vessels, and 
 cold extremities. In most cases, the vomiting 
 returns every hour or two, attended by a great 
 burning at the pit of the stomach, the substance 
 thrown up havin g a peculiar bluish-green color, 
 and a sour smell. As soon as this discharge 
 takes place, the patient falls back upon the pillow, 
 and lies easy until another turn comes round. 
 
 The tongue is covered with a whitish coat, and 
 the bowels are obstinately costive. The pulse is 
 small and quick. The treatment does not vary 
 much from that pursued for inflammation of the 
 stomach. 
 
 MOUTH, Ulceration of. — This frequently 
 takes place in children whose state of health is 
 below par. It is caused chiefly by a disordered 
 state of the stomach, but occasionally the cause 
 is local, viz., the stump or sharp edge of a de- 
 cayed tooth. The ulcers sometimes appear as 
 little white specks on the tongue and lining 
 membrane of the mouth, constituting the disease 
 called thrush or aphthae. This form is frequently 
 seen in infants when nursing, and may be trans- 
 ferred from the infant's mouth to the mother's 
 nipple. 
 
 When the ulcers are caused by a disordered 
 state of the stomach, two or three tablespoonfuls 
 of the following mixture should be taken every 
 second or third morning : powdered rhubarb and 
 bicarbonate of soda, of each two drachms ; infu- 
 sion of rhubarb and infusion of gentian, of each 
 four ounces. Mix. When caused by the sharp 
 edge or stump of a tooth, the tooth must be re- 
 moved or the sharp edge filed away. Children 
 suffering from thrush should be given a nutritious 
 diet with tonics ; the tongue and inside of the 
 mouth should be freely painted over with a 
 gargle, composed of borax, two drachms ; and 
 glycerine, one ounce, a camel's hair pencil being 
 used. 
 
 MUMPS. — This disease, most common 
 among children, begins with soreness and stiff- 
 ness in the side of the neck. Soon a swelling of 
 the paraotid gland takes place, which is painful, 
 and continues to increase for four or five days, 
 sometimes making it difficult to swallow, or open 
 the mouth. The swelling sometimes comes on 
 one side at a time, but commonly upon both. 
 There is often heat and sometimes fever, with a 
 dry skin, quick pulse, furred tongue, constipated 
 bowels, and scanty and high-colored urine. The 
 disease is contagious. The treatment is very 
 simple, — a mild diet, gentle laxatives, occasional 
 hot fomentations, and wearing a piece of flannel 
 round the throat. 
 
 NEURALGIA. — This is a pain of the nerves, 
 the disease only affecting the nervous tissue, and 
 giving but one symptom — pain. It may occur 
 in almost any part of the system, and is known 
 under various names — Tic Douloureux, Face- 
 ache, Hemicrania, Sciatica — according to its lo- 
 cation. It may be occasioned by miasm, in fever 
 and ague districts ; or by whatever debilitates 
 the system, as hysterics, too long suckling an in- 
 fant, or low diet. — Treatment. — For external use, 
 the following liniment is excellent: white soap, 
 twelve ounces ; camphor, six ounces ; oil of rose- 
 mary, one and a half ounces ; alcohol, four pints ; 
 opium, three ounces. Mix and filter. Where 
 the disease is caused by miasm, the treatment 
 must be with quinine, iron and other tonics, to 
 get up the blood. Plenty of exercise in the open 
 air is important, if well protected from the 
 weather. 
 
 A-ER VOUSNESS.— The cure of nervousness 
 is best effected by restoring the healthy action of 
 the stomach and bowels, .ind by the use of pro- 
 per exercise, especially in the open air. The 
 stomach should not be overloaded with indigest- 
 ible food, and the bowels should be occasionally 
 relieved by the use of some mild aperient. Aber- 
 
Z32 
 
 DICTIONARY OF EVERY-DA Y WANTS. 
 
 nethy's injunction to a nervous and dyspeptic 
 lady, "Dismiss your servants, madam, and make 
 your own beds", should be recollected by all 
 as a proof of the importance that eminent surgeon 
 attached to exercise. 
 
 NEURALGIA, Other Remedies for.— \. The 
 application of bruised horse-radish. — 2. One 
 drachm doses of hypophosphite of soda, taken 
 three times a day in beef tea, is a pood remedy 
 for this painful affection. — 3. The oil of pepper- 
 mint lightly applied to the seat of pain with a 
 camel-hair pencil will afford relief. 
 
 NIGHTMARE, To pre^'ent.—^?X nothing 
 after 3 o'clock p. m. and no night-mare will ever 
 assert it?; suffocating presence. 
 
 NIPPLES, Sore. — Nursing mothers are some 
 times seriously troubled with this painful aflic- 
 tion, and would be willing to make almost any 
 sacrifice to have a cure for it. The following 
 simple mixture, will give immediate relief: Pow- 
 dered borax, a small, even teaspoonful ; pure 
 water two-thirds of a teacupful, alcohol, one and 
 a half tablespoonful. Mix and use, washing the 
 nipples with it. Or take ripe raw tomatoes, pare 
 and cut them up ; then stir in flour enough to 
 make a stiff dough. Roll and work it with the 
 hands until it becomes very smooth. Spread a 
 thin plaster and apply it to the affected part with 
 a cloth over it, changing the dry plasters for fresh 
 ones as often as necessary. This keeps up a con- 
 stant perspiration, which is what is needed. If 
 you cannot get tomatoes, a dough made with 
 cold water and flour will answer. 
 
 NOSE-BLEED. — This may be caused by 
 violence, or may arise from an impoverished state 
 of the blood. When it occurs in persons of 
 middle age it is more serious, as it is then often 
 a symptom of some other disease. The bleeding 
 can generally be stopped by making the patient 
 raise both his arms above his head, and hold 
 them there for some time. Sponging with cold 
 or iced water to the forehead and face, or apply- 
 ing a towel wet with cold water between the 
 shoulders, will, in most cases, succeed. The 
 application of a strong solution of alum or iron- 
 alum to the inside of the nostrils or plugging 
 the nostrils with lint or cotton wool soaked in 
 the solution, may be necessary if the bleeding 
 is profuse. See also page 12. 
 
 NURSING SICK CHILDREN— Thxs is a 
 more delicate task than nursing adults. The 
 greatest watchfulness and judgment are necessary 
 to determine the meaning of their symptoms, and 
 in giving medicines. Just as great care should 
 be observed not to disturb them, as if tjiey were 
 able to make complaints of any carelessness. 
 Let the room, where a child is sick, be shady, 
 quiet, and cool. Be careful not to speak so sud- 
 denly as to startle the half-sleeping patient ; and 
 handle it with the greatest tenderness, when it is 
 necessary to move it. 
 
 If it is the lungs that suffer, have the little pa- 
 tient somewhat elevated upon pillows for easier 
 breathing, and doing every thing to soothe and 
 make it comfortable, so as not to have it cry, and 
 thus distress its inflamed lungs. 
 
 In all fevers and bowel complaints, especial 
 attention must be given to frequent sponging of 
 the skin with tepid water ; and great care exer- 
 cised not to burden the stomach with too much 
 food or drink. If the skin becomes irritated for 
 any reason, sprinkle it with flour or pulverized 
 starch. If the child is very weak, be careful not 
 
 to move it too suddenly, as it maybe startled int© 
 convulsions. In administering a bath, the greatest 
 pains must be taken not to frighten the child. It 
 should be put in so gradually, and so insensibly 
 amused by something placed in the water on pur- 
 pose, as to forget its fear. 
 
 PAPULOUS .SC^ZZ.— Papulous scall is a 
 mattery pimple developed in a highly inflamed 
 skin. The blisters are about the size of a split 
 pea, and are surrounded by a red ring. They 
 are generally separate, not clustered like crusted 
 tetter. They are scattered over various parts ol 
 the body, and are followed by a hard black crust, 
 or by a sore. The disease is either acute 01 
 chronic. The chronic form is found in weakly 
 children, or persons reduced by sickness or \o\i 
 living. — Treatment. — For the acute form, low 
 diet, gentle laxatives, cold sponge-bath on the 
 sound parts, and an ointment of oxide of zinc, 
 one dram; spermaceti ointment, one ounce, 
 mixed. For the chronic form, tonics should be 
 given internally, and the above ointment used. 
 
 PILES. — This is another very common com- 
 plaint, and one which causes great distress. It 
 consists in a fullness of blood, and languid circu- 
 lation in the lower part of the bowel or rectum. 
 In consequence of this congestion, either the 
 veins of the gut become enlarged or varicose, or 
 the blood gets infiltrated into the cells beneath the 
 mucous membrane, and collects so as to form 
 bloody tumors. These tumors, which are seK 
 dom absent, are the leading feature of the piles. 
 Sometimes they appear externally, around the 
 anus; this is external piles. At other times they are 
 within the bowel ; the complaint is then called 
 internal piles. When the blood is discharged, 
 they are called bleeding piles ; and when not, 
 blind piles. 
 
 Symptoms. — Usually there is a sense of weight 
 and weakness in the lower part of the back and 
 loins, with a painful itching about the anus. On 
 going to stool, there is a burning, cutting pain 
 experienced, which is followed by bearing down 
 and tenesmus. If it be bleeding piles, the little 
 tumors will bleed at every motion of the bowels. 
 There is often disagreeable sensations in the head, 
 and an irritable state of mind, and a sense of 
 fullness and anxiety in the stomach. The disease 
 is caused by habitual costiveness, sitting a great 
 deal, riding much on horseback, high-seasoned 
 food, over exertion, and induration of the liver. 
 It is also very common in pregnancy from sev- 
 eral causes. 
 
 Treatment. — Medicines — spurges in particular 
 — must not be taken. The costiveness may be 
 corrected as before mentioned ; or if it is neces- 
 sary to give something to move the bowels, let it 
 be this: confection of senna, two ounces; cream 
 tartar, one ounce ; flower of sulphui', one ounce; 
 syrup of ginger, enough to make a stiff paste. 
 Mix. A piece as large as a nutmeg is to be taken 
 as often as necessary to keep the bowels open. 
 A soothing ointment, piade of two ounces of 
 lard, and one dram of sulphur, and rubbed be- 
 tween two plates of lead until it is well blackened, 
 is excellent for an application to the parts. Fre- 
 quent injections of cool water will do as much as 
 any thing to allay the inflammation. Steaming 
 the parts over a hot decoction of hops, or stra- 
 monium, will frequently give relief. The diet 
 must be cooling and loosening. 
 
 PIMPLES, DR K— Dry Pimples, under the 
 several names of Red Gum, Tooth Rash, as seen 
 
MEDICAL AND SURGICAL. 
 
 233 
 
 in children, and Lichen and Prurigo in adults, 
 are exceedingly troublesome, and if much scratch- 
 ed and torn, may form painful sores. Prurigo 
 often causes elderly people a great deal of suffer- 
 ing, giving them no rest day or night, from 
 the tormenting sensation of numberless ants 
 crawling upon the skin, or red-hot needles pierc- 
 ing it. 
 
 Treatment. — Careful diet, and gentle cathartics, 
 or tonics, according to the condition of the system. 
 Externally, cold, salt-water sponge-bath, and 
 glycerine, applied with a soft sponge, vinegar 
 and water, or creosote ointment. If the itching 
 affects some very sensitive parts, a wash of rose- 
 water, four ounces; pulverized borax, half an 
 ounce ; sulphate of morphine, six grains, should 
 be used many times a day. 
 
 PLEURISY. — This is an inflammation of 
 that membrane which lines the chest, and covers 
 the outer surface of the lungs. It generally 
 commences by shiverings, which are soon follow- 
 ed by a high fever, with a peculiarly hard, resist- 
 ing pulse; sharp, stabbing pain in the side — 
 generally just below the nipple, but sometimes 
 extending to the shoulder, arm pit and back; 
 hurried and interrupted breathing ; and a short, 
 dry cough. The pain is aggravated by motion, 
 coughing, or taking a long breath. The patient 
 can not lie on the affected side, he is anxious, 
 and afraid to move for fear of the pain, which 
 often causes him to cry out. At a more advanced 
 stage, the patient lies on the ailing side, in order 
 to leave the other lung more at liberty. — Treat- 
 ment. — Bleeding is commonly resorted to in this 
 disease; but it should not be resorted to, if thor- 
 ough sweating can be made to answer the pur- 
 pose. The compound tincture of Virginia snake- 
 root will generally induce free perspiration, if 
 given every half-hour in teaspoonful doses. It 
 may be given in an infusion of balm, or catnip. 
 At the same time the affected side should be fo- 
 mented with hops, tansy, wormwood, etc., appli- 
 ed quite hot. 
 
 PRO UD FL ESff, To Remove. — Pulverize 
 loaf-sugar very fine, and apply it to the part af- 
 fected. This is a new and easy remedy, and is 
 said to remove it entirely without pain. 
 
 POX, CHICKEN.— Aner\x'pii\e skin disease, 
 consisting of smooth vesicles of various sizes, 
 which afterwards become white and straw colored, 
 and about the fourth day break and scale off. In 
 hot weather the discharge sometimes becomes 
 purulent, and at others the eruption is attended 
 with considerable fever. The treatment consists 
 in the adoption of a light vegetable diet, and in 
 the administration of mild aperients and cooling 
 drinks. 
 
 POX, COW. — This disease was proposed as 
 a substitute and preventive of smallpox, by Dr. 
 Jenner in 1 798. The success which has followed 
 its artificial production has nearly led to the ex- 
 tinction of smallpox in England. The process 
 of vaccination is similar to that of inoculation for 
 the smallpox, before noticed. About the third 
 day the puncture usually becomes red and ele- 
 vated, and continues to enlarge and become vesic- 
 ular, until at about the 8th or 9th day, it is at its 
 height, and the vesicle is surrounded with a florid 
 areola. About the eleventh or twelfth day these 
 symptoms decline ; the centre of the pustule be- 
 comes brown, and a dark scale gradually forms 
 and separates, leaving the arm as heretofore. 
 This disease seldom requires medical treatment; 
 
 but should febrile symptoms come on, an aperient 
 may be given. 
 
 Pox, SMALL. — ^This disease comes on with 
 the usual symptoms of inflammatory fever. About 
 the third day, red spots, resembling flea bites, 
 make their appearance on the face and head, "and 
 gradually extend over the whole body. About 
 the fifth day small circular vesicles, depressed in 
 the centre, surrounded by an areola, and con- 
 taining a colorless fluid, begin to form, when the 
 feverish symptoms abate ; about the sixth day 
 the throat becomes sore ; about the eighth day 
 the face is swollen, and about the eleventh day 
 the pustules acquire the size of a pea, and cease 
 to enlarge, the matter which they contain be- 
 comes opaque and yellow, a dark central spot 
 forms on each, the swelling of the face subsides, 
 and secondary symptoms of fever come on ; the 
 pustules become rough, break and scab over, 
 and a dark spot remains for some days, often fol- 
 lowed by permanent indentation. At the end of 
 the sixteenth or eighteenth day, the symptoms 
 usually disappear. In the confluent smallpox, 
 the pustules coalesce, the eruption is irregular in 
 its progress, and the inflammatory symptoms are 
 more severe. The treatment of ordinary cases 
 of sm.illpox resembles that mentioned above for 
 chicken-pox. The apartment should be large, 
 cool, and well-ventilated. The windows should 
 be open day and night, and the linen changed 
 daily. During the discharge of the pustules, 
 change it twice a day. The patient should be 
 taken into the open air often. Children and 
 others, even if they have been vaccinated, should 
 not visit the sick-room, though they need not 
 leave the house. After the disease is over, the 
 bed and bedding should be scoured, the room 
 fumigated, and thoroughly cleansed. It is stated 
 that if a patient, in the beginning of the attack, 
 be put in a room from which absolutely all light 
 is excluded Save that of a candle, the effect is to 
 arrest' the disease in the papular or vesicular 
 stage; it never becomes purulent, and the skin 
 between the vesicles is never inflamed or swollen; 
 the liquor sanguinis is prevented from becoming 
 pus ; the large scabs of matter never form over 
 the face ; there is no intense pain, and only tri- 
 fling itching, and the smell is either very slight 
 or altogether wanting. 
 
 POX, {SMALL) Remedies for.— \. The treat- 
 ment of small-pox in the State Almshouse in 
 Massachusetts, where the disease prevailed 
 for three months, has been singularly successful. 
 Out of about sixty cases, but one fatal result 
 occurred, and that was in the case of a man who 
 was taken to the house in the last stage of the 
 disease. The remedy used with so much success 
 was a tea made from a plant known in the Ma- 
 teria Medica as Serracenia Purpura, familiarly 
 called Ladies' Saddle or Water Cup, the medicinal 
 virtue of which lies in the root. The effect of 
 the remedy, which has been newly discovered 
 and found remarkably efficient whenever tried, 
 is to allay the fever and irritation caused by the 
 formation of pustules, which are rapidly dried up, 
 leaving but slight, if any, traces. 
 
 2. A remedy practiced in China is when the 
 preceding fever is at its height, and just before 
 the eruption appears, the chest is rubbed with 
 croton oil and tartar emetic ointment. This 
 causes the whole of the eruption to appear in 
 that part of the body, to the relief of the rest. 
 It also secures a full and complete eruption, and 
 
234 
 
 DICTIONARY OF EVERY-DAY WANTS. 
 
 thus prevents the disease from attacking the inter- 
 nal organs. 
 
 POX {Small), Pitting in. — I. In a case re- 
 cently treated, in which the eruption so com- 
 pletely covered the face that it vv^as almost im- 
 possible to place the point of the finger on it, 
 without toutching it in one or more places, Dr. J. 
 C.Whitehall, succeeded in absorbing the "pocks" 
 completely, by anointing the face freely with a 
 solution of carbolic acid, I scruple, and bi-sul- 
 phate of soda, 2 drachms, in an ounce of piire 
 fresh glycerine, and causing each vesicle, as soon 
 as formed, to be punctured with a finely pointed 
 hard wood skewer and some of the solution in- 
 troduced. At the same time light was excluded, 
 as far as possible, from the room, and a liniment 
 of croton oil used over the chest as a revulsive. 
 Not a "pit" was formed on the face. — 2. I. H. 
 Bird, M. D., uses an ointment made of charcoal 
 and lard to prevent pitting in smallpox. This is 
 applied freely over the surface of the face, neck 
 and hands, as soon as the disease is distinguish- 
 ed, and continued until all symptoms of suppu- 
 rative fever have ceased. The application allays 
 the itching, and seems to shorten the duration of 
 the disease, and leaves the patient without a 
 blemish, the eruption protected by the ointment 
 not even showing signs of pustulation ; the char- 
 coal preventing the action of light, and lard that 
 of air. — 3. The Melia Azidavaclita L. of India is 
 used in that country by the natives to cover the 
 bodies of patients recovering from small-pox, it 
 being believed to prevent the marks becoming 
 permanent. Dr. Wight says of it : The leaves 
 beaten into a pulp and externally applied act like 
 a charm in removing the most intractable form 
 of psora and other pustules of an eruptive nature. 
 — ^4. Sweet oil and lime-water, as these are ge- 
 nerally prepared for applications to burns or 
 water-scalds, will operate to prevent or allay all 
 irritation, and hinder the discoloration of the 
 cuticle and the pitting, which are so often the ac- 
 companiment of this fearful disorder. 
 
 QUINSY. — This is an inflammation of the 
 tonsils, or common inflammatory sore throat ; 
 commences with a slight feverish attack, with 
 considerable pain and swelling of the tonsils, 
 causing some difficulty in swallowing; as the at- 
 tack advances these symptoms become more in- 
 tense, there is headache, thirst, a painful sense 
 of tension, and acute darting pains in the ears. 
 The attack is generally brought on by exposure 
 to cold, and lasts from five to seven days, when 
 it subsides naturally, or an abscess may form in 
 tonsil and burst, or the tonsil may remain enlarg- 
 ed, the inflammation subsiding. 
 
 Treatment. — The patient should remain in a 
 warm room, the diet chiefly milk and good broths, 
 some cooling laxative and diaphoretic medicine 
 may be given; but the greatest relief will be found 
 in the frequent inhalation of the steam of hot 
 water through an inhaler, or in the old-fashioned 
 way through the spout of a teapot. 
 
 RHEUMATISM.— K\iQ\xm'aS:\%xn is a painful 
 affection, brought on, when acute, most frequent- 
 ly by exposure to cold, and wet feet. Rheuma- 
 tism is caused by acrid or poisonous matter in 
 the blood, and has for its seat the fibrous tissue, 
 or that thready texture which enters into the com- 
 position of the cords and muscles of the human 
 body. The lining membrane of the joints is 
 peculiarly liable to rheumatic affection. 
 
 RHEUMATISM, AcuU,—l\^\% has for its 
 
 symptoms, high fever, full pulse, furred tongue, 
 profuse, sour sweat, scanty, high-colored urine, 
 swelling of the joints, with slight redness, great 
 tenderness, and severe pain. It often changes 
 from one set of joints to another, or to various 
 parts of the body. This sudden shifting is very 
 dangerous, for the inflammation is apt to seize 
 upon the lining membrane of the heart, which 
 may prove fatal. — Treatvient. — Keep the bowels 
 open. Give tincture of black cohosh and tinc- 
 ture of veratrum viride— one drachm of the 
 first, and two ounces of the last; mix, and 
 give a teaspoonful, three times a day, or 
 often enough to produce sweating. If the disease 
 is reduced by this, and the exhaustion not too 
 great, continue it until the disease abates. Tinc- 
 ture of black cohosh-root, and tincture of col- 
 chicum-root, in proportion of two parts of the 
 first to one of the last, is an excellent remedy. 
 Forty drops is a dose. Fomentations of hops, 
 on the inflamed joints, will generallyTiring relief. 
 The system wants building up with tonics and 
 nourishing diet, when subject to this disease. 
 
 RHEUMATISM, Chronic.— IMx?, is not at- 
 tended by fever, but generally lasts a long time, 
 and is the cause of much suffering. Its symptoms 
 are, stiffness and lameness of the joints, some- 
 times a little swelling, and inability to move 
 these joints without great trouble at first ; but as 
 the patient grows warm with exercise, the dif- 
 ficulty disappears. 
 
 Treatment. — The electro-magnetic treatment 
 is excellent, generally perfectly successful. Lini- 
 ment of sweet oil, one ounce; water of ammonia, 
 one ounce ; mixed and rubbed on with flannel, 
 is very good; or, soap liniment, two ounces; 
 chloroform, one dram ; mixed. Tincture of black 
 cohosh is very useful as an internal remedy. 
 Dose, forty drops. A piece of oiled silk, worn 
 over the joint, keeps up a perspiration, and aids 
 in the cure. Sweet oil, rubbed on before the fire 
 on going to bed, is also good. The bowels should 
 be kept regular. 
 
 RHEUMATISM, Other Remedies f<yr.—\. 
 Bathe the parts affected with water in which po- 
 tatoes have been boiled, as hot as can be borne, 
 just before going to bed ; by the next morning it 
 will be much relieved, if not removed. One ap- 
 plication of this simple remedy has cured the 
 most obstinate of rheumatic pains. — 2. Half an 
 ounce of pulverized salpetre put in half a pint of 
 sweet oil ; bathe the parts affected, and a sound 
 cure will be speedily effected. — 3. Rheumatism 
 has frequently been cured by a persistent use of 
 lemon-juice, either undiluted or in the form of 
 lemonade. Suck half a lemon every morning 
 before breakfast, and occasionally during the day, 
 and partake of lemonade when thirsty in prefer- 
 ence to any other drink. If severely afflicted, a 
 physician should be consulted; but, in all cases, 
 lemon-juice will hasten the cure. — 4. By the 
 valerian bath, made simply by taking one pound 
 of valerian root, boiling it gently for about a 
 quarter of an hour in one gallon of water, strain- 
 ing and adding the strained liquid to about 
 twenty gallons of water in an ordinary bath. The 
 temperature should be about 98", and the time 
 of immersion from twenty minutes to half an 
 hour. Pains must be taken to dry the patient 
 perfectly upon getting out of the bath. If the 
 inflammation remain refractory in any of the 
 joints, linseed meal poultices should be made with 
 a strong decoction of valerian root, and applied. 
 
MEDICAL AND SURGICAL. 
 
 23S 
 
 RING ( TIGHT), To Remcwe.—\\. is seldom 
 necessary to file off a ring, too tight to readily 
 
 J)ass the joint of the finger. If the finger is swol- 
 en, apply cold water to reduce the inflammation, 
 then wrap a small rag wet in hot water around 
 the ring to expand the metal, and soap the finger. 
 A needle threaded with strong silk can then be 
 passed between the ring and finger, and a person 
 holding the two ends and pulling the silk while 
 slowly sliding it around the periphery of the ring 
 majr readily remove the ring. If the ring is a 
 plam hoop this process is easy; if it has a setting 
 or protuberance more care will be required. An- 
 other method is to pass a piece of sewing silk 
 under the ring and wind the thread, in pretty 
 close spirals and snugly, around the finger to the 
 end. Then take the lower end — that below ring 
 — and begin unwinding. The ring is certain to 
 be removed unless the silk is weak. The wind- 
 ing compresses the finger and renders the opera- 
 tion less difficult. 
 
 RINGWORM.— \. Take yellow-dock root; 
 cut in small pieces, and simmer them in vinegar, 
 and when the strength is extracted, strain off the 
 vinegar, which apply to the part affected at least 
 three times a day. At the same time, it is well 
 to drink a tea made of the same root; or take 
 some of the extract of yellow-dock root, which 
 can be found at any drug store. — 2. The head to 
 be washed twice a day with soft soap and warm 
 soft water ; when dried, the places to be rubbed 
 ■with a piece of linen rag dipped in ammonia from 
 gas tar. — 3. Take the back of a silver watch or 
 any smooth piece of silver, rub on and around 
 the sore a few minutes four to six times ; it will 
 soon cure it. 
 
 ROOM, How to Cool. — The simplest and cheap- 
 est way to cool a room is to wet a cloth of.any 
 size, the larger the better, and suspend it in the 
 place you want cooled. Let the room be well 
 ventilated, and the temperature will sink from 
 ten to twelve degrees in less than an hour. This 
 is the plan adopted by many Eastern nations. 
 
 RUPTURE.— T\iQ first thing to be done Is to 
 put the bowel back in its place, by gently press- 
 ing and kneading the tumor, and swaying it back 
 and forth — being careful to use no violence — 
 until it can be pushed within the abdominal 
 ■walls. It is then to be kept in its place by the 
 use of a truss, worn all the time. 
 
 SCRATCHES.— Tx^mg as scratches often 
 seem, they ought never to be neglected, but 
 should be covered and protected, and kept clean 
 and dry, until they have completely healed. If 
 there is the least appearance of inflainmation, no 
 time should be lost in applying a large bread 
 and water poultice, or hot flannels repeatedly 
 applied, or even leeches in good numbers may 
 be put on at some distance from each other. 
 
 SCROFULA. — It is useless to describe this 
 disease, or to mention its causes. It is an evil 
 as patent as it is dreadful. Being hereditary, it 
 may never be eradicated wholly from the consti- 
 tution, but may no doubt be alleviated. — Treat- 
 ment. — Iodine is the one great remedy for this 
 disease. Dissolve one scruple of iodine and 
 two scruples of iodide of potassium in seven tea- 
 spoonfuls of water. Of this, give ten drops three 
 times a day in a little water, gradually increasing 
 the dose to one and a half or two times that 
 amount. ^^'Tlere there is much debility, the 
 iodide of iron, in doses of twenty-five or thirty 
 drops, in water, three times a day, should be 
 
 given. Medicinal springs, containing iodine, are 
 excellent. The condition of the bowels should 
 be always looked to, keeping them open. Bath- 
 ing frequently, exercise out of doors, healthy air, 
 cheerfulness, and a nourishing diet, are all ne- 
 cessary. Either flannel or silk should be worn 
 next the skin summer and winter. 
 
 The tumors should be bathed, before they be- 
 come much sore, with a solution of muriate of 
 lime, several times a day. If they are inflamed, 
 apply poultices of slippery elm, and powdered 
 bayberry, equal parts. Flaxseed-poultices are 
 good. When the tumors are opened, the ulcers 
 must be washed out with soap-suds, and dressed 
 with a salve made of beeswax and sweet oil; 
 change two or three times a day. Red iodide of 
 mercury-ointment is needed when the ulcers are 
 indolent. Saleratus-water baths are good. 
 ■ SCURVY. — ^This is a disease which seamen 
 on a long voyage, and men on long journeys 
 over uninhabited countries, are subject to; and 
 is occasioned probably by too much salt food, 
 and other unnatural habits. Its symptoms are, 
 languor, loss of strength, and great depression 
 of mind. The patient has no energy to move ; 
 the whole skin looks pale and bloated, and the 
 breath has a fetid smell. The gums are soft, red, 
 swelled, and spongy, and bleed upon the slight- 
 est touch ; sometimes the blood oozes from them 
 spontaneously. The teeth get loose, and often fall 
 out. The skin is spotted with purple, as if it 
 were bruised, and the spots running together, 
 form large discolored patches. Ulcerous sores 
 break out on various parts of the body, and dis- 
 charge a thin matter. The ulcers are covered 
 with a crust. Twinging pains assail even the 
 bones ; the pulse is weak; all the secretions have 
 an offensive smell ; and, in truth, the whole body 
 is approaching putridity; the flesh dwindles 
 away, and the bones break easily. In bad cases, 
 blood is discharged from the bladder, bowels, 
 womb, nose, mouth ; and the smallest exertion 
 is followed by fainting, and in some cases by 
 sudden death. — Treatment. — Quinine is one of 
 the most important medicines in this disease ; it 
 may be given in from one to two-grain doses, 
 twice or three times a day. Gentian and quassia 
 are also suitable remedies ; so is muri.itic tincture 
 of iron. But better than all are fresh and juicy 
 vegetables and fruits. Spinage, sorrel, lettuce, 
 dandelion, cresses, and the like, are the very 
 best things, when they can be had. Lemon-juice 
 is excellent. Potatoes, when scraped and eaten 
 raw, are especially good ; also valuable cooked. 
 Spruce-beer is good, and may be made at sea 
 from the essence, as may also many kinds of 
 beer. To correct costiveness, cream of tartar in 
 water, drank freely, will be needed. For loose- 
 ness, give a tea made of logwood or geranium. 
 Apply a solution of alum to the gums, or tinc- 
 ture of myrrh. Vinegar is good in this disease, 
 and should always be carried to sea, together 
 with dried fruits, and various dried herbs. The 
 patient suffering with this disease should lie 
 moved with care, as life may be easily extin- 
 guished. 
 
 SEA S/CAWESS.— Those liable to be sick 
 should make a hearty meal not more then two or 
 threehours before going on board. They should 
 select a spot as near as possible to the centre of 
 the vessel, and lie down before she gets under 
 weigh. The horizontal position should be rigidly 
 kept during the whole passage. The person 
 
236 
 
 DICTIONARY OF E VERY-DAY WANTS. 
 
 should be well covered, not only to protect from 
 cold, but to shield from disagreeable sounds, 
 sights, and smells. A stateroom should be se- 
 lected as near as possible to the center of the ship, 
 but not near the furnaces. In going to Europe, 
 it is better to be on the starboard, and, in return- 
 ing on the port side which will be the sunny 
 one. The following suggestions for the preven- 
 tion of sea sickness have proven efficacious : 
 
 1. Have every preparation made at least 
 twenty-four hours before starting, so that the 
 system may not be exhausted by overwork and 
 want of sleep. This direction is particularly im- 
 portant for ladies, though useful to all. 
 
 2. Eat as hearty a meal as possible before going 
 on board. 
 
 3. Go on board sufficiently early to arrange 
 such things as may be wanted for the first day or 
 two, so that they may be easy of access; then 
 undress and go to bed before the vessel gets un- 
 der weigh. The neglect of this rule by those 
 who are liable to sea-sickness is sure to be re- 
 gretted. 
 
 4. Eat regularly and heartily, but without 
 raising the head, for at least one or two days. 
 In this way the habit of digestion is kept up, the 
 strength is preserved, while the system be- 
 comes accustomed to the constant change of equi- 
 librium. 
 
 5- On the first night out, take some mild laxa- 
 tive pills, as for example, two or three of the 
 compound rhubarb pills. Most persons have a 
 tendency to become constipated at sea, although 
 diarrhoea occurs in a certain per-centage. Con- 
 stipation not only results from sea-sickness, but 
 in turn aggravates it. The effervescing laxa- 
 tives, like the seidlitz, or the solution of the 
 citrate of magnesia, taken in the morning on an 
 empty stomach, are bad in sea-sickness. 
 
 6. After having become so far habituated to the 
 sea as to be able to take your meals at the table 
 and to go on deck, never think of rising until 
 you have eaten something, as a plate of oatmeal 
 porridge, or a cup of coffee or tea, with sea bis- 
 cuit or toast. 
 
 7. If subsequently during the voyage the sea 
 should become unusually rough, go to bed before 
 getting sick. It is foohsh to dare anything when 
 there is no glory to be won, and something may 
 be lost. 
 
 SICK", Food for. — ^The greatest care should be 
 taken in the preparation of food for the sick. It 
 should be just right, or the weakened and sen- 
 sitive appetite will refuse it. If gruel is scorched 
 in preparing, or whatever you attempt fails the 
 first time to be as nice as it should be, throw it 
 away and make more. Be scrupulously neat in 
 serving it up. Use your prettiest dishes and 
 finest napkins. Something depends upon looks; 
 and the eye of a sick person may be xmusually 
 critical. Except in the preparation of light pud- 
 dings, the process of baking is inadmissible for 
 the sick. Roasting is better — a light roast po- 
 tato is sometimes very acceptable. Meats should 
 . be delicately broiled, except when boiled for 
 
 broths. 
 
 SICK-ROOM, Pure Air /«.— The disagreeable 
 and unhealthy evil of the foul gas escaping from 
 a kerosene lamp burnt all night in a sick-room is 
 very easily remedied. All that is necessary is to 
 take a raisin or any suitable-sized box, that will 
 contain the lamp when set up on end. Place the 
 lamp in the box, outside the window, with the 
 
 open side facing the room. When there are 
 blinds, the box can be attached to each by leav- 
 ing them a little open and fastening with a cord; 
 or the lamp box can be nailed to the window 
 casing in a permanent manner. The lamp bums 
 quite as well outside, and a decided improvement 
 of the air in the room is experienced. 
 
 SICK-ROOM, Caution in visiting. — Never 
 venture into a sick-room in a violent perspiration 
 (if circumstances require a continuance there for 
 any time), for the moment the body becomes 
 cold, it is in a state likely to absorb the infection, 
 and receive the disease. Nor visit a sick person 
 (especially if the complaint be of a contagious 
 nature), with an empty stomach ; as this disposes 
 the system more readily to receive the infection. 
 In attending a sick person, stand where the air 
 passes from the door or window to the bed of the 
 diseased, not betwixt the diseased person and 
 any fire that is in the room, as the neat of the 
 fire will draw the infectious vapor in that direc- 
 tion, and much danger would arise from breath- 
 ing in it. Do not enter the room the first thing 
 in the morning before it has been aired ; and 
 when you come away, take some food, change 
 your clothing immediately, and expose the latter 
 to the air for some days. 
 
 S'KINy Discolored. — As moles, freckles, sun- 
 burn, etc., is the result of diseased action. It is 
 not best to meddle with moles. For the change 
 of color called sunburn, a lotion made of two 
 ounces of lime-water, and two ounces of flaxseed 
 oil, is the best. Freckles are removed with the 
 same, or with this : corrosive sublimate, five 
 grains ; almond mixture, half a pint. Mix and 
 apply. If the skin is bleached in spots, apply 
 some stimulating liniment. 
 
 SKIN-GRAFTING.— \n a letter to theLon- 
 don Lancet, David Fiddes, Surgeon to the Royal 
 Infirmary, states that it is unnecessary to put the 
 patient to the pain of cutting a piece ot healthy 
 skin from the body for the purpose of transplan- 
 tation. All that is necessary to be done, is to 
 take a long bistoury or razor and shave or scrape 
 off the epidermis scales from the convex aspects 
 of the forearms and thighs, and place them on 
 the healthy granulations. This can best be done 
 by brushing the scales off the bistoury with a 
 camel hair pencil. After securing them in situ 
 for three or four days by means of adhesive 
 plaster, the granulations on which the epidermis 
 scales were placed assume a glazed, bluish ap- 
 pearance, which gradually grows into skin, and 
 meets the nearest edge of the healing ulcer, 
 which edge shoots out, and meets the newly 
 formed skin on the granulation. 
 
 SLEEPLESSNESS, Cure for.— Qo without 
 supper. If accustomed to drink tea, take none 
 in the latter part of the day, and gradually leave 
 it off altogether. Spend some hours of the after- 
 noon in the open air; avoid everything calculated 
 to excite the mind in the latter part of the dav, 
 sedulously putting away all thought and taftc 
 about business ; seek cheerful, but not boisterous 
 sociability — that which is sedative rather than 
 that which is exciting ; have the sleeping room 
 well ventilated ; avoid sleeping on feathers ; at 
 night lay off all garments worn during the day 
 and put on fresh ones ; sleep alone ; and getting 
 into bed take a comfortable position and deter- 
 minedly keep it till sleep comes, compelling your- 
 self to avoid tossing and tumbling, and fidgeting 
 about. Learn to control your mental activities ; 
 
MEDICAL AXD SURGICAL. 
 
 237 
 
 •when you get to bed stop thinking; if your 
 thoughts begin to wander in any direction, bring 
 them back and hold them steadily to a fixed point. 
 Keep this up till you become master of your 
 thoughts. Then in all directions seek to bring 
 the entire system under the control of the laws 
 of life and health, and be patient. Sleeplessness 
 is a thing not to be overcome in a day, any more 
 than rheumatism or bronchitis. 
 
 If you find yourself inclined to wake up at a 
 regular hour in the night and remain awake, you 
 can break up the habit in three days, by getting 
 up as soon as you wake, and not going to sleep 
 again until your usual hour for retiring ; or retixe 
 two hours later, and rise two hours earlier, for 
 three days in succession not sleeping a moment 
 in the daytime. 
 
 Nervous persons, who are troubled with wake- 
 fulness and excitability, usually have a strong 
 tendency of blood to the brain, with cold extremi- 
 ties. The pressure of the blood on the brain 
 keeps it in a stimulant or wakeful state, and the 
 pulsations in the head are often painful. Let 
 such rise, and chafe the body and extremities 
 with a brush or towel, or rub smartly with the 
 hands to promote circulation and withdraw the 
 excessive amount of blood from the brain, and 
 they will fall asleep in a few moments. A cold 
 bath, or a sponge bath and rubbing, or a good 
 run, or a rapid walk in the open air, or going up 
 and down stairs a few times just before retiring, 
 will aid in equalizing circulation and promoting 
 sleep. 
 
 SLEEP for INFANTS. —Infants can not 
 sleep too long; it is well when they can enjoy a 
 calm and long-continued rest, of which they 
 should by no means be deprived, as this is the 
 jjreatest support granted them by nature. A 
 child lives comparatively much faster than an 
 adult; its blood flows more rapidly, and sleep 
 promotes more uniform circulation, and facili- 
 tates digestion, while a horizontal position is fa- 
 vorable to growth and development. Still, sleep 
 should be proportioned to the age. After six 
 months, the time of sleep, can be regulated. An 
 infant should always sleep the whole night in 
 preference to the day, and as it grows older, a 
 few hours morning and afternoon ; and, after a 
 while, to sleep after dinner will be sufficient. 
 After a child is four or five years old, its time of 
 sleep may be shortened one hour every succeed- 
 ing year, so that a child of seven will not require 
 to sleep more than eight or nine hours. 
 
 SLEEP, Position in. — Sleeping-rooms should 
 always be so arranged, if possible, to allow the 
 head of the sleeper to be towards the north. 
 Frequently, in cases of sickness, a person will 
 find it impossible to obtain rest if the head is in 
 any other direction, and often a cure is retarded 
 for a long time. A Vienna physician had a pa- 
 tient who was suffering from acute rheumatism, 
 with painful cramps running from the shoulders 
 to the fingers ; and, while his head was to the 
 south, he could do nothing towards his relief. 
 On turning the bed, however, so the head was 
 towards the north, the patient uttered expressions 
 of pleasure, and in a few hours a great improve- 
 ment had taken place, and he was in a few days 
 almost entirely cured. Many other cases are 
 ^ven by scientific persons ; and people, in build- 
 ing houses, should alwavs have this in ^^ew. 
 
 SLEEPING TOGETHER. — T>\XT\ng the 
 night there is considerable exhalation from our 
 
 bodies, and at the same time we absorb a large 
 quantity of the vapors of the surrounding air. 
 Two healthy young children sleeping together 
 will naturally give and receive healthy exhala- 
 tions; but an old, weak person near a child will, 
 in exchange for health, only return weakness. 
 A sick mother near her daughter communicates 
 sickly emanations to her ; if the mother has a 
 cough of long duration, the daughter will at 
 some time also cough and suffer by it; if the 
 mother has pulmonary consumption, it will be 
 ultimately communicated to her child. It is 
 known that the bed of a consumptive is a power- 
 ful and sure cause of contagion, as well for men 
 as for women, and the more so for young per- 
 sons. Parents and friends ought to oppose as 
 much as is in their power the sleeping together 
 of old and young persons, of the sick and of the 
 healthy. Another reason ought to forbid every 
 mother or nurse keeping small children with them 
 in bed ; notwithstanding the advice of prudence, 
 no year passes that we do not hear of a new in- 
 voluntary infanticide. A baby full of life, health 
 and vigor in the evening is found dead the next 
 morning, suffocated by its parents or nurse. 
 
 SPLINTERS, To Extract. —TYiorns and 
 splinters finding their way under the skin fre-^ 
 quently give no inconsiderable pain, and unless 
 extracted, the annoyance may be very great, as 
 inflammation will in all probability ensue, which 
 is the process nature adopts for getting rid of the 
 cause of irritation. If the splinter or thorn can- 
 not be immediately extracted, — for which purpose 
 a needle will be found in most cases a sufficient 
 surgical instrument, — linen dipped in hot-water 
 ought to be bound round the place, or the part 
 may be bathed in hot water. In the event of 
 inflammation, which may probably issue on the 
 production of an ulcer, the steam of hot water 
 should be applied, and afterwards a poultice of 
 bread and milk. 
 
 SPLEEN, Chronic Inflammation of. — The 
 symptoms are a feeling of tightness and pain in 
 the left side — ^the pain being increased on pressure, 
 or by lying upoii the left side. Sometimes the 
 organ enlarges,^© as to be felt by the hand. 
 There is sometimes numbness, weakness of the 
 legs, palpitation of the heart, difficulty of breath- 
 ing, inability to exercise much, obstinate con- 
 stipation, vomiting of food, piles, dry skin, tongue 
 coated white or red, low spirit^, and occasionally 
 dropsical affections. Treatm.ent should be about 
 the same as in inflammation of the liver. After 
 the active inflammation is subdued, the warm 
 bath may be used once or twice a week. In the 
 chronic form of the disease, counter irritation with 
 the compound tar-plaster, with mustard-poul- 
 tices, Croton oil, or tincture of iodine, will be 
 particularly needed. Keep the bowels open, and 
 if the patient is pale and bloodless, give iron as 
 a tonic. 
 
 SPRAIN. — As soon as possible after the acci- 
 dent get a calico bandage one to two yards long, 
 and two to two and a half inches wide; wet it in 
 cold water, and roll it smoothly and firmly round 
 the injured part. Keep the limb at rest, exposed 
 to the air, and continu^ly damp with cold water. 
 The sooner after the accident the bandage is ap- 
 plied, the less pain and swelling there will be ; 
 but if pain becomes excessive, care must be taken 
 to slightly loosen the bandage. 
 
 SPASMS, Remedy for. —Take of acetate of 
 morphia, I grain ; spirit of sal volatile, I fl. oz.; 
 
238 
 
 DICTIONAR YOFE VER Y-DA Y WANTS. 
 
 sulphuric ether, I fl. oz.; Camphor julep, 4fl. oz. 
 Mix. It should be kept closely corked, in a cool 
 place, and should be well shaken before use. — 
 Dose. A teaspoonful in a glassful of cold water 
 or wine, as required. 
 
 SQUINTING. — Squinting frequently arises 
 from the unequal strength of the eyes, the weaker 
 eye being turned away from the object, to avoid 
 the fatigue of exertion. Cases of squinting of 
 long standing have often been cured by covering 
 the stronger eye, and thereby compelling the 
 weaker one to exertion. 
 
 It is well known that in infancy there is not 
 unfrequently a tendency to squint ; this often 
 passes away as the child increases in age ; but it 
 sometimes becomes quite a fixed habit, demand- 
 ing the knife of the oculist for its permanent 
 cure. A means of rendering this operation un- 
 necessary by curing the tendency in early life 
 has been suggested, which is worthy of trial. A 
 pair of spectacles is procured without any glasses 
 m them. OnS of the orifices opposite the eye 
 that squints is to be filled with thin horn or with 
 ground glass, and in the centre of the horn or 
 glass is to be made a small hole. It is obvious 
 that to see with the squinting eye it is necessary 
 for the child to look directly through the orifice 
 in the centre. He will thus acquire the habit of 
 looking forward towards an object, instead of 
 looking to the right or left hand of it. It is not 
 at all improbable that the slight squint, which in 
 infancy is apparently only a habit, may be re- 
 medied by this means. 
 
 STOMACH, y^r/^.— Prepared chalk, to be 
 found always at druggists, is an excellent remedy 
 for this complaint, and all the unpleasant head- 
 aches and sickness to which it gives rise. This 
 is one form of dyspepsia, and is sometimes re- 
 lieved by the use of this simple remedy. 
 
 STOMACH, Acute Inflammation of. — This is 
 a rare disease, and generally comes from irritat- 
 ing and corrosive substances being taken into 
 the stomach. Blows, sudden stoppage of sweat, 
 and excessive use of ardent spirits, may also 
 excite it. The symptoms are, a burning pain in 
 the stomach, thirst, restlessness, anxiety, con- 
 stant vomiting, prostration of strength, quick, 
 hard and smallpulse, incessant retching, a sunken 
 countenance, hiccough, cold hands and feet, and 
 a damp skin. — Treatment. — If the inflammation 
 be excited by poison, the remedies named under 
 antidotes for poisons, must be first employed. 
 The poison being neutralized or thrown off, the 
 inflammatory condition must be comb.ited with 
 the remedies usual for such states. Mustard- 
 poultices to the feet, along the spine, and over 
 the pit of the stomach, wul be among the first 
 things resorted to, and should be followed by hot 
 fomentations with stramonium-leaves or hops, 
 repeating these applications as long as required. 
 For drinks, give rice-water, toast-water, arrow- 
 root gruel, slippery-elm infusion, and cold water. 
 These should be taken in very small quantities 
 — a teaspoonful at a time — about twenty drops 
 of tincture of aconite-root being added to halt a 
 tumblerful. Lumps of ice held to the mouth, or 
 occasionally swallowed, may be uselul. Neither 
 physic nor emetics are proper now, but injections 
 of simple soapsuds will r>e required. The re- 
 medies must be followed up until the tenderness 
 of the stomach is all gone. Be v*ry careful not 
 to overload the stomach before perfect recovery 
 has taken place. Only the simplest and most 
 
 cooling diet can be used during the period of re^ 
 covery. 
 
 STOMACH, CJironicInflammation of. — This 
 is known by a pain in the stomach, increased by 
 the presence of food, by belching up gas, by 
 vomiting, fickle appetite, seasons of thirst, tongue 
 white in the center and red at the tip, or some- 
 times red and smooth, is a disease which some- 
 times ends by ulceration of the stomach, and 
 death. 
 
 Treatment. — Counter-irritants over the stom- 
 ach, as in acute inflammation, frequent warm or 
 cold baths, according to the patient's constitution; 
 a cold compress worn on tne stomach at night ; 
 and the most careful diet, consisting mostly of 
 gum-water, rice-water, arrow-root gruel, toast 
 without butter, etc. In two or three weeks the 
 disease will yield, under this persistent starving 
 and cooling system. 
 
 STRICTURES. — A. difficulty in passing 
 water, which, instead of flowing in a full stream, 
 either dribbles away, twists like a corkscrew, or 
 splits and forks in two or three directions. They 
 are occasioned by strong injections, long-con- 
 tinued or ill-treated clap. The cause, however, 
 is not always to be satisfactorily ascertained. — 
 Treatment. — Procure several bougies of different 
 sizes. Take the largest one, dip it in sweet oil, 
 and pass it into the urethra till it meets with the 
 stricture, then make a mark on the bougie, so 
 that when it is withdrawn you can tell how far 
 down the passage the obstruction exists, and 
 having ascertained this, take the smallest one, 
 well oiled, and endeavor to pass it an inch or 
 two beyond the stricture. If tliis can be accom- 
 plished, let it remain so a few minutes. This 
 must be repeated every day, letting tlrfe instru- 
 ment remain somewhat longer each time it is 
 passed, and after a few days using one a little 
 larger, and so on progressively until the largest 
 one can be introduced. If this fails, apply to a 
 surgeon, who may destroy it with caustic or the 
 knife. 
 
 ST. VITUS' DANCE.~Th\s disease aflects 
 mostly the muscles and the limbs, r.rd consists 
 of an involuntary motion of both. A jerking of 
 the limbs prevents their obeying the will, and 
 the patient in vain essays to do what he wishes 
 at the first attempt. The disease is believed to 
 be a partial palsy of the muscles. It is caused 
 by whatever excites and weakens the nervous 
 system. — Treatment. — Remove, in the first place, 
 all causes o^ excitement, and substitute active 
 out-door exercise. Be careful not to excite fear, 
 anger, or any strong emotion. If the food has 
 been too stimulating, replace it by cooling, simple 
 diet ; or if too low, give more nourishing articles. 
 Regulate the bowels, and build up the nervous 
 system by giving tonics, and nerve medicines. 
 This is a good medicine : extract of scullcap, two 
 drams; extract of chamomile, two drams; extract 
 of boneset, one dram ; quinine, one dram ; 
 cayenne, one scruple; oil of valerian, half a 
 dram. Beat well together, and make ninety 
 pills. For an adult, one pill every two or three 
 hours. A tepid shower-bath is excellent, unless 
 it frightens the patient, when it should be changed 
 for the sponge-oath. 
 
 SUNSTROKE, to Avoid.— There is something 
 to be remembered by those most liable to sun- 
 stroke. SAbriety is a great preventative. The 
 man who abstains from all spirituous drinks dur- 
 ing excessively hot weather is vastly less liable 
 
MEDICAL AND SURGICAL. 
 
 239 
 
 to sunstroke than he who drinks habitually. Re- 
 gular hours for sleep and meals, and the avoid- 
 ance of all irregiilarities and excesses, are among 
 the other preventatives. Bathing, washing, or 
 sponging the skin all over in the morning is a 
 wholesome precaution. Every one employed out 
 doors, that can possibly do it, should wear a 
 light, easy-fitting, broad-brimmed hat. Brick- 
 layers, carpenters, laborers, mortar - makers, 
 hod-carriers, and all others working in the sun, 
 should have some kind of shed or shade handy, 
 where they can rest for a few minutes at short 
 intervals of half an hour or so. People otherwise 
 engaged on the streets, or who have to go about 
 on business, should be careful to keep on the 
 shady side, to look well to their head gear, so as 
 to insure that which is light and porous, and 
 those who have leisure should carry sun-umbrel- 
 las. To cure see page 19. 
 
 SWEA TING, Profuse. — An old remedy for 
 excessive sweating is cold sage tea. It is made 
 by taking a large teaspoonful of chopped sage 
 leaves, and boiling them in six ounces of water 
 for two or three minutes. The decoction is then 
 left to stand and cool, and is strained and sweet- 
 ened to the taste. This remedy has been used 
 with benefit in the colliquative sweating, as it is 
 called, of pulmonary consumption. 
 
 SWEA TING, To Produce.— Vonr alcohol in- 
 to a saucer, to about half fill it ; place this under 
 a chair ; strip the person, to be sweated, of all 
 clothing, and place him in the chair, putting a 
 comforter over him, also ; now light a match and 
 throw into the saucer of alcohol, which sets it on 
 fire, and by the time the alcohol is burned out 
 he will be in a profuse perspiration, if not, put 
 in half as much more 01 alcohol and fire it again, 
 which will accomplish the object ; then rise up 
 and draw the comforter around you, and get into 
 bed, following up with hot teas and sweating 
 drops. 
 
 SWELLING, White.— Dt. Kirkland recom- 
 mends a volatile plaster for this disease, made 
 after the following manner : Melt together in an 
 iron ladle, or earthen pipkin, two ounces of soap 
 and half an ounce of litharge plaster. When 
 nearly cold, stir in one drachm of sal ammoniac, 
 in fine powder ; spread upon leather, and apply 
 to the joint as above. If the above method fail, 
 and ulceration take place, a surgeon should be 
 applied to without delay. 
 
 TAPE WORM.— I. A boy, six years old, had 
 been troubled for about a year with tapeworm, 
 was directed to take fifteen drops of turpentine, 
 in the form of an emulsion, three times daily, for 
 a week, and afterward that two ounces of the 
 kernels of pumpkin seeds be thoroughly ground 
 up with sugar to a fine pulp, and sufficient mint 
 water added to make an emulsion of twelve fluid 
 ounces. This was taken in the morning, between 
 six and seven, in divided doses, upon an empty 
 stomach. At 9 A. M., two tablespoonfuls of 
 castor oil were given, and at 1 1 A. M. the usur- 
 per rapidly beat a retreat before the advancing 
 foe, and twenty-one feet, head and shoulders, 
 were carefully bottled up ; since which time the 
 boy has rapidly gained in health and spirits. — 2. 
 Dr. Lurtel has tried with success the following 
 method : He gives in one dose two-thirds of an 
 ounce of ether, followed two hours afterwards by 
 an ounce of castor-oil. The worm is discharged 
 entire or almost so, and always with the head 
 intact. No pain is caused by this treatment. 
 
 TEETHING. — Young children whilst cut- 
 ting their first set of teeth often suffer severe con- 
 stitutional disturbance. At first there is restless- 
 ness and peevishness, with slight fever, but not 
 unfrequently these are followed by convulsive 
 fits, as thev are commonly called, which depend 
 on the bram becoming irritated ; and sometimes 
 under this condition the child is either cut off 
 suddenly, or the foundation of serious mischief 
 to the brain is laid. The remedy, or rather the 
 safeguard, against these frightful consequences 
 is trifling, safe, and almost certain, and consists 
 merely in lancing the gum covering the tooth , 
 which is making its way through. When teeth- 
 ing is about it may be known by the spittle con- 
 stantly drivelling from the mouth and wetting 
 the frock. The child has its fingers often in its 
 mouth, and bites hard any substance it can get 
 hold of. If the gums be carefully looked at, the 
 part where the tooth is pressing up is swollen 
 and redder than usual ; and if the finger be pres- 
 sed on it the child shrinks and cries showing that 
 the gum is tender. When these symptoms occur, 
 the gum should be lanced, and sometimes the 
 tooth comes through the next day, if near the 
 surface ; but if not so far advanced the cut heals 
 and a scar forms, which is thought by some ob- 
 jectionable, as rendering the passage of the tooth 
 more difficult. This, however, 1.'= untrue, for the 
 scar will give way much more easily than the 
 uncut gum. If the tooth does not come through 
 after two or three days, the lancing may be re- 
 peated ; and this is more especially needed if the 
 child be very fractious, and seem in ipuch pain. 
 Lancing the gums is further advantageous, be- 
 cause it empties the inflamed part of its blood, 
 and so relieves the pain and inflammation. The 
 relief children experience in the course of two or 
 three hours from the operation is often very 
 remarkable, as they almost immediately become 
 lively and cheerful. 
 
 TETTER. — After a slight feverish attack, 
 lasting two or three days, clusters of small, 
 transparent pimples, filled sometimes with a 
 colorless, sometimes M'ith a brownish lymph, ap- 
 pear on the cheeks or forehead, or on the ex- 
 tremities, and at times on the body. The pimples 
 are about the size of a pea, and break after a few 
 days, when a brown or yellow crust is formed 
 over them, which falls off about the tenth day, 
 leaving the skin red and irritable. The eruption 
 is attended with heat, itching, tingling, fever and 
 restlessness, especially at night. Ringworm is a 
 curious form of tetter, in which the inflamed 
 patches assume the form of a ring. — Treatment 
 ^hould consist of light diet, and gentle laxatives. 
 If the patient be advanced in life, and feeble, a 
 tonic will be desirable. For a wash, white 
 vitriol, one dram ; rose-water, three ounces, 
 mixed; or an ointment made of elder-flower oint- 
 ment, one ounce ; oxide of zinc, one dram. 
 
 TETTER, HUMID. —This is an eruption 
 of minute, round pimples, about the size of a 
 pin's head, filled with colorless fluid, and term- 
 inating in scurf. It is preceded by languor, 
 faintness, perspiration, and a pricking of the 
 skin. Another species of this disease is called 
 sun-heat, which is an eruption of a white or 
 brownish color, which generally terminates in 
 yellow scabs. It occurs only in summer, and 
 affects those parts which are uncovered. In still 
 another species, the eruption is attended with 
 pain, heat, itching, intense smarting, and a swell- 
 
240 
 
 DICTIONARY OF EVERY-DAY WANTS, 
 
 ing of the affected part. When the blisters break, 
 the water runs out, irritates and inflames the 
 skin, which becomes red, rough, and thickened — 
 covered sometimes with a thick crust. Treat- 
 ment. — Low diet, cooling drinks, gentle purga- 
 tives, and warm baths. In old chronic cases, 
 apply externally either lime-water, or corrosive 
 sublimate in a wash proportioned of five grains 
 to one pint of soft waier. In the last two forms 
 of the affection apply nitrate of silver in solution, 
 to the parts. 
 
 TETTER, CRUSTED.— 'YV\% ^rm^Woxi 
 consists at first of slightly elevated pustules or 
 pimples, closely congregated, with an inflamed 
 border. These break, and the surface becomes 
 red, excoriated, shining, and full of pores, 
 through which a thin, unhealthy fluid is poured 
 out, which gradually hardens into dark, yellow- 
 ish-green scabs. When this tetter invades the 
 head or scalp, it causes the hair to fall off, and is 
 termed a scall. — Treatment. — Vapor-bath and 
 water-dressing. The crusts should be removed 
 by a weak lye, made from hard-wood ashes or 
 potash ; then an ointment should be applied, made 
 of mild nitrate of mercury ointment, three 
 drachms ; sugar of lead, sixteen grains ; rose- 
 water ointment, one ounce. 
 
 THROAT, {SORE), Remedies for.— i. In 
 many cases of slight soreness of the throat, it is 
 not deemed necessary to apply to a physician for 
 a prescription. In such cases a gargle composed 
 of hydrochloric acid, two drams; water, six 
 drams; and decoction of Peruvian bark, four 
 ounces. — 2. Pour a pint of boiling water upon 
 twenty-five or thirty leaves of common sage ; let 
 the infusion stand for half an hour. Add vinegar 
 sufficient to make itmoderately acid, and honey, 
 according to the taste. This combination of the 
 astringent and the emohent principle seldom fails 
 to produce the desired effect. The infusion must 
 be used as a gargle several times a-day. It has 
 this advantage over many gargles — it is pleasant 
 to the taste, and may be swallowed occasionally, 
 not only without danger, but with advantage. — 
 3. Dissolve a teaspoonful of chlorate of potash in 
 a tumbler of water and gargle with it It is 
 nearly tasteless, and not at all offensive to take, 
 and well adapted to children. — ^4. Make a poul- 
 tice of wormwood, boiled in sweet milk, and 
 apply it to the throat. 
 
 TIC-DOLOREUX, To Ck^^.— Take half a 
 pint of rose-water, add two teaspoonfuls of white 
 vinegar, to form a lotion. Apply it to the part 
 affected three or four times a day. It requires 
 fresh linen and lotion each application ; this will, 
 in two or three days, gradually take the pain 
 away. See also "Neuralgia". 
 
 toe-nails, IN.GROlVING.—'nas most 
 painful of the diseases of the nails is caused by 
 the improper manner of cutting the nail (gener- 
 ally of the great toe), and then wearing a narrow, 
 badly-made shoe. The nail beginning to grow 
 too long, and rather wide at the corners, is often 
 trimmed around the corner, which gives tempo- 
 rary relief. But it then begins to grow wider in 
 the side where it was cut off; and, as the shoe 
 presses the flesh against the corner, the nail cuts 
 more and more into the raw flesh, which becomes 
 excessively tender and irritable. If this state 
 continue long, the toe becomes more and more 
 painful and ulcerated, and fungus (proud flesh) 
 sprouts up from the sorest points. Walking 
 greatly increases the suffering, till positive rest 
 
 becomes indispensable. — Treatment. — We omit 
 all modes of cutting out the nail by the root, and 
 all other cutting or torturing operations. Jiegin 
 the effort at cure by simple application to the 
 tender part of a small quantity of^ perchloride 01 
 iron. It is found in drug stores in a fluid form, 
 though sometimes in powder. There is im- 
 mediately a moderate sensation of pain, constric- 
 tion, or burning. In a few minutes the tender 
 surface is felt to be dried up, tanned, or mum- 
 mified, and it ceases to be painful. The patient, 
 who before could not put his foot to the floor, 
 now finds that he can walk upon it without pain. 
 By permitting the hardened, wood-like flesh to 
 remain for two or three weeks, it can be easily 
 removed by soaking the foot in warm water. A 
 new and healthy structure is found, firm and 
 solid, below. If therealter the nails be no more 
 cut around the corners or sides, but always curv- 
 ed in across the front end, they will in future 
 grow only straight forwards ; and by wearing a 
 shoe of reasonably good size and shape, all 
 further trouble will be avoided. 
 
 Another method is with a knife, or a piece of 
 glass, scrape the centre of the nail until it be- 
 comes almost as thin as the thinnest paper ; then 
 cut the nail in the form of a cresent, the convex 
 side being inward. This will compel the sides 
 of the nail to grow outward in the natural way. 
 
 TOOTIIACHE,Remediesfor.—\. One drachm 
 of alum reduced to an impalpable powder, three 
 drachms of nitrous spirit of ether, mix, and apply 
 them to the tooth on cotton. — 2. Mix a little salt 
 and alum, equal portions, grind it fine, wet a 
 little lock of cotton, fill it with the powder and 
 put it in your tooth. One or two applications 
 seldom fail to cure. — 3. To one drachm of collo- 
 dion add two drachms of Calvert's carbolic acid. 
 A gelatinous mass is precipitated, a small portion 
 of which, inserted in the cavity of an aching 
 tooth, invariably gives immediate relief. — ^4. Sa- 
 turate a small liit of clean cotton wool with a 
 strong solution of ammonia, and applying it im- 
 mediately to the affected tooth. The pleasing 
 contrast instantaneously produced in some cases 
 causes a fit of laughter, although a moment pre- 
 vious extreme suffering and anguish prevailed. — ^ 
 5. Sometimes a sound tooth aches from sympa- 
 thy of the nerves of the face with other nerves. 
 But when tooth-ache proceeds from a decayed 
 tooth either have it taken out, or put hot fomen- 
 tations upon the face, and hot drinks into the 
 mouth, such as tincture of cayenne. 
 
 TRICHINA.— Tnchmii is the term applied 
 to a minute animal (parasite) known for some 
 time to have existed in the -muscles of nian, and 
 which could be bred in the muscles of some other 
 mammals by feeding them with it. More recently 
 it has been discovered to occur naturally in the 
 muscles of swine. It is a minute, slender, and 
 transparent worm, scarcely I -20th of an inch in 
 length. After this animal becomes introduced 
 into the stomach of man, or other animals sus- 
 ceptible to its ravages, and which may feed upon 
 flesh infected with it, the worms become freed 
 from their capsules by the action of the digestive 
 fluid, and range freely in the stomach and intes- 
 tines of the custodian. Their development pro- 
 ceeds rapidly, and procreation takes place within 
 4 or 5 days ; each female gives birth to from 60 
 to 100 young, and dies soon after. The young 
 thread-like worm remains for a short time within 
 the lining membrane of the intestines, causing 
 
MEDICAL AND SURGICAL. 
 
 241 
 
 irritatipn, diarrhoea, and sometimes death if pre- 
 sent ia sufficient numbers. After attaining a 
 proper size and strength, these young trichinae 
 begin to penetrate the walls of the intestines, and 
 make their way toward their proper homes, the 
 voluntary muscles. In traversing the muscles 
 they do not seem to penetrate the fibre of the 
 muscle, but to wind their way between them. 
 At this time they cause to those afflicted great 
 muscular pain and soreness, cramps, and even 
 tetanic symptoms. After about 4 weeks migra- 
 tion they commence to encyst themselves in the 
 muscular fibre, none having ever been found 
 encysted in fat or the other tissues. They per- 
 forate the walls of the fibre selected as their 
 abode, pass into it, and fasten themselves in the 
 space so made. The worm then secretes a deli- 
 cate membranous sac, which finally becomes cal- 
 careous by still further secretions. It is only in 
 man, however, that these calcareous cysts have 
 been observed, hogs being usually killed long be- 
 fore time has elapsed for the accumulation of suf- 
 ficient lime. The young trichina having now 
 reached Us torpid stage, it will so remain during 
 the lifetime of its custodian. It feeds no longer, 
 but goes on slowly in development until it has 
 reached the condition of puberty, and then awaits 
 its chances of freedom to "commence its cycle," 
 They can breed but once in the body of one and 
 the same animal. 
 
 There is no cure when once they find a lodge- 
 ment in the human body, so that prevention is a 
 necessity to all who would avoid dying by 
 trichina. And prevention is only secured by not 
 eating pork. Hog's are the scavengers of all 
 creation, fit only "to cast out devils in" and no 
 man or woman, of fine tastes, unless they are on 
 the verge of starvation will eat pork. Whatever 
 may be your religion, be a Jew in your regard 
 for pork, and trichina, scrofula and other foul 
 humors will never come near you. 
 
 URINE, Suppression of. — In this disease there 
 is urine in the bladder, but it is retained from 
 some inability to pass it. There are several 
 causes of suppression, and the treatment must 
 vary accordingly. If inflammation of the neck of 
 the bladder has caused it, warm fomentations 
 should be applied, and warm hipbaths. Three 
 or four drops of Croton oil may be rubbed on, 
 to bring out an eruption. Cooling diuretics, as 
 infusions of marshmallow, buchu, or pumpkin- 
 seeds, should be used, 
 
 URINE, Inability to hold. — ^This is quite com- 
 mon among children, but is not common in adult 
 life except among the old. It is caused by irrita- 
 tion of the roots of the spinal nerves which go to 
 the bladder, mechanical injuries of the bladder, 
 
 Ealsy of the bladder, debility of the neck of the 
 ladder, general weakness of the nervous system, 
 worms in the bowels, whites, and gravel. — 
 Treatment. — Pains should be taken to create a 
 healthy action of the skin by bathing and rub- 
 bing, and, if in children, not much drink should 
 be allowed them. When it proceeds from de- 
 bility, the compound infusion of the trailing 
 arbutus, and a custard made of isinglass, may be 
 used freely. Sometimes cold water douched upon 
 the black, or a stimulating plaster, will do good 
 when the disease is from weak nerves, 
 
 VOMITING. — Where vomiting is not a part 
 of some particular disease and treated along with 
 it, or where it persists very obstinately, it may 
 require the sixth or quarter of a grain of morphia 
 
 to check it. But generally some aromatic, as 
 ginger, spearmint, peppermint, or spice-tea will 
 
 Eut an end to it. A cordial or stimulant, as 
 randy, champagne, tincture of ginger, paregoric; 
 or strong coffee without milk or sugar, will an- 
 swer as well. If caused by irritability of the 
 stomach, a pill of extract of belladonna and 
 ipecac, will answer to quiet the disturbance. The 
 patient should lie still in bed, and in bad cases a 
 mustard-poultice on the stomach may be needed. 
 The vomiting of children may be quieted by wet- 
 ting a cloth in laudanum, and laying it on the 
 stomach. 
 
 In cases of sea-sickness, the patient should lie 
 upon deck, in the open air if possible, A wine- 
 glass of brandy, or from ten to forty drops of 
 laudanum, will relieve the sickness very much. 
 Ten drops of hartshorn, in a half-tumbler of 
 water, is very good. But the best-known remedy 
 is chloroform, taken in doses of from forty to 
 eighty drops, suspended in water by means of a 
 little gum-arabic, 
 
 IVA TER BRASH.— 1\i\% consists in a dis- 
 charge from the stomach, generally in the morn- 
 ing, of a thin, glairy fluid, sometimes insipid, 
 often sweetish, and at other times, sour. A 
 burning heat or pain of the stomach attends it, 
 and seems to cause the discharge. The amount 
 thrown up varies from a spoonful to a pint or 
 more. The complaint is caused by a poor, in- 
 nutritious diet, or by whatever causes the blood 
 to become thin and watery. — Treatment. — Ten 
 or fifteen drops of ammonia-water, in half a 
 tumblerful of cold water, will quiet the distress, 
 and stop the discharge. The best remedy for 
 this discharge, is the trisnitrate of bismuth, taken 
 at meal times, three times a day, in thirty-grain 
 doses. The tincture of nux vomica is good. The 
 blood should be restored by tonics of some pre- 
 paration of iron, and the food should be nourish- 
 ing and digestible, 
 
 WARTS, To Cure. — Warts are formed by 
 the small arteries, veins, and nerves united to- 
 gether, taking on a disposition to grow by extend- 
 ing themselves upward, carrying the scarf-skin 
 along with them, which thickening forms a wart. 
 Corns are a similar growth, brought about by 
 the friction of tight boots and shoes. — i. Take a 
 piece of diachylon plaster, cut a hole in the centre 
 the size of the wart, and stick it on, the wart 
 protruding through. Then touch it daily with 
 aquafortis, or nitrate of silver. They may be 
 removed by tying a string tightly around them. — 
 
 2, Take a blacksmith's punch, heat it red hot 
 and burn the warts with the end of it. When the 
 burn gets well the warts will be gone forever. — 
 
 3. Scrape down enough dry cobwebs to make a 
 ball large enough to a little more than cover the 
 wart and not touch the flesh around the same ; 
 lay it on top of the wart, ignite it, and let it be 
 until it is all burnt up. The wart will turn white, 
 and in a few days come out. — 4. Pass a pin 
 through the wart; apply one end of the pin to 
 the flame of a lamp ; hold it there until the wart 
 fries under the action of the heat, A wart so 
 treated will leave, — 5. Dissolve as much common 
 washing soda as the water will take up; wash 
 the warts with this for a minute or two, and let 
 them dry without wiping. Keep the water in a 
 bottle and repeat the washing often, and it will 
 take away the largest warts. — 6. They may be 
 cured surely by paring them down until the blood 
 comes slightly and then rubbing them with lunar 
 
 16 
 
242 
 
 DICTIONARY OF E VERY-DA Y WANTS. 
 
 caustic. It is needless to say this hurts a little, 
 but is a sure cure. The hydrochlorate of lime 
 applied in the same way will cure after several 
 applications and some patience; so will strong 
 wood vinegar, and so it is said will milk weed. 
 The cures founded upon superstitious practices 
 such as muttering some phrases over the excres- 
 cence, stealing a piece of beef, rubbing the wart 
 therewith and then burying it under the leaves 
 to await its decay, etc., etc., are all the remnants 
 of a past state of ignorance and are of no use 
 whatever. Warts are generally only temporary 
 and disappear as their possessors grow up. 
 
 WENS, To Cure. — Dissolve copperas in 
 water to make it very strong ; now take a pin, 
 needle, or sharp knife, and prick, or cut the wen 
 in about a dozen places, just sufficient to cause it 
 to bleed ; then wet it tiioroughly with the cop- 
 peras water, once daily. 
 
 WHITLOW. — There are very few affections 
 that commence so simply but afterwards become 
 so painful and serious in their results as whitlow. 
 It is most frequently found in people in a low 
 state of health, and in nervous and delicate fe- 
 males. The commencement of an attack is gene- 
 rally marked by pain and redness in the finger, 
 or palm of the hand, as the case may be. The 
 pain, slight at first, becomes gradually more in- 
 tense and throbbing, and entirely prevents sleep. 
 The patient suffers from loss of appetite, and falls 
 into an irritable state from the constant pain and 
 want of sleep, and in some severe cases, unless 
 relief is obtained, delirium may come on. Whit- 
 low is somtimes found as a consequence of cer- 
 tain constitutional diseases, and may also be 
 caused by wounds from a thorn, a splinter of 
 wood, a rusty nail, or the sting of a fish. The 
 latter is a common cause amongst fishermen. For 
 a cure see "Felon". 
 
 WORMS. — In grown persons the symptoms 
 of worms are quite obscure, except an intolerable 
 itching within the anus, which generally indicates 
 pin-worms, which live in the rectum. In chil- 
 dren, worms, are indicated by paleness, itching 
 of the nose, grinding of the teeth, and starting 
 in sleep; irregular appetite, bad breath, swelled 
 upper lip, picking of the nose, and hard, swelled 
 belly, and one cheek constantly flushed. — i. 
 Spirits of turpentine, half an ounce ; oil of anise, 
 half an ounce; castor oil ; one ounce ; wormseed 
 oil, one ounce. Mix. The dose is, for a child 
 of one or two years, ten to twenty drops, every 
 two or three hours. In three days a brisk phy- 
 sic should be given. — 2.Carolina pink-root, sen- 
 na leaf, manna, and American worm-seed, of 
 each yi ounce ; bruise and pour on boiling water 
 I pt; and steep without boiling. Sweeten well, 
 add half as much milk. Dose — A child of five 
 years, may take i gill 3 times daily, before meals, 
 or sufficient to move the bowels rather freely.— r 
 
 3. Steep or boil in a pewter vessel, oyer a mo- 
 derate fire, very strong, the bark of spotted alder 
 or witch-hazel. For a year old, a tablespoonful ; 
 increase the dose according to age. Give four 
 or five times a day, for several days. It is sure 
 and safe. Or fine powdered sage, mixed with 
 honey ; a teaspoonful for a dose. Sweetened 
 milk, with the addition of a little alum, will turn 
 the worms. Flour and sulphur, mixed with honey, 
 is very good. Heat very hot, in a smith's fur- 
 nace, a piece of steel ; lay on it a roll of brim- 
 stone, melt the steel, let it fall into water, and it 
 will be in round lumps. Pound them very fine, 
 mix the dust with molasses. Give half a tea- 
 spoonful night and morning, fasting. Or, give 
 as much as will lie on a sixpence, of dried man- 
 drake roots, powdered and mixed with honey, in 
 the morning, three or four times successively. 
 If a child have fits, proceeding from worms, give 
 as much paregoric as it can bear; it will turn the 
 worms, and ease the child. To prevent worms, 
 let children eat onions, raw or cooked. Raw 
 are the best. Salt and water will turn worms, 
 and a dose or two of flour and sulphur after, 
 will bring them away, without any other medicine. 
 WOUNDS, Treatment by Veniilatiou.—T'his 
 consists, in fact, ofleaving small wounds exposed 
 to the air, and in acting on large ones by means 
 of the domestic bellows for a period varying from 
 five to twenty minutes, every two, three or four 
 hours, according to the discharge and moisture 
 that may be present. The object is to secure 
 the formation of a crust over the surface of the 
 wounds under which healing takes place far more 
 rapidly than when the surface is not so protected; 
 and hence the application of the air must be suf- 
 ficiently frequent and prolonged to keep up this 
 crust of a certain thickness. When the crust is 
 hard, however, it must be displaced and another 
 formed, and when the discharge is very abund- 
 ant, the alcoholic dressings, now so much m 
 vogue, in the Paris hospitals, should, for a while, 
 precede the ventilation. The influence of this 
 last in improving the condition of the wound is 
 almost immediate, a disposition to cicatrize and 
 a diminution of the discharge soon being apparent. 
 In burns of the second and third degree, which 
 assume the appearance of a simple denuded 
 wound, ventilation may advantageously supersede 
 cotton and other impermeable applications. This 
 treatment is not suited to deep or penetrating 
 wounds. Among the secondary advantages of 
 the treatment by ventilation, originating with M. 
 Boisson, may be mentioned its simplicity, its 
 easy applicability by the patient or his friends, 
 its economy and its cleanliness. It substitutes a 
 dry for a moist surface, diminishing the chance 
 of putrid decomposition and of infection of the 
 surrounding atmosphere. 
 
 ORNAMENTAL WORK. 
 
 ANGLO-JAPANESE WORK.— This is an I may be ornamented with these simple materials 
 elegant and easy domestic art. Take yellow, — an old work-box, tea caddy, fire screen, flower 
 withered leaves, dissolve gum, get mixed black pots, etc. Select perfect leaves, dry and press 
 paint aad some copal varnish, etc. Any articles I them between the leaves of books, rub the sur- 
 
ORNAMENTAL WORK. 
 
 243 
 
 face of the article to be ornamented with fine 
 sand paper; then give it a coat of fine black 
 paint, which should be procured mixed at a color 
 shop. When dry, rub smooth with pumice 
 stone; then apply two other coats. Dry; ar- 
 range leaves in any order, according to taste. 
 Gum the leaves on the under side, and press 
 them upon their places. Then dissolve some 
 isinglass in hot water, and brush it over the work 
 while the solution is warm ; when dry, give three 
 coats of copal varnish, allowing ample time for 
 each coat to dry. Articles thus ornamented last 
 for years, and are very pleasing. 
 
 ANTIQUE FAINTING.— Ay^\y with a 
 stiff brush a very thin coat of Antique varnish, 
 which will be thoroughly dry in six hours ; then 
 apply another coat of the same, thin and very 
 equal and smooth; allow this to dry one hour or 
 until nearly dry, strongly adhering to the finger 
 when touched, but not sticky. Then put on the 
 engraving, (having dampened it thoroughly with 
 warm water, not too wet, absorbing the extra 
 moisture with a cloth or blotter, ) with the face 
 to the varnished side of the glass ; press it gently 
 until every part adheres to the surface, rub care- 
 fully with your finger a part of the figure, being 
 sure not to rub through the engraving; after it 
 has dried twelve hours, wet again and rub off all 
 the paper leaving only the engraving; when 
 again dry moisten carefully with fine bleached 
 drying oil. It is then fit for painting. The 
 colors will strike through very freely, as there is 
 no paper left, and will not spot as the Grecian is 
 liable to do. Do not use any Turpentine in this 
 style. The Directions are the same as for Gre- 
 cian Painting, except more pains should be taken 
 to shade and blend in the colors, to help the 
 shading in the engraving, particularly the flesh- 
 color with the hair. 
 
 BOTANICAL SPECIMENS, To Diy for 
 Preservation. — The plants you wish to preserve 
 should be gathered when the weather is dry; 
 and after placing the ends in water, let them 
 remain in a cool place till the next day. When 
 about to be submitted to the process of drying, 
 place each plant between several sheets of blot- 
 ting paper, and iron it with a large smooth heater 
 pretty strongly warmed, till all the moisture is 
 dissipated. Colors may thus be fixed which 
 otherwise become pale or nearly white. 
 
 Some plants require more moderate heat than 
 others, and herein consists the nicety of the ex- 
 periment; but I have generally found, that if the 
 iron be not too hot, and is passed rapidly, yet 
 carefully, over the surface of the blotting paper, 
 it answers the purpose equally well with plants 
 of almost every variety of^hue and thickness. In 
 compound flowers, with those also of a stubborn 
 and solid form, some little care and skill are re- 
 quired in cutting away the under part, by which 
 means the profile and forms of the flowers will 
 be more distinctly exhibited. This is especially 
 necessary when the method employd by Major 
 Velley is adopted, viz., to fix the flowers and 
 fruit down securely with gum upon the paper, 
 previous to ironing, by which means they be- 
 come almost incorporated with the surface. 
 When this very delicate process is attempted, 
 blotting paper should be laid under every part 
 excepting the blossoms, in order to prevent 
 staining the white paper. Great care must be 
 taken to keep preserved specimens in a dry place, 
 and also to handle them gently; and thus they 
 
 can be kept a long time, affording a source of 
 great pleasure. 
 
 BOUQUETS of Colored Grass.— Tb^ grasses 
 should be gathered while the seeds are green, so 
 that after having been hung in a dry, dark place 
 a week or two, or until thorougly dried, the seed 
 will not rattle off when shaken. The finer seeded 
 the grasses the handsomer the bouquets ; and yet 
 sprigs of green oats work up tastily. 
 
 The ingredients required are simple and cheap, 
 viz.: Common starch and dry chrome paints of as 
 many colors as you wish ; an ounce of each is 
 sufficient for makmg a good sized bouquet. Dis- 
 solve in cold water three tablespoonfuls of starch; 
 then pour on boiling water until cooked; let 
 cool ; arrange upon the table your paints, grasses 
 and starch. Into the starch dip the sprays re- 
 quired for the several colors, shake, and then 
 brush into the paint of whatever color you wish; 
 shake again and lay them one side upon a board 
 or convenient place to let remain undisturbed 
 until dry. Serve the sprays for each different 
 color in the same way. When dry, lightly shake 
 off the the surplus paint, if any, and then form 
 into bouquets. These, particularly when used in 
 connection with crystahzed grasses and put into 
 a nicely made wall-basket, of shield form, and 
 hung upon the wall, or even into a vase, are well 
 worth the "care and trouble" of making. 
 
 CONE WORK. — Select good clear cones, and 
 dissect some which have handsome, large scales, 
 and brush them clean ; lay nice white putty, or 
 a similar adhesive substance, smoothly on your 
 frame; set into this putty whole cones, large and 
 small, in such figures as suit your taste, and fill 
 up the entire groundwork with the scales, lapping 
 one neatly over the other. 
 
 Cut oval and round frames for light pictures, 
 from bookbinder's pasteboard, and cover with 
 the scales in layers or rows. Scallop the edges 
 with small whole cones, set in large cones sur- 
 rounded by little ones equidistant, if the frame 
 be broad, and fill in with the scales. When dry, 
 take out those which are not firm, and replace. 
 Add acorns ad libitum. Varnish the whole once 
 or twice. If you wish something nice, go over 
 every part with a fine brush, and leave no var- 
 nish standing in drops. 
 
 Cones can be found by almost any one m an 
 hour's walk through pine woods. Indeed, if one 
 has a taste for the beautiful, and is quick in per- 
 ception, it is impossible to ramble through 
 wood and fields without finding many curiosities 
 in the shape of mosses, grasses, cones, etc. 
 
 FUNGI, To Preserve. — Take two ounces of 
 sulphate of copper, or blue vitriol, and reduce it 
 to powder, and pour upon it a pint of boiling 
 water, and when cold, add half a pint of spirits 
 of wine; cork it well, and call it "the pickle." 
 To eight pints of water add one pint and a half 
 of spirits of wine, and call it "the liquor." Be 
 provided with a number of wide-mouthed bottles 
 of different sizes, all well fitted vith corks. The 
 fungi should be left on the table as long as pos- 
 sible, to allow the moisture to evaporate ; they 
 should then be placed in the pickle for three 
 hours, or longer, if necessary ; then place them 
 in the \>ottles intended for their reception, and 
 fill with the liquor. They should then be well ; 
 corked and sealed, and arranged in order with 
 their names in front of the bottles. 
 
 DEC A LCOMANIA— Or the Art of Orna- 
 menting China, Glass, Earthenware, Wooden- 
 
244 
 
 DICTIONARY OF EVERY^DAY WANTS. 
 
 ware. Fancy Boxes, Ivory, and Paper Mache 
 Goods, Japannedware, Binding of Books, Fans, 
 Leather Work, etc., etc. — Directions. — Cover 
 the picture entirely (taking care not to go beyond 
 the outhnes) with a sh'ght coat of fixing varnish; 
 then put the picture on the object to be orna- 
 mented, being careful to place it properly at once, 
 in order not to spoil it by moving. The varnish 
 newly applied being too liquid, the picture should 
 be left to dry eight or ten minutes, and placed on 
 the object to be ornamented, when just damp 
 enough to be still adherent : this done, cover the 
 back of the picture with a piece of cloth steeped 
 in water, then, by means of a knife or pen-holder, 
 rub it all over, so as to fix every part of it; then 
 remove the piece of cloth and rinse the paper 
 with a paint-brush steeped in water ; at the end 
 of a few minutes the paper will come off, leaving 
 the painting transferred. 
 
 Care must be taken that the piece of cloth, 
 without being too wet, should be sufficiently so 
 for the paper to be entirely saturated. The pic- 
 ture must now be washed with a wet paint-brush, 
 and dried very lightly with some blotting paper. 
 The ornamented article should, after this, be put 
 near the stove or any other warm place, to make 
 it dry well and to improve the adhesiveness of 
 the pictures. The polishing varnish should not 
 be applied until the next day, keeping the pictures 
 in the meantime carefully out of the dust. The 
 latter varnish should be put on as lightly as 
 possible. 
 
 If dark -colored objects are to be ornamented, 
 such as bindings of books, Russian leather, leather 
 bags, etc., the picture must first be covered with 
 a mixture of white lead and turpentine, following 
 the outlines of the design and covering it entirely. 
 When this coat is perfectly dry, proceed accord- 
 r ing to the above instructions. 
 
 To print on silk, paper, or materials that can- 
 not bear washing after the process, proceed as 
 follows : Cover the picture entirely with a light 
 coat of fixing varnish and let it dry for an hour 
 or two ; then pass a sponge, lightly damped, over 
 the whole surface of the paper, in order to take 
 away the composition which is on it in the blank 
 parts, and which often cleans the material. 
 
 When the paper is dry, re-varnish the picture, 
 and transfer it on to the material by means of a 
 paper cutter, avoiding to employ the piece of 
 cloth or anything damp ; then, with a paint-brush 
 slightly steeped in water, wet the paper lightly, 
 and leave it a full quarter of an hour on the ob- 
 ject before removing it. 
 
 To remove a spoiled print, rub it with a soft 
 rag imbibed in turpentine. 
 
 Our readers will at once appreciate the merits 
 of this invention ; the facility with which it can 
 be applied, also its numerous applications. 
 
 DIAPHANIE. — ^This is a process by means 
 of which colored designs may be transferred 
 from the paper on which they are originally 
 printed, for the decoration in colors of glass 
 which is intended to admit light. It is, in fact, 
 a method of glass-staining which costs only a 
 fraction of the expense of the ancient process, 
 produces quite as bold and brilliant effects, is 
 sufficiently durable for all ordinary purposes, and 
 can be practised by amateurs of either sex at their 
 own homes. That diaphanie fully answers the 
 purpose for which it is mainly intended — the 
 staining of glass — is abundantly proved by the 
 fact that many church windows are colored by 
 
 means of it, and that they are esteemed quite as 
 telling and beautiful specimens of decoration as 
 those that owe their origin to the old and expen- 
 sive art. For ordinary purposes the process 
 may be described in a few words. In the first 
 place, designs must be obtained, and these can 
 be got in every variety, and suitable for any size 
 of window or pane. First wet the back, or the 
 uncolored side, with a sponge and cold water, 
 and apply a coating of prepared transferring var- 
 nish to the colored surface with a wide camel- 
 hair brush. Then at once apply the cemented 
 side to the glass in the proper position, and press 
 down with a roller. To insure success, two or 
 three sheets of paper should be laid upon the 
 back of the design before the using of the roller 
 is commenced ; then begin rolling from the centre 
 outward to the circumference. The work is 
 now to be left until the varnish has become per- 
 fectly dry, which it will do in two days. The 
 design has by this time become printed upon the 
 glass, and the next step is to remove the paper 
 from which the design has been transferred. 
 This is done by wetting and gently rubbing with 
 a cloth or sponge. When the paper has been 
 wholly removed, a thin coatingof "clearingliquid" 
 is applied to the design, and when this has be- 
 come perfectly dry, one or two coatings of the 
 "washable varnish" are laid on, and the work is 
 finished. 
 
 No special knowledge of art is required for the 
 practise of diaphanie. The work is especially 
 suitable for hall and lobby doors and windows, 
 for school and church windows, staircase, study, 
 and other windows in houses where it may be 
 desirable to shut out the prospect of a smoke- 
 dried back yard, or a range of mews. The spe- 
 cial advantage of diaphanie is that while impart- 
 ing a graceful and artistic character wherever 
 used, it does not exclude the light, and it renders 
 blinds unnecessary. 
 
 It should be specially kept in view that the 
 designs must be transferred before the glass is 
 fitted to the window, and that the colored side 
 is kept inwards. The glass may be cleaned in 
 the usual manner, if ordinary care be taken, as 
 the coatings of "washable varnish" are quite a. 
 sufficient protection to the picture. 
 
 GAS-LIGHT PICTURES. — Cut all the 
 white paper close up to the engraving, and place 
 the engraving on the glass, like the Antique 
 Painting, then paint a wreath around the engra- 
 ving, on the glass, oval shape or round. Make 
 a back-ground by painting the back board with 
 white paint, and before it dries take white or 
 blue frosting, a pinch at a time, with the fingers 
 and scatter thickly all over the painted board. 
 When the board is dry, shake off what frosting 
 there is that does not adhere, and save it for the 
 next time. A sufficient quantity will adhere to 
 present the appearance of^ myriads of diamonds, 
 and is very effective, especially by gas-light. In 
 putting the back board on the picture in this 
 style, put paste-board strips or thin wood be- 
 tween the glass and the back to keep the glass 
 from mashing down the frosting. 
 
 GRASSES, To Crystalize. — Pulverize a pound 
 of the best white alum, and dissolve it over a 
 slow fire in a quart of pure, soft water. Do not 
 let it boil, and be careful to keep everything out 
 of the solution that would possibly stain it, for 
 the beauty of the grasses depends on the pure 
 whiteness of the crystals. A new earthen bowl 
 
ORNAMENTAL WORK. 
 
 245 
 
 is the best dish for the purpose; when the alum 
 is dissolved, let the solution cool down to blood 
 heat; meanwhile arrange your grasses in the 
 bowl and pour the solution over them ; cover up 
 and set away for twenty-four hours. Then take 
 them out . carefully, dry them in the sun four or 
 five hours, and put them in the vase prepared 
 for them. 
 
 If you form the grasses, etc., into a bouquet 
 before crystalizing them, procure a glazed earthen 
 jar, suspend the bouquet from a stick laid across 
 the top of the jar, take care that the tops of the 
 grasses are not bent or doubled over, and then 
 pour on the solution, proceeding as above direct- 
 ed. What remains of the alum water may be 
 reheated, tinged blue, or purple, or scarlet, by a 
 few drops of dye, and used as before. 
 
 Of course the same preparation is suitable for 
 all kinds of plants. 
 
 GRECIAN PAINTING.— ?TOCMre a light 
 pine frame, a trifle larger than the Engraving: 
 (this need not be of the nicest workmanship; 
 simply 4 pieces of wood nailed together, to act 
 as a support to the picture while painting) then 
 moisten your Engraving with water, and while 
 wet, paste it to the frame, dry slowly, not over a 
 fire, and it will become quite smooth and tight; 
 now, moisten again on the wrong side with pure 
 Spirits of Turpentine, and while wet, with a coat 
 of Grecian Varnish on the same side, which con- 
 tinue to apply (keeping damp only, not too wet, 
 or it will filter through in spots, ) until it is wholly 
 transparent and without spots. If it is found 
 ('ifficuit to remove the spots, apply the second 
 coat of Spirits and afterwards the Grecian Var- 
 nish. When ready to paint, the back will have 
 an even gloss all over it. When perfectly clear 
 it should remain two or three days before paint- 
 ing, which is done on the side that you have var- 
 nished, the shading of the Engraving serving the 
 same purpose in painting; this process is so 
 simple that a child able to read this can under- 
 stand it. Varnish the picture but once, on the 
 face after it is framed, (not before,) with outside 
 varnish ; this must be put on evenly, and with 
 care that it does not run ; have but little in the 
 brush at a time. 
 
 LEAF IN COPPER, To make a FacSimilie 
 of. — This beautiful experiment can be performed 
 by any person in possession of a common galvanic 
 battery. The process is as follows : — Soften a 
 piece of gutta-percha over a candle, or before a 
 fire ; knead it with the moist fingers upon a table, 
 until the surface is large enough to cover the leaf 
 to be copied ; lay the leaf flat upon the surface, 
 and press every part well into the gum. In 
 about five minutes the leaf may be removed, 
 when, if the operation has been carefully per- 
 formed a perfect impression of the leaf will be 
 made on the gutta-percha- This must now be 
 attached to the wire in connection with the zinc 
 end of the battery (which can easily be done by 
 heating the end of the wire, and pressing it into 
 the gutta-percha), dusted well over with the best 
 black lead, with a camel's hair brush — the object 
 of which is to render it a conductor of electricity, 
 and then completely immersed in a saturated 
 solution of sulphate of copper. A piece of copper 
 attached to the wire in connection ^vith the cop- 
 per end of the battery, must also be inserted into 
 the copper solution, facing the gutta-percha, but 
 not touching it ; this not only acts as a conductor 
 to the electricity, but also maintains the solution 
 
 of copper of a permanent strength. In a short 
 time the copper will be found to creep over the 
 whole surface of the gutta-percha, and in about 
 twenty-four hours, a thick deposit of copper will 
 be obtained, which may then be detached from 
 the mould. The accuracy with which a leaf may 
 thus be cast is truly surprising. 
 
 Casts taken in this way delineate every fiber 
 and nerve, in fact, the minutest arts, with the 
 greatest fidelity. 
 
 LEAVES, PLANTS, ETC., To Take Im- 
 pression of. — Take half a sheet of fine wove paper 
 and oil it well with sweet oil ; after it has stood 
 a minute or two, to let it soak through, rub off 
 the superfluous oil with a piece of paper, and let 
 it hang in the air to dry ; after the oil is pretty 
 well dried in, take a lighted candle, and move 
 the paper over it, in a horizontal direction, so as 
 to touch the flame, till it is perfectly black. — 
 When you wish to take off impressions of plants, 
 lay your plant carefully on the oiled paper, lay a 
 piece of clean paper over it, and rub it with your 
 finger equally in all parts for half a minute ; then 
 take up your plant and be careful not to disturb 
 the order of the leaves, and place it on the paper 
 on which you wish to have the impression ; then 
 cover it with a piece of blotting paper, and rub 
 it with your finger for a short time, and you will 
 have an impression superior to the finest engrav- 
 ing. The same piece of black paper will serve 
 to take off a great number of impressions. The 
 principal excellence of this method is, that the 
 paper receives the impression of the most minute 
 veins and hairs, so that you obtain the general 
 character of most flowers. The impression may 
 afterwards be colored. 
 
 LEAVES, SKELETON— 'S&.e^^K.ori leaves 
 are among the most beautiful objects in nature, 
 and as they can be arranged either in groups un- 
 der glass shades, made into pictures, as it were, 
 and hung against the wall, or placed in either 
 blank-books or albums, they come within the 
 means of all, and can be used to decorate the 
 palace or the cottage. The most suitable leaves 
 for the purpose are those from what botanists 
 call exogenous plants, and may be known by the 
 veins of the leaf branching from a central 
 vein or midrib ; those from endogenous plants 
 rising from the base and curving towards the 
 apex of the leaf. The object in view is to de- 
 stroy what may be called the fleshy-part of the leaf, 
 as well as the skin, leaving only the ribs or veins. 
 The most successful, and probably the simplest, 
 way to do this is to macerate the leaves in rain- 
 water till they are decomposed. For this pur- 
 pose, when the leaves are collected they should 
 be placed in an earthen-ware pan or a wooden 
 tub, kept covered with rain-water, and alloived 
 to stand in the sun. In about a fortnight's time 
 they should be examined, and if found pulpy and 
 decaying, will be ready for skeletonizing, for 
 which process some cards, a camel's-hair brush, 
 as well as one rather stiff (a tooth-brush, for in- 
 stance), will be required." When all is prepared, 
 gently float a leaf on to a card, arici with the soft 
 brush carefully remove the skin. Have ready a 
 basin of clean water, and when the skin of one 
 side is completely removed, reverse the card in 
 the water, and slip it under the leaf, so that the 
 other side is uppermost. Brush this to remove 
 the skin, when the fleshy part will most likely 
 come with it ; but if not, it will readily wash out 
 in the basin of water. 
 
246 
 
 DICTIONARY OF E VERY-DAY WANTS. 
 
 If particles of the green-colored matter still ad- 
 here to the skeleton, endeavor to remove them 
 with the soft brush ; but if that is of no avail, the 
 hard one must be used. Great care will be ne- 
 cessary to avoid breaking the skeleton, and the 
 hard brush should only be used in a perpen- 
 dicular direction (a sort of gentle tapping), as 
 any horizontal motion or "brushing" action will 
 infallibly break the skeleton. Never attempt to 
 touch the leaves or the skeleton in this state with 
 the fingers, as when they are soft their own 
 weight will often break them. 
 
 A very good way of bleaching the skeletons is 
 to prepare a solution of chloride of lime, which 
 must be allowed to settle, and the clear liquid 
 poured into a basin, in which the skeletons may 
 be put by floating them off the card. It is as 
 well to have half a dozen ready to bleach at once, 
 as they require watching, and if allowed to re- 
 main in too long will fall to pieces. From two 
 to four hours will generally suffice to bleach the 
 skeleton of all ordinary leaves, after which they 
 should be washed in several changes of water, 
 and finally left in clean water for half an hour. 
 
 After the leaf has been sufficiently washed it 
 should be floated on to a card and dried as quickly 
 as possible, care being taken to arrange the skele- 
 ton perfectly flat, and as near as possible to the 
 natural shape. This can be done with the as- 
 sistance of the soft brush. When dry the skele- 
 ton should be perfectly white, and should be 
 mounted on dark backgrounds, as black velvet 
 or paper. 
 
 Well-grown leaves should always be chosen, 
 and be thoroughly examined for flaws before 
 maceration. Leaves containing much tannin 
 cann6t be skeletonized by this process, but are 
 generally placed in a box with a number of cad- 
 dis worms, which eat away the fleshy parts, when 
 the skeletons can be bleached in the usual way. 
 Holly leaves must be placed in a separate vessel 
 on account of their spines, which would be apt to 
 damage other leaves ; they make beautiful skele- 
 tons, and are sufficiently strong to be moved with 
 the fingers. 
 
 LEATHER WORK'.—T]\& materials re- 
 quired are the basil leather, thin skiver leather, 
 a bottle of oak varnish, Kquid glue, stiffening, 
 small hammer, veining tool, brad awl, scissors, 
 sharp knife, cutting board, mold (or grapes for 
 large peas) brushes, black lead pencil and the 
 frame, bracket or whatever you wish to orna- 
 ment. 
 
 The leather used for general purposes is basil; 
 it should be of an even texture, close grain, free 
 from grease, hard, and of a light color as the 
 lighter colored takes the oak varnish stain better 
 than the dark. There is a faced basil very at- 
 tractive to the eye, but unserviceable for many 
 operations where firmness is required ; it an- 
 swers well for rolling into stems M'hen the work 
 is intended to be colored. Lamb skin and deer 
 skin may be used in some parts but in all cases, 
 avoid a soft, flabby ftnd of leather ; the skiver 
 leather is used for making grapes, but old kid 
 gloves can take the place of this very well. 
 
 For making the leaves. — Select a leaf such as 
 you wish to make; sketch it carefully on paste 
 board and cut it out thin ; place a piece of leather 
 in cold water for half a minute (not longer), un- 
 less the leather is unusually thick. Take it out of 
 the water and press in a linen cloth until the 
 surface becomes dry. Place it flat upon a smooth 
 
 board and place upon it your pasteboard pattern 
 and draw around it with a fine lead pencil, while 
 the leather is damp ; cut out the leaf with a pair 
 of scissors or knife. Small or large leaves may 
 be made in the same way. 
 
 Vein the leaves with the veining tool (using it 
 as a lead pencil in drawing upon the smooth side 
 of the leaf; bear heavily where the strong inden- 
 tations are required and lightly where the finer 
 veins are wanted. Each leaf must now be bent 
 and molded to suit the position it is to occupy 
 when the work is done ; they should now be 
 dried quickly and hardened ; this is done by ap- 
 plying a coating of the prepared stiffening. Great 
 care should be taken to cover the edges ; a rather 
 large camel's hair pencil is the best to apply it 
 with ; the leaves will soon dry and be ready for 
 the staining. Brush them over with the oak stain 
 varnish, thinly but evenly ; a child's hair brush 
 is best for this. The stain must not be allowed 
 to lodge in the veined parts, or the veins will 
 appear too black. When the leaves are dry they 
 are ready for use, if they are not dark enough a 
 second application of the stain will be needed. 
 
 To make stems, etc. — Cut strips of basil one- 
 third of an inch wide and as long as the leather 
 will allow, soak thoroughly in water ; then roll 
 up, the smooth side out, as round as possible, 
 on a table or other smooth surface. Dry quickly 
 by the fire. If the stems are wanted very ^tiff 
 wire should be rolled inside the leather. A pret- 
 tier effect is produced by cutting the stem and 
 leaf in one piece and made to look like a vine. 
 
 To make Tendrils. — Tendrils are made the 
 same as stems, using the skiver leather instead 
 of the basil. Take a piece of the prepared tendril 
 the length required for winding ; damp it slightly 
 and immediately wind it around the point of a 
 brad awl, taking care to secure both ends of the 
 tendril ; dry by the fire, and remove from the 
 awl, and a delicately formed tendril will be the 
 result. The stems and tendrils should be hard- 
 ened and stained in the same way as the leaves. 
 
 Flowers should be made in as few pieces as 
 possible. Roses, Dahlias, etc., can be formed 
 very prettily ; the number of stamina should be 
 carefully observed and inserted in the middle of 
 the flower using wire for the stems. 
 
 For Grapes. — Large sized round peas are good; 
 for this cut from your skiver or old kid, rounds 
 of the right size ; strain and tie closely over the 
 pea, winding tightly the loose ends of the kid to 
 form a ^tem ; they should be stained and made 
 into clusters, it is necessary to observe in making 
 the clusters, that the tying should be entirely 
 concealed. 
 
 To make Acorns. — Procure some natural acorn 
 cups, choose such cups as are perfectly sound, 
 pierce two holes through the bottom of the cup, 
 pass a piece of fine wire through the holes, lear- 
 mg the two ends long enough to be twisted into 
 a stalk ; if the stalk is to be exposed it must be cov- 
 ered with skiver and made fast with glue. The 
 most correctly formed acorn tops are those turn- 
 ed in wood, which can be firmly placed in the 
 cup with the aid of glue. 
 
 To cover a frame. — Procure a wood frame the 
 size and form required, taking care to have it 
 made of well seasoned wood ; size it all over with 
 patent size. Leave it for an hour to dry, then 
 apply a coating of oak varnish stain and when dry 
 it is ready for use. Commence the process of 
 covering by attaching the stems with small tacks 
 
ORNAMENTAL WORK. 
 
 247 
 
 all around in a zig-zag direction. If the vine 
 pattern frame is selected, cover the wood with 
 four or five gradations of foliage, well arranged 
 so as to preserve as nearly as possible the na- 
 tural appearance of the vine. Too great a pro- 
 fusion of grapes should be avoided, one large 
 cluster in each corner, (if the frame is square) to 
 hang down over the glass, and give it the ap- 
 pearance of a round frame in tlie inside, is very 
 handsome. 
 
 MODELING IN CLA Y. — As an in- 
 teresting, intellectual occupation for leisure hours, 
 modeling in clay has recently been looked upon, 
 especially by ladies, with growing favour. The 
 occupation is really a cleanly one, though at first 
 it might not be thought so. The clay employed 
 is* fine white clay — the clay of which pipes are 
 made, — and is readily removed by washing. 
 And though no sensible amateur would willingly 
 set up his modeling apparatus in a drawing- 
 room if he could obtain the use of a room less 
 expensively furnished, yet even here the work 
 may be carried on by an ordinarily careful person 
 without endangering carpet or furniture. 
 
 Of the noble art of sculpture, modeling is by 
 far the most important part — is the only part, in 
 fact, which exclusively employs the genius of the 
 sculptor himself; for the subsequent processes of 
 casting and carving in marble are carried out in 
 great part, if not entirely, by workmen and as- 
 sistants. The tools employed are chiefly those 
 with which nature has furnished us — the fingers 
 and thumbs ; and, as clay can be purchased for a 
 mere trifle, the material required in modeling 
 will cost the amateur no more than a very few 
 shillings. 
 
 In carving we cut down our material to the de- 
 sired form; in modeling we build up our clay to 
 the required form. The process consists of lay- 
 ing on the clay and smoothing down until gra- 
 dually the model assumes the full proportions of 
 the object we desire to reproduce. Suppose, 
 then, we have to copy a vase in low relief, from 
 a plaster cast. We place the cast before us ; and 
 having provided a slate slab, we draw upon the 
 slab the outline of the cast with a slate pencil. 
 Preserving this drawing as the outline, we com- 
 mence to lay on the clay, modeling it as we pro- 
 ceed with the fingers. This process is continued 
 until the model projects from the slab precisely 
 as the vase does in the casts ; and is, in fact, a 
 fac-simile of it. If the face have no ornamenta- 
 tion upon it — and the simplest possible copy 
 should be selected for a first attempt in modeling 
 — this work may all be done with the fingers. 
 When there is ornamentation, the clay must be 
 laid on cautiously and worked into form by 
 means of the tools, which are usually made of 
 boxwood, with points resembling the extremities 
 of the fingers in shape. When the student has 
 had some little practice in manipulating the clay 
 and reproducing simple forms, he should attempt 
 to copy a simple mask — like that of Dant« — in 
 which the surfaces are broad, the features large 
 and sharply defined, so that the whole of the work 
 may be done with the thumbs and fingers. 
 These masks or face may be obtained at a trifling 
 cost from any figure moulder. 
 
 MONO CROMA TIC DRA WING. — The 
 board, or material suitable for this drawing, can 
 be purchased at any artist store, either in tinted 
 or plain colors. You need tor this painting a 
 knife or eraser, crayons, fine sponge, pencils, 
 
 cork, rubber, piece of kid, and crayon holders. 
 Fold several pieces of kid and soft leather, and 
 use in shading the sharp-folded corners ; also, 
 double some pieces over the ends of pointed and 
 rounded sticks ; the learner wU find use for se- 
 veral kinds. Always commence painting with 
 the dark shades, and blend gradually into the 
 light. For very dark shades, rub the crayon di- 
 rectly upon the surface with a light hand, and 
 blend off carefully. 
 
 Paint the sky first, as in water colors. It is 
 well to shade distant mountains very light first, 
 and be sure to have the edges soft and faint. 
 
 For water, scrape some black crayon into pow- 
 der, and lay it on your board with the kid, work- 
 ing it horizontally, and making the light and 
 shades stronger as it comes nearer. Your sponge 
 may do good in rendering the water transparent 
 Make sharp lights with the penknife. Ruins 
 overgrown with moss, and dilapidated buildings, 
 may make pretty pictures. We have seen moon- 
 light views, in this style of painting, more beau- 
 tiful than anything else. 
 
 Great care should be taken to do the foliage 
 well. Many a picture, which would otherwise 
 have been good, has been spoiled by a stiff, ugly 
 tree. By the delicate use of the round point of 
 a penknife, beautiful effects can 'be produced in 
 crayon shading. Figures, animals, etc., are put 
 in last, and a person knowing how to shade in 
 pencil will find no difficulty in this, 
 
 MOSS ArOi?A'.— Collecting and arranging, 
 in various forms of grace and beauty, the delicate 
 and many-colored mosses with which our fields 
 and forests abound, has long been a favorite 
 pastime with all lovers of the beautiful in nature. 
 A fertile imagination and inventive mind will 
 readily perceive the many objects for which moss 
 work is well adapted. — Vases, neatly and taste- 
 fully covered with delicate mosses, arranged with 
 an eye to the harmony of colors, are very appro- 
 priate for holding dried grasses ; crosses, little 
 towers, "ancient and moss-grown," for watch 
 stands ; frames for holding collections of leaves, 
 grasses or flowers ; indeed, it is needless to par- 
 ticularize. Beautiful landscapes can be made, 
 closely resembling nature. 
 
 Collect all the varieties of wood moss, beauti- 
 ful bits of bark and dried leaves within your 
 reach. — Make a design — perhaps of a landscape 
 — in which are ruins, rocks, etc. Paint a sky, 
 as in water colors ; then glue thin bits of bark 
 and moss on the ruins ; moss on rocks ; dried 
 forest leaves on the distant mountains, and the 
 bright-colored and green mosses of various hues 
 on the foreground. Such a landscape is cal- 
 culated to draw out the ingenuity of the pupil, 
 and requires no little study, and when well done, 
 is a very pleasant picture. Set in a deep frame. 
 
 ORIENTAL FAINTING.— Set "Theorem 
 Painting". 
 
 PAPER /rZC'/F^i?^.— Occasionally we see 
 very handsome paper flowers ; but then they are 
 made by persons of taste with great care and 
 from the best of French tissue paper. 
 
 Dip a large camel's hair pencil in thin gum 
 arabic, and brush quickly over the whole surface 
 of the paper from which you intend to cut your 
 flower ; this fills the pores of the paper, and 
 gives it a little stiffness. 
 
 Cut roses, japonicas, etc., from paper patterns; 
 then paint with water color. Form the petal 
 with your fingers and a pair of scissors. Cut a 
 
248 
 
 DICTIONARY OF EVERY-DA Y WANTS. 
 
 fringe of yellow paper for stamens. Make your 
 leaves and calyx of green tissue paper, well sized 
 with gum. Cover fine well-annealed wire with 
 green paper for stalks, and fasten the parts of the 
 flower together with gum. 
 
 For a daisy, chrysanthemum, or aster, double 
 the paper two or three times ; cut down two 
 thirds; roll the uncut side firmly round and 
 round the bent end of a piece of wire suitable for 
 the stalk. 
 
 Buds, pericarps, etc., are made either by stuff- 
 ing with a bit of cotton, or winding up paper. 
 
 Variegated pinks look well. Paint strips of 
 paper in plashes here and there, as you see on 
 the petal of the carnation — some very dark car- 
 mine, some merely light touches. Cut off suit- 
 able width for petals, and wind around a paper 
 center. Take natural flowers for models. 
 
 PEARL WORK (^Imitation), for Embroidery. 
 — We do not think that a preparation of fish 
 scales has ever been used in this country instead 
 of the so much admired pearl ; and so we give it 
 to our readers, knowing that they will like some- 
 thing entirely new. 
 
 Take the shining scales from a carp, or any 
 other fish — the larger the scales, the better ; put 
 them in strong salt water over night ; lay them 
 on a linen cloth or smooth board; wipe them 
 carefully on both sides, and lay them between 
 clean, strong paper, under a board, on which 
 place a weight ; let them remain a day or two, 
 until the scales are pressed dry and become hard. 
 Draw something, say an ivy leaf, on strong draw- 
 ing paper ; cut it out, and lay it on each scale as a 
 pattern, by which to cut the scales with very fine 
 scissors. Such a pattern however, is superfluous to 
 
 f)ersons acquainted with drawing, who can cut 
 eaves of that kind without one. Vein your scale 
 leaves with a fine steel needle ; do it slowly, bearing 
 on hard to give clearness ; the leaves are now ready. 
 
 Stretch a rich, dark-colored silk velvet tightly 
 in an embroidery frame ; place the pattern, which 
 you intend to copy, before you, and imitate it by 
 sewing the scale leaves, one at a time, on the 
 velvet, with fine gold thread, and the leaf stalks 
 and tendrils embroidered with the same. It is 
 well to draw the thread through water before 
 using it, to render it flexible. 
 
 The beautiful effect produced by this simple 
 process fully repays one for the trouble. That 
 manifold changes may be made according to the 
 taste and ingenuity of the copyist, is evident to 
 the reader. 
 
 POTCHIMONI.—Tske plain glass jars or 
 vases, in any shape, and clean them thoroughly ; 
 then obtain two or three sheets of figures, flowers, 
 or views, in imitation of Chinese, Egyptian, or 
 Swiss painting. These goods, as well as the 
 jars, can be obtained in any of the principal 
 cities. Now, in whatever style you determine to 
 ornament your vase or jar in, cut out the figures 
 from your sheet and secure them in different 
 parts inside the jar, with the figures looking out- 
 wards. The best material for making them ad- 
 here is to boil a piece of parchment ; this makes 
 a good size. Having secured the prints, make a 
 varnish of balsam of fir and turpentine, and apply 
 all over inside with a fine brush. When the first 
 coat is dry, give another coat; now take any 
 color you choose — black, blue, green, yellow, 
 white, pink, brown or red — and grind the paint 
 fine with the best white varnish, and apply a coat 
 of this paint over the. whole inside; let it dry, 
 
 and then repeat coat upon coat until the color is 
 sufficiently strong to show even and bright out- 
 side. Jars and vases may be decorated in end- 
 less variety by this method. Some use cuttings 
 of prints, silks, etc. 
 
 SHELL WORE'. — This is very pretty for 
 vases, frames, boxes, etc. Many shell flowers, 
 animals, birds, and the like, are brought here 
 from the Mediterranean. \\e have seen some 
 that we would like to own ; but in general they 
 have a stiff appearance. However, we will tell 
 you how they are made. 
 
 Assort your shells according to size and color 
 — the more rice and other small shells you have, 
 the better. Melt white wax and glue together, 
 two parts of the former and one of the latter. 
 Have a clear idea of what you intend to do ; or, 
 what is better, make a pattern before you begin 
 to set your shells. If you will onipnient a box, 
 a rose in the center looks well. Take thin round 
 shells, those most resembling rose leaves, of the 
 smaller size, and dipping the lower ends in the 
 hot wax mixture, set them close together for the 
 center of a rose; place other similar shaped shells 
 around in circles, the largest outward. Care must 
 be taken to form the shells into perfect circles, 
 and to take up wax enough to make them adhere 
 to the cover. Shells of different form, say more 
 oblong, can be used for leaves. After arranging 
 such figures as you like with the shells you have, 
 fill up the spaces with the very small ones. Rice 
 shells are the prettiest, but they are costly. Some 
 prefer sticking the shells into a puttied surface, 
 which does very well. Varnish with a very little 
 copal varnish, using great care. 
 
 SHELLS, Etching. — It is done simply by 
 means of acids. The parts not to be acted upon 
 must be protected by a so-called etching-ground, 
 which is nothing but a thin layer of varnish black- 
 ened in a flame so as to see plainly the figures 
 afterward drawn on it. Be careful when doing 
 this to make a clear drawing or writing in which 
 the shell is exposed at the bottom of every line, 
 as any remaining varnish would protect those 
 parts, and the writing would not be brought out. 
 The acid, either strong acetic, diluted nitric, or 
 hydro-chloric, is then applied, and when its action 
 is sufficient it is washed off with water, the 
 varnish is rubbed off with turpentine or alcohol ; 
 when the drawing or lettering will appear, and 
 look as if cut in with an engraver's tool. You 
 may also make your design with varnish on the 
 shell by means of a fine brush, then the acid will 
 dissolve the surface around the lines drawn, 
 when the writing will appear in relief, the letters 
 being elevated in place of being sunk in as by the 
 former process. The latter is the more common 
 way in which these shells are treated. This 
 method is applied to many other objects; all 
 that is wanted being a liquid dissolving the ma- 
 terial to be acted upon, and a varnish to protect 
 some parts from its action. 
 
 THEOREM FAINTING.— This style of 
 painting has been called Oriental Painting, and 
 several other names. It is best adapted to fruits, 
 birds, etc. It enables you to paint on paper, 
 silk, velvet, crape, and light-colored wood. 
 
 To Make Horn Paper. — Take equal parts 
 mastic and Japan varnish ; add to it half as much 
 balsam of fir as there is of either of the varnishes, 
 and a piece of white wax the size of a thimble; 
 simmer together till the wax is melted. If it is 
 too thick, add a little spirits of turpentine. — Put 
 
ORNAMENTAL WORK. 
 
 249 
 
 it on one side of the paper while it is warm, the 
 paper having previously been prepared with 
 painters' oil, to make it transparent. The oil 
 must be put upon both sides rather warm, and 
 the whole of the paper lie together one night ; 
 then wiped with a cloth to absorb the oil on the 
 surface, and dried one week in the sun before 
 varnishing. Each side of the paper must be var- 
 nished twice, and the greatest care taken to dry 
 it well. 
 
 Trace the picture to be copied on white paper 
 with a soft lead pencil, and mark those parts 
 which do not touch each other with a figure I. 
 Mark another piece of horn paper for theorem 2, 
 and cut again. Thus continue till you have 
 enough theorems for your whole picture. It 
 takes mora time to cut a set of theorems nicely 
 than to draw one picture; but a good set of 
 theorems is equal to twenty or thirty sketches, 
 and the durability depends upon the care with 
 which you treat them. You need a brush for 
 every color used; of course, you must have 
 plenty of stiff brushes. Put a few drops of water 
 on your palette with the end of the brush, to 
 avoid dipping the bristles in water. 
 
 Lay the theorem on the paper to be painted. 
 Good drawing paper is best for the first attempt. 
 Press the theorem firmly down at each corner 
 with weights, and then proceed to paint. Com- 
 mence with a leaf; take plenty of paint, a very 
 little moist, on your brush, and pamt in the cut 
 leaf of the theorem ; hold the brush upright, and 
 work quickly with a circular motion. Commence 
 a little distance from, and work towards, the 
 edges. If you take enough paint, it goes on 
 smoothly; if too much, it looks dauby; if too 
 little, spotted. In shading leaves, cut bits of 
 horn paper on the edge, in the form of large 
 veins, and laying on the leaf already painted, 
 paint from this edge into the leaf. Slip the pa- 
 per and paint other vained parts the same 
 way. If successful with leaf, try a grape, which 
 paint first purple, then blue, and finish with car- 
 mine. On removing the last of your theorem, if 
 you see any irregularity in the painted parts, lay 
 the theorem on again, and correct; if any spaces, 
 dot in with a fine brush. All fibers, stalks, dots, 
 etc., must be put in Avith camel's hair pencils. 
 To highten the effect, paint may be stuck on here 
 and there with a stiff brush, and the edges blend- 
 ed together to produce softness. 
 
 To Paint on Wood. — Choose hard wood of 
 light color ; paint as above, and varnish when 
 done. 
 
 To Paint on Velvet. — Use firm white cotton 
 velvet. Use paint a little more moistened. 
 
 To Paint on Silk, Satin, and Crape. — Size 
 the parts to be painted with gum arable or isin- 
 glass, and proceed as with drawing paper. In 
 this way ball dresses may be painted with belt 
 and neck ribbon to match ; also white crape dres- 
 ses, with vines of gold and silver, 
 
 TRANSFERRING, To G'/ajj-.— Colored or 
 plain engravings, photographs, lithographs, water 
 colors, oil colors, crayons, steel plates, news- 
 
 paper cuts, mezzotints, pencil, writing, show 
 cards, labels — or, in fact, anything. 
 
 Directions. — Take glass that is perfectly clear 
 — window glass will answer; clean it thoroughly; 
 then varnish it, taking care to have it perfectly 
 smooth ; place it where it will be entirely free 
 from dust; let it stand over night; then take 
 your engraving, lay it in clear water until it is 
 wet through, (say ten or fifteen minutes) then lay 
 it upon a newspaper, that the moisture may dry ' 
 from the surface and still keep the other side 
 damp. Immediately varnish your glass the 
 second time ; then place your engraving on it, 
 pressing it down firmly, so as to exclude every 
 particle of air ; next rub the paper from the back 
 until it is of uniform thickness — so thin that you 
 can see through it ; then varnish it the third time 
 and let it dry. 
 
 Materials used for the above Art. — Take two 
 ounces balsam of fir to one ounce of spirits of 
 turpentine ; apply with a camel's hair brush. 
 
 TRANSFERRING, To Wood.—T>is.so\vQ salt 
 in soft water; float your engraving on the sur- 
 face, picture side up; let it remain about one 
 hour. Your screen box or table should be of 
 bird's-eye maple, or other light-colored hard 
 wood ; varnish with best copal or transfer varnish. 
 
 Take the picture from the water ; dry a little 
 between linen rags; then put the engraving, 
 picture side down, on the varnished wood, and 
 smooth it nicely. If the picture entirely covers 
 the wood after the margin is cut off, so that no 
 varnish be exposed, lay over it a thin board and 
 heavy weight ; leave it thus in press over night. 
 If you wish but a small picture in the centre of 
 your wood, apply the varnish only to a space 
 the size of your picture. Dip your fore-finger in 
 salt and water, and commence with rubbing off 
 the paper ; the nearer you come to the engrav- 
 ing, the more careful you must be, as a hole 
 would spoil your work. — Rub slowly and pa- 
 tiently till you have taken off every bit of the 
 paper and left only the black lines and touches 
 of your picture on the wood, in an inverted 
 direction. Finish up with two or three coats of 
 copal varnish. 
 
 TRANSPARENCIES, r^itfa/^A— Take some 
 prettily colored landscape and cut a slit into the 
 broad lights of it with a penknife ; put a white 
 
 {)aper of medium thickness behind it, and inter- 
 ine with orange or rose-colored paper ; bind the 
 three — that is, the landscape, the colored paper, 
 and the paper which forms the back — together 
 with some suitable color for a frame ; now se- 
 parate the cut edges of your landscape by pres- 
 sing them apart. Hang up in the window, and 
 when the sun shines through, the effect is beauti- 
 ful. Try it ; we are sure you will be pleased. 
 
 An engraving prepared as for Grecian painting 
 is very pretty for a screen, or to hang in the 
 window. Lamp shades may be made in this 
 way, and many pretty designs will suggest them- 
 selves ; bouquets, wreaths, vines, running round 
 the shade, etc. Also still more beautiful is the 
 antique style, before painting. 
 
250 
 
 DICTIONARY OF EVERY-DA Y WANTS. 
 
 PAINTING AND PAPERING, 
 
 INCLUDING, VARNISHING, POLISHING, STAINING AND GILDING. 
 
 BLACKS. — Lamp Black, is merely the smoke 
 iirom various substances. The best is from coal 
 tar. This is the best black for all common 
 painting. — Ivory Black, or bone black, is only 
 charred bone. It has not the body, nor does it 
 work as freely as lamp black. — Asphaltum, al- 
 though so very transparent, is, when several 
 coats are laid on, a most intense black, but not 
 of milch service when exposed to the weather. 
 It is best used dissolved in turpentine, slightly 
 warm, with or without a little boiled oil. With- 
 out the oil, it dries very quick; with it, much 
 slower. It makes the black varnish used for 
 japanning tin and other metals. Gum asphaltum 
 IS gathered from the surface of the Dead Sea, or 
 the Lake Asphaltites, in Judea. 
 
 BL UES. — Copper is the base of most blues, 
 though some are formed from iron and cobalt. — 
 Prussian Blue is properly a ferrocyanuret 
 of iron, produced by various processes. As a 
 vehicle, dried or calcined blood and horns and 
 hoofs are used. — There are other methods, where 
 animal matter is not used, in which pearlash, 
 coke, and iron-filings form the compound. It is 
 also chemically prepared with sulphate of iron 
 and prussiate of potash; but in all these prepara- 
 tions the composition is iron and prussic acid. 
 The prussic acid, however, is not in sufficient 
 quantity to make the color in the least degree 
 poisonous. — Ultramarine. This beautiful 
 tlue was formerly made from lazulite, the beau- 
 tiful variegated blue mineral, and was once worth, 
 in Italy, twenty-five dollars an ounce. That used 
 in the arts now is composed of carbonate of soda, 
 sulphur, and kaolin, colored with cobalt. This 
 color has but little body as an oil color, but is of 
 a most brilliant hue, and wears about as well as 
 the Prussian blue. In oil it is a transparent color, 
 but is more dense in distemper, and covers better. 
 
 BLUE, PRUSSIAN. — Voizsh. or pearlash, 
 10 parts; coke, cinders, or coal, 10 parts; iron 
 turnings, 5 parts. Grind into a coarse powder 
 and expose for half an hour to a full red heat, 
 in an open crucible, stirring the mixture occasion- 
 ally. When the small jets of purple flame cease, 
 which will be in about the time named, allow the 
 mass to cool ; then add water to dissolve the 
 soluble matter, and set aside the black foot that 
 remains for a future operation. Next filter the 
 solution, and add sulphate of iron (copperas), 
 five parts (dissolved), and brighten the color of 
 the precipitate by the addition of muriatic acid. 
 This process yields twenty-five percent, of Prus- 
 sian blue (ferrocyanide of iron) on the quantity 
 of pure potash in the salt employed. The larger 
 the quantity operated on, the greater the relative 
 product 
 
 BLUE for CEILINGS. —Boil slowly for 3 
 hours I lb. blue vitriol and ^ lb. of the best 
 whiting in about 3 pts. water ; stir it frequently 
 while boiling, and also on taking it off the fire. 
 When it has stood till quite cold, pour off the 
 blue liquid, then mix the cake of color with good 
 size, and use it with a plasterer's brush in the 
 same manner as whitewash, either for walls or 
 ceilings. 
 
 BROWN FREESTONE, To Imitate.— Thhs. 
 paint is not made by mixing the ground stone nor 
 any thing in it. First, make a pretty thick oil 
 paint of the same color as the stone to be imi- 
 tated, which may be done in different ways. The 
 basis is white-lead or zinc white, colored with 
 umber and Mars red, or any other pigments 
 which suit you ; put it on as usual, and while yet 
 sticky throw common fine sand against it ; tnis 
 will not affect the color, and make a rough, sandy 
 coat imitating the surface of the stone, 
 
 BRUSHES, Care of. — Brushes used for 
 applying finishing varnishes should be cared for 
 with the utmost pains, as good work depends 
 much upon the good condition of the brushes. 
 A good way to keep them is to suspend them by 
 the handles in a covered can, keeping the points 
 at least half an inch from the bottom, and apart 
 from each other. The can should be filled with 
 slow drying varnish up to a line about a sixteenth 
 of an inch above the bristles or hair. The can 
 should then be kept in a close cupboard, or in a 
 box fitted for the purpose. 
 
 As wiping a brush on a sharp edge of tin will 
 gradually split the bristles, cause them to curl 
 backward, and eventually ruin the brush, the top 
 of the can should have a wire soldered along the 
 edge, or the edge of tin turned over, in order to 
 prevent injury. Finishing brushes should not 
 oe cleansed in turpentine, except in extreme 
 cases. When taken from the can prepare them 
 for use by working them out in varnish, and be- 
 fore replacing them cleanse the handles and bind- 
 ing with turpentine. 
 
 CARMINE. — Take cochineal, i pound ; car- 
 bonate ot potass, 31^ drachms; water, 7 gallons. 
 Simmer for a little time, then remove the copper 
 from the fire, and scatter powdered alum, 8 
 drachms, over the surface; let it stand fifteen 
 minutes, until clear, then decant and put the 
 solution into a clean copper, heat it, and add 
 isinglass, 3^ drachms, previously dissolved in 2 
 quarts of water and strained. Then bring it to 
 a boil, and when a coagulum is formed, take it 
 from the fire and stir it with a clean spatula ; let 
 it rest for twenty minutes, and the carmine will 
 be found at the bottom of the liquid. Decant, and 
 drain the carmine upon a piece of fine linen. 
 
 The remaining solution will make fine car- 
 minated lake. 
 
 CARMINE, C"^y?J/^A^.— Take cochineal, 
 I pound; water, 7 gallons. Boil for five minutes, 
 then add alum, I ounce. Boil for five minutes 
 more, filter and set aside the decoction in glass 
 or porcelain vessels for three days, then decant 
 the liquor and dry the carmine in the shade. 
 The remaining liquor will still deposit color of 
 an inferior quality, by standing. 
 
 CARMINE {Cotnmoti) To Improve. —Take 
 carmine, one part; water of ammonia to dissolve. 
 Digest in the sun until the ammonia is saturated 
 with the coloring part of the carmine, then pre- 
 cipitate the color with alcohol and acetic acid. 
 Wash the precipitate carefully with alcohol and 
 dry it. 
 
 CHESTNUT.COLOR, To make.—'Thxi color 
 
PAINTING yrND PAPERING. 
 
 251 
 
 is composed of red, yellow and black. The eng- 
 lish red, or red ochre of Auvergne, ochre de rue 
 and a little black, form a dark chestnut color. It 
 is proper for painting of every kind. If English 
 red, which is dryer than that of Auvergne, be 
 employed, it will be proper, when the color is 
 intended for varnish, to grind it with drying nut- 
 oil. The ochre of Auvergne may be ground 
 with the mastic gallipot, and mixed up with galli- 
 pot varnish. 
 
 The most experienced artists grind dark colors 
 with linseed oil, when the situation will admit of 
 its being used, because it is more drying. For 
 articles without doors nut-oil is preferable. The 
 colors of oak-wood, walnut-tree, chestnut, olive, 
 and yellow, require the addition of a little 
 litharge ground on porphyry : it hastens the des- 
 iccation of the color, and gives it body. 
 
 But if it is intended to cover these colors with 
 varnish, as is generally done in wainscoting, they 
 must be mixed up with essence, to which a little 
 oil has been added. The color is then much 
 better disposed to receive the varnish, under 
 which it exhibits all the splendor it can derive 
 from the reflection of the light. 
 
 COLORS, To Mix and Use. — Priming. 
 Quite too little attention is paid to this depart- 
 ment. The color is usually mixed up too thin 
 and put on too heavy. The reverse is much the 
 best. Let the priming be as thick as will spread 
 easily, and then be well rubbed out under the 
 brush. Litharge is the only drying necessary 
 in priming. All work, inside or out, may be 
 primed the same. — Puttying. After the priming; 
 all work should have the nail- heads and cracks 
 puttied up. It should be done with a putty-knife; 
 puttying up with the fingers is a barbarous prac- 
 tice, and does not fill the holes well. — Sand- 
 Papering and dusting should be done before the 
 puttying; being done afterwards, is apt to dish 
 out the puttied places. — Second Coat — (Outside). 
 Mix with raw oil and use it as thick as it will 
 spread easily. After the work is all covered, it 
 should be cross-smoothed till it has an even sur- 
 face, and then finished lengthwise, with long 
 sweeps of the brush, pressing lightly. — Third 
 Coat. — Made a little thinner than for the second 
 coat, and rubbed out as much as possible, cross- 
 smoothed, and finished with the tip of the brush 
 very lightly, so as not to show the brush marks. 
 Second Coat — (Inside). Mixed as thick as it will 
 work, with equal parts of raw oil and turpentine. 
 Particular care should be taken to ruS this out 
 well, cross-smoothing and finishing with the tip 
 of the brush ; else the color will lie in ridges, 
 which the next coat will not hide. — Third Coat. 
 Mixed with three parts turpentine and one of 
 raw oil, rubbed out thoroughly and smoothed 
 carefully, so as to show no brush marks. — Fourth 
 Coat — Flatting. Mixed with all turpentine thin 
 enough so that it may be spread before it sets. 
 Spread over quickly, without cross-smoothing; 
 finish lengthwise with light sweeps of the tip of 
 the brush ; three or four strokes will be as much 
 as one can do before it sets. Square up and finish 
 each piece of work before beginning another. — 
 Drawn Flatting. Mix up the ground lead with 
 turpentine, nearly as thin as for flatting. Let it 
 stand till the lead settles and the oil and turpen- 
 tine rise to the top. Pour it off and mix again, 
 and repeat the operation till that which rises to 
 the top is clear turpentine. By this process the 
 oil in which the lead is ground is entirely drawn 
 
 out, and the lead is mixed with turpentine. This 
 color, however, is quite different from what it 
 would be if the lead had been ground in turpen- 
 tine. It is more tenacious, and flows better. 
 
 Much care must be taken to spread this on 
 thickly and evenly. The room must be kept close, 
 and free from any draught of air, as the color sets as 
 fast as put on. This is used only as a fourth 
 coat. — Polish White. This chaste and durable 
 finish requires the zinc white to do it properly. 
 It is made by mixing the zinc white with white 
 varnish. — Common Method. After priming and 
 second-coating in the usual way with lead, finish 
 with the polish white. — Best Method. Put on 
 two coats, as above, and then spread on several 
 coats of yellow ochre, turpentine, and japan, with 
 a little litharge. When dry, rub smooth and 
 level with pumice stone. Then put on one coat 
 of inside second coating, and flatten as usual ; 
 rub down with pumice stone, then a coat of pol- 
 ish white, and finish with a flowing coat of white 
 varnish, in which is mixed some of the zinc 
 white. — (Remarks.) When work is to be fin- 
 ished with a gloss, the previous coat should be a 
 dead surface ; when it is to be flattened, the pre- 
 vious coat should have a degree of gloss. 
 
 Lead is the white referred to in the above de- 
 scriptions, yet the rules given for mixing may be 
 applied to all other colors, except that the darker 
 colors are generally finished with a gloss, inside 
 or out. They require no turpentine only when 
 they are to be varnished. 
 
 Oil dries with a glossy, turpentine, with a flat 
 surface. 
 
 It is a wrong idea to put on heavy coats of 
 paint ; the more it is rubbed out, the better will 
 the work look and wear. Each coat should 
 stand two or three days before receiving another 
 coat. 
 
 Color needs more drying in winter than in sum- 
 mer. Outside work lasts longer if painted in 
 cold weather, as not so much of the liquid is eva- 
 porated, and a heavier body is thus dried upon 
 the surface. 
 
 Litharge or japan is a good dryer for outside 
 work, and for priming in the inside, or for dark 
 colors ; but sulphate of zinc is only fit for the last 
 coats on the inside, though sugar of lead is used. 
 Either of them may be dissolved in water, and 
 stirred into the color. 
 
 Transparent colors will work more freely, and 
 spread on with an evener flow, by being mixed 
 with raw oil and japan, with a little water stirr- 
 ed in. 
 
 In mixing thick colors, the liquid should be 
 added gradually, else the lumps will not be thor- 
 oughly broken. 
 
 COPAL, To Dissolve in Alcohol. — Copal, 
 which is called gum copal, but which is not, strictly, 
 either a gum or a resin, is the hardest and least 
 changeable of all substances adapted to form var- 
 nishes, by their dissolution in spirit, or essential, 
 or fat oils. It, therefore forms the most valuable 
 varnishes ; though we shall give several receipts 
 where it is not employed, which form cheaper 
 varnishes, sufficiently good for many purj^oses, 
 adding only the general rule, that no varnish 
 must be expected to be harder than the substance 
 from which it is made. 
 
 To dissolve copal in alcohol, dissolve half an 
 ounce of camphor in a pint of alcohol ; put it into a 
 circulating glass, and add four ounces of copal in 
 small pieces ; set it in a sand-heat, so regulated 
 
252 
 
 DICTIONARY OF EVERY~DAY WANTS. 
 
 that the bubbles maybe counted as they rise from 
 the bottom, and continue the same heat till the 
 solution is completed. 
 
 The process above mentioned will dissolve 
 more copal than the menstrum viill retain when 
 cold. The most economical method will there- 
 fore be, to set the vessel which contains the solu- 
 tion by for a few days, and, when it is perfectly 
 settled, pour off the clear varnish, and leave the 
 residue for future operation. 
 
 The solution of copal thus obtained is very 
 bright. It is an excellent varnish for pictures, 
 and would, doubtless, be an improvement in 
 japanning, where the stoves used for drying the 
 varnished articles would drive off the camphor, 
 and leave the copal clear and colorless in the 
 work. 
 
 COPAL, To Dissolve in Spirits of Turpentine. 
 Reduce two ounces of copal to small pieces, and put 
 them into a proper vessel. Mix a pint of the best 
 spirits of turpentine with one-eighth of spirits of sal 
 ammoniac ; shake them well together, put them to 
 the copal, cork the glass, and tie it over with a 
 string or wire, making a small hole through the 
 cork. Set the glass in a sand-heat so regulated 
 as to make the contents boil as quickly as possible, 
 but so gently that the bubbles may be counted 
 as they rise from the bottom. The same heat 
 must be kept up exactly till the solution is com- 
 plete. 
 
 It requires the most accurate attention to suc- 
 ceed in this operation. After the spirits are 
 mixed, they should be put to the copal, and the 
 necessary degree of heat be given as soon as pos- 
 sible, and maintained with the utmost regularity. 
 If the heat abates, or the spirits boil quicker than 
 is directed, the solution will immediately stop, 
 and it will afterwards be in vain to proceed with 
 the same materials : but if properly managed, the 
 spirit of sal ammoniac will be seen gradually to 
 descend from the mixture, and attack the copal, 
 which swells and dissolves, excepting a very 
 small quantity which remains undissolved. 
 
 It is of much consequence that the vessel 
 should not be opened till some time after it has 
 been perfectly cold ; for if it contain the least 
 warmth when opened, the whole contents will be 
 blown out of the vessel. 
 
 Whatever quantity is to be dissolved should be 
 put into ' a glass vessel capable at least of con- 
 taining four times as much, and it should be high 
 in proportion to the width. 
 
 This varnish is of a deep rich color, when 
 viewed in the bottle, but seems to give no color 
 to the picture upon which it is laid. If it be left 
 in the damp, it remains racky, as it is called, a 
 long time; but if kept in a warm room, or placed 
 in the sun, it dries as well as any other turpen- 
 tine varnish, and when dry it appears to be as 
 durable as any other solution of copal. 
 
 Copal may also be dissolved in spirits ot tur- 
 pentine by the assistance of camphor. 
 
 Turpentine varnishes dry more slowly than 
 those made with alcohol, and arc less hard ; but 
 they are not so liable to crack. 
 
 COPAL-LACKER, Iniprm/ed Process for the 
 Preparation of. — Copal-lacker is generally pre- 
 pared by carefully melting copal, adding linseed 
 oil varnish, and afterwards oil of turpentine. By 
 Hoedfield's process (patented in France) twice 
 the amount of oil of turpentine that generally is 
 taken is used to procure a more complete solution 
 of the copal, and to obtain the lacker clearer and 
 
 more colorless. Air is then passed into the mix- 
 ture for some time, when the oxygen under the 
 influence of the oil of turpentine becomes ozoniz- 
 ed, and acting upon the oil hastens its drying. 
 As soon as the oxidation is thought sufficient, 
 half of the oil of turpentine is distilled off; the 
 remaining lacker contains therefore not more of 
 the oil than ordinarily, prepared lacker, but it 
 dries quicker and is more colorless. The distill- 
 ed oil of turpentine is greatly superior for the 
 preparation of fresh portions of the lacker, on ac- 
 count of the azone it still contains, and is used 
 solely for this purpose. 
 
 DRYER, JAPAN— \. Take linseed oil, i 
 gallon; put into it gum shellac, % lb.; litharge 
 and burned Turkey umber, each ^Ib.; red lead, 
 Yz lb.; sugar of lead, 6 oz. Boil in the oil till all 
 are dissolved, which will require about four 
 hours ; remove from the fire, and stir in spirits 
 turpentine, I gallon, and it is done. — 2. Lin- 
 seed oil, 5 gallons; add red lead and litharge, 
 each 3^ lbs.; raw umber, i «4 lbs.; sugar of lead 
 and sulphate of zinc, each l^ lb.; pulverize all the 
 articles together, and boil in the oil dissolved ; 
 when a little cool, thin with turpentine, 5 gal- 
 lons. 
 
 DR YER, for Painting. — Vitreous oxide of 
 lead (litharge), is of no other use in painting 
 than to free oils from their greasy particles, for 
 the purpose of communicating to them a drying 
 quality. Red litharge, however, ought to be 
 preferred to the greenish yellow ; it is not so 
 hard, and answers better for the purpose to which 
 it is destined. 
 
 When painters wish to obtain a common color 
 of the ochrey kind, and have no boiled oil by 
 them, they may paint with linseed oil, not freed 
 from its greasy particles, by mixing with the color 
 about 2 or 3 parts of litharge, ground on a piece 
 of porphyry with water, dried, and reduced to 
 fine powder, for l6 parts of oil. The color has 
 a great deal of body, and dries as speedily as if 
 mixed with drying oil. 
 
 DRYING OIL, {Colorless).— BoW linseed oil 
 for two hours with three per cent, of red lead, 
 filter it, and then expose it to sunlight in large 
 shallow vessels, frequently renewing the air 
 above, 
 
 DR YING OIL for ZINC PAINT. — In or- 
 der to avoid the use of oxide of lead in making 
 drying oil for zinc paint, oxide of manganese has 
 been proposed as a substitute. The process to 
 be adopted is as follows : 
 
 The manganese is broken into pieces about the 
 size of peas, dried, and the powder separated by 
 means of a sieve. The fragments are then to be 
 introduced into a bag made of iron-wire gauze. 
 This is hung in the oil contained in an iron or 
 copper vessel, and the whole heated gently for 24 
 or 36 hours. The oil must not be allowed to 
 boil, in which case there is great danger of its 
 running over. When the oil has acquired a red- 
 dish color, it is to be poured into an appropriate 
 vessel to clear. 
 
 For 100 parts of oil 10 of oxide of manganese 
 may be employed, which will serve for several 
 operations when freshly broken and the dust sep- 
 arated. Experience has shown, that when fresh 
 oxide of manganese is used it is better to intro- 
 duce it into the oil upon the second day. The 
 process likewise occupies a longer time with the 
 fresh oxide. Very great care is requisite in this 
 operation to prevent accident, and one of the 
 
ORNAMENTAL WORK. 
 
 253 
 
 principal points to be observed is that the oil is 
 not overheated. If the boiling should render 
 the oil too thick, this may be remedied by an 
 addition of turpentine after it has thorouglily 
 cooled. 
 
 DRYING {Quick) PA INT.— Twelve parts 
 of shellac and four parts of borax are added to 
 one hundred parts of water ; heat is carefully ap- 
 plied, while the mixture is continually stirred, 
 and soon a complete solution is obtained which is 
 colorless or brown according to the color of the 
 shellac employed. This solution, as we have 
 said, forms a varnish perfectly impermeable to 
 Tvater, and not acted on by the atmosphere. It 
 can be used with oil paints, to make them dry 
 quickly, by adding an equal part of the varnish 
 with a little turpentine to the oil color, and rub- 
 bing them together vlntil a homogeneous fluid 
 mixture is obtained. This mixture dries in from 
 ten to fifteen minutes, and hence only a small 
 quantity must be prepared at a time. 
 
 DARK WOODS, To Imitate.— The appear- 
 ance of walnut may be given to white woods, by 
 painting or sponging them with a concentrated 
 warm solution of permanganate of potassa. The 
 effect is different on different kinds of timber, 
 some becoming stained very rapidly, others re- 
 quiring more time for this result. The per- 
 manganate is decomposed by the woody fibre; 
 brown peroxyd of manganese is precipitated, 
 which is afterward removed by washing with wa- 
 ter. The wood, when dry, may be varnished, 
 and will be found to resemble very closely the 
 natural dark woods. 
 
 FRESCO PAINTING. —The ground upon 
 •which fresco is painted is a lime ground ; and, 
 in order to have a permanent picture, we must 
 have a firm and stable ground. First of all, the 
 wall must be absolutely dry ; there must be no 
 leakage of moisture from behind. Lime which 
 has been run (as it is, I believe, technically called 
 by builders) for a year or a year and a half, is 
 best to be employed, for in proportion as the 
 lime has been carbonated (though it must not be 
 so to too great an extent) by the action of the 
 carbonic acid of the air, it makes a better and a 
 harder mortar. With this lime must be mixed 
 river sand, of even grain; the sand should be 
 mixed with water, and allowed to pass along 
 down a small stream, so that in the centre of the 
 stream you would have sand the grains of which 
 would be pretty nearly equal in size. This is a 
 point of considerable importance. The reason 
 why new lime cannot and ought not to be used 
 is because it blisters ; small blisters appear on 
 the surface, and that of course would be ruinous 
 to a picture. A well plastered wall should not 
 have a blister or a crack in it, and this is secured 
 by having your lime run for some time, of good 
 quality to start with, and mixed with good 
 sand. There is no chemical process that I know 
 of that takes place in fresco painting other than 
 this, that silicates are formed by the action of the 
 lime upon the sand, and carbonates by the action 
 of the carbonic acid of the air upon the lime. 
 
 In painting a fresco picture, inasmuch as there 
 is no retouching the work when it is finished, the 
 artist must make his drawing very carefully. The 
 cartoon is made upon ordinary paper; then it is 
 fixed against the wall, where the picture is to be 
 
 Eainted. The part where the artist decides to 
 egin his work is uncovered ; that is to say, a 
 portion of the paper .is turned down and cut away. 
 
 but in such a manner that it may be replaced. 
 Then the plasterer puts fresh plaster, about an 
 eight of an inch thick, upon the uncovered por- 
 tion of the wall ; and the plasterer's work is of 
 the utmost importance in fresco painting. The 
 workman ought to practice it well before he 
 attempts to prepare the ground for a large picture, 
 and I have found it of the greatest importance 
 to allow the man to practice for several weeks 
 before he was allowed to prepare any portion of 
 the ground, even for decorative painting. In 
 this way he beconies accustomed to the suction 
 of the wall, and upon the suction of the wall 
 depends the soundness of the ground and the 
 success of fresco painting. When the plaster is 
 first put on, of course it is very soft ; the piece 
 of the cartoon is replaced upon it, and the lines 
 of the picture are gone over with a bone point so 
 that an indentation is made, and then the artist 
 begins his painting. At first he finds his colors 
 work greasy; you cannot get the tint to lie on, 
 it works streaky j but you must not mind that, 
 you must paint on, but you must only paint on 
 for a certain time, for if you go on painting too 
 long, you will interfere with the satisfactory suc- 
 tion of the ground, which is so necessary to pro- 
 duce a good fresco painting. Of course, nothing 
 but practice can tell any one the period at which 
 he ought to stop. I cannot describe it, because ■ 
 I should be simply trying to describe a sensation, 
 which I cannot do. After some practice, you 
 know perfectly well by the feel when you ought 
 to stop. If you feel your color flownng from your 
 brush too readily, you ought to stop at this period. 
 You must then leave your work for a time, and 
 go back to it again. And then you will find, as 
 the plaster sucks in the color which you have 
 first laid on, that there will be, — it may be in the 
 course of half an hour, it may be an hour ; that 
 depends upon the temperature of the atmosphere, 
 — a pleasant suction from your brush, the color 
 going from it agreeably, and you will find that it 
 will cover better. Now is the time to paint ra- 
 pidly, and complete the work you have in hand. 
 When the color leaves your brush as though the 
 wall were thirsty for moisture, you should cease 
 painting ; every touch that is applied after that 
 will turn out gray when it dies, and the color will 
 not be fast upon the wall. 
 
 FIRE-PROOF PAINT, fof Roofs, etc. — 
 Slack stone lime by putting it into a tub, to be 
 covered, to keep in the steam. When slacked, 
 pass the powder through a fine sieve; and to 
 each 6 qts. of it add, i qt. of rock-salt, and water 
 I gal. ; then boil and skim clean. To each 5 
 gals, of this add, pulverized alum I lb, pulverized 
 copperas yi lb.; and still slowly add powdered 
 potash y^ lb,; then fine sand or hickory ashes 
 4 lbs. Now add any desired color, and apply 
 with a brush — looks better than paint, and is as 
 durable as slate. It stops small leaks in roofs, 
 prevents moss, and makes it incombustible and 
 renders brick impervious to wet. 
 
 FROSTING GLASS.— \. Take sug:ar of lead 
 well ground in oil, applied as other paint; then 
 
 Eounced, while fresh, with a wad of batting held 
 etween the thumb and finger. After which it 
 is allowed to partially dry; then with a straight- 
 edge laid upon the sash, you run along by the 
 side of it, a stick sharpened to the width of line 
 you wish to appear in the diamonds, figures, or 
 squares, into which you choose to lay it off; 
 most frequently, however, straight lines are made 
 
254 
 
 DICTIONARY OF EVERV-DA Y WANTS. 
 
 an inch or more from the sash, according to the 
 size of hght, then the centre of the hglit made 
 into diamonds. — 2. A common preparation for 
 frosting glass to prevent the too direct action of 
 the solar heat in green-houses, etc., is a wash of 
 whiting and glue-water. It must not contain too 
 much glue, as it is desired to wash it off late in 
 the season by the action of rain, to compensate 
 for the decrease in temperature. 
 
 FURNITURE CREAAI.— Beeswax, i lb. ; 
 soap, 4 oz. ; pearlash, 2 oz. ; soft water, I gal. ; 
 boil together until mixed. 
 
 FURNITURE OIL.—i. Acetic acid, 2 drs. ; 
 oil of lavender, ^ dr. ; rectified spirit, 1 dr. ; 
 linseed-oil, 4 oz. — 2. Linseed-oil. I pt. ; alkanet- 
 root, 2 oz. : heat, strain, and add lac varnish, I 
 oz. — 3. Linseed-oil, i pt. ; rectified spirit, 2 oz. ; 
 butter of antimony, 4 oz. 
 
 FURNITURE TASTE.— i. Turpentine, 1 
 pt. ; alkanet-root, ^ oz. ; digest until sufficiently 
 colored, then add beeswax, scraped small, 4 oz. : 
 put the vessel into hot water, and stirr till dis- 
 solved. If wanted pale, the alkanet-root should 
 be omitted. — 2. (White.) White wax, i lb.; 
 liquor of potassa, )4 g^l- > boil to a proper con- 
 sistence.— 3. Beeswax, i lb.; soap, ^ lb.; pearl- 
 ash, 3 oz. (dissolved in water, ^ gal., and 
 strained); boil as last. — 4. Yellow wax, 16 parts; 
 resin, i part; alkanet-root, I part; turpentine, 
 6 parts; linseed-oil, 6 parts. First steep the 
 alkanet in the oil with heat, and, when well 
 colored, pour off the clear on the other ingre- 
 dients, and again heat till all are dissolved. 
 
 GILDING, Mixture for, and How to Use it. 
 — Gold size may be used as a laying coat. How- 
 ever, the mixture of the house-gilders is prefer- 
 able, and consists of an addition of white lead 
 and chrome yellow, ground very fine with linseed 
 oil. 
 
 This mixture must be used quite dry, that is 
 to say, often stirred, and the brush or pencil 
 pressed against the sides of the cup to remove all 
 excess. A good mixture may receive the gold 
 twelve hours after it has been laid down, and the 
 same process answers for bronzing. WTien the 
 gilder has delivered his work to the painter, the 
 latter must wash it with plenty of water, taking 
 care not to scratch the gold. It is better to wait 
 three or four days before washing. The gold 
 striping receives a first fixing with gelatine dis- 
 solved in water and a second with white varnish 
 diluted with turpentine. When all is dry, the 
 portions of gold which may have stuck against 
 the paint of the groundwork are covered with the 
 same color ; or, if we desire to avoid this extra 
 work, we rub the body and gears with a sponge 
 dipped into water containing finely levigated clay. 
 
 GILDING LIQUID.— T^^ie of fine gold five 
 ounces (troy); nitra-muriatic acid, fifty-two oun- 
 ces; dissolve by heat, and continue the heat 
 until red or yellow vapors are evolved ; decant 
 the clean liquid into a proper vessel ; add of 
 distilled water, four gallons ; pure bicarbonate 
 of potash, 20 lbs ; boil for two hours. 
 
 GILDING, Out Doors.— Take unruled writ- 
 ing paper, and wax it. First put on the size, 
 and then take the book of leaf, and laying it on 
 any convenient surface, slip the waxed paper into 
 the gold leaf, pressing it down with the hand so 
 as to bring the waxed surface in contact with all 
 
 {)arts of the leaf, then withdraw the paper and the 
 eaf will adhere to it. In this way a hurricane 
 may be defied. 
 
 GILDING, To Improz'c. — Mix a gill of water 
 with two ounces of purified niter, one ounce of 
 alum, one ounce of common salt ; lay this over 
 gilt articles with a brush, and the color will be 
 much improved. 
 
 GILDING, Burnished. — Coat the wood first 
 with size, and afterwards with size and whiting 
 mixed until a sufficient thickness is obtained. 
 Between each coat, glass paper must be used to 
 smooth the surface. The gold size is now applied 
 thinly, and when nearly dry the leaf is attached, 
 and afterwards burnished. 
 
 GILDING on Glass. — I. Mix powdered gold 
 with thick gumarabic and powdered borax. With 
 this trace the design on the glass, and then bake 
 it in a hot oven. Thus the gum is burnt and the 
 borax is vitrified, at the same time the gold is 
 fixed on the glass. To make powdered gold: 
 Rub down gold leaf with pure honey on a marble 
 slab, wash the mixture, and the "precipitate" is 
 the gold used. — 2. Dissolve in boiled linseed oil 
 an equal weight either of copal or amber, and 
 add as much oil of turpentine as will enable you 
 to apply the compound or size thus formed as 
 thin as possible to the parts of glass intended to 
 be gilt. The glass is to be placed in a stove, till 
 so warm as almost to burn the fingers when 
 handled. At this temperature the size becomes 
 adhesive, and a piece of leaf gold, applied in the 
 usual way, will immediately stick. Sweep oflf the 
 superfluous portions of the leaf, and when quite 
 cold it may be burnished. Take care to interpose 
 a piece of Indian paper between the gold and 
 burnisher. 
 
 GILDERS GL UE. — A very superior article 
 of the so called gilders' glue is obtained by cut- 
 ting rabbit-skins into fine shreds, and boiling ia 
 water, then turning the mixture into a basket, 
 through which the liquid passes, leaving the re- 
 fuse behind. About fifteen hundred grains of 
 sulphate of zinc and three hundred and seventy- 
 five of alum are then to be separately dissolved 
 in pure boiling water, and poured into the first- 
 mentioned liquid, and the whole well stirred 
 together while hot. The mixture is then to be 
 passed through a sieve into a rectangular box, in 
 which the jelly remains twenty-four hours ia 
 winter, or about forty-eight in summer. The 
 mass now having become solid, is to be separated 
 from the box, and cut into slices of proper thick- 
 ness, and laid upon nets to dry, either in the 
 open air or by means of some kind of artificial 
 heat. 
 
 GILDING, Sizing for. — The best sizing for 
 gilding on glass is made as follows : Put a piece 
 of isinglass as large as an old fashioned cent into 
 a teacup ; fill half full with boiling water. When 
 well mixed, and before cold, fill nearly full with 
 spirits of wine. 
 
 GLAZING. — Sashes are primed before glaz- 
 ing. Glass laid in with the crown or convex 
 side out. The tins driven in with a chisel or 
 glazing hammer; four tins to each glass on the 
 two long sides, about one fourth of the distance 
 from the corners. If tins are put in the center, 
 they are apt to break the glass, especially in cold 
 weather. — Back Futtying. In good work and 
 medium-sized glass, after the glazing is done and 
 the putty well set, fill the spaces on the inside. 
 Use the putty soft, or it will press the glass out. 
 — Bedding, for superior work and large glass, 
 is the best. Glaze the rabbet with soft putty, 
 and press the glass down into it as close as it will 
 
ORNAMENTAL WORK. 
 
 255 
 
 lay, pressing on the edges and not the middle of 
 the glass, then glaze as usual. Where the mould- 
 ing of the sash is to go outside, the crown side 
 of the glass should be out also. — Cleaning after 
 the glazing is done, with water and a brush, or 
 with whiting and a dry brush. The line of the 
 putty should come just even with the line of the 
 moulding on the other side of the glass. 
 
 GOLD LEAF, To Prroent the Adhesion of. 
 — Painters and decorators will find the following 
 plan a good one to simplify a most troublesome 
 part of their work: A small piece of ball liquorice, 
 dissolved in water, applied with a flat camel's 
 hair brush to the place intended to be left ungilt, 
 will prevent the leaf adhering. The solution must 
 be weak. Made thick and gummy, it is very 
 useful to protect ornamental parts of w^ork that is 
 to be re-painted. 
 
 GRAINING. — In order to obtain any degree 
 of perfection in the imitations of woods and 
 marbles, it is necessary to procure panels or bits 
 of veneer, and copy the color and form of the 
 grains as near as possible. — Graining in Oil, 
 Mix the grain color in boiled oil and turpentine, 
 and add a little soap, or whiting, or even both ; 
 it makes it flow better. Clean the sponge, etc., 
 in oil or turpentine. — For Distemper, the grain 
 color is ground in ale, beer, vinegar, or whiskey; 
 the object being to bind the color so that it will 
 not rub off. As a general thing, stale ale or beer 
 is the best. Whiskey, however, in cold weather, 
 might be preferred, because it does not creep like 
 other fluids ; but if the ground-work is rubbed 
 over with whiskey it will be sufficient. Graining 
 should be done with a free and careless motion 
 of the hand, yet having an eye to the character 
 of the wood. — Distemper Graining requires the 
 ground-work to be dampened by rubbing all 
 over with a sponge wrung out of the ale, previous 
 to putting on the grain color. The ground-work: 
 as in other mixtures, take the body color first, 
 and add the positive colors by degrees, till the 
 required tint is produced. The work may be 
 primed, as for other work, with any light color. 
 The second coat must approach to the ground- 
 color, and the third coat must be the tint to grain 
 upon, and is best mixed with a gloss, either for 
 inside or out. Less than three coats of ground 
 color will not make a good job. In particulariz- 
 ing the specific quantities of proportion of in- 
 gredients, we are governed only by general prin- 
 ciples. The artist must regulate the tint accord- 
 ing to taste. The brush, cloth, or sponge, or 
 whatever tools may be used, must be frequently 
 washed out in water while doing a job. — Glazing 
 colors are transparent, and are mixed very thin, 
 whether the vehicle is oil or water. — Blending 
 must be done by brushing the tit of the blender 
 back and forth lightly over the work while it is 
 wet. — Blazing is done by sliding the blaze stick 
 up, and bearing round to the right or left. The 
 same motion is required in packing in the fine 
 check grain with the side of the blender ; striking 
 with the flat side of the blender, pushing the 
 hand upward. 
 
 GRAINING, Black Walnut.— Tools. Same 
 as for mahogany. — Ground. Drab, made of 
 lead, yellow ochre, Venetian red, and black. — 
 Grain Color. Burnt umber. The grain is made 
 almost the same as for mahogany, only that the 
 blaze stick is used more freely; and by specimens 
 of the real wood, it will be seen that the blazes 
 run nearly the whole length of the branch, and 
 
 more regular than mahogany, running gradually 
 from bottom to top. 
 
 GRAINING, Mahogany. — Tools. A sponge, 
 or cloth, or a piece of buckskin for wiping out 
 the lights. A common paint brush, to put on the 
 color. A blaze stick, to make the bright blazes 
 in the center of the branch. It is made of a 
 piece of wood shaved down thin, or a paper card, 
 three inches long and one inch wide, and very 
 thin. A blender, to soften the work. A top 
 grainer, to put in the dark grain. — Grottnd. 
 Chrome yellow and orange red lead. About one 
 third lead, but sufficient to tint to a bright orange. * 
 — Grain Color. Burnt terra de sienna. Dampen 
 the work with the fluid you grain with. Spread 
 on the grain color with a brush ; blend crosswise. 
 Wipe out, with a sponge or cloth, the light parts. 
 Blend again till soft. Put in the blazes up through 
 the center with the blaze stick. Blend down the 
 crude roughness of this lengthwise. When dry, 
 rub off with the hand or a soft cloth, the rough 
 particles. Give a coat of thin varnish. — For 
 Glazing. Add a small quantity of asphaltum to ' 
 the grain color, so that it is a shade darker than 
 before, and add ale till it is quite thin. Rub it 
 well out over the w-hole surface. Blend it cross- 
 wise. Peck it all over with the side of the blender, 
 pushing the hand upward to produce the fine 
 check grain. When dry, put on the dark top 
 grain. Another method is, instead of making the 
 check grain, to wipe the blender through the 
 glazing, making the top grain in that way. Dark 
 or light mahogany is made by using correspond- 
 ing colors in the ground, grain, and glazing. 
 When the graining does not tint, it may all be 
 rubbed off with the wet sponge, and grained over 
 again. 
 
 GRAINING, Maple.— Tools. Brush, to put 
 on color. Buckskin, to wipe out lights. Blender 
 and top grainer. — Ground. Cream color, made 
 with white lead and yellow ochre. — Grain Color. 
 Raw sienna and raw umber, equal parts in all. 
 Coat the work. Fold the buckskin, and with the 
 edge wipe out the lights which make the curl. 
 Blend lengthwise of the curl. Varnish with thin 
 varnish, and when dry, glaze over the whole 
 with the grain color made very thin, and to 
 which is added a very little asphaltum. Wipe 
 out, with the sponge, large patches of lights, and 
 blend crossings. When dry, top grain with the 
 glaze color. — Bird^s-eye is managed the same 
 way, except that, after the grain color is laid on, 
 patches of light are wiped out with a wet sponge. 
 Blend, and then dot over the whole, in patches, 
 by sticking the ends of the fingers over it. Then 
 blend very lightly. 
 
 GRAINING, Oah.—i:\\& most important and 
 best system of graining oak is the oil-color pro- 
 cess. It must be understood that oak has two 
 distinct characteristics. The first is the grain 
 of the wood, which is formed by the pores, and 
 which always runs the length way of^ the plank, 
 and, in fact, of the tree also, and this is fine or 
 coarse, as the case may be ; the other is technic- 
 ally called "the figure" — the dapple, the veining, 
 and the lights of the oak. These markings, al- 
 most in every case, run across the grain, and, as 
 a rule, have a silvery reflection, and stand out 
 lighter and brighter than the grain, and some- 
 times they have a light silvery edge and a dark 
 center. Of course, both the grain and the mark- 
 ings are different in different descriptions of oak. 
 In the English oak the grain and the veining, or 
 
2S6 
 
 DICTIONARY OF EVERY-DAY WANTS. 
 
 figure, are much finer and closer tJian in the 
 foreign oak. The Dantzic oak, for instance, is 
 exceedingly coarse or open in its grain or pores, 
 and the "lights," or figure, as a rule in broad or 
 thick lumps, without much gKce or beauty of 
 form ; while the figure in English oak is arranged 
 or flows in graduated curves, having a beauty 
 peculiarly its own. The grain and the markings 
 require different methods of working, and there 
 is no method yet invented which does this so 
 effectively and so well as the oil process. 
 
 New work should be well dusted before being 
 primed. After the first coat is dry, it should be 
 rubbed down with sandpaper and stopped with 
 good sound putty. Three coats should then be 
 put on and the work sandpapered between each 
 coat; except this be done, no good work can re- 
 sult. The finishing coat should be mixed with 
 three parts of oil to one of turps. The color for 
 light or new oak, commonly called wainscot, 
 should be a light creamy buff, made with Oxford 
 ocher and white, and a little vermilion or Venetian 
 red. Some grainers like a white ground for this 
 very light oak, but it has a rawness of look which 
 is not at all pleasant to look upon. 
 
 For a middle shade of oak the color should be 
 stained with Oxford ocher, Venetian red, and a 
 little burnt umber ; and for dark oak, with burnt 
 timber, Venetian red, and a little orange chrome. 
 These may all be modified by admixture with 
 black, in a degree according to whether the oak 
 •when finished is to be warm or cool in tone. And 
 here we may note that the color of the ground is of 
 vital importance to the effect of the work when 
 finished. Many persons don't care much about 
 the ground color so that it is light enough, as 
 they depend upon the glazing color to bring it 
 up to the required shade. This we are quite 
 ? certain is a mistake, for if two panels be grained, 
 one on a white or nearly white ground, and the 
 other on a rich colored ground, the former can- 
 not by any amount of glazing be brought to the 
 same richness of the color as the latter ; therefore 
 it is the wisest plan to work upon ground colors 
 which are of the same tone of color, or nearly so, 
 as the work is intended to be finished. The con- 
 trast also between the graining color and the 
 ground color should never be violent. When it 
 IS so, the work has a staring vulgarity about it 
 very undesirabe. The "figure" or markings 
 stand out so prominently and so positively that 
 all flatness and repose is destroyed. This is a 
 very common fault with graines, and one which 
 should be avoided. Grainers of this class are 
 very fond of bright chrome-yellow ground, and 
 of glazing their work with burnt sienna, thus 
 making it "foxy," and, as a matter of course, 
 ugly and vulgar. 
 
 GRAINING, Rose -Wood. — Tools. A flat 
 brush, sponge, blender, camel's hair pencil, and 
 fitches. — Ground, Drop black. Spread on the 
 color, and wipe out with the sponge or flat brush. 
 The grains are put in with the top grainer and 
 pencils. Glaze with rose-pink and asphaltum 
 mixed, and wipe out any knots or shadows to 
 suit the fancy 
 
 GREENS. — All mmeral greens have their 
 bases in copper, and some of them contain ar- 
 senic. — Bnins'Mick or Bremen Green is a com- 
 pound of carbonate of copper and chalk, and the 
 best has a portion of lead. This is a fine, lasting 
 green, and is much more neglected than it should 
 be. It is less poisonous than most greens, as 
 
 it contains little or no arsenic When used 
 alone, it is of too blue a cast, but being lightened 
 up with light chrome, or lemon chrome yellow, 
 it makes a green almost equal to emerald, both 
 in brilliancy and durability, and has a softer plea- 
 santer tone. An equal quantity of emerald mixed 
 with it increases its brilliancy. — ScheeWs Green 
 is composed of acetate of copper and arseniate of 
 potash. It is very poisonous, without being re- 
 deemed by beauty or durability. — Emerald 
 Green. This intensely brilliant color is a com- 
 pound of yellow arsenic and verdigris, and con- 
 sequently the most deadly poison with which 
 painters have to deal. Some years ago, when 
 verdigris was in vogue, painters complained of 
 the deleterious effect of that miserable color; but 
 they may now well find fault when they are 
 obliged to stand the ravages of the combined 
 force of that and arsenic also. It was first dis- 
 covered and manufactured in France, and has 
 only been in use a few years, and it is to be hop- 
 ed that its future existence will be as brief at its 
 past; for its effects upon the people who have 
 their rooms painted, washed, and papered with 
 it are almost as bad as upon the painter who uses 
 it. — Chrome Green was formerly made from the 
 blue oxide of chromium, but that which is now 
 mostly in use is a compound of potash, sulphur, 
 and chromic acid. Some factories, however, are 
 now preparing it from the chemical Prussian blue 
 and chrome yellow. This is a very soft, rich, 
 and durable color, but in the rage for the glaring 
 emerald ; it has been much overlooked. 
 
 GREEN FAINT. — Every green color, 
 simple or compound, when mixed up with a 
 white ground, becomes soft, and gives a sea- 
 green of greater or less strength, and more or 
 less delicate, in the ration of the respective quan- 
 tities of the principal colors. Thus, green oxides 
 of copper, such as chrome green, verdigris, dry 
 crystallized acetate of copper, green composed 
 with blue verditer, and the Dutch pink of Troyes,' 
 or any other yellow, will form, with a base of a 
 white color, a sea-green, the intensity of which 
 may be easily changed or modified. The white 
 ground for painting in distemper is V generally 
 composed of Bougival white (white marl),' or 
 white of Troyes (chalk), or Spanish white (pure 
 clay) ; but for varnish or oil painting, it is sbught 
 for in a metallic oxide. In this case, ceruse or 
 pure white oxide of lead is employed. 
 
 GREEN, SCHEELE'S.— Carbonate of pot- 
 ass, 32 parts ; water, 325 parts. Dissolve, then 
 add arsenious acid, 1 1 parts. Next, sulphate of 
 copper, 32 • parts ;'• water, 480 parts. Dissolve 
 and filter each solution separately, then add the 
 first to the second, until it ceases to produce a 
 rich grass-green precipitate ; collect and wash the 
 green powder in clean water. 
 
 GREEN, CHROME. — Take Pans-white, 
 6)4 lbs.; sugar of lead, and blue vitriol, of each 
 3^ lbs.; alumi lo^ ozs.; best soft Prussian blue 
 and chrome yellow, of each 3^ lbs. Mix thor- 
 oughly while in fine powder, and add water, I 
 gal., stirring well and let stand 3 or 4 hours. 
 
 GREEN, FARIS.— Take unslacked lime of 
 the best quality slack it with hot water ; then 
 take the finest part of the powder and add alum 
 water, as strong as can be made, sufficient to 
 form a thick paste, then color it with bi-chromate 
 of potash and sulphate of copper until the color 
 suits your fancy, N. B. — The sulphate of copper 
 gives the color a blue tinge — the bi-chromate of 
 
PAINTING AND PAPERING. 
 
 257 
 
 potash a yellow. Observe this and you will never 
 fail. 
 
 GREEN for fVALLS.— Take 4 lbs. Roman 
 vitriol, and pour on it a tea-kettle full of boiling 
 water. When dissolved, add 2 lbs. pearlash, 
 and stir the mixture well with a stick until the 
 effervescence ceases; then add l^ lb. pulverized 
 yellow arsenic, and stir the whole together. Lay 
 It on with a paint-brush ; and, if the wall has not 
 been painted before, two, or even three, coats 
 will be requisite. If a pea-green is required, pat 
 in less, if an apple-green, more of the yellow 
 arsenic. This paint does not cost the quarter of 
 oil-paint, and looks better. 
 
 ISINGLASS SIZE. — This may also be pre- 
 pared in the manner above directed for the glue, 
 by increasing the proportion of the water for 
 dissolving it, and the same holds good of parch- 
 ment size. A better sort of the copimon size 
 may be likewise made by treating cuttings of 
 glovers' leather in the same manner. 
 
 KA ISO MING. — The rough unfinished ap- 
 pearance of a white or yellow washed wall is not 
 Its most disagreeable peculiarity. It perpetually 
 gives off its dirt, and its own fabric in powder, to 
 any one who brushes it with his garments, or 
 who hangs his clothes against it. The superior 
 smoothness and glaze of a good kalsomined wall 
 is a great improvement to the style of the interior 
 of a house ; and if well made, such a surface is 
 suitable to the best rooms of a good house, and 
 is so cheap as to be within the means of the 
 poorest. It requires care and judgment in the 
 selection of the not expensive materials, and 
 above all, capability and skill in applying it to the 
 wall. 
 
 The plaster is made of Paris white, a fine pow- 
 der produced by the pulverization and elutriation 
 of common chalk, mixed with fine, clear white 
 glue, dissolved in water. The Paris white costs 
 about three cents a pound, but the wandering 
 operatives who apply for jobs ask a much higher 
 price for it. 
 
 The process should be commenced by soaking 
 four ounces of glue in a quart of warm water for 
 twenty or twenty-four hours; then a pint of 
 water should be added ; and the vessel (of tin or 
 other thin metal) should be placed in a kettle 
 of hot water over a fice, the glue being agitated 
 till it is thoroughly dissolved and the solution 
 quite clear. Put five or six pounds of powdered 
 Paris white into a large bucket, and add hot 
 water sufficient for the mixture to be of the con- 
 sistency of cream. Then mix the glue water 
 with it, stir it well, and paint the walls with the 
 mixture with the usual whitewash brush. 
 
 It is of the utmost importance that the kal- 
 somining mixture be spread very smoothly, and 
 to secure this, a little hot water must be added, 
 if the stuff be too thick for easy and level appli- 
 cation. The quantities given above are sufficient 
 for two coats on a large room, say one eighteen 
 feet square ; and for good work two coats should 
 always be applied. A little care in manipulation 
 will produce by kalsomining a neat and hand- 
 some effect, even in the hands of the most in- 
 experienced operator. 
 
 KILLING GREASE.— 0\di work is always 
 more or less greasy and smoky. Wash over the 
 smoky or greasy parts with nitre, or with very 
 thin lime whitewash. Soda will do, but lime is 
 the best and cheapest. 
 
 KILLING KNOTS. — Glue size and red 
 
 lead. Gum shellac dissolved in alcohol, and 
 mixed with red lead. Gutta percha dissolved in 
 ether. But through all or any of these will the 
 pitch of the knot exude if exposed to the sun. 
 Perhaps the very best method is, to size the knot 
 with oil size, and then lay a leaf of gold or silver 
 on it. In a very choice piece of work, a hot iron 
 may be held over the knot till a good portion of 
 the pitch has come out and been scraped off, 
 when the two coats of the leaf will be sure to 
 keep out both the pitch and any discoloration. 
 
 LA CQUERS. — I. Deep Golden Lacquer. — 
 Seed-lac, 3 ozs.; turmeric, i oz.; dragon's-blood, 
 X oz-; alcohol, I pint. Digest for a week, 
 shaking frequently; then decant and filter. — 
 2. Golden Lacquer. — Turmeric, I lb.; gamboge, 
 \yi ozs.; gum sandarac, 3^ lbs.; shellac, ^ lb., 
 (all in powder;) rectified alcohol, 2 gallons. 
 Dissolve, strain, and add i pint of turpentine 
 varnish. — 3. Red Lacquer. — Spanish annotto, 3 
 lbs.; dragon's-blood, I lb.; gum sandarac, 3^ 
 lbs,; rectified alcohol, 2 gallons ; tui-pentine var- 
 nish, I quart. Dissolve and mix, as in No. 2. 
 — 4. Pale Brazen Lacquer. — Gamboge, (cut 
 small,) I oz.; cape aloes, (do.,) 3 ozs.; pale 
 shellac, I lb.; rectified alcohol, 2 gallons. Dis- 
 solve and mix, as in No. 2. — 5. Another Brazen 
 Lacquer. — Seed-lac, dragon's-blood, annotto, 
 and gamboge, each, 4 ozs.; saffron, I oz.; recti- 
 fied alcohol, 10 pints. Dissolve, etc., as in 
 No. 2. 
 
 As these lacquers are often wanted of different 
 shades of color, it is well to keep on hand a con- 
 centrated solution of each coloring ingredient, so 
 that it may be added at any time to produce the 
 desired tint. 
 
 LACQUER, COLORLESS.— mssolve 2)4 
 ounces of shellac in I pint of rectified spirits of 
 wine; boil for a few minutes with 5 ounces of 
 well-burned and recently heated animal charcoal. 
 A small portion of the solution should then be 
 filtered, and if not colorless, more charcoal must 
 be added. When all color is removed, press the 
 liquid through a piece of silk, and afterward filter 
 through fine blotting paper. 
 
 LAMPBLACK, To make. — Suspend over a 
 lamp a funnel of tin plate, having above it a pipe 
 to convey from the apartment the smoke which 
 escapes from the lamp. Large mushrooms, of a 
 very black, carbonaceous matter, and exceedingly 
 light, will be formed at the summit of the cone. 
 This carbonaceous part is carried to such a state 
 of division as cannot be given to any other matter, 
 by grinding it on a piece of porphyry. 
 
 This black goes a great way in every kind of 
 painting. It may be rendered drier by calcina- 
 tion in close vessels. 
 
 The funnel ought to be united to the pipe, 
 which conveys off the smoke, by means of wire, 
 because solder would be melted by the flame of 
 the lamp. 
 
 LIME WA Tlf'i^.— Equal parts of lime water 
 and linseed oil, which will mix if well shaken, 
 when united with any body matter, particularly 
 lead, form a solid and almost imperishable ce- 
 ment, which, for priming and second coating, 
 or even the last coat, is far superior tooil'paint; 
 and the painter who supposed he was cheating 
 his employer, was actually benefiting him. The 
 color, however, works badly, as it is thick, light,,, 
 and creamy, and harder to spread ; and if fifty 
 per cent, is saved in the oil, thirty per cent, is, 
 lost in time, and ten per cent- in the extra.quan- 
 17 
 
258 
 
 DICTION AR YOFE VER Y-DA Y WANTS. 
 
 tity used ; so, after all, there is not much saved 
 in its use. 
 
 LINSEED OIL, To bleach.— To bleach lin- 
 seed oil expose the oil to the rays of the sun in 
 glass bottles, and it very soon becomes white 
 and clear, with a deposit of the impure matters 
 at the bottom. Some persons filter the oil 
 through animal charcoal. Another good method 
 is to heat the oil in a wooden vessel by means 
 of a steam pipe, having first added to each gallon 
 about one pound of "filtering powder", made by 
 drying pure clay of fuller's earth by a gentle heat, 
 and giinding it to powder. The oil must then 
 be filtered through bags made of Canton flannel 
 or felt. Bags are now made from the latter ma- 
 terial for this purpose, without seam, by the 
 same process as that employed for hat bodies. 
 
 MADDER LAKE. — Ground madder, I 
 pound ; water, 8 pounds. Boil for fifteen minu- 
 tes, then add alum, 2 ounces. Dissolve and 
 strain, then precipitate the color, with a strained 
 solution of pearlash, added gradually; lastly, 
 collect and well wash the powder. The lake 
 thrown down on the first addition of the potash 
 is of the finest quality, and each successive por- 
 tion decreases in value. 
 
 MAHOGANY, To Imiiaie.— The surface of 
 any close grained wood is planed smooth, and 
 then rubbed with a solution of nitrous acid. Next 
 apply with a soft brush a mixture of one ounce 
 of dragon's blood dissolved in a pint of alcohol 
 and with the addition of a third of an ounce of 
 carbonate of soda. When the polish diminishes 
 in brilliancy, it may be restored by the use of a 
 little cold drawn linseed oil. 
 
 MAHOGANY COLOR forWood.—LogwooA, 
 two ounces, is boiled down half with a pint of 
 water, then strained, and the filtrate mixed with 
 half an ounce of chloride of barium. Most woods 
 employed for furniture may be stained a close 
 imitation of mahogany, varying in depth with the 
 length of immersion. An oak color results when 
 the bath is diluted with rain water. 
 
 MARBLES, To Imiiafe.— Paint the ground- 
 work, and when dry and rubbed down, dampen 
 the whole surface with boiled oil, rubbed on with 
 a cloth. For the light marbles, however, some 
 prefer to work the grain in the ground color 
 while wet. 
 
 MARBLES, Gray and White.— This is very 
 simple, though it requires some skill to do it 
 nicely. Paint with white or lead color, and vein 
 and mottle with black and slate color, in the wet 
 paint, and blend it all down softly with a paint 
 brush. 
 
 MARBLE, Italian. — Tools. Camel's hair 
 pencils, blender, and sponge. — Ground. Black. 
 — Grain Color. Gold tint, for bright veins. 
 Burnt sienna, white and yellow ochre, fluid, oil, 
 and turpentine. 
 
 Scramble out, in patches, with thin white lead, 
 with a sponge; blend; then, with the hair pencil, 
 trace in the larger dark veins with burnt sienna, 
 then with yellow ochre, and lastly with the gold 
 tint, running the lines over each other, yet all 
 having the same general direction. It will be 
 seen, from the specimens, that these veins are 
 series of irregular loopholes and patches of light, 
 crossed and connected by sharp, crinkled, and 
 angular lines, the whiter lines being the sharpest. 
 
 When veined and dry, glaze with very thin 
 asphaltum, in patches, to give it depth. Then 
 varnisb, and, if desired, poUsh. 
 
 OIL, DRYIA'G. — A good drying linseed oil, 
 prepared without the usual process of boiling. 
 Mix with old linseed oil, the older you can get it 
 the better, 2 per cent, of its weight of manganese 
 borate (this salt is readily prepared by precipi- 
 tating a solution of sulphate of manganese with 
 a solution of borax, wash the precipitaie, and dry 
 it either at the ordinary temperature of the air or 
 at loo"), and heat this mixture on a water-bath, 
 or, if you have to work with large quantities, 
 with a steam-bath to loo'', or at most no*'; you 
 thus obtain a very excellent, light-colored, rap- 
 idly-drying oil ; by keeping the mixture stirred, 
 that is to say, by always exposing fresh portions 
 to air, the drying property of the oil is greatly 
 promoted. The rapidity of the drying of the oil 
 after it has been mixed with paint, on surfaces 
 besmeared therewith, does not simply depend 
 upon the drying property of the oil, but, in a 
 very great measure, upon the state of the atmos- 
 phere — viz., whether dry or moist, hot or cold 
 — the direct action of sunligbt, and the state of 
 the surfaces on which the paint is brought. 
 Really genuine boiled linseed oil, if well prepa- 
 red, leaves nothing to be desired as regards ra- 
 pidity of drying, but it is retarded by various 
 substances which are added in practice, among 
 which, especially, oil of turpentine is injurious. 
 
 OIL, Eumiture. — Take linseed oil, put it into 
 a glazed pipkin with as much alkanet root as it 
 will cover. Let it boil gently, and it will become 
 of a strong red color ; when cool, it will be fit 
 for use. 
 
 OIL, {^Prcparal) For Catriage etc. — To i gal- 
 lon linseed oil add 2 lbs. gum shellac ; litharge, 
 1/2 lb.; red lead, % lb.; umber, I oz. Boil slowly 
 as usual until the gums are dissolved; grind 
 your paints in this (any color), and reduce w ith 
 turpentine. Yellow ochre is used in floor painting. 
 
 PAIA^TING. — ^The value of paints prepared 
 from oxides of iron is very generally overlooked 
 by architects. These paints some men of ex- 
 perience pronounce to be superior to those pre- 
 pared from the oxides of lead ; at any rate, they 
 answer equally well, and the cost is considerably 
 less. But I propose to allude to the value of 
 these paints, especially for use upon iron. It has 
 been acknowledged for years that the oxides of 
 lead, or copper, if put upon iron, will eat into it, 
 and promote corrosion, and yet how frequently 
 do we meet with the requirement that iron-work 
 shall have a coat of red-lead before leaving the 
 foundry: a worse provision could hardly be made, 
 unless it be to specify verdigris, a preparation 
 from copper; this also is sometimes used, though 
 it eats holes into the iron in a very short time. 
 Very shortly after iron-work is painted, the iron 
 will be observed corroded, and the remark be 
 upon every body's tongue, "This ought not to 
 be going so soon, ought not to want painting so 
 soon." The fact is, lead has been put upon it, 
 and nothing else could be expected. The reason 
 red or white lead causes metal to corrode so 
 quickly is explained thus : directly the air gets 
 to the metal, not only does natural corrosion take 
 
 f)lace, but a chemical action sets in between the 
 ead and the iron, and increases the corrosion. 
 No harm can result from painting iron with red 
 or white lead, so long as the oxygen of the air, 
 or water, does not get to the metal ; but as it is 
 almost sure to do so, it is best not to run ihe 
 risk. The same quantity of jyiint, made from 
 the oxide of iron, will cover a surface of twice 
 
PAINTING AND PAPERING, 
 
 259 
 
 the area as that of paint prepared from lead, 
 though the price is much less. Aqua fortis, one 
 of the strongest acids, if poured upon red or 
 •wliite lead, will fuse it instantly, but has no effect 
 upon paint prepared from the oxide of iron. 
 With regard to the numerous anti-corrosive paints 
 in existence, I may say, in one word, it is of no 
 use trying to cheat nature; anti - corrosive 
 paints will not answer the purpose their names 
 imply: all paints must yield eventually to the 
 action of the oxygen, and the work be repainted, 
 and for many reasons it is well that all work 
 should be repainted at proper intervals. All that 
 can be done to attain the objects of such paints is 
 to so pick and form the stuff as to reduce the 
 power of the elements to affect it to a minimum. 
 This is found best secured when the composition 
 forming the paint is granular, not so finely pow- 
 dered as ordinarily. The finer the powder of the 
 mixture, the greater the tendency for air-holes to 
 form, as the paint is being laid on ; paint that is 
 more gritty, or granular, affords a better oppor- 
 tunity for the air to escape, and therefore reduces 
 the liability of corrosion to the utmost limit. The 
 coating of oil is the best preservative, and not the 
 paint mixtures ; and therefore those mixtures 
 which, like lamp-black, go a long way in mixing 
 with oil, answer better than those that require 
 more of the mixture to form the paint. For cover- 
 ing urinals or other work exposed to the influence 
 of strong acid, black varnish is the best article to 
 use ; it should be frequently applied, and is in- 
 expensive. Woodwork before painting ought to 
 be well soaked with good priming, principally 
 turpentine ; this keeps damp out of the wood ; 
 a coat of paint has not the same power, as it 
 forms a skin on the wood, instead of soaking into 
 it. The priming should pass over all the wood- 
 work, where exposed; otherwise damp may come 
 into contact with the portion not primed, and it 
 will find its way down the wood, and cause 
 blisters in the paint, where we have thought them 
 unlikely; blistering is often a result of insufficient 
 priming. Painters, as a rule, neglect to prime 
 the tops of outside doors ; damp gets down the 
 wood, and blistering results. Knots will some- 
 times show through paint-work, and lead to the 
 inference that no knotting has been used, %vhere- 
 as the effect may be merely the result of using 
 inferior stuff. It is of great importance that knot- 
 ting of good quality be used ; it may be purchas- 
 ed at half the cost of the well known patent knot- 
 ting, but will answer no purpose. The best 
 driers are prepared from sugar of lead; the 
 lighter the driers the better their quality. The 
 quantity of driers required depends upon the 
 time of the year the paint is used, and the charac- 
 ter of the oil. There is a great deal of bad oil in 
 use now, distilled, or by other means prepared 
 from resin ; this will not dry properly, do what 
 you will with it, and it should be condemned for 
 paint-work at once. It does not cost half so 
 much as linseed oil, and there is, therefore, at all 
 times danger of it getting into our Avork. \Vhen 
 fresh, and sometimes when of long standing, it 
 may be killetl by an application of petroleum spirit, 
 or potash ; but generally, when this oil proves to 
 be in tlie paint, the best course is to scrape the 
 whole off with salamancas, or hot irons, in the 
 usual way. Xo oil will answer so well as linseed 
 oil, well boiled or raw, when there is not the ne- 
 cessity for so much driers ; raw oil may be used 
 in summer weather, aiid should always be used 
 
 for white paints, as the boiled oil discolors them; 
 driers in this latter case must be added. Often 
 when we specify the best copal varnish, we get 
 nothing but common oak, though the difference 
 in cost may be from seven shillings to twenty- 
 one per gallon. The best proceeding for the 
 architect is to price the varnish, and take special 
 means for obtaining it. For ordinary purposes, 
 where we usually specify common oak varnish, 
 copal varnish diluted with oil answers better, 
 and in practice is often adopted, 
 
 PAINTING, Rules for.— \. Let the ground- 
 work becarefuUy prepared and dry. — 2. See that 
 the colors are well ground and duly mixed. — 3. 
 Do not mix much more, nor any less paint than 
 you think will be necessary for the present work. 
 — 4. Keep the paint well mixed before using. — 
 5. See that the paint is neither too thick to work 
 well, nor too thin to cover properly, and apply it 
 evenly. — 6. Do not apply a succeeding coat be- 
 fore the previous one is dry. — 7, Do not use a 
 lighter color over a darker. — 8. Do not add driers 
 to colors long before using, ^-9. Use just as little 
 driers as will do the work, — 10, Do not over- 
 charge the brush with paint. — 1 1. Begin with the 
 highest part of your work and proceed downward. 
 
 PAINTING Outside Houses. — Repeated ex- 
 periments prove that paint applied between No- 
 vember and March, will last twice as long as 
 that applied in warm weather. The reason is 
 that in cold weather the component parts of the 
 paint form a hard substance on the surface ; al- 
 most as hard as glass ; but in warm weather the 
 oil penetrates the boards and the paint wears off. 
 
 PAINTS, To Mix — In mixing paints, ob- 
 serve, that ior out-door work you must use prin- 
 cipally, or wholly, boiled oil, unless it is for the 
 decorative parts of houses, etc., then mix as for 
 in-door work. 
 
 For in-door work use linseed oil, turpentine, 
 and a little drj'ers, observing that tlie less oil, 
 the less will be the gloss, and that for flatted 
 white, eta, the color being ground in oil, will 
 scarcely require any further addition of that ar- 
 ticle, as the object is to have it dull, 
 
 PAINI\ FkxiiU, — Yellow soap cut into 
 slices, lyi lbs.; boiling water, i gall.; dissoh-e 
 and mix while hot with oil paint, l^ cwt. Used 
 to paint canvass. 
 
 PAINT {Cheap), for Fences, ete.—l. Take a 
 bushel of well burnt lime, white and unslacked ; 
 20 pounds of Spanish whiting, 17 pounds of rock 
 salt, and 12 pounds of brown sugar. Slake the 
 lime and sift out any coarse lumps and mix it 
 into a good whitewash with about 40 gallons of 
 water, and then add the other ingredients, and 
 stir the whole together thoroughly, and put on 
 two or three coats with a common brush. This 
 is a cheap paint. Five dollars' worth ought to 
 make the building look a hundred dollars' worth 
 better. This makes a coat that does not wash 
 off, or easily rub off, and it looks well, while it 
 will go far to preserve the wood. It is, there- 
 fore, especially adapted to the outside of build- 
 ings that are exposed to the weather. Three 
 coats are needed on brick and tw o on wood. If 
 you want to get a fine cream color, add three 
 pounds of yellow ochre to the above. If you pre- 
 fer a fawn color, add four pounds of i;ml)er, one 
 Eound of Indian red, and oic pound of lamp- 
 lack. If you want a gray 1 r stone color, add 
 four pounds of raw umber and two pounds of 
 lamp-black. This will be more durable than 
 
26o 
 
 DICTIONARY OF E VERY-DAY WANTS. 
 
 common whitewash. — 2. Take freshly-burned 
 unslaked lime and reduce it to powder. To one 
 peck or one bushel of this add the same quantity 
 of fine white sand or fine coal ashes, and twice as 
 much fresh \v<)od ashes, all these being sifted 
 through a fine sieve. They should then be thor- 
 oughly mixed together while dry. Afterwards 
 mix them with as much common linseed oil as 
 will make the whole thin enough to work freely 
 with a painter's brush. This will make a paint of 
 light gray stone color, nearly white. To make 
 it fawn or drab, add yellow ochre and Indian red; 
 if drab is desired, add, burnt umber, Indian red, 
 and a little black ; if dark stone color, add lamp- 
 black; or if brown stone, then add Spanish brown. 
 All these colors should, of course, be first mixed 
 in oil and then added. This paint is much cheaper 
 than common oil paint. It is equally well suited 
 to wood, brick, or stone. It is better to apply 
 it in two coats ; the first thin, the second thick. 
 
 FAINT, MILK, for Barns, «i-.— Mix water 
 lime with skim-milk, to a proper consistence to 
 apply with a brush, and it is ready to use. It 
 will adhere well to wood, whether smooth or 
 rough, to brick, mortar or stone, where oil has 
 not been used, (in which case it cleaves to some 
 extent,) and forms a very hard substance, as 
 durable as the best oil paint. It is too cheap to 
 estimate, and any one can put it on who can use 
 a brush. 
 
 FAINT, Fetroleum as. — This can be used to 
 great advantage on a farm as a preserver of 
 wood. It is not properly a paint. No coloring 
 matter should ever be mixed with it. Ordinary lin- 
 seed-oil paint preserves wood by forming a coat 
 that excludes the atmosphere from the pores. 
 Petroleum penetrates the wood and excludes the 
 air by filling up the pores. 
 
 Old barns from which the paint is worn off will 
 be much improved by a liberal coat of petroleum. 
 It can be put on with a whitewash brush. The 
 point is to get on as much as the wood will ab- 
 sorb. It is better to go over the work rapidly 
 and then the next day go over it again. For 
 shingle roofs, new or old, nothing is better than 
 •petroleum. In making a new roof we would dip 
 the shingles by the bunch in petroleum, until 
 they were saturated, before putting them on. 
 This would save the expense of applying it on 
 the roof with a brush. 
 
 The sills and timbers of barns and other build- 
 ings, in the parts most liable to decay, should be 
 treated with petroleum. A good way to do this 
 is to bore a hole with an auger into the stick of 
 timber, and fill it with the oil, and as it is absorb- 
 ed, add more. The hole should afterwards be 
 plugged up. The ends of all the timber should 
 also be washed over repeatedly with petroleum 
 before being put into the building. In this way 
 soft maple, black ash, and bass wood may be 
 made durable timber, and as useful as oak -when 
 strength is not required. 
 
 FAINT .S'AVA'iy.— Dissolve sal-soda, ^ lb., 
 in rain-water, I gal. The skins that dry upon 
 the top of paint, which has been left standing 
 for any length of time, may be made fit for use 
 again by covering them with the sal-soda-water 
 and soaking them therein for a couple of days; then 
 heat them, adding oil to reduce the mixture to a 
 proper consistence for painting, and straining. 
 Painters who are doing extensive business will 
 save many dollars yearly by this simple process. 
 
 FAINT {fill), To Reduce with WaUr,— Gum 
 
 shellac, I lb.; sal-soda, }4 lb.; water, 3 parts ; 
 boil all togetlier in a kettle, stirring ti'l dissolv- 
 ed. If it does not all dissolve, add a little more 
 sal-soda; when cool, bottle for use; mix up 2 
 quarts of oil paint as usual, any color desired, 
 using no turpentine, put I pint of the gum 
 shellac mixture with the oil paint when it be- 
 comes thick ; it can then be reduced with water 
 to a proper thickness to lay on with a brush. 
 
 FAFER HANGING.— i:ht first thing to be 
 thought of is the .selection of paper hangings. 
 According to the taste or judgment with which 
 the pattern is chosen, so will the appearance of 
 the room, when prepared, be agreeable or dis- 
 pleasing. Large patterns should, of course, be 
 only used in large rooms. Dark-tinted papers are 
 most suitable for light rooms, and light papers 
 for dark rooms ; many a dingy or gloomy apart- 
 ment may be made to wear a cheerful aspect by 
 attention to this particular. Stripes, whether on 
 a lady's dress, or on the walls of a room, always 
 give the effect of hight ; consequently a low room 
 is improved by being hung with a striped paper. 
 The effect is produced by a wavy stripe as well 
 as a straight one, and, as curved lines are the 
 most graceful, they should generally be prefer- 
 red. Any pattern with lines crossed so as to 
 form a square, is unsuitable for alow room ; but 
 with the lines made sloping or diagonal, there is 
 not the same objection. A diamond trellis pat- 
 tern, with a small plant creeping over it, looks 
 well in a small summer parlor. For a common 
 sitting-room, a small geometrical pattern is very 
 suitable; being well covered, it does not show 
 accidental stains or bruises, and, in the constant 
 repetition of the design, there is no one object to 
 attract the eye more than another. These are 
 sometimes called Elizabethan patterns ; they are 
 much used for staircases, halls, and passages, 
 but they are not to be chosen at random. Ac- 
 cording to the hight and dimensions of the pas- 
 sage or staircase, such should be the pattern. 
 A large pattern on a narrow staircase, and in a 
 passage not more than eight feet in hight, has a 
 very heavy and disagreeable effect. A light gray, 
 or yellow marble, divided into blocks by thm 
 lines, and varnished, will be found suitable for 
 most passages, if care be taken to adapt the size 
 . of the blocks to the place where they are to ap- 
 pear. A size that would look well in a hall 
 twenty feet wide, would be altogether too large 
 in one of only four or six feet. Many persons 
 must have noticed, in their visits of business or 
 pleasure, that some houses present a cheerful 
 aspect as soon as the door is opened, while others 
 look so dull that they make one low-spirited upon 
 entering them. The difference is caused by the 
 good or bad taste with which they have been 
 papered and painted. A safe rule with regard 
 to paper-hangings, is to choose nothing that 
 looks extravagant or unnatural. Regard should 
 be had to the uses of an apartment ; a drawing- 
 room should be light and cheerful; a parlor 
 should look warm and comfortable without being 
 gloomy ; bedroom papers should be cool and 
 quiet, and generally of a small pattern, and of 
 such colors as harmonize with bed-furniture and 
 other fittings. It is worth while to consider the 
 sort of pictures to be hung on a wall; gilt frames 
 show best on a dark ground, and dark frames on a 
 light ground; taking care however to avoid violent 
 contrasts. Heavy borders are seldom used now; 
 they make a room low, without being ornamentaL 
 
PAINTING AND PAPERINC, 
 
 261 
 
 The paper being purchased, the walls should 
 next be looked to, m order to be sure that they 
 are in proper condition to hold the paper. A 
 new unwhitewashed wall will absorb the paste so 
 rapidly that, before drying, there will be left too 
 little body of paste on the sur&ce to hold the 
 paper. A coating of good glue size, made by 
 dissolving a half a pound of glue in a gallon of 
 water, or a coating of good paste, put on and 
 allowed to dry before the paper is hung, will 
 provide for this difficulty. 
 
 If the wall has already been papered it should 
 be removed. Many lives have been lost from 
 the laziness or ignorance of paper-hangers, who 
 have laid on one paper above another, instead of 
 tearing off the old one before hanging the new. 
 There was a very handsome house near one of 
 our provincial towns which could never keep its 
 tenants, and at last stood empty and became 
 worthless, because a detestable fever seized upon 
 every family that lived in it A ready-witted ob- 
 server promised the owner to find out the cause. 
 He traced the mischief to one room, and present- 
 ly conjectured what was the matter there. He 
 let a slip of glass into the wall, and found it the 
 next day dimmed with a foetid condensed vapor. 
 He tore down a strip of paper, and found abund- 
 ant cause for any amount of fever. For genera- 
 tions the walls had been papered afresh, without 
 the removal of anything underneath. And there 
 was the putrid size of old paper inches deep ! A 
 thorough clearance, and scraping, and cleaning, 
 put an end to the fever, and restored the value 
 of the house. 
 
 If the wall be whitewashed, it should be 
 scratched with a stiff brush, to remove every par- 
 ticle of loose lime from the surface ; after which 
 it should be thoroughly swept down with a 
 broom, and coated with the glue size or thin paste. 
 
 A long table of thin boards cleated together 
 and placed on wooden horses, such as are used 
 by carpenters, a pair of sharp shears — with long 
 blades if possible — a whitewash brush, a pail for 
 paste, and a yard of cotton clotli, are the imple- 
 ments required. The table or board platform 
 should be level on its upj^er surface to facilitate 
 the distribution of the paste. The latter should 
 be free from lumps, and should be laid on as 
 evenly as possible. It should be made of good 
 sweet rye or wheat flour, beaten smooth in cold 
 water before boiling, and should not be allowed 
 to boil more than a minute or two, but should be 
 raised to the boiling point slowly, being con- 
 tinually stirred till it is taken from the fire. 
 
 Inexpert hands often find difficulty in making 
 the patterns match in the juxtaposed pieces. No 
 general directions can be given for this, but a 
 little study at the outset will often save cutting 
 to waste, and other difficulties- In this matter, 
 as in others, it is wise to "first be sure you are 
 right, then go ahead." As soon as the proper 
 way to cut the paper is decided upon, a whole 
 roll, or more, may be cut at once, and the pieces 
 laid, printed side downwards, upon the table, 
 weights being placed upon the ends to prevent 
 curling. The paste should then be applied to 
 the back of the uppermost piece, as expeditiously 
 as possible, as the longer the time employed in 
 this part of the operation, the more tender will 
 the paper get, and the more difficult it will be 
 to lay it properly. 
 
 The upper end of the piece should then be 
 taken by tlie comers, and the operator, stepping 
 
 upon a bench or step-ladder, should barely stick 
 the piece at the top, and in such a manner that 
 the edge shall coincide with the piece previously 
 hung ; this can -be done by sighting down the 
 trimmed edge of the piece, while it is held in the 
 hands. The cloth should now be held in a loose 
 bunch, and the paper smoothed with it from top 
 to bottom, care being taken to work out all air 
 from under the paper, which, if not thoroughly 
 done, will give it a very unsightly blistered ap- 
 pearance. 
 
 If the wall be uneven or crooked, as is often 
 the case in old houses, it will be difficult to avoid 
 wrinkles, but they can be mostly got rid of, by 
 cutting the paper and allowing the cut edges to 
 lap over each other, in places where there would 
 otherwise be a wrinkle. 
 
 By following these directions the most inex- 
 perienced will be able to do a reasonably tidy 
 piece of work, but of course much skill is only 
 secured by practice. 
 
 PAPER HANGING, Improved Paste for.— 
 A new form of paste for attacliing paper hangings 
 to walls, and one which, besides possessing the 
 merit of cheapness, has the advantage of prevent- 
 ing the paper from separating or peeling off, is 
 prepared by first softening 18 pounds of finely 
 powdered bole in water, and then draining off the 
 surplus water from the mass. One and a quarter 
 pounds of glue are next to be boiled into glue 
 water, and the bole and two pounds of gypsum 
 are then stirred in, and the whole mass forced 
 through a sieve by means of a brush. This is 
 afterwards diluted with water to the condition of 
 a thin paste or dressing, when it is ready for use. 
 This paste is not only much cheaper than the or- 
 dinary flour paste, but it has the advantage of 
 adhering better to whitewashed surfaces, espe- 
 cially to walls that have been coated over several 
 times, and from which the coating has not been 
 carefully removed. In some cases it is advisable, 
 when putting fine paper on old walls, to coat 
 them by means of this paste with a ground paper, 
 and to apply the paper hanging itself to this with 
 the ordirjary paste. 
 
 POLISH, French. — Gum saudarach, fourteen 
 ounces and two di-achms ; gum mastic in drops, 
 seven ounces and one drachm ; shellac (the yel- 
 lower the better), fourteen ounces and two 
 drachms; alcohol.ofo.8295sp.gr. three quarts 
 one pint. 
 
 Pound the resinous gums, and effect their so- 
 lution by continued agitation, without the aid of 
 heat- 
 
 If the woods are porous, seven ounces and 
 one drachm of Venice turpentine. 
 
 If also an equal weight of ground glass with 
 the gums be added, the solution will be more 
 quickly made, and otherwise benefited by it. Be- 
 fore using, the wood should be made to imbibe a 
 little linseed oil, the excess of which should be 
 removed by an old flannel. 
 
 The varnish should be applied by saturating a 
 piece of old soft coarse linen cloth, folded into a 
 sort of cushion, rubbing the wood softly at first, 
 turning the linen from tiine to time until nearly 
 dry. The linen should be saturated afresh, and 
 the rubbing continued until the pores of the wood 
 are completely filled. 
 
 Two or three coats are generally sufficient. 
 Do not rub hard. If the varnish become sticky, 
 apply a very little drop of olive oil uniformly 
 over the surface of the cushion. 
 
262 
 
 DICTIONARY OF E VERY-BAY WANTS. 
 
 The finishing process consists in pouring a 
 little pure alcohol upon a clean piece of linen, 
 which is lightly rubbed over the varnished wood, 
 and as the hnen and varnish dry, the wood is 
 rubbed more briskly, until it takes a beautiful 
 polish like a looking-glass. 
 
 The above may be relied upon as the orig- 
 inal and genuine French polish, it being in the 
 Dictionaire Technologique, an accurate French 
 work. 
 
 POLISHING WOOD CARVING.— TAsi a 
 piece ot wadding, soft and pliable, and drop a few 
 drops of white or transparent polish, or French 
 polish, according to the color of the wood. Now 
 wrap the wetted wadding up in a piece of old 
 linen, forming it into a pad ; hold the pad by the 
 surplus linen; touch the pad with one or two 
 drops of linseed oil. Now pass the pad gently 
 over the parts to be polished, working it round 
 in small circles, occasionally re-wetting the wad- 
 ding in polish, and the pad with a drop or so of 
 oil. The object of the oil is merely to cause the 
 pad to run over the wood easily without sticking, 
 therefore as litde as possible should be used, as 
 it tends to deaden the polish to a certain extent. 
 Where a carving is to be polished after having 
 been varnished, the same process is necessary ; 
 but it can only be applied to the plainer portions 
 of the work. Plain surfaces must be made per- 
 fectly smooth with sand-paper before polishmg, 
 as every sciatch or mark will show twice as badly 
 after the operation. When the polish is first rub- 
 bed on the wood, it is called the "bodying-in ;" 
 it will sink into the wood and not give much 
 glaze. It must, when dry, have another body 
 rubbed on, and a third generally finishes it ; but 
 if not, the operations must be repeated. Just be- 
 fore the task is completed, greasy smears will 
 show themselves ; these will disappear by con- 
 tinuing the gentle rubbing without oilmg the pad. 
 You should now be able to see your face in the 
 wood. 
 
 PR USSIAN BL UE, TumbtilVs. — Ferro- 
 cyanide of potassium, lo ounces; solution ter- 
 sulphate of iron, i pint; water, 3 pints. Dissolve 
 the ferrocyanide of potassium in two parts of 
 water, and add the solution, gradually, to the 
 solution of tersulphate of iron previously diluted 
 with the remainder of the water, stirring the mix- 
 ture during the addition. Then filter the liquid 
 and wash the precipitate on the filter with boil- 
 ing water until the washings pass nearly taste- 
 less. Lastly, dry it, and rub it into fine powder. 
 
 PUMICE STONE.— Tt^xi. is the lava of the 
 volcanoes, is found floating upon the surface of 
 the sea. It is a very useful article, which should 
 be used much more than it is for rubbing down 
 painted work. 
 
 PUTTY, To Soften when Hard.— Break the 
 putty in lumps of the size of a hen's egg, add a 
 small portion of linseed oil, and water sufficient 
 to cover the putty; boil this in an iron vessel for 
 about ten minutes, and stir it when hot. The 
 oil will mix with the putty. Then pour the wa- 
 ter off, and it will be like fresh made. For re- 
 moving hard putty from a window-sash, take a 
 square piece of iron, make the same red hot, and 
 run it along the putty till it gets soft. The putty 
 will peel off without injuring the wood work. 
 Concentrated lye, made of lime and alkali will 
 affect the wood and make it rot quicker. 
 
 REDS. — Reds have their bases in iron mostly, 
 and some have supposed that all reds are depend- 
 
 ent upon the presence of iron for their color. — 
 Car7)iine is kaolin, or China clay, colored with 
 cochineal, and being prepared with much difficul- 
 ty, it is very expensive. A common article is 
 composed of alum and cream of tartar, colored 
 with cochineal. This color fades rapidly on ex- 
 posure to the sun, and is of little use in out-door 
 work. It is a rich, transparent color. — Vetmil- 
 ioti is composed of sulphur and quicksilver. The 
 first quality, at present, comes from France, it 
 being difficult to get Chinese vermilion that is 
 free from pulverized glass ; in fact, the greater 
 portion of the Chinese vermilion now in the 
 market is almost worthless in consequence of 
 this adulteration. The English and American 
 vermilions are cheaper, and inferior in color 
 rather than quantity. — Chrome Red, or American 
 vermilion, as it is sometimes called, though not 
 so fine a color when first used, is much cheaper 
 than vermilion, being one fifth the price; it 
 stands exposure much better, retaining its hue 
 long after the best Chinese has turned brown. 
 For this reason it is much better adapted to all 
 out-door painting. Its composition is saltpetre 
 and chrome yellow, produced by a process of 
 heating and washing. — Rose Pink is nothing 
 more than whiting, tinctured with Brazil wood, 
 and is of little service in out-door painting, as 
 it immediately fades on exposure to light. It is 
 cheap, and being transparent, does very well for 
 a glaze for chairs or other furniture. — Red Lead, 
 or red oxide of lead, is of more use in boiling in 
 oil to make it dry than anything else. It is not 
 much used among painters on account of its fol- 
 ding quality, though it is used in some compound 
 mixtures. With chrome yellow, it makes a rich 
 ground for mahogany. It is a durable color, 
 and is therefore preferred by wheelwrights for 
 painting wagons. — Madder Lake is the only lake 
 that does not fade. A fine, transparent glaze 
 for beautiful and delicate work, but too expensive 
 for common work. Its composition is alum and 
 soda, or silicate of potash, or kaolin colored with 
 madder. — Venetian Red is an earth, found 
 in various parts of the world. It is the principal 
 body used for all common purposes. 
 
 RED LEAD, How Made, — A quantity of 
 lead is placed on the bed of a reverberatory fur- 
 nace of a peculiar construction, and exposed to a 
 high temperature, while the metal is constantly 
 agitated by striking it upon the surface with a 
 rake. A combination takes place between the 
 lead and the oxygen of the atmosphere, and the 
 oxide of lead thus formed is removed by the rake 
 to the back of the furnace. These operations 
 are continued during a period of twelve hours, 
 at the expiration of which time any metallic lead 
 which may have failed to become oxidized 
 is removed, and the remaining oxide is exposed, 
 by constant turning, to the action of the air, and, 
 at the termination of a further period of twelve 
 hours, is withdrawn from the furnace. The sub- 
 stance thus produced, which is called litharge, is 
 now ground to an impalpable powder with water, 
 and flows into a series of tubs, where it is kept 
 in a state of agitation by a revolving stirrer fur- 
 nished with arms. The particles of metal which 
 have escaped oxidation, having a greater specific 
 gravity in them than the oxide, remain in the 
 stirring tubs, while the oxide of lead passes on 
 into another series of tubs, where it subsides from 
 the water. The supernatant water is afterward 
 removed by a syphon, and the moist litharge 
 
PAINTING AND PAPERING. 
 
 263 
 
 transferred to a reverberatory furnace, where it is 
 exposed to the combined action of a low temper- 
 ature and a current of air for a period of twenty, 
 four hours. ' During this process, the htharge 
 enters into combination with a further quantity 
 of oxygen, and minium or red lead is produced. 
 The manufacture is completed by passing the 
 substance through a revolving cylinder of wire 
 gauze, to remove any lumps tliat may have been 
 formed, or any large particles of foreign matter 
 with which it may have become intermixed during 
 the previous operations. 
 
 -ROSEWOOD, To ' Imitate,— V>o\\ half a 
 pound logsvood in three pints water, till the mix- 
 ture is of a very dark red ; add half an ounce salt 
 of tartar. While boiling hot, stain your wood 
 with two or three coats, taking care that it nearly 
 dries between each ; then, with a stiff, flat brush, 
 such as is used for graining, form streaks with 
 the following black stain : Boil one pound log- 
 wood in four quarts water ; add a double hand- 
 ful of walnut peel or shells ; boil it up again, take 
 out the chips, add a pint best vinegar, and it will 
 be fit for use ; apply while hot. All this, if care, 
 fully executed, will produce very nearly the ap. 
 pearance of dark rosewood. 
 
 .RULES EOR PAINTERS.— I. Avoid spat- 
 tering, for it is unpleasant as well as dangerous 
 to be continually enveloped in robes of poisonous 
 paint. — 2. Never attempt to eat or sleep without 
 nrst washing the hands and face and rinsing the 
 mouth. — 3. Wash the whole surface of the body 
 at least once a week, with soft water. — 4. Keep 
 the buckets, brushes, etc., clean, so that they 
 . may be handled without smearing the hands. — 
 5. Every painter should wear overalls, or change 
 nis clothing throughout once a week at least, in 
 the mean time thoroughly airing those he has 
 tlirown off. — 6. Keep the shops clean and well 
 ventilated. — 7. Never sleep in a paint-shop, nor 
 in a newly-painted room, nor paint the walls of 
 a room with any of the metallic greens. — 8. Never 
 suffer the paint to accumulate upon the clothing, 
 nor upon the finger nails. — 9. Never wash tlie 
 hands in turpentine, as it relaxes the muscles 
 and injures the joints. , Any animal oil, or even 
 linseed oil, is better.— 10. Never drink water 
 that has stood any length of time in a paint-shop, 
 or in a newly-painted room. — 11. Never use spi- 
 rituous liquors, especially when aihng from the 
 effect of paint, as it unites with the mineral salts 
 and tends to harden them, and causes mflamma- 
 tion of the parts where they concrete. — 12. Milk, 
 sweet oil, and the like, should be used freely, as 
 they tend to soften the accumulated poisons, and 
 carry them off. — 13. Vinegar and acid fruits, 
 used constantly, unite with the lead that may 
 be in the stomach, chemically changing it to the 
 acetate, or sugar of lead, which is by far the least 
 dangerous. Acetate of lead is scarcely recogniz- 
 ed, in medical jurisprudence, as a poison. — 14. 
 Avoid breathing the dust when emptying papers 
 of dry colors. — 15. Make your smalts where there 
 is a current of air ; and, while stirring, stand to 
 •the windward, that you may not inhale the 
 smoke. 
 
 SIZE, GOLD.— VeWow ochre, I part ; copal 
 varnish, 2 parts; linseed oil, 3 parts ; turpentine, 
 4 parts; boiled oil, 5 parts. Mix. The ochre 
 must be in the state of the finest powder, and 
 ground with a little of the oil before mixing. 
 
 SIZE, Best. — Raw oil, heated in a pan till it 
 gives out a black smoke. ^ Set fire to it and let it 
 
 burn a few minutes. Extinguish it by covering 
 the pan over. Pour, while warm, into a bottle 
 containing pulverized red lead and litharge. Keep 
 in a warm place, slaking often, for two weeks, 
 then decant and bottle. 
 
 SIZE, Bronzing. — Asphaltum, boiled oil, and 
 turpentine, mixed in proportions to flow evenly. 
 
 SIZE, Inside. — Honey, diluted with water, 
 vinegar, or any liquor. Glue size, beer or ale, 
 white of egg, gum arable, or any glutinous or al- 
 buminous substance may be used. 
 
 SOLUBLE GLASS, in Painting.— SolxxUc 
 glass appears to furnish a means of applying cer- 
 tain colors to fresh wood, or clean iron, in a most 
 efficient manner, and at a very slight cost com- 
 pared with oil. It can also be used advantage- 
 ously for painting houses, basket ware, decora- 
 tions for theatres, etc., and is especially suitable 
 in the latter case, as it renders wood incombust- 
 ible to a certain extent, instead of increasing the 
 danger from fire, as with oil paint. Care must, 
 of course, be taken to use only such mineral 
 colors as are not decomcosed by the glass, such 
 as ultramarine, chrome green, Nuremburg green, 
 yellow and red earth ochre, green earth, terra de 
 sienna, etc. In coating paper with this paint a 
 little glycerine maybe added to prevent its break- 
 ing. Coralline, Ponceau and Vesuvine have also 
 been used to advantage in connection with sol- 
 uble glass. 
 
 STAIN {Black), for Wood.—Yom 2 qts. boil- 
 ing water over i oz. of powdered extract of log- 
 wood, and, when the solution is effected, i dr. 
 of yellow chromate of potash is added, and the 
 whole well stirred. It is then ready for use as 
 a wood-stain, or for writing-ink. When rubbed 
 on wood, it produces a pure black. Repeat with 
 two, three or four applications, till a deep black 
 is produced, which acquires the highest beauty 
 when polished or stained. 
 
 STAIN, Blue. — i. Solution of sulphate of in- 
 digo is used hot, and while hot, a solution of 
 cream of tartar, 3 oz., in water, i qt. — 2. A solu- 
 tion of verditer is brushed over until the wood 
 appears a dark green, and then a hot solution is 
 applied of pearlash, 2 ozs., in boiling water, I 
 pint. 
 
 STAIN, Cherry. — ^Take rain water, 3 qts.; 
 anotta, 4 ozs.; boil in a copper kettle until the 
 anotta is dissolved ; then put in a piece of potash 
 the size of a common walnut, and keep it on the 
 fire about half an hour longer, and it is ready for 
 use. Bottle for keeping. 
 
 STAIN, Ebony. — Take a solution of sulphate 
 of iron, and wash the wood over with it two or 
 three times : let it dry, and apply two or three 
 coats of a strong decoction of logwood ; wipe the 
 wood when dry with a sponge and water, and 
 polish with oil. 
 
 STAIN, Purple. — Log\vood, I lb.; Brazil 
 I wood, 4 ozs. ; water, I gallon ; boil 3 hours, 
 brush it on while hot, and when dry, use a solu- 
 tion of pearlash, I drachm, in water, i quart. 
 
 STAIN, Red.— I. water, I gallon, Brazil 
 wood,J lb.; pearlash, I oz.; boil for 3 hours, 
 brush it hot over the wood, and then, while wet, 
 brush the wood with a solution of alum, 2 ozs., 
 in water, I quart. — 2. Light. Add to each gallon 
 of the last 2 ozs. more pearlash. — 3. Dayk. Log- 
 wood, 8 ozs.; water, 2 quarts; boil till of a deep 
 color, and add carbonate of potash, %,oz.; brush 
 it hot over the wood. 
 
 STAIN, Rosewood. — Take equal parts of 
 
264 
 
 DICTIONARY OF E VERY-DA Y. WANTS.. 
 
 logwood and redwood chips, and boil well in just 
 sufficient water to mak^ a strong stain ; apply it to 
 the furniture while hot, I or 2, or even 3 coats 
 may be put on, one directly after the other, ac- 
 cording to the depth of color desired. 
 
 STAIN, Yellow. — I. Water, I gallon; French 
 berries, l lb.; alum, ^ oz.; boil for 2 hours, and 
 use it hot. — 2. Logwood decoction without a 
 mordant. — 3. Spirit of wine, I pint; turmeric, I 
 oz.; digest 14 days, and strain. 
 
 STAIN, Bright Yell<nv. — i. Brush over 
 with the tincture of turmeric. — 2. Warm the 
 work, and brush it over with weak aquafortis : 
 varnish or oil as usual. — 3. A very small bit of 
 aloes put into the varnish will give a rich yellow 
 color to the wood. 
 
 STAIN for FLOORS. — To strong lye of 
 wood-ashes add enough copperas for the required 
 oak shade. Put this on with a mop, and varnish 
 afterwards. 
 
 TIMBER, Why it should be painted.— V^'h^n. 
 water is applied to the smooth surface of timber, 
 a thin layer of the wood will be raised above its 
 natural position by the expansion or swelling of 
 the particles near the surface. In colloquial 
 phrase, workmen say that when water is applied 
 to a smooth board, the grain of the timber will 
 be raised. Every successive wetting will raise 
 the grain more and more; and the water will 
 dissolve and wash away the soluble portions with 
 which it comes in contact. As the surface dries, 
 the grain of the timber at the surface, having 
 been reduced in bulk, must necessarily shrink to 
 such an extent as to produce cracks. Now, if a 
 f)iece of oil-cloth be pasted over the surface, the 
 timber will be kept quite dry.- Consequently, 
 the grain of the wood will not be subjected to 
 the alternate influences of wet and heat. As it 
 is not practicable to apply oil-cloth ready made, 
 a liquid or semi-liquid maferial is employed for 
 covering the surface, which will adhere firmly, 
 and serve the purpose of oil-cloth in excluding 
 water that would otherwise enter, to the injury 
 of the work. Metallic substances are painted to 
 prevent oxidation or rusting of the surfaces which 
 may be exposed to moisture. 
 
 It is of primary importance to make use of 
 such materials as will form over the surface a 
 smooth and tenacious pellicle, impervious to 
 water. Any material that will not exclude water 
 sufficiently to prevent the expansion of the grain 
 of the timber, or the oxidation of metallic sub- 
 stances, must be comparatively worthless for 
 paint. Linseed-oil possesses the property of dry- 
 ing when spread on a surface, and forming a te- 
 nacious covering, impervious to water. Spirits of 
 turpentine, benzine, benzole, and certain kinds 
 of lubricating oil, all of which are frequently 
 used in preparing paint, will not form a covering 
 sufficiently tough and hard to resist the action of 
 water ; for which reason, the paint that is made 
 by employing these volatile materials will be 
 found comparatively worthless for outside work. 
 A pigment is mingled with the oil to prevent the 
 timber to which the paint is applied from^bsorb- 
 ing the oil. The design is not to saturate the 
 wood with oil, but simply to cover the surface 
 with a coating resembling a thin oil-cloth. 
 
 TINTS, Mixing. — ^The first principle in mix- 
 ing tints is to take the body color, or that ingre- 
 dient which predominates, and add to it, gradu- 
 ally, the other colors. The principal ingredient 
 may be thick, but the others must invariably be 
 
 thin, or the lumps will spread out under the 
 brush, leaving a streak of corresponding color. 
 
 In describing the manner of mixing tints, the 
 predominant color will be mentioned first, the 
 second next, and so on, as it would be impos- 
 sible to give the exact proportion of each color 
 used in any given tint. Thus, for instance, 
 violet is mostly red, the next in quantity blue, 
 and the least white, and so on. In this manner 
 the following table exhibits almost every tint 
 which the painter will be likely to require, leav- 
 ing to his taste the peculiar tone : — 
 
 Table of Tints, and the Colors necessary to 
 produce them. 
 Gray, White Lead and Lampblacl;. 
 
 Buff, White and Yellow Ochrc; Red. 
 
 Pearl, White, Black, Blue. 
 
 Orange, Yellow, Red. 
 
 Violet, Red, Blue, White 
 
 Purple Vi'jlet, with the additioa of Red and 
 
 White. 
 Gold, White Stone Ochre : Red. 
 
 Olive, Yellow, Blue, Black, White. 
 
 Chestnut, Red, Black, Yellow. 
 
 Flesh, White, Yellow Ochre, Vermilion. 
 
 Limestone, White, Yellow Ochre, Black, Red. 
 
 Sandstone, White, Yellow Ochre, Black, Red. 
 
 Freestone, Red, Black, Yellow Ochre, White. 
 
 Fawn, White, Yellow, Red. 
 
 Chocolate, Raw Umber, Red, Black. 
 
 Diab, White, Raw.and Burnt Umbers; or White, 
 
 Yellow Ochre, Red, Black. 
 Bronze Green, Chrome Green, Black, Yellow, or Black 
 
 and Yellow, or Black and Green. 
 Pea Green, White and Chrome Green. 
 Rose, White, Madder Lake. 
 
 Copper, Red, Yellow, Black. 
 
 Lemon White, Yellow. 
 
 Snuff, Yellow, Vandyke Brown. 
 
 Claret, Red, Umber, Black. 
 
 Dove, White, Vermilion, Blue, Yellow. 
 
 Pink, White, Vermilion, Lake. 
 
 Cream, White, Yellow. 
 
 Salmon, White, Yellow, Raw Umber, Red. 
 
 Straw, White, Chrome Yellow. 
 
 Peach Blossom, White, Red, Blue, Yellow. 
 Lilac, White, with Violet. 
 
 Changeable, Red, Green, lightened with White. 
 
 Remarks. — Any of the positive colors are made 
 to any degree of lightness with white or yellow. 
 
 Colors for tints work best when mixed with 
 raw oil. 
 
 All tints must be graduated by the taste of 
 the artist, recollecting that practice and experience 
 are great helps. 
 
 The finer the quality of the colors used, the 
 purer and more beautiful will be the tints. 
 
 All colors should be ground before mixing, as 
 the dry color does not stir in well. 
 
 UL TRAMARINE.—A. vitreous matter color- 
 ed by oxide of cobalt, gives a tone of color dif- 
 ferent from that of the prussiate of iron and in- 
 digo. It is employed for sky-blues. The case 
 is the same with blue verditer, a preparation 
 made from oxide of copper and lime. Both these 
 blues stand well in distemper, in varnish, and in 
 oil. 
 
 Saxon blue requires to be ground with drying 
 oil, and to be mixed with gallipot varnish. If 
 intended for oil painting, it is to be mixed up 
 with resinous drying oil, which gives body to 
 this vitreous matter. 
 
 ULTRAMARINE, Artificial.— S\x\\)h\ir, 2 
 parts ; dry carbonate of soda, I part. Put them 
 into a Hessian crucible, cover it up, and apply 
 heat until the mass fuses ; then sprinkle into it 
 gradually a mixture of silicate of soda .ind alu- 
 minate of soda (the first containing 72 parts of 
 silica, the second, 70 parts of alumina) ; lastly, 
 calcine for I hour, and wash in pure water. 
 
PAINTING AND PAPERING. 
 
 265 
 
 ULTRAMARINE, To know when Adidier- 
 atid. — As the price of ultramarine, which is 
 already very high, may become more so on ac- 
 count of the difficulty of obtaining lapis lazuli, it 
 is of great importance that painters should be 
 able to detect adulteration. Ultramarine is pure 
 if, when brought to a red heat in a crucible, it 
 stands that trial without changing its color ; as 
 small quantities only are subjected to this test, a 
 comparison may be made, at very little expense, 
 with the part which has not been exposed to the 
 fire. If adulterated, it becomes blackish or paler. 
 
 This proof, however, may not always be con- 
 clusive. When ultramarine of the lowest quality 
 is mixed with azure, it exhibits no more body 
 than sand ground on porphyry would do ; ultra- 
 marine treated with oil assumes a brown tint. 
 
 VARNISHING. — All work before being 
 varnished, should be prepared with a dead sur- 
 face, either by mixing with turpentine or by rub- 
 bing down with pumice stone. In very finely 
 finished work, requiring a level surface, rub 
 down with solid pumice stone and water ; where 
 only smoothness is necessary, rub with pulver- 
 ized pumice stone with water, using for a rubber 
 any woolen cloth, or felt, or buckskin. — The first 
 Coats should be spread on evenly, and well rub- 
 bed out. Two, or four, or six coats may be 
 given without rubbing ; then, previous to the 
 last coat, rub till the gloss is destroyed, after 
 which give it a heavy flowing coat. — The Flowing 
 Coat. Where work is to be finished on a cheaper 
 plan, the rubbing need not be done. In this 
 case give two or three coats, well rubbed out, 
 and while the last coat is quite sticky, so as to 
 make the brush drag through a little toughly, 
 put on a heavy flowing coat of thick varnish — 
 put on so heavily that it will flow evenly of it- 
 self. This, after thoroughly dry, may be polish- 
 ed. — Polishing. Rub down with finely pulverized 
 pumice stone till smooth and even; wash off. 
 Then rub witb rotten stone and sweet oil. Clean 
 ofit the oil, and polish with chamois leather. 
 Some use only the hand to finish with, which 
 is quite as good after being rubbed with rotten 
 stone and sweet oil. If the under coats of paint 
 are not thoroughly dry, the varnish will be apt 
 to crack. 
 
 VARNISHING, Cleaning Paint Previous 
 to. — Provide a plate, with some of the best whit- 
 ing to be found in the market, and have ready 
 some clean warm water and a piece of flannel, 
 which dip into the water and squeeze nearly dry; 
 then take as much whiting as will adhere to it; 
 apply it to the painted surface, when a little rub- 
 bing will instantly remove any dirt or grease ; 
 after which wash the part well with clean water, 
 rubbing it dry with a soft cloth or chamois. 
 Paint thus cleaned looks as well as when first 
 laid on, without any injury to the most delicate 
 colors. It is far better than cleaning it with 
 soap, and does not require more than half the 
 time usually employed in cleaning with that 
 article. 
 
 VARNISH, Manufacture of. — ^The varnish 
 we shall more particularly describe is that made 
 by intimately mixing gum copal with linseed oil 
 and diluting the mixture with turpentine — the 
 preparation of which requires no small amount 
 of care and attention, and was formerly attended 
 with no little danger from fire. Copal is a resin 
 found exuding from the Rhus copallinum, a tree 
 growing in several parts of America, and from 
 
 the Eloeocarpus copallifera, a tree found in the 
 East Indies ; it is also imported from the coasts 
 of Guinea. The two latter kinds are generally 
 allowed to be the best, and are commonly known 
 as African. 
 
 The object to be obtained in the preparation of 
 varnish is to impart to it a quick-drying property, 
 retaining at the same time transparency and 
 elasticity. To secure these characteristics great 
 care is necessary, in melting the gum, in boiling 
 that and the oil together for the requisite time 
 and at the proper degree of heat, and in the com- 
 plete solution of the resinous matter employed. 
 To achieve these results a pure and limpid sample 
 of oil is generally chosen, which is placed in a 
 copper pan holding from 80 to 100 gallons, and 
 heat gradually applied till the scum rises, after 
 removing which the oil is allowed to boil for 
 about two hours, when it is dosed with calcined 
 magnesia in the proportion of an ounce to every 
 four gallons of oil, but added by degrees and 
 with occasional stirrings. This being completed, 
 the oil is again boiled briskly for about an hour, 
 and then, the furnace being drawn, allowed to 
 cool. When the temperature is sufficiently re- 
 duced, it is removed to leaden cisterns, where it 
 is stored till fit for use. 
 
 Under the old system of making varnish, the 
 gum pot and oil pot were open to the atmosphere 
 of the shop in which the operation is performed"; 
 but the vapors arising during the process are now 
 either taken into the furnace shaft, or condensed 
 into liquid by suitable refrigerators. The modus 
 operandi is somewhat as follows. The oil being 
 placed in its boiler and approaching the requisite 
 degree of temperature — namely, that at which the 
 gum melts, the copal is placed in its copper, 
 about 10 lb. being the usual quantity fused at a 
 time. In a few minutes it begins to melt, and 
 gives off unpleasant vapors. When thoroughly 
 melted and clear a portion of the oil is added, 
 and the mixture boiled and stirred till of the pro- 
 per consistency ; it is then taken and emptied into 
 the boiling pot, from which the requisite quantity 
 of oil for the following charges of gum has been 
 previously withdrawn. The gum pot being 
 thoroughly cleansed, another portion of the gum 
 is placed in it and melted in a similar manner to 
 the first, and so on, till sufficient gum has been 
 fused for the quantity of oil prepared. The whole 
 is then placed on the furnace and boiled till a 
 scum rises and spreads gradually over the whole 
 surface, which then froths up rapidly in the same 
 way as boiling milk, and must be instantly re- 
 moved, when the scum being stirred down, the 
 dryers are added, a little at a time, and the boil- 
 ing continued till the mixture feels stringy to the 
 fingers. The boiling pot is then removed from 
 the fire, and when sufficiently cool, turpentine is 
 added till the desired consistency is attained, 
 when the varnish may be placed in the storing 
 tanks. Formerly a great waste of turpentine 
 took place by evaporation through mixing it 
 while the varnish was still too hot ; but of late 
 years a vast improvement has been adopted 
 in this respect, and it has been practically de- 
 monstrated that not only is there no necessity 
 for "boiling" the oil and gum after incorporation, 
 but that the produce is equally good if the tur- 
 pentine be added just before the mixture becomes 
 too cold to permit of a perfect amalgamation. 
 In fact, it is now acknowledged that the oil need 
 not be raised to a higher temperature than that 
 
266 
 
 DICTIONARY OF E VERY-DAY WANTS. 
 
 at which the gum employed fuses, and that when 
 the two are mixed the lowest possible degree of 
 heat which will insure their incorporation, is suf- 
 ficient to secure all the results desired. By this 
 method a large quantity of the turpentine form- 
 erly lost in evaporation is saved, and there is, 
 moreover, less risk of fire. It is indeed a moot 
 point whether it is absolutely necessary to add 
 turpentine in quantity at all, as even when the 
 loss during the preparation of the varnish is re- 
 duced to a minimum, a still further reduction oc- 
 curs whilst the varnish is ageing and clearing in 
 the storing tanks, and it is sometimes found ne- 
 cessary to thin it before it can be used. 
 
 To prevent the workmen being distressed by 
 the pungent odors of the melting gum, in mo- 
 dern varnish factories the boiling and gum pots 
 are placed close together, and by means of caps 
 and heads (provided with openings to facilitate 
 stirring,) the pots are connected with chimneys 
 which carry off all vapors into the smoke shaft, 
 or to the condensing tanks. A close fitting cover 
 is also provided for the boiling pot to extinguish 
 the flames in case the oil should take fire — a 
 great improvement on the old fashioned carpet, 
 which an assistant stood ready to throw over in 
 case of accident ; while tramways are laid down 
 so that the boiling mixtures can be rapidly con- 
 veyed into the open air in the event of firing, 
 and for the purpose of cooling before the addition 
 of the turpentine. 
 
 VARNISHES, Care of.—k% a rule all var- 
 nishes should be kept in a dry place (there may 
 be few exceptions), otherwise they are liable to 
 become tacky. It should also be observed that 
 they should be applied in a dry place. Much, 
 indeed, depends upon the state of the weather 
 when they are employed — more than is easily 
 credited — and the work should be kept in a warm 
 place until thoroughly dry. 
 
 All varnishes in which spirits of wine is the 
 menstruum should be used in a warm place. 
 
 VARNISH-BRUSHES, Care ^/.—Brushes 
 used for applying finishing varnishes should be 
 cared for with the utmost pains, as good work 
 depends much upon the good condition of the 
 brushes. A good way to keep them is to sus- 
 pend them by the handles in a covered can, keep- 
 ing the points at least half an inch from the bot- 
 tom, and apart from each other. The can should 
 be filled with slow-drying varnish up to a line 
 about a sixteenth of an inch above the bristles or 
 hair. The can should then be kept in a close 
 cupboard, or in a box fitted for the purpose. As 
 wiping a brush on a sharp edge of tin will gra- 
 dually split the bristles, cause them to curl back- 
 ward, and eventually ruin the brush, the top of 
 the can should have a wire soldered along the 
 edge of the tin turned over, in order to prevent 
 injury. Finishing brushes should not be cleans- 
 ed in turpentine, except in extreme cases. When 
 taken from the can, prepare them for use by 
 working them out in varnish, and before replac- 
 ing them cleanse the handles and binding with 
 turpentine. 
 
 VARNISH, Amber.— \. Amber, l lb.; pale 
 boiled oil, lo oz.; turpentine, i pint. Render 
 the amber, placed in an iron pot, semi-liquid by 
 heat ; then add the oil ; mix, remove it from the 
 fire, and when cooled a little, stir in the turpen- 
 tine. — 2. To the amber, melted as above, add 2 
 ozs. of shellac, and proceed as before. This varn- 
 ish is rather dark, but remarkably tough. The 
 
 first form is the best. It is used for the same 
 purposes as copal varnish, and forms an excellent 
 article for covering wood, or any other substance 
 not of a white or very pale color. It dries well, 
 and is very hard and durable. 
 
 VARNISH, {Black) Amber.— Amher, I lb.; 
 boiled oil, ^ pint; powdered asphaltum, 6 ozs.; 
 oil of turpentine, I pint. Melt the amber, as 
 before described, then add the asphaltum, pre- 
 viously mixed with the cold oil, and afterwards 
 heated very hot, mix well, remove the vessel 
 from the fire, and when cooled a little add the 
 turpentine, also made warm. 
 
 Each of the above varnishes should be reduced 
 to a proper consistence with more turpentine if 
 it be required. The last form produces the 
 beautiful black varnish used by the coachmakers. 
 Some manufacturers omit the whole or part of 
 the asphaltum, and use the same quantity of 
 clear black rosin instead, in which case the color 
 is brought up by lampblack reduced to an impal- 
 pable powder, or previously ground very fine 
 with a little boiled oil. The varnish made in this 
 way, lacks, however, that richness, brilliancy, 
 and depth of blackness imparted by asphaltum. 
 
 VARNISH, Black. — This is quick drying, 
 and cheap for common purposes, such as iron 
 fences and other rough work. Black Pitch, 28 
 pounds, Asphaltum, from Tar, 28 pounds. Boil 
 eight or ten hours, then add 8 gallons boiled oil,' 
 and gradually ID pounds red lead, and 10 pounds 
 litharge. Boil for 3 hours longer, and add, when 
 lukewarm, enough turpentine to thin for working 
 freely. 
 
 This varnish will dry in a few minutes, i 
 
 VARNISH, Black G'/rt/.— Lampblack, made 
 of burnt vine-twigs, or black of pe.ich-stones. 
 The lampblack must be carefully washed and 
 afterwards dried. Washing carries off a great 
 many of its impurities. 
 
 VARNISH, Black yrt/rt«. — Burnt umber 8 
 oz.; true asphaltum 3 or 4 oz.; boiled linseed oil 
 I gallon; grind the umber with a little of the oil; 
 add it to the asphaltum, previously dissolved in a 
 small quantity of the oil by heat; mix, add the 
 remainder of the oil, boil, cool, and thin with a 
 sufficient quantity of oil of turpentine. Flexible. 
 
 VARNISH, Camphor. — Gum Copal, 4ounces; 
 oil lavender, 12 ounces ; gum camphor, j^ ounce. 
 Heat the oil and camphor in a pan, stirring ; then 
 add the copal in small quantities. — When dissolv- 
 ed, stir and add turpentine almost in a boiling 
 state. 
 
 This is transparent, pli-able, and durable. 
 For varnishing wire gauze, muslin, etc. 
 
 VARNISH, CaoHtchotic. ~ Digest 2 parts of 
 caoutchouc, cut in shreds or small pieces in 64 
 parts of rectified oil of turpentine ; strain through 
 a linen cloth. 
 
 VARNISH, Cabinet-makers'.— Ytry pale 
 shellac 5 lbs.; mastich 7 oz.; alcohol, of 90 per 
 cent., 5 or 6 pints; dissolve in the cold with fre- 
 quent stirring. Used for French polishing, etc. 
 It is always opaque. A similar varnish, made 
 with weaker spirit, is used by bookbinders to 
 varnish morocco leather book covers. 
 
 VARNISH, cheap. — The beautiful varnish 
 applied to Connecticut clockcases, wooden picture- 
 frames, and other cheap objects, is in appearance 
 equal to the elaborate finish of the finest furniture, 
 such as pianos, etc. It is made by mixing two 
 
 f)ounds of copal varnish with half an ounce of 
 inseed-oil varnish. The mixture is shaken oflen 
 
PAINTING AND PAPERING. 
 
 967 
 
 to mix it well, and is then placed on a warm spot. 
 The wood to be varnished is prepared with a 
 thin coat of glue- water, dried slowly, and rubbed 
 down with fine pumice-stone or something equiv- 
 alent. In light-colored wood, a light pigment, 
 such as chalk, is added to the glue-water ; in 
 dark wood, an equally dark pigment is added. 
 When ready, the articles are varnished with the 
 above mixture, and, after drying, rubbed with a 
 solution of wax in ether, thereby acquiring a 
 high polish. 
 
 VARNISH, Coachmakers" . — The fine black 
 varnish of the coachmakers is said to be prepared 
 by melting i6 ounces of amber in an iron pot, 
 adding to it half a pint of drying linseed-oil, boil- 
 ing hot, of powdered resin and asphaltum, 3 
 ounces each. When the materials are well uni- 
 ted, by stirring over the fire, they are to be re- 
 moved, and after cooling for some time, a pint of 
 warm oil of turpentine is to be introduced. 
 
 VARNISH, Colorless. — Dissolve two ounces 
 and a half of shellac in a pint of rectified spirits 
 of wine ; boil for a few minutes with five ounces 
 of well-burned and recently-heated animal char- 
 coal. A small portion of the solution should 
 then be filtered, and if not colorless, more char- 
 coal must be added. When all color is removed, 
 press the liquor through a piece of silk, and af- 
 terward filter through fine blotting-paper. This 
 kind of varnish should be used in a room of at 
 least sixty degrees Fahr., perfectly free from 
 dust. It dries in a few minutes, and is not lia- 
 ble afterward to chill or bloom. It is particu- 
 larly applicable to drawings and prints that have 
 been sized, and may be used for gilding. 
 
 VARNISH, Copal. — i. Gum copal, 8 pounds ; 
 linseed oil, 2 gallons ; sugar of lead, ^ pound ; 
 turpentine, 3^ gallons. Boil till stringy. — 
 2. Gum copal, 8 pounds; oil, 2^ gallons; sul- 
 phate of iron, ^ pound; turpentine, 5j^ gallons. 
 This is a good varnish for house and sign paint- 
 ing. In making the above varnishes, the gum 
 should be melted in a small quantity of boiling 
 oil, and poured gradually into the kettle contain- 
 ing the other oil, while boiling. When it is all 
 done, and cool enough so as not to ignite the 
 turpentine, the turpentine should be added. 
 
 VARNISH, Copal {Nr^ Preparation of.) — 
 Dissolve one part of camphor in twelve parts of 
 ether. When the camphor is completely dissolv- 
 ed, add four parts of colorless and finely-pow- 
 dered copal. The copal to be carefully selected. 
 Place this mixture in a bottle and shake until the 
 copal is swollen and partly dissolved, then add 
 four parts of proof alcohol and one quarter of a 
 part of rectified spirits of turpentine ; shake again 
 sufficiently, and the varnish is ready for use. 
 After the bottle has stood several days, however, 
 the varnish divides into two distinct strata; the 
 lower richer in copal, but the upper finer and 
 perfectly colorless. Professor Boettger, the 
 author of the formula, claims the superiority in 
 transparency, elasticity, hardness, and durability 
 for this varnish. The lower stratum may be 
 again treated with camphor, etc. 
 
 VARNISH, Crystal. — Genuine pale Canada 
 balsam and rectified oil of turpentine, equal parts; 
 mix, place the bottle in warm water, agitate well, 
 set it aside, in a moderately warm place, and in 
 a week pour oflfthe clear. Used for maps, prints, 
 drawings, and other articles of paper, and also 
 to prepare tracing paper, and to transfer engra- 
 vings. 
 
 VARNISH, Fat Co/al.—Take picked copal, 
 16 oz.; prepared linseed oil, or oil of poppies, 
 8 oz.; essence of turpentine, 16 oz. 
 
 Liquefy the copal m a matrass over a common 
 fire, and then add the linseed oil, or oil of poppies, 
 in a state of ebullition ; when these matters are 
 incorporated, take the matrass from the fire, stir 
 the matter till the greatest heat is subsided, and 
 then add the essence of turpentine warm. Strain 
 the whole, while still warm, through a piece of 
 linen, and put the varnish into a wide-mouthed 
 bottle. Time contributes towards its clarifi- 
 cation, and in this manner it acquires a better 
 quality. 
 
 VARNISH, Flexible. — I. India rubber in 
 shavings I oz.; mineral naphtha 2 lbs.; digest 
 at a gentle heat in a close vessel till dissolved, 
 and strain. — 2. India rubber i oz.; drying oil I 
 quart; dissolve by as little heat as possible, em- » 
 ploying constant stirring, then strain. — 3. Lin- 
 seed oil I gallon ; dried white copperas and sugar 
 of lead, of each 3 oz.; litharge 8 oz.; boil with 
 constant agitation till it strings well, then cool 
 slowly and decant the clear. If too thick, thin 
 it with quick-drying linseed oil. The above are 
 used for balloons, gas bags, etc. 
 
 VARNISH for 6^/ajj.— Pulverized gum trag- 
 acanth, white of egg, equal quantity. Stand till 
 dissolted. Spread on the glass carefully with a 
 brush. 
 
 VARNISH, Glaze, — Powdered sealing wax, 
 ]/^ ounce ; alcohol, 95 per cent., 2 ounces. Keep 
 in a bottle in a warm place till the wax is dis- 
 solved. 
 
 This varnish gives a beautiful glazed polish to 
 paper, straw, leather, and the like. 
 
 VARNISH, Gold. — Pulverized gum copal, 
 I ounce; oil lavender, 2 ounces; turpentine, 6 
 ounces. Put the oil in a pan on hot sand. When 
 warm, add the turpentine and copal as in the 
 camphor varnish. 
 
 VARNISH, Gold-colored CV/^/.— Take copal 
 in powder, I oz.; essential oil of lavender, 2 oz.; 
 essence of turpentine, 6 oz. 
 
 Put the essential oil of lavender into a matrass 
 of a proper size, placed on a sand-bath heated 
 gently. Add to the oil while very warm, and at 
 several times, the copal powder, and stir the 
 mixture with a stick of white wood rounded at 
 the end. When the copal has entirely disappear- 
 ed, add at three different times the essence al- 
 most in a state of ebullition, and keep continually 
 stirring the mixture. When the solution is com- 
 pleted, the result will be a varnish of a gold color, 
 exceedingly durable and brilliant. 
 
 VARNISH, Gum Elastic — India, rubber, 
 cut fine, ^ pound; linseed oil, ^ pound; tur- 
 pentine, % pound. Add the gum to the oil 
 while boiling. When dissolved, add the turpen- 
 tine. Boil the whole till clear, and strain. 
 Dries slow ; if desired to dry quicker, use boiled 
 oil. This varnish is brilliant, durable, and makes 
 the cloth pliable. 
 
 VARNISH, Impermeable. — Boiled oil, lOO 
 parts ; finely powdered litharge, 6 parts ; genuine , , 
 bees'-wax, 5 parts. Boil until sufficiently thick j, 
 and stringy, then pour off the clear. 
 
 VARMISH, India Rubber. — Digest India- 
 rubber, cut into small pieces, in benzine for sev- 
 eral days, frequently shaking the bottle contain- 
 ing the materials. A jelly will be formed, which 
 will separate from the benzine; this dissolved in 
 the fixed and vol*tile oils, dries fast, does not 
 
268 
 
 DICTIONARY OF E VERY-DAY WANTS. 
 
 crack or shine, unless mixed with some resinous 
 substance. 
 
 VARNISH, Italian. — 1. Boil Scio turpen- 
 tine till brittle, powder, and dissolve in oil of 
 turpentine. — 2. Canada balsam and clear white 
 rosin, of each 6 oz.; oil of turpentine I quart; dis- 
 solve. Used for prints, etc. 
 
 VARNISH, yapan. — Gum shellac, 2 pounds; 
 oil, I gallon; red lead, I pound; litharge, I 
 pound ; umber, % pound. Melt the gum in a 
 small quantity of oil, and then add it, gradually, 
 to the other oil while it is boiling. Boil the 
 whole till stringy. 
 
 This is a good, strong drver, which gives to 
 the paint a high gloss. 
 
 VARNISH, Lac. — I. Seedlac 3 oz.; tur- 
 meric I oz.; dragon's blood ^ oz.; alcohol i 
 pint ; digest for a week, frequently shaking, de- 
 cant and filter. Deep gold colored. 
 
 2. Ground turmeric I lb.; gamboge l^ oz.; 
 gum sandarach 3^ lbs.; shellac ^4 lb.; all in pow- 
 der ; rectified spirit of wine 2 gallons ; dissolve, 
 strain, and add turoentine varnish I pint. Gold 
 colored. 
 
 3. Spanish annotto 3 lbs.; dragon's blood I 
 lb.; gum sandarach 3^ lbs.; rectified spirit 2 
 gallons; turpentine varnish i quart; dissolve and 
 mix as the last. Red colored. 
 
 4. Gamboge cut small I oz.; Cape aloes cut 
 small 3 oz.; pale shellac I lb.; rectified spirit 2 
 gallons; as the last. Pale brass colored. 
 
 5. Seedlac, dragon's blood, annotto, and gam- 
 boge, of each ^ lb.; saffron I oz.; rectified spirit 
 of wine 5 quarts; as last. 
 
 Lacquers are used upon polished metals and 
 wood to impart the appearance of gold. As they 
 are wanted of different depths and shades of color, 
 it is best to keep a concentrated solution of each 
 coloring ingredient ready, so that it may at any 
 time be added to produce any desired tint. 
 
 VARNISH, Mastic. — Very pale and picked 
 gum mastic, 5 l^s.; glass pounded as small as 
 barley, and well washed and dried, 1]^ lbs.; 
 rectified turpentine 2 gallons ; put them into a 
 clean 4 gallon stone or tin bottle, bung down 
 securely, and keep rolling it backwards and for- 
 wards pretty smartly on a counter or any other 
 solid place for at least 4 hours; when, if the gum 
 is all dissolved, the varnish may be decanted, 
 strained through muslin into another bottle, and 
 allowed to settle. It should be kept for 6 or 9 
 months before use, as it thereby gets both tougher 
 and clearer. 
 
 VARNISH, Mahogany. — Sorted gum anime 
 8 lbs.; clarified oil 3 gallons; litharge and pow- 
 dered dried sugar of lead, of each ^ lb.; boil 
 till it strings well, then cool a little, thin with oil 
 of turpentine ^Yt gallons, and strain. 
 
 VARNISH, Oak. — I. Clear pale rosin, 3^ 
 lbs.; oil of turpentine I gallon; dissolve. — 2. 
 Clear Venice turpentine 4 lbs.; oil of turpentine 5 
 lbs.; mix. Both are good common varnishes for 
 wood or metal. 
 
 VARNISH, 0/7.— Rosin 3 lbs.; melt, add 
 Venice turpentine 2 lbs.; pale drying oil i gallon; 
 cool a little and thin with oil of turpentine I quart. 
 — 2. Rosin 3 lbs.; drying oil ^ gallon; melt 
 and thin with oil of turpentine 2 quarts. Both 
 the above are good varnishes for common work. 
 
 VARNISH, Seedlac. — Wash three ounces of 
 seedlac in several waters, dry it, and powder it 
 coarsely. Dissolve it in one pint of rectified 
 spirits of wine, put it in a gentle heat, shaking 
 
 as often as convenient, until it appears dissolved, 
 pour off the clear, and strain the remainder. 
 
 VARNISH, Shellac— Qvixa. shellac, % pound; 
 alcohol, I pint. Keep in a warm place till the 
 gum is dissolved. • 
 
 This makes a splendid polish for any fine ar- 
 ticle of furniture, guns, etc. It is best rubbed 
 on with a cloth ; moisten the cloth with the pol- 
 ish, and rub over the work briskly. It dries in 
 a moment, and twenty coats may be put on in as 
 many minutes. It is also a good (perhaps the 
 best) thing for killing gnats, and is altogether a 
 very useful article, and no paint-shop should be 
 without it. Rough and weather-beaten signs, 
 cloth, and such like may be coated with it, which 
 will make the work hold up the color better. Dry 
 paints may also be ground in it, for painting 
 signs on cloth or paper. It holds the colors from 
 flying, and will stand the weather. 
 
 VARN^ISH, Stone. — The method of coating 
 wood with a varnish as hard as stone has been 
 introduced into Germany. The ingredients are 
 forty parts of chalk, forty of rosin, four of lin- 
 seed oil, to be melted together in an iron pot. 
 One part of native oxide of copper and one of 
 sulphuric acid are then to be added, after which 
 the composition is ready for use. It is applied 
 hot to the wood with a brush, ill the same way 
 as paint, and as before observed becomes exceecl- 
 ingly hard on drying. 
 
 VARNISH. Tar. {For Wood or Iron.) — 
 One gallon of'^coal tar, half a pint of spirits of 
 turpentine, two ounces of oil of vitriol, stirred, 
 and laid on like paint. Mix, with a piece of 
 wood or stick, the tar and vitriol, and then add 
 the turpentine, and apply with a brush. Mix no 
 more than you can use at once, and then apply 
 it as it becomes thick. 
 
 VARN^ISH, Turpentine. — Rosin, 5 pounds; 
 turpentine, I gallon. Boil till the rosin is dis- 
 solved. 
 
 VARNISH, Water Proof.— kn excellent wa- 
 ter proof varnish, without alcohol, for various ar- 
 ticles, is prepared by taking three parts, by 
 weight, of pale shellac, one part of spirits of sal- 
 ammoniac, and six or eight of water, and shak- 
 ing them together in a bottle, and to be then 
 corked up for twelve hours. This is then placed 
 in an earthen vessel over a fire, and boiled, with 
 constant stirring, till the shellac is dissolved. 
 This solution replaces to great advantage the al- 
 coholic solutions of shellac; and when mixed 
 with about twelve parts of water, with the addi- 
 tion of terra de sienna or ochre, can be used in 
 the preparation of oil cloths. After a little ex- 
 
 [)osure to the air, the ammonia evaporates, and 
 eaves a layer entirely impervious to, and unal- 
 tered by water. The same solutions may also be 
 used in various combinations for staining wood 
 of a brown color, and rendering it at tlie same 
 time water proof. 
 
 VARNISH, White CV>/<7/. — White oxide of 
 lead, ceruse, Spanish white, white clay. Such 
 of these substances as are preferred ought to be 
 carefully dried. Ceruse and clay obstinately 
 retain a great deal of humidity, which would op- 
 pose their adhesion to drying oil or varnish. The 
 cement then crumbles under the fingers, and 
 does not assume a body. 
 
 VARNISH, White China. —There are two 
 kinds of varnish used to produce the white gloss; 
 one a solution of colorless resin in turpentine; 
 the other in alcohol. For the first, puie copal 
 
PAINTING AND PAPERING. 
 
 269 
 
 varnish is taken; for the second, 16 parts of 
 sandarac are dissolved in sufficient strong alcohol, 
 to which are added 3 parts of camphor ; and lastly, 
 when all dissolved by shaking, 5 parts of Vene- 
 tian turpentine are added. Set for some days in 
 the sun till clear. However, in order to cause 
 the color to remain a pure white, care must be 
 taken not to mix oil with the white paint put on 
 previously. Best French zinc white is the best, 
 mixed with turpentine; when dry, rub down 
 with fine sand-paper, and put on another coat, 
 and repeat this if required, and lastly put on the 
 varnish described. 
 
 VARNISH, White Hard. — Gum mastic, I 
 pound; gum anime, 4 ounces; gum sandarac, 5 
 ounces; alcohol, 95 per cent., 2 ounces. Add 
 all together, put in a warm place, and shake of- 
 ten. When the gums are dissolved, strain through 
 
 a IjivVTl SlCVC 
 
 VARNISH, To Polish. —Take 2 ounces of 
 tripoli powdered, put it in an earthen pot, with 
 water to cover it : then take a piece of white 
 flannel, lay it over a piece of cork or rubber, and 
 proceed to polish the varnish, always wetting it 
 with the tripoli and water. It will be known 
 when the process is finished by wiping a part of 
 the work with a sponge, and observing whether 
 there is a fair even gloss. \Mien this is the case, 
 take a bit of mutton suet and fine flour, and clean 
 the work. 
 
 VI OLE T- COL OR, To Afake.—Y'iol&l is made 
 indifferently with red and black, or red and blue; 
 and to render it more splendid, with red, white 
 and blue. To compose violet, therefore, appli- 
 cable to varnish, take minium, or what is still 
 better, vermilion, and grind it with the camphor- 
 ated mastic varnish to which a fourth part of 
 boiled oil and a little ceruse have been added ; 
 than add a little Prussian blue ground in oil. 
 The proportions requisite for the degree of in- 
 tensity to be given to the color will soon be found 
 by experience. The white brightens the tint. 
 The vermilion and Prussian blue, separated 
 or mixed, give hard tones, which must be 
 softened by an intermediate substance that 
 modifies, to their advantage, the reflections of the 
 light. 
 
 WALNUT, To Polish.— I. Take asphaltum, 
 pulverize it, place it in a jar or bottle, pour in 
 about twice its bulk of turpentine or benzole, 
 put it in a warm place, and shake it from time 
 to time. W'hen dissolved, strain it, and apply to 
 the wood with a clothes or stiff brush. If it 
 should make too dark a stain, thin it with tur- 
 
 fentine or benzole. This will dry in a few hours, 
 f it is desired to bring out the grain still more, 
 apply a mixture of boiled oil and turpentine ; this 
 is better than oil alone. Put no oil with the as- 
 phaltum mixture, as it will dry very slowly. 
 \Vhen the oil is dry the wood can be polished 
 with \^he following: — Shellac varnish, of the 
 usual consistency, two parts ; boiled oil, one part. 
 Shake it well before using. Apply it to the wood 
 by putting a few drops on a cloth and rubbing 
 briskly on the wood for a few moments. This 
 polish works well on old varnished furniture. — 
 2. Mix, with good whiting, such colors as will 
 produce as near as possible the color of the wood 
 to be filled. This mixture to be dry. Then give 
 the wood a good coat of oil, and sprinkle the 
 mixture over the Avork until it is pretty well 
 covered; then with a soft rag or other soft sub- 
 stance, rub this in well. Wipe off all superfluous 
 
 material. Let dry thoroughly and varnish. This 
 mode is far superior to sizing. 
 
 WA TERPROOF PAINT.— Oc\iXG, 96 parts; 
 lamp-black, 16 parts ; boiled oil to mix. Then 
 add yellow soap, 2 parts, dissolved in water, 8 
 parts. Well mix, and apply two coats of this 
 mixture with a paint-brush, at intervals of two 
 or three days; lastly, give a finishing coat of 
 varnish formed of lamp-black and boiled oil, well 
 ground together. Sufficient boiled oil must be 
 used to reduce the mixture to the consistence of 
 a thick varnish. 
 
 WHITE PAINTS.— Nt7i.r\y all whites have 
 their base in the oxides and carbonates of dif- 
 ferent metals. — White Lead is a carbonate of 
 lead, prepared by submitting common lead to 
 the action of acetic acid, or vinegar, at a high 
 temperature. It is poisonous, especially when 
 combined with oils or fatty matter. The chief 
 adulterations are barytes, whiting, and silicate of 
 potash. — Carbonate 0/ Barytes is less poisonous 
 than lead ; it is certainly not as valuable, and 
 has very little body, though it is whiter, and 
 when combined with lead in proper proportions, 
 makes a very good white, and does not injure the 
 lead for ordinary purposes. The sulphate of 
 barytes is often used in the cheaper leads, but is 
 an inferior article. — Zinc White is an oxide of 
 zinc. It is a durable and beautiful white, besides 
 being harmless. All the very best and finest 
 work in the cities is now finished with zinc. It 
 has less body than lead, but is vastly whiter and 
 more durable, and does not, like lead, turn yel- 
 low when excluded from the light and air. — 
 China White is lead that has been elutriated, or 
 washed, thereby freeing it from all impurities. — 
 Whiting is well known to all. It is a carbonate 
 of lime. It is of no utility as a paint, as it will 
 become spotted, and rubs off after the oil is eva- 
 porated. It is properly fit for putty, and various 
 room washes. — Pearl White is generally used 
 for the finer and more delicate branches of paint- 
 ing. It is a submuriate of bismuth. — Kremlitz 
 White is a superior quality of lead. There is 
 little in the market at present, as the extensive 
 manufactories at Krems have been abandoned. 
 All German leads are considered the best, as 
 their ores contain less iron. — Silver White\% also 
 a lead prepared by elutriating. It is the best of 
 the tube colors for general use. 
 
 WHITE LEAD, Clark's process 0/ Making. 
 — A chamber of 12 to 15 feet square is furnished 
 with a vinegar trough, through which a pipe of 
 about one-inch calibre passes; it connects at right 
 angles with a large main of steam-pipe at one 
 end, and is there commanded by a cock; the 
 other end passes entirely through the trough and 
 chamber, and there discharges the condensed 
 steam. They are also each supplied with a gas 
 distributing-box or trunk, which is about four 
 inches square in the clear and about thirteen feet 
 long. These are placed an inch or so above and 
 over the vinegar troughs, having small holes at 
 short intervals through their sides, and at one 
 end are connected by means of a short pipe, to 
 which a cock is also adapted, to a main gas-pipe 
 which is furnished by means of a blowing appa- 
 ratus with the requisite supply of atmospheric 
 air and carbonic acid gas. The sides of the 
 chambers have cleats secured to them for sup- 
 porting the rod over which the sheets of lead are 
 suspended for conversion to white lead. 
 A boiler of iron or copper is heated with an- 
 
270 
 
 DICTIONAR YOFE VER Y-DA Y IVANTS. 
 
 thracite coal, from which the steam and carbonic 
 acid gas are obtained for heating and supplying 
 the chambers. The doors of the chambers fit 
 close, so that some pressure is produced in them 
 during the process of conversion. 
 
 The vinegar in the troughs, the sheet-lead on 
 the rods, and the cisterns being closed, fire is 
 applied to the furnace of the boiler, the blowing 
 apparatus is put in motion, and the process of 
 making white lead has commenced. Moderate 
 quantities of coal and vinegar, and the constant 
 attention of one man, are necessary to continue 
 it ; and one thousand tons of lead may be ope- 
 rated on by this attention as well as one hundred. 
 The largest sized chamber will contain about ten 
 tons of the metallic sheets, and require supplies 
 of vinegar twice each twenty-four hours. If the 
 lead appear moist and pasty, the vinegar is with- 
 held ; and to these points, namely, the supply of 
 the gases, and attention to the fires, the duty of 
 the operative is confined. At first the vinegar 
 was placed on the floor of the chambers and 
 covered with a false floor, which was perforated 
 at short intervals, so as to distribute the gases 
 and acid vapor equally through them. In this 
 way the sheets of lead became much more ex- 
 peditiously converted to white lead, but ite spe- 
 cific gravity was lessened, and it was less esteem- 
 ed by the painters. 
 
 WHITE PAINT, Cheap.— K very good 
 white paint may be made without lead or oil by 
 the mixture of skimmed milk, lime and whiting. 
 The casein of the milk unites with the lime, mak- 
 ing a cement which holds the whiting in place, 
 and a very durable coating is thus formed. The 
 method of preparing it is very simple, as follows : 
 Take five pounds of whiting, two quarts of skim- 
 med milk and two ounces of fresh slacked lime ; 
 put the whiting in a stoneware vessel, and add a 
 small portion of the milk with constant stirring. 
 When a smooth thin paste is formed, add the re- 
 mainder of the milk, then sprinkle the lime upon 
 the surface and stir in. The paint is then ready 
 for use unless the whiting and lime be not quite 
 fine, when it may be necessary to grind the 
 whole together. This paint possesses the ad- 
 vantage of being economical and durable, and will 
 doubtless come into extensive use for many kinds 
 of cheap work. Paris white may be used instead 
 of whiting for superior work, 
 
 WHITEWASH.— \. A fine brilliant wash is 
 obtained by mixing "Paris white" with glue, in 
 the proportion of sixteen pounds to half a pound 
 of glue. The glue should be the white, transpa- 
 rent kind. It should be covered with cold water 
 at night, and in the morning carefully heated 
 until dissolved. The Paris white should be 
 stirred into hot water until it is of the proper 
 milky consistency for applying to the walls, and 
 the dissolved glue added and thoroughly mixed. 
 This recipe is considered one of the best, and has 
 the merit of being inexpensive. — 2. The follow- 
 ing is sent out by the Light-house Board of the 
 Treasury Department : "The following recipe 
 for whitewashing has been found by experience 
 to answer on wood, brick, and stone, nearly as 
 well as oil paint, and is much cheaper : Slack 
 half a bushel of unslacked lime with boiling water, 
 keeping it covered during the process. Strain it 
 and add a peck of salt, dissolved in warm water; 
 three pounds of ground rice put in boiling water, 
 and boiled to a thin paste; half a pound of pow- 
 dered Spanish whiting, and a pound of clear glue, 
 
 dissolved in warm water : mix this well together, 
 and let the mixture stand for several days. Keep 
 the wash thus prepared in a kettle or portable 
 furnace, and when used put it on as hot as pos- 
 sible, with painters' or whitewash brushes." — 3. 
 Take a clean, water tight cask and put into it 
 half a bushel of lime. Slack it by pouring water over 
 it boiling hot, and in sufficient quantity to cover 
 it five inches deep, and stir it briskly till thor- 
 oughly slackened. When the lime has been 
 slackened, dissolve it in water, and add two 
 pounds of sulphate of zinc and one of common 
 salt. These will cause the wash to harden and 
 prevent its cracking, which gives an unseemly 
 appearance to the work. A beautiful cream color 
 may be given to the wash by adding three pounds 
 of yellow ochre ; or a good pearl or lead color, 
 by the addition of lamp or iron black. For fawn 
 color add four pounds of umber, one pound of 
 Indian red, and one pound of common black. 
 For stone color add four pounds raw umber . and 
 two pounds lamp black. When applied to the 
 outside of houses and to fences, it is rendered 
 more durable by adding about a pint of sweet 
 milk to a gallon of wash. 
 
 WHITE WASH, Stucco.— T'ik^ half a bushel 
 of nice unslacked lime; slack it with boiling 
 water, covering it during the process to keep in 
 the steam. Strain the liquor through a fine sieve 
 or strainer, and add to it one peck of clean salt, 
 previously dissolved in warm water, three lbs. 
 of ground rice, ground to a thin paste, and stir- 
 red and boiled hot ; half a pound of powdered 
 Spanish whiting, and one pound of clean glue, 
 which has been previously dissolved by first 
 soaking it well, and then hanging it over a small 
 fire, in a small kettle within a large one filled 
 with water. Add five gallons of hot water to the 
 whole mixture ; stir it well and let it stahd a few 
 days, covered from dirt. It should be put on 
 quite hot; for this purpose it can be kept in a 
 kettle on a portable furnace. It is said, that 
 about one pint of the mixture will cover a square 
 yard upon the outside of a house, if properly .np- 
 plied. Brushes more or less small may be used, 
 according to the neatness of the job required. 
 Coloring may be used to impart any desirable 
 tinge to the preparation, which retains its bril- 
 liancy for a long time. 
 
 WHITEWASH, Improved.— The: sulphate of 
 baryta is said to possess numerous advantages 
 over lime as a material for whitewashing walls. 
 Four ounces of glue are soaked for twelve hours 
 in tepid water, and then placed until it boils, in 
 a tin vessel, with a quart of water — the vessel be- 
 ing placed in the water, as in the usual process 
 of melting glue; the whole is then stirred until 
 dissolved. Six or eight pounds of sulphate of 
 baryta, reduced to an impalpable powder, is put 
 into another vessel ; hot water is added, and the 
 whole stirred until it has the appearance of milk 
 of lime. The sizing is then added, and the 
 whole stirred well together, and applied in the 
 ordinary way while still warm. 
 
 WHITEWASHED WALLS, To Faint.— 
 If the cracks be in the plastering, and the wash 
 be sound around the cracks, plaster of Paris is 
 the best thing to fill them with, as it hardens 
 quickly, does not shrink, and leaves the surface 
 on a plane with the wall. If the plaster of Paris 
 set before it can be worked, wet it with vinegar. 
 The stronger the acid, the slower it will set. If 
 cracks be filled with putty, and the wall be painted 
 
PAiirrmG and papering. 
 
 «5n 
 
 in gloss color, the streaks of putty are very apt 
 to be flat (no gloss), and if painted in flat color, 
 the streaks are quite sure to have a gloss. These 
 streaks, of course, will spoil the beauty of the 
 work, but do not affect its durability. When 
 filled with plaster of Paris the reversion of gloss 
 never appears, if done as directed. If the cracks 
 be only in the wash, the latter is loosening from 
 the wall ; and if it has not begun to scale, it soon 
 will, and all atempts to fasten it on and paint it, 
 will be total loss. If it be loose enough to scrape 
 off, scrape the wall, taking care not to gouge into 
 the original wall. If not loose enough, let it 
 alone until it is. If the wash be thin, solid, and 
 even, it can be painted to look and wear well. 
 Wlicn the surface is lumpy, rub the lumps off 
 with a sandstone, or a brick. After a wall has 
 been prepared, as in either of above cases, or if 
 a wall that has never been washed is to be paint- 
 ed, size it with two coats of glue size (3 ounces 
 glue to one gallon water.) Be sure the glue is 
 all dissolved before using any of it. Let the first 
 coat dry before the second coat is put on. When 
 the second coat is dry, paint as follows: Mix the 
 first coat of paint in the proportion of I gallon 
 raw linseed oil to 15 pounds white lead, ground 
 In oil, and I gill of dryer. Second coat: I gallon 
 raw linseed oil, 25 pounds white lead ground in 
 oil, and ^ gill dryer. (The lead should be the 
 best.) Then finish either in gloss or flat color, 
 the same as if it were wood work, with one good 
 coat of priming on. Shade all the coats of paint, 
 as near as you can, to the color you wish to fin- 
 ish in. Mix the third and fourth coats the same 
 as the first, that is, about the same thickness for 
 a gloss finish, and a little thinner for aflat finish. 
 
 WOOD, Composition for Coating. — A method 
 of coating wood with a varnish as hard as stone 
 has beeif recently introduced. The ingredients 
 are forty parts of chalk, forty of resin, four of 
 linseed oil, to be melted together in an iron pot. 
 One part of native oxide of copper, and one of 
 sulphuric acid, are then to be added, after which 
 the composition is ready for use. It is applied 
 hot to the wood, with a brush, in the same way 
 as paint, and, as before observed, becomes ex- 
 ceedingly hard on drying. 
 
 WOOD, To Dye Red. —Take chopped Brazil 
 wood, and boil it well in water, strain it through 
 a cloth. Then give your wood two or three 
 coats, till it is the shade wanted. If wanted a 
 deep red, boil the wood in water impregnated 
 vrith alum and quick-lime. When the last coat 
 is dry, burnish it with the burnisher and then 
 varnish. 
 
 WOOD, To Polish. — Take a piece of pumice- 
 stone and water, and pass regularly over the 
 \vork until the rising of the giain is cut down ; 
 then take powdered tripoli and boiled linseed oil, 
 and polish the work to a bright surface. 
 
 YELLOW PA JNTS.—YtViovis have their 
 bases in iron, lead, quicksilver, and arsenic. — 
 Chrome Yellozv. The best is made from chro- 
 mium and acetate, or the nitrate of lead, and is 
 properly a chromate of lead. An inferior article 
 is prepared with whiting. The best now in use 
 for general painting has its base in silicate ol pot- 
 ash and barytes. — Gamboge is the concrete juice 
 of various trees in Ceylon. It is a transparent 
 color, and consequently useful as a glazing 
 color. — YcVktm Ochre is an earth. The best 
 comes from France. — Stone Ochre is also an 
 earth, found in many parts of Europe. — Naples 
 
 Yellow is an earth found near Naples, but most 
 of that now in the market is composed of lead, 
 alum, sal-ammonia, and antimony. It is a soft, 
 bright, and durable color. — Turner's Yellow, a 
 muriate of lead. This is a beautiful tint, and 
 has formerly been much used among coach- 
 painters. 
 
 ZINC PAINT, Preparation o/.—K useful 
 hint in regard to the preparation of paint with 
 oxide of zinc instead of white lead will be found 
 in the following instructions, published in a Ger- 1 
 man journal: The ordinary boiled linseed-oil 
 should be replaced in the mixing operation by -^ 
 one prepared by gently boiling two hundred 
 pounds of the raw oil for five or six hours, then 
 adding about twenty-four pounds of coarsely 
 broken lumps of binoxide of manganese, and con- 
 tinuing the boiling operation for about ten hours 
 longer. In this manner a very quickly drying 
 linseed-oil is obtained, which is eminently fit for 
 the purpose of being used with zinc-white and 
 other zinc colors. According to the writer of the 
 article, much depends upon the use of old lin- 
 seed-oil, and also upon the pains taken with tha 
 boiled oil, which, unless carefully kept from the 
 contact of the air, becomes thick in a very short 
 time. The boiled oil so prepared is not to be 
 used alone in painting with zinc-white, but must 
 be mixed with from three to five per cent, of rav/ 
 linseed-oil while the paint is being mixed to- 
 gether. 
 
 ZINC- WA TER PAINT. —The unpleasant- 
 ness of occupying a newly painted house may, it 
 is said, be avoided by the use of zinc- water paint. 
 Powdered oxide of zinc (which may be heated 
 with a little potato starch if more "body" be 
 wanted) is combined with the desired mineral 
 or vegetable color, and with this an aqueous so- 
 lution of chloride of zinc, to which some tartrate 
 of potassa has been added, is then mixed ; the 
 water paint thus formed being applied with a 
 brush on the surface to be coated. In half an 
 hour this paint will be perfectly dry; and the ob- 
 ject of the alkaline tartrate is to make the dry- 
 ing process less rapid. The advantages of using 
 the water paints are very numerous : they aro 
 more durable than oil paints, do not blacken by 
 exposure to sulphurous vapors, are devoid of 
 odor, dry quickly, resist dampness and the action 
 of water, can be cleansed with boiling water and 
 soap like oil paints, and preserve the wood to 
 which they are applied from decay and render it 
 less combustible. This latter property may be 
 increased by the addition of borax. Both the 
 oxide and the chloride of zinc can be manufactured 
 without danger to the health of the workman, 
 sold at a low price, and kept for any length of 
 time in any climate. 
 
 ZINC, Painting. — A difficulty is often expe- 
 rienced in causing oil colors to adhere to sheet 
 zinc. Boettger recommends the employment of 
 a mordant, so to speak, of the following compo- 
 sition : One part of chloride of copper, one of 
 nitrate of copper, and one of sal ammoniac, are 
 to be dissolved in sixty-four parts of water, to 
 which solution is to be added one part of com- 
 mercial hydrochloric acid. The sheets of zinc 
 are to be brushed over with this liquid, which 
 gives them a deep black color ; in the course of 
 from twelve to twenty-four hours they become 
 dry, and to their now dirty-gray surface a coat of 
 any oil color will firmly adhere. Some sheets of 
 zinc prepared in this way, and afterward painted. 
 
27« 
 
 DICTIONARY OF EVERY-DAY WANTS. 
 
 have been found to entirely withstand all the 
 atmospheric changes of winter and summer. 
 
 ZINC WHITEWASH. — Wm oxide of zinc 
 with common size, and apply it with a white- 
 
 wash brush to the ceiling. After this, apply in 
 the same manner a wash of the chloride of zinc, 
 which will combine with the oxide to form a 
 smooth cement with a shining surface 
 
 PHOTOGRAPHY AND THE FINE ARTS. 
 
 ALBER T'S NE W PROCESS ofPhotoUtho- 
 gmphy. — In 300 parts of pure water, 150 parts 
 of white of egg and 15 parts of gelatine are dis- 
 solved, with 8 parts of bichromate of potash. 
 The solution is accelerated by gentle heat, then 
 filtered, and carefully kept in the dark. With 
 this solution one side of a heavy piece of plate- 
 glass, or some other transparent material, is 
 coated, and dried in a dark, warm room. This 
 coat of albuminous material must be made very 
 carefully, so that no irregularities present them- 
 selves either in the smoothing of surface or in 
 the color. Then the dry surface is carefully cov- 
 ered with a heavy black cloth, and the free side 
 of the glass is submitted to the action of day- 
 light. The effect of exposure of from one and a 
 half to two hours is to make the side of the coat- 
 ing toward the glass more insoluble than the 
 other. A second coating, made without albu- 
 men, of 300 parts water, 50 parts gelatine, and 
 1 7 parts bichromate of potassa, is then applied ; 
 and this is again dried in a warm, dark room. 
 This second coat is now exposed to daylight, 
 under any negative, in the usual frame, for a 
 I sufficient length of time, which varies greatly for 
 different negatives and the state of the atmos- 
 phere, as every photographer knows. Then the 
 glass plate is removed from the frame, soaked 
 for about fifteen minutes in water, and exposed 
 to the air to become dry to a certain degree ; it 
 is then ready to be printed like a lithographic 
 stone. The parts of the coating which have be- 
 come insoluble by exposure to light have not 
 attracted water. Tliese are dry, and will take 
 the printing-ink; while those parts which were 
 protected by the details of the negative have re- 
 mained soluble to a greater or less degree, have 
 absorbed water, are therefore moist, and will not 
 take the oily printing-ink. The plate is treated 
 like a lithographic stone, alternately with water, 
 or moisture applied in the usual manner, and 
 with printing-ink applied by the printer's roller. 
 From every plate thus prepared 500 to 1,000 im- 
 
 Eressions may be made. In order to prevent the 
 reaking of the plate by pressure during printing, 
 it is placed on an elastic bed, or strengthened be- 
 low with a thick layer of plaster, cement, or other 
 suitable material. To keep the paper clean 
 around the plate, a thin metallic frame, with a 
 hole equal to the size of the picture, is laid every 
 time on the plate, the same after inking, as is 
 often done in all other styles of printing. 
 
 ALBERTYPE PROCESS, Edwards' Im- 
 provement on. — An English artist, Mr. Ernest 
 Edwards, has been improving upon the Albert 
 process until he has succeeded in obtaining what 
 he and others call the perfection of the art. This 
 method, in its present manipulation, consists in 
 coating evenly with wax the plate of glass, the 
 
 surface of which has been ground but not polish- 
 ed, and then pouring over it a sufficient quantity 
 of a mixture of gelatine, bichromate of potash, 
 and chrome alum, so as to form, when spread 
 out and subsequently dried, a film of the thick- 
 ness of a very thin card. The chrome alum is 
 of great importance in preventing the subsequent 
 solubility of the film, as it has the property of 
 preventing the gelatine from again becoming 
 liquid after it is set ; and without the use of some 
 such process it would be entirely impossible to 
 carry on the work successfully. The usual pro- 
 portion of bichromate of potash to the gelatine is 
 about five per cent., although this varies for dif- 
 ferent applications. 
 
 After the glass has been coated it is maintained 
 in a level position for a few minutes, until the 
 film has set sufficiently to permit its being placed 
 edgewise, and stored away in a suitable drying- 
 room to dry — an operation which usually occu- 
 pies about twenty-four hours. After this the 
 film is removed from the glass, the operation 
 being facilitated by the use of the substratum of 
 wax. This constitutes one of the most impor- 
 tant advances of the Edwards process over the 
 Albert, for various reasons that it is not ne- 
 cessary here to adduce. The film is then to be 
 subjected to the action of the negative, and treat- 
 ed as in the Albert process ; after which it is to 
 be attached to a plate of zinc, which is accom- 
 plished by a special manipulation and it is then 
 ready to furnish impressions. These are obtained 
 by treating as on lithographic stone, namely by 
 sponging with water, removing the surplus, and 
 then pressing over the surface of the plate a 
 sheet of blotting-paper. The ink rollers are next 
 passed over it, the ink adhering according to the 
 action of the light. The advantage of using the 
 zinc plates in printing instead of glass, as is 
 found in the original Albert process, lies in the 
 greater durability of the former, and the immu- 
 nity from the danger of cracking. A very great 
 Eressure is necessary in this class of printing to 
 ring out certain tints, and the glass plate, how- 
 ever thick, is apt to be fractured. It is stated 
 that fifteen hundred uniformly good prints can 
 1)6 obtained from a single film; and if a larger 
 edition than this be required it is n very easy 
 matter to prepare a number of films at the same 
 time, so as to have a sufficient supply for any 
 purpose. 
 
 ALBUMEN, Substitute /or.— A new substi- 
 tute for albumen, under the name of lactarine has 
 been announced. It is a white or slightly yel- 
 low powder, with the odor of casein. When 
 subjected to ether, a small amount of saponaceous 
 fat may be extracted from the mixture. TTie 
 powder resists water, but is accessible to the in- 
 fluence of the alkalies, either caustic orcarbonat- 
 
PHOTOGRAPHY AND THE FINE ARTS. 
 
 273 
 
 ed. Treated with the proper proportion of 
 either acetic or hydrochloric acid, a curd is pre- 
 cipitated, which is found to be soluble in excess 
 of the acid. In use, it is dissolved in ammonia, 
 and can be colored to any required shade. 
 
 BA TH, TONING.— To yi g^Hon water add 
 )^ ounce solution of common washing soda sa- 
 turated, or enough to make it feel slippery 
 to the fingers, then add a suitable quantity of 
 chloride of gold. 
 
 BATH, FIXING.— W&tQT, % gal., hj-posul- 
 phite of soda, 12 ozs. 
 
 BA TH, NEGA TIVE.—Toriy grains of sil- 
 ver to the ounce of water, iodize slightly with 
 iodide of silver; slightly acidulate with nitric 
 acid. 
 
 BA TH, To Restore. — Add fresh silver il re- 
 quired.' Boil down one half. Add as much 
 water as necessary, filter, and it is ready for use. 
 
 BA THS, Sensitizing. — For positives : Pure 
 re-crystallized nitrate of silver (437 gr.), I oz.; 
 pure nitric acid, 3 minims; alcohol, 2 drs,; dis- 
 tilled water, 10 ozs.; iodide of potassium, I gr. 
 Dissolve the nitrate of silver in 3 ozs. of the dis- 
 tilled water, add the iodide of potassium, shake 
 and allow to settle ; test for acidity with blue lit- 
 mus paper, and, if present, neutralize carefully 
 with a solution of carbonate of soda. When 
 neutral, add the remaining 7 ozs. of distilled 
 water, filter and add the alcohol and nitric acid, 
 and the bath is ready for use. 
 
 For negatives : Pure re-crystallized nitrate of 
 silver, i oz.; glacial acetic acid, 5 minims ; alco- 
 hol, 3 drs.; iodide of potassium, i gr.; distilled 
 water, 10 ozs. Dissolve the silver in 3 ozs., 
 and treat precisely as for bath for positives, ob- 
 serving that it is to be acidified with glacial acetic 
 acid in place of nitric acid. 
 
 These baths should be kept in a dark place, 
 and always show an acid test. When out of 
 order, boil for a few minutes, add one-tenth vo- 
 lume of distilled water and restore to the or- 
 iginal strength by adding strong solution of crys- 
 tallized nitrate of silver in distilled water, and 
 acidifying with the proper acids. 
 
 BICHROMATISM.—TUs is an easy and 
 cheap process, carried out as follows : Fasten a 
 piece of stout transparent tracing paper by gum- 
 ming the four corners to a piece of strong card- 
 board, or a piece of thick, flat, level glass on 
 which the design on thin paper has been pasted. 
 If you cannot draw or get a friend to draw for 
 you, many good and effective subjects may be 
 found among old prints and woodcuts, and by 
 taking a careful tracing of the necessary parts, a 
 very good design and skillful bit of drawing ob- 
 tained. When the design is satisfactorily pencil- 
 ed out on the tracing paper it must be gone over 
 with a quill pen and thick ticket writer's ink ; 
 when dry, turn it, fasten down, and go over the 
 other side. About one penny^vorth of bichromate 
 of potassa is to be coarsely pounded and put into 
 about two ounces of hot water ; strain this when 
 cold, and then brush over one side of any pieces 
 of paper or silk that it may be desired to print 
 upon when they are dry. The printing is done 
 by the usual photo paper printing frame, substi- 
 tuting the design on tracing paper for the glass 
 negative. They print quick and deep if exposed 
 to direct sunlight; one or more trials will easily 
 give the right amount of time, and fixing is done 
 by washing and soaking for a short time in clean 
 waier, next the drying and pressing with a - 
 
 warm flat iron. Pure white centers may be left 
 in any kind of border by stopping out in the 
 printing with a piece of thin card or blackened 
 paper. Ornamental devices or ornaments can 
 be printed on pieces of white silk or ribbon 
 by marking out a pattern and laying on the bi- 
 chromate solution with a camel hair brush inside 
 the pattern ; when dry, iron slightly, in order 
 that the ribbon may lie flat on the tracing pattern. 
 Some highly effective ornamentation may be pro- 
 duced in this way. White centers may be left 
 on ribbon and paper, and mottoes, verses, etc., 
 printed with type. Pleasing and artistic blend- 
 ings of type printing and ornament may be pro- 
 duced by such means with a very small outlay of 
 time or money. 
 
 CAMERA, To Adjust for Chemical Foeus.— 
 Take a photograph of a printed sheet with the 
 full aperture of the portrait lens, the central 
 letters being carefully focused as before. Tl^en 
 examine at what part of the plate the greatest 
 amount of distinctness of outline is to be found. 
 It will, sometimes, happen that whereas the 
 exact center was focused visually, the letters on 
 a spot midway between the center and edge are 
 the sharpest in the photograph. In that case the 
 chemical focus is longer than the other, and by 
 a distance equivalent to, but in the opposite di- 
 rection of, the space through which the lens has 
 to be moved in order to define those particulars 
 sharply to the eye. 
 
 CAMEO-MEDALLION CARTE-DE-VL 
 SITE, To Make. — The apparatus necessary for 
 the production of cameo"-medallion cartes is very 
 simple, and comprised in the following articles : 
 
 A four-footed metal water bath, capable of be- 
 ing heated by means of a spirit-lamp, into which 
 a square porcelain dish is placed, whose over- 
 lapping sides fit over those of the water bath. 
 This dish, which is furnished with a lip, is em- 
 ployed to maintain the gelatin fluid at a high 
 temperature. 
 
 The stamp, consisting of two square wood 
 blocks connected together with hinges; between 
 the blocks is fixed a brass plate also upon hinges, 
 having in the middle an oval opening large 
 enough to contain a bust portrait. The wood 
 blocks open in the manner of an album, in which 
 the brass plate, as it were, takes the place of the 
 carte, and are, on the outside, perfectly smooth. 
 On the inside of one of the blocks is an oval, in 
 relief, of the exact dimensions of the opening in 
 the metal plate ; and on the other block is a cor- 
 responding hollow of oval form. 
 
 A press which can be tightly closed by means 
 of screws. A linen or bookbinders' press will 
 answer the purpose well, if such can be obtained, 
 but I have myself constructed a small wooden 
 press expressly for the process, which answers 
 exceedingly well. 
 
 The above is all the apparatus necessary for 
 the production of these portraits. In the first 
 place, some pattern ovals are cut out of thick 
 black paper, using the oval opening in the brass 
 plate and a sharp penknife for the purpose, the 
 cutting operation being effected at one sweep. 
 In this way are obtained masks and small oval 
 mats, which fit precisely into one another, and 
 are, moreover, identical in size with the opening 
 in the metal plate, and the relief and intaglio in 
 the wood blocks. A print from a portrait nega- 
 tive, with graduated background, is then taken 
 out of the pressure-frame, and over it is placed 
 s8 
 
274 
 
 DICTIONARY OF EVERY-DAY WANTS, 
 
 one of the masks, in a position most favorable to 
 the picture; and when the same has thus been 
 centered, the oval mat corresponding to the mask 
 is placed upon the print, and the mask with- 
 drawn. The print is then exposed to the sun 
 under a glass plate, the middle being still cov- 
 ered with the black mat, which must not be allow- 
 ed to shift from its place, and thus a darkly- 
 tinted, or even black, margin is printed around 
 the oval picture. The print, in this condition, is 
 then toned, fixed and washed, and finally sized 
 in gelatin. The latter operation is performed by 
 the aid of some glass plates of the required size, 
 which are carefully cleaned, as if to serve for 
 negatives, and then rubbed over with finely- 
 powdered stone alum (luff stone) by means of a 
 tuft of cotton wool, the superfluous powder being 
 afterwards removed with a soft dusting brush. 
 These plates are coated with a four per cent, nor- 
 mal collodion, and placed to dry m a spot free 
 from dust. When perfectly dry, a quantity of 
 gelatin is dissolved in hot water in a beaker, the 
 solution being of the consistence of the collodion 
 previously employed. This is filtered through a 
 piece of Imen into the porcelain bath, which has, 
 in the interim, been warmed by means of the 
 water bath, and should be maintained at an even 
 temperature during the whole period of working. 
 The prints required to be gelatined are, in the 
 first instance, trimmed to the right size by means 
 of a cutting glass, and are then immersed bodily 
 into the gelatin solution, so as to be fully im- 
 pregnated with the same. The glass plates coated 
 with collodion are now taken in hand ; the prints 
 laid face downwards thereon, care being taken 
 that all air bubbles between the paper and glass 
 are carefully pressed out and removed; after- 
 wards a sheet of stout white paper, somewhat 
 bigger than the print, is cemented to the back of 
 each photograph, a precaution for protecting the 
 pictures in the event of their spontaneously leav- 
 ing the glass on drying. 
 
 The plates are allowed to remam for ten or 
 twelve hours (say over night) in a dry locality, 
 and, at the end of that time, the portraits may be 
 separated from the glass by making an incision 
 of the film all round the paper. The superfluous 
 paper should be trimmed off previously to the 
 pictures being mounted upon cardboard. 
 
 After drying, the carte is put through a steel 
 press, and is then placed in the embossing stamp 
 to give it the desired relief. 
 
 Many of the manipulations may be slightly 
 modified if desired. For instance, instead of ce- 
 menting a piece of paper to the back of the prints, 
 the card itself, if not very thick, may be at once 
 attached, and the margins thereof thus gelatined, 
 the process of rolling being in this way obviated. 
 Some photographers add a small quantity of 
 sugar candy to the gelatin, in order to prevent 
 the sizing solution drying too rapidly, and to 
 render the finished card more plastic and impres- 
 sionaljle, 
 
 CANVAS, To Preparefor OIL PAINTING. 
 — Stretch your canvas on a board with tacks and 
 paint it simply with white lead and raw linseed- 
 oil; put it on thin, evenly, and smoothly; if you 
 do not want a wliite ground to paint on, you 
 may mix in very little ochre, which makes it yel- 
 lowish, or a trace of lamp-black, which gives a 
 bluish gray. When dry and not smooth enough, 
 Y'ou may rub it down with pumice-stone and 
 vrater, and give it a second very fine and thin 
 
 coat. This, however, is seldom necessary. Then 
 stretch on your frame. We warn you against 
 other recipes, and above all against the advice 
 of using glue first to fill the pores of the canvas ; 
 your painting will, in this case, be in great 
 danger to eventually peel off in patches by ex- 
 posure to dampness, or even by damp weather 
 only. The pores of the canvas must be filled 
 with oil, which is water-proof, and not with glue. 
 The latter is only good for economy, to save a 
 little oil. We have always followed this simple i 
 advice given here, and have never had any cause 
 to abandon it. ! 
 
 CRAYONS, To Maie.— Take three quarters 
 of a pound of blue clay, three quarters of a 
 pound of the coloring required, such as vermilion, 
 chrome, Prussian blue, orpiment, etc. , 2 ounces 
 of turpentine, 4 ounces of spirits of wine, and 6 
 ounces of fine shellac. The clay must be well 
 mixed with water, passed through a fine lawn 
 sieve, and allowed to subside ; the water is then 
 poured off and the clay dried. The shellac must 
 be dissolved in the mixed turpentine and spirit 
 with a little warmth. The dry clay and the co- 
 loring, must be blended in a mortar, and then 
 the shellac mixture added and well incorporated 
 till the whole is a doughy mass ; it is then to be 
 rolled out into a pencil form and dried with stove 
 heat. To make the crayons of uniform sub- 
 stance, the paste may be placed in a cylinder, with 
 a hole at one end and a piston at the other (like 
 a boy's popgun), the "wormy" pieces that pass 
 through are then cut into proper lengths and 
 dried, 
 
 COLLODION PROCESS.— This process is 
 one that generally gives more pleasure to the 
 amateur and his friends than any other. The 
 first thing requisite is gun cotton : to make which, 
 proceed as follows : — Take half an ounce of dry 
 nitrate of potass (saltpetre), and three quarters of 
 an ounce of strong sulphuric acid (oil of vitriol); 
 mix in a glass or porcelain cup ; then add thirty 
 grains of dry cotton wool, and stir the whole up 
 with a glass rod for about five minutes ; remove 
 the cotton, and wash it well in four or five 
 waters, (common water w^ill do) ; when well 
 washed, dry it carefully. You thus obtain gun 
 cotton. About ten grains of this is dissolved in 
 about three ounces of sulphuric ether, to which 
 is added about sixty drops of alcohol. This so- 
 lution is called collodion. 
 
 When collodion is poured on a clean plate of 
 glass, it almost instantly hardens into a beauti- 
 ful transparent and very tenacious film ; and, 
 taking advantage of this property, we incorporate 
 with it a certain amount of a sensitive salt of 
 silver, which, on being exposed in the camera in 
 the same manner as paper, produces a most 
 beautiful picture in a space of time varying from 
 the fraction of a second up to ten or fifteen se- 
 conds; and this is generally accompanied with 
 the most perfect detail of all the parts. 
 
 There are several formulas for the preparation 
 of this useful substance ; but we shall only give 
 one, as more would confuse the amateur, and we 
 have always found the following very certain : — 
 Dissolve twenty grains of gun cotton in six 
 ounces of ether, to which add three quarters of 
 an ounce of alcohol. If the cotton does not en- 
 tirely dissolve, allow it to remain for a short 
 time, and pour the clean part off for use. Keep 
 this solution in a bottle, and call it I. To one 
 ounce of alcohol (spirits of wine), add as much 
 
PffOTOGRAPHY AND THE FINE ARTS. 
 
 275 
 
 iodide of ammonium as it will dissolve ; then add 
 as much iodide of silver (made from the nitrate 
 of silver and iodide of potassium), as the solution 
 will take up; keep this in another bottle, and 
 call it 2. Procure another bottle with a wide 
 mouth, and pour into it one ounce of collodion 
 out of I ; to which add 15 or 20 drops from 2. 
 The collodion thus formed is called collodio- iodide 
 of silver. 
 
 Having well washed and cleaned a plate of 
 glass, of the same size as the frame in your 
 camera, coat it on one side evenly, and without 
 hurry, by passing the collodion on the center 
 from the bottle ; pour back any excess of liquid 
 from one corner, and then draw the mouth of 
 the bottle along the under edge of the glass, un- 
 til you come to the other corner of the plate. In 
 this way you cause the collodion to cover the 
 plate in an even manner. 
 
 To excite the plate thus loaded \vith collodion 
 for the camera, proceed as follows : — In a 
 trough or bath made of gutta percha, glass, or 
 porcelain, large enough to hold the plate, make 
 a mixture in the following proportions : distilled 
 water, l oz.; nitrate of silver, 20 grains; alcohol, 
 30 drops; dissolve and filter, (if the bath contain 
 six or eight ounces you of course increase the 
 quantity of each six or eight times;) you then 
 carefully and quickly plunge the coated plate of 
 glass into the bath, and after lifting it up and 
 down two or three times, allow it to remain 
 covered by the solution for about two minutes. 
 
 To do this neatly, get a strip of glass two or 
 three inches longer than the plate, and about two 
 inches wide ; cut off about a quarter of an inch 
 from one end and cement it on the front of the 
 end from which you took it; you thus obtain a 
 dipper on which the plate rests, and by holding 
 the other end of the plate, it can be easily plunged 
 in the bath. You then place the pbte in the 
 frame, and the frame in the camera, (ha\'ing 
 previously obtained a good focus ; ) and by pulling 
 out the slide in front of the plate, you expose for 
 a space of time varying from one to fifteen se- 
 conds. We cannot give any rule for the exact 
 length of time, as it depends on the color of the 
 object, the amount of light shining on it, the 
 quality of that light, and the amount of light 
 which the object reflects, etc, a knowledge of 
 all which must be obtained by practice. 
 
 Having closed your slide, you carry the frame 
 into the dark room, and, taking out the plate, devel- 
 op the picture in the following manner : — Make 
 a solution consisting of distilled water, 4 ozs.; 
 pyrogallic acid, 5 grains; strongest acetic acid, 
 60 minims ; dissolve and filter. In applying this 
 solution, hold the plate perfectly level, the col- 
 lodion side upwards, and pour enough of it on 
 the plate to cover it; in a very short time the 
 picture will be developed. Wash it with water, 
 and pour over it some of the solution of hypo- 
 sulphate of soda, made thus: water, i pint, hypo- 
 sulphate of soda, 4 ozs. Allow it to remain one 
 or two minutes ; and after thoroughly washing it 
 all off again, your "negative" collodion picture 
 is finished. 
 
 COLLODION, Photographic.— ?\xx^ alcohol, 
 10 ozs.; pure ether, 20 ozs.; prepared cotton, 
 300 grs. Pour the alcohol into a 40 oz. glass 
 bottle, add the cotton, and shake until the cotton 
 is thoroughly wetted ; then add the ether, shake 
 well and set away in a cool, dark place for sev- 
 eral weeks to settle. In very warm weather in- 
 
 crease the proportion of alcohol by addition a day 
 before use or at time of iodizing. 
 
 COLLODION, n Iodize.— Plain collodion, 
 3 ozs.; iodizing solution, i oz. Mix and set 
 away in a dark, cool place 12 hours before 
 using. 
 
 Any of the ordinary iodides or bromides can 
 be substituted in the above formula. 
 
 COLLODIO-ALBUMEN PROCESS, Tgu- 
 penofs. — Cleaning the Glasses. This part of the 
 process must be conducted with care. — Sensi- 
 tizing and fVashing. Employ 2 nitrate baths in 
 this process, one for the collodion and the other 
 for the second film, viz., the albumen. The al- 
 bumen nitrate bath must contain free acetic acid, 
 and therefore if one solution be employed for both 
 films it should be a bath of aceto- nitrate. Sens- 
 itize the collodion in the ordinary way, hold- 
 ing it rather longer than usual before dipping. 
 Having arranged 2 dishes of common water, 
 side by side, lay the plate face uppermost in the 
 first dish, and wave the water backwards and 
 forwards for about 30 seconds. Then put the 
 plate into the second dish and leave it whilst an- 
 other glass is being coated and immersed in the 
 sensitizing bath. Now drain plate No. i closely 
 on blotting-paper, and it will be ready for the 
 iodized albumen. Plate No. 2 remains in the 
 sensitizing bath until the first glass has been 
 coated with albumen and placed to dry. — Pre- 
 paration of the Iodized Albumen. Take of al- 
 bumen, 3 ozs.; distilled water, i oz.; strong am- 
 monia, 10 minims; iodide of potassium, 10 grs.; 
 bromide of ammonium, 10 grs. First mix the 
 ammonia and the water, then add the other in- 
 gredients and shake together in a bottle. Iodide 
 of ammonium may be advantageously used. — T9 
 Apply the Albumen. For a stereoscopic size, 
 measure out I dr. of the albumen and pour it on 
 and off twice to displace the surface water of the 
 washed collodion film. Then apply a second quan- 
 tity. Stand the albuminized plates vertically on 
 blottingpaper to drain and dry. — The Aceto-nitrale 
 Bath. Take an ordinary collodion negative bath 
 and add to each fluid ounce 30 minims of glacial 
 acetic acid, keep it in glass or gutta percha and 
 continue to use it until it has become blackened 
 by the action of the albumen. The film of al- 
 bumen must be rendered quite dry by holding it 
 to the fire before it is dipped in the aceto-nitrate 
 bath. Leave them in the bath any time between 
 30 seconds and 2 minutes, and then remove the 
 wash with water. Use two dishes for washing 
 and allow 20 or 30 seconds in each dish; then 
 rear up again to dry, and the plates will, be ready 
 for exposure. Artificial heat may be used with 
 advantage. The most successful operators in Tau- 
 penot's process give a very long exposure.— 
 Development. Prepare a saturated solution of 
 galUt acid in distilled water, adding 4 grs. to 
 each oz. Filter this developer through paper. 
 The solution of nitrate of silver for use with 
 the gallic acid may be made of the strength of 
 20 grs. to the ounce. Add 15 minims to i oz. of 
 gallic acid solution. Pre\aous to the-application 
 of the developer the surface of the film must be 
 moistened with water. From half an hour to an 
 hour must be allowed for the full development 
 with gallic acid. Fix with a saturated solution of 
 hyposulphite. 
 
 DE VELOPERS.— For positives : i. Pure sul- 
 phate of iron, 150 grs.; glacial acetic acid, 6 fl. 
 drs.; water, lo ozs.; nitric acid, 2 minims. Dis- 
 
275 
 
 DICTIONARY OF EVERY-DAY WANTS. 
 
 solve the sulphate of iron in the -water, and add 
 the acetic and nitric acid and cork tightly. 
 
 2. Sulphate of iron, 480 grs.; nitrate of baryta, 
 320 grs.; alcohol, i oz.; nitric acid, 30 minims; 
 water, 10 ozs. Powder the nitrate of baryta and 
 dissolve in the water warmed ; when dissolved, 
 add the powdered sulphate of iron, stirring for a 
 few minutes ; filter, and when the liquid becomes 
 cold, add the nitric acid and alcohol separately. 
 Bottle and cork tightly. 
 
 For negatives: I. Pyrogallic acid, 10 grs.; gla- 
 cial acetic acid, 3 drs.; distilled water, 10 ozs. 
 Dissolve the pyrogallic acid in the water, add the 
 glacial acetic acid, cork tightly. 
 
 2. Sulphate of iron and ammonium, 2 ozs., or 
 sulphate of iron, l^ oz.; glacial acetic acid, % 
 02., or acetic acid No. 8, l^oz.; alcohol, ^ oz.; 
 distilled water, 10 ozs. Add to the distilled 
 water in the order indicated, the iron-salt to be 
 first dissolved. In warm weather this developer 
 requires dilution, and must be washed from the 
 plate the instant the details appear. 
 
 DE VELOPER, Pyrogallic Acid.— Forty grs. 
 of pyrogallic acid being dissolved in I oz. of gla- 
 cial acetic acid, and 20 minims added to i oz. of 
 water when required for use. The strong solu- 
 tion becomes black from decomposition in the 
 course of a few weeks, but when diluted it has 
 only a faint yellow tint, and is tolerably effective 
 in bringing out the image. In place of acetic 
 acid strong alcohol may be used as a solvent, % 
 a dr. of pyrogallic acid being dissolved in I oz. of 
 spirit, and 20 minims of the resulting liquid 
 added to each oz. of acidified water. No attempt 
 must be made, however, to combine acetic acid 
 and spirit in one solution, since abundance of 
 acetic ether would be generated by so doing. 
 These plans of preparing a concentrated developer 
 r are useful for a few weeks' keeping, but are not 
 recommended for an unlimited time. 
 
 DEVELOPER, Concentrated Iron. — Mr. 
 Hdwards has found that the addition of a small 
 quantity of copper to the iron developer hastens 
 action, secures immunity from fogging, and 
 lirings out the finest details without impairing 
 the contrast of shadows. He prepares a stock 
 solution as follows : Protosulphate of iron, i 
 pound; double salt of iron and ammonia, i 
 pound; sulphate of copper, I ounce; water, 40 
 ounces, or enough to make a saturated solution. 
 "When required for use, take one ounce of the 
 stock solution, dilute wth 16 ounces of water, 
 and add an ounce each of acetic acid and alcohol, 
 but their proportions may be varied to suit the 
 requirements of temperature and the special 
 class of work. 
 
 There are advantages in having a stock bottle 
 ready to be diluted and mixed when about to be 
 used, and for the tourist who employs the 
 wet process, it is an invaluable method of work- 
 ing, as it is very portable, and can be modified 
 by the addition of one or another solution, to 
 suit the ^character of the work. A little nitrate 
 of silver solution can be used as an intensifier, if 
 required. 
 
 DRAWING, Crayon. — Drawing in crayon 
 will be found much more convenient than in oil 
 or water colors, as you are spared the delay of 
 waiting for them to dry. Crayon materials or 
 pastels are put up in boxes of necessary tints for 
 portraits or landscapes, and, by blending, every 
 shade and color can be obtained as in oil paint- 
 ing. The pupil coa purchase prepared paper or 
 
 board. A good paper for portraiture is pumice 
 paper. Your sketch should be made as in pen- 
 cili ng, and then proceed to the shading. For a 
 head, we consider the drapery and groundwork 
 — and here allow me to aavise all to study pen« 
 cilmg before attempting crayons : also, to begin 
 by painting easy things. 
 
 The picture being drawn, proceed to fill in the 
 background. Let the tints be varied, if in a 
 colored crayon, according to the ideal or originals 
 from which you are designing it. For example, 
 if the lights m your picture are on the right side, 
 the darkest shade in the groundwork must be 
 placed on the right, and vice versa. See that 
 the background be smooth, the dark shades of 
 rich brown or green, and the light of gray, 
 French blue, etc. Then — 
 
 1. Paint the dark shades with black crayon, 
 and rub it in with a soft cork. The cork pencils 
 ready prepared are best for that purpose, or rub- 
 bers of soft leather will answer. 
 
 2. Put in the light clear shades as they belong 
 with the soft and medium crayons, using care 
 in blending to avoid a dingy and dirty appear- 
 ance. 
 
 3. Lay on the brown and other colors. WTien 
 it is necessary to put brown over black, do not 
 rub the two together ; use your finger, as well as 
 the cork. 
 
 4. In finishing the picture use hard crayon, 
 laying on in lines, and blend with cork. 
 
 Having a v.iriety of colors for other styles of 
 painting, you can use your judgment in selecting 
 from your boxes. You must have a box of soft 
 and a box of hard crayons to obtain what you 
 need. Try your colors first on a piece of waste 
 paper. 
 
 Do not expect it will be right by laying oa 
 colors, once. You must work line over line 
 many times and carefully. Do not soil your pic- 
 ture in the delicate parts. In addition to your 
 colors in boxes, furnish yourself with black and 
 white crayons of different tones, and a supply of 
 dry carmine. We prefer the lump to the pencil. 
 French blue is much used to produce clear lights. 
 The paper must be some available tint, as its 
 color appears through almost all portions of the 
 work. A low-toned olive tint has been found 
 very desirable. Have your paper an inch or 
 two longer than the proposed picture; sketch 
 the design lightly with black crayon No. I, mak- 
 ing sky and broad tints with the flat surface of 
 broken pieces of crayon ( I and 2) rubbed in with 
 the finger. The breadths of the nearer and re- 
 mote distances are put in with broken pieces, 
 blended together. Mountains, trees, etc., are 
 drawn in with black crayon, then tinted and 
 glazed with colored crayon. 
 
 DRAWING {Crayon), Mode of Fixing 
 by steam. — Get a tin vessel with a tight-fitting 
 lid, and a pipe projecting from the side, having 
 a head perforated with holes. Into this vessel 
 put two ounces of the strongest alcohol and two 
 drachms of powdered sugar-candy. Boil it over 
 a spirit lamp. Direct the steam to the back of 
 your picture, until the papers and colors are per- 
 fectly saturated. 
 
 DRA WINGS, {Pencil) To Preserve.— \. Best 
 alcohol, two ounces ; camphor, four gr.iins ; after 
 dissolved, to be applied, if on ordinary drawing 
 paper, to the back; if on Bristol boards, coat it 
 rapidly on the drawing side ; then hang up to dry. 
 •^^ Wash over the penciled surface very care- 
 
PHOTOGRAPHY AND THE FINE ARTS. 
 
 277 
 
 fully with milk, from which the entire fatty parts 
 or cream has been removed, and dry in the open 
 air on blotting-paper. Water in which has been 
 dissolved a little isinglass will answer the same 
 purpose. — 3. Prepare a solution in moderate 
 strength of bleached shellac in alcohol, wash 
 over the back of the sheet of paper with this, 
 and the drawing on the front will become fixed. 
 In this way, as will be understood, there is no 
 risk of smearing the lines of the drawing. 
 
 DRA WINGS, Simple method of Copying. — 
 Silvered albumen paper, after being washed, may 
 be conveniently used for copying negatives as 
 well as positives. It keeps for weeks, and be- 
 comes sensitive to light only after exposure to 
 the vapors of aqua ammonia, technically termed 
 •'smoking with ammonia." Dr. H. Vogel has 
 greatly simplified the latter process by substitu- 
 ting for the liquid ammonia the powder of car- 
 bonate of ammonia. He thoroughly impregnates 
 a piece of felt or cloth with this powder, and lays 
 it under the silvered sheet, separated from it by 
 a piece of blotting-paper. The negative is plac- 
 ed on the top, and the back covered, and the 
 ■whole is ready for the copying frame. One im- 
 pregnation with the carbonate of ammonia serves 
 for several copies. So very simple is the opera- 
 tion that Dr. Vogel has made use of it in public 
 libraries for copying complicated drawings. He 
 places the silvered ixiper, with the substratum of 
 carbonate of ammonia and the drawing on top, 
 between two plates of glass, and, exposing it to 
 the light of the window, obtains a copy quite 
 distinct in all its details, while he himself may be 
 occupied with reading or other^vise. The copy 
 obtained is, of course, in white lines upon black 
 ground. Such photographs merely require to be 
 treated with soda -when intended for long preser- 
 vation. They are generally, however, not de- 
 signed to be kept a great while. 
 
 ENGRAVING by PHOTOGRAPHY.— 
 The photographic picture is taken upon sensitized 
 glass, just as in the ordinary carte-de-visite, pro- 
 ducing a negative from which any number of po- 
 sitives may be taken. The picture may be a 
 portrait, a landscape, a group of sculpture, an 
 architectural facade, or what not — anything, pro- 
 vided it assumes the form of a glass negative. 
 The positives obtained from this are not upon 
 sensitized paper, but upon a thin film of gelatine, 
 combined with bichromate of ammonia. When 
 light has been allowed to pass for a sufficient 
 length of time through the negative to the posi- 
 tive, it shows its action in a peculiar way on the 
 film: wherever the light is the strongest (as in 
 the high lights of the picture), the film is render- 
 ed insoluble ; wherever it is the weakest (as in 
 the shadows), the film remains easily soluble; 
 wherever it is intermediate (as in the half tints), 
 the gelatine becomes partially soluble. It is the 
 bichromate of ammonia that renders the gelatine 
 susceptible to these peculiar varieties of eftect. 
 W'e may add that the electric light now furnish- 
 es a wonderful aid in taking the positive, render- 
 ing the photographer independent of times and 
 seasons, day and night, bright days and dull 
 days. 
 
 W'e have, then, a positive picture, taken upon 
 a film of gelatine containing bichromate of am- 
 monia. This film being next placed in warm 
 water, the substance dissolves away in the un- 
 equal degree just intimated ; it becomes thinner 
 in the parts least acted on by the light; the parts 
 
 most acted on are scarcely dissolved at all ; while 
 the medium degrees of action produce medium 
 degrees of dissolving or thinning. What is the 
 total result ? The film has become a sort of bas- 
 rehef ; there is a picture of raised parts and de- 
 pressed parts, owmg to variations in the thick- 
 ness of the film ; and these variations are so 
 beautifully graduated as to produce all the tints 
 and half tints from high lights to deep shadows. 
 
 The pressure, which next ensues, is not the 
 least curious part of the operation. It seems 
 scarcely conceivable that a thin film of gelatine 
 will act as a mold to impress its inequalities upon 
 a plate of metal; yet such it certainly does. A 
 beautifully smooth metal sheet is prepared, con- 
 sisting of lead alloyed with a little antimony ; the 
 alloy is nearly (but not quite) the same as stereo- 
 type metal ; it has a nicely determined degree of 
 hardness (or softness, whichever we like to call 
 it), settled after a number of experimental trials. 
 The gelatine film is placed upon the lead plate, 
 and the two between two steel plates, the group 
 is placed in a hydraulic press, where an intense 
 pressure is brought to bear upon it. This pres- 
 sure amounts to as much as forty tons, even for 
 a small picture, and rises to two hundred tons 
 (nearly half a million pounds) when the dimen- 
 sions are large. We might suppose that this 
 overwhelming force would crush the delicate 
 film into undistinguishable fragments. Nothing 
 of the kind. The protuberances or raised parts 
 press themselves bodily into the surface of the 
 lead, producing a sunken or intaglio effect in all 
 the places where the film presents a raised or 
 cameo effect, and vice versa. It is wonderful to 
 see how perfect is this action upon the plate, the 
 picture appearing almost as if the graver had pro- 
 duced it. And it is scarcely less wonderful that 
 the thin film of gelatine will bear twenty or thirty 
 of these pressures, transferring its picture to 
 twenty or thirty plates before being worn 
 out. 
 
 Lastly comes the printing. If the lead plate 
 were inked in the ordinary way with inking- 
 roUers, and passed through an ordinary printing- 
 press, the print obtained would consist simply of 
 masses of black and white, without any grada- 
 tions or half tints whatever; this would result 
 naturally from the peculiar mode in which the 
 plate is prepared. An ink or color, however, is 
 got ready, consisting of water and gelatine mix- 
 ed with some kind of pigment or paint. This 
 ink, instead of being lightly applied by means of 
 a roller, is poured as a liquid all over the plate; 
 a sheet of paper is placed upon it ; a light pres- 
 sure is applied, sufficient to squeeze out all the 
 superfluous ink ; and the paper is allowed thus 
 to remain until the gelatine in the ink has "set," 
 or slightly solidified. The print, when removed, 
 is dipped in a fixing bath, which renders the ink 
 permanent. 
 
 ENGRA VINGS, Cleaning and Preset-jaiion 
 of. — In commencing to restore an engraving, 
 some attention must be given to the kind of in- 
 jury it has suffered. A general brown color more 
 or less deep, resulting from atmospheric action 
 only, is the least possible change. Spots and 
 stains, caused by ink, colored fluids, oil or insects, 
 must be first treated, and all pencil marks removed 
 by India-rubber or bread crumb's. A fluid acid, 
 obtained by dissolving I oz. of crystals of oxalic 
 acid in ^pt. of warm water, may be used for ap- 
 plicatioa to all stains, and the paper should be 
 
875 
 
 DICTIONARY OF E VERY-DAY WANTS. 
 
 •wet with it thoroughly where spots of any kind 
 exist. 
 
 Excepting in a few cases, this acid will not 
 cause the removal of stains immediately, but 
 generally it combines with the bases of them, 
 and they are removed by subsequent steps ; the 
 thorough wetting should be done a few hours 
 before proceeding to clean the engraving. The 
 engraving should be placed in a shallow tub or 
 other vessel, and allowed to rest upon a piece of 
 open cotton stuff, or millinet. This material of 
 suitable dimensions, should have 2 rods or sticks 
 sewn to opposite edges. These sticks will hang 
 over the sides of the vessel, and permit the prints 
 to be withdrawn or moved without any risk of 
 injury, and they should remain in soak with 
 •warm or cold water for 12 or 24 hours. When 
 the prints no longer discolor the water on being 
 agitated, the fluid should be withdrawn, and 
 enough clean water added to cover them. Half 
 a pound of chloride of lime should be made into 
 a paste with cold water, and stirred up wth 2 
 qts. of water, and allowed to settle for 6 hours. 
 Part of the clear solution should be added to the 
 bath till the smell of chlorine is perceived, and 
 the prints should be moved to facilitate the ac- 
 tion. In very bad cases, I oz. of muriatic acid 
 mixed with a pint of water may be added, and 
 •when the bleaching is effected the prints should 
 be well washed with fresh water and slowly dried. 
 
 ETCHING. — A method of engraving on 
 plates with acids, which are poured into lines 
 drawn on the plate, covered with a wax ground. 
 The plate is warmed, the ground is apphed, and 
 distributed evenly by heat, and when coolj a 
 bodkin, etc., is used to engrave, by removing the 
 •wax, so as to expose the plate in lines suited to 
 the sketch. The acid is then applied to bite away 
 the exposed portion of the plate ; it is prevented 
 from acting elsewhere by the untouched wax, and 
 when it has acted sufficiently the wax is removed 
 and the sketch printed from. — Etching Ground. 
 
 — Melt in a glazed earthen vessel 2 oz. of pow- 
 dered asphaltum, then add I oz. of Burgundy 
 pitch; melt, and add l^ oz. of virgin wax; mix 
 well, pour into warm water and incorporate the 
 whole with the hands. — Transparent Etching 
 Ground. — Resin, i oz., virgin wax, 2 oz. ; melt 
 in an earthen pipkin. Or turpentine varnish 
 mixed with a small quantity of oxide of bismuth. 
 
 — Bordering Wax. — Burgundy pitch, 3 lbs., 
 bees'-wax, l lb.; melt, and add jj^pint of sweet 
 oil. Pour it into water and work it with the 
 hands. — Etching Fluid for Copper. — i. Nitrous 
 acid, I part, water, 5 parts ; mix gradually, and 
 add the size of a hazel nut of sal ammoniac to 
 each pint. — 2. Verdigris, alum, sea salt, and sal 
 ammoniac, of each l part, vinegar, 2 parts ; dis- 
 solve, add water, 4 parts, boil a minute, and 
 cool. — 3. Iodine, 2 parts, iodide of potassium, 
 5 parts, water, 8 parts. — Etching Fluid for Steel. 
 
 — I. Pyroligneous acid and nitric acid, each i 
 part, water, 6 parts. — 2. Iodine, i oz., iron filings, 
 yi drachm, water, 4 oz.; digest until dissolved. 
 — 3. Hydrochloric acid, 10 parts, distille<l water, 
 70 parts, chlorate of potash, 2 parts. Dissolve 
 the chlorate in the water, and add the acid. Di- 
 luted with water for use to the strength required. 
 
 FADED PHOTOGRAPHS, To Reproduce. 
 — ^The pictures are, in the first place, thoroughly 
 impregnated with wax, care being taken to re- 
 move all excess by hot ironing, subsequently 
 rubbing the surface with a tult of cotton. This 
 
 operation itself deepens the contrasts of the pic- 
 ture, and brings out many minor details previ- 
 ously invisible, the yellowish-whites being ren- 
 dered more transparent, while the half tones and 
 shadows retain their brown, opaque character. 
 This picture, thus prepared, is then used as a 
 negative, and employed for printing in the usual 
 way. 
 
 GLASS, Cleaning for a Photograph. -~\viX' 
 merse for several hours in a strong solution of 
 common washing soda, rinse, and rub with alco- 
 hol and Joseph paper. Kurz varies from this a 
 little. After the soda bath, he puts the glass 
 into a nitric acid and water, equ^ parts, for 2 
 hours. Then wash under tap, and rub -with a 
 sponge, rinse, and coat with filtered albumen 
 (wliite of one egg to 24 ounces of water, well 
 beaten). 
 
 GLASS, To Etch upon. — Procure several 
 thick, clear pieces of crown glass, and immerse 
 them in melted wax, so that each may receive a 
 complete coating, or pour over them a solution 
 of wax in benzine. "When perfectly cold draw 
 on them, with a fine steel point, flowers, trees, 
 houses, portraits, etc. Whatever parts of the 
 drawing are intended to be corroded with the 
 acid should be perfectly free from the least par- 
 ticle of wax. When all these drawings are finish- 
 ed the pieces of glass must be immersed one by 
 one in a square leaden box or receiver, where 
 they are to be submitted to the action of hydro- 
 fluoric acid gas, made by acting on powdered 
 fluor-spar by concentrated sulphuric acid. 
 
 When the glasses are sufficiently corroded they 
 are to be taken out, and the wax is to be removed 
 by first dipping them in warm and then in hot 
 water, or by washing with turpentine or benzine. 
 Various colors may be applied to the corroded 
 parts of the glass, whereby a very fine painting 
 may be executed. In the same manner sentences 
 and initials of names may be etched on wine- 
 glasses, tumblers, etc. 
 
 LEAF, To take Impressions of. — Hold oiled 
 paper in the smoke of a lamp or of pitch, until 
 it becomes coated with the smoke ; to this paper 
 apply the leaf of which you wish an impression, 
 having previously warmed it between your hands, 
 that it may be pliable. Place the lower surface 
 of the leaf upon the blackened surface of the oil 
 paper, that the numerous veins that are so pro- 
 minent on this side may receive from the paper 
 a portion of the smoke. Lay a paper over the 
 leaf, and then press it gently upon the smoked 
 paper, with the fingers or with a small roller 
 (covered with woolen cloth, or some like soft 
 material), so that every part of the leaf may come 
 in contact with the sooted oil-paper. A coating 
 of the smoke will adhere to the leaf. Then re- 
 move the leaf carefully, and place the blackened 
 surface on a sheet of white paper, not ruled, or 
 in a book prepared for the purpose, covering the 
 leaf with a clean slip of paper, and pressing upon 
 it with the fingers, or roller, as before. Thus 
 may be obtained the impression of a leaf, show- 
 ing the perfect outlines, together with an accurate 
 exhibition of the veins which extend in every di- 
 rection through it, more correctly than the finest 
 drawing. And this process is so simple, and the 
 materials so easily obtained, that any person, 
 with a little practice to enable him to apply the 
 right quantity of smoke to the oil-paper, and give 
 the leaf a proper pressure, can prepare beautiful 
 leaf impressions, such as a naturalist would be 
 
PHOTOGRAPHY AND THE FINE ARTS. 
 
 279 
 
 proud to possess. There is another, and we 
 think a better method of taking leaf impressions, 
 than the preceding one. The only difference in 
 the process consists in the use of printing ink, 
 instead of smoked oil-paper. 
 
 LEAF, To make a Facsimile in Copper. — 
 This beautiful experiment can be i>erformed by 
 any person in possession of a common galvanic 
 battery. The process is as follows : — Soften a 
 piece of gutta percha over a candle, or before a 
 fire ; knesui it with the moist fingers upon a table, 
 until the surface is perfectly smooth, and large 
 enough to cover the leaf to be copied; lay the 
 leaf flat upon the surface, and press every part 
 well into the gutta percha. In about five min- 
 utes the leaf maybe removed, when if the opera- 
 tion has been carefully performed a perfect im- 
 pression of the leaf will be made on the gutta 
 percha. This must now be attached to the wire 
 m connection with the zinc end of the battery 
 (which can easily be done by heating the end of 
 the wire, and pressing it into the gutta percha), 
 dusted well over with the best black lead, with a 
 camel's hair brush — the object of which is to render 
 it a conductor of electricity — and then completely 
 immersed in a saturated solution of sulphate of cop- 
 per. A piece of copper attached to the wire in con- 
 nection with the copper end of the battery, must 
 also be inserted into the copper solution, facing 
 the gutta percha but not touching it; this not 
 only acts as a conductor to the electricity, but 
 also maintains the solution of copper of a per- 
 manent strength. In a short time, the copper 
 will be found to creep over the whole surface of 
 the gutta percha, and in about twenty-four hours 
 a thick deposit of copper will be obtained, which 
 may then be detached from the mould. The ac- 
 curacy with which a leaf may thus be cast is 
 truly surprising. I have in my possession a cast 
 of a hazel-leaf made by the process, which no- 
 body would take to be a production of art; every 
 fibre and nerve, in fact, the minutest part, is de- 
 lineated with the utmost fidelity. 
 
 LEAF PRnVTIiVG.—Mia warming the 
 leaf between the hands, apply printing ink, by 
 means of a small leather ball containing cotton, 
 or some soft substance, or with the end of the 
 finger. The leather ball (and the finger when 
 used for that purpose), after the ink is applied to 
 it, should be pressed several times on a piece of 
 leather or some smooth surface, before each ap- 
 plication to the leaf, that the ink may be smoothly 
 and evenly applied. After the under surface of 
 the leaf has been sufficiently inked, apply it to 
 the paper, where you wish the impression ; and, 
 after covering it with a slip of paper, use the 
 hand or roller to press upon it, as described in 
 the former process. 
 
 LITHOGRAPHIC PAPER. — i. Starch 6 
 oz.; gum arable 2 oz.; alum i oz.; make a strong 
 solution of each separately, in hot water, mix, 
 and apply it while still warm to one side of 
 leaves of paper, with a clean painting-brush. 
 When dry, a second and a third coat may be 
 given ; lastly, press it, to make it smooth. — 2. 
 Give the paper three coats of thin size, one coat 
 of good wiiite starch, and one coat of a solution 
 of gamboge in water ; the whole to be applied 
 with a sponge, and each coat to be allowed to 
 dry before the other is applied. The whole of 
 tlie solutions should be fresh made. 
 
 Lithographic paper is used to write on with 
 lithographic ink. The writing may be trans- 
 
 ferred by simply moistening the back of the 
 paper, and evenly pressing it on the stone, when 
 a reversed copy is obtained, which may be used 
 to print from, and will yield corrected copies, 
 resembling the original writing or drawing, 
 
 LITHOGRAPHY.— There: oxG two modes of 
 lithography in general use. For the one a draw- 
 ing is made on the lithographic stone, with a 
 lithographic crayon, or with lithographic ink, 
 and when the design is dry, avery weak solution 
 of oil of vitriol, or muriatic acid, is poured upon 
 the stone, which acts by removing the alkali from 
 the chalk or ink used to draw the design, and 
 thus leaves them in a permanent and insoluble 
 form. The acid also removes a very small por- 
 tion of the surface of the stone occupied by the 
 lights of the drawing, and renders it more ab- 
 sorbent. In the other method, the design is 
 made on lithographic paper, (see the last article,) 
 which paper, on being moistened, laid on the 
 stone, and passed through the press, leaves its 
 design on the stone, which is then acted on by 
 acid as before described. To print from stones 
 so prepared, water is thrown on them, and the 
 roller, charged with printing ink, passed over 
 them, when the paper is applied, and a copy is 
 obtained by the action of tne press. The same 
 process must be had recourse to for each copy. 
 The nature of the stone is such that it retains 
 with great tenacity the resinous and oily sub- 
 stances contained in the ink or crayon employed 
 to form the design, and also absorbs water 
 freely ; this, combined ^vith the peculiar affin- 
 ity between resinous and oily substances, and 
 their mutual power of repelling water, occasions 
 the ink on the printing roller to adhere to the 
 design, or resinous portion, and to leave untouch- 
 ed the lights or watered parts of the stone. The 
 stones are prepared by polishing in the ordinary 
 way ; the style of work for which they are in- 
 tended determining the degree of labor bestowed 
 upon them. For crayon drawings, the surface 
 should have a fine grain, but the finish of the 
 stone must depend upon the desired softness of 
 the intended drawing; for writing or drawing on 
 in ink, the surface must receive a higher polish, 
 and must be finished off with pumice stone and 
 water. The best lithographic stones are obtain- 
 ed from Solenhofen, near Munich, and from 
 Pappenheim, on the banks of the Danube. The 
 white lias which lies immediately under the blue, 
 near Bath, also yields good lithographic stones. 
 
 MAGIC PHOTOGRAPHS, To Make.— 
 Take, in the first place, an ordinary print — a 
 card-picture, for instance — on albumen paper, 
 beneath the negative in the usual way, and, when 
 sufficiently printed, let it be carefully washed in 
 the dark room, so as to remove all the free ni- 
 trate of silver, etc. Now immerse it in the fol- 
 lowing solution, also in the dark room : saturated 
 solution bichloride of mercury (corrosive subli- 
 mate), one ounce ; hydrochloric acid, one drachm. 
 The saturated solution is previously prepared by 
 putting into water more bichloride of mercury 
 than it will dissolve by shaking in about twelve 
 hours. 
 
 The print will gradually be bleached in this 
 liquid, in the ordinary meaning of the word — ■ 
 that is, it will disappear; but the fact is, the print 
 is still there — its color alone is changed, a double 
 salt having been formed of mercury and silver, 
 which is white, as many of our readers, who 
 have been in the habit of intensifying with a 
 
28o 
 
 DICTJONAR YOFE VER Y-DA Y WANTS. 
 
 mercurial salt, are aware. As soon as the print 
 has quite disappeared, the paper is thoroughly 
 washed and dried in the dark room ; it is also 
 preserved between folds of orange-colored paper, 
 m order to keep it from the action of light, for 
 the surface is still in some measure sensitive to 
 light. 
 
 The bleaching of the print — that is, its con- 
 version into a white salt — is effected more quick- 
 ly by keeping it in motion in the mercurial solu- 
 tion. 
 
 As we said before, the print has not been 
 bleached in reality — the substance which origin- 
 ally formed it is still there, together with a new 
 substance, a salt of mercury. But the two salts 
 of silver and mercury may be easily brought out 
 and made visible by several solutions, such as 
 sulphide of ammonium, solution of hydrosul- 
 phuric acid ; in fact, any of the soluble sulphides, 
 ammonia and hyposulphite of soda. The latter 
 salt is used in preference to the others. Small 
 pieces of blotting-paper, therefore, of the same 
 size as the prints, are cut out and steeped in a 
 saturated solution of hyposulphite of soda, and 
 then dried. 
 
 The magic photographs are packed, as before 
 stated, between folds of orange-colored paper ; 
 the papers dipped in hyjjosulphite of soda are the 
 developers, and may be packed between two 
 sheets of common writing-paper. The develop- 
 ment of the image is effected in the following 
 manner: place the albumen paper which contains 
 the whitened print on a pane of glass, print side 
 upward ; on this lay the dry piece of blotting- 
 paper that has been previously dipped in hypo- 
 sulphite of soda. Moisten the latter thoroughly, 
 then place over it a pane of glass, and upon this 
 a weight, to bring the two pieces of paper into 
 intimate contact. In a very short time the pic- 
 ture will appear in all its original detail, and of a 
 sepia tone. 
 
 MICROSCOPIC PHOTOGRAPHY. — 
 There are two kinds of so-called microscopic 
 photographs. The first are small photographs of 
 large objects, to be examined with a magnifying 
 glass, or even with a microscope. These are 
 chiefly made as a curiosity and for amusement, 
 but occasionally for a useful purpose. In pre- 
 paring micrometric scales, for instance, a very 
 small photograph of a large measure is made to 
 be used with either the microscope, spectroscope, 
 solar or hydro-oxygen microscope, or magic- 
 lantern. It is one of the most indispensable tools 
 of the investigator. Such microscopic photo- 
 graphs may be either made by a common photo- 
 graphic camera by providing the tube between 
 the lenses with a diaphragm with very small 
 aperture, in order to have a perfectly sharp im- 
 age, and placing the object to be photographed 
 at a very great distance ; or the. photograph may 
 be made with a common microscope, by inclos- 
 ing the stage (which carries the object to be 
 examined) in a box which excludes all light ex- 
 cept that which falls through the tube. If, then, 
 in front of the tube, which may be either in ver- 
 tical or horizontal position, a well-illuminated 
 object is placed, the microscope lenses will throw 
 a very small image of it on the stage, in the same 
 way as the lenses of a photographer's earner 
 throw a large image on tne ground glass. The 
 operation of producing the picture is exactly the 
 same as in common photographs, except that ex- 
 traordinary care is required for the perfect pro- 
 
 duction of such small images, in which a single 
 grain of dust is sufficient to ruin the whole. 
 
 Use has been made of this means, in time of 
 war, to carry microscopic maps of fortifications, 
 etc., inclosed in a watchcase, or even in a ring, 
 which by their minuteness escaped detection un- 
 der the most scrutinizing search. 
 
 The second and much more important kind of 
 microscopic photographs, which we shall describe 
 in greater detail, are the enlarged photographs of 
 microscopic objects. They can not be produced 
 by a common photographer's camera, and re- 
 quire either a microscope or a photographic ca- 
 mera especially made for the purpose. 
 
 First there is required a common compound 
 microscope placed in a horizontal position. The 
 end of the tube which commonly carries the eye- 
 piece is inserted in a photographer's camera-box, 
 from which the tube and lenses have been re- 
 moved. The tube of the microscope i.s provided 
 with a diaphragm, which excludes all light from 
 the box, except that which enters through the 
 microscope lenses. The object to be photo- 
 graphed is held in place on the stage witn pro- 
 perly applied small springs. 
 
 For the illumination, an independent mirror, 
 diaphragm, lens, andblueplateglass,may be used, 
 the latter for the purpose of excluding, during 
 the adjustment of the boxes, all red, orange, and 
 yellow rays which do not contribute to forming 
 the image. The focus found with this blue light 
 will better coincide with the chemical focus (which 
 alone makes the picture) than that found with 
 the full light. During the exposure for making 
 the picture the blue glass is removed, as the red, 
 orange, and yellow rays intercepted by it do not 
 interfere, even if the microscope is not achroma- 
 tic, and the blue glass itself can not possibly in- 
 crease the chemical action of the light, but on the 
 contrary absorbs some rays and retards the ope- 
 ration, the opinion of certain photographers to 
 the contrary notwithstanding. 
 
 The whole system for illumination may be 
 turned around an axis below, causing the light 
 not to fall through the microscope but obliquely 
 on the object, so that less light from the mirror, 
 but most from the small object near passes 
 through the microscope into the camera-box, 
 where the focusing is done by means of the 
 ground glass, and this subsequently replaced by 
 the prepared sensitized surface in the usual man- 
 ner. The use of this oblique light is of the ut- 
 most importance, as well in common observa- 
 tions of very delicate structures by high pow6rs 
 with the eye, as in the microscopic photography 
 of the same. Some objects are so exceedingly 
 thin, and the details are so delicate, that they are 
 drowned in the flood of light, when the illumi- 
 nation throws the light directly through the axis 
 of the whole microscope. The eye sees too much 
 light ; much more of the light, in fact, than of 
 the object intended to be seen. But when the 
 light is thrown obliquely on the object, so that, 
 not the direct ray from the reflecting mirror, but 
 that coming from the illuminated object reaches 
 the eye, details are seen, impossible to distinguish 
 in any other way. Also in photographing with 
 such oblique light, details may be i)hotographed 
 which with direct light never could be obtained 
 at all. More than that even ; by proper arrange- 
 ments details have been photograplied which 
 never have been seen by tlie eye. Thus, the 
 marking? on one of the so-called diatoms, the 
 
PHOTOGRAPHY AND THE FINE ARTS, 
 
 s8i 
 
 pleurosigma angulatum, of which a common 
 microscope shows no trace, and which with a 
 good microscope can only be seen by oblique 
 Sluminalion as lines, or by stronger power as a 
 set of triple lines crossing one another at angles 
 of sixty degress, with the highest powers of the 
 best microscope appear to be hexagons, arranged 
 as in a honeycomb, thus revealing that the lines 
 seen by lower magnifying powers are but illusions, 
 produced by the regular arrangement of the hex- 
 agons. These now are shown, by means of 
 microscopic photography, to be no hexagons at 
 all, but circular depressions, which give the illu- 
 sion of hexagons by their arrangement, in which 
 every circle is surrounded by six others. 
 
 NA TURE PRINTING, Dresser's Process of. 
 — The process is one by which images of foliage 
 may be taken by any who have leisure and choose 
 to devote an hour or two to the registration of 
 the beautiful forms of our leaves. The process, 
 by its simplicity, commends itself; and the results 
 gained are of the most charming character. The 
 Vienna process of nature printing has achieved 
 much, and produced results of the most admirable 
 character; but the process necessitates the use of 
 dried vegetable specimens, in order to the pro- 
 duction of the image. While this is at least no 
 drawback in the case of ferns, and is perhaps 
 even an advantage, yet it strongly militates 
 against the process in the case of many other 
 plants. In order to meet this difficulty. Dr. Dres- 
 ser suggested an "Improved Nature Printing" 
 process which he patented, in conjunction with 
 Dr. Lyon Playfair, in which impressions are ta- 
 ken from Ihe living plant, and which may be 
 substantially described as follows: A sheet of 
 foolscap writing-paper should be provided, a 
 handful of fine cotton-wool, a piece of muslin, 
 one or moretubesof common oil-paint (according 
 to the color required), a little sw-eet-oil, and a 
 quantity of smooth, soft, cartridge-paper, or bet- 
 ter, plate-paper. Having placed the sheet of 
 foolscap-paper while doubled (the two thickness- 
 es making it a little softer), on a smooth table, 
 squeeze from the tube about as much oil-color 
 as would cover a shilling, and place this on one 
 corner of the sheet of foolscap; now form a "dab- 
 ber" by inclosing a quantity of the cotton-wool 
 in two thicknesses of muslin, and tjang it up so 
 as to give it roundness of form. Take up a por- 
 tion of the oil-paint from the corner of the paper, 
 with the dabber, and by dabbing give the central 
 portion of the sheet of foolscap a coat of color. 
 This dabbing may be continued for half an hour 
 or more with advantage, taking a small quantity 
 more color when the paper becomes dry; two or 
 three drops of sweet-oil may now be added to the 
 paper and distributed by the aid of the dabber, 
 if the color is thick, when the paper will be fully 
 prepared for use. 
 
 The paper may be left for an hour or two after 
 being first coated with color without injury, and, 
 indeed, this delay is favorable, for until the paper 
 becomes impregnated with oil, the results desired 
 are not so favorable as they become after the pa- 
 per is more fully enriched with this material. 
 While the color is soaking into the paper, a num- 
 ber of leaves should be gathered which are per- 
 fect in form and free from dust ; and these can 
 be kept fresh by placing them in an earthenware 
 pan, the bottom of which is covered with a damp 
 cloth, but it will be well to place a damp cloth 
 over the orifice of the pan also. Selecting a 
 
 woolly, hairy leaf, place it on the painted portion 
 of the sheet of foolscap, and dab it with the dab- 
 ber till it acquires the color of the paint used; 
 this being done turn the leaf over and dab the 
 other side ; now lift it from the paint paper by 
 the stalk, and place it with care between a folded 
 portion of the "plate" or "cartridge" paper, and 
 if the stalk of the leaf appears to be in the way, 
 cut it off with a pair of scissors ; now bring down 
 the upper portion of the folded piece of paper' 
 upon the leaf, and rub the paper externally with 
 the finger, or a soft rag, bringing the paper thus 
 in contact with every portion of the leaf. If the 
 paper is now opened, and the leaf removed, a 
 beautiful impression of both sides of the leaf will 
 be found remaining. In like manner, impress 
 sions of any tolerably flat leaves can be taken ; 
 but harsh leaves will be found most difficult, and 
 should hence be avoided by the beginner. While 
 the paper is yet rich in color, downy leaves should 
 be chosen; but color niay at any moment be ad- 
 ded, care being always taken to distribute the 
 paint evenly over the paper with the dabber be- 
 fore the latter is applied to the leaf, and the dab- 
 ber is always removed from the painted paper 
 till the color is exhausted, when the paper is 
 again replenished from the reserve in the corner. 
 As the color on the paper becomes less and 
 less in quantity, smoother leaves may be employ- 
 ed; and when the paper seems to be almost 
 wholly without paint, the smoothest leaves will 
 prove successful, for these require extremely 
 little color. Should the natural color of the leaf 
 be desired, it can be got by using paint of the 
 color required ; but, in many cases, purely arti- 
 ficial tints produce the most pleasing and artistic 
 results ; thus, burnt sienna gives a very pleasing 
 red tint ; and of all colors this will be found to 
 work with the greatest ease. 
 
 By the process now described, the most beauti- 
 ful results can be gained ; but the effect will be 
 better, if, when the impression is being rubbed 
 off, the leaf, together with the paper in which it 
 is inclosed, is placed on something soft, as half a 
 quire of blotting paper. Should the first attempt 
 not prove very satisfactory, a little experience 
 will be found to be all that is required, and now 
 the most common leaf will be seen to have a 
 form of the most lovely character. 
 
 Collections of leaves of forest-trees will prove 
 of the deepest interest, or of all the species which 
 we have of any kind of plant ; thus, if the leaves 
 of the black, red, American, and golden currant 
 be printed together with that of the gooseberry, 
 all of which l>elong to one botanical genus or 
 group, the variation or modification of the form 
 will lie seen to be of the deepest interest. 
 
 NEGATIVE, Fixing the. — Use a saturated 
 solution of hyposulphate of soda. In some of 
 the galleries they add i ounce of cyanide of potas- 
 sium to 4 quarts of the hypo solution. 
 
 NEGATIVE, An Auxiliary.— One of the 
 novelties introduced at a late convention, was a 
 negative for producing a watered or grained effect 
 over such parts of the print as may be desired. 
 The result is obtained by printing for a few mo- 
 ments under a fixed position, and then changing 
 ever so little the position of the auxiliary negative. 
 Imitations of watered silk, also of grains of wood 
 can be readily obtained, and serve to give a nevr 
 character to the picture. 
 
 NEGA TIVE BA THS {old), Preservation of. 
 — Worn out negative baths are usually got rid of 
 
28? 
 
 DICTIONAR Y OF E VER Y-DA K }' WANTS. 
 
 by precipitating ths silver, reducing to metallic 
 state, fusing, and again dissolving. This is a 
 process so long and complicated that most photo- 
 graphers shun to make it, and pour their old 
 baths into the general receptacle for slops, to be 
 sold or got rid of in the easiest way possible. 
 
 Mr. Brooks in the "Year Book" proposes the 
 reduction of the negative bath to carbonate of 
 silver to purify it. Dilute the bath to about 
 three times its bulk with distilled water, neutral- 
 ize with carbonate of soda until a slight turbid- 
 ity is produced, and sun for several hours ; then 
 decant, if necessary, and add sufficient carbonate 
 of soda, free from chloride, to precipitate all of 
 the silver as carbonate. After well washing this 
 precipitate in water, it is in condition to be dis- 
 solved in nitric acid of a proper strength to yield 
 a new negative bath. 
 
 NEGA TIVE Preservers. — All sorts of contriv- 
 ances have been suggested for preserving nega- 
 tives, but most of them are cumbersome and ex- 
 pensive. It is now proposed to put them into 
 paper envelopes, and set them aside in boxes, 
 after they have been properly designated. The 
 paper protects them from rubbing, and the ex- 
 pense of grooves, partitions, slides, and other 
 contrivances is avoided. They occupy the least 
 
 {)ossible bulk when put up in this way, and if 
 aid on edge in boxes, like shelves, can be readily 
 removed in case of fire. Envelopes are now 
 made of the sizes to fit the glasses usually em- 
 ployed by photographers. 
 
 PAINTING, (9/7.— First, the general outline 
 should be familiar, and as correct a sketch of the 
 desired picture obtained as possible. The re- 
 quisites for a "fitting out," consist of colors, 
 brushes, palette, palette-knife, canvas, easel, 
 hand-rest, oils and varnish. Brushes are round 
 and flat, the latter is used for the sky, the badger 
 brush is used to soften and blend together sky 
 and other parts. Clean your brushes by first 
 wiping with dry cloth, and afterwards wash in 
 turpentine, rinsing in cold water. To prepare 
 canvas, coat the material with strong warm 
 isinglass size, when dry coat with oil paint. To 
 facilitate drying, litharge, sugar of lead, etc., 
 may be added. Magilp is an indispensable ar- 
 ticle in oil painting, it tempers the colors, and 
 hastens the drying; it is made of equal parts of 
 strong mastic and clarified oil ; copal varnish is 
 often used instead of mastic. The different oils 
 used, are, linseed, poppy, drying, and nut-oil; 
 linseed is recommended in preference to others. 
 When smooth surface is desired, it is requisite to 
 rub the surface with pumice, sand, and water. 
 Light while painting should fall over the left 
 shoulder; a North light is preferable, because 
 more uniform. 
 
 First make your sketch ; you can first trace it 
 with charcoal or white crayon ; then mark cor- 
 rectly with pencil, dusting off the crayon as you 
 proceed. Begin by preparing tints for the sky, 
 get sufficient white from the tube at once and 
 thin with oil. Mix the following colors as near 
 the tints as the subject demands, viz., white, 
 French or permanent blue, vermilion, Naples 
 yellow, and yellow ochre. The same tints 
 strengthened with more color will do for 
 the mountains, more yellow ochre for mid 
 distance, and work gradually to the foreground, 
 for which mix a set of requisite tints, all sepa- 
 rate, and place the color at once where it shall 
 remain. This completes the first painting, and 
 
 we proceed with the second, third, and finishing, 
 and observations. — Second Painting, The first 
 painting should be perfectly dry before com- 
 mencing the second. The less drying oils used 
 the better, for when paints are used in their na- 
 tural state they don't sink as much, and give bet- 
 ter satisfaction. Prepare the palette with the 
 required tints for the clouds, and paint them in 
 with a little more attention to the shape, and 
 light, and shade. "When done, soften with a 
 blender. Next in order come the mountains; 
 attend more particularly to their shapes and dif- 
 ferent shades. Let the early painting be of a 
 light style of color, for, in finishing, the colors 
 are made much cooler by the process of glazing 
 and scumbling. You find that the colors, while 
 drying, sink, and partake a little of the color be- 
 neath them. Therefore this second painting 
 should give a good idea of the effect of what the 
 picture should be. — Third Painting. It may be 
 requisite to aid the effect of the distance by a few 
 touches of scumbling and glazing, and also in 
 bringing out desirable effects in the middle- 
 ground. Such tints can be used for these pur- 
 poses as occasion requires, either lighter or 
 darker than the parts to which they are applied. 
 When advanced thus in your painting, do not 
 attempt too much at one sitting, as the different 
 glazings may interfere with each other, destroy- 
 ing the transparent effect. It is better to allow 
 the colors to dry gradually, and repeat the glaz- 
 ing another time. — Observations. I. The sky, in 
 some pictures, is very important, having an in- 
 fluence over the entire painting. The tints are 
 more or less gradually mixed with white. They 
 are kept lighter as they approach the sun. The 
 colors vary, but the tints should be produced by 
 few. The most useful sky colors are white, 
 French or permanent blue, vermilion, madder 
 lake, Naples yellow, and yellow ochre. 
 
 2. The bounding sky line, or extreme distance, 
 varies very much in tone — sometimes seen plain- 
 ly, and at others scarcely distinguished from the 
 horizontal tones. You need suitable colors for 
 these effects. Sometimes distant mountains have 
 their summits quite visible, and their bases, al- 
 though much nearer, not seen. This is caused 
 by mists and vapors. Scumbling is necessary to 
 obtain this effect. 
 
 3. If possible, paint in the distance, when the 
 sky is moist with the same tints, only stronger, 
 as the case may be. Otherwise, scumble over 
 the lower part of the sky at the next painting. 
 This produces a good effect. 
 
 4. Nearer the foreground, as objects advance, 
 a little more distinctness may be given. Acci- 
 dental touches of hght are important in sejjarat- 
 ing the foliage and other objects through the 
 picture from distance to foreground. Indian red, 
 terre verte, Venetian red, Antwerp blue, eme- 
 rald green, and raw sienna, add to the colors 
 enumerated. Grays produced by vermilion and 
 emerald green can l>e varied by a little Vandyke 
 brown or Naples yellow. 
 
 c. The color and shape of trees and the dispo- 
 sition of the branches should be carefully studied. 
 Pencil in the foliage against the sky, and all the 
 extreme parts, with a small brush neatly. 
 
 6. In foregrounds the landscape is not intend- 
 ed to be painted with botanical accuracy. Nor 
 should you be too broad, coarse, and careless, 
 but finish with a general harmony of the whole. 
 
 7. Let the distance and horizon meet together 
 
PHOTOGRAPHY AND THE FINE ARTS. 
 
 aSj 
 
 in a certain degree, so as to know where each 
 finishes and begins. Mid disUnce should be 
 made out more clearly, and attention paid to de- 
 tails of the foreground. 
 
 8. When you Tiave colors in powder, as is often 
 requisite, a glass slab, in addition to palette, is 
 necessary, on which to mix and grind them when 
 required. 
 
 Figure drawing is indispensable in landscape 
 painting. Their introduction into landscapes 
 serve to enliven and break the monotony, and 
 also serve as measurement, whereby we form 
 ideas of the real size of objects. The hight of 
 an average figure is eight times that of its head. 
 If a perpendicular line is drawn, allow half of it 
 for the lower portion of the body, and half for 
 the upper, from shoulder to shoulder two heads 
 wide. 
 
 PAINTINGS, To Preserve and Restore.— 
 Many valuable paintings suffer premature decay, 
 from the attacks of a microscopic insect of the 
 mite class. The best method of preventing this 
 species of decay, is to add a few drops of creo- 
 sote to the paste and glue used to line the pic- 
 ture, as well as to make a similar addition to the 
 varnish. If it has already commenced, the paint- 
 ing should be at once carefully cleaned and re- 
 lined, observing to employ a little creosote in the 
 way just mentioned. Paintings should be kept 
 in as pure an atmosphere as possible, and in a 
 moderately dry situation; as it is the presence of 
 sulphureted hydrogen in the air that blackens 
 the "lights," and causes most of the middle tints 
 and shades to fade ; and it is exposure to damp 
 that produces mouldiness and decay of the can- 
 vas. For this reason valuable paintings should 
 not be kept in churches, nor suspended against 
 heavy walls of masonry, especially in badly-ven- 
 tilated buildings. Excess of light, particularly 
 the direct rays of the sun, also acts injuriously on 
 paintings. The blackened lights of old pictures 
 may be instantly restored to their original hue, 
 by touching them with deutoxide of hydrogen, 
 diluted with 6 or 8 times its weight of water. The 
 part must be afterwards washed with a clean 
 sponge and water. 
 
 PAINTING, Water CV/c;r.— This is one of 
 the most beautiful, as well as most difficult, of 
 the fine arts. It will require, in addition to a 
 natural taste, much industry, which is indispens- 
 able to success. There are two kinds of water 
 colors in general use. We prefer using the moist 
 colors for landscape painting, and the dry cake 
 colors for flowers. Moist colors are put in little 
 earthen cups, and fitted into a box, all complete 
 for painting out of doors. The materials for 
 water color painting are : — Colors, sable brushes, 
 paper, a drawing board, an eraser and a piece of 
 silk for wiping out the lights, a bottle of gum- 
 water, a soft sponge, a one and a half inch flat 
 camel's hair brush, a china palette, or set of 
 saucers. 
 
 The most desirable paper for landscapes 
 should be rather rough on the surface. If too 
 smooth, your painting loses much of the bold- 
 ness characteristic of fine work. Whatman's 
 paper is thought the best. 
 
 In selecting brushes, get those which come to 
 a point when charged with water, and, when 
 bent a little to one side, spring back again with- 
 out splitting. 
 
 Colors for landscapes are: — Gamboge, French 
 blue, raw and burnt sienna, yellow ochre, Vene- 
 
 tian red, Vandyke brown, Prussian blue, olive 
 green, brown madder, crimson lake, Indian yel- 
 low, and a bottle of Chinese white. 
 
 To stretch and prepare the paper." The paint- 
 ing side of Whatman s pajjer is known by hold- 
 ing up the paper between your eye and the light, 
 and reading the name in proper position from 
 left to right. This must be the right side. Place 
 the paper on a table, and moisten the back well 
 with a soft sponge and clean water. If the paper 
 is thick, let it remain a short time, so that it may 
 become saturated ; then place it in the frame of 
 your drawing board, confining it with the cross- 
 bars. Sometimes the paper is put on a plain 
 clamped drawing board, fastened with glue about 
 the edges. 
 
 Wiping out lights. " The parts of the picture 
 (after the color is on) that require lights should 
 be treated as follows: — Mark out with your brush 
 and clean water the parts you wish lighter, and 
 then apply blotting paper to absorb the moisture ; 
 then wipe it hard with a silk handkerchief, and, 
 if not sufficient, repeat it. If you desire it still 
 lighter, use the rubber. 
 
 Before using the eraser for extra high lights, 
 the painting must be perfectly dry. 
 
 Using the brush. After making suitable out- 
 lines with sepia or Indian ink, it is well to com- 
 mence brush work. As a rule, the brush fot 
 broad shades should be pretty full of color ; but, 
 for finishing, all colors are worked much drier 
 with the point of the brush chiefly. 
 
 Outline. ^Vhen the paper is properly stretch- 
 ed on the drawing board, and is sufficiently dry, 
 commence the outline. For landscape, sketch 
 lightly at first, so that the marks may be remov- 
 ed, if required, as hard rubbing is liable to disturb 
 the surface of the paper. Spare no pains in the 
 sketch, and bring out all the minute details. A 
 good sketch should be lightness in the extreme 
 distance, working stronger towards the fore- 
 ground. In the foreground, boldness, with fine- 
 ness of line on the light side, and depth on the 
 shade side. 
 
 In beginning to color, the drawing should be 
 raised at the back, to allow the color to flow 
 downward. Moisten all your drawing with a 
 large flat brush. Use blotting paper to absorb 
 the moisture. In your sketching-box should be 
 little cups. In one of these make a pale tint of 
 Indian yellow and crimson lake; in another, 
 French blue, with some of the other with it, so 
 as to make it pearly. Then work in the crimson 
 tint, adding a little more Indian yellow as you 
 approach the horizon. Carry the tints to the 
 edge, and vary with burnt sienna, yellow, or the 
 pearly tint, according to your subject. When 
 dry, if the colors are not blended well together, 
 or are too dark, pass the flat brush with clean 
 water back and forth to subdue and soften them. 
 The whiteness of the paper will thus be removed, 
 and form an undertone for colors that come over 
 them. The sky may now be tinted with French 
 blue, and clouds formed. The distant hills can 
 be carefully painted with pearly gray, and in- *, 
 creased as you proceed toward middle distance, ^ 
 adding more or less madder brown and yellow 
 ochre, as the case requires. The distant hills 
 can be strengthened, if required, with French 
 blue, or warmed with crimson lake. Keep the 
 foreground paler than the general tone. Finish 
 the sky and hills before the trees are commenced. 
 , Leave a little opening now and then for the light 
 
2S4 
 
 DICTIONARY OF E VERY-DA Y WANTS. 
 
 to strike through, beginning at the top and work- 
 ing downward with the brush well charged, vary- 
 ing the greens as you wish, making them of 
 gamboge, raw and burnt sienna. Increase the 
 tone of shadows with another brush, but the 
 same color, adding a trifle more blue and some 
 crimson lake for neutral tint. , All foliage that 
 catches the sunlight should incline to a yellow 
 tint. Paint the trunks and stems with Vandyke 
 brown. Repeat the tints on foliage when dry, 
 until the required form and depth are obtained. 
 Gum will enrich and bring out tne dark shadows. 
 Never use it in sky or distance, as it washes off 
 easily and disturbs all colors near it. For winter 
 trees, cobalt blue and Vandyke brown, mixed, 
 make good color for network and branches of 
 pine trees. Opaque white is ser\'iceable in 
 finishing or introducing figures in the foreground. 
 Parts can be penciled in white, and stained with 
 requisite colors. 
 
 FAINTING (^FLOWER) In Water Colors. 
 ^The colors and materials requisite are carmine, 
 crimson lake, cobalt blue, Prussian blue, vermi- 
 lion, gamboge, raw sienna, burnt sienna, burnt 
 umber, Chinese white, yellow ochre, and Indian 
 ink— -a set of saucers, dissolved gum arable, and 
 a few sable brushes- Rose pink, royal scarlet, In- 
 dian yellow Indian red, indigo, sepia, Vandyke 
 brown, and emerald green, may also be added 
 for flowers of superior finish. 
 
 Whatman's hot-pressed paper, stretched on a 
 board, as in landscape painting, is used to good 
 advantage. Bush flowers are generally painted 
 on London board, the ivory surface sometimes 
 preferred. Make an accurate and clean sketch 
 with fine pointed pencil, dra^ving the marks faint, 
 so as not to use rubber often. When sketched, 
 moisten all parts intended for painting with a 
 ^rush moderately filled with water. Never use 
 hard water, unless it has been boiled. This 
 prepares the paper to receive the colors. Some 
 use a slight shade of neutral tint or Indian ink to 
 coat over the shaded parts, blending the shades 
 so that they are imperceptibly lost. Flowers and 
 leaves are treated the same. Two brushes are 
 used, one charged with color, the other nearly 
 dry. After this process, cast with local color, 
 finish with soft washes or small touches, which is 
 called stippling, and, when done nicely, is beau- 
 tiful; but as it takes time, washes are more gene- 
 rally adopted. Practice will accustom the eye to 
 notice variety of shades, which before could not 
 be discriminated. 
 
 Green leaves, when a yellowish pale green and 
 bright, are painted with gamboge and a little 
 Prussian blue, penciled over until the effect is 
 obtained. Use more Prussian blue for darker 
 green leaves, finishing with stronger color. For 
 the deepest shades, add a little crimson lake, or 
 Vandyke brown, or burnt sienna, as the shade 
 requires. For decayed leaves, use burnt sienna, 
 Indian yellow, and crimson lake. 
 
 Yellow Flowers. First examine whether the 
 shades are warm or cool : if the latter, paint them 
 with Indian ink ; if the former, use a little burnt 
 umber. When dry, coat evenly with gamboge — 
 the general tint of the flower. Where the high 
 lights should be, wash out a little with another 
 brush while it is moist. Repeat the color in the 
 stronger parts, finishing, if requisite, with a 
 little carmine or burnt sienna mixed with gam- 
 boge. 
 
 Blue Flowers. Coat them evenly with cobalt. 
 
 according to tint. A little rose madder a<*Jed 
 to cobalt may be used, as the tints should vary. 
 Shade the deeper parts with a little Prussian blue 
 added to it ; and if a very deep tint is required, 
 add a little indigo. 
 
 Purple Flowers. Make the desired tint with 
 carmine and Prussian blue, increasing the shade 
 to the depth required, using more color and less 
 water. 
 
 Scarlet Flowers. Paint the shades in with 
 cobalt blue and a little Indian red ; then coat 
 smoothly with royal scarlet, or carmine and gam- 
 boge mixed, finishing up with carmine on the 
 shades. If coated with royal scarlet, add car- 
 mine in finishing. 
 
 White Flowers. Some are first shaded with 
 Indian ink, and others with neutral tint, made 
 of cobalt, rose madder, and Indian yellow. — 
 When dry, slightly tint some of the petals with 
 a weak shade of yellow ochre, some parts with 
 cobalt, others with a greenish neutral. The an- 
 thers, if not left white, should be done with per- 
 manent white added to Indian yellow, and care- 
 fully dotted with weak burnt sienna. 
 
 The Deep Crimson Rose. Shade all the pe- 
 tals more or less with Indian ink, until it would 
 pass for a finished drawing in Indian ink, and 
 then coat twice with strong carmine, finishing 
 deep shades with a little Prussian blue added to 
 carmine. 
 
 Pink Rose. . Paint in the shades with cobalt 
 blue, and coat over with a pale shade of carmine, 
 with a little vermilion added. Repeat this on 
 some of the petals, until the requisite depth is 
 obtained. Some of the outside petals may need 
 a second coat of cobalt to give them a thin, trans- 
 parent appearance. 
 
 Arranging and Grouping. With those who 
 possess a good eye for color, the most pleasing 
 arrangements easily suggest themselves. Some- 
 times the most pleasing effects are obtained by 
 placing the light flowers in the center, such as 
 pink, white, and pale yellows, placing the rich 
 dark colors outside, such as dark roses, etc., 
 thereby making a substitute for light and shade. 
 The most pleasing groups are painted with a pre- 
 dominance of warm coloring. 
 
 PAPER, TRACING.— I. Open a quire of 
 double crown tissue paper, and brush the first 
 sheet with a mixture of mastic varnish and oil 
 of turpentine, equal parts; proceed with each 
 sheet similarly, and ,dry them on lines by hang- 
 ing them up singly. As the process goes on, 
 the under sheets absorb a portion of the varnish, 
 and require less than if single sheets were brush- 
 ed separately. It leaves the paper quite light 
 and transparent, it may readily be written on, 
 and drawings traced with a pen are permanently 
 visible. Used by learners to draw outlines. The 
 paper is placed on the drawing, which is clearly 
 seen, and an outline is made, taking care to 
 hold the tracing paper steady. In this way 
 elaborate drawings are easily copied. 
 
 Tissue paper may also be made transparent by 
 using — 2. Nut oil and oil of turpentine, equal 
 parts, dry the paper with wheat-flour immediately. 
 — 3. Canada balsam, and turpentine to thin it. 
 
 PAPER, TRANSFER.— Uake a mucilage 
 with ^ oz. of gum tragacanth, strain, add i oz. 
 of glue, and >i oz. of gamboge. Mix French 
 chalk, 4 ozs. ; old Paris plaster, j^ oz.; starch,- 
 I oz.; run them through a sieve, grind with the 
 mixed mucilage, add water to reduce to the con-- 
 
PHOTOGRAPHY AND THE FINE ARTS. 
 
 2SS 
 
 sistente of oil, and apply it with a brush to thin 
 sized paper. The drawing made on this prepar- 
 ed side of the paper is wetted at the back and 
 placed on the stone, which is warmed to 125'' 
 F., the whole is then strongly pressed in the 
 lithographic press, and the stone receives the 
 impression, which may be printed from as usual. 
 When two impressions are required, a red com- 
 position is made of wax, 2 parts, soap, I part, 
 and vermilion to color, all melted in a saucepan, 
 and ground with water to the consistence of 
 cream. This is spread thinly on the second 
 stone, an impression from the first stone is next 
 applied, and the second drawing is thus made to 
 correspond with the first exactly. If, in printing, 
 the drawing becomes smutty, mix equal parts of 
 water, oUve oil, and oil of turpentine, shake 
 till they froth, wet the stone, throw this 
 froth on it, and rub it with a soft sponge. The 
 printing ink will be dissolved, and the drawing 
 will almost disappear, but, on rolling it, it re- 
 appears as clear as at first. When the stone is 
 laid by for future use, a preserving ink is ap- 
 plied, to prevent the surface printing ink becom- 
 ing too hard. Thick varnish of linseed oil, 2 
 parts, tallow, 4 parts, wax and Venice turpen- 
 tine, of each i part ; melt ; add, by degrees, lamp- 
 black, 4 parts, mix thoroughly, and preserve in 
 a tin case. This must be rolled on the stone 
 6ach time before laying it aside for future use. 
 "WTien the whole of the impressions are complet- 
 ed, and the stones required for other drawings, 
 two of the stones are laid face to face and ground 
 with sand and water until the surfaces are clear. 
 They are finally, more or less, polished with pu- 
 mice stone, according to the required fineness, 
 and are then prepared to receive other drawings. 
 PAPER, To prepare for PHO TOGRAPHS. 
 — Dissolve 20 parts of citric acid in 200 parts of 
 distilled water. Pour the solution into an earthen 
 or porcelain dish (the bath should be abundant, 
 so that the paper may swim freely in it — the ac- 
 tion is hastened by the application of a gentle 
 heat;) allow severi sheets to remain in it for an 
 hour or two, then remove them, and place them 
 on another dish, containing water rendered al- 
 kaline by 5 per cent, of ammonia, washing final- 
 ly in pure water. Removed from this, suspend 
 the papers by one corner, and allow them to dry 
 thoroughly, protected from dust. 
 
 PAPER, Sensitizing. — Fredericks uses 35 
 grains silver to the ounce of water ; to each % 
 gallon add ^ ounce muriatic acid; neutralize 
 with liquid ammonia; filter to remove chloride, 
 float 30 seconds, fume 10 minutes. Gurneyuses 
 40 grains silver, slightly alkaline, or with I drop 
 ammonia added; float 40 seconds, fume 10 min- 
 utes. Sarony uses 50 to 55 grains silver, slight- 
 ly acidulated with nitric acid ; float I minute, 
 fume 15 minutes. Kurz uses 60 grains silver, 
 slightly acidulated with nitric acid; float I to 2 
 minutes, fume 1 5 to 20 minutes. 
 
 PAPER (^PHOTOGRAPHIC), Durable 
 Sensitive. — At a recent meeting of the Berlin 
 Photographic Society, the President exhibited a 
 specimen of silvered albumenized paper, the ad- 
 vantages of which are here explained. 
 
 In six ounces of distilled water is dissolved 
 one ounce of nitrate of silver (free from acid), and 
 in another similar quantity of water one ounce of 
 chemically pure citric acid. \Vhen both com- 
 pounds are completely dissolved in their respec- 
 tive liquids, the latter is poured into the former, 
 
 the combined solution being well shaken, and 
 subsequently filtered. Finally one ounce of al- 
 cohol IS added. 
 
 It is quite sufficient if the paper is allowed to 
 float upon the liquid for the space of a minute, 
 or, at any rate, until it swims evenly upon the 
 surface in all parts. Coagulated paper presents 
 more brilliancy, when printed and finished, than 
 that which is not coagulated. 
 
 Upon the purity of the citric acid depends the^ 
 clearness of the bath, for if the acid is at all im-' 
 pure, a grayish precipitate is formed — probably 
 citrate of silver. At the same time, if this pre- 
 cipitate is filtered off, the results obtained are still 
 of a favorable character. The bath will remain 
 perfectly clear and transparent, even after con- 
 siderable use. 
 
 The durability of the sensitive albumenized 
 paper produced in this manner appears to be 
 quite unlimited, for some sheets of the material 
 which were prepared some nine months back are 
 as white and fresh now as when first sensitized. 
 
 The advantages entailed by the employment of 
 the citrate silver bath are not to be despised, for 
 besides the convenience of always having sensi- 
 tive paper ready at hand, there is obviously less 
 chance of loss from the paper becoming yellow 
 and useless during a lengthened period of unfa- 
 vorable weather. 
 
 PICTURE, To Print from the Print itself— 
 The page or print is soaked in a solution first of 
 potass, and then of tartaric acid. This produces 
 a perfect diffusion of crystals of bitartrate of 
 potass through the texture of the unprinted part 
 of the paper. As this salt resists oil, the ink 
 roller may now be passed over the surface, with- 
 out transferring any of its contents, except to the 
 printed paper. 
 
 PLATES, Hot Cast Cryolite. — These are 
 now made in this country perfectly flat, from 
 three sixteenths to one quarter inch in thickness, 
 and are ground on one side and polished on the 
 other. They are a great improvement on the 
 milk glass and porcelain, formerly used by pho- 
 tographers. "Being of a pure white color, rich 
 tones and beautiful results are easily obtainable. 
 Their flatness and thickness render them secure 
 from breakage. 
 
 PORCELAIN, Pictures on.— The plates for 
 these pictures are sold as porcelain, but are really 
 an opaque white glass. The plate is coated with 
 collodion, rendered sensitive in the usual way, 
 and the image received from a negative adjusted 
 as follows : 
 
 The negative is placed at one end of a box, the 
 other end of which joins the front end of a camera 
 having a quarter tul^e. The object of this box is 
 to cut off extraneous light. The negative is 
 placed toward the sun, or a piece of white paper 
 placed in the sun. The image formed by the ne- 
 gative is focused on the ground glass of the 
 camera, in the usual manner. The box in front 
 should admit of being varied in length, in order 
 to alter the size of the picture, by changing the 
 distance of the negative from the lens. 
 
 The white sensitive plate is then exposed and 
 developed with the ordinary iron developer. 
 After washing off with the developer, fix with a 
 weak solution of cyanide of potassium. 
 
 The picture requires to be darkened with aM'eak 
 solution of bichloride of mercury, chloride of 
 gold, or chloride of platinum. As soon as the 
 picture appears of the proper shade arrest the ac- 
 
286 
 
 DICTIONARY OF EVERY-DAY WANTS. 
 
 tion of the strengthening agent, by washing the 
 plate under a copious stream of water. 
 
 PORCELAIN PROCESS and Collodion. 
 — Coat a porcelain plate with collodion, sensi- 
 tize in the negative bath, the same as proceeding 
 with an ordinary negative, place it, when coated, 
 in the plate holder, then take any negative you 
 wish to make a picture from (one not too intense 
 is best). Curtain a window with dark paper or 
 cloth, and cut a small opening the right hight 
 for the camera. Put your negative in the open- 
 ing cut from the curtain, and make a picture on 
 your porcelain plate, as the case may require, 
 large or small, the same as if copying a picture ; 
 develop, then wash, fix with cyanide, and tone 
 with gold, mercury, or sulphuret. Wash, dry, 
 color, and varnish. Exposure from five to thirty 
 seconds. 
 
 POSITIVES {Direct) on Glass.— In develop- 
 ing a glass positive, the solution of sulphate of 
 iron should be flowed evenly over the film, and 
 in some quantity, so as to wash off a portion of 
 nitrate of silver into the sink. 
 
 PRINTS, To Transfer to Glass.— Take of 
 gum sandarac, 4 oz.; mastic, I oz.; Venice tur- 
 pentine, I oz.; alcohol, 15 oz. Digest in a bottle, 
 frequently shaking, and it is ready for use. Di- 
 rections : use, if possible, good plate glass of the 
 size of the picture to be transferred, go over it 
 with the above varnish, beginning at one side, 
 press down the picture firmly and evenly as you 
 proceed, so that no air can possibly lodge be- 
 tween ; put aside, and let it dry perfectly, then 
 moisten the paper cautiously with water, and 
 remove it piece-meal by rubbing carefully with 
 the fingers ; if managed nicely, a complete trans- 
 fer of the picture to the glass will be effected. 
 
 PHOTOGRAPH COLORING. — Select a 
 light photograph for coloring, and let the gene- 
 ral hue be gray, inclining to black in the shadows. 
 
 Albumenized paper seldom requires any pre- 
 paration, but need only be carefully washed with 
 cold water and a soft sponge. 
 
 A preparation of gum is generally used in the 
 colors for albumen paper. It should be dissolved 
 in water, or allowed to boil up; after which, 
 bottle to keep from dust. 
 
 A little wnite sugar is added by some artists ; 
 and the preparation should be used as thin as 
 possible and allow the colors to adhere readily 
 to the paper. 
 
 The following colors are necessary in cakes, 
 Windsor and Newton's being considered the 
 best: — Carmine, vermilion, rose madder, light 
 red, crimson lake, Roman ochre, Indian yellow, 
 gamboge, cobalt blue, emerald green, indigo, 
 Prussian blue, burnt sienna, burnt umber, sepia. 
 Van Dyke brown, madder brown, ivory black, 
 Chinese white, (half cakes at half price). 
 
 Sable brushes are best, and should not be used 
 too small, except for delicate work, such as mark- 
 ing in the eyes, nostrils, etc A middling size is 
 preferable, but see that there are no straggling 
 hairs about them and that they do not split or 
 divide. 
 
 Coloring the Face. — Commence, with large 
 brush, to wash in the flesh tint: go over the 
 whole flesh as smoothly as possible; light red is 
 the most desirable, being a fast color ; for very 
 fair complexions orange vermilion is used. 
 
 Put pale wash of cobalt blue in the half tints, 
 Indian yellow in dark shadows, with vermilion 
 and carmine (mixed) over it. 
 
 After the washes in the face, put in the hair, 
 draperies, background, etc. 
 
 Stipple the whole flesh with tints of light red, 
 or Indian yellow and pink madder mixed. 
 
 Stipple rose madder on cheeks, lips, tip of the 
 chin, tip of ears and over the nose where the 
 eyes meet; cobalt blue in temples and about 
 the shadows of the eyes and mouth. 
 
 Stipple light tint of Indian yellow over the 
 cheek bones ; in faces of old persons more Indian 
 yellow is used ; also in faces of brunettes. 
 
 A pale green, made of Indian yellow and cobalt 
 blue, is sometimes used in shadows about the 
 mouth. 
 
 Sepia or Van Dyke brown for brown hair. 
 
 Shade with sepia and carmine, and use cobalt 
 blue mixed with burnt sienna for high lights. 
 
 Pale wash of cobalt blue on high lights of black 
 hair, and shade with black and carmine. 
 
 Roman ochre for golden hair, with burnt 
 sienna and cobalt blue in lights ; shade with 
 sepia and Roman ochre. 
 
 For gray hair mix a wash of cobalt blue and 
 sepia; shadow with sepia; and sometimes use 
 white mixed with local color for high lights. 
 
 Backgrounds. — For fair complexions or chil- 
 dren should be blue, inclining to purple. Cobalt 
 blue and burnt umber make very desirable back- 
 grounds. 
 
 Olive grounds are used for dark or old complex- 
 ions. Where the flesh tint is sallow, use war- 
 mer colors — green approaching to olive. 
 
 Grays produce a pleasing effect on fair com- 
 plexions. 
 
 Never paint a bright blue ground and crim- 
 son curtams, but keep everj'thing quiet and 
 subdued. 
 
 Opaque backgrounds are far from artistic, and 
 but seldom used. 
 
 Stippling. — ^Towards the end of your work you 
 will observe many inequalities in the tints. 
 These require to be filled up with the point of a 
 brush with an assimilating color ; and that filling 
 up is termed stipphng. 
 
 Draperies. — For black draperies, first use a 
 local wash of ivory black; wash in the deep 
 shadows with a mixture of crimson lake and 
 sepia; then add another wash of black over the 
 whole, touching in the shadows as before. Pro- 
 ceed in this way for two or three washes, and 
 then touch in the high lights with light red and 
 white. 
 
 PHOTOGRAPHS, To Dress for. — In dres- 
 sing for photographs it is useful to know that 
 dark-brown, dark-green, maroon, and plain black 
 goods, without gloss, will take a rich drab color. 
 Silks of the same color will take considerably 
 lighter. Snuff-brown, dark-leather, dark-drab, 
 scarlet, cherry, dark-orange, crimson, and slate 
 will take a very rich drab color. Violet, blue, 
 purple, pink, and magenta will take very light, 
 and should be avoided. 
 
 PHOTOGRAPHIC COLLODION, lodizers 
 for. — Iodide of ammonium, 90 grs.; iodide of 
 cadmium, 90 grs.; bromide of ammonium, 40 
 grs.; alcohol ("Sio), 10 oz. 
 
 Or, iodide of magnesium, 200 grs.; bromide 
 of cadmium, 50 grs.; alcohol ("Sio), 10 oz. 
 
 Pulverize the salts, and add gradually to the 
 
 alcohol, commencing with the bromide; shake 
 
 until completely dissolved, and set away in a 
 
 dark place. 
 
 PHOTOGRAPHS^ Enameling.— 1\vt beau- 
 
PHOTOGRAPHY AND THE FINE ARTS. 
 
 «87 
 
 tiful gloss called enameling is produced as fol- 
 lows: "After the prints have been toned and 
 •washed in the usual way, trim to the right size 
 by means of a cutting shape ; then immerse in a 
 warm solution of gelatine (which must' be kept, 
 whilst operating, nearly as possible of an equal 
 temperature) of about the same consistency as 
 collodion. Care should be taken always to filter 
 the solution before using. When thoroughly 
 impregnated with the same, the prints are taken 
 out and laid, face down, on collodion ized glass 
 plates (preparation of which is given below), 
 care being taken that all air bubbles between the 
 paper and glass are carefully pressed out and 
 removed. Afterwards, a sheet of stout white 
 paper, somewhat larger than the prints, is ce- 
 mented to the back of each photograph — a pre- 
 caution for protecting the pictures in the event of 
 their spontaneously leaving the glass on drying. 
 The plates are allowed to remain for ten or 
 twelve hours (s.iy over night) in a dry locality, 
 and, at the end of that time, the portraits may be 
 separated from the glass by making an incision 
 of the film all round the paper. The superfluous 
 paper should be trimmed off previously to the 
 pictures being mounted upon the cards. 
 
 "Many of the manipulations may be slightly 
 modified if desired; for instance, instead of ce- 
 menting a piece of paper to the back of the prints, 
 the card itself, if not very thick, may be at once 
 attached, the margin of which will be gelatinized 
 in the same way as the picture. Some photo- 
 graphers add a small quantity of sugar candy to 
 the gelatine in order to prevent the sizing solution 
 drying too rapidly, and to render the finished 
 card more plastic and impressionable to the cameo 
 embossing press, which apparatus gives to these 
 pictures a most beautiful and pleasing effect. — 
 To Prepare the Collodionized Plate. — Glass plates 
 of a suitable size, say, 8^ by 6^2 or 10 by 8, 
 and which have been carefully cleaned, as if to 
 serve for taking negatives upon, are rubbed over 
 with finely powdered pumice stone or Tripoli 
 powder, which is afterwards thoroughly removed 
 by means of a soft dusting brush. The plates 
 are then coated with a four per cent, normal so- 
 lution of collodion, and placed to dry in a spot 
 free from dust; they are then ready for use." 
 
 PHOTO - GALVANOGRAPHY, Pretsch's 
 Process of. — Take a plate of glass, and spread on 
 it ordinary glue, to which bichromate of potash 
 and a small quantity of nitrate of silver have been 
 added. For inst.ince, take 2 or 3 solutions of 
 glue, into one of which put a little nitrate of sil- 
 ver, into another bichromate of potash, and into 
 another iodide of potassium. The silver and the 
 iodide are for the purpose of producing a little 
 iodide of silver on the sensitive film, so as to 
 produce on the picture that grain which is neces- 
 sary for holding the ink in the process of print- 
 ing. Take the photographic picture obtained by 
 any of the customary processes, and place it on 
 the sensitive plate thus prepared and exposed to 
 the action of the light. In the course of a short 
 time (all those parts which are dark in the photo- 
 graph, protecting the plate from change, and all 
 those which are white, allowing the sunlight 
 freely to pass through and the change to take 
 place), we have a combination of bichromate of 
 potash and gelatine in two difterent states, one 
 soluble and the other insoluble. Consequently, 
 when the plate is then put into water all the parts 
 which remciin soluble are dissolved out, whilst 
 
 the other parts remain as they were, and we have 
 the picture produced not only in different lights 
 and shades, but also in different depths, the so- 
 lution being eaten into by the process. When 
 the plate is prepared to this point, there is poured 
 upon it a preparation of gutta percha, which, being 
 kept under pressure for a short time, receives 
 the reverse image of the photographic picture. 
 This is now prepared for the voltaic battery by 
 being simply rubbed over with fine black lead, 
 and it being placed in connection with the trough, 
 copper is precipitated on the plate, which receives . 
 an image the reverse of the mould. Then by** 
 the ordinary electrotype process another plate 
 may be obtained, from which copies may be 
 printed. 
 
 PHOTOGRAPHIC LIGHT.— T^z lights in- 
 tense enough to make photographs are: i. sun 
 and daylight; 2. the electric light; 3. the magne- 
 sium light; 4. the lime light, produced by the 
 hydro-oxygen blow-pipe ; 5. the light produced 
 by the burning of a cylinder of carbonate of mag- 
 nesia, mixed with titanic acid. 
 
 PHOTOGRAPHERS, New Light for.— Vho- 
 tographers have long been seeking for an artifi- 
 cial light, so readily available that the success of 
 their manipulations may not be wholly depen- 
 dent on the sun, and subject to the ciprice of the 
 clouds. The last attempt to find the much need- 
 ed substitute is by digesting zinc in the iodide 
 of ethyl, a process which yields a liquid substance 
 inflammable by the mere contact of the oxygen 
 in the air. By passing pure hydrogen (or per- 
 haps ordinary illuminating gas) through the fluid, 
 the compound of zinc and ethyl will volatilize 
 into the gas, and will yield, on combustion, a 
 flame of extraordinary brillancy and vivid white- 
 ness of color. 
 
 It is said that the actinic effects of this light 
 are inferior to those of combusted magnesium ; 
 but the steadiness of a flame from a gas will so 
 far surpass any that can be obtained from a burn- 
 ing metal, even when the latter is of the highest 
 purity chemically obtainable, that most photo- 
 graphers will doubtless give it the preference. 
 
 PHOTOGRAPHIC PRINTING.— ^cn'iinxe: 
 papers ought not to be exposed in the frame 
 until they are quite dry. The shutter at the 
 back of the frame is removed, and the negative 
 laid flat upon the glass, collodion-side upper- 
 most. A sheet of sensitive paper is then placed 
 upon the negative, sensitive-side downwards; 
 next comes a layer of thick felt ; and the whole 
 is then tightly compressed by replacing and bolt- 
 ing down the shutter. The amount of pressure 
 required is not very considerable, but if the 
 springs of the frame become too weak after a 
 time, a few pieces of mill-board may be placed 
 beneath them. The time of exposure to light 
 varies much with the density of the negative and 
 the power of the actinic rays, as influenced by 
 the season of the year and weather. If the ex- 
 posure to light has been correct the print appears 
 slightly darker than it is intended to rem.iin. The 
 toning bath dissolves away the lighter shades, 
 and reduces the intensity, for which allowance is 
 made in the exposure to light. A little experi- 
 ence soon teaches the proper point ; but much 
 will depend upon the state of the toning bath, 
 and albumenized paper will require to be printed 
 somewhat more deeply than plain paper. If, on 
 removal from the printing- frame, a peculiar 
 spotted appearance is seen, produced by unequal 
 
288 
 
 DICTIONARY OF EVERY-DAY WANTS. 
 
 f 
 
 darkening of the chloride of silver, either the 
 nitrate bath is too weak, the sheet removed from 
 its surface too speedily, or the paper is of inferior 
 
 3uality. If, in the exposure to ordinary diffused 
 aylight, the shadows of the proof become very 
 decidedly coppery before the lights are sufficiently 
 printed, the negative is in fault, Ammonio- 
 nitrate paper highly salted is particularly liable 
 to this excess of reduction, and especially so 
 i{ the light is powerful. — Toning. The print 
 should be first washed in common water until 
 the soluble nitrate of silver is removed. This is 
 known to be the case when the liquid flows away 
 clear; the first milkiness being caused by the 
 soluble carbonates and chlorides in the water 
 precipitating the nitrate of silver. Ten min- 
 utes in water running slowly from a tap will 
 be sufficient to cleanse a print from nitrate of 
 silver ; or three or four changes in a dish, pour- 
 ing off quite dry between each change. It is an 
 advantage to finish off with a solution of salt (2 
 grs. to the oz. ) Pour the tonic bath out into a 
 flat dish, and put the prints into it 2 or 3 at a 
 time, M'aving the dish meanwhile backwards and 
 forwards to secure a constant movement. Con- 
 tinue to keep the prints moving, and watch the 
 changes in color. If the prints are removed as 
 soon as the blue color of the gold is seen, they 
 will usually change in the fixing bath to a warm 
 shade of brown ; but when left for 2 or 3 minutes 
 longer in the toning bath, the darker tint becomes 
 permanent. — Fixing. One oz. of hyposulphite of 
 soda dissolved in 6 ozs. of water would fix two 
 batches of stereoscopic prints, 20 in each batch. 
 Allow the prints to remain in the fixing baths for 
 20 minutes, with occasional movement, after 
 which they may be transferred to a dish of clean 
 water. — Washing. It is essential to wash out 
 every trace of hyposulphite of soda from the 
 print, if it is to be preserved from fading, and to 
 ,do this properly requires care. Always wash 
 with running water when it can be obtained, and 
 choose a large shallow vessel exposing a consid- 
 erable surface in preference to one of lesser dia- 
 meter. A constant dribbling of water must be 
 maintained for 4 or 5 hours, and the prints 
 should not lie together too closely, or the water 
 will not find its way between them. When the 
 prints have been thoroughly washed, blot them 
 off between sheets of porous paper and hang them 
 up to dry. — Mounting. Mount the proofs with a 
 solution of gelatine in hot wafer, freshly made ; 
 gum-water, prepared from the finest commercial 
 gum, and free from acidity, may also be used, 
 but it should be made very thick, so as not to 
 sink into the paper, or produce "cockling up" 
 of the cardboard on drying. — Positive Printing 
 by Development. Negative printing processes 
 will be found useful during the dull winter 
 months, and at other times when the light is 
 feeble, or where it is required to produce a large 
 number of impressions from a negative in a short 
 space of time. The proofs, however, as thus ob- 
 tained, are not equal to direct sun-prints in beauty 
 and gradation of tone. Take of iodide of potas- 
 sium, 120 grs.; bromide of ammonium, 30 grs.; 
 water, 20 ozs. Float the paper on the iodizing 
 ' bath until it ceases to curl up, and lies flat upon 
 the liquid : tlien pin up to dry in the usual way. 
 Render sensitive upon a bath of aceto-nitrate of 
 silver, containing 30 grs. of nitrate of silver with 
 30 minims of glacial acetic acid to- each oz. of 
 water. Place the dried sheets in contact with 
 
 the negative in a pressure frame, and expose to 
 a fepble light. About 30 seconds will be an 
 average time upon a dull winter's day, when it 
 would be impossible to print in the ordinary way- 
 Develop by immersion in a saturated solution of 
 gallic acid. After the picture is fully brought 
 out, wash in cold and subsequently in warm wa- 
 tgr, to remove the gallic acid, which, if allowed 
 to remain, would discolor the hyposulphite bath. 
 Fix the print in a solution of hyposulphite of 
 soda, one part to two of water, continuing the 
 action until the yellow color of the iodide disap- 
 pears. Wash thoroughly in plentv of water. 
 
 PHOTOGRAPHIC PROCESS, Improved. 
 — The coUodio-bromide emulsion must contain 
 an excess of nitrate of silver. All the soluble 
 bromide in the collodion must be converted, and 
 there must remain as large an excess of nitrate 
 of silver as the collodion will contain. About 
 six grains of bromide of cadmium and eleven 
 grains of nitrate of silver to the ounce of emul- 
 sion will not be found bad proportion. 
 
 When all the materials used in the collodion 
 are of the best quality, so that the emulsion is 
 neutral or nearly so, one or two minims of gla- 
 cial acetic acid to the ounce may be added with 
 advantage ; otherwise no addition of acid is ne- 
 cessary. There need not be more acid in the 
 sensitive film than there is in an ordinary wet 
 collodion film. 
 
 The plate is to be coated with the emulsion in 
 the usual way, and then put into the dark slide 
 or plate box until required for the exposure. 
 
 Under the best conditions of the film — that is 
 to say, when it contains the minimum of free 
 acid and the maximum of free nitrate — the sensi- 
 tiveness will be about the same as that of good 
 wet collodion. 
 
 The image is to be developed with a common 
 acid iron developer, rather strong, and contain- 
 ing as much alcohol as is found necessary to 
 enable it to flow properly over the dry film. This 
 quantity will, of course, be greater than that 
 which is commonly added to the developer in the 
 wet process. 
 
 The image comes out very quickly and must 
 now be treated in the usual way as regards inten- 
 sifying and fixing. -' The negative is indistin- 
 guishable, when finished, from. a. common .wet 
 collodion one. 
 
 This process " offers great advantages 'to y the 
 tourist, because it requires no nitrate bath, . no 
 troublesome washing of the plate, no preserva- 
 tive, no subsequent drying, and no wetting' of 
 the plate before development. .The 'emulsion 
 may be kept in two separate parts — one consist- 
 ing of the collodion with the bromide of cadmiumj' 
 the other being an alcoholic solution of nitrate of 
 silver ; these may be mixed as required for use.j 
 The film adheres well to the glass without any 
 preliminary coating, and there are no troubles 
 with blisters, or . wrinkling, 1; or tearing of, the 
 film. 
 
 PHO TOGRAPHIC ' PAPER , PROCESS.;^ 
 — A good sheet of Turner's paper is selected, 
 and washed with the following solution :— nitrate 
 of silver, 17 grains; distilled water, > i 02.; dry 
 the paper, and wash with iodide of potassium,' 
 400 grains ; common salt, 100 grains ; pure wa- 
 ter, I pint; when partially dried, the prepared 
 side must be cleared of the potash by floating it 
 on water for five to ten minutes, then dry it. 
 Now prepare a solution of nitrate of silver, 25 
 
PHOTOGRAPHY AND THE FINE ARTS. 
 
 289 
 
 grains ; glacial acetic acid, I drachm ; distilled 
 water, i oz.; add to some of this an equal quan- 
 tity of a solution of crystallized gallic acid in 
 cold distilled water, and the gallo-nitrate of sil- 
 ver thus formed is applied to the paper, which 
 is then ready for use, after rinsing in clean water, 
 'fhe gallic acid solution and the gallo-nitrate of 
 silver will not keep long, and should only be 
 made when required. After exposure in the 
 camera, the gallo-nitrate is again applied to de- 
 velop the picture, which is then washed, and fix- 
 ed with the solution of hyposulphate of soda. 
 
 PHOTO -LITHOGRAPHIC PROCESS, 
 Osborne's patent. — Let us suppose that a map 
 has been compiled and drawn with great care, 
 and that it is desired to multiply copies of this 
 original in the lithographic process. The first 
 step in the process is to obtain a negative ; for 
 which purpose the map is placed upright upon a 
 plane-board, and the camera opposite to it at 
 such a distance as to give the desired ratio be- 
 tween original and copy. A negative is now 
 taken on glass coated with collodion in the usual 
 way, observing the greatest care to avoid distor- 
 tion of all kinds, and to produce a negative of 
 the highest excellence, success in which depends 
 entirely upon the knowledge, judgment and ex- 
 perience of the operator. A sheet of plain, posi- 
 tive photographic paper is now coated on one 
 side with a mixture, consisting of gelatine, soften- 
 ed and dissolved in water, to which a quantity of 
 bichromate of potash and albumen has been add- 
 ed. The paper, evenly covered with this fluid, 
 is dried in the dark, when it will be found pos- 
 sessed of a smooth glassy surface, and a bright 
 yellow color. This surface is still further improv- 
 ed by passing it through the press in contact with 
 a polished plate. 
 
 A suitable piece of positive photo-lithographic 
 paper thus manufactured is now to be exposed to 
 the action of the light under the negative of the 
 map already described. This is accomplished in 
 an ordinary pressure frame, the time required 
 varying from 10 to 15 seconds, or several min- 
 utes, according to the brightness of the weather. 
 The positive thus obtained presents itself to the 
 eye as a brown drawing upon the clear yellow 
 of the sheet 
 
 The exposed photographic copy of the original 
 is covered all over, while dry, with transfer-ink, 
 which is accomplished by running it through the 
 press with its face in contact with a stone which 
 has already received a coating of such ink. After 
 it is separated from the blackened stone it will be 
 found to have brought away with it an evenly dis- 
 tributed film of inky matter, forced by the pres- 
 sure into intimate contact with the unexposed, as 
 well as the exposed portion of the surface. This 
 operation is known as "blacking" the positive 
 
 {)rint; that now to be described is called "coagu- 
 ation," its object being to effect a change of that 
 nature upon the albumen contained in the coating 
 of the organic matter. For this purpose moisture 
 and heat are necessary, and both are applied very 
 simply, by lettmg the blackened photographic 
 copy swim upon the surface of boiling water with 
 its inky side upwards, for it is important not to 
 wet that with hot water. After the lapse of a cer- 
 tain period, determined by the experience of the 
 operator, he proceeds to the next step in the pro- 
 cess, tliat of "washing ofl." Forthis purpose the 
 print is laid upon a smooth surface, such as a 
 plate of glass or porcelain, and friction with aM'et 
 
 sponge, or other suitable material, is applied to 
 the black inky coating, under which the photogra- 
 phic image still exists, and to develop which is 
 now the object in view. The operator soon be- 
 comes aware that the moisture which percolated 
 through the paper from the back, has exerted a 
 softened or gelatinizing influence upon the gela- 
 tine in the sensitive coating; it has caused it to 
 swell, and to let go its hold upon the ink. But 
 this change does not extend to those parts of the 
 coating which were acted on by light; in other 
 words, to those places which were unprotected by 
 the opacity of the negative ; they remain intact, 
 uninfluenced by the solvent or moistening effect 
 of the water. Accordingly the operator finds a 
 fac-simile of the original map gradually develop 
 under his hand as he continues the friction. This 
 process is proceeded with until all traces of ink 
 are removed, save those requited to form the pic- 
 ture, which must be clear and distinct in all its 
 details. Abundance of hot water is then poured 
 over it, so as to remove every particle of soluble 
 matter, and it is then finally dried, which com- 
 pletes its preparation. 
 
 A stone to which a fine smooth surface has been 
 imparted, is now slightly warmed, and put in the 
 lithographic press; upon this is placed (inverted) 
 the positive print, after it has been damped by 
 lying between moist paper, and the whole is then 
 passed repeatedly through the press. On exami- 
 nation the paper will now be found to have at- 
 tached itself firmly to the stone, so that some 
 force is required to separate the two. When the 
 former is removed it brings with it its albuminous 
 coating, which gives to it while damp a parchment- 
 like appearance; but the ink is gone : it has left 
 the paper for the stone, and on the latter we find 
 a reversed dravving of the map, one which, after 
 it has been properly "prepared," will print as 
 well as if it had been drawn by hand. 
 
 PHO TO GRA PHIC RELIEF PRINTING. 
 — ^There are now in use two principal methods of 
 printing pictures from a negative, called the silver 
 print and the carbon print. The former produ- 
 ces the common photograph, and is founded on 
 the same principle as the daguerreotype, namely, 
 the decomposition by light of a silver compound. 
 In the photograph this is usually the chloride, 
 while in the daguerreotype the iodide and bro- 
 mide are decomposed. The carbon print is based 
 on an entirely different principle. Its invention 
 arose from the incidental discovery that when a 
 solution of bichromate of potash is mixed with a 
 solution of glue, and the mixture dried, it be- 
 comes insoluble in water when exposed to light, 
 but remains soluble if kept in the dark. This 
 effect of light to make the so-called bichromate of 
 gelatine insoluble depends on the strength of the 
 light and the time of exposure ; and penetrates 
 more or less into the gelatinous layer according 
 to these conditions. Hence, if such a solution is 
 mixed with fine lampblack and an appropriate 
 kind of paper coated with it, it may be washed 
 off again if the paper is kept in the dark, but can 
 not be washed off after the paper has been ex- 
 posed to strong light ; and it can be only par- 
 tially washed off after exposure to weak light. It 
 is evident that when paper thus prepared is ex- 
 posed under a negative for a proper length of 
 time, (which, by the way, is very short, as the 
 substance is highly sensitive,) the parts protected 
 from light by the details of the negative will be- 
 come insoluble to various depths,, according^ to 
 19 
 
290 
 
 DICTIONARY OF EVERY-DAY WANTS. 
 
 the degree of protection ; and by washing away 
 the soluble portions the picture will be brought 
 out. 
 
 At the same time such a picture will have a 
 relief. The dark portions will be elevated ; the 
 lighter parts, being more or less washed away, 
 will be deeper. If we wish simply a relief, and 
 not a picture, we may leave the black pigment 
 out; take only a dry, thick coat of bichromate of 
 gelatine, expose under the negative, and wash 
 with warm water. Now, gelatine or glue, when 
 thoroughly dry, is exceedingly hard, almost like 
 glass, resisting pressure even better than glass. 
 Such a gelatine-relief may, therefore, be placed 
 on the steel plate of a hydraulic press, a sheet of 
 clean lead laid on it, and the two brought together 
 under from ten to twenty thousand pounds of 
 pressure for every square inch of the surface of 
 the picture. In this way a reverse or mould is 
 obtamed impressed in the lead plate, in which 
 the parts to be darkest are the deepest, and vice 
 versa. From such a gelatine-relief, handled 
 with proper care, as many as twenty metallic 
 lead plates may be obtained, each capable of 
 producing about a thousand impressions, so that 
 one negative may produce twenty thousand prints, 
 all perfect and all alike. The prints are obtained 
 by laying the lead mould on the warm, flat sur- 
 face of a peculiar press made for the purpose, 
 then taking a warm, semi-transparent mixture of 
 color and gelatine, and pouring it in a little pool 
 near the middle of the plate, laying the paper on 
 this, and then applying the proper pressure. The 
 mixture oozes out in all directions, after having 
 filled all the hollows of the mould. After a few 
 seconds, the pressure is removed and the paper 
 taken up, when it is found that the mixture leaves 
 the hollows in the lead mould entirely and ad- 
 heres to the paper in exactly the same way as 
 printing-ink adheres to the paper when the latter 
 IS removed from an engraved plate. The paper 
 then has the picture adhering to it. This, how- 
 ever, is still soluble in water, and could be 
 washed off; but by immersing it in a solution of 
 alum, the gelatine or glue becomes utterly in- 
 soluble, even in boiling water, and we have a 
 permanent finished print. 
 
 It is evident that any color can be used. Black 
 with a brown tone is always the finest, and is 
 preferred by artists ; blue toned blacks are fine 
 for certain styles of subjects, as are also violet 
 blacks. Of other colors, dark red, or brown 
 and dark blue, are the only ones which give satis- 
 faction ; their effect, however, is always inferior 
 to that of the warm brown black, which gives the 
 very tone obtained in the best silver prints, 
 treated with a gold solution. 
 
 PHOTOGRAPHIC SEALS.— K photo- 
 grapher in Freiberg has made seals and stamps 
 with the portraits of his customers. A thin 
 layer of gelatine sensitized with bichromate of 
 porxsh is exposed to the action of light under a 
 photographic positive, by which the parts acted 
 uptui are rendered insoluble in water. The gela- 
 tine film is immersed in water, and the parts not 
 acted upon by light swell up, and we obtain a 
 picture in relief, of which a plaster cast can be 
 taken. An ekctro.ype copy being taken of the 
 cast, we have a mtiallic fac-siniile of the photo- 
 graph, which can be employed as a seal. This 
 is essentially an application of the photographic 
 process, and suggests an excellent method for 
 obtaining perfect likenesses of persons in metallic 
 
 casts for the use of the printer, as well as an 
 admirable way of illustrating scientific books. 
 
 PHOTOGRAPHING ON WOOD. — ^^n 
 after the invention of photography, efforts were 
 made to transfer photographs to blocks of wood, 
 and to engrave them afterwards' like ordinary 
 cuts. The advantage of this process is two-fold : 
 first, it is not necessary to make the drawing ; 
 and secondly, the photographic image is a much 
 better copy than any hand-drawing, especially if 
 the copy is to be reduced in size. In regard to 
 the process of transferring, it has not as yet met 
 with any great difficulties, although images could 
 not be very well fixed, and were liable to be- 
 come too dark. A further and more serious in- 
 convenience made itself apparent in the old pro- 
 cess of preparation. The block became so much 
 softened and impregnated with salts that the 
 artist was unable to execute his work with ordi- 
 nary facility; in a word, the wood became fi- 
 brous and not capable of being well cut. At a 
 more recent date, the attempt was made to paste 
 a skin of collodion with the photograph on the 
 block, and then to cut it. It happened, however, 
 that the skin would become partially loosened, 
 which made this method completely useless. 
 
 Tlie difficult problem has finally been solved 
 by Mr. Leth, in Leipzig, .whose method is in 
 detail as follows : In order to preserve the wood 
 from the penetration of water, during the subse- 
 quent operations, the wood block is coated on its 
 reverse and on its four edges with varnish or 
 wax. After this, the perfectly polished cutting 
 surface is grounded in the ordinary manner. 
 Wood-cutters generally use for this purpose 
 white lead, zinc white, or blanc fixe, with gum 
 water; but for the purpose under consideration 
 glue water is sufficient. The grounding is ac- 
 complished by means of rubbing with the finger 
 and the ball of the hand until the surface is uni- 
 formly white and dry. This surface is hereupon 
 immersed in a somewhat concentrated solution 
 of alum, which will coagulate the glue, the su- 
 perfluous liquid being thrown off by swinging 
 the block about. The block is then allowed to 
 dry. The photographic image is not produced 
 on the wood block, but on a glass plate which is 
 coated with a solution of bichromate of potash 
 mixed with gum and honey. 
 
 By laying upon the latter a positive photo- 
 graphic copy of an image, and subjecting it to 
 the action of light, an indistinct picture is ob- 
 tained, but by spreading burned soot or another 
 dust color upon it, it appears perfect ; and if a 
 proper shade has been selected, can scarcely be 
 distinguished from an ordinary photograph. The 
 parts of the chrome salt solution which have 
 been affected by the light fail to take the dust- 
 colors, while they adhere on the parts which 
 have been protected against the action of the 
 light, and thus the image is brought out. The 
 latter is now to be transferred upon the wood 
 block. This is done by coating the picture with 
 collodion, and after that putting it into dilute 
 nitric acid. Thereby the chrome salt is decom- 
 posed and the still soluble gum washed off, while 
 the dust colors remain on the collodion. The 
 cohesion between the collodion skin and the 
 glass is at the same time removed. If the glass 
 is immersed in a large vessel with sugar water, 
 the skin may be easily removed by the fingers. 
 The skin now floats in the sugar water. It is 
 made to cover the wood block by immersing the 
 
PHOTOGRAPHY AND THE FINE ARTS, 
 
 291 
 
 latter in the water, so that its prepared surface 
 comes just below the floating collodion skin. 
 When the latter lies without folds or bubbles in 
 the proper position on the prepared wood sur- 
 face, the block is withdrawn from the water and 
 placed on edge for drying. In order to dissolve 
 and separate the collodion skin, the surface of the 
 picture is now sprinkled with ether. The dust 
 colors, which represent the image, however, re- 
 main upon the ground surface, and after the' 
 ether has evaporated, the block is ready for cut- 
 ting. In regard to the shade, it does not depend 
 upon the chemical process, but upon the dust 
 powder itself, which may be taken of any tint. 
 Any picture taken from nature may be transfer- 
 red in this manner, and if engraved, will show a 
 similarity to the original not easily attainable. 
 
 PHOTOGRAPHING ON WOOD, Sear- 
 ing's Process of. — The block on which the pic- 
 ture is to be made is first dampened with water, 
 then whitened with enamel rubied from the sur- 
 face of good enameled visiting cards. Rub 
 gently, removing only the enamel, after which it 
 is brushed smooth with a moderately stiff brush, 
 from right to left and up and down, making a 
 smooth, even, and very thin surface. Allow this 
 to dry, after which it is flowed with a solution of 
 albumen, made with the white of one egg and 
 sixteen ounces of water, dried by heat or allowed 
 to dry spontaneously. Now coat it with another 
 albumen solution made as follows : — i. White of 
 one egg; water, 4 ounces; chloride of ammonia, 
 40 grains. Beat the whole to a thick froth. Al- 
 low to subside, then decant or filter through a 
 fine sponge placed in a glass funnel. Pour a 
 sufficient quantity on one corner of the block to 
 cover it, when spread around with the aid of a 
 1-9 or 1-6 glass (using the edge). Allow the 
 surplus solution to drain back into the bottle. 
 Dry this by a gentle heat. — 2. Ether, i oz.; alcohol, 
 I oz.; gun-cotton, 8 grs.; nitrate of silver, 30 grs.; 
 dissolve in as small a quantity of water as pos- 
 sible, and allow to settle for a few days, protected 
 from the light. Flow the salted block with for- 
 mula No. 2, in the dark room, and dry by gentle 
 heat. It is now ready for exposure under the 
 negative. A porcelain printing frame, or any 
 other suitable method, may be used to print it. 
 After printing, formula 2 is removed from the 
 surface of the block by dissolving in ether and 
 alcohol, assisted by rubbing gently with a soft 
 Bponge. The picture can now be toned and fixed 
 in the ordinary way, or fixed and toned at one 
 operation, by the hypo and gold bath. After 
 being allowed to dry, it is ready for the engraver. 
 
 SIIVER {Waste), To Recover.— T)r. Grager 
 has proposed a new method for the regeneration 
 of waste nitrate of silver solutions used in photo- 
 graphy. After first referring to the generally 
 applied and well known means now in use for 
 this purpose, the author states that the best plan 
 to treat these solutions is the following : Thev are 
 boiled either in a porcelain basin or a glass f!ask, 
 and while boiling, there is added to them recent- 
 ly precipitated, well washed, and moist oxide of 
 silver; the boiling being continued for some time. 
 The liquid is next filtered, and then evaporated 
 to dryness, the heat being increased to fusion, 
 so as to destroy ammoniacal salts ; the residue 
 is pure nitrate of silver. The sediment on the 
 filter contains some oxide of silver, which must 
 be added in excess ; and, therefore, in order not 
 to lose that, the filter is preserved, and the con- 
 
 tents worked up at a subsequent operation. The 
 nitrate of silver thus obtained is, by practical 
 photographers, pronounced to be of excellent 
 quality. 
 
 SILVER STAINS, To Remove.— VuihtiMsi 
 pound of Glauber salts, quarter of a pound of 
 the chloride of lime, and eight ounces of water, 
 into a little wide mouthed bottle, and when re- 
 quiredfor usepour some of the thick sedimentinto 
 a saucer, and rub it well over the hands with 
 pumice stone or a nail brush, and it will clean 
 the fingers quite Ajual to cyanide, but \vithout 
 any danger. This will do to use over again until 
 exhausted and should be kept corked up. The 
 disagreable smell may be entirely avoided by the 
 liberal use of lemon juice, which not only entirely 
 removes the smell, but whitens the hands. 
 
 SOLUTIONS, FIXING.— ¥or positives: 
 Cyanide of potassium, 120 grs.; nitrate of silver, 
 6 grs.; ^vater, 10 ozs. When this solution re- 
 quires more than a minute or two to clear the 
 picture, add a small amount of cyanide of potas- 
 sium. 
 
 This solution is highly poisonous, and should 
 not be allowed to touch unsound skin, nor should 
 the fumes be breathed. 
 
 For negatives : The above solution of cyanide 
 of potassium answers very well, or hyposulphite 
 of soda, 10 ozs.; water, 10 ozs.; ether, 30 minims. 
 
 SOLUTION OF SILK in Photography.— 
 Pure silk is soluble in hydrochloric acid, and if 
 the solution be neutralized by ammonia, and 
 evaporated, an organic chloride of ammonium 
 results, which is capable of use in photography, 
 particularly for salting paper. Paper thus pre- 
 pared is said to be more sensitive than that salted 
 in the usual way, and in printing, gives a warmer 
 tone. It is thought that this salt could also be 
 used in the preparation of collodio-chloride of 
 silver, if it were sufficiently soluble in alcohol. 
 
 STEREOSCOPIC PICTURES. — Photo- 
 graphs for the refracting stereoscope are taken 
 with small lenses of about ^yi inches focus. For 
 portraits a camera may advantageously be fitted 
 with two double combination lenses, of l^ 
 inches diameter, exactly equal in focal length and 
 in rapidity of action. The caps are removed si- 
 multaneously, and the pictures impressed at the 
 same instant. The centers of the lenses may be 
 separated by 3 inches, when the camera is placed 
 at about 6 or 8 feet from the sitter. Pictures 
 taken with binocular camera of this kind require 
 to be mounted in a reversed position to that which 
 they occupy on the glass, or a pseudoscopic effect 
 will be produced. The negatives may be cut in 
 half, the right half being printed on the left side, 
 or the finished prints may be removed before 
 mounting. 
 
 STEREOSCOPIC TRANSPARENCIES. 
 — Sensitive films prepared by Russel's Tannin 
 Process. Place the negative and the prepared 
 plate in contact, and squeeze them together in an 
 ordinary pressure frame ; not too strongly, how- 
 ever, or it will probably be found, after throwing 
 off a few impressions, that the negative has been 
 scratched. Lay a strip of black velvet behind the 
 sensitive film to absorb stray light. 
 
 TAPIOCA PAPER in Photography. — \ 
 substance called tapioca paper — recommended as 
 very useful in taking photographs by artificial 
 light — is prepared by soaking 300 grains of ta- 
 pioca for two days in an equal weight of water, 
 then adding a quart of water ; and afterward for 
 
292 
 
 DICTIONARY OF EVERY-DAY WANTS. 
 
 every tenth of a quart of the liquid fifteen grains 
 of^ iodide of potassium, forty-five grains of chlor- 
 ide of potassium, and one and a half grains of 
 bromide of potassium are to be introduced, and, 
 when dissolved, the whole boiled for ten min- 
 utes, allowed to stand for a day, and then decant- 
 ed and filtered through linen. Twelve to twenty 
 sheets of the paper are immersed in this liquid 
 at a time, or can be floated npon it for fifteen or 
 twenty minutes, and then hung xip to dry in a 
 dark room. Should the paper assume a dark 
 color it will be of no consequffnce, since this tint 
 will disappear in the silver bath. This bath is 
 to be prepared in the proportion of I to 15, and 
 for every ounce of nitrate of silver fifty or sixty 
 grains of citric acid are to be added. The de- 
 veloper is made of fifty grains of pyrogallic acid 
 and eighty grains of citric acid in thirty ounces 
 of water. The time of exposure varies from ten 
 seconds to twenty-five minutes, according to the 
 
 f)icture to be copied and the actinic force of the 
 ight. 
 
 TINTING Photographs s^ightfy.— Hnv'mg 
 prepared the photograph in the usual way, take 
 a little pink madder or carmine, and lay it on the 
 cheek with a clean pencil. Soften it carefully all 
 round the edges, blending the tint into the lace. 
 Repeat the process once and again, until you 
 have obtained nearly as much color as necessary ; 
 I say nearly as much, because you have to pass 
 
 ■ the general flesh wash over it, which has the ef- 
 fect of darkening it considerably. For the pur- 
 pose of softening, it will be as well to have two 
 pencils on one holder. It might appear that 
 putting on the color of the cheek at once, and 
 softening it, would suffice ; but you will get it far 
 softer by doing it Avith a very pale tint two or 
 three times, than you possibly can by making it 
 
 - at once as powerful as necessary ; besides, it is 
 
 f impossible to soften a strong color so well as a 
 pale tint. When the color is quite dry, go over 
 the whole of the face with a flesh tint, then put 
 in the hair, eyes, eyebrows, and lips ; round off 
 the forehead with gray, and apply the same to 
 those parts of the face where you observe it to be 
 in nature. If your photograph be a very dark 
 one, you will not require so much gray in it as 
 if it were a light impression. Next wash in the 
 background and proceed with the draperies, etc. 
 Return now to the face: strengthen the carna- 
 tions, grays, and shadows, by hatching delicate 
 tints over them ; put the light in the eyes, and 
 the spirited touches about it, and the eyebrows, 
 mouth, etc., and finish off the hair. In dark 
 photographs, you will require to lay the lights 
 on the hair with body color, as it is generally 
 much darker than it appears in nature. Make 
 out the linen with a gray, deepening it in the 
 darkest parts, and lay on the high lights with 
 constant or Chinese white. Proceed next to 
 shadow the drapery, and when you have obtain- 
 ed the required depth, scumble in the high lights, 
 using a bare pencil and a very gentle hand, as 
 before directed. Give the background another 
 wash, if requisite, and your photograph is finish- 
 ed; or make up a tint of orange vermilion and 
 white, according to the complexion, and lay it 
 
 ' smoothly over face and hands ; then put on the 
 carnations with rose madder, and shadow up the 
 face wiili orange tint, and proceed as above to 
 finish. If tlie backgrounds and draperies appear 
 dead, you may take a piece of very soft washing 
 silk and rub them up a little, which will have the 
 
 same effect as if they had been hot pressed. 
 Whenever botly color has been used, the rubbing 
 will be ineffective. Neither rubbing nor hot 
 pressing will give a shine to any but transparent 
 tints. If there be metal buttons, chains, or epau- 
 lettes, they must be laid over the dress with body 
 o»lors ; a very good ground for them is red 
 chrome and gamboge, shadowed with burnt 
 umber, and hightened on the lights with lemon 
 chrome and Chinese white. By the foregoing 
 methods, it will be unnecessary to hatch or 
 stipple a great deal ; for you will find that the 
 face will come out very soft and round without it, 
 but the effect is far inferior to that produced by 
 the other process. 
 
 TRA YS of Fapier Macke.— There, is no rea- 
 son why dishes, trays, pails, bottles and other 
 utensils for photographers' use should not be 
 made of papier mache. This material is not liable 
 to shrink or break. It is very light, unacted 
 upon by acids, impervious to water, unaffected 
 by silver, and is in every way preferable to ordi- 
 nary porcelain. Tlie difference in cost as com- 
 pared with porcelain is now quite trifling. 
 
 VARNISH for Colored Drawings.— Take of 
 Canada balsam, i oz.; spirit of turpentine, 2 ozs. 
 Mix them together. Before this composition is 
 applied, the drawing or print should be sized 
 with a solution of isinglass in water; and when 
 drv apply the varnish with a camel's hair brush. 
 
 'varnish {Camphorated Mastic) for Paint- 
 ings. — Take of mastic cleaned and washed, 12 
 oz.; pure turpentine, i^ oz.; camphor, ^ oz.; 
 white glass pounded, 5 oz,; essence of turpentine, 
 36 oz. Make the varnish according to the me- 
 thod indicated for Compound Mastic Varnish. 
 The camphor is employed in pieces, and the tur- 
 pentine is added when the solution of the resin is 
 completed. But if the varnish is to be applied to 
 old paintings, or paintings which have been al- 
 ready varnished, the turpentine may be suppress- 
 ed; as this ingredient is here recommended only 
 in cases of a first application to new paintings, 
 and just freed from white-of-egg varnish. 
 
 The question by able masters respecting the 
 kind of varnish proper to be employed for paint- 
 ings, has never yet been determined. Some artists 
 who have paid particular attention to this subject, 
 make a mystery of the means they employ to ob- 
 tain the desired effect. The real end may be ac- 
 complished by giving to the varnish destined for 
 painting, pliability and softness, without being 
 too solicitous in regard to what may add to its 
 consistence or its solidity. The latter quality is 
 particularly requisite in varnishes which are to be 
 applied to articles much exposed to friction ; such 
 as boxes, furniture, etc. 
 
 VARNISH, Etching.— \. Take of virgin wax 
 and asphaltum, each 2 oz.; of black pitch and 
 Burgundy pitch, each ^ oz.; melt the wax and 
 pitch in a new earthenware glazed pot, and add 
 to them, by degrees, the asphaltum, finely pow- 
 dered. Let the whole boil, simmering gradually, 
 till such time as that, taking a drop upon a plate, 
 it will break when it is cold, on bending it double 
 two or three times betwixt the fingers. The var- 
 nish, being then boiled enough, must be taken 
 off the fire, and, after it cools a little, must be 
 poi;red into warm water that it may work the 
 more easily with the hands, so as to be formed 
 into balls, which must be kneaded, and put into 
 a piece of taffety for use. — 2. White wax, 2 oz.; 
 black and Burgundy pitch, of each ^ oz.; melt 
 
PRESERVING AND STORING. 
 
 293 
 
 together, add by degrees powdered asphaltum, 
 
 2 oz., and boil till a drop taken out on a plate 
 will break when cold by being bent double 2 or 
 
 3 times between the fingers ; it must then be 
 
 Eoured into warm water and made into small 
 alls for use. 
 WASHING SODA, Improved substitute Jvr. 
 — It has been found that the hyposulphite of soda, 
 
 which is now manufactured very cheaply, for the 
 use of photographers, is much better than the 
 common washing soda to wash delicate objects. 
 It attacks neither the skin of the hands nor the 
 objects to be washed, as does the common soda; 
 and at the same time it is an effective bleaching 
 agent, and takes out many spots better than any 
 other substance. 
 
 PRESERVING AND STORING. 
 
 ANCHOVIES, EnglisA.— Sprats, i bushel; 
 salt, 7 pounds; saltpetre, 3 pounds; prunella, ^ 
 pound; cochineal to color slightly. Pound in a 
 mortar, then put into a stone pan or empty an- 
 chovy barrel, first a layer of sprats, then one of 
 the composition, then a layer of sprats, and so 
 on, until it is filled. Press down tight, and keep 
 them for six months. 
 
 APPLE BUTTER.— Soltct two bushels of 
 sour apples, and peel, core and quarter them. 
 Take a barrel of good sweet apple cider, and boil 
 It in a copper kettle until all the impurities have 
 risen to the surface. After this is done, and the 
 impurities skimmed off, take out two thirds of 
 the cider. Then put in the apples, and as the 
 quantity boils down put in the rest of the cider. 
 After putting in the apples the butter must be 
 stirred without interruption until it is taken off. 
 It will take about five hours boiling after the 
 apples are put into the cider. It should be boiled 
 until the whole mass becomes smooth and of the 
 same consistency, and of a dark brown color. 
 Spice with ground cloves and cinnamon, to taste. 
 The butter can then be taken off and put into 
 vessels for use. Earthen crocks are best for this 
 purpose. Tie the vessels over with heavy paper 
 and set them away in a dry place. The butter 
 will keep a year if wanted. 
 
 APPLE BUTTER, {Pennsylvania method.) 
 — Boil new cider down to one half. Pare, cut, 
 and core equal quantities of sweet and sour ap- 
 ples. Put the sweet apples in a large kettle to 
 soften a little first, as they are the hardest. Add 
 enough boiled cider to cook them. After boiling 
 half an hour, stirring often, put in the sour ap- 
 ples, and add more boiled cider with molasses 
 enough to sweeten moderately. Boil until ten- 
 der, stirring to prevent burning. Pack in firkins 
 or stone pots for winter use. 
 
 APPLES, To Dry. — The most general me- 
 thod adopted in drying apples is, after they are 
 pared, to cut them in slices, and spread them on 
 cloths, tables, or boards, and dry them out-doors. 
 In clear and dry weather this is, perhaps, the 
 most expeditious and best way; but in cloudy 
 and stormy weather this way is attended with 
 much inconvenience, and sometimes loss, in con- 
 sequence of the apples rotting before they dry. 
 To some extent they may be dried in this way in 
 the house, though this is attended with much in- 
 convenience. The best method that I have ever 
 used to dry apples is to use frames. These com- 
 bine the most advantages with the least incon- 
 venience of any way, and can be used with equal 
 advantage either in drying in the house or out in 
 
 the sun. In pleasant weather the frames can be 
 set out-doors against the side of the building, or 
 any other support, and nights, or cloudy and 
 stormy days, they can be brought into the house, 
 and set against the side of the room near the 
 stove or fire-place. Frames are made in the fol- 
 lowing manner : Two strips of board, 7 feet long, 
 2 or zyi inches wide — two strips 3 feet long, i^ 
 inches wide, the whole }^ of an inch thick — nail 
 the short strips across the ends of the long ones, 
 and it makes a frame 7 by 3 feet, which is a con- 
 venient size for all purposes. On one of the long 
 strips nails are driven 3 inches apart, extending 
 from the top to the bottom. After the apples are 
 pared, they are quartered and cored, and with a 
 needle and twine, or stout thread strung into 
 lengths long enough to reach twice across the 
 frame; the ends of the twine are then tied together, 
 and the strings hung on the nails across the 
 frame. The apples will soon dry so that the 
 strings can be doubled on the nails, and fresh 
 ones put on or the whole of them removed, and 
 others put in their place. As fast as the apples 
 become sufficiently dry they can be taken from 
 the strings, and the same strings used to dry 
 more on. If large apples are used to dry, they 
 can be cut in smaller pieces. Pears and quinces*,- 
 and other fruits that can be strung, may be dried 
 in this way. 
 
 APPLE yAM.— The apples, which should be 
 ripe, and of the best eating sort, being pared and 
 quartered, are put into a pan with just water to 
 cover them, and boiled until they can be reduced 
 to a mash. Then for each pound of the pared 
 apples, a pound of sifted sugar is added, being 
 sprinkled over the boiling mixture. Boil and stir 
 it well, until reduced to ajam. Then put it into pots. 
 
 The above is the most simple way of mailing 
 it ; but to have it of the best possible clearness, 
 make a thick syrup with three pounds of sugar to 
 each pint of water, and clarify it with an egg, as 
 before directed. Then add one pint of this syrup 
 for every three pounds of apples, and boil the 
 jam to a proper thickness. 
 
 APPLE JELL Y. — Take any quantity of 
 sound common apples, those with red skins make 
 the brightest colored jelly; wash carefully, but 
 do not peel them ; fill a preserving-pan with the 
 apples, and just cover them with water ; boil till 
 they are all in a pulp, then strain it through a 
 hair sieve. To every pint of juice add one pound 
 of white sugar, and a little essence of lemon ; 
 boil the whole till it is perfectly clear, and jellies 
 when cold ; it ought to turn out of a shape quite 
 stiff and clear. ' 
 
!294 
 
 DICTIONARY OF E VERY-DAY WANTS. 
 
 APPLE MARMALADE. — Vetl and core 
 two pounds sub-acid apples and put them in an 
 enameled saucepan with one pint of sweet cider, 
 or half a pint of pure wine, and one pound of 
 crushed sugar, and cook them by a gentle heat 
 three hours, or longer, until the fruit is very- 
 soft, and then squeeze it first through a colander 
 and then through a sieve. If not sufficiently 
 sweet, add powdered sugar to suit your taste, 
 and put away in jars made air-tight by a piece of 
 •wet bladder. 
 
 APPLES, Preserving.— \. By selecting the 
 best of fruit, and carefully enveloping each 
 specimen separately in paper so that the air can- 
 not pass through, the time of keeping in a sound 
 and eatable condition can be greatly prolonged. 
 After covering each apple with paper, select a 
 light wooden box and cover it on the inside, or 
 outside, with paper either before, or after put- 
 ting in the fruit, as the case may be. Those 
 persons who are desirous of preserving a small 
 quantity of apples wiU be amply repaid for their 
 trouble by trying the above experiment. The 
 fruit should not be disturbed after packing until 
 
 . the box is opened at the time the fruit is to be 
 eaten. — 2. A layer of dry sawdust was sprinkled 
 at the bottom of the box, and then a layer of 
 apples placed in it so that they did not touch each 
 other. Upon these were placed a little layer of 
 sawdust, and so on until the box was filled. The 
 boxes, after being packed in this way, were plac- 
 ed on the wall in the cellar, up from the ground, 
 where they kept, perfectly retaining their fresh- 
 ness and flavor, until brought out. — 3. Apples 
 for keeping should be laid out on a dry floor for 
 
 . three weeks. They then may be packed away 
 in layers, with dry straw between them. Each 
 apple should be rubbed with a dry cloth as it is 
 
 Eut away. They should be kept in a cool place, 
 ut should be sufficiently covered with straw to 
 protect them from frost. They should be pluck- 
 ed on a dry day. They also keep if packed in 
 dry sand. — 4. An excellent method for preserv- 
 ing apples through the winter is to pqt them in 
 barrels or boxes, surrounding each apple with 
 some dry mould or gypsum (plaster of Paris) — 
 not the calcined used for casts, models, etc. — 
 -and kept in a dry, cool outhouse. 
 
 APPLES {Crab), Preserving.— The fruit is 
 prepared by first cutting out all decayed por- 
 tions ; then wash clean, and place in a kettle with 
 sufficient water to cover the fruit entirely. Have 
 a tight-fitting lid to the kettle and boil, over a 
 moderate fire, until the fruit is soft enough to 
 .pierce with a straw; drain off the water, and 
 strain through a coarse cloth or jelly bag, and set 
 it aside for jelly. The apples, in boiling, will 
 have burst their skins, which are easily removed; 
 the cores are taken out by pushing them through 
 from the blossom end, with a goose quill or a 
 stick of equal thickness, being careful to press 
 the stem end against the fingers to prevent break- 
 ing the apple. The fruit is now ready to pre- 
 serve whole or to make into marmalade ; for 
 either, the proportions are: 4 lbs. of fruit, 3 lbs. 
 of sugar, and I pint of water. Put the sugar 
 and water into the preserving kettle, set it over 
 the fire until it boils, then drop in the fruit, (if it 
 is to be done whole), boil until clear, and remove 
 into a jar. If there is more syrup than will be 
 needed, boil down to the desired quantity ; pour 
 it over the fruit while hot, and cover with a 
 doth, cut of sufficient size to covei: and tie down. 
 
 This cloth dip into a cement made of two parts 
 of bees-wax to one of rosin, adding enough tal- 
 low or lard to keep it from cracking. While the 
 whole is warm, draw the cloth tightly over the 
 top of the jar and tie down. To make marmalade, 
 the boiled fruit must be mashed to a pulp before 
 being added to the syrup, and then boiled, and 
 stirred until it becomes clear, which is usually' in 
 half an hour. 
 
 APPLE {Crab) Jam. — Pare the crab apples 
 when quite ripe. Put them into a stone jar, 
 cover it well, and put it in a pan of boiling water 
 for an hour and a half. Then prepare the syrup 
 with two pounds of sugar in half a pint of water, 
 for every pound of the apples. Clarify the syrup. 
 Then put the apples into it, and boil the whole to 
 a jam. 
 
 APPLES {Pine), To Preserve.— CvX the pine- 
 apples into sUces about half an inch thick, put 
 them into a jar, make a syrup, using half a 
 pound of sugar to a pint of water, and let it sim- 
 mer quietly till dissolved. Let it stand a day, 
 and then pour it cold over the fruit ; after a short 
 time take it away, and let it simmer again, hav- 
 ing added a little more sugar. Repeat this pro- 
 cess three or four times, and the last time pour 
 the syrup boiling over the fruit. 
 
 APRICOTS, Dried.— Thrast out the stones 
 with a wooden skewer, then pare them and roll 
 them in dry powdered lump sugar ; afterwards 
 put them into a cold syrup, made with 2 lbs. of 
 lump sugar to ^4 of a pint of water, and heat 
 them gradually nearly to the boiling point, turn- 
 ing them frequently. Then pour them into a 
 deep dish, and next day scald them again, adding 
 as much sugar as will dissolve; again let them 
 rest until the next day, when they must be placed 
 on a hair sieve to drain and dry. 
 
 The fruit should not be quite lipe. Some- 
 times the apricots are cut into halves or quarters 
 before preserving, and at other times pickled 
 with the skins on ; in the latter case they are 
 gathered sooner, and infused in cold water with 
 some vine leaves ; next taken out and gently im- 
 mersed in fresh water until they turn yellow, 
 and then rubbed with a flannel and some salt to 
 remove the down ; they are then again soaked in 
 the pan with the vine leaves, until they turn 
 greenish. The best are selected, rubbed dry, 
 the stones extracted, and boiled in syrup as above 
 described. 
 
 APRICOT JAM.—ljtt the fruit be just in 
 maturity, but not over ripe. Remove the skins, 
 then cut the apricots in halves. Crack the 
 stones, take out the kernels, bleach them in 
 boiling water, and then pound them in a mortar. 
 Boil the broken stones, skins, and parings, in 
 double the quantity of water required for the 
 jam. Reduce it in the boiling to one half of its 
 original quantity. Then strain it through a jelly 
 bag. To each pound of prepared apricots put a 
 quarter of a pint of this juice, a pound of sifted 
 loaf sugar, and the pounded kernels. Put it on 
 the fire, which should be brisk, and stir the 
 whole with a wooden spoon until it is of a nice 
 consistence, but without being very stiff, or it 
 would have a bad flavor. Put it immediately 
 into pots, and let these stand uncovered during 
 twenty-four hours. Then strew a little sifted 
 sugar over the upper surface of the jam in each 
 pot, and tie egged paper over each pot. 
 
 APRICOT yELLY. — Tare the fruit thin, 
 and stone it ; weigh an equal quantity of sugar 
 
PRESERVING AND STORING. 
 
 295 
 
 in fine powder, and strew over it. Stand one 
 day, then bqjl very gently till they are clear, 
 move them into a bowl, and pour the liquor 
 over. The next day pour the liquor to a quart 
 of codling liquor; let it boil quickly till it will 
 jelly; put the fruit into it, and boil; skim well, 
 and put into small pots. 
 
 BACOiV. — The reputation of the Hampshire 
 bacon is owing entirely to the care with which it 
 is cured. The hogs, which are fatted on peas 
 and barley meal, are kept fasting for twenty-four 
 hours at least before they are killed ; they are 
 used as gently as possible in the act of killing, 
 which is done by inserting a long-pointed knife 
 into the main artery which comes from the heart. 
 The hair is burnt off with lighted straw, and the 
 dirty surface of the skin scraped off. The carcass 
 is hung up after the entrails have been removed, 
 and the next day, when the meat has become 
 quite cold, it is cut up into flitches. The spare- 
 ribs are taken out, and the bloody veins care- 
 fully removed ; the whole is then covered with 
 salt, with a small quantity of saltpetre mixed 
 with it. Sometimes a little brown sugar is added, 
 which gives a pleasant sweetness to the bacon. 
 The flitches are laid on a low wooden table, 
 which has a small raised border at the lower end. 
 The table slants a little, so as to let the brine 
 run off into a vessel placed under it, by a small 
 opening in the border at the lower end. 
 . The flitches are turned up and salted every 
 day; those which were uppermost are put under, 
 and in three weeks they are ready to be hung up 
 to dry. Smoking the bacon is no longer as com- 
 mon as it used to be, as simply drying in the 
 salt is found sufficient to make it keep. Those 
 who from early association like the flavor given 
 by the smoke of wood burn sawdust and shav- 
 ings in a smothered fire for some time under the 
 flitches. 
 
 When they are quite dry they are placed on a 
 board rack for the use of the family, or are pack- 
 ed with wheat chaff into chests till they are sold. 
 The practice of cutting the hogs into pieces and 
 pickling them in a vat, being attended with less 
 trouble, is very generally preferred when there is 
 only a sufficient number of hogs killed to serve 
 the farmer's family ; but flitches of bacon well 
 cured are more profitable for sale. Corn-fed 
 . bacon is at least equal if not superior to the bar- 
 ley-fed, which is considered the prime article in 
 England. 
 
 BEEF, To Cure. — Cut up the beef, and weigh 
 and bulk it up, sprinkling a little salt over it, 
 and let it lay ten or twelve hours, then pack it 
 down in the barrel. To one hundred pounds of 
 beef take one quart of salt, three and one half 
 
 gints of molasses, one tablespoonful of saltpetre, 
 ut all this into sufficient water to cover the 
 beef; boil the pickle, and skim off all the scum, 
 and when cold pour it over the beef, and weigh 
 it down. Keep the beef covered with the 
 pickle. 
 
 BEEF, Z)v^F.— The good qualities of dried 
 beef as an article of food for the family are not 
 fully appreciated. In point of excellence it is 
 one of the nicest articles, when properly prepa- 
 red, that W9 have in our store-room. It is also 
 one of the most economical articles of food; quite 
 a small quantity of dried beef, shaved very fine, 
 and cooked with a nice gravy, will serve for meat 
 for a family at very small expense. Then it is 
 so convenient to have; always ready; always 
 
 acceptable. To people who live convenient to 
 market, it is not of so much importance ; but to 
 us, who live at a distance from towns, dried beef 
 is one of the necessary articles in our bill of fare. 
 We frequently entertain guests at our table who 
 never have seen dried beef served other than as 
 a relish for bread and butter, shaved and eaten 
 without cooking. There are several methods of 
 cooking it. Some prefer it cooked with a gravy 
 of water, seasoned with butter, thickened with 
 flour, and perhaps eggs broken in while cooking. 
 Others cook it with crumbs of sausage, frying 
 the sausage first, then adding the beef with wa- 
 ter, and thickening with flour. It is also very 
 good cooked with a little sweet milk and sweet 
 cream, the gravy being thickened with flour; 
 allow it to boil once ; that is all the cooking it 
 requires. A dish of dried beef, properly cooked, 
 served with toast, baked potatoes, and boiled 
 eggs, is a very nice provision for breakfast or a 
 dinner prepared in haste. When too salt, it can 
 be remedied by soaking, after cutting and before, 
 and adding a little white sugar while cooking, 
 to restore the sweetness lost by soaking. Sugar 
 cured beef is much nicer than that cured with 
 salt alone. I put mine into a sweet brine, such 
 as is used for pork hams. 
 
 BEEF, FICXLED.—Rnh each piece of beef 
 very lightly with salt; let them lie singly on a 
 tray or board for 24 hours, then wipe them very 
 dry. Pack them closely in a tub, taking care 
 that it is perfectly sweet and clean. Have the 
 pickle ready, made thus: Boil four gallons of 
 soft water with ten pounds of coarse salt, four 
 ounces of saltpetre, and two pounds of coarse 
 brown sugar; let it boil 15 minutes, and skim it 
 while boiling very clean. When perfectly cold 
 pour it on the beef, laying a weight on the top to 
 keep the meat under the pickle. This quantity 
 is sufficient for 100 lbs. of beef if closely packed. 
 
 BEAN'S, To keep Fresh for Winter. — Procure 
 a wide mouthed stone jar, lay on the bottom of it 
 some freshly pulled French beans, and over them 
 put a layer of salt; fill the jar up in this manner 
 with alternate layers of beans and salt. The 
 beans need not all be put in at the same time, 
 but they are better if the salt be put on while they 
 are quite fresh. They will keep good all through 
 the winter. WTien going to use them, steep for 
 some hours in fresh cold water. 
 
 BLA CKBERR Y J^/f^/.— Gather the fruit in 
 dry weather; allow half a pound of good brc^n 
 sugar to every pound of fruit ; boil the whole to- 
 gether gently for an hour, or till the blackberries 
 are soft, stirring and mashing them well. Pre- 
 serve it like any other jam, and it will be found 
 very useful in families, particularly for children 
 — regulating their bowels, and enabhng you to 
 dispense with cathartics. It may be spread on 
 bread, or on puddings, instead of butter ; and 
 even when the blackberries are bought, it is 
 cheaper than butter. In the country, every fam- 
 ily should preserve, at least, half a peck of black- 
 berries. 
 
 BLA CKBERR Y SYRUP.— 'Y2k& a sufficient 
 quantity of ripe blackberries. Put them into a 
 sieve placed over a large broad pan, and with a 
 clean potato masher, or something of the sort, 
 press out all the juice. Or having bruised them first, 
 put the blackberries into a linen bag, and squeeze 
 out all the juice into a vessel placed beneath. Meas- 
 ure it, and to every quart of the strained juice 
 allow half a pound of powdered loaf sugar. 
 
296 
 
 DICTION AR YOFE VER Y-DA Y WANTS. 
 
 boils. When it has boiled a few minutes, pour 
 it through a flannel bag till it runs clear. Then 
 have in readiness a large china basin, with some 
 lemon-peel in it, cut as thin as possible, let the 
 clear jelly run upon them while warm, and from 
 these it will acquire both an amber color, and an 
 agreeable flavor. Afterwards it may be poured 
 into glasses. 
 
 CANNING FRUIT.— T[\e principle should 
 be understood, in order to work intelligently. 
 The fruit is preserved by placing it in a vessel 
 from which the external air is entirely excluded. 
 This is effected by surrounding the fruit by liquid, 
 and by the use of heat to rarify and expel the air 
 that may be entangled in the fruit or lodged in its 
 pores. The preservation does not depend upon 
 sugar, though enough of this is used in the liquid 
 which covers the fruit to make it palatable. The 
 heat answers another purpose; it destroys the 
 ferment which fruits naturally contain, and as 
 long as they are kept from contact with the ex- 
 ternal air they do not decompose. 
 
 The vessels in which fruits are preserved are 
 tin, glass, and earthenware. Tin is used at the 
 factories where large quantities are put up for 
 commerce, but is seldom used in families, as more 
 skill in soldering is required than most persons 
 possess. Besides, the tins are not generally safe to 
 use more than once. Glass is the preferable ma- 
 terial, as it is readily cleaned and allows the in- 
 terior to be frequently inspected. Any kind ol 
 bottle or jar that has a mouth wide enough to 
 admit the fruit and that can be securely stopped, 
 positively air-tight — which is much closer than 
 water-tight — will answer. Jars of various pat- 
 terns and patents are made for the purpose, and 
 are sold at the crockery and grocery stores. These 
 have wide mouths, and a glass or metallic cap 
 which is made to fit very tightly by an India- 
 rubber ring between the metal and the glass. 
 The devices for these caps are numerous, and 
 much ingenuity is displayed in inventing them. 
 We have used several patterns without much dif- 
 ference in success, but have found there was some 
 difterence in the facility vrith which the jars could 
 be opened and closed. The best are those in which 
 atmospheric pressure helps the sealing, and 
 where the sole dependence is not upon screws 
 or clamps. To test a jar, light a slip of paper 
 and hold it within it. The heat of the flame will 
 expand the air and drive out a portion of it. Now 
 put on the cap; when the lar becomes cool the 
 air within will contract, and the pressure of tlie 
 external air should hold the cover on so firmly 
 that it cannot be pulled off without first letting in 
 air by pressing aside the rubber or by such other 
 means as is provided in the -construction of the 
 jar. When regular fruit jars are not used, good 
 corks and cement must be provided. 
 
 Cement is made by melting 1^ oz, of tallow 
 with I lb. rosin. The stiffness of the cement 
 may be governed by the use of more or-less tal- 
 low. After the jar is corked, tie a piece of stout 
 drilling over the mouth. Dip the cloth on the 
 mouth of the jar into the melted cement, rub the 
 cement on the cloth with a stick to break up the 
 bubbles, and leave a close covering. 
 
 The process. Everything should be in readi- 
 ness, the jars clean, the covers well fitted, the 
 fruit picked over or otherwise prepared, and ce- 
 ment and corks, if these are used, at hand. The 
 bottles or jars are to receive a very hot liquid, 
 and they must be gradually warmed beforehand. 
 
 a heapened teaspoonful of powdered cinnamon, 
 the same of powdered cloves, and a powdered 
 nutmeg. Mix the spices with the juice and sugar, 
 and boil all together in a porcelain kettle, skim- 
 ming it well. When cold, stir into the above 
 quantity half a pint of fourth proof brandy. Then 
 bottle it for use. This is a good family medicine, 
 and is beneficial in complaints incident to warm 
 weather. 
 
 It should be administered at proper times (at 
 proper intervals), from a teaspoonful to a wine- 
 glassful, according to the age of the patient. 
 
 BOUQUET, To keep Btight and Fresh.— 
 Sprinkle it Hghtly with fresh water, and put it in 
 a vase containing soap-suds. Each mornmg take 
 the bouquet out of the suds, and lay it sideways 
 in clean water ; keep it there a minute or two, 
 then take it out and sprinkle the flowers lightly 
 by the hand with water. Replace it in the suds, 
 and it will bloom as when first gathered. Change 
 the suds every three or four days. 
 
 BUTTER, To keep Sweet.— Simply put it in 
 clean jars and cover with a strong brine. This 
 will keep pure butter a year fresh and sweet, as 
 we know by experience. It is almost equally 
 good to put in oak casks headed tight. This is 
 equivalent to canning fruit. The brine in the 
 case of the jar acts as a heading, keeping the air 
 out. But butter should be made well. Work 
 out the buttermilk till you have only pure beads 
 clear as water ; but do not work so much as to 
 break the grain. 
 
 BUTTER, To keep in Summer. — A simple 
 mode of keeping butter in warm weather, where 
 ice is not handy, is to invert a common flower 
 pot over the butter, with some water in the dish 
 in which the butter is laid. The orifice in the 
 bottom may be corked or not. The porousness 
 of the earthenware will keep the butter cool. It 
 will be still cooler if the pot be wrapped with a 
 wet cloth. Not the porosity of the earthenware, 
 but the rapid abstraction of heat by external 
 evaporation causes the butter to become hard. 
 
 CABBA GES, To Preserve in Winter.— Sink 
 a barrel in the ground to within an inch or two 
 of the top, cut off the heads and fill the barrel 
 full, put orl a board to keep out water, and that 
 is all the covering that is needed. 
 
 CABBA CE, To Pickle.— S€iezt firm, ripe heads, 
 slice fine, place in jars, and cover with boiling 
 water. When cold, drain and season with sliced 
 horse-radish, salt, equal parts of black and red 
 pepper, cinnamon and cloves. Pack in jars, cover 
 with cold, strong vinegar, and in two days it is 
 ready for use. This pickle will keep a year. 
 
 CABBAGE (^Red) To Pickle.- CvX the red 
 cabbage in thin slices, spread it on a sieve and 
 sprinkle with salt. Let it drain for twenty-four 
 hours, dry it, pack it in pickle jars, fill them with 
 cold vinegar, put in spice to taste, and tie the 
 jars up firmly with bladder. Open the jars in a 
 few days, and if the cabbage has shrunk, fill up 
 with vinegar. 
 
 CALVES' FEET JELLY.-'BoW 2 calves' 
 feet in one gallon of water till it comes to a quart, 
 then strain it, and when it is cold, skim the fat 
 entirely off, and take the jelly up clean; if there 
 be any settling at the bottom, leave it. Put the 
 jelly into a saucepan, with a pint of mountain 
 wine, half a pound of loaf sugar, the juice of four 
 large lemons, and the white of six eggs, beat up 
 the whisk ; mix all well together, set the sauce- 
 pan upon a clear fire, and stir the jelly till it 
 
PRESERVING AND STORING. 
 
 *97 
 
 by placing warm water in them, to which boiling 
 water is gradually added. Commence by making 
 a syrup in the proportion of a pound of white 
 sugar to a pint of water, using less sugar if tliis 
 quantity will make the fruit too sweet. WTien 
 the syrup boils, add as much fruit as it will cover, 
 let the fruit heat in the syrup gradually, and when 
 it comes to a boil ladle it into the jars or bottles 
 which have been warmed as above directed. Put 
 in as much fruit as possible, and then add the 
 syrup to fill up all the interstices among the fruit ; 
 then put on the cover or insert the stopper as 
 soon as possible. Have a cloth at hand dampen- 
 ed in hot water to wipe the necks of the jars. 
 When one lot has been bottled, proceed with 
 more, adding more sugar and water if more syrup 
 is required. Juicy fruits will diminish the syrup 
 much less than others. \\Tien the bottles are 
 cold, put them away in a cool, dry, and dark 
 place. Do not tamper with the covers in any 
 way. The bottles should be inspected every 
 day for a week or so, in order to discover if any 
 are imperfect. If fermentation has commenced, 
 bubbles will be seen in the syrup, and the covers 
 will be loosened. If taken at once, the contents 
 may be saved by thoroughly reheating. — Another 
 way is to prepare a syrup and allow it to cool. 
 Place the fruit in the bottles, cover with the syrup 
 and then set the bottles nearly up to their rims 
 in a boiler of cold water. Some wooden slats 
 should be placed at the bottom of the boiler to 
 keep the bottles from contact with it. The water 
 in the boiler is then heated and kept boiling until 
 the fruit in the bottles is thoroughly heated 
 through, when the covers are put on, and the 
 bottles allowed to cool. It is claimed that the 
 flavor of the fruit is better preserved in this way 
 than by the other. 
 
 What may be Preserved. — ^All the fruits that 
 are used in their fresh state or for pies, etc., and 
 Rhubarb, or Pie-plant, and Tomatoes. Green 
 Peas, and Corn, cannot be readily preserved in 
 families, as they require special apparatus. Straw- 
 berries. Hard-fleshed sour varieties, such as the 
 Wilson, are better than the more delicate kinds. 
 Directions for these, as well as for Raspberries, 
 will be found in a Basket item. 
 
 Currants need more sugar than the foregoing. 
 Blackberries and Huckleberries are both very 
 satisfactorily preserved, and make capital pies. 
 Cherries and Plums need only picking over. 
 Peaches need peeling and quartering. The skin 
 may be removed from ripe peaches by scalding 
 them in water or weak lye for a few seconds, and 
 then transferring them to cold water. Some ob- 
 tain a strong peach flavor by boiling a few peach 
 meats in the syrup. • We have had peaches keep 
 three years, and were then better than those sold 
 at the stores. Pears are pared and halved, or 
 quartered, and the core removed. The best, high- 
 flavored and melting varieties only should be 
 used. Coarse baking pears are unsatisfactory. 
 Apples. Very few put up these. Try some 
 high-flavored ones, and you will be pleased with 
 them. Quinces. There is a great contrast be- 
 tween quinces preserved in this way and those 
 done up in the old way of pound for pound. 
 They do not become hard, and they remain of a 
 fine light color. Tomatoes require cooking 
 longer than the fruits proper. See directions for 
 these among Basket items. Any intelligent per- 
 son who understands the principle upon which 
 fruit is preserved in this way, will soon find the 
 
 mechanical part easy of execution and the results 
 satisfactory. 
 
 CAULIFLOWER, To Keep.— They can be 
 kept in a cellar by covering the roots and stalks 
 with earth, till February. Or they may be placed 
 in a trench in the garden, roots down, and cov- 
 ered with earth, up close to the heads; and then 
 cover with hay, or straw, four or five inches thick, 
 placing just enough soil on the straw to keep it 
 m its position. This method does well in the 
 latitude of New York ; but in colder climates a 
 thicker covering would be required. 
 
 CELERY, To Keep.— Tins may be kept in 
 good condition through the winter in a cool, dry 
 cellar, by having it set out in earth. When a 
 small quantity only is wanted, take a box and 
 stand the celery up in it, placing a little earth 
 about the roots. The farmers who raise quanti- 
 ties of it often keep it in their old hot-beds, stand- 
 ing it up, and protecting it from frost. There is 
 no vegetable more relished than this, and every 
 person who has a garden should raise enough for 
 his own use, if no more. 
 
 CHERR Y CHEESE.— Tske twelve pounds 
 of juicy cherries, stone them, and boil them for 
 two hours, till they become a little cloggy, but 
 take care that they do not burn. Then add to 
 them four pounds of fine sugar, and boil another 
 hour. 
 
 CHERRY yAM.—'\\t\gh. the fruit before it 
 is stoned, and to each pound of fruit allow three 
 quarters of a pound of sugar; stone the cherries 
 and set them with the sugar and a few spoonfuls 
 of water in the preserving-pan, to simmer gently 
 beside the fire for half an hour. Then boil quickly, 
 skimming all the time, for another half-hour. It 
 is recommended to crack the cherry stones and 
 put the kernels into the jam, but as this is both 
 tedious and troublesome, a few drops of ratafia 
 or almond essence will be found quite as good. 
 
 CHERRY MARMALADE.— TTikt out the 
 stones and stalks from some fine cherries, and 
 pulp them through a coarse sieve; to every three 
 pounds of pulp add half a pint of currant-juice, 
 and three-quarters of a pound of sugar to each, 
 pound of fruit ; mix together, and boil until it will 
 jelly. Put it into pots or glasses. 
 
 CHERRIES, To Preserve. — ^To a pound of 
 cherries, allow three quarters of a pound of fine 
 loaf sugar: carefully stone them, and as they are 
 done throw part of the sugar over them ; boil them 
 fast with the remainder of the sugar, till the fruit 
 is clear and tlie syrup thick. TaJce off the scum 
 as it rises. 
 
 CHUTNEY, Bengal.— OnQ pound of tama- 
 rind pulp, one pound of sultana raisins, the grated 
 rind and half the juice of twelve lemons, one 
 pound of tomato pulp, one pound of minced ap- 
 ples, a quarter of a pound of peeled garlic, six 
 chopped onions, half a pound of red chillies, one 
 pound of ginger in powder, one p)ound of moist 
 sugar, and four quarts of strong vinegar. Mix 
 the whole thoroughly together, and keep it for a 
 month in a warm place to ferment; stir it occa- 
 sionallv, and then put it into small jars. 
 
 CITRON, Candied. — Cut the peels in half, 
 then soak them in water for two hours ; change 
 the water, and soak for two hours more; repeat 
 the operation until the water ceases to be bitter ; 
 drain them, and put them into saturated (hot) 
 syrup, until they become soft and partly trans- 
 parent, then take them out and dry them. 
 
 CITRON, To Preserve. — Pare and cut open 
 
298- 
 
 DICTIONARY OF E VERY-DAY WANTS. 
 
 the citron, clean all out except the rind; boil it 
 till soft. To a pound of citron, add a pound of 
 sugar and a lemon to each pound : put the sugar 
 and lemon together and boil it till it becomes a 
 syrup, skimming it well ; then put the syrup and 
 citron together and boil it an hour. 
 
 COFFEE, Essence of. — Coffee, I part; wa- 
 ter, 5 parts. Keep them at a heat of 209" Fahr., 
 in a close vessel for ten minutes, then strain and 
 evaporate at a low temperature in a vacuum, un- 
 til reduced to one part. 
 
 CORN {Grceft), To Dry. — i. Clean the silk 
 carefully from the corn. Put it in a steamer, 
 over a kettle of hot water. Steam ten minutes. 
 Then draw a knife through each row of kernels, 
 and scrape out the pulp, leaving the hulls on the 
 cob. Spread on plates and dry carefully without 
 scorching. — 2. Husk the corn and silk it. Then 
 shave it off with a sharp knife. To six quarts of 
 the shaved corn add a teacup of sugar and stir it 
 all up together. Put it on a pie platter and plates 
 and set in the oven. Let it scald ten minutes ; 
 then take it out and put it on a clean table cloth, 
 and spread in the sun and let it dry. When dry, 
 put in a jar or box to keep. 
 
 CORN {Green), Pickling. — ^When the com is 
 a little past the tenderest roasting ear state, pull 
 it ; take off one thickness of the husk, tie the rest 
 of the husk down at the silk end in a close and 
 tight manner ; place them in a clean cask or bar- 
 rel compactly together, and put on brine to cover 
 the same of about two-thirds the strength of 
 meat pickle. When ready to use in winter, soak 
 in cold water over night, and if this does not ap- 
 pear sufficient, change the water and freshen still 
 more. 
 
 CORN, To have Green the year round. — 
 Gather it with the husks on, put in the bottom 
 of a clean barrel some salt, proceed and fill the 
 barrel as with pork, a layer of corn, then a layer 
 of salt ; when full, put on a large stone for pres- 
 sure, add a little pickle of salt and water. Set 
 the barrel in a cool place in the cellar, do not let 
 it freeze, and it will keep perfect a year or more. 
 W^hen you wish to use it, take off the husks, soak 
 it twenty hours in cold water, boil it and eat. 
 Some days in February you can eat succotash and 
 laugh at the storm. For this purpose, Stowell's 
 Evergreen is best, but any good sweet corn will 
 do. Used in this way, it can be enjoyed, as it is 
 never hurtful. 
 
 CUCUMBERS {Green), To FicHe.—Ma\i.e 
 a brine by putting one pint of rock-salt into a 
 pail of boiling water, and pour it over the 
 cucumbers ; cover tight to keep in the steam, 
 and let them remain all night and part of a day ; 
 make a second brine as above, and let them re- 
 main in it the same length of time ; then scald 
 and skim the brine, as it will answer for the third 
 brine, and let them remain in it as above ; then 
 rinse and wipe them dry, and add boiling hot 
 vinegar ; throw in a lump of alum as large as a 
 nut to every pail of pickles, and you will have a 
 fine, hard, and green pickle. Add spices, if you 
 like, and keep the pickles under the vinegar. A 
 brick on the top of the cover, which keeps the 
 pickles under, has a tendency to collect the scum 
 which mav arise. 
 
 CUCUMBERS, To Green.— l\e.x& is no way 
 to impart a green color to cucumbers, that would 
 not be injurious to health, except by the use of 
 green leaves, like those from the grape vine. 
 Possibly sap green, which is a preparation from 
 
 the juice of buck-thorn berries, would answer 
 the purpose if it could be obtained here. Ver- 
 digris can be detected in nearly all the pickles of 
 commerce; but its use is highly objectionable, as 
 it is a poisonous acetate of copper. Pickles may 
 be colored with it if the people place a higher 
 regard on the color of the condiment they eat 
 than on their health. Nearly all the shades of 
 green are produced from some combination of 
 arsenic, but this fact does not prevent the use of 
 them for coloring confectionery. 
 
 CURRANT CATCHUP.— T^icQ fully ripe 
 currants, 4 lbs.; sugar, l^ lbs.; cinnamon, 
 ground, I table-spoon ; salt, with ground cloves 
 and pepper, of each i tea-spoon ; vinegar, i pt. 
 Stew the currants and sugar until quite thick; 
 then add the other ingredients, and bottle for 
 use. 
 
 CURRANT {Red), yelly.-Vfiih. three parts 
 of fine, ripe, red currants, mix one of white cur- 
 rants ; put them into a clean preserving pan, and 
 stir them gently over a clear fire until the juice 
 flows from them freely; then turn them into a 
 fine hair sieve, and let them drain well, but with- 
 out pressure. Pass the juice through a folded 
 muslin, or a jelly bag ; weigh it, and then boil 
 it fast for a quarter of an hour; add for each 
 pound, eight ounces of sugar, coarsely powdered; 
 stir this to it, off the fire, until it is dissolved ; 
 give the jelly eight minutes more of quick boil- 
 ing, and pour it out. It will be firm, and of ex- 
 cellent color and flavor. Be sure to clear off the 
 scum as it rises, both before and after the sugar 
 is put in, or the preserve will not be clear. Juice 
 of red currants, three pounds ; joiice of white cur- 
 rants, one pound : fifteen minutes. Sugar, two 
 Eounds : eight minutes. An excellent jelly may 
 e made with equal parts of the juice of red and 
 of white currants and of raspberries, with the 
 same proportion of sugar and degree of boiling 
 as mentioned in the foregoing receipt. 
 
 CURRANTS, To dry with Sugar. — Take 
 fully ripe currants, stemmed, 5 lbs.; sugar, i lb.; 
 put into a brass kettle, stirring at first, then as 
 the currants boil up to the top, skim them off; 
 boil down the juicy syrup until quite thick and 
 pour it over the currants, mixing well ; then 
 place on suitable dishes, and dry them by plac- 
 mg in a low box over which you can place mus- 
 keto-bar, to keep away flies. When properly 
 dried, put in jars and tie paper over them. Put 
 cold water upon them and stew as other fruit for 
 eating or pie-making, adding more sugar if 
 desired. 
 
 CURRANT SYRUP.-Take one pint of the 
 expressed juice of currants and two pounds of 
 the best refined sugar ; dissolve the sugar in the 
 juice by the aid of heat, not exceeding 212°, and 
 set aside for twenty-four hours. Then remove 
 the scum, and stram through very fine muslin, 
 if any sediment be present. To preserve for use, 
 add one gill of alcohol at 60 per cent. 
 
 CURRANT {Black) Jelly.-To each pound 
 of picked fruit, allow one gill of water ; set them 
 on the fire in the preserving pan to scald, but do 
 not let them boil ; bruise them well with a silver 
 fork, or wooden beater, — take them off and 
 squeeze them through a hair sieve; and to every 
 
 Eint of juice allow a pound of loaf or raw sugar ; 
 oil it ten minutes. 
 CURRANTS, To Preserve.— Gaiher the cur- 
 rants upon a dry day ; to every pound allow h.ilf 
 a pint of red currant juice and a pound and a half 
 
PRESERVING AND STORING. 
 
 299 
 
 •f finely pounded loaf sugar. With scissors clip 
 off the heads and stalks ; put the juice, currants, 
 and sugar in a preserving pan ; shake it frequent- 
 ly till it boils ; carefully remove the fruit from 
 the sides of the pan, and take off the scum as it 
 rises ; let it boil for ten or fifteen minutes. This 
 preserve is excellent, eaten with cream. 
 
 EGGS, To Preserve. — I. For each patent pail 
 full of water put in one pint of fresh slaked lime, 
 and I pint of common salt, mix well, fill your 
 barrel about half full of this fluid, then with a 
 dish, let your fresh eggs down into this, and they 
 will settle down right side up with care every 
 time, and we can assure any one who will try it, 
 that they will keep any reasonable length of time 
 without any further care than to keep them cov- 
 ered with the fluid. Eggs may be laid down in 
 this way any time after June. — 2. Eggs may be 
 preserved by keeping them buried in salt, or 
 dipping them during two or three minutes in 
 boiling water. The white of the egg then forms 
 a kind of membrane, which envelops the inte- 
 rior, and defends it from the air. — 3. The week 
 before going to sea, on a four months' voyage, 
 I gathered in sixty dozen eggs for cabin sea- 
 stores, taking especial pains to prove every egg of 
 the lot a good one ; besides, I got them from my 
 farmer friends, and know they were all fresh. 
 Then I fixed them for keeping, by taking five or 
 six dozen at a time in a basket, and dipping them 
 about five seconds in the cook's "copper" of 
 boiling water. After scalding, I passed the eggs 
 through a bath, made by dissolving about five 
 pounds of the cheapest brown sugar in a gallon 
 of water, and laid them out on the galley floor to 
 dry. There I had my sixty dozen eggs sugar- 
 coated. I packed them in charcoal dust instead 
 of salt; I tried salt ten years, and I dont believe 
 it preserves eggs a mite. The steward had strict 
 orders to report every bad egg he should find. 
 During the voyage he brought three, not abso- 
 lutely spoiled, but a little old like. All the others, 
 or what was left of them, were as fresh when we 
 came in as they were when I packed them away. 
 — \. A Parisian paper recommends the following 
 method for the preservation of eggs: Dissolve four 
 ounces of beeswax in eight ounces of warm olive 
 oil, in this put the tip of the finger and anoint the 
 egg all round. The oil will immediately be absorb- 
 ed, and the shell and pores filled up by the wax. If 
 kept in a cool place the eggs, after two years, will 
 be as good as if fresh laid, — 5. Take of quick lime 
 one pound; salt, one pound; saltpetre, three ounces; 
 water, one gallon. It is necessarythat the solution be 
 boiled ten or fifteen minutes, and when cold put 
 in the eggs, small end downward, using a vessel 
 lined with lead, and placing in a cold but dry cel- 
 lar. — 6. Dip them into a solution of gun-cotton, 
 (collodion), so as to exclude the air from the 
 pores of the shell; or the collodion may be applied 
 with a brush. — 7. A writer recommends the dis- 
 solving of gum shellac in alcohol, when the mix- 
 ture may be applied with a common paint-brush. 
 ' When dry, pack in bran, points downward. 
 Eggs so preserved will keep a very long time. 
 i^ When about to be used, the varnish may be 
 '; washed off. — 8. Get a good sweet wooden box, 
 ' put about an inch of salt on the bottom ; take 
 sweet grease of any kind, lard or drippings, rub 
 the eggs all over with it and put them, the little 
 end down, in the salt ; then spread a layer of salt 
 and then add more eggs. — 9. Pack the eggs in a 
 .cask with the smaller end downward ; and fill up 
 
 the cask with melted tallow. This method is 
 practiced very extensively in Russia and in other 
 parts of Europe, and is generally successful. — 
 10. Keep them at the temperature of 40*^ or less 
 in a refrigerator. Specimens had been exhibited, 
 which were fourteen months old, and still per- 
 fectly fresh and sweet. — 11. Apply with a brush 
 a solution of gum arable to the shells, or immerse 
 the eggs therein ; let them dry, and afterwards 
 pack them in dry charcoal dust. This prevents 
 their being affected by any alterations of tempe- 
 rature. — 12. Of all the materials that have been 
 recommended for this purpose, water glass, or 
 silicate of soda, is the most effectual and least 
 objectionable. 
 
 EGGS, To Dry. — The eggs are beaten to uni- 
 form consistency, and spread out in thin cakes on 
 batter plates. This dries them into a paste, which 
 is to be packed in close cans and sealed. W^hen 
 required for use, the paste can be dissolved in 
 water, and beaten to a foam like fresh eggs. It 
 is said that eggs can be preserved for years in 
 this way, and retain their flavor. 
 
 EGGS, PICKLING.— At the season of the 
 year when the stock of eggs is plentiful, cause 
 some four or six dozen to be boiled in a capacious 
 saucepan until they become quite hard. Then, 
 after removing the shells, lay them carefully in 
 large mouthed jars, and pour over them scalding 
 vinegar, well seasoned with whole pepper, all- 
 spice, a few races of ginger, and a few cloves of 
 garlic. When cold they are bunged down close, 
 and in a month are fit for use. Where eggs are 
 plentiful, the above pickle is by no means expen- 
 sive, and as an acetic accompaniment to cold 
 meat, it can not be outrivaled. 
 
 EGGS, PORTABLE.— Take fresh laid eggs, 
 any quantity, break them into an evaporating ba- 
 sin, and expose them to a heat of 125° Fahr. in 
 a water-bath, until hard, then pack them in air- 
 tight vessels. For use, take cold water, 3 parts ; 
 dried egg, I part. Beat them well together. 
 
 FLOWERS, To Preserve and Restore. — Flow- 
 ers may be preserved in a fresh state for a con- 
 siderable time, by keeping them in a moist atmo- 
 sphere. A flat dish of porcelain had water 
 poured into it. In the water a vase of flowers 
 was set ; over the whole a bell-glass was placed, 
 with its rim in the water. The air that surround- 
 ed the flowers being confined beneath the bell- 
 glass, was kept constantly moist with the water 
 that rose into it in the form of vapor. As fast as 
 the water was condensed it ran down the sides 
 of the bell-glass back into the dish; and if means 
 had been taken to inclose the water on the out- 
 side of the bell-glass, so as to prevent its evapor- 
 ating into the air of the sitting room, the atmos- 
 phere around the flowers would have remained 
 continually damp. We recommend those who 
 love to see plenty of fresh flowers in their sitting- 
 rooms in dry weather to adopt this method. The 
 experiment can be tried by inverting a tumbler 
 over a rose-bud in a saucer of water. 
 
 Another method by which some flowers may 
 be preserved for many months, is to carefully dip 
 them, as soon as gathered, in perfectly limpid 
 gum water, and after allowing them to drain 2 or 
 3 minutes, to set them upright, or arrange them 
 in the usual manner in an empty vase. The gum 
 gradually forms a transparent coating on the sur- 
 fiice of the petals and stems, and preserves their 
 figure and color long after they have become dry 
 and crisp. 
 
300 
 
 DICTIONARY OF EVERY-DAY WANTS. 
 
 Faded flowers may be generally more or less 
 restored by immersing them half-way up their 
 stems in very hot water, and allowing them to 
 remain in it until it cools, or they have recovered. 
 The coddled portion of the stems must then be 
 cut off, and the flowers placed in clean cold wa- 
 ter. In this way a great number of faded flowers 
 may be restored, but there are some of the more 
 fugacious kinds, on which it proves useless. 
 
 FLOWERS, To Preserve in Sand.— Get the 
 finest and whitest of river or lake sand, wash it 
 so clean that the water in flowing from it will be 
 pure as if from the well. Heat it very hot and 
 while hot^mix it thoroughly with stearic acid in 
 the proportion of one pound of the latter to one 
 hundred pounds of sand. Let it cooL Take a 
 small common sieve and nail boards under the 
 bottom to prevent the sand from running through; 
 place enough sand in the sieve to hold the 
 flowers in position — not covering them; then 
 with a sheet of paper twisted in the form of a 
 cone or funnel, carefully let the sand pass 
 through it, between, around and over the flow- 
 ers — cover about half an inch. Set by the stove 
 or in some warm place where the sand will be 
 kept at a temperature of seventy degrees Fah- 
 renheit. When they have remained sufficiently 
 long, remove the boards carefully from the bot- 
 tom and let the sand run out, leaving your flow- 
 ers preserved in perfection. The only difficulty 
 is to know when the process is complete, dif- 
 ferent plants differing in the time required, those 
 with thick leaves and petals needing more than 
 light ones. No exact rule can be given on this 
 point. Seven hours are sufficient for some, 
 while others require twelve and even more. Ex- 
 perience alone can determine this. It is best al- 
 ways for a beginner to experiment with a single 
 plant at a time at first. When he has succeeded 
 with a certain variety and noted the time requir- 
 ed, he can proceed to others, and in a short time 
 become versed in this art. It should be men- 
 tioned that the flowers for this purpose should 
 be picked dry — say midday, after the dew is eva- 
 porated. 
 
 FLOWERS {Cut), To Preserve.— M^ to the 
 water a little of a solution of carbonate of am- 
 monia and a few drops of phosphate of soda. 
 The effect of this in giving the flower a deeper 
 color and a stronger appearance is quite wonder- 
 ful, and by cutting off every other day about one 
 half inch of the stems of the flowers with a sharp 
 knife, they may be kept as long as their natural 
 life would last. 
 
 FRUIT, KEEPING.— litiVQ your cellar or 
 fruit-room neither too dry nor too moist. This 
 is indispensable. If moist, your fruit will rot ; 
 if dry, it will shrink. If you are incredulous 
 about this, set your fruit in your dwelling-room, 
 or where there is a high, dry temperature. This 
 will satisfy you as to the shrinking. Dampen a 
 bin or barrel, and keep so for awhile, (with the 
 fruit in it), and you will need no more urging. 
 The "course between," as the old adage has it, 
 is the right way. I know we are apt to have our 
 hobbies and go to extremes. The course be- 
 tween is not always relished. But facts are facts, 
 and they are not only stubborn, but they will al- 
 ways remain so. 
 
 Fruit must be put where there is not sufficient 
 moisture to rot it, as an excess will surely do. 
 On the other hand, the dry must be avoided, or 
 there will be shrinking and a dry fruit. This is 
 
 as common an experience as life itself. Open 
 bins, unless the cellar or fruit-room be very damp, 
 will dry the fruit. This is generally so. Open 
 barrels are less affected in this way, but still af- 
 fected. The best way is to close your barrel 
 after the fruit has passed through its sweating, 
 which it will do in a few days, and leave a small 
 open space, say a couple of apertures across the 
 head of the barrel, of half an inch or less in dia- 
 meter. Or, you are pretty safe (in the case of 
 apples, which are more particularly referred to) 
 to head up tight, after the sweating operation 
 has gone through with, and the fruit is again dry. 
 This we have found eminently successful. We 
 have found some mold where the barrel was clos- 
 ed as soon as filled, the fruit getting moist, 
 (sweating) and the moisture instead of passing 
 off by the vent, had to be absorbed by the wood 
 of the barrel. But before this is done mischief 
 will be wrought. Still we have known cases of 
 clear exceptions. But this will not do ; we want 
 cases without exceptions, without doubt ; we 
 want to save our fruit beyond peradventure. And 
 we can in the way we have described. 
 
 As to temperature, this cannot be too low, 
 providing it does not freeze the fruit. And uni- 
 formity is almost as important as depression of 
 heat. These two are the yital and important 
 points. Kept at the freezing point, or just out 
 of its range, there will be little change in the 
 fruit, either to rot or to mature. An apple can 
 thus be kept "green" the winter through — for 
 aught we know any apple, but certainly the win- 
 ter fruit. We have it, therefore, in our power, 
 to ripen or not as we like, and this is quite an 
 advantage; to avail ourselves of it any winter 
 with the greatest of interest, and a most decided 
 advantage. We could not well do without it. 
 We keep cold the one part of our cellar, that 
 containing the spring fruit. Frost sometimes 
 steals upon us, but we permit it to steal gradually 
 out again ; for the world we would not hurry it, 
 for that would spoil our fruit. When once frost- 
 ed we permit it to remain so as long as we can, 
 for that is a safe keeping so long as it lasts. 
 
 A little fresh air seems to be a benefit. It is 
 hardly our experience, however, as confined 
 fruit, where the air is not damp or mold infected ; 
 where it is pure, some from the slight evapora- 
 tion of the fruit, particularly apples, have always 
 kept well with us so far as we have experiment- 
 ed. Still we see no liarm from a change of at- 
 mosphere of our room. We therefore, when the 
 air is not damp, occasionally raise our windows a 
 little, or when the temperature is the same as 
 that of the cellar, or a little lower. Rashness here 
 is fatal. If the air without should be warm and 
 a south wind blow, with the windows raised 
 there will be such a change as will seriously af- 
 fect the fruit. The cold air will be driven out of 
 the cellar or fruit room. Rather let the cold air 
 in severely. 
 
 But uniformity, with a little fresh air occasion- 
 ally, is what is wanted. 
 
 The following method of preserving apples is 
 from an English agricultural periodical published 
 more than thirty years ago. As the method pro- 
 posed is easily available at a farm house and is 
 simple, we think it worthy of trial : It seems not 
 to be generally known that apples may be kept 
 the whole year round, by being immersed in 
 corn, which receives no injury from their con- 
 tact. If the American apples were packed 
 
PRESERVING AND STORING. 
 
 301 
 
 among grain, they would arrive here in much 
 better condition than they do at present. The 
 word corn, as above used, means any cereal 
 grain, such as oats or barley, and not simply 
 maize. 
 
 FRUITS, Preserving by Sulphite of Lime. 
 — The great agents in causing the decay of fruit, 
 vegetables, wine, etc. , are heat and air. If, how- 
 ever, the latter be excluded, some fruits and 
 vegetables, and most wines, will bear a pretty 
 high temperature. Further, it is only one ele- 
 ment of the air — the oxygen — that proves so 
 destructive, and if this be removed, putrefaction 
 and fermentation are either stopped or greatly 
 retarded. Some substances have a powerful af- 
 finity for oxygen, and remove it entirely from 
 the atmosphere, under some circumstances. 
 Thus, if sulphur be burnt in the air, it combines 
 with the oxygen, forms sulphurous acid, which 
 dissolves in water or wine, and leaves the re- 
 maining air free from oxygen. Hence the use 
 of burning sulphur in wine casks before filling 
 with wine. The oxygen is all removed, and the 
 agent which turns alcohol to vinegar not being 
 present, there is no danger of the wine turning 
 sour. As a convenient substitute for burning 
 sulphur, (sulphurous acid), sulphite of lime (a 
 combination of sulphurous acid and lime) has 
 been used. It has a strong tendency to absorb 
 oxygen and become converted into sulphate 
 of lime (gypsum). It therefore removes the free 
 oxygen from the wine and from the cask, and 
 entirely suspends the process of acetification, as 
 it is called — that is the conversion of the alcohol 
 of the wine into vinegar. For this purpose sul- 
 
 I)hite'Wlime has been extensively used, especial- 
 y for the preservation of cider. 
 
 It has also been used for the preservation of 
 fruit. If dissolved in the syrup or water in 
 which the fruit is placed, it will soon absorb all 
 the oxygen present, and the fruit will not de- 
 compose. In the case of wine or cider, however, 
 the resulting gypsum, which is hisoluble, will 
 fall freely to the bottom of the vessel, and pro- 
 duce no effect on the wine unless too much is 
 used. But in the case of fruit, the sediment is 
 apt to settle on the fruit, though not to such an 
 extent as to do much harm. The proper quan- 
 tity to be used is noted on the bottles in which 
 the sulphite is sold ; and in the case of fruit, an 
 exposure to the air for a few hours before use 
 will in general remove all unpleasant taste or 
 smell. We must add, however, that although 
 the process is simple and cheaper than the or- 
 dinary method of canning firuits, we prefer the 
 latter. 
 
 FRUITS, Candying. — ^Various fruits may be 
 candied or crystallized by putting them for a few- 
 hours in scalding hot syrup, made with three 
 J)Ounds and a half of white sugar, boiled for a 
 ew minutes in one pint of orange flower or rose 
 water. The fruit should be steeped in the hot 
 syrup for two or three hours, then strained, and 
 put into an oven with the door open. This will 
 dry the remaining moisture, and the sugar will 
 crystallize round the fruit. 
 
 FRUIT, Drying. — When much fruit is dried, 
 it is necessary to have a house for the purpose. 
 Small quantities should be so arranged as to be 
 placed near the kitchen fire when taken in at 
 night or during stormy days. Those who have 
 hot-bed sash, can easily arrange a drying appara- 
 tus which will dry rapidly and at the same time 
 
 keep off insects. A hot-bed frame with a bot- 
 tom to it, and raised above the ground, makes 
 a capital drying box. The sash should be elevat- 
 ed at one end to allow the moisture to pass off, 
 covering the opening with netting. 
 
 FRUIT {Dried), To Protect from Worms.— 
 It is said that dried fruit put away with a little 
 bark sassafras (say a large handful to the bushel) 
 will save for years, unmolested by those trouble- 
 some little insects, which so often destroy hund- 
 reds of bushels in a single season. The remedy 
 is cheap and simple, but we venture to say a good 
 one. 
 
 GRAPES, To Keep.—\. They must not be 
 too ripe. Take off any imperfect grapes from 
 the bunches. On the bottom of a keg put a 
 layer of bran that has been well dried in an oven, 
 or in the sun. On the bran put a layer of grapes, 
 with bran between the bunches so that they may 
 not be in contact. Proceed in the same way with 
 alternate layers of grapes and bran, till the keg 
 is full ; then close the keg so that no air can 
 enter. — 2. In a box first lay a paper, then a layer 
 of grapes selecting the best bunches and remov- 
 ing all imperfect grapes, then another paper, 
 then more grapes, and so until the box is full ; 
 then cover all with several folds ofpaper or cloth. 
 Nail on the lid, and set in a cool room where it 
 will not freeze. I use small boxes, so as not to 
 disturb more than I want to use in a week or so. 
 Give each bunch plenty of room so they will not 
 crowd, and don't use newspapers. Some seal 
 the stems with sealing wax and wrap each bunch 
 by itself, but I get along without that trouble. 
 The grapes should be looked to several times 
 during the winter. Should any mould or decay, 
 they should be removed and the good ones again 
 repacked. By this means I have had, with my 
 pitcher of cider and basket of apples, my plate of 
 grapes daily, besides distributing some among 
 my friends and the sick of the neighborhood. — 
 3, ( Chinese Method. ) It consists in cutting a cir- 
 cular piece out of a ripe pumpkin or gourd, mak- 
 ing an aperture large enough to admit the hand. 
 The interior is then completely cleaned out, the 
 ripe grapes are placed inside, and the cover re- 
 placed and pressed in firmly. The pumpkins 
 are then kept in a cool place — and the grapes will 
 be found to retain their freshness for a very long 
 time. We are told that a very careful selection 
 must be made of the pumpkin, the common field 
 pumpkin, however, being well adapted for the 
 purpose in question. 
 
 GRAPES ( Green), To Preserve. — The grapes 
 must not be too old ; the best time is just before 
 the seed begins to harden. They are, after being 
 picked and freed from stems, put into bottles 
 (strong wine or champagne bottles are best) so 
 as nearly to fill the latter. These are then filled 
 with fresh and clesm water. After this they are 
 all placed in a large kettle, partially filled with 
 cold water, and the temperature raised nearly to 
 the boiling point. The water in the bottles ex- 
 pands by the heat, and part is driven out. As 
 soon as sufficiently heated, they are taken off, 
 enough water poured out of each bottle to merely 
 allow a well-fitting cork to be pressed in tightly. 
 After being corked they are sealed up with seal- 
 ing wax or common beeswax. As the bottles 
 cool down a partial vacuum is left in the neck of 
 each. Grapes thus preserved have kept for years 
 in this climate, where canned fruit almost inva- 
 riably spoils during the hot summers. They 
 
302 
 
 DICTION AR YOF E VER Y-DA V WANTS. 
 
 can at any time be opened and prepared like 
 fresh grapes, no difference will be found in the 
 taste. It is better to use the water, also, in which 
 they were kept, as it contains a large per centage 
 of tartaric acid, which gives them the pleasant 
 sour taste. 
 
 GRAPES, Canned. — Squeeze the pulp from 
 the skin, as the seeds are objectionable; boil the 
 pulp until the seeds begin to loosen, having the 
 skins boiling in a little water, hard, as they are 
 tough. When the pulp seems tender, put it 
 through the sieve ; then add the skins, if tender, 
 with the water they boil in, if not too much. Use 
 a large coffee cup of sugar for a quart can ; boil 
 until thick, and can in the usual way. 
 
 GRAPE CA TSUP. — Take five pounds of 
 grapes, boiled and cuUendered, two and a half 
 pounds of sugar, one pint of vinegar, one table- 
 spoonful each of cinnamon, cloves, allspice and 
 pepper, and half a tablespoonful of salt. Boil 
 until the catsup is a little thick. 
 
 GRAPE yELLY.—T&kt some of the best 
 black grapes, strip them from the stalks, stir 
 them with a wooden spoon over a gentle fire till 
 they burst; strain off the juice (without pressing) 
 through a jelly-bag or thick muslin ; weigh the 
 juice and boil it rapidly for twenty minutes ; then 
 take it from the fire, and to each pound of juice 
 add fourteen ounces of good sugar roughly 
 powdered, and boil quickly for a quarter of an 
 hour, stirring it constantly, and skimming it 
 carefully. It will be quite clear, and of a pale 
 rose color. 
 
 GHERR'INS,Pickkd.—S,i&Gp them in strong 
 brine for a week, then pour it off, heat it to the 
 boiling point, and again pour it on the gherkins ; 
 in 24 hours drain the fruit on a sieve, put it into 
 wide-mouthed bottles or jars, fill them up with 
 strong pickling vinegar, boiling hot, bung down 
 immediately, and tie over with bladder. When 
 cold, dip the corks into melted bottle wax. Spice 
 is usually added to the bottles, or else steeped in 
 the vinegar. 
 
 In a similar way are pickled, onions, mush- 
 rooms, cucumbers, walnuts, samphires, green 
 gooseberries, cauliflowers, melons, barberries, 
 peaches, lemons, tomatoes, beans, radish pods, 
 codlins, red cabbage, (without salt, and with cold 
 vinegar,) beet-root, (without salting,) garlic, 
 peas, etc., etc., observing that the softer and 
 more delicate articles do not require so long 
 soaking in brine as the harder and coarser kinds, 
 and may be often advantageously pickled by 
 simply pouring very strong pickling vinegar over 
 them, without applying heat. 
 
 HAMS, To cure. — For each ham of twelve 
 pounds weight: Two pounds of common salt; 
 2 ounces of saltpetre; ^ pound of bay salt; }^ 
 pound of coarse sugar. 
 
 This should be reduced to the finest powder. 
 Rub the hams well with it ; female hands are not 
 often heavy enough to do this thoroughly. Then 
 place them in a deep pan, and add a wineglassful 
 of good vinegar. Turn the hams every day ; for 
 the first three or four days rub them well with 
 the brine ; after that time it will suffice to ladle it 
 over the meat with a wooden or iron spoon. 
 They should remain three weeks in the pickle. 
 When taken from it wipe them well, put them in 
 bags of brown paper and then smoke them with 
 wood smoke for three weeks. Most grocers, 
 dealers in hams, and others, who are particular 
 in their meat, usually take the precaution to case 
 
 each one, after it is smoked, in canvas, for the 
 purpose of defending it from the attacks of the 
 little insect, the dermestes lardarins, which, by 
 laying its eggs in it, soon fills it with its larvse, 
 or maggots. This troublesome and expensive 
 process may be altogether superseded by the use 
 of pyroligneous acid. With a painter's brush, 
 dipped in the liquid, one man, in the course of a 
 day, may effectually secure two hundred hams 
 from all danger. Care should be taken to insin- 
 uate the liquid into all the cracks, etc., of the 
 under surface. This method is especially adapted 
 to the preservation of hams in hot climates. 
 
 HAMS, To cure. — I. Take zyi. pounds sugar, 7 
 lbs. coarse salt, 2 oz. saltpetre and 4 gallons 
 water, boil together and put on cool to loo 
 pounds of meat. Let the meat lie in the pickle 
 eight weeks. — 2. To a cask of hams, say from 25 to 
 30, after having packed them closely and sprin- 
 kled them slightly with salt, I let them he thus 
 for 3 days; then make a brine sufficient to cover 
 them, by putting salt into clear water, making it 
 strong enough to bear up a sound egg or potato. 
 Then add ^ lb. of saltpetre, and a gallon of 
 molasses ; let them lie in the brine for 6 weeks 
 — they are then exactly right. Then take them 
 up and let them drain ; then while damp, rub the 
 flesh side and the end of the leg with finely pulver- 
 ized black, red, or cayenne pepper ; let it be as 
 fine as dust, and dust every part of the flesh side, 
 then hang them up and smoke. You may leave 
 them hanging in the smokehouse or other cool 
 place where the rats cannot reach them, as they 
 are perfectly safe from all insects. 
 
 HA iMS {Smoked), To keep. — Make sacks of 
 coarse cotton cloth, large enough to hold one 
 ham, and fill in with chopped hay all around 
 about two inches thick. The hay prevents the 
 grease from coming in contact with the cloth and 
 keeps all insects from the meat. Hang in the 
 smokehouse, or other dry, cool place, and they 
 will keep a long time. 
 
 HAMS {Mutton), To Pickle for Drying. — 
 First take weak brine and put the hams into it 
 for 2 days, then pour off and apply the following, 
 and let it remain on from 2 to 3 weeks according 
 to size: For each loo lbs., take salt 6 lbs.; 
 saltpetre I oz. ; saleratus 2 ozs. ; molasses I pt. ; 
 water 6 gals., will cover these if closely packed. 
 
 HERBS, To Dry. — They should be gathered 
 in a dry season, cleansed from discolored and 
 rotten leaves, screened from earth or dust, placed 
 on handles coverfed with blotting paper and 
 exposed to the sun or the heat of a stove, in a 
 dry, airy place. The quicker they are dried the 
 better, as they have less time to ferment or grow 
 mouldy; hence they should be spread thin and 
 frequently turned ; when dried they should be 
 shaken in a large meshed sieve to get rid of the 
 eggs of any insects. Aromatic herbs ought to 
 be dried quickly with a moderate heat, that 
 their odor may not be lost. Cruciferous plants 
 should not be dried, as in that case they lose 
 much of their antiscorbutic qualities. Some 
 persons have proposed to dry herbs in a water 
 bath, but this occasions them, as it were, to be 
 half boiled in their own water. 
 
 HONEY, Prcscfvation of. — Mier the honey 
 is passed from the comb, str.iin it through a sieve, 
 so as to get out all the wax ; gently boil it, and 
 skim off the whitish foam which rises to the sur- 
 face, and then the honey will become perfectly 
 clear. The vessel for boiling should be earthen. 
 
PRESERVING AND STORING. 
 
 303 
 
 brass, or tin. The honey should be put in jars 
 when cool, and tightly covered. 
 
 To keep honey in the comb, select combs free 
 from pollen, pack them edgewise in jars or cans, 
 and pour in a sufficient quantity of the boiled and 
 strained honey (as above) to cover the combs. 
 The jars or cans should be tightly tied over with 
 thick cloth or leather. These processes have 
 been in use for twenty years with unvarying suc- 
 cess. 
 
 HORSE-RADISH, To have in Keeping. — 
 Grate a sufficient quantity during the season, 
 •while it is green, put it in bottles, fill up with 
 strong vinegar, cork them tight, and set tliem in 
 a cool place. 
 
 ICE, To preserve. — I. Put the ice into a deep 
 dish, cover it with a plate, and place the dish on 
 a pillow stuffed with feathers, and cover the top 
 with another pillow carefully, by this means ex- 
 cluding the external air. — 2. Make two bags of 
 stout woolen fabric; the outer bag should be 
 made at least two inches wider each way than 
 the inner one. After placing one bag inside the 
 other, stuff feathers between the two, and sew 
 the two bags together at the top. Put a block 
 of ice into a bag of this description, and it will be 
 preserved from melting for nearly a week; when 
 under exposure it will melt in less than an hour. 
 # JAM, Apricot or Plum. — After taking away 
 the stones from the apricots, and cutting out any 
 blemishes they may have, put them over a slow 
 fire, in a clean stew-pan, with half a pint of wa- 
 ter; when scalded, rub them through ahair sieve ; 
 to every pound of pulp put one pound of sifted 
 loaf sugar, put it into a preserving-pan over a 
 brisk fire, and when it boils skim it well, and 
 throw in the kernels of the apricots and half an 
 ounce of bitter almonds, blanched; boil it a 
 quarter of an hour fast, and stirring it all the 
 time; remove it from the fire, fill it into pots, 
 and cover them. Green gages may be done in 
 the same way. 
 
 JAM, Currant {Red, White or Black).— Sin'p 
 the currants from the stalks, and put them into 
 the preserving-pan, with three quarters of a 
 pound of sugar to each pound of fruit; add the 
 sugar after the fruit has boiled a few minutes ; 
 boil together, mashing the fruit with a wooden 
 spoon, and taking off all the scum ; boil all gently 
 for half an hour, then fill the jars. 
 
 yAM, Gooseberry. — Choose the red hairy 
 gooseberry when quite ripe ; cut off the tops 
 , and tails, weigh them and put them into a pre- 
 serNdng-pan with a quarter of a pint of red cur- 
 rant juice to every three pounds of gooseberries ; 
 let them boil quickly together for nearly an hour, 
 stirring carefully all the time. Then add the 
 sugar in the proportion of three quarters of a 
 pound to each pound of fruit, and boil for forty 
 minutes. Gooseberry jam takes a long time to 
 boil; if not well done it will neither look nor 
 keep well. 
 
 yAM, Peach. — This confection should be 
 made of the clingstone peach in preference, it 
 being more juicy and of a higher flavor than the 
 other kind of peach, the stone of which separates 
 from the pulp. Treat the peaches exactly in the 
 manner directed for apricots, using the same 
 quantity of sugar. 
 
 yAM, Raspberry. — Take I pound loaf-sugar to 
 every pound of fruit ; bruise them together in 
 your preserving-pan with a silver spoon, and let 
 them simmer gently for an hour. When cold, 
 
 put thera into glass jars, and lay over them a bit 
 of paper saturated with brandy — then tie them 
 up so as carefully to exclude the air. 
 
 yAAf, Strawberry. — Put an equal weight of 
 good ripe scarlet strawberries and broken loaf 
 sugar into a preserving-pan ; let them boil very 
 slowly till the sugar is all dissolved. The fruit 
 should be kept as much unbroken as possible, 
 therefore stir very carefully; remove the scum 
 as it rises ; the addition of half a pint of white 
 currant juice to every four pound? of fruit is a 
 great improvement, strawberry jam being rather 
 a luscious preserve. Boil from forty minutes to * 
 an hour, until the fruit looks clear. 
 
 yELL V, Apple. — Pare, core, and cut thirteen . 
 good apples into small bits : as they are cut 
 throw them into two quarts of cold water : boil 
 them in this, with the peel of a lemon, till the 
 substance is extracted, and nearly half the liquor 
 wasted : drain them through a hair sieve. And 
 to a pint of the liquid, add one pound of loaf 
 sugar, pounded, the juice of one lemon, and the 
 beaten whites of one or two eggs : put it into a 
 saucepan, stir it till it boils, skim till clear, and 
 then mould it. 
 
 yELLY, Calves' Feet.—Tske eight calves' 
 feet and boil them until the water becomes a good 
 jelly, then add sugar, I pound; Port wine, 2 
 pints ; white of two eggs and shells. Boil for 
 five minutes, and clarify. 
 
 yELLY, Hartshorn. —'HsttshoTn, I pound; 
 water, I gallon ; peel of two lemons. Boil over 
 a gentle fire until sufficiently thick, strain, and 
 add loaf-sugar, % pound; whites of ten eggs 
 (beaten to a froth); juice of six lemons. Whisk 
 together well. 
 
 yELL Y, Sago. — Sago, i pound ; water, 5 
 pints. Wash the sago, then boil it with the wa- 
 ter until reduced to a transparent jelly ; lastly, 
 flavor it to taste. 
 
 KETCHUP, Camp. — i. Anchovies, 4 ozs.; 
 mix with beer, 2 quarts ; white wine, I quart ; 
 boil a short time, add peeled shallots, 3 ozs.; 
 black pepper, mace, nutmegs, and ginger, of 
 each, % oz.; macerate for 14 days, and bottle. — 
 2. Vinegar, 2 pints ; walnut ketchup, I pint ; 
 mushroom ketchup, 3 ozs.; garlic, 4 cloves ; Ca- 
 yenne pods, j^ oz.; .soy, 2 ozs.; wine, 4 ozs.; 3 
 anchovies ; I oz. salt. Macerate together 3 
 weeks, and bottle. — 3. Vinegar, l pint; walnut 
 ketchup, 4 ozs.; soy, 2 ozs.; 12 chopped ancho- 
 vies ; 2 cloves of garlic, and Cayenne pods, I 
 drachm ; macerate three weeks, and bottle. 
 
 KETCHUP, Mushroom.— \. Picked mush- 
 rooms, 4 lbs.; salt, 2 lbs.; sprinkle it on the 
 mushrooms, and when they liquefy, remove the 
 juice, add pimento, 6 ozs.; cloves, i oz.; boil gent- 
 ly, and strain. The remaining liquor, if any, 
 may be treated with pepper, mace, and ginger, 
 for a second quality. — 2. Express the mushrooms 
 in the tincture press, and to each gallon add salt, 
 8 ozs.; shallots, 1^2 oz.; pimento, i oz.; black 
 pepper and ginger, of each ^ oz., and cloves, I 
 drachm. 
 
 Mushroom ketchup is apt to lose strength, and 
 turn bad, in a few weeks after it is first made ; 
 but again boiling with a little fresh spice at the 
 end of two months, will make it keep good a year 
 round. 
 
 KETCHUP, Walnut.— \. The juice of green 
 tender walnuts expressed, i gallon ; boil and 
 skim till clear, add 2 lbs. of anchovies ; shallots, 
 2 lbs.; pepper, mace, and cloves, of each I oz.; 
 
304 
 
 DICTIONARY OF EVERY-DAY WANTS. 
 
 and a sliced clove of garlic. Simmer 15 min- 
 utes, add salt to taste, strain, and when cool, 
 bottle. Let it stand 12 months before using. — 
 2. Tender walnuts bruised, ^ bushel ; add, to 
 each gallon of juice, red wine, l quart ; ancho- 
 vies and bay salt, of each 4 ozs.; allspice, I oz.; 
 black pepper, 2 ozs.; cloves and mace, of each, 
 
 2 -drachms ; a little ginger, and sliced horseradish. 
 Simmer slowly until enough, and when cold, 
 bottle. — 3. Green walnut shells bruised, 4 parts; 
 salt, I part ; mix, and in 7 days express the liq- 
 uor. To each gallon, add allspice, 4 ozs.; ginger, 
 
 3 ozs.; long pepper, 2 ozs.; cloves and mace, of 
 each I oz. Simmer for 3a minutes, cool, and 
 bottle. 
 
 LAMB, To Keep Fresh in the Summer. — 
 In a few hours after the lamb is slaughtered, take 
 all four quarters and cook them done. Each 
 subsequent day afterwards, as you prepare your 
 dinner, place the remaining quarters back in the 
 stove and thoroughly heat them ; this seems to 
 prevent taint from appearine. In this way any 
 kind of fresh meat can be kcyi sweet for a week, 
 in the hottest weather. 
 
 LARD, To Keep from Molding. — It is not 
 likely to mold if properly tried and kept in a cool, 
 dry place ; earthen crocks or pans well tinned are 
 good to put lard in for keeping. Lard made 
 from intestinal fat, will not keep so long as leaf 
 fat. It should be soaked two or three days in 
 salted water, changed each day. 
 
 LEAWN ACID, Pure Crystallized.— T^e^ 
 lemon juice, any quantity. Put it into a vessel 
 of china, glass, or wood, and add finely powder- 
 ed chalk until the whole of the acid is saturated, 
 noting the exact weight of the dry chalk employ- 
 ed; then collect the precipitate and well wash it 
 with water, and for every ten parts of chalk con- 
 <5 sumed, add sulphuric acid, 9^ parts ; diluted 
 ' with water, 60 parts. Mix while still warm with 
 the precipitate, and stir well together ; let them 
 remain for twelve hours ; then decant the clear, 
 ■wash the white powder with clear water, and mix 
 the two liquors ; lastly, strain, evaporate, and 
 crystallize. To purify it, repeat the operation of 
 washing the crystals, dissolving and crystallizing 
 two or three times. Great care must be used in 
 evaporating the solution, for if too much heat 
 should be employed, or the process carried too 
 far, the acid product will l>e injured. 
 
 MARMALADE, Apricot. — Take off the 
 peel of some large ripe apricots, cut them in two, 
 and remove the stones ; weigh the fruit and lay 
 it on dishes ; to every pound of apricots put one 
 pound of finely powdered loaf sugar, strew it 
 over the fruit, and let it lie for one night ; next 
 day put the fruit and sugar into a preserving pan 
 with a teaspoonful of ratafia to every pound of 
 sugar; let the whole boil very gently, and as 
 each piece of apricot appears clear take it out and 
 lay it in a jar ; skim oft any scum that may arise 
 en the syrup, and when all the fruit is done pour 
 the syrup over it in the jars. 
 
 MARMALADE, Red Currant. — Squeeze 
 some ripe red currants through a coarse muslin ; 
 to every pint of juice put a pound of loaf sugar ; 
 boil it very well ; when nearly boiled to a jelly, 
 have some bunches of large wnite currants nice- 
 ly picked, throw them in, and boil five minutes; 
 it should turn out stiff and transparent 
 
 MARMALADE, Gooseberry. — Take the 
 gooseberries when fully grown, but not ripe, boil 
 them in water five minutes, then drain them 
 
 through a colander, bruise the fruit, add an 
 equal quantity of loaf sugar, and to every three 
 pounds of sugar put the rind of a lemon grated 
 and half the juice ; it should be boiled until stiff. 
 
 MARMALADE, Mixed.— Pare, core, and 
 quarter one peck of pears, the same quantity of 
 orange quinces, simmer in sufficient water to 
 keep them from burning until tender, flavoring 
 them with one quarter of a pound of sliced green 
 ginger, the rind of one orange and one lemon, 
 one ounce of blanched and shredded sweet al- 
 monds, a dozen bitter almonds or peach pits. 
 Pare, core and quarter two pecks of all pippins, 
 and add them when the quinces are tender. When 
 the apples are tender add for each pound of the 
 pulp one half pound of good brown sugar, sim- 
 mer a few minutes altogether and seal hot. 
 
 MARMALADE, Orange.— Choose the larg- 
 est Seville oranges, as they usually contain the 
 greatest quantity of juice, and choose them with 
 clear skins, as the skins form the largest part of 
 the marmalade. Weigh the oranges, and weigh 
 also an equal quantity of loaf sugar. Skin the 
 oranges, dividing the skins into quarters, and 
 put them into a preserving pan ; cover them well 
 with water, and set them on the fire to boil : in 
 the meantime prepare your oranges ; divide them 
 into gores, then scrape with a teaspoon all the 
 pulp from the white skin; or, instead of skinning 
 the oranges, cut a hole in the orange and scoop 
 out the pulp ; remove carefully all the pips, of 
 which there are innumerable small ones m the 
 Seville orange, which will escape observation 
 unless they are very minutely examined. Have 
 a large basin near you with some cold water in 
 it to throw the pips and skins into — a pint is suf- 
 ficient for a dozen oranges. A great deal of glu- 
 tinous matter adheres to them, which, when 
 strained through a sieve, should be boiled with 
 the other parts; When the skins have boiled till 
 they are sufficiently tender to admit of a fork 
 being stuck into Uiem, strain them ; some of 
 which may be boiled with the other parts ; scrape 
 clean all the pith, or inside, from them ; lay them 
 in folds, and cut them into thin slices of about an 
 inch long. Clarify your sugar; then throw your 
 skins and pulp into it, stir it well, and let it boil 
 about half an hour. If the sugar is broken into 
 small pieces, and boiled with the fruit, it will 
 answer the purpose of clarifying, but it must be 
 well skimmed when it boils. 
 
 MARMALADE, Quince. — Half fill a pre- 
 serving pan with water, slice your quinces into 
 it, and stew, stirring occasionally till they are a 
 pulp ; strain it through a hair sieve, and to 
 every pint of pulp add three quarters of a pound of 
 loaf sugar pounded ; boil together till it jellies ; 
 put it into jars while hot. If well made it will 
 keep many years in a dry place. 
 
 MARMALADE, Quince.— Take quinces that 
 are quite ripe, pare and cut them in quarters, 
 take out the cores, put them into a stew pan with 
 nearly enough spring water to cover them, keep 
 them closely covered, and let them stew gently 
 till they are quite soft and red, then mash and 
 rub them through a hair sieve-. Put them in a 
 pan over a gentle fire, with as much thick clarified 
 sugar as the weight of the quinces ; boil them an 
 hour and stir tne whole time with a wooden 
 spoon to prevent its sticking; put it into pots, 
 and when cold tie them down. 
 
 MARMALADE, Transparent.— Cnt very pale 
 Seville oranges into quarters j take out the pulp. 
 
PRESERVING AND STORING. 
 
 30s 
 
 put it into a basin, and pick out the skins and 
 seeds. Put the peels into a little salt and water, 
 and let them stand all night, then boil them in a 
 good quantity of spring watei* until they are 
 tender ; cut them in very thin slices, and put 
 them into the pulp. To every pound of marmal- 
 ade put one pound and a half of double refined 
 beaten sugar ; boil them together gently for 
 twenty minutes ; if they are not transparent, boil 
 them a few minutes longer. Stir it gently all 
 the time, and take care not to break the slices. 
 When it is cold, put it into jelly and sweetmeat 
 glasses ; tie down tight. 
 
 ME A T, To Cure. — To one gallon of water 
 add one and a half pounds of salt, half a pound of 
 sugar, half an ounce of saltpetre, half an ounce 
 of potash. In this ratio the pickle to be increas- 
 ed to any quantity desired. Let these be boiled 
 together until all the dirt from the sugar rises to 
 the top and is skimmed off. Then throw it into 
 a tub to cool, and when cold pour it over your 
 beef or pork, to remain the usual time, say four 
 or five weeks. The meat must be well covered 
 with pickle, and should not be put down for at 
 least two days after killing, during which time 
 it should be slightly sprinkled with powdered 
 saltpetre, which removes all the surface blood, 
 etc., leaving the meat fresh and clean. Some 
 omit boiling the pickle, and find it to answer 
 well ; though the operation of boiling purifies 
 the pickle by throwing off the dirt always to be 
 found in salt and sugar. If this recipe is prop- 
 erly tried it will never be abandoned. There is 
 none that surpasses it, if so good. 
 
 ME A T {Frozen), To keep. — After the meat is 
 frozen, tie in papers and pack in a flour barrel 
 with clean straw, pushing the straw down tightly 
 with a thin lath. Then put the barrel in a box, 
 five or six inches larger than the barrel every 
 way, and fill the space with dry sawdust. 
 
 MEAT {Fresh), Preserving. — I. Place in large 
 earthenware pans, putting clean heavy stones on 
 it, and covering it with skim milk; the milk will 
 become sour, of course, but may afterward serve 
 as food for pigs, and the meat will be found to 
 have kept its natural primitive freshness, even 
 after eight or ten days. This is a German me- 
 thod, and may answer where the ice house or 
 spring house is wanting, and where the skim 
 milk is plenty. — 2. At Monte Video, meat is now 
 preserved in large quantities for export, by a 
 process which is thus described: — A pickle is 
 made containing eighty-five per cent, of water, 
 with hydrochloric acid, glycerine, and bisulphite 
 of soda, and in this the meat, cut into lumps of 
 from five to fifty pounds weight, is soaked for 
 some days. When taken out, it is dusted over 
 with dry bisulphite of soda, and is closely packed 
 in airtight boxes, in which it will keep sweet for 
 years, and can be rendered fit for use at any 
 time by soaking in a bath of cold water in which 
 a small quantity of vinegar is mixed. — 3. Accord- 
 ing to a recipe recently patented in England, 
 meat of any kind may be preserved in any tem- 
 perature after it has been soaked for ten minutes 
 in a solution made of the following ingredients, 
 well mixed : One pint of common salt dissolved 
 in four gallons of clear cold water and half a 
 gallon of the bisulphite of calcium solution. It 
 is said that experiments show that meats so 
 prepared will keep for twelve days in a tem- 
 perature of from 80 to 1 10 degrees, and preserve 
 their odor and flavor unimpaired. By repeating 
 
 the process meats may be indefinitely preserved, 
 and if it is desired to keep them an unusually 
 long time, a little solution of gelatine or white of 
 an egg may be added to the wash. 
 
 MEA T, Phenyl Paper to Preserve. — This 
 article would be useful for packing meat and 
 other substances liable to decay. It can be pre- 
 pared by fusing five parts stearic acid at a gentle 
 heat, mixing well with two parts carbolic acid 
 and five parts melted paraffine, and stirring until 
 the whole has become solid, and applying in the 
 same manner as wax paper is made. 
 
 MELON MANGOES.— The late, small, and 
 smooth muskmelons are used for this pickle. 
 Cut out a plug at the stem end, or, as some 
 prefer it, from the side ; scrape out the contents, 
 replace the plug and secure it with a wooden pin, 
 and put the melons thus prepared into a strong 
 brine. When they have been in the brine for 
 twenty-four hours or more, they are ready for 
 stuffing. The stuffing is made of any pickle 
 material at hand; shredded cabbage, brokea 
 cauliflower, small onions and cucumbers, green 
 beans, peppers, mustard seed, nasturtiums, 
 scraped horseradish, and the like. Cabbage and 
 the other stuffing, except the aromatics, are bet- 
 ter for being scalded and cooled. Stuff the 
 melons according to fancy, and then sew each 
 plug m its place by means of a needle and coarse 
 thread. Place the stuffed melons in a jar, add 
 cloves, pepper, and other desired spice, and pour 
 boiling vinegar over them. Repeat the scalding 
 of the vinegar for three days in succession. 
 
 MILK, To Preserve. — i. Milk becomes sour 
 by the formation of lactic acid, which is rapidly 
 developed at a temperature of 70° to 90°. The 
 best way to preserve milk sweet for domestic 
 purposes, is to add to it every day a few grains 
 of carbonate of soda per pint, to keep the milk 
 alkaline. — 2. Put the milk into bottles, then 
 place them in a saucepan with cold water, and 
 gradually raise it to the boiling point; take it 
 from the fire, and instantly cork the bottles, then 
 raise the milk once more to the boiling point for 
 half a minute. Finally let the botdes cool in the 
 water in which they were boiled. Milk thus 
 treated will remain perfectly good for six months. 
 Ernigrants, especially those having children, will 
 find the above hint add much to their comfort 
 while on their voyage. — 3. Add to every thirty 
 ounces of unskimmed milk, previously poured in 
 a well-annealed glass bottle, about six grains of 
 bicarbonate of soda. Place the bottle containing 
 the milk, and well corked, for about four hours 
 in a water-bath heated up to 90° C. (194° F.). 
 On being taken out the bottle is varnished over 
 with tar ; and in that state the milk will keep 
 sound and sweet for several weeks. 
 
 MILK, Condensed. — There is no patent for 
 manufacturing condensed milk, and the whole 
 process amounts to a careful evaporation, ad- 
 dition of sugar and sealing up of the article. The 
 evaporation should be conducted in a vacuum, 
 to prevent the milk from becoming brown and 
 acquiring a bitter taste. It is best to stir it 
 constantly, or the skin of coagulated casein at 
 the top will prevent quick evaporation. When 
 sufficiently thick or condensed it is mixed with 
 one-quarter of its weight of granulated sugar, 
 stirred well, filled in tins, and soldered up. 
 
 MUSHROOMS, To /'/r/-/^. — Take a quart 
 of small field button mushrooms, cut the stems 
 close, and rub off the skin with a bit of flannel 
 
 20 
 
3o6 
 
 DICTIONARY OF EVERY-DAY WANTS. 
 
 and a little salt ; throw them as they are done 
 into salt and spring water. Drain and dry them 
 in a cloth. Put a quart of strong vinegar into 
 an enameled pan, with an ounce of bruised 
 ginger, half an ounce of whole white pepper, 
 half an ounce of mustard seed. Tie up in a bit 
 of mushn a small nutmeg sliced, and half a salt- 
 spoonful of cayenne ; put this along with a table- 
 spoonful of salt into the vinegar, and let it and 
 the spices come to a boil. When boiHng briskly 
 throw in the mushrooms, and let them boil ten 
 minutes. Take out the muslin bag, and put the 
 other spices into the pickle bottles, along with 
 the mushrooms and vinegar. When quite cold, 
 cork the bottles, and cover them with a bladder. 
 
 MUSHROOMS, To Er/:serv£. — The small 
 open mushrooms suit best. Trim and rub them 
 clean, and put into a stew-pan a quart of the 
 mushrooms, three ounces of butter, two tea- 
 spoonfuls of salt, and half a teaspoonful of Ca- 
 yenne pepper and mace mixed; stew until the 
 mushrooms are tender ; take them carefully out 
 and drain them on a sloping dish. When cold, 
 press into small pots, and pour clarified butter 
 over them. Put writing paper over the butter, 
 and on that pour melted suet, which will exclude 
 the air and preserve them for many weeks, if 
 kept in a dry, cool place. 
 
 ONIOiVS, To Keep. — Gather in fall and re- 
 move the tops ; then spread upon a barn floor or 
 in any open shed, and allow them to remain 
 there until thoroughly dry. Put into barrels or 
 small bins or boxes, and place in a cool place, 
 and at the approach of cold weather cover with 
 straw or chaff, if there is danger of very severe 
 freezing. 
 
 Onions are often injured in winter by keeping 
 them in too warm a place. They will seldom be 
 injured by frost if kept in the dark, and in tight 
 barrels or boxes, where not subjected to frequent 
 changes of temperature. It is the alternate freez- 
 ings and thawings that destroy them, and if plac- 
 ed in a position where they will remain frozen all 
 winter, and then thawed out slowly and in a 
 dark place, no considerable injury would result 
 from this apparently harsh treatment. Onions 
 should always be stored in the coolest part of the 
 cellar, or put in chaff and set in the barn or some 
 out-house. 
 
 ONIONS, To Pickle. — Have the onions 
 gathered when quite dry and ripe, and with the 
 fingers take off the thin outside skin, then with 
 a knife remove one more skin, when the onion 
 will look quite clear. Have ready some very 
 dry bottles or jars, and as fast as the onions are 
 peeled put them in. Pour over sufficient cold 
 vinegar to cover them, add two teaspoonfuls of 
 allspice and two teaspoonfuls of black pepper, 
 taking care that each jar has its share of the lat- 
 ter ingredients. Tie down with bladder, and put 
 them in a dry place, and in a fortnight they will 
 be fit for use. This is a most simple receipt, 
 and very delicious, the onions being nice and 
 crisp. They should be eaten within six or eight 
 inoiuhs after being done, as the onions are liable 
 to become soft. 
 
 ORANGE-PEEL, Candied.— S,ozi\i the peels 
 in water, which must be changed, until they lose 
 their bitterness, ilu n put them into syrup until 
 they become soft and transparent ; lastly, take 
 them out and place them to dry. 
 
 O YSTER CA TSUP. — Take fine fresh oysters, 
 rinse them in their own liquor, then pound them 
 
 in a marble mortar, and to a pint of oysters put 
 a pint of cherry wine; boil them up, add an 
 ounce of salt, 2 drachms of cayenne pepper, let 
 it boil up once again, rub it through a sieve; 
 when cold, put it in bottles and cork and seal 
 them. 
 
 OYSTERS, Pickled. —TtlVq one hundred 
 freshly opened oysters and simmer them slowly 
 in their own liquor ; when the beards begin to 
 curl, take them out one by one and put them in 
 a pan containing ice water, (cooling rapidly ren- 
 ders them firm). Strain the liquor and return 
 to the kettle, then add one ounce of whole all- 
 spice, the same of pepper, a few blades of mace, 
 and half a teaspoonful of salt. Simmer five min- 
 utes and add one pint of vinegar (not too strong). 
 Then boil about two minutes longer. When the 
 liquor becomes cold, pour it over the oysters. 
 Ready for use in twelve hours. 
 
 PARSLEY, ToDry.—CvX a large basketful 
 of the best looking curled parsley, pick out all 
 faded or dirty leaves, and dry the remainder care- 
 fully before a clear fire. At first the leaves will 
 become quite limp, and they must be turned be- 
 fore the fire to expose all parts equally to the 
 heat, until the leaves are dry and brittle, without 
 losing their green color, for if they are allowed 
 to get brown they are spoiled. W^hen dry, rub 
 them to powder between the hands ; sift the pow- 
 der through a coarse sieve, and bottle it for use ; 
 it will retain both the color and flavor of green 
 parsley. A large basket of fresh leaves will 
 hardly yield a pint of powder. Never dry it in 
 the sun, or it will lose much of its flavor. 
 
 PARSNIPS, Preserving. — The almost uni- 
 versal practice among farmers is to allow their 
 parsnips to remain in the ground tkrough winter, 
 just where they were grown. We believe the 
 quality of this root is improved by being frozen, 
 or at least kept cool, but it is not necessary to 
 leave them in the open garden during winter, 
 where, if the ground remain frozen, they cannot 
 be got at until it thaws in spring, and then used 
 in a very few weeks or not at all. If the roots 
 are dug up late in the fall, leaving all the tops 
 on, then carefully heeled in thickly together in 
 rows, after which cover with a little coarse litter, 
 they can be reached whenever wanted during 
 winter. 
 
 PEA CUES, To Can. — Pare and halve your 
 peaches. Pack them as closely as possible in the 
 can without any sugar. W^hen the can is full, 
 pour in sufficient pure cold water to fill all the 
 interstices between the peaches, and reach the 
 brim of the can. Let stand long enough for 
 the water to soak into all the crevices — say six 
 hours — then pour in water to replace what has 
 sunk away. Seal up the can, and all is done. 
 Canned in this way, peaches retain all their fresh- 
 ness and flavor. 
 
 There will not be enough water in them to 
 render them insipid. If preferred, a cold syrup 
 could be used instead of pure water, but the 
 peaches taste most natural without any sweet. 
 
 PEA CUES, To Dry. — Never pare peaches 
 to dry. Let them get mellow enough to be in 
 good eating condition, put them in boiling water 
 for a moment or two, and the skins will come off 
 like a charm. Let them be in the water long 
 enough, but no longer. The gain is at least six- 
 fold — saving of time in removing the skin, great 
 saving of the peach, the part of the peach saved 
 is the best part, less time to stone the peaches. 
 
PRESERVING AND STORING. 
 
 307 
 
 less time to dry them, and better when dried, 
 A whole bushel can be done in a boiler at once, 
 and then the water turned off. 
 
 PEACHES, To Preierve.—T^t mcAsxzX.^ 
 sized peaches before they are quite ripe, cut a 
 small slit in the end and take out the stone, set 
 them to boil in cold water, and let them remain 
 till about half done, then throw them into an 
 earthen pan containing cold water. The next 
 day put them into a preserving-pan, with as much 
 of the syrup (prepared as above) as will cover 
 them, let them boil for five minutes, then lay 
 them aside till next day in an earthen-ware pan ; 
 boil them three days successively in the same 
 syrup, which at the end of that time ought to be 
 rather thicker than honey; if it does not appear 
 to be so, boil it until it is thick enough. 
 
 PEAS {Green), To Preserve. — When full 
 grown, but not old, pick and shell the peas. 
 Lay them on dishes or tins in a cool oven, or be- 
 fore a bright fire ; do not heap the peas on the 
 dishes, but merely cover them with peas, stir 
 them frequently, and let them dry very gradually. 
 ^Vhen hard, let them cool, then pack them 
 in stone jars, co\-er close, and keep them in a 
 very dry place. When required for use, soak 
 them for some hours in cold water, till they look 
 plump before boiling; they are excellent for soup. 
 
 PICCALILLI {Indian Metho<r).—T\{\s con- 
 sists of all kinds of pickles mixed and put into 
 one large jar — sliced cucumbers, button onions, 
 cauliflowers, broken in pieces. Salt them, or 
 puf them in a large hair sieve in the sun to dry 
 for three days, then scald them in vinegar a few 
 minutes ; when cold put them together. Cut a 
 large white cabbage in quarters, with the outside 
 leaves taken off and cut fine ; salt it, and put it 
 in the sun to dry three or four days ; then scald 
 it in vinegar, the same as cauliflower ; carrots, 
 three parts, boiled in vinegar and a little bay salt. 
 French beans, radish pods, and nasturtiums, 
 all go through the same process as capsicums, 
 etc. To I gallon of vinegar put 4 ounces of 
 ginger bruised, 2 ounces of whole white pepper, 
 2 ounces of allspice, y^ ounce chillies bruised, 4 
 ounces of turmeric, I pound of the best mustard, 
 y^ pound of shallots, I ounce of garlic, and ^ 
 pound of bay salt. The vinegar, spice, and 
 other ingredients, except the mustard, must boil 
 half an hour ; then strain it into a pan, put the 
 mustard into a large basin, with a little vinegar ; 
 mix it quite fine and free from lumps, then add 
 more. When well mixed put it into the vinegar 
 just strained off, and when quite cold put the 
 pickles into a large pan,- and the liquor over them; 
 stir them repeatedly, so as to mix them all. 
 Finally, put them into a jar, and tie them over 
 first with a bladder, and afterwards with leather. 
 The capsicums want no preparation. 
 
 PICKLES, Hints on. — Some time since it 
 appeared to be the fashion that all pickles should 
 have a -bright green color, almost brighter than 
 the pickled vegetable itself possessed when quite 
 fresh, or even when growing under the most fa- 
 vorable circumstances. All vegetables, when 
 subjected to the influence of heat, lose a consid- 
 erable portion of their natural coloring matter, 
 or it undergoes some chemical change, which 
 renders the color faded and sometimes withered 
 in appearance ; if therefore pickles must be bright 
 green, they must be colored, and the most com- 
 mon way in which that was done was by letting 
 them lie iu a copper vessel. The vinegar with 
 
 which they were covered absorbed some portion 
 of the copper, and gave a green tinge (which, 
 however, was highly jwisonous) to the pickle. 
 So many accidents occurred from the use of these 
 green pickles that the fashion declined, and 
 makers who advertise pickles have ceased to 
 mention their green color as one of their recom- 
 mendations. 
 
 The vegetables intended for pickling are in 
 most cases put either into salt or strong brine for 
 a few days, to extract some of the fluid which all 
 vegetables contain, and which would so much 
 weaken the vinegar that it would have to be re- 
 newed in a very short time. Vinegar for pickles 
 must be the best French white wine vinegar, and 
 the spices, (which should be the best and fresh- 
 est that can be procured) may be tied up in a 
 muslin bag and boiled in the vinegar until all the 
 flavor has been extracted by it. An enameled 
 pan is the best and safest thing to boil any strong 
 acid in. 
 
 PICKLES of Srveet Citron. — Cut the citron 
 into pieces of desirable shape and size, then place 
 them in a jar (stone is best), cover them with a 
 weak brine and let them stand for twenty-four 
 hours, then drain or wipe them dry. Take 
 enough good vinegar to nearly or quite cover 
 them. To every gallon of vinegar add one and 
 one fourth pounds of nice brown or white sugar, 
 one ounce each of whole cloves, allspice, stick 
 cinnamon and mace. Boil the vinegar, sugar 
 and spices together a few minutes and then pour 
 over the citron. Let the w'hole stand two or 
 three days, then repeat the scalding. After an- 
 other day or two boil the whole together until 
 the citron is done enough to pass a straw^ 
 through. Keep in a cool, dry place. 
 
 PICKLES, Cucumber. — Cucumbers should 
 be cut from the vines, a part of the stem left on ; 
 observe care not to mar them ; if bruised they 
 will decay. Select such as are of suitable size 
 and of good quality, and cover them with boiling 
 water, let them remain until the water is cool ; 
 if for vinegar pickles, add a small quantity of salt 
 before scalding. When cold, drain thoroughly, 
 and cover with boiling vinegar with an addition 
 of spice if preferred. If for brine, put a layer of 
 dry salt in the bottom of a barrel, and after thor- 
 oughly draining the pickles, put them in with 
 dry salt amongst them. Add no water. Put a 
 weight upon them, they will furnish moisture for 
 brine, and will keep better, besides being more 
 crisp and brittle for having had the gum soaked 
 from them bv the boiling water. 
 
 PICKLES, To Detect Copper i«.— Put a few 
 leaves of the tea, or some of the pickle cut small, 
 into a phial with two or three drachms of liquid 
 ammonia, diluted with one half the quantity of 
 water. Shake the phial, when, if the most min- 
 ute portion of copper be present, the liquid will 
 assume a fine blue color. 
 
 PICKLE, French. — Take one peck of green 
 tomatoes cut in thin slices. Take a layer of to- 
 matoes and sprinkle salt upon it, and so on al- 
 ternately until the whole peck is disposed of. 
 Let them remain in this condition over night, 
 and in the morning squeeze them out dry. Then 
 take two heads of slough cabbage cut up fine, 
 one dozen large green peppers cut fine, one- 
 fourth of a peck of chopped onions ; then add 
 one half of a pound of mustard, one half of a 
 pound of white mustard, one pound of sugar, 
 two ounces of allspice and cloves whole, two 
 
3o8 
 
 DICTIONARY OF E VERY-DAY WANTS. 
 
 ounces of celery seed ; mix all together and cover 
 >vith vinegar and boil two hours. 
 
 PICKLE, Indian. — Pull a white cauliflower 
 into branches, peel the stalk and slice it; slice a 
 small white cabbage, a cucumber, a dozen onions, 
 and six tomatoes; add six cloves of garlic, one 
 dozen shallots, a dozen capsicums, half a pint of 
 French beans, some radish pods, and a large 
 handful of scraped horseradish. Lay all these 
 vegetables in a pan, and pour over them strong 
 bailing brine. Let them lie half an hour, then 
 drain off the brine, and dry them in the sun, or 
 in a cool oven. Boil one gallon of vinegar with 
 four ounces of pounded black pepper, four oimces 
 of pounded white pepper, two ounces of pounded 
 chillies, two ounces of pounded ginger, one ounce 
 of pounded cloves, four ounces of mustard flour, 
 two ounces of turmeric, and one ounce of mus- 
 tard seed. Lay the vegetables in a stone jar, 
 pour the vinegar and spices while boiling hot 
 over them, and when cold, cover the jar with a 
 bladder. In a month it will be fit for use. 
 
 PICKLES, Mixed.— TzkQ half a pint of half- 
 grown French beans, as nearly of the same size 
 as possible, a dozen gherkins, each from two to 
 three inches long, a small green cucumber cut 
 into slices about half an inch thick ; put these 
 into a pan of brine, strong enough to float an 
 egg. Let them lie for three days, stirring them 
 each day, then place them in an enameled pre- 
 serving pan, with vine leaves under and over 
 them, pour in the brine in which they have been 
 steeped, and cover them closely to prevent the 
 steam escaping; set them over a slow fire, but 
 do not allow them to boil ; when they become a 
 green color, drain them through a sieve and let 
 them remain till the other ingredients are ready. 
 Pull a small white cauliflower into branches, and 
 r lay it in strong brine, together with half a pint 
 of"^ onions, the size of marbles, peeled, a dozen 
 fresh chillies (scarlet), or a few scarlet capsicums ; 
 let them remain three or four days, then arrange 
 them in pickle bottles with the green pickle al- 
 ready done interspersed in a tasteful manner 
 through them. Boil as much good vinegar as 
 will be sufficient to fill up the bottles, with some 
 whole allspice, white pepper, bruised ginger, 
 mace, mustard seed, and slices of horseradish. 
 When the vinegar tastes very strong of these 
 spices, strain it carefully (unless they have been 
 tied in a bag as already recommended). Let the 
 vinegar stand till cold, then fill the bottles and 
 cork securely. 
 
 PLANT SPECIMENS, Preservation of.— 
 The collector of plants requires but little ap- 
 paratus ; a few quires or reams of unsized paper, 
 of folio size, will furnish all that will be needed. 
 The specimens as gathered may be placed in a 
 tin box, or, still better, in a portfolio of paper, 
 until reaching home. About forty or fifty sheets 
 of the paper should be put into the portfolio on 
 setting out on an excursion. Put the specimens of 
 each species in a separate sheet as fast as gather- 
 ed from the plant, taking a fresh sheet for each 
 additional species. On returning to camp, place 
 these sheets (without changing or disturbing the 
 plants) between the aljsorbent drying papers in 
 the press, and draw the straps tight enough to 
 produce the requisite pressure. The next day 
 the driers may be changed, and those previously 
 used laid in the sun to dry ; this to be continued 
 until the plants are perfectly dry. If paper and 
 opportunities of transportation be limited, several 
 
 specimens from the same locality may be com- 
 bined in the same sheet after they are dry. 
 
 Place in each sheet a slip of paper having a 
 number or name of locality written on it cor- 
 responding with a list kept in a memorandum 
 book. Record the day of the month, locality 
 size, and character of the plant, color of flower, 
 fruit, etc. 
 
 If the stem is too long, double it or cut it into 
 lengths. Collect, if possible, half a dozen speci- 
 mens of each kind. In the small specimens, col- 
 lect the entire plant so as to show the root. 
 
 In many instances, old newspapers will be 
 found to answer a good purpose both in drying 
 and in keeping plants, although the unprinted 
 paper is best — the more porous and absorbent 
 the better. 
 
 When not traveling, pressure may be most 
 conveniently applied to plants by placing them 
 between two boards, with a weight of about 50 
 pounds laid on the top. 
 
 While on a march, the following directions for 
 collecting plants, drawn up by Major Rich, are 
 recommended : 
 
 Have thick cartridge or envelope paper, folded 
 in quarto form, and kept close and even by bind- 
 ing with strong cord ; newspapers will answer, 
 but are liable to chafe and wear out; a few are 
 very convenient to mix in with the hard papers 
 as dryers. This herbarium may be rolled up in 
 the blanket while traveling, and placed on a pack 
 animal. The specimens collected along the road 
 may be kept in the crown of the hat when with- 
 out a collecting-box, and placed in paper at noon 
 or at night. Great care should be taken to keep 
 the papers dry and free from mold. When 
 there is no time at noon to dry the papers in the 
 sun, they should be dried by night by the fire, 
 when, also, the dried specimens are placed at the 
 bottom of the bundle, making room on top for the 
 next day's collection. A tin collecting-box is very 
 convenient; plants may be preserved for two or 
 three days in one if kept damp and cool. It is 
 also convenient in collecting land-shells, which 
 is generally considered part of a botanist's duty. 
 A collector should also always be provided with 
 plenty of ready-made seed-papers, not only for 
 preserving seeds, but mosses and minute plants. 
 Many seeds and fruits cannot be put in the herb- 
 arium, particulary if of a succulent nature, caus- 
 ing moldiness, and others form irregularities and 
 inequalities in the papers, thus breaking speci- 
 mens and causing small ones and seeds to drop 
 out. Fruits of this kind should be numbered to 
 correspond with the specimen, and kept in the 
 saddle-bags or some such place. It is necessary, 
 in order to make good specimens, to avoid heavy 
 pressure and keep the papers well dried, other- 
 wise they get moldy, turn black, or decay. 
 
 The seeds and fruits of plants should be pro- 
 cured whenever practicable, and slowly dried. 
 These often serve to reproduce a species other- 
 wise not transportable or capable of preservation. 
 On board ship, it is all-important to keep the 
 collections from getting wet with salt water. The 
 papers can generally be dried at the galley. The 
 whole herbarium should be exposed to the sun 
 as often as possible, and frequently examined, 
 and the mold brushed off with a feather or camel- 
 hair pencil. 
 
 In collecting algae, coralines, or the branched, 
 horny, or calcareous corals, care should be taken 
 to bring away the entire specimen with its base 
 
PRESERVING AND STORING. 
 
 309 
 
 or root. The coarser kinds may be dried in the 
 air (but not exposed to too powerful a sun), 
 turning them from time to time. These should 
 not be washed in fresh water, if to be sent any 
 distance. The more delicate species should be 
 brought home in salt water, and washed carefully 
 in fresh, then transferred to a shallow basin of 
 clean fresh water, and floated out. A piece of 
 white paper of proper size is then slipped under- 
 neath, and raised gently out of the water with 
 the specimen on its upper surface. After finally 
 adjusting the branches with a sharp point or 
 brush, the different sheets of specimens are to 
 be arranged between blotters of bibulous paper 
 and cotton cloth, and subjected to gentle pres- 
 sure. These blotters must be frequently changed 
 till the specimens are dry. 
 
 PLANTS, To Preserve -with their Natural 
 Appearafue. — Fine white quartz sand is heated 
 to about 200" F. in an iron pot, and by stirring, 
 some stearic acid and spei maceti, each in the 
 proportion of half a drachm for every five pounds 
 of sand, incorporated with it. Taken from the 
 fire the whole is thoroughly mixed and used as 
 follows : A cigar box witii a draw lid, with the 
 bottom knocked out, is inverted, and a coarse 
 piece of wire gauze placed inside over the lid, 
 which now forms the bottom. The bottom and 
 this sieve are then covered by a layer of the pre- 
 pared sand; the plants properly trimmed are 
 placed on this sand, and completely imbedded in 
 more of it so as to keep them properly in posi- 
 tion. The box, covered with paper, is then 
 placed in a room in which a temperature of 100° 
 to no*' F. is kept up, in which the plants will 
 soon be dried. When this point is reached, the 
 lid of the box is drawn, which causes all the sand 
 to fall out, leaving the dried plants on the gauze. 
 
 PLUMS, To Preserve. — Cut your plums in half 
 (they must not be quite ripe), and take out the 
 stones. Weigh the plums, and allow a pound of 
 loaf-sugar to a pound of fruit. Crack the stones, 
 take out the kernels, and break them in pieces. 
 Boil the plums and kernels very slowly for about 
 fifteen minutes, in as little water as possible. 
 Then spread them on a large dish to cool, and 
 strain the liquor. Next day make your syrup. 
 Melt the sugar in as little water as will sufficiently 
 dissolve it (about a gill of water to a pound of 
 sugar), and boil it a few minutes, skimming it 
 till quite clear. Then put in your plums with 
 the liquor, and boil them fifteen minutes. Put 
 them in jars, pour the juice over them warm, 
 and tie them up when cold, with brandy paper. 
 Plums for common use are very good done in 
 treacle. Put your plums into an earthen vessel 
 that holds a gallon, having first slit each plum 
 with a knife. To three quarts of plums put a 
 
 Sint of treacle. Cover them, and set them on 
 ot coals in the chimney corner. Let them stew 
 for twelve hours or more, occasionally stirring 
 them and renewing the coals. The next day put 
 them up in jars. Done in this manner, they will 
 keep till the next Spring. Syrups may be im- 
 proved in clearness lay adding to the dissolved 
 sugar and water some white of egg very well 
 beaten, allowing the white of one egg to two 
 pounds of sugar. Boil it very hard (adding the 
 egg shell), and skim it well, that it may be quite 
 clear before vou put in your fruit. 
 
 PLUM C/iEESE.— Put a quantity of plums 
 into a jar, and stand the jar in a saucepan of 
 water on the fii-e; when quite soft pulp them 
 
 through a sieve, and to every pound of pulp, add 
 one pound of loaf sugar, and one ounce of sweet 
 almonds, blanched and pounded, with four bitter 
 almonds; boil all together till the fruit will form 
 a stiff jelly. If the plums are very juicy, some 
 of the juice may be taken off the fruit. 
 
 POTATOES, Storing-.— Potatoes should not 
 be exposed to the sun and light any more than 
 is necessary to dry them after digging them from 
 the hill. Every ten minutes of such exposure, 
 especially in the sun, injures their edible quali- 
 ties. The flesh is thus rendered soft, yellowish 
 or greenish, and injured in flavor. Dig them 
 when dry, and put them in a dark cellar im- 
 mediately and keep them there till wanted for 
 use, and there would not be so much fault found 
 about bad quality. This is also a hint to those 
 grocers and marketmen who keep their potatoes 
 in barrels in the sun — that is, if they wish to 
 furnish their customers with a good article. 
 
 POTATOES, To keep from sprouting.— To 
 keep potatoes intended for tlie use of the table 
 from sprouting until new potatoes grow, take 
 boiling water, pour into a tub, turn in as many 
 potatoes as the water will entirely cover, then 
 pour off all the water, handle the potatoes care- 
 fully, laying up in a dry place on boards, only 
 one layer deep, and see if you do not have good 
 potatoes the year round, without hard strings 
 and watery ends caused by growing. 
 
 POTATOES {S'cueet), Storing. -Y^rmtrs 
 who store sweet potatoes for winter use should 
 be very careful not to keep them too moist, too 
 warm or too cold. A very good way is to get a 
 box large enough for the quantity you have, and 
 then select sand and dry it thoroughly before us- 
 ing; when dry, cover the bottom of your box 
 with the sand to the depth of three inches, and 
 then place one layer of sweet potatoes, but not 
 so close as to lie against each other ; then one 
 layer of sand of the same depth, and so on until 
 your box is full ; then place it in a room where 
 the temperature will not fall below 40°, nor rise 
 above 60°. In this way they may be kept until 
 new ones are to be had. 
 
 PUMPKINS, Drying-.-Take the ripe pump- 
 kins, pare, cut into small pieces, stew soft, mash 
 and strain through a colander, as if for making 
 pies. Spread this pulp on plates in layers not 
 quite an inch thick ; dry it down in the stove oven, 
 kept at so low a temperature as not to scorch it. 
 In about a day it will become dry and crisp. The 
 sheets thus made can be stowed away in a dry 
 place, and they are always ready for use for pies 
 or sauce. Soak the pieces over night in a little 
 milk, and they will return to a nice pulp, as de- 
 licious as the fresh pumpkin. The quick drying 
 after cooking prevents any portion from slightly 
 souring as is always the case when the uncooked 
 pieces are dried; the flavor is much better pre- 
 served, and the after cooking is saved. 
 
 QUINCES, To Presetve.-i. Wipe the firuit 
 and remove all defects, then pare, quarter and 
 core. Boil the parings and cores in water an 
 hour or more and strain through a colander. 
 In this liquid, which is very glutinous, boil the 
 fruit until easily pierced with a fork. The fruit 
 should be weighed before cookuig. To each 
 pound of fruit add half a pound of white coffee 
 sugar and boil only a few moments, when they 
 are ready for canning. If more juice is desired, 
 add water to the last cooking. A mold may form 
 on the top, but it does not hurt them in the least. 
 
310 
 
 DICTIONARY OF EVERY-DAY WANTS. 
 
 and is easily removed when they are used. This 
 process requires time. — 2. Pare and core the 
 quinces and cut them in halves or quarters, ac- 
 cording to size. To four pounds of quinces al- 
 low four pounds of best white crushed sugar, and 
 a pint of cold water. Put the quinces into a pre- 
 serving kettle and pour the water over them, 
 and spread half the sugar over the top ; let them 
 heat slowly, and boil until you can run a fork 
 easily through them ; keep closely covered, and 
 do not stir them ; when soft take each piece out 
 separately and place on a platter to cool. Then 
 strain the syrup, put in the rest of the sugar and 
 boil it, closely covered without stirring, half an 
 hour or more, when it is a red color and almost 
 a jelly ; do not remove the cover until it is taken 
 from the fire. Let the fruit and syrup remain 
 separate until the next day, then put a layer of 
 each alternately into your jars and seal them. 
 In this way they will not grow hard and tough. 
 
 RHUBARB, To Z>r)/.— The best method of 
 drying rhubarb is to strip it of its epidermis. 
 This is a long operation, but both time and ex- 
 pense are spared in the end by the promptness 
 and regularity of the drying. Many cultivators 
 of rhubarb on a large scale have repeated the ex- 
 periment and have met with the most decisive 
 results. 
 
 RHUBARB PRESERVE.— '?Qeiw^^.c^3.\.va\.o 
 pieces about two inches long, six pounds of 
 rhubarb. Put it into a stone jar, with eight 
 pounds of preserving sugar, the rind of a lemon 
 cut thin, and shred into little bits, a quarter of a 
 pound of ginger, and a few cloves ; set the jar 
 jn a pan of boiling water, or stand it in the oven. 
 When the rhubarb is quite tender, strain ofif the 
 juice ; put the juice into a preserving pan, and 
 boil quickly for half an hour ; pour it over the 
 rhubarb, and put the whole into pots or shapes; 
 if well made it will be clear, and stiff enough to 
 turn out, and covered in pots, it will keep as 
 well as any other preserves. 
 
 ROOTS, To Dry.— They should be rubbed in 
 water to get rid of the dirt and also some of the 
 mucous substance that would otherwise render 
 them moldy ; the larger are then to be cut, split, 
 or peeled, but in most aromatic roots, the odor 
 residing in the bark, they must not be peeled ; 
 they are then to be spread on sieves or hurdles 
 and dried in a heat of about 120* Fahr. either 
 on the top of an oven, in a stove, or a steam 
 closet, taking care to shake them occasionally to 
 change the surface exposed to the air. Thick 
 and juicy roots, as rhubarb, briony, peony, wa- 
 ter-lily, etc., are cut in slices, strung upon a 
 thread and hung in a heat of about 90° to loo*' 
 Fahr. Squills are scaled, threaded and dried 
 round the tube of a German stove, or in a hot 
 closet. Rhubarb should be \vashed to separate 
 that mucous principle which would otherwise 
 render it black and soft when powdered. Pota- 
 toes are cut in slices and dried. 
 
 ROOTS, To Preserve. — These are preserved 
 in different ways, according to the object in view. 
 Tuberous roots, as those of the dahlia, pseonia, 
 tuberose, etc., intended to be planted in the suc- 
 ceeding spring, are preserved through the winter 
 in dry earth, in a temperature rather under than 
 above what is natural to them. So may the 
 bulbous roots of commerce, as hyacinths, tulips, 
 onions, etc., but for convenience, these are kept 
 either loose, in cool dry shelves or lofts, or the 
 finer sorts in papers, till the season of planting. 
 
 Roots of all kinds may be preserved in an ice- 
 house till the return of the natural crop. 
 
 After stuffing the vacuities with straw, and 
 covering the surface of the ice with the same 
 material, place on it case boxes, casks, baskets, 
 etc., and fill them with turnips, carrots, beet- 
 roots, and in particular potatoes. By the cold of 
 the place vegetation is so much suspended that ■ 
 all these articles may be thus kept fresh and un- 
 injured till they give place to another crop in its 
 natural season. 
 
 ROSEBUDS, To Preserve.-A. mtihod. em- 
 ployed in Germany to keep rosebuds fresh into 
 the winter, consists in first covering the end of 
 the recently cut stem with wax, and then placing 
 each one in a closed paper cap or cone, so that 
 the leaves do not touch the paper. The cap is 
 then coated with glue, to exclude air, dust, and 
 moisture, and when dry it is stood up in a cool 
 place. When wanted for use, the bud is taken out 
 of the cap and placed in water, after cutting ofif 
 the end, when the rose will bloom in a few hours. 
 
 SAUERKRAUT, To Make.— In the first 
 place, let your "stand," holding from half a 
 barrel to a barrel, be thoroughly scalded out ; 
 the cutter, the tub and the stamper also well 
 scalded. Take off all the outer leaves of the 
 cabbages, halve them, remove the heart and pro- 
 ceed with the cutting. Lay some clean leaves at 
 the bottom of the stand, sprinkle with a handful 
 of salt, fill in half a bushel of cut cabbage, 
 stamp gently until the juice just makes its ap- 
 pearance, then add another handful of salt, and 
 so on until the stand is full. Cover over with 
 cabbage leaves, place on top a clean board fit- 
 ting the space pretty well, and on top of that a 
 stone weighing twelve or fifteen pounds. Stand 
 away in a cool place, and when hard freezing 
 comes on remove to the cellar. It will be ready 
 for use in from four to six weeks. The cabbage 
 should be cut tolerably coarse. The Savoy 
 N-ariety makes the best article, but it is only half 
 as productive as the Drumhead and Flat 
 Dutch. 
 
 SUET, To Keep. — Suet may be kept a year, 
 thus : Choose the firmest and most free from 
 skin or veins, remove all traces of these, put the 
 suet in the saucepan at some distance from the 
 fire, and let it melt gradually ; when melted pour 
 it into a pan of cold spring-water ; when hard, 
 wipe it dr}', fold it in white paper, put it in a 
 linen bag, and keep it in a cool, dry place ; when 
 used, it must be scraped, and it will make an ex- 
 cellent crust with or without butter. 
 
 TOM A TOES, Canning. — The most thorough 
 and reliable mode of canning tomatoes is as fol- 
 lows : They are just sufficiently steamed, not 
 cooked, to scald or loosen the skin, and are then 
 poured upon tables and the skin removed, care 
 being taken to preserve the tomato in as solid a 
 state as possible. After being peeled, they are 
 placed in large pans, with false bottoms perforat- 
 ed with holes, so as to strain off the liquid that 
 emanates from them. From these pans they are 
 carefully placed by hand into the cans, which are 
 filled as solidly as possible — in other words, all 
 are put in that the cans will hold. They are 
 then put through the usual process and herme- 
 tically sealed. The cans, when opened for use, 
 present the tomato not only like the natural veg- 
 etable in taste and color, but also in appearance ; 
 and moreover, when thus sealed, they are war- 
 ranted to keep in any climate, and when opened. 
 
PRESERVING AND STORING. 
 
 3" 
 
 will taste as naturally as when just plucked from 
 the vine. 
 
 TOMATO CATSUP. — TakQ perfectly ripe 
 tomatoes J^ bushel ; wash them clean and break 
 to pieces ; then put over the fire and let them 
 come to a boil, and remove from the fire ; when 
 they are sufficiently cool to allow your hands in 
 them, rub through a wire sieve ; and to what 
 goes through, add salt 2 tea-cups ; allspice and 
 cloves, of each, ground, I tea-cup ; best vinegar 
 I qt. Put on to the fire again and cook I hour, 
 stirring with great care to avoid burning. Bottle 
 and seal for use. If too thick when used, put in 
 a little vinegar. If they were very juicy they 
 may need boiling over an hour. 
 
 TOM A TO FIGS.— I. Collect a lot of ripe to- 
 matoes about one inch in diameter, skin, and 
 stew them in the usual manner; when done, lay 
 them on dishes, flatten them slightly, and spread 
 over them a light layer of pulverized white or- 
 best brown sugar; expose them to a summer's 
 sun, or place them in a drying house ; when as 
 dry as fresh figs, pack in old fig or small boxes, 
 with sugar between each layer. If properly 
 managed, the difference cannot be detected from 
 the veritable article. — 2. Pour boiling water over 
 the tomatoes, in order to remove the skins ; then 
 weigh them, and place them in a stone jar, with 
 as much sugar as you have tomatoes, and let 
 them stand two days ; then pour off the syrup, 
 and boil and skim it until no scum rises. Then 
 pour it over the tomatoes, and let them stand 
 two days, as before ; then boil and skim again. 
 After the third time, they are fit to dry, if the 
 weather is good ; if not, let them stand in the 
 syrup until drying weather. Then place on large 
 earthen plates or dishes, and put them in the 
 sun to dry, which will take about a week, after 
 which pack them down in small wooden boxes, 
 with fine white sugar between every layer. To- 
 matoes prepared in this manner will keep for 
 years. 
 
 TOMA TO {Green) Pickle.— l. Slice and steam 
 till they begin to soften, take from the steamer 
 and put in jars, add a litde salt, about a teacup- 
 ful of sugar, half of a spoonful of pepper, cloves 
 and cinnamon each, one-fourth of a spoonful of 
 spice, some whole mustard seed and slice one or 
 two good sized onions with it ; cover the whole 
 with vinegar and let stand twenty-four hours; 
 then scald the liquid and when cold it is ready 
 for use. The seasoning is for one gallon. — 
 2. Slice I peck green tomatoes; take I gallon 
 vinegar, 6 tablespoonsful whole cloves, I of all- 
 spice, 2 of salt, I of mace, I of cayenne pepper; 
 boil the vinegar and spices lo minutes; put in 
 the tomatoes and boil all together ^ hour lon- 
 ger; when cold put in jars. 
 
 TOMA TOES, Pteserved.—TakQ of good ripe 
 tomatoes, such a quantity as you wish to preserve, 
 pare them, cut them in quarters, (if large ones,) 
 place them in a stew pan with a little water, so 
 they will not burn ; being a very juicy fruit, they 
 require to be cooked until the juice is nearly all 
 out ; then add white sugar — one pound to each 
 pound of fruit ; cook slowly one-half hour. 
 
 TOMATO SAUCE, To A'eep.—T^kQ six 
 pounds of ripe tomatoes, crush them, and sprinkle 
 with salt ; let them remain a day or two, then 
 boil and pass through a coarse sieve or colander. 
 Put into the liquor lialf a teaspoonful of Cayenne 
 and a dessertspoonful each of cloves, pepper, 
 ginger, and cinnamon ; boil it one-third away, 
 
 and bottle tight. It should be shaken before 
 being used. 
 
 Tripe, To Prepare and Pickle. — First sew 
 it up, after it is turned inside out ; be careful to 
 sew it up tight, that no lime gets into it; now 
 have a tub of lime-water, the consistence of good 
 thick white-wash ; let it remain in from lo to 20 
 minutes, or until when you take hold of it, the 
 dark outside skin will come off; then put it into 
 clean water, changing three or four times to 
 weaken the lime, that the hands be not injured 
 by it ; then with a dull knife scrape off all of the 
 dark surface, and continue to soak and scrape 
 several times, which removes all offensive sub- 
 stances and smell. After this, let it soak 20 or 
 30 minutes in 2 or 3 hot waters, scraping over 
 each time; then pickle in salt and water 12 hours, 
 and it is ready for cooking ; boil from 3 to 4 
 hours, cut in strips to suit, and put it into nice 
 vinegar with the various spices, as desired ; 
 renew the vinegar at the expiration of I week, 
 is all that will be required further. 
 
 VEGETABLES, Keeping, — ?;mV a barrel 
 two-thirds of its depth into the ground (a box or 
 cask will r.ns^ver a better purpose); heap the 
 earth around the part projecting out of the ground, 
 with a slope on all sides; place the vegetables 
 that you desire to keep in the vessel ; cover the 
 top with a water tight cover ; and when winter 
 sets in, throw an armful of straw, hay, or some- 
 thing of that sort, on the barrel. If the bottom 
 is out of the cask or barrel, it will be better. 
 Cabbages, celery, and other vegetables, will 
 keep in this way as fresh as when taken from the 
 ground. The celery should stand nearly perpen- 
 dicular, celery and earth alternating. Freedom 
 from frost, ease of access, and especially fresh- 
 ness, and freedom from rot, are the' advantages 
 claimed. 
 
 VEGETABLES, /'/r/6/^ /t;r.— Six quarts of 
 the very best vinegar, one pound of salt, a quar- 
 ter of a pound of ginger, one ounce of mace, half 
 a pound of shallots, one tablespoonful of cayenne 
 pepper, two ounces of white peppercorns, and 
 two ounces of mustard seed. Boil all these in- 
 gredients well together, and when cold put into 
 ajar. You may add what green vegetables or 
 fruit you like, provided they are fresh. They 
 may be merely wiped to free them from dust. 
 
 WALNUT CA 7:S'6'/'.— Walnut-shell juice, 
 3 gallons ; salt, 7 pounds ; ginger, 8 ounces ; 
 shallots, 8 ounces ; garlic, 8 ounces ; horse- 
 radish, 8 ounces ; essence of anchovies, i quart. 
 Mix. 
 
 IVA LNUTS {White), To Picl-le.— Pare green 
 walnuts very thin till the white appears, then 
 throw them into spring-water with a handful of 
 salt; keep them under water six hours, then put 
 them into a stewpan to simmer five minutes, but 
 do not let them boil ; take them out and put them 
 in cold water and salt ; they must be kept quite 
 under the water with a board, otherwise they 
 will not pickle white ; then lay them on a cloth 
 and cover them with another to dry ; carefully 
 rub them with a soft cloth, and put them into the 
 jar, with some blades of mace and nutmeg sliced 
 thin. Mix the spice between the nuts and pour 
 distilled vinegar over them; when the jar is full 
 of nuts pour mutton fat over them, and tie them 
 close down with a bladder and leather, to keep 
 out the air. 
 
 WORCESTERSHIRE SAUCE, (Lea and 
 Perrin^s). — White vinegar, 15 gals.; walnut cat- 
 
5t2 
 
 DICTION AR YOFE VER Y-DA V WANTS. 
 
 sup, lo gals.; Madeira wine, 5 gals.; mushroom 
 catsup, 10 gals.; table salt, 25 lbs.; Canton soy, 
 4 gals.; powdered capsicum, albs.; powdered all- 
 spice, I lb.; coriander, powdered, I lb.; cloves, 
 mace and cinnamon, of each % lb.; assafcetida, 
 ^ lb., dissolved in brandy, i gal. Twenty 
 pounds of hogs' liver is boiled for 12 hours with 
 10 gallons of water, renewing the water from 
 time to time. Take out the liver, chop it, mix 
 with water, and work it through a sieve : mix 
 with the sauce. 
 
 YEAST, To Preserve. — Common ale yeast 
 may be kept fresh and fit for use several months by 
 the following method : Put a quantity of it into 
 a close canvas bag, and gently squeeze out the 
 moisture in a screw-press till the remaining mat- 
 ter be as firm and stiff as clay. In this state it, 
 may be close-packed up in a tight cask, for secur- 1 
 ing it from the air, and will keep fresh, sound, ■ 
 and fit for use for a long time. 
 
 SOAP AND CANDLES. 
 
 ADULTERATION OF SOAF.—Soap is 
 not exempted from the manipulation of fraud. 
 Its external appearance often prevents the un- 
 practiced eye from detecting the impurities it 
 may contain, without further examination. 
 
 China clay is a common addition made to soap 
 to increase its bulk. If a soap containing it be 
 dissolved in hot water, one part of soap in ten of 
 water, on allowing the solution to rest, the clay 
 will be found at the bottom of the vessel, and its 
 proportion in the soap ascertained. 
 
 Soap largely admixtured with soluble glass (a 
 solution of flint or silica in an excess of caustic 
 soda) is very common in the market. Its weight 
 is much greater than that of soap in its unadul- 
 terated state, and will u'^ually show at once the 
 probability of such an admixture, although such 
 a soap may leave no sediment in a solution of it 
 in hot water ; but it is unsafe to employ it for 
 washing fine fabrics, as it is apt to weaken them 
 on account of the excess of alkali it imparts to the 
 soap with which it is mixed. 
 
 From lo to 30 per cent, of the silicate of soda 
 is generally added. The soap feels somewhat 
 hard and gritty in use. The soluble glass is intro- 
 duced gradually into the pan after all the grease 
 is in, and stirred actively until thoroughly 
 mixed. 
 
 Soap is also sometimes contaminated with lime ; 
 this renders it pardally insoluble in water, and 
 makes it unfit for the laundry or the toilet. 
 
 ACID {Macquer's) Soap. — Castile soap, 2 
 pounds ; water sufficient to render it soft ; oil ot 
 vitriol, I ounce. Add the acid gradually, and 
 keep rubbing them in a mortar, until the whole 
 becomes of an equal consistence. Detergent. 
 
 ALMOND Soap. — ^Take oil of almonds, 7 
 pounds; soda, l^ pounds; water, sufficient 
 quantity. The soda must be rendered caustic, 
 before adding it to the oil, and heat must then be 
 applied. An easy way of preparing the soda, is 
 to treat it in solution, with powdered quicklime. 
 ALMOND {Bitter) ^ba/.— Take fine hard 
 white soap, lOO pounds ; essence of bitter aU 
 monds, i y% per cent. Treat them as for Cin- 
 namon Soap. 
 
 ALMOND MEAL.— Qxo\mditi\moxiA%, i lb.; 
 wheat flour, i lb.; orris root powder, ^ lb.; otto 
 of lemon, ^ oz.; otto of almonds, ]^ drachm. 
 
 ALMOND PASTE. — Bitter almonds, 
 blanched and ground, l^ lb.; rose-water, ij^ 
 pint; alcohol (60 o. p.), 16 ozs.; otto of berga- 
 
 mot, 3 ozs. Place the ground almonds and one 
 pint of the rose-water into a stewpan ; with a 
 slow and steady heat, cook the almonds until their 
 granular texture assumes a pasty form, constant- 
 ly stirring the mixture during the whole time, 
 otherwise the almonds quickly burn to the bot- 
 tom of the pan, and impart to the whole an em- 
 pyreumatic odor. 
 
 The large quantity of otto of almonds which is 
 volatilized during the process, renders it essen- 
 tial that the operator should avoid the vapor as 
 much as possible. 
 
 When the almonds are nearly cooked, the re- 
 maining water is to be added ; finally the paste 
 is put into a mortar, and well rubbed with the 
 pestle ; then the perfume and spirit are added. 
 Before potting this paste, as well as honey paste, 
 it should be passed through a medium fine sieve, 
 to insure uniformity of texture, especially as al- 
 monds do not grind kindly. 
 
 Other pastes, such as Pate de Pistache, Pate 
 de Cocos, Pate de Guimauve, are prepared in a 
 similar manner to the above. 
 
 AMANDINE. — Fine almond oil, 7 lbs.; 
 simple syrup, 4 oz.; white soft soap, or sapona- 
 ceous cream, i. e., creme d'Amande, i oz,; otto 
 of almonds, I oz.; otto of bergamot, i oz.; otto 
 of cloves, % oz. Rub the syrup with the soft 
 soap until the mixture is homogeneous, then rub 
 in the oil by degrees ; the perfume having been 
 previously mixed with the oil. 
 
 In the manufacture of amandine the difficulty 
 is to get in the quantity of oil indicated, without 
 which it does not assume that transparent jelly 
 appearance which good amandine should have. 
 To attain this end, the oil is put into "a runner," 
 that is, a tin or glass vessel, at the bottom of 
 which is a small faucet and spigot, or tap. The 
 oil being put into this vessel is allowed to run 
 slowly into the mortar in which the amandine is 
 being made, just as fast as the maker finds that 
 he can incorporate it with the paste of soap and 
 syrup ; and so long as this takes place, the result 
 will always have a jelly texture to the hand. If, 
 however, the oil be put into the mortar quicker 
 than the workman can blend it with the paste, 
 then the paste becomes "oiled," and may be 
 considered as "done for," unless, indeed, the 
 whole process be gone through again, starting 
 off with fresh syrup and soap, using up the 
 greasy mass as if it were pure oil. Tliis liability 
 to "go off" increases as the amandine ncars tlie 
 
SOAP AND CANDLES. 
 
 313 
 
 finish ; hence extra caution and plenty of "elbow 
 grease" must be used during the addition of the 
 last two pounds of oil. If the oil be not perfect- 
 ly fresh, or if the temperature of the atmosphere 
 be above the average of summer heat, it will be 
 almost impossible to get the whole of the oil 
 given in the formula into combination ; when the 
 mass becomes bright and of a crystalline luster, 
 it will be well to stop the further addition of oil 
 to it. 
 
 This and similar compounds should be potted 
 as quickly as made, and the lids of the pots 
 banded either with strips of tin-foil or paper, to 
 exclude air. When the amandine is filled into 
 the jars, the top or face of it is marked or orna- 
 mented with a tool made to the size of half the 
 diameter of the interior of the jar, in a similar 
 way to a saw ; a piece of lead or tortoise-shell, 
 being serrated with an angular file, or piece of an 
 "old saw," will do very well; place the marker 
 on the amandine, and turn the jar gently round. 
 
 ARSENICAL Soap. — From carbonate of 
 potash, 12 oz. ; white arsenic, white soap and 
 air-slaked lime, of each, 4 oz. ; powdered cam- 
 phor, % oz. ; made into a paste with water, q. s. 
 Used to preserve the skins of birds and other 
 small animals. 
 
 ASS A V of Soap. — M. F. Schulze communi- 
 cates to the Journal de Pharmacie et de Chimie 
 a rapid and convenient method of estimating the 
 value of soap. The method is the same as that 
 adopted for estimating the hardness of potable 
 water, i. e., it is based on the fact that lime water 
 precipitates a solution of soap, yielding a liquor 
 which does not give a persistent froth by agita- 
 tion. The process is conducted as follows : A 
 standaid solution of lime is made by dissolving 
 1.6 grammes in water, with a little caustic soda, 
 and making up the solution to one litre. Five 
 grammes of the soap are weighed and dissolved 
 in boiling water ; the solution is allowed to cool, 
 and is made up to a determinate volume, say 100 
 c. c. for soft soap, 200 c. c. for hard soap. 
 Three c. c. of the standard lime solution are now 
 added to 20 c. c. of distilled water, and to this 
 diluted solution the soap liquor is added gradu- 
 ally from a burette. At first, the soap added is 
 precipitated by the calcareous water, and a per- 
 sistent froth is not produced by agitation ; but, 
 after a time, a point is reached at which the froth 
 becomes persistent. The volume of soap solu- 
 tion requisite to produce this effect is then noted ; 
 the quantity is smaller the better the quality of 
 the soap. If, moreover, an assay has been made 
 on a sample of soap of standard \'alue, a very 
 exact appreciation of the value of any given 
 sample of soap may be subsequently obtained by 
 comparing the results. 
 
 BA YBERR V, or Myrtle .J^rt/.— Dissolve 2 14: 
 pounds of white potash in 5 quarts of water, then 
 mix it with 10 pounds of myrtle wax, or bay- 
 berry tallow. Boil the whole over a slow fire 
 till it turns to soap, then add a teacup of cold 
 water ; let it boil ten minutes longer ; at the end 
 of that time, turn it into tin moulds or pans, and 
 let them remain a week or ten days to dry; then 
 turn them out of the moulds. If you wish to 
 have the soap scented, stir into it an essential 
 oil that has an agreeable smell, just before you 
 turn it into the moulds. This kind of soap is 
 excellent for shaving, and for chapped hands; 
 it is also good for eruptions on the face. It will 
 be fit for use in the course of three or four weeks 
 
 after it is made, but it is better for being kept 
 ten or twelve months. 
 
 BL.4CK Soap. — This is properly a crude soft 
 soap made of fresh oil, tallow, and potash ; but 
 the following mixture is usually sold for it : — 
 soft soap 7 lbs. ; train oil I lb. ; water I gallon ; 
 boil to a proper consistence, adding ivory black 
 or powdered charcoal to color. Used by farriers. 
 
 B LEA CHI N^G Soap. — This is a soda soap 
 prepared according to the excellent prescription 
 of the Prussian pharmacopoeia, which prescrip- 
 tion has been copied in almost all other works 
 of the kind; the soap is separated by common 
 salt, and after this one fourth of its weight of 
 sulphite of soda is added, which has been pre- 
 viously made into a homogeneous paste by 
 means of a little water ; the soap is next dried in 
 the usual manner. In order to apply this soap, 
 chiefly intended for the bleaching of straw hats, 
 but perfectly fit for application to silk and wool, 
 it is dissolved in its own weight of cold water, 
 and to every 2 lbs. of soap ^ oz. of liquid am- 
 monia is added. As soon as the mass has a 
 gel.-itinous aspect, I part thereof is dissolved in 
 8 parts of warm water. The materials which it 
 is desired to bleach are washed and scrubbed by 
 means of a brush in this soap-suds; while yet 
 moist, the materials are placed in acidulated 
 water, (25 parts of water and i^ of hydrochloric 
 acid, ) left in this liquid for 2 hours, and then 
 well washed, and rinsed with pure cold water, 
 and dried. 
 
 CANDLES. — Candles are made of various 
 materials, but the first operation, in all cases, is 
 the preparation of the wicks. The best candle 
 wicks are made of cotton rovings, imported from 
 Turkey in skeins. 4 or more of these, according 
 to the intended thickness of the wick, are wound 
 on a reel, from which they are again run off, and 
 cut of the proper lengths. They are then dipped 
 into melted tallow, and after rubbing with the 
 hands, are placed straight and allowed to harden. 
 They are next arranged upon the broaclies ready 
 for dipping. For mould and other candles that 
 do not undergo the process of dipping, this last 
 operation is omitted. la some cases the wicks 
 are formed by twisting or plaiting the cotton 
 together, or winding it round wires, which are 
 withdrawn after the candles are made, thus 
 leaving the wicks hollow; this was the method 
 patented by Gay Lussac, for his stearine candles. 
 In some instances, the cotton is steeped in metal- 
 lic solutions. The object ia all these processes 
 is to produce a wick that will consume itself, 
 and thus prevent the necessity of snuffing. Great 
 care is taken to select a cotton that will yield the 
 least possible quantity of ashes, or non-volatile 
 matter after burning. 
 
 CANDLES, Adamantine. — Adamantine can- 
 dles are made of stearine, and stearine is made in 
 two ways. One way is to boil common tallow with 
 one-sixth of its weight of slaked lime until a 
 lime soap is formed. The lime soap is put in- 
 to another vessel and four parts of sulphuric 
 acid for every three parts of the lime (previously 
 used) mixed with it to get out the lime. It is 
 heated and stirred until the fat all runs off and 
 leaves nothing but sulphate of lime and water. 
 The fat is now allowed to cool, is then shaved 
 into thin slices, put into canvas bags and into a 
 hydraulic press. Here the fluid portion is driven 
 out and the stearine remains. This is again 
 shaved and pressed. The cakes now left are 
 
3H 
 
 DICTIONARY OF EVERY-DAY WANTS. 
 
 commercial stearlne or stearic acid, an inflam- 
 mable substance without any greasy feeling. The 
 other method is to blow steam into cocoa-nut oil 
 or palm oil and thus separate the glycerine from 
 the fat. After the glycerine is taken away, the 
 fat is allowed to cool and treated as above. No 
 acid or lime is used in this process. 
 
 CANDLES, Composition. — These are gener- 
 ally made of a mixture of spermaceti and hard 
 ■white tallow, to which a little bleached rosin is 
 sometimes added. The origin of the application 
 of the term "composite" or "composition" to 
 candles, is somewhat laughable. A manufac- 
 turer who had a large stock of spermaceti candles 
 on hand, of a dirty hue, and therefore unsalable, 
 advertised them under the above name, and they 
 were soon disposed of, from the supposition that 
 they were composed of some new combination of 
 materials. 
 
 CANDLES from Lard. — \. For twelve 
 pounds of lard take one pound saltpetre and one 
 pound of alurti ; mix them and pulverize them ; 
 dissolve the saltpetre and alum in a gill of boil- 
 ing water; pour the compound into the lard 
 before it is quite all melted ; stir the whole until 
 it boils ; skim off what rises ; let it simmer until 
 the water is boiled out, or until it ceases to 
 throw off steam ; pour off the lard as soon as it 
 is done, and clean the boiler while it is hot. If 
 the candles are to be run you may commence 
 immediately; if to be dipped, let the lard cool to 
 a cake, and then treat it as you would tallow. — 
 2. To every eight pounds of lard, add one ounce 
 nitric acid, and the manner of making is as 
 follows : having carefully weighed your lard, 
 place it over a slow fire, or at least merely melt 
 it ; then add the acid, and mould the same as 
 tallow, and you have a clear, beautiful candle. 
 In order to make them resemble bona fide tal- 
 low candles, you have only to add a small pro- 
 portion of pure beeswax. 
 
 CANDLES, Mineral. — Ozocerite is a mineral 
 wax — chemically, a hydrocarbon — and, in its raw 
 or native state, is of a yellowish color, of slight 
 specific gravity, and somewhat fibrous in its 
 structure. It will not burn of itself, but will 
 readily melt on a light being applied to it. On 
 being roughly wrapped around a central wick, 
 even in its native state, it is easily and regularly 
 consumed. In fact, a rude candle can be made 
 of the raw materiaL and a cotton wick. It is 
 found principally in Austria, Moldavia, the Cau- 
 casus, and near the Caspian Sea, where it is 
 obtained in great quantities, being largely used 
 in those countries for illuminating purposes, and 
 was discovered by a Russian militr.ry officer. 
 
 The substance is generally melted down for 
 convenience of storage in transit, in which condi- 
 tion it forms a dark-colored mass, and is packed 
 in barrels, the native or unmelted ozocerite being 
 sent over in canvas bags. 
 
 To prepare it for use, it is first conveyed into 
 melting-tanks, holding from two to three tons 
 each, and where it is melted down by means of 
 a steam coil. From these tanks the ozocerite is 
 run off to a series of stills, holding from two to 
 thiee tons each, in which it is distilled over 
 partly by steam and partly by bottom heat. The 
 dirt and bottoms from the crude ozocerite are run 
 off from the melting-tanks into another set of 
 tanks beneath them, where they are remefted, 
 the finer products being afterward distilled over. 
 The ozocerite comes over from the stUls in the 
 
 form of an oily distillate, which is run from the 
 condensers into moulds and allowed to cool. 
 This gives a deep yellowish, wax-like substance 
 of a spongy nature, the pores being filled with 
 oil, which exudes under a slight pressure. These 
 cakes are packed between oilskins and canvas 
 cloths, and placed in hydraulic presses, of which 
 there are three of large capacity. The pressed 
 cake, after removal is put into reheating tanks 
 and again melted down, and is pumped from 
 these tanks by a steam pump into the acidifiers 
 where it is treated with a sulphuric acid. These 
 acidifiers are steam-jacketed, and are fitted with 
 revolving agitators by which the ozocerite and 
 acid are agitated together for a certain time, after 
 which the mixture is allowed to settle. After 
 settling, the purified ozocerite is drawn off from 
 the lower part of the acidifiers — the acid remain- 
 ing on the top — and run into vessels which are 
 heated by bottom heat. This is the final heat- 
 ing, and from these vessels the fine stufTis drawn 
 off into moulds, the result being a hard white 
 wax, the melting-point of which is 140°, that of 
 paraffme wax being only 128°. From this wax 
 the candles are made. 
 
 In some cases, and under certain conditions 
 which occasionally present themselves in the 
 process of manufacture, the ozocerite, when se- 
 parated from the acid, is washed with hot water. 
 The water having been removed, the material is 
 repeatedly filtered through animal charcoal, until 
 the requisite degree of whiteness is obtained. 
 There are also several specialties about the manu- 
 facture, which requires to be conducted with the 
 greatest nicety and exactness, or the looked-for 
 results may be entirely negatived. One point is 
 that of temperature, that attained in the stills 
 being exceedingly high and variable with certain 
 varying circumstances and at different stages of 
 the process. Another point is the length of time 
 during which the ozocerite is exposed to the 
 action of the acid or of the charcoal. It is also 
 important whether and when either the acid bath 
 or the charcoal filter should be used. We should 
 mention that there are several by-products, the 
 chief of which is a very clear colorless oil, with- 
 out smell, and of very high illuminating power. 
 
 The candles thus made have proved in every 
 way equal to those made of the best wax, having 
 only the drawback of smouldering and giving off 
 an offensive smell when blown out. This, how- 
 ever, is not peculiar to them alone, as it is also 
 a fault in wax candles, arising from the rapidity 
 with which the wax cools. It may easily be 
 obviated by using an old-fashioned extinguisher, 
 or by coating the wick with some material harder 
 than ozocerite. 
 
 CANDLES, Spermaceti. — Spermaceti, either 
 alone or combined with hard white tallow, forms 
 very good candles, but they will not bear carry- 
 ing about in the hand without spilling the melted 
 portion. 
 
 CANDLES, Stearine. — These are made of 
 the stearine or stearic acid obtained from tallow, 
 in the same way as other mould candles. They 
 furnish a superior light, and burn a long time. 
 
 CANDLES, Tallaiu (By Dipping).— The 
 broaches being covered with wicks, are arranged 
 in frames ready for dipping. The dipping cistern 
 being filled with tallow of a proper temperature 
 from the boiler, one of the frames is placed upon 
 the end of the dipping beam, and pressed down 
 gently into the melted fat ; it is next withdrawn. 
 
SOAP AND CANDLES, 
 
 the bottoms of the candles just touched against 
 a board placed on one side of tlie cistern for the 
 purpose, and then removed to the rack. Another 
 is now taken and treated in the same manner, 
 and the process is continued with fresh frames 
 until those first dipped are sufficiently cool to 
 undergo a second immersion. This operation is 
 repeated until the candles acquire a sufficient size, 
 when they are finally cooled, sorted, weighed, 
 and strung in pouncls for sale. The dipping 
 beam is simply a piece of wood hung from the 
 ceiLng by the center, and arranged with weights 
 at one end, and at the other with supports to 
 receive the frames with the wicks. It is so 
 balanced that a slight pressure with the fingers 
 is sufficient to depress it so as to immerse the 
 wicks or partly formed candles into the tallow 
 of the dipping cistern. On withdrawing the 
 pressure, the beam again assumes the horizontal 
 position, and thus raises the candles out of the 
 melted fat. The dipping-room, or shop, is 
 usually situated in the coldest part of the pre- 
 mises, and furnished with a species of Venetian 
 shutters throughout the entire length of walls, (if 
 possible, ) after the manner of breweries, to pre- 
 serve a constant current of cool air. 
 
 CANDLES, Tallcnv ( By Moulding).— Mo\x\d 
 candles are made of the best kind of"^ tallow; a 
 mixture of 3 parts of sheep with l part of ox 
 suet, both fresh, makes the most glossy and 
 consistent candles. The moulds are made of 
 pewter ; the part answering to the bottom of the 
 candle being left open, and a small hole at the 
 top also left for the wick ; eight or more of these 
 moulds are fitted into a stool, the upper surface 
 of which forms a kind of trough, the bottom part 
 of the mould being upwards. The wicks are 
 then introduced by putting a long wire, furnished 
 •with an eye or hook at one end, down through 
 the mould, until it protrudes at the bottom, (or 
 rather top,) when a wick is inserted and the 
 needle is then immediately drawn back. As soon 
 as all the moulds have received their wicks, a 
 wire is run through the loop of each and then 
 allowed to rest on the top of the moulds ; the 
 protruding portion of the wicks is next pulled 
 tight, and properly arranged in the centers of the 
 moulds. Melted tallow of a proper temperature 
 is now poured into the trough-like part of the 
 stool, until the moulds are all full. The wicks 
 are again pulled tight, and the whole allowed to 
 cool. When quite cold, the wire that held the 
 wicks is withdrawn, and the candles pulled out 
 one by one, by inserting a bodkin into the loop 
 of the wick. The better class of moulds are then 
 either bleached by exposing them to the dew 
 and air for a few days, or by keeping them for a 
 few weeks, until sufficiently whitened. 
 
 CANDLES, Tallow {For Summer use). — 
 Most tallow, in summer, is more or less soft and 
 often quite yellow. To avoid both, take your 
 tallow and put a little bees-wax with it, espe- 
 cially if your bees-wax is dark and not fit to sell ; 
 put into a suitable kettle, adding weak lye and 
 gently boil an hour or two each day for 2 days, 
 Ktirring and skimming well ; each morning cut- 
 ting it out and scraping off the bottom which is 
 soft, adding fresh lye (be sure it is not too 
 strong) I or 2, or 3 gals., according to the 
 amount of tallow. The third morning use water 
 in which alum and saltpetre is dissolved, at the 
 rate of l lb. each, for 30 lbs. of tallow; then 
 simmer, stir, and skim again; let cool, and you 
 
 can take it off the water for use. They may be 
 dipped or run in moulds ; for dipping, allow two 
 pounds for each dozen candles. 
 
 CANDLES, Wax. — These are made either 
 by pouring melted wax over the wicks, or by 
 applying the wax in a soft state with the hands, 
 and afterwards rolling it smooth with a roller of 
 polished box wood, upon a table formed of pol- 
 ished walnut wood. They are then cut and 
 trimmed. The first part of this process is usually 
 conducted over the cistern of melted wax, and 
 the wicks are strung upon an iron hoop suspend- 
 ed from the ceiling. 
 
 CANDLES, Imitation Wax.— Vxxrxiy melted 
 tallow by throwing in powdered quick lime, then 
 add two parts wax to one of tallow, and a most 
 beautiful article of candle, resembling wax, will 
 be the result. Dip the wicks in lime water and 
 saltpetre on making. To a gallon of water add 
 2 ozs. saltpetre and % lb. of lime : it improves 
 the light, and prevents the tallow from running. 
 
 CANDLES, Wicks for.—Oi late years the 
 best candles are made in such manner that they 
 do not require snuffing. The simplest way of 
 effecting this is to make the wick with one strand 
 of loosely twisted cotton, which will become 
 slightly stretched when the wick is placed in the 
 candle, but will contract again on its burning, 
 removing the force that kept it extended. If this 
 roving be placed at the outside of the wick, it is 
 evident that when it contracts, it will pull the 
 latter into a curved shape, and thus expose its 
 upper part to the outer portion of the flame, 
 as well as to the atmosphere, by which means 
 it will be consumed with sufficient rapidity to 
 prevent the necessity of using the snuffers. The 
 same may be effected by placing the candle at an 
 angle of about 45°, by which means the upper 
 part of the wick will be out of the flame ; but 
 this plan, besides being unsightly, is liable to the 
 risk of the tallow dropping beyond the candle- 
 stick. Platted wicks, so arranged that one por- 
 tion shall be stretched more than another, have 
 long been adopted for the same purpose. ^ 
 
 CANDLE WICKS, Preparing.— There ^tq 
 several prescriptions for solutions to improve 
 wicks, the best of which is the following: Borax, 
 2 ounces ; chloride of calcium, chloride of am- 
 nvonium, and saltpetre, I ounce each; then dis- 
 solved in three quarts of water and filtered ; the 
 wicks are soaked in this solution and then dried. 
 
 Another is : first steep the wicks in a solution 
 of lime-water, in which saltpetre has been dis- 
 solved. To I gallon of water add 2 ounces salt- 
 petre and ^ pound lime. Dry well the wicks 
 before using. It improves the light, and prevents 
 the tallow from running. 
 
 CAMPHORA TED .Sba/.— Sixteen ounces of 
 white soap, eight ounces of boiling water, six 
 ounces of olive oil and one drachm of powdered 
 camphor ; dissolve the soap in the water, evapor- 
 ate slowly to the consistence of a soft paste, add the 
 camphor incorporated with the oil, mix thor- 
 oughly and pour into moulds. It is excellent for 
 chapped hands or lips and excoriations. 
 
 CARBOLIC ACID Soap.—'Tzke freshly pre- .. 
 pared cocoa-nut oil soap, 150 parts, and fuse; 
 then add a solution of alcohol, 10 parts ; carbolic 
 acid, 6 parts ; caustic potassa, 2 parts ; oil of 
 lemon, i part, and mix with .=tirring. To be 
 poured into moulds. 
 
 CHEMICAL Soap, {For taking Oil, Grease, 
 etc. from the cloth.'\ — Take 5 pounds Castile 
 
3i6 
 
 DICTIONARY OF E VERY-DAY WANTS. 
 
 soap, cut fine ; l pint alcohol ; i pint soft water ; 
 2 ounces aqua fortis; l}i ounce lampblack; 2 
 ounces saltpetre; 3 ounces potash; i ounce 
 camphor, and 4 ounces cinnamon, in po.wder. 
 First dissolve the soap, potash, and saltpetre, by- 
 boiling ; then add all the other articles, and con- 
 tinue to stir until it cools ; then pour into a box 
 and let it stand twenty-four hours and cut into 
 
 CHEMICAL SOFT Soa/>.— Take grease.S lbs.; 
 caustic soda, 8 lbs.; sal-soda, i lb.; melt the grease 
 in akettle, melt the sodas in soft water, 4 gals., and 
 pour all into a barrel holding 40 gals, and fill up 
 with soft water, and the labor is done. When 
 the caustic soda cannot be obtained of soap- 
 makers, you will make it by taking soda-ash and 
 fresh slaked lime, of each eight pounds ; dissolv- 
 ing them in the water with the sal-soda, and 
 when settled, pouring off the clear liquid. 
 
 CHLORINA TED Soap.— Yxam Castile soap 
 (in powder), II ozs.; chloride of lime (dry and 
 good), I oz.; mix, beat them to a mass with rec- 
 tified spirit, q. s.; holding in solution oil of ver- 
 bena or of ginger grass, % oz.; lastly form the 
 mass into flat tablets, and wrap these in thin 
 sheet gutta percha. A most excellent detergent 
 and stimulant soap in various affections, admir- 
 ably adapted for hospital use, and for removing 
 stains from the skin and rendering it white. It 
 is the most powerful known agent against infec- 
 tion from contagious diseases communicated by 
 contact. 
 
 CINNAMON Soap. — Palm oil soap, 2 parts; 
 good tallow soap, 3 parts. Reduce to shavings, 
 then liquefy by adding a little water, and placing 
 the mixture in a water bath until perfectly unit- 
 ed; next cool to about 135° Fahr., and add finely 
 powdered yellow ochre to color, and a sufficiency 
 of the foUowing perfume : Essence of cinnamon, 
 7 parts ; essence of bergamot, 2 parts ; essence 
 of sassafras, I part. Well mix the whole togeth- 
 er and mould. 
 
 CITRON Soap.—Qyyc^ soap, 6 lbs.; otto of 
 J^ citron, 3^ lb.; otto of verbena (lemon grass), y^ 
 oz.; otto of bergamot, 4*ozs.; otto of lemon, 2 
 ozs. One of the best fancy soaps that is made. 
 
 COLD Soap. — Twenty-two pounds of soap, 
 20 pounds of grease, and }( of a pound of rosin. 
 This quantity will make a barrel of soap. Keep 
 the grease tried out and strained, so as to be 
 ready for use when the requisite quantity is gain- 
 ed. Select the gray looking potash, put it into 
 the soap barrel, pour on it hot soft water to faci- 
 litate dissolving ; when softened put in the grease, 
 reserving two or three pounds to melt the rosin 
 in ; keep adding hot water till it stirs readily and 
 when nearly to the top put in the melted rosin 
 and fat. This soap is good and strong, will keep 
 any length of time and be free from insects. 
 When wanted for use dip out a quantity and add 
 a third of soft water to it. The dark potash is 
 apt to stain the clothes iji washing. 
 
 COSMETIC Soap.— Take a pound of Castile 
 soap, or any other nice old soap; scrape it fine; 
 put it on the fire with a little water; stir it to a 
 smooth paste ; turn it into a bowl ; when cold, 
 add some lavender water, or any kind of essence; 
 beat it with a silver spoon till well mixed ; thicken 
 it with Indian meal, and keep it in small pots, 
 closely covered; exposure to the air will harden it. 
 
 EMU LSI N AU JASMIN. — Saponaceous 
 cream, i oz.; simple syrup, ij^ oz.; almondoil, i 
 lb.; best jasmine oil, ^ lb. 
 
 EMULSIN A LA VIOLETTE.—S&-ponz.. 
 ceous cream, I oz.; syrup of violets, i^ oz.; best 
 violet oil, i^^ lb. 
 
 On account of the high price of the French oils 
 these emulsions are expensive, but they are un- 
 doubtedly the most exquisite of cosmetiques. 
 
 ENGLISH BAR SOAF.—Six gallons soft 
 water ; 6 lbs. good stone lime ; 20 lbs. sal-soda ; 
 4 ozs. borax; 15 lbs. fat (tallow is best); 10 lbs. 
 pulverized rosin, and 4 ozs. bees-wax ; put the 
 water in a kettle on the fire, and when nearly 
 boiling add the lime and soda ; when these are dis- 
 solved, add the borax ; boil gently, and stir until 
 all is dissolved ; then add the fat, rosin, and bees- 
 wax ; boil all gently until it shows flaky on the 
 stick, then pour into moulds. 
 
 ERASIVE Soap. — 2 pounds of good Castile 
 soap ; 1^ pound of carbonate of potash ; dissolved 
 in j4 pint hot water. Cut the soap in thin 
 slices, boil the soap with the potash until it is 
 thick enough to mould in cakes ; also, add al- 
 cohol, yi ounce ; camphor, ^ ounce ; hartshorn, 
 ^2 ounce ; color widi y^ ounce pulverized char- 
 coal. 
 
 FA T (^Animal), To Prepare for Soap Making, 
 — Tallow, when exposed at common temperature 
 in the air, gradually acquires an unpleasant, 
 rank smell. This can be prevented by cutting it 
 in slices, and boiling it in water containing for 
 every one hundred pounds of fat (water, thirty- 
 five to forty pounds), one quarter of a pound of 
 alum, one half pound of salt ; this is boiled to- 
 gether and strained; the cake of strained fat 
 taken up and washed in clean water ; then re- 
 melted at a low heat, and poured into a barrel 
 containing twice as much water (by measure) as 
 of the melted grease, and to this water add about 
 ten per cent, of good clear sweet soap compared 
 to the amount of grease, the water not to be 
 more then blood-heat, and the temperature of 
 the grease about the same. The whole is thor- 
 oughly stirred with a broad stick till cold, when 
 it is allowed to rest and separate from the water, 
 which is afterward withdrawn, and the fat re- 
 maining, in a granular state, completely drained, 
 and finally dried in a current of dry air, is then 
 transferred and packed in firkins, crocks or bar- 
 rels. 
 
 Grained fat thus prepared, is kept sweet, and 
 is also acted on by the lye with a far greater ease 
 and rapidity, in consequence no doubt of its 
 grain-like state, which enables the alkali in the 
 lye to act upon a greater surface at once without 
 requiring the boiling of the fat with the lye, and 
 producing a soap free of rank ^mell, while the 
 grained fat in suet may be preserved sweet for 
 soap-making purposes for years, if thoroughly 
 dried before packing away. 
 
 FLOA TING Soap. — Good oil soap ^ cwt.; 
 water y^ gallon; melt by the heat of a steam 
 or water bath in a pan furnished with an agitator, 
 which must be assiduously worked till the soap 
 has at least doubled its volume, when it must be 
 put into the frames, cooled, and cut into pieces. 
 Lathers well and is very pleasant. Any scenl 
 may be added. 
 
 FRANGIPANNI Soap.—QmA soap (previ- 
 ously colored light brown), 7 lbs.; civet, %. oz.; 
 otto of neroli, ]^ oz.; otto of santal, l^ oz.; 
 otto of rose, % oz.; otto of vitivert, ^ oz. Rub 
 the civet with the various ottos, mix, and beat in 
 the usual manner. 
 
 FULLER'S EARTH Soap.— CvixA soap, loy^ 
 
SOAP AND CANDLES. 
 
 317 
 
 lbs.; marine soap, 3^< lbs.; fuller's earth (baked), 
 14 lbs.; otto of French lavender, 2 oz.; oito of 
 origanum, I oz. 
 
 GALL Soap. — Gall soap, for the washing of 
 fine silken cloths and ribbons, is prepared in the 
 following manner: In a vessel of copper one 
 pound of cocoa-nut oil is heated to 60" Fahr., 
 ■whereupon half a pound of caustic soda is added 
 •witli constant stirring. In another vessel, half a 
 pound of white Venetian turpentine is heated, 
 and when quite hot, stirred into the copper kettle. 
 This kettle is then covered and left for four hours, 
 being gently heated, after which the fire is increas- 
 ed until the contents are perfectly clear, where- 
 upon one pound of ox-gall is added. After this, 
 enough good, perfectly dry castile soap is stirred 
 into the mixture to cause the whole to yield but 
 little under the pressure of the finger ; for which 
 purpose, from one to two pounds of soap are re- 
 quired for the above quantity. After cooling, the 
 soap is cut into pieces. It is excellent, and will 
 not injure the finest colors. 
 
 GKE.-iSE, To Preserve. — Boil all the scraps, 
 rinds, and bones, in a weak lye, and the purer 
 grease in clear water. Let the mixture cool, 
 lake off the cake of grease, and strain it. It is 
 well to do this occasionally, as you save it ; for 
 when kept a long time, impure grease becomes 
 offensive. You must be careful to dry off all 
 the water before laying it away ia your grease 
 tub, if you wish it to keep sweet. 
 
 GREASE, To Purify. — If the grease is very 
 foul in smell, it should be put in a boiler with 
 water, on Ihe fire (about three times as much 
 water as of the grease), a small quantity (say a 
 teaspoonful for five to ten pounds of grease) of 
 permanganate of potash added, by stirring, to 
 the whole, and after the mixture has cooled a 
 little, it is strained through a cloth, and allowed 
 to rest, when the cake of fat is taken out and put 
 in a cool place, or in the pot in which it is to be 
 remelted for transformation into soap. The pur- 
 pose of the permanganate of potash is to remove 
 the rank odor of the grease, which otherwise 
 would contaminate the soap also. 
 
 HARD Soap. — Fused sulphate of soda has 
 lieen used to harden soaps, which, made from 
 inferior fats, would otherwise be too soft. This 
 substance (Glauber salts, melted on a shovel or 
 otherwise, ) added to the soap in the proportion 
 of I lb. of the salt to 20 lbs. of the soap, is said 
 to remedy the defect, and to make a hard and 
 sound soap out of what would otherwise be too 
 soft for economical use. 
 
 HARD Soap. — ^Take 6 pounds of sal-soda, 6 
 pounds grease, and 3 pounds quick lime. Thor- 
 oughly mix the soda and lime in four gallons of 
 ■water, pour off from the sediment, put in the 
 grease and boil 20 minutes ; pour off and before 
 entirely cold cut in bars. 
 
 H.4RD Soap from Soft. — Take 7 lbs. good 
 soft soap; 4 lbs. sal soda; 2 ounces borax; I 
 ounce hartshorn ; ^ lb. rosin, to be dissolved in 
 22 quarts of water, and boiled about twenty min- 
 utes. 
 
 HARD Soap, with Lard. — Sal-soda and lard, 
 of each 6 lbs. ; stone lime 3 lbs.; soft water 4 gals.; 
 dissolve the lime and soda in the water, by boil- 
 ing, stirring, settling and pouring off; then return 
 to tlie kettle (brass "or copper) and add the lard 
 and boil until it becomes soap; then pour into a 
 dish or moulds, and when cold, cut it into b.-u-s 
 and let it dry- 
 
 LIOXE Y Soap. — Cut thin two pounds of 
 yellow soap into a double saucepan, occasionally 
 stirring it till it is melted, which will be in a few 
 minutes if the water is kept boiling around it, 
 then add a quarter of a pound of palm oil, quar- 
 ter of a pound of honey, three pennyworth of 
 true oil of cinnamon; let all boil together an- 
 other six or eight minutes ; pour out and stand 
 it by till next day; it is then fit for immediate 
 use. If made as these directions it will be found 
 to be a very superior soap. / 
 
 LIOiYEY AND ALMOND PASTE.— 
 Bitter almonds, blanched and ground, ^ lb.; 
 honey, I lb.; yelk of eggs, in number, 8 ; al- 
 mond oil, I lb.; otto of bergamot, of cloves, 
 each, \^ oz. Rub the eggs and honey together 
 first, then gradually add the oil, and finally the 
 ground almonds and the perfume. 
 
 LODINE Soap. — From castile soap (sliced) I 
 lb.; iodide of potassium, I oz.; dissolved in wa- 
 ter, 3 fl. oz.; melt them together in a glass or 
 porcelain vessel, over a water bath. Excellent 
 in various skin diseases; also as a common soap 
 for scrofulous subjects. 
 
 yUNLPER TAR Soap.—T\ns soap is made 
 from the tar of the wood of the Juniperus com- 
 munis, by dissoh-ing it in a fixed vegetable oil, 
 such as almond or olive oil, or in fine tallow, and 
 forming a soap by means of a weak soda lye, 
 after the customary manner. This yields a 
 moderately firm and clear soap, which may be 
 readily used by application to parts affected with 
 eruptions, at night, mixed with a little water, 
 and carefully washed off the following morning. 
 This soap has lately been much used for eruptive 
 disorders, particularly on the continent, and with 
 varjing degrees of success. It is thought that 
 the efficient element in its composition is a rather 
 less impure hydrocarburet than that known in 
 Paris under the name "huile de cade." On ac- 
 count of its ready miscibility with water, it pos- 
 sesses great advantage over the common tar oint- 
 ment used for itch, etc. 
 
 LABOR-SA VLNG Soap.—1ik& 2 pounds of 
 sal soda, 2 pounds of yellow bar soap, and 10 
 quarts of water. Cut tlie soap in thin slices, and* 
 boil together two hours ; strain, and it will be 
 fit for use. Put the clothes in soak the night 
 before you wash, and to every pail of water in 
 which you boil them, add a pound of soap. They 
 will need no rubbing; merely rinse them out, 
 and they will be perfectly clean and white. 
 
 LIQUID Soap. — Sweet oil, 7 parts; caustic 
 potass, I part ; rose water sufficient quantity to 
 reduce it to a proper state. Rub the oil, alkali, 
 and a few spoonfuls of the water together in a 
 hot mortar until united, then add the remaindei 
 of the water as required. 
 
 L YE, To Make. — Have a large tub, or cask, 
 and bore a hole in one side, for a tap, near the 
 bottom ; place several bricks near the hole, and 
 cover them with straw. Fill the barrel with 
 strong wood ashes. Oak ashes are strongest ; 
 and those of apple-tree wood make the whitest 
 soap. Pour on boiling water until it begins to 
 run, then put in the tap and let it soak. If the 
 ashes settle down as they are ■wet, fill in until 
 full. 
 
 L YE, White. — This is made by pouring a 
 pailful of boiling water over 4 or 5 quarts of 
 ashes. Let it stand a while to infuse ; then pour 
 in cold water to settle it, when you can pour it 
 off clear. This is very good to boil dirty clothes 
 
3i8 
 
 DICTIONARY OF EVERY~DAY WANTS. 
 
 in. When made nice, is equal to soda, and does 
 not, unless made extremely strong, injure the 
 clothes. 
 
 MARBLED SOAP BALLS. — Take ten 
 pounds of white oil soap and ten pounds of Joppa 
 soap. Cut them into small square pieces, which 
 set to dry for three days : the oil soap, particular- 
 ly, must be thus dried. Scrape, very fine, five 
 pounds of oil soap, which dry for one day in the 
 open air ; mix it well in the shaving box, with 
 five pounds of powder, and add an ounce and a 
 half of the best vermilion. 
 
 In mixing, place pieces of soap and colored 
 powder in layers in the box ; making in all four 
 alternate layers of each. When a layer of each 
 has been laid in the box, sprinkle a pint of rose 
 water over the cut soap ; for if it be much com 
 bined with the powder it will become lumpy and 
 hard, and consequently spoil the M-ash balls. The 
 same quantity of water is to be used for moisten- 
 ing each of the other soap layers. Next mix a 
 pint of thin starch, which has been well boiled in 
 half a pint of rain water, with half a pint of rose 
 water, and distribute it, equally well mixed, 
 among the mass, by turning it over lepeatedly, 
 and then press it down close with the hands. If 
 a piece be now cut out from the mass the opera- 
 tor will perceive whether the marbling is suf- 
 ficiently good : and if so, he may proceed im- 
 mediately to form his wash balls. 
 
 MACQUER'S ACID 5<;«/.— Castile soap, 4 
 ozs.; soften by heat and a little water ; add oil of 
 vitriol q. s., continually triturating the mass in a 
 mortar. Detergent. Used where alkalis would 
 be prejudicial. 
 
 MUSK SoapJ^^ooA tallow soap, 30 pounds; 
 palm soap, 26 pounds. Treat as for cinnamon 
 soap, and perfume with the following mixture: — 
 Powdered cloves, 5 ounces; powdered pale roses, 
 5 ounces ; powdered gillyflower, 5 ounces ; es- 
 sence of bergamot, 4 ounces ; essence of musk, 
 3^ ounces. Color with brown ochre, 4X 
 ounces. 
 
 ORANGE FLOWER Soap.—YiHixa. soap, 2 
 parts; tallow soap, 3 parts. Mix, as for cin- 
 namon soap, and perfume with the following es- 
 sences : Essence of Portugal, 8 parts ; essence 
 of amber, 7 parts. Mix. Color with the fol- 
 lowing, as required : Red lead, 5 parts ; yellow 
 green, 33 parts. Mix. 
 
 PALM Soap (superior). — Cut thin two pounds 
 of yellow soap into a double saucepan, occasion- 
 ally stirring it till it is melted, which will be in a 
 few minutes, if the water is kept boiling around 
 it; then add quarter of a pound of palm oil, 
 quarter of a pound of honey, and six cents worth 
 of true oil of cinnamon ; let all boil together an- 
 other six or eight minutes ; pour out, and stand 
 it by till next day. It is then fit for immediate use. 
 
 PEARL SOFT Soap.—lTikc. lard, 2 parts ; 
 potass lye (36° B.), I part. Put the lard over 
 the fire ; and, when half melted, stir it with a 
 spatula until it assumes the appearance of milk, 
 then add half the lye, stir well, but avoid increas- 
 ing the temperature. When soapy granulations 
 commence forming, and fall to the bottom, add 
 the rest of the lye; continue the stirring until the 
 paste is formed, then transfer the pan to a bath 
 of warm water, and let them cool together. When 
 cold, pound it in a marble mortar until it as- 
 sumes a pearly appearance. Scent with bitter al- 
 monds essence. 
 
 PISTACHIO NUT //^^Z. — Pistachio 
 
 nuts (decorticated as almonds are bleached), i lb.; 
 orris powder, I lb.; otto of neroli, I drachm; 
 otto of lemons, ^ oz. 
 
 Other meals, such as perfumed oatmeal, per- 
 fumed bran, etc., are occasionally in demand, 
 and are prepaVed as the foregoing. 
 
 POTASH, Yield of.—A& a general rule, the 
 ashes of the following woods give : 
 100 lbs. of pine ashes yield 45-100 lb., or less 
 
 than half a pound of potash. 
 100 " poplar ashes yield j^ lb. 
 ICO " beech " " 1.45 " 
 100 " oak " " 2.03 ♦• 
 
 100 «' willow " " 2.8$ " 
 100 " sug. maple " 3.9 " 
 100 ** elm " 3.9 " 
 
 100 " wheat straw "4.18" 
 ICO " vine branches " 5.5 " 
 ICO " dry cornstalks "17.5 " 
 ICO " potato stalks "55. — " 
 
 One pound of caustic potash, on an average, 
 combines with five pounds of clean grease, and 
 will make five gallons of good soft soap. 
 
 ROSIN Soap. — Fifteen per cent, of rosin can 
 be saponified with potash or soda lye, and mixed 
 with clear, warm tallow soap to a good purpose ; 
 more would deteriorate it, although for the 
 cheapest grade of soaps, thirty-three per cent, is 
 often added; but such soaps remain soft and 
 clammy, and are unsatisfactory to the consumer. 
 Twelve gallons of strong lye(30° to36°Eeaume) 
 are needed for 100 lbs. of rosin. Some soap- 
 makers melt it with the fat in the commencement 
 of the boihng of the soap, but experience has 
 shown that it is best to prepare a pure tallow 
 soap first, and afterward mix with it the rosin 
 soap, made in a separate kettle. Both soaps in 
 the hot state are to be thoroughly incorporated, 
 by stirring and beating intimately for half an hour, 
 and the whole passed through a wire sieve before 
 transferring to the frames, and therein also well 
 stirred with the crutch. Some palm oil, when 
 saponified along with the tallow, will much im- 
 prove the appearance of such a soap. 
 
 The rosin, previous to its being put in contact 
 with the lye, should be ground fine, and while 
 one workman is occupied in throwing it into the 
 boiler containing the hot lye, another should he 
 constantly occupied in stirring it in, as the mix- 
 ture easily rises. The heat must not be too rap- 
 idly increased, nor is it necessary that it should 
 boil all the time, but merely kept near the boiling 
 point, but it is indispensable to keep stirring the 
 mixture all the time, otherwise caking of the 
 rosin will interfere with the progress of the ope- 
 ration. Saponification will be completed in 
 about two hours, and then it may be added to the 
 fat about being converted into soap, as above 
 described. 
 
 SALT in Soap Making. — A very practical 
 and a most useful adaptation of common salt 
 (chloride of sodium) in partial substitution for al- 
 kali in the manufacture of soap, is now being 
 most economically and advantageously used in 
 this country. A soap can be produced in the 
 bar, or molded' into pattern, cheaper than by 
 any other known process ; and plain and fancy 
 soaps of every odor, color, and design, are being 
 freely circulated, at a figure costing the public 
 no more, when boxed, than $2.88 or $3.36 per 
 cwt. of 112 pounds. This, too, where the man- 
 ufacturers have to pay 30 cents per cwt. for car- 
 I riage on the salt. 
 
SOAP AND CANDLES. 
 
 ;i9 
 
 SALT WATER Soap.— S lbs. caustic soda, 
 7 gallons of water for the lye ; 25 lbs. cocoa-nut 
 oil or lard, as it is sometimes called; melt the 
 oil, and introduce the lye gradually, and stir ac- 
 tively until creamy. A very small proportion of 
 fused Glauber salts helps to make the soap 
 harden. 
 
 SANTAL-WOOD ^Vw/.— Curd soap, 7 lbs.; 
 otto of santal, 7 oz.; otto of bergamot, 2 oz. 
 
 SAND Soap. — Curd soap, 7 lbs.; marine soap, 
 7 lbs.; sifted silver sand, 28 lbs.; otto of thyme, 
 of cassia, of caraw.iy, of French lavender, each, 
 2 ozs. 
 
 SAPONACEOUS CREAM of Almonds.— 
 The preparation sold under this title is a potash 
 soft soap of lard. It has a beautiful pearly ap- 
 pearance, and has met with extensive demand as 
 a shaving soap. Being also used in the tnanu- 
 facture of Emulsines, it is an article of no incon- 
 siderable consumption by the perfumer. It is 
 made thus : Clarified lard, 7 lbs.; potash lye 
 (containing 26 per cent, of caustic potash), ■>,% 
 lbs.; rectified spirit, 3 ozs.; otto of almonds, 2 
 drachms. Melt the lard in a porcelain vessel by 
 a salt water baih, or by a steam heat under 15 lbs. 
 pressure ; then run in the lye, very slowly, agitat- 
 ing the whole time ; when about half the lye is 
 in, the mixture begins to curdle; it will, how- 
 ever, become so firm that it cannot be stirred. 
 The cream is then finished, but is not pearly ; it 
 will, however, assume that appearance by long 
 trituration in a mortar, gradually adding the al- 
 cohol, in which has been dissolved the perfume. 
 
 SCENTING SOAPS COLD.— This method 
 is exceedingly convenient and economical for 
 scenting small batches, involving merely mechan- 
 ical labor, the tools required being siYnply an 
 ordinary carpenter's plane, and a good marble 
 mortar, and lignum \\ix pestle. The woodwork 
 of the plane must be fashioned at each end, so 
 that when placed over the mortar it remains firm 
 and not easily moved by the parallel pressure of 
 the soap agamst its projecting blade. To com- 
 mence operations, we t.ake first 7 lbs., 14 lbs., or 
 21 lbs. of the bars of the soap that it is intended 
 to perfume. The plane is now laid upside down 
 across the top of the mortar. Things being thus 
 arranged, the whole of the soap is to be pushed 
 across the plane until it is all reduced into fine 
 shavings. 
 
 Soap as generally received from the maker is 
 the proper condition for thus working; but if it 
 has been in stock any time it becomes too hard, 
 and must have from one to three ounces of distil- 
 led water sprinkled in the shavings for every 
 {)ound of soap employed, and must lay for at 
 east twenty-four hours to be absorbed before the 
 perfume is added to it. 
 
 When it is determined what size the cakes of 
 soap are to be, what they are to sell for, and 
 what it is intended they should cost, then the 
 maker can measure out his perfume. 
 
 The soap being in a proper physical condition 
 with regard to moisture, etc., is now to have the 
 perfume well stirred into it. The pestle is then 
 set to work for the process of incorporation. 
 After a couple of hours the soap is generally ex- 
 pected to be free from streaks, and to be of one 
 uniform consistency. 
 
 SH.4V1NG Soap.— I. Good white soap (in 
 thin shavings), 3 pounds; p.alm soap, i pound; 
 soft water, 3^ pound; soda, I ounce. Melt care- 
 fully over a slow fire, in an earthen vessel, then 
 
 add oil of lavender, 60 drops ; oil of lemon, 40 
 drops; bergamot, 50 drops. Mix well, and make 
 it into forms. — 2. Take 3 lbs. white bar soap, i 
 lb. Castile soap, I quart rain water, ^ pt. beefs 
 gall, I gill spirits turpentine. Cut the soap into 
 thin slices, and boil five minutes after the soap is 
 dissolved, stir while boiling: scent with oil of 
 rose or almonds. If wished to color it, use ^ 
 oz. vermi.ion. 
 
 SNA VI NG PASTE.— I. Naples soap (gen- 
 uine), 40Z.; powdered castile soap, 2 oz.; honey, 
 I oz.; essence of ambergris and oils of cassia and 
 nutmegs, of each, 5 or 6 drops. — 2. White wax, £» 
 spermaceti and almond oil, of each, ^^ oz.; melt, 
 and while warm, beat in 2 squares of Windsor 
 soap previously reduced to a paste wuth a little 
 rose-water. — 3. White soft soap, 4 oz.; sper- 
 maceti and salad oil, of each, _J^ oz.; melt them 
 together, and stir until nearly cold. It may be 
 scented at will. When properly prepared, these 
 pastes produce a good lather with either hot or 
 cold water, which does not dry on the face. 
 The proper method of using them is to smear a 
 minute quantity over the beard, and then to 
 apply the wetted shaving brush, and not to pour 
 water on them, as is the common practice. 
 
 SOAP-MAKING in General. — kx^xmriS. fat, 
 such as tallow, is the substance most at hand of 
 all other fatty matters for soap-making, although 
 vegetable oils, such as palm, cocoa-nut, castor, 
 sunflower, olive and other oils, and also rosin, 
 are used in soap-making occasionally, but tallow 
 being more easily obtainable, and generally at a 
 lower cost than most of the oils above enumerat- 
 ed, is most extensively employed in the manufac- 
 ture of domestic soap. For purpose, after being 
 freed of skin by boiling, straining and remeltiiig, 
 it is heated to the temperature of boiling water, 
 and mixed on the fire with a hot solution of 
 either soda, potash, or both, in water called the 
 lye ; the whole is gradually transferred into an 
 iron pot, larger by at least one-third than the 
 whole mixture, about one quart of the melted 
 fat being first ladled into it, then as much or 
 more of the hot lye, the mixture constantly stir- 
 red on the fire till a sort of creamy matter is 
 formed, the ladling kept on alternately till all the 
 lye and fat are mixed together; the stirring to 
 be kept up on a moderate fire till the mixture 
 boils, and is allowed to boil some ten or fifteen 
 minutes, according to the strength of the lye 
 employed ; it is then transferred from the boiler 
 into a form, a tight box, in which muslin has 
 been placed overhanging the box, so that the ' 
 soap may be afterward more easily drawn out of 
 it for the purpose of drying it, or else it may be 
 poured in a common wash-tub, previously soaked 
 in water to prevent adhesion to the tub, and 
 there allowed to harden for a few days, from 
 whence it is transferred on boards, or upon a 
 table, to dry and be cut in bars for use, by means 
 of an annealed wire. 
 
 SOAP-MAKING, Country. —In most parts 
 of this country it is as convenient, and much 
 cheaper, to make soap from the lye of leached 
 ashes than from a soda lye. 
 
 To leach the ashes properly for this purpose, 
 from two to five per cent, of lime should be add- 
 ed, to give proper causticity to the potash in so- 
 lution which the lye contains. The ordinary 
 process is to have a receptacle made of boards 
 and lined with str.iw, cone-shaped, the lye run- 
 ning through at the bottom. Upon the straw, 
 
320 
 
 DICTIONARY OF EVERY-DAY WANTS. 
 
 fresli wood ashes mixed with a little lime, is 
 placed, and water poured thereon and allowed 
 to filter through and trickle out from the point 
 into a proper vessel. The lye will not be of 
 uniform strength. Hot water poured upon the 
 ashes makes a stronger lye than cold ; in other 
 words, it extracts more potash from the ashes. 
 To get the lye to a uniform strength, and one 
 proper for soap-making, boil it until a sound 
 potato will float upon its surface. This is the 
 farm wife's specific gravity test, and it is as ac- 
 curate as any sold by the opticians. Then, into 
 a kettle two-thirds full of lye, in with your melt- 
 ed fat, by ladlefuls at a time, and stir until it is 
 creamy; now begin to add the salt by small 
 handfuls, stirring carefully and rapidly until a 
 ring made of the soapy matter on the stirring 
 stick, remains visible. Then allow the fire to go 
 out, and the soap to harden. It usually gathers 
 on the top of the spent lye, from which it may 
 be lifted when hard, or the lye can be poured off 
 by tipping the kettle. Soft soap is made in the 
 same way, without the salt. 
 
 A correspondent of a monthly magazine gives 
 the following method of making soap for family 
 use in the country : I start the lye to boiling, 
 and then while boiling, if the lye is not strong 
 enough to eat the feather off a quill, boil it down 
 until it is. When it will just eat the feather, let 
 the kettle be a little more than one third full of 
 lye, and put in grease, skins of the hogs, bacon 
 rinds, meat fryings, and the like, until the kettle 
 is about two-thirds full. The kettle must not be 
 full, for with the least bit too much fire, over the 
 soap goes. It is better to put in a little less than 
 the necessary amount of grease. Lye and grease 
 combine in certain proportions, but pass the 
 limit, and no amount of boiling will take up an 
 f excess of grease. It will remain on top, hot or 
 icold, and will be very troublesome ; whereas a 
 little too much lye will sink to the bottom when 
 the soap comes. If the proportions are good, a 
 little fire only is required to keep it boiling, and 
 in a few hours it is done. Then take a bucket 
 of weak lye, and let it boil up with the soap once. 
 This will not disturb the already made soap, but 
 will wash the dirt out that was in the grease, and 
 with it settle to the bottom. When the soap is 
 cold it can be cut out in cakes. Exposure to the 
 air will soften it down until it is of about the con- 
 sistence of mush, and a little darker, growing 
 fairer and fairer. Some, instead of putting in 
 lye to wash the dirt out of the soap, put in salt 
 and water. The soap thus made is whiter, but 
 is apt to be too stiff to use easily in the wash-tub. 
 It makes excellent ball soap for washing dirty 
 hands. I take some weaker lye and the clean 
 part of that which is left in the bottom of the 
 soap kettles, and enough to half fill one of the 
 kettles or more, setting it in some convenient 
 place outdoors. I put a stick of wood on the 
 north side of the top of the kettle, lay on some 
 boards, making a roof which is easily managed 
 to shed rain, and lay another stick on top to keep 
 the roof in place. By lifting one of the boards a 
 little, I can put in from time to time whatever 
 soap-fat is gathered in the family through the 
 summer. Whenever the sun shines, I remove 
 the cover and stir the lye. I facilitate the busi- 
 ness a little in this way, and I have by fall a half 
 kettle of decent soap, and no trouble with soap- 
 fat in hot weather. 
 
 SOAP-MAKING by the Cold /Fa^.— The fat 
 
 is melted at a low heat, not warmer than blood 
 heat, and the lye gradually added — 40 lbs. of 
 strong lye (about 36", Beaume) to 80 lbs. of fat, 
 and less, even should the lye be stronger still. 
 The lye should be perfectly clear, and not more 
 than tepid in temperature. The fat and the lye 
 should be persistently stirred with a broad 
 wooden spatula, having sharp edges at its lower 
 end, and rounded at its upper, for easy hand- 
 ling. The paddling should be kept up until a 
 ring drawn with the spatula remains visible a 
 short time. It is at that point that the coloring 
 matters and perfumes are added, if any are 
 wanted. 
 
 The parts should then be run into frames, 
 previously lined with muslin so carefully that no 
 folds be formed at the edges of the box. Each 
 frame should be entirely filled with the soap, and 
 well closed, with the margin of the muslin, and 
 also fitted with a modern cover. The whole 
 should be left for about one day to rest in a mild 
 temperature, the complete change or saponifi- 
 cation completing itself in the frames, where the 
 temperature rises spontaneously to sometimes 
 over 175'' F. Under the influence of this action 
 the various constituent principles in the mass, 
 including the glycerine, become further com- 
 bined, and a soap produced almost resembling 
 that of boiled soaps. At the expiration of twenty- 
 four hours the soap may be taken up from the 
 frames, and cut up in bars to dry. Sometimes, 
 especially when mutton tallow is mostly em- 
 ployed with soda for the lye, one-tenth of potash 
 is added, to diminish the nardness of the soap ; 
 at the same time it increases its solubility and 
 quality, the soap resulting from that addition not 
 being brittle when dry, as it would be when 
 exclusively made of hard tallow and soda lye. 
 The yield of such soap is about 150 lbs. to 100 
 lbs. of fat. 
 
 SOAP {Hofiie-made') from Caustic Soda. — It 
 sometimes happens that caustic soda is not 
 within reach, and yet sal-soda is to be had. To 
 transform this material into a suitable lye for 
 soap making, this is a convenient and suitable 
 process : Dissolve sal-soda, say three pounds, in 
 two gallons of warm water. Slake in a firkin 
 three pounds of good quicklime ; add to it the 
 soda solution ; stir the whole thoroughly with a 
 stick, and add two gallons of boiling water ; s4ir 
 again, and let it settle. Pour off the clear liquor 
 in a clean iron boiler placed on the fire, and stir 
 into it six pounds of clarified grease, and two 
 ounces of powdered borax. Let it boil slowly 
 till it gets thick and ropy (about ten minutes 
 boihng), and pour it into a tub or tight box, as 
 stated above. Soap thus made is an excellent 
 hard soap for family use; after drying a month 
 or so in a dry-room, and cut into bars, it is fit 
 for use. 
 
 SOAP, Cheap. — Soap for family use can be 
 made very cheap and of excellent quality with 
 little trouble by the use of a common article sold 
 in all drug stores. This is lye put up in a con- 
 centrated form in small iron boxes holding one 
 pound. These boxes cost 25 cents in ordinary 
 times, now we believe they retail at 40 or 50 
 cents, and will make 25 pounds of green or new 
 soap. The plan of proceeding is merely to take 
 a box of this substance, knock off the lid, and 
 throw it into a gallon of boiling water. After 
 standing ten hours, the lye will be clear, and 
 must be thrown into a wash boiler with another 
 
SOAP AND CANDLES. 
 
 32X 
 
 gallon of boiling water; when the contents of the 
 vessel boil, four pounds of any grease must be 
 added slowly, poured in a thin stream and stir- 
 red well. When intimately mixed, the boiler 
 should simmer slowly for four or six hours, and 
 half an hour before taking off, another gallon of 
 hot water may be added, together with half a 
 teacupful of salt. The latter is not necessary, 
 however, and if too much is thrown in, the soap 
 is curdled or made short so that it breaks and 
 •wastes. When the soap is thought to be done, 
 plunge a case knife in ; if the mass drops clear 
 and ropy and chills quickly, it is soap and will 
 be firm and hard when cold. Have ready a wash 
 tub well wet on the bottom and sides ; pour the 
 soap in and let it set; in a few hours it will be 
 hard enough to cut out and as white as snow. 
 This process makes twenty-five pounds of soap ; 
 or, by the aid of grease, four pounds, lye, one 
 pound, twenty-four pounds of water, less two 
 quart» driven off in boiling, (one gallon weighs 
 eight pounds nearly,) are converted into soap of 
 excellent detersive properties. Since the grease 
 is saved from the family w.aste, the soap has only 
 cost what the lye has come to, and as the loss 
 by drying is only 25 per cent., eighteen pounds 
 of soap can be made for fifty cents, or a little 
 less than three cents per pound. 
 
 SOAP A U BOUQUET.— OooA tallow soap 
 ^in shavings), )^ cwt. ; essence of bergamot, 4 
 ounces ; oil of cloves, 7 drachms ; oil of sassafras, 
 7 drachms ; oil of thyme, 7 drachms ; neroli, 3>^ 
 drachms ; brown ochre to color. Reduce the 
 soap to a perfectly even paste by the heat of a 
 water-bath, adding a little water, then proceed, 
 as for Soap a la Rose. 
 
 SOAP A LA ROSE. — New olive oil soap 30 
 lbs. ; new tallow soap 20 lbs. ; reduce them to 
 shavings by sliding the bars along the face of an 
 inverted plane, melt in an untinned copper pan 
 by the heat of steam or a water-bath, add I j^oz. 
 of finely-ground vermilion, mix well, remove 
 the heat, and when the mass has cooled a httle, 
 add essence of roses (otto?) 3 oz. ; do. of cloves 
 and cinnamon, of each I oz. ; bergamot 2^ 
 oz. ; mix well, run the liquid mass through a 
 tammy cloth, and put it into the frames. If the 
 soaps employed are not new, i or 2 quarts of 
 water must be added to make them melt easily. 
 Very fine. 
 
 SOAP from Yelk of Egg. — M. Manny,- a 
 pharmacien, of Valence, in Dauphiny, has intro- 
 duied into commerce, with considerable success, 
 a soap made from yelk of egg, which is spoken 
 highly of, its price being the only objection to 
 its general use. This soap is of a yellow color 
 and firm consistence, having an odor by "no 
 means disagreeable. It dissolves readily in any 
 ivater, and cleans as well as the best Marseilles 
 soap. 
 
 SPERMACETI Soap.— CyjiTdiSOTcp, 14 lbs.; 
 otto of bergamot, 2% lbs. ; otto of lemon, ^ lb. 
 
 STARKEY'S Soap.— 'i^mis of turpentine, 
 caustic potash, and water, of each a sufficient 
 quantity. The potash may be rendered caustic 
 by passing the lye over quicklime. 
 
 SULPHURETED Soap. — From white 
 soap, 2 oz. ; sublimed sulphur, ^ oz. ; beaten to 
 a smooth paste in a marble mortar with i or 2 fl. 
 dr. of rectified spirit strongly colored with 
 alkanet root, and holding in solution otto of 
 roses, 10 or 12 drops. In itch and various other 
 cutaneous diseases. 
 
 SOFT Soap. — I. Take i gallon of soft soap* 
 to which add i gill of common salt, and boil an 
 hour. When cold, separate the lye from the 
 crude. Add to the crude 2 pounds of sal soda, 
 and boil in 2 gallons soft water till dissolved. If 
 you wish it better, slice 2 pounds of common bar 
 soap, and dissolve in the above. If the soft soap 
 makes more than 3 pounds of crude, add in pro- 
 
 Eortion to the sal soda and water. — 2. For one 
 arrel take potash, eight pounds ; melted and 
 clarified fat, eight pounds. Crack the potash in 
 small lumps, and put it into a large iron pot of 
 three or four gallons capacity, with hot boiling 
 water to nearly fill it. Heat the fat in another 
 iron pot quite hot. Put three or four gallons of 
 hot water in the barrel, previously cleaned and 
 ready for use, and ladle in it alternately the hot 
 fat and hot lye ; stir the whole briskly for a while 
 before more lye and fat are ladled in, and gradu- 
 ally add enough hot water to fill the barrel; stir 
 again the whole, after each ladle of hot water, 
 till the whole becomes a creamy mass, uniform 
 in its appearance. Allow it to rest for three 
 months in a temperate place or cellar. — 3. Dis- 
 solve a quarter of a pound of lime in a gallon of 
 cold water, then take off the clear ; dissolve half 
 a pound of sal-soda in a quart of water, and nVix 
 it with the clear lime-water; one pound of brown 
 soap, dissolved in a gallon of water, is then to 
 be added to the clear liquor formed with the sal- 
 soda and lime-water, and this forms the soap. 
 This soft soap is excellent for boiling white 
 linens. It removes all grease that is in them, 
 because it contains an excess of caustic lye. 
 About one quart of it is sufficient for boiling 
 clothes in a ten gallon copper. A quantity of 
 this may be made up and kept for constant 
 use. 
 
 TALLOW, To Clarify. — Dissolve one pound 
 of alum in one quart of water, add this to 100 
 pounds of tallow in a jacket kettle (a kettle set 
 in a larger one, and the intervening space filled 
 with water. This prevents burning the tallow.) 
 Boil three quarters of an hour and skim. Then 
 add one pound of salt dissolved in a quart of 
 water. Boil and skim. When well clarified the 
 tallow should be nearly the color of water. 
 
 TALLOW, To Harden. — \ have used the 
 following mixture with success : To one pound 
 tallow take one fourth of a pound common rosin; 
 melt them together, and mold the candles the 
 usual way. This will give a candle of superior 
 lighting power, and as hard as a wax candle ; a 
 vast improvement upon the common tallow 
 candle, in all respects except color. 
 
 TEST for Soap. — The value of boiled soaps 
 of course depends greatly on the quality of the 
 materials used. This accounts for the difference 
 in price and quality. The purest materials, such, 
 as clean tallow or pure oils, thoroughly saponified, 
 yield the most valuable soaps, costing more per 
 pound, but they are cheaper in the end. A good 
 soap is a perfectly neutral compound, and will in 
 no case injure the most delicate fabrics. The 
 simplest method of testing soap is by tasting. If 
 it is sharp and biting on the tongue, there is an 
 excess of alkali; but if it leaves no unpleasant 
 sensation on the tongue, there is not the loast 
 danger that it will rot or otlierwise injure clothes 
 in washing. 
 
 TONQ UINMUSK 6V?a/.— Pale brown color- 
 ed curd soap, 5 lbs.; grain musk, % oz.; otto of 
 bergamot, I oz. Rub the musk, with the 
 
 21 
 
322 
 
 DICTIONARY OF E VERY-DAY WANTS. 
 
 bergamot,- then add it to the soap, and beat 
 up. 
 
 TRANSPARENT Soaps.— Kx^ usually pre- 
 pared from good tallow and rosin soap thoroughly 
 dried and cut into thin shavings. These are stir- 
 red in strong alcohol (sp. gr., 849.), heated in a 
 still to the boiling point in a water-bath or steam 
 jacket arrangement; a stirring rod being con- 
 nected with the still the soap is promptly dissolv- 
 ed, and the alcohol condensed in a worm and re- 
 cipient for future operations, while the soap is 
 discharged from its boiler through a pipe and 
 faucet at the bottom into a kettle, where it is ra- 
 pidly perfumed with essential oils, and from 
 there into molds of any given form for purposes 
 of sale. Three and a half to four gallons of al- 
 cohol are usually employed for dissolving 50 lbs. 
 of soap in shavings. 
 
 TRANSPARENT Soap.— Slice 6 lbs. nice 
 yellow bar soap into shavings ; put into a brass, 
 tin, or copper kettle, with alcohol, % gallon, 
 heating gradually over a slow fire, stirring till 
 all is dissolved ; then add I oz. sassafras essence, 
 and stir until all is mixed ; now pour into pans 
 about I % inches deep, and when cold cut into 
 square bars the length or width of the pan, as 
 desired. 
 
 TRANSPARENT SOFT ^-^ja/.— Solution 
 caustic potash (Lond. Ph.), 6 lbs.; olive oil, i 
 lb. Perfume to taste. 
 
 Before commencing to make the soap, reduce 
 the potash lye to one half its bulk by continued 
 boiling. Now proceed as for the manufacture 
 of saponaceous cream. After standing a few 
 days, pour off the waste liquor. 
 
 WASH BALLS, Cream.— Vihii& curd soap, 7 
 pounds ; powdered starch, I pound ; water or 
 rose water sufficient to mix. Beat the whole to- 
 gether, and form into balls. 
 
 WASH BALLS, Lemon. — Cut 6 pounds of 
 soap into very small pieces ; melt it with a pint 
 of water in which 6 lemons have been boiled. 
 When melted, withdraw the soap from the fire, 
 and add 3 pounds of powdered starch, and a 
 little essence of lemon. Knead the whole into a 
 paste, and form into balls of the desired size. 
 
 WASHING EL [/IDS.— This preparation 
 answers very well for family washing, and saves 
 soap considerably, which last is needful merely 
 upon the most soiled portions, such as wrist- 
 bands, collars, etc. Sal-soda, three pounds ; 
 best unslaked lime, three quarters of a pound ; 
 hot water, four gallons. Slake the lime in suf- 
 ficient boiling water; add to it the sal-soda, pre- 
 viously dissolved in the four gallons of hot wa- 
 ter; stir the whole thoroughly, and allow it to 
 rest and settle ; pour off the clear liquid; bottle 
 in clean bottles, and cork tight for use. To two 
 pails of water add one pint of washing fluid, and 
 boil the clothes in it (it is belter to boil the wa- 
 ter before adding the fluid.) 
 
 This preparation in the proportions given, does 
 not injure the linen, and diminishes the amount 
 of soap and rubbing considerably. Another ex- 
 cellent one is as follows: 
 
 Take two pounds of the best brown soap; cut 
 it up and put it in a clean pot, adding one quart 
 of clean soft water. Set over the fire, and melt 
 thoroughly, stirring it up from the bottom oc- 
 casionally. Then take from tlie fire, and stir in 
 one tablespoonful real white wine vinegar; two 
 large tablespoon fuls of hartshorn, and seven 
 large tablespoonfuls of spirit of turpentine. Hav- 
 
 ing stirred the ingredients well together, put the 
 mixture immediately into a stone jar; cover 
 without delay, lest the hartshorn evaporate. 
 Keep it always closely covered. When going to 
 wash, nearly fill a six or eight gallon tub with 
 soft water, as hot as you can bear your hand in, 
 and stir in two large tablespoonfuls of the mix- 
 ture. Put in as many white clothes as the water 
 will cover ; let them soak about an hour, mov- 
 ing them about in the water occasionally. It will 
 only be necessary to rub with the hands such 
 parts as are badly soiled; the ordinary dirt will 
 •oak out. Wring out and rinse well through two 
 cold waters. 
 
 Next put into the wash kettle sufficient water 
 to boil the clothes (it must be cold at first), and 
 add to it two tablespoonfuls of the washing mix- 
 ture. Put in the clothes after the mixture is well 
 stirred, and boil them half an hour, not more. 
 Then take out and throw into a tub of cold water; 
 rinse well in this, and lastly put into a second 
 tub of rinsing water, slightly blued with the in- 
 digo bag. The double rinsing is important, and 
 by following the above directions the washing 
 mixture will save much time and labor, and 
 render the clothes beautifully white, without 
 injury. 
 
 WHALE-OIL Soap.— For the destruction of 
 insects : Render common lye caustic, by boiling 
 it at full strength on quicklime ; then take the 
 lye and boil it with as much whale oil foot as it 
 will saponify (change to soap), pour off into 
 molds, and, when cold, it is tolerably hard. 
 Whale oil foot is the sediment produced m refin- 
 ing whale oil. 
 
 WHITE HARD Soap.— To 15 pounds of 
 lard, or suet, made boiling hot, add slowly 6 
 gallons of hot lye, or solution of potash, that 
 will bear up an egg high enough to leave a piece 
 big as a shilling, bare. Take out a little, and 
 cool it. If no grease rise, it is done. If any 
 grease appears, add lye, and boil till no grease 
 rises. Add 3 quarts of fine salt, and boil up 
 again. If this does not harden well on cooling, 
 add more salt. If it is to be perfumed, melt it 
 next day, add the perfume and run it in moulds, 
 or cut in cakes. 
 
 WINDSOR Soap.— I. Hard soap, 7 pounds; 
 water to soften, then add oil of caraway, 2 
 drachms ; finely powdered cassia, 3 ounces. Form 
 into cakes. — 2. Hard white soap, 7 pounds ; oil 
 of caraway, 3 drachms ; essence of bergamot, 6 
 drachms. Reduce to a paste with water, and 
 mould. — 3. White hard soap, 1 cwt; potato 
 starch, 56 pounds ; pipe clay, 16 pounds ; pearl- 
 ash, 4 pounds ; oil of cassia and oil of lavender, 
 each 8 ounces ; oil of caraway and oil of origan- 
 um, each 6 ounces ; oil of cloves, i ounce ; ber- 
 gamot, 7 ounces. Mix. — 4. White soap, 14 
 pounds ; oil of caraway, 3 ounces ; essence of 
 musk, I ounce ; oil of origanum, ^ ounce ; oil 
 of lavender and essence of bergamot, each ^ 
 ounce ; finely powdered cassia, 8 ounces. Reduce 
 with water, and form into cakes. — 5. White hard 
 soap, 56 pounds; white pipe clay, 50 pounds; 
 white pearlash, 6 pounds. Reduce them to a 
 paste with water, then add oil of cassia and oil 
 of caraway, each 8 ounces; oil of lavender, 6 
 ounces ; oil of cloves, I ounce ; essence of lemon 
 and essence of bergamot, each 5 ounces. Mix, 
 and form into cakes as before. — 6. Brown, 
 Brown pearlash soap and white hard soap, each 
 %, cwt.; pearlash or soda and yellow ochre, each 
 
TOILET, 
 
 323 
 
 7 pounds ; powdered cassia, 3 pounds ; powdered 
 cloves, I pound ; oil of caraway and oil of laven- 
 der, each 8 ounces ; essence of bergamot and es- 
 sence of lemon, each 12 ounces. Mix. — 7. 
 {Broion.) Good brown pearlash soap, fuller's 
 earth, and white hard soap, each % cwt.; soda 
 and ochre, each 8 pounds ; powdered cassia, 5 
 pounds ; powdered cloves, ^ pound; oil of cara- 
 way, 8 ounces. Mix. — 8, {Brown.) Good brown 
 soap, 2 cwt; white hard soap and fuller's earth, 
 each I cwUj yellow ochre, % cwt.; pearlash, 25 
 
 pounds ; oil of caraway and oil of rosemary, each 
 I pound ; oil of lavender, 2 pounds ; essence of 
 bergamot, 3 pounds ; finely powdered cassia, 18 
 pounds ; finely powdered cloves, y^ pound. Mix. 
 —<). ( Vet y fine. ) Beef suet, 9 parts ; olive oil, i 
 
 [)art. Saponify with caustic soda lye, then col- 
 ect the paste, and add one per cent, of the fol- 
 lowing perfume : Oil of caraway, 16 parts ; oil of 
 rosemary and oil of lavender, each 5 parts. Mix 
 well, and mould. 
 
 TOILET. 
 
 BALDNESS, Treatmmtfor.—k. loosening 
 of the hair frequently occurs in young persons, as 
 well as those of the middle period of life ; this, 
 if neglected, becomes real baldness. But, if 
 proper treatment be pursued, the hair will grow 
 afresh, and assume all its pristine strength. A 
 useful practice in men, and those of the opposite 
 sex whose hair is short, is to immerse the head 
 in cold water morning and night; dry the hair 
 thoroughly, and then brush the scalp until a warm 
 glow is produced. In women with long hair 
 this plan is objectionable, and a better one is to 
 brush the scalp until redness and a warm glow are 
 produced, then dab among the roots of the hair 
 the following lotion : Vinegar of cantharides, % 
 ounce ; eau de Cologne, i ounce ; rose water, i 
 ounce. Mix. If the lotion produce smarting, 
 or tenderness, the brush may be laid aside ; but 
 if no sensation is occasioned, the brushing should 
 be resumed, and a second application of the lo- 
 tion be made. This treatment should be practic- 
 ed once or twice a day, or at intervals of a few 
 days, according to the state of the scalp; namely, 
 if tender, less ; if insensible, more frequently. 
 When the baldness happens in patches, Uie skin 
 should be well brushed with a soft tooth brush, 
 dipped in distilled vinegar, morning and evening, 
 or dipped in the lotion above mentioned. If the 
 lotion should have the effect of making the hair 
 harsh and dry, this inconvenience may be remov- 
 ed by the use of oil or pomatum after each appli- 
 cation of the lotion. 
 
 BALDNESS, Coal Oil for.— K resident of 
 Carrollton, Miss., has discovered that petroleum 
 will make the hair grow. The way that he found 
 out this new property of coal oil was simply this : 
 He had a large boil on the bald place on his head, 
 which gave him much pain, and in the absence 
 of anything else he rubbed coal oil on it. He 
 says it relieved the pain almost instantly, so he 
 continued to rub on the oil until the boil was en- 
 tirely well, when, to his surprise, he found a thin 
 coatingof hair coming out over the bald place. He 
 continued the use of the oil for a month or two, 
 and now has a heavy coat of hair on his head. 
 
 BALDNESS, Erasmus Wilson^ s Lotion for, 
 — Eau de Cologne, 2 ounces; tincture of can- 
 tharides, 2 drachms ; oil of lavender or rosemary, 
 of each ten drops. These applications must be 
 used once or twice a day for a considerable time; 
 but if the scalp become sore, they must be dis- 
 continued for a time, or used at longer intervals. I 
 
 BALDNESS, Pomade against. — Macerate a 
 drachm of powdered cantharides in one ounce of 
 spirits of wine. Shake it well during a fortnight, 
 and then filter. Take ten parts of this tincture, 
 and rub it with ninety parts of cold lard. Add 
 a little essence of bergamot, or any other scent. 
 Rub this pomade well into the head, night and 
 morning. In ninety-nine cases out of a hundred, 
 this application, if continued, will restore the 
 hair. Another receipt : Take of extract of yel- 
 low Peruvian bark, 14 grains ; extract of rhatany 
 root, 8 grains ; extract of burdock root, and oil 
 of nutmegs (fixed), of each 2 drachms; camphor 
 (dissolved with spirits of wine), 15 grains; beef 
 marrow, 2 ounces ; best olive oil, i ounce ; citron 
 juice, ^ a drachm; aromatic essential oil, as 
 much as sufficient to render it fragrant; mix, and 
 make into an ointment. Two drachms of berg- 
 amot, and a few drops of otto of roses would 
 suffice. This is considered a valuable prepara- 
 tion for the hair, and is to be used as the above. 
 BALDNESS, other Remedies for.— i. Take 
 water, i pint ; pearlash, ^ ounce ; onion juice, 
 I gill. Mix, and cork in a bottle. Rub the 
 head hard with a rough linen towel dipped in 
 the mixture. — 2. Take water one pint, pearlash, 
 one-half ounce, onion juice one gill, mix and 
 cork in a bottle. Rub the head night and morn- 
 ing with a rough towel dipped in the mixture. — 
 3. Salad oil i oz. ; oil of origanum 12 drops; oil 
 of rosemary 10 drops ; oil of lavender 6 drops ; 
 oil of cloves 2 drops ; mix and shake well to- 
 gether. — ^4. Beef suet l oz. ; tincture of canthar- 
 ides I teaspoonful ; oil of origanum and berg- 
 amot, of each 10 drops. Proc. Melt the suet, 
 and when nearly cold, add the rest and stir until 
 set. — 5. The decoction of boxwood, successful in 
 cases of baldness, is thus made: — Take of the 
 common box, which grows in garden borders, 
 stems and leaves four large handfuls; boil in 
 three pints of water, in a closely covered vessel, 
 for a quarter of an hour, and let it stand in a 
 covered earthenware jar for ten hours or more; 
 strain, and add an ounce and a half of Eau de 
 Cologne, or lavender water, to make it keep. 
 The head should be well washed with tliis solu- 
 tion every morning. / 
 
 BE A UTIFUL, Hmo to be. — Beauty has its 
 foundations in physical well being. Health has 
 its laws, which must be understood and obeyed ; 
 and these laws are clearly indicated in our physi- 
 cal and mental constitutions. They demand : 
 
324 
 
 DICTIONARY OF EVERY-DAY WANTS. 
 
 1. Proper food and drink in such quantities 
 as the system is capable of readily assimilating. 
 
 2. Air and sunlight m abundance. 
 
 3. Sufficient exercise, rest and sleep. 
 
 4. An agreeable temperature. 
 
 5. Perfect cleanliness. 
 
 The whole secret of a full form and rosy cheeks 
 lies in pure blood, manufactured from wholesome 
 food, by healthy and active vital organs, oxygen- 
 ated and vitalized in well expanded lungs, and 
 kissed by the life giving sunlight on the surface 
 of the warm cheek. She who will have the color 
 she covets on any other terms must buy it of the 
 apothecary, and renew it every time she makes 
 her toilet. 
 
 BLOTCHED FACE, IFasA /or.— Rose-v.-a- 
 ter, three ounces; sulphate of zinc, one drachm. 
 Mix. Wet the face with it, gently dry it, and 
 then touch it over with cold cream, which also 
 dry gently off. 
 
 BREA Til, Offensive. — From six or ten drops 
 of the concentrated solution of chloride of soda, 
 in a wine glassful of pure spring water, taken 
 immediately after the ablutions of the morning 
 are completed, will instantly sweeten the breath 
 by disinfecting the stomach, which far from being 
 injured, will be benefited by the medicine. If 
 - necessary, this may be repeated in the middle of 
 the day. In some cases the odor arising from 
 carious teeth is combined with that of the stom- 
 ach. If the mouth is well rinsed with a teaspoon- 
 ful of the solution of the chloride in a tumbler of 
 water, the bad odor of the teeth' will be re- 
 moved. 
 
 COLD CREAM.— TaVe white wax i oz., 
 spermaceti I oz., oil of almonds % pint. Melt, 
 pour the mixture into a Wedgewood mortar 
 which has been heated by being immersed in hot 
 f water; add gradually rose water, 4 fl. ounces, 
 and stir until an emulsion is formed, and after- 
 ward until the whole is nearly cold. Put in pots. 
 It may be perfumed with bergamot or lavender. 
 COLD CREAM, Home made. — Procure 
 perfectly fresh lard, which has never been touch- 
 ed by salt; wash it thoroughly in spring water, 
 freshly drawn, and do this in three different wa- 
 ters ; then leave it to soak in fresh water, and in 
 a cool shade for twenty-four hours. Then wash 
 it once more, and beat until it becomes a cream, 
 in as much rose-water of the stronger sort as it 
 will absorb, during the process of beating. When 
 finished, the rose-water will have penetrated 
 every part, and should also stand in little pools 
 here and there on the soft and porous-like sur- 
 face. 
 
 COMPLEXION, To Preserve. — Plenty of 
 out-door exercise, a well-regulated appetite, and 
 a cheerful mind are the best defence against the 
 "green and yellow" hue, which gradually creeps 
 over the roses on the cheeks ofso many of our 
 country women. 
 
 COMPLEXION, To Improve. — Take a 
 quarter of a pound of Castile soap, slice it down 
 into a pewter jar, and pour upon it two quarts of 
 alcohol ; pl.ice the jar in a vessel of water at such 
 a heat as will cause the spirits to boil, when the 
 soap will soon dissolve; then put the jar, closely 
 covered, in a warm place until the liquor is clari- 
 fied ; take off any scum that may appear on the 
 surface, and pour it carefully from the dregs, 
 then put it into a jar again, and place it in a ves- 
 sel of hot water, distilling all the spirits that may 
 arise ; dry the remaining mass in the air for a 
 
 few days, when a white transparent soap will be 
 obtained, free from all alkaline impurities, and 
 perfeatly void of smell. It is much used lor 
 softening and beautifying the skin. 
 
 COMPLEXION, Wash >/-.— Take two gal- 
 lons of strong soap-suds, add to this one pint 
 of pure alcohol, and a quarter of an ounce of 
 rosemary. Mix these well together, and they 
 are fit for application. It should be applied with 
 a linen rag. 
 
 Another article, applied in the same way, and 
 easily obtained, is horse-radish, grated into 
 sweet milk ; which will be fit for use in about 
 seven or eight hours. 
 
 COMPLEXION and COLORS.— The pink 
 of the complexion is brought out by a green set- 
 ting in dress or bonnet ; and any lady who has a 
 fair complexion, that admits of having its rose- 
 tint a little heightened, may make effective use 
 of the green color ; but it should be a delicate 
 green, since it is of importance to preserve har- 
 mony of tone. When there is in the face a tint 
 of orange, mixed with brown, a brick-red hue 
 will result from the use of green; if any green 
 at all be used in such a case it should be dark. 
 But for the orange complexion of a brunette, 
 there is no color superior to yellow. This im- 
 parts violet to a fair skin, and injures its effect. 
 A skin more yellow than orange has its yellow 
 neutralized by the suggestion of the complement, 
 and a dull white effect imparted. The orange 
 skin, however, has its yellow neutralized, and 
 the red left, so that the freshness of complexion 
 is increased in darkhaired beauties. Blue im- 
 parts orange, which enriches white complexions 
 and light fresh tints ; it also, of course, improves 
 the yellow hair of blondes. Blue, therefore, is 
 the standard color for a blonde, or yellow for a 
 brunette. But the brunette who has already too 
 'much orange in her face, must avoid setting it in 
 blue. Orange suits nobody. It whitens a bru- 
 nette, but that is scarcely a desirable effect, and 
 it is ugly. Red, unless when it is of a dark hue, 
 to increase the effect of whiteness by contrast of 
 tone, is rarely suitable in any close neighbor- 
 hood to a lady's skin. Rose red destroys the 
 freshness of a good complexion; it suggests 
 green. 
 
 CORNS. — A homy induration of the skin, 
 with a central nucleus, very sensitive at the base. 
 The common cause of corns is continued pres- 
 sure over the projection of the bones, from tight 
 or stiff boots and shoes. They are of two kinds, 
 hard and soft. The first grow on the exposed 
 portions of the joints : the last, between the toes. 
 Prevention. — This consists in keeping the feet 
 clean, by frequent ablution in warm water, and 
 in the use of easy, soft, boots and shoes. With- 
 out the latter precaution, corns will return even 
 after they appear to have been perfectly removed. 
 Treatment. — After soaking the feet in warm wa- 
 ter for a few minutes, pare the corns as close as 
 possible with a sharp knife, taking care not to 
 make them bleed. They may now be touched 
 over with a little lunar caustic, or nitric acid, or 
 a little concentrated acetic acid or aromatic vin- 
 egar. The last two do not stain the skin. The 
 first is used by merely rubbing it on the corns, 
 previously moistened with water ; the others, by 
 moistening the corns with them by means of a 
 small strip of wood, or, preferably a rod of glass ; 
 due care being taken not to allow the liquid to 
 touch the neighboring parts. This treatment 
 
TOILET. 
 
 32s 
 
 adopted every three or four days for ten days or 
 a fortnight, accompanied by the use of soft, loose 
 shoes, will generally effect a cure. It has been 
 recommended to remove large corns by ligatures 
 of silk applied as close to their base as possible, 
 and tightened daily until they fall off; but this 
 plan is tedious and often inconvenient, and is not 
 always successful. Another mode of extirpation 
 is the application of a small blister, which will 
 frequently raise them with the skin out of their 
 beds. In this case the exposed surface must be 
 dressed with a little simple ointment. Soft corns 
 may be removed by applying ivy leaf, previously 
 soaked in strong vinegar, changing the piece 
 ^very morning; or by placing a dressing of soap 
 cerate, spread on a bit of lint or old rag between 
 the toes. One of the simplest and best remedies 
 for hard corns, and which has received the sanc- 
 tion of high medical authority, is to wear upon 
 the toe or part affected a small circular piece of 
 soft leather, or still better, a piece of amadou 
 spread with diachylon or some emollient plaster, 
 and having a hole cut in the center correspond- 
 ing to the size of the corn. By this means the 
 pressure of the boot or shoe is equalized, and the 
 apex of the corn protected from injury. The 
 following are among the most useful of the po- 
 pular remedies for corns : 
 
 CORNS, Caustic for. — Tincture of iodine and 
 chloride of antimony, of each one drachm; iodide 
 of iron, three grains ; mix. It is applied with a 
 camel hair brush after paring the corn. Two 
 to four applications are said to effect a cure. 
 
 CORNS, Lotion for. — I. A solution of sal 
 ammoniac, one part ; in proof spirit, four parts. 
 2. A concentrated aqueous solution of sulphate 
 of copper. To be applied night and morning. 
 
 CORN PLASTERS.— \. From white dia- 
 chylon, three parts; yellow resin, two parts; 
 verdii'ris, one part; melted together and laid on 
 leather. — 2. From galbanum plaster, one ounce; 
 verdigris, one drachm; as the last. — 3. From 
 resin plaster, two ounces; black pitch, one 
 ounce ; verdigris and sal ammoniac, of each, half 
 <lrachm. — 4. To the last add powdered opium, 
 one drachm. Recommended to allay pain, etc. — 
 5. A piece of spread adhesive plaster is placed 
 upon a table, and a piece of card paper having a 
 round hole cut in it the size of the central portion 
 of the corn is laid upon it ; the exposed part is 
 then softened by holding a piece of heated iron 
 for a second or two near it ; the card paper is 
 then instantly removed and nitrate of silver in 
 fiive powder is sprinkled over the part which has 
 been warmed. As soon as the whole is cold ihe 
 loose powder is shaken off and the plaster is 
 ready for use. Very cleanly and convenient. 
 Two or three applications seldom fail to effect a 
 cure. 
 
 CORN PLASTER, {Mechanical). — From 
 common adhesive plaster spread on buckskin, 
 amadou or vulcanized India rubber cut into 
 pieces and a circular hole corresponding to the 
 size of the corn punched in it. 
 
 CORN, Pomade for. — I. Powdered ver- 
 diofris, one drachm; savin ointment, seven 
 drachms. — 2. Dried carbonate of soda, three 
 drachms; lard, five draChms; verdigris or smalts, 
 enough to give a slight tinge of green or blue. 
 Applied on a piece of rag. 
 
 CORN SOL VENT.—\. Carbonate of potassa 
 or pearlash, contained in an open jar or bottle, 
 set in a damp place until k deliquesces into an ' 
 
 oil-like liquid (oil of tartar). Applied by means 
 of a feather, or a small piece of rag dipped in it 
 is bound on the corn. — 2. Hydrate of^ potassa, 
 one dram ; rectified spirit, one ounce ; dissolve. 
 As No. I. — 3. Carbonate of potassa, with smalts, 
 ocher or bole, enough to give it the required 
 color. It must be kept dry in a well corked 
 bottle. A pinch is then placed on the corn and 
 confined by means ofadhesive plaster or rag. — 
 4. Carbonate of soda, one ounce, finely })owder- 
 ed and mixed with lard, half ounce. Applied on 
 linen rag every night. — 5. Carbonate of potassa, 
 two parts ; salt of sorrel, one part ; each in fine 
 powder ; mix and place a small quantity on the 
 corn for four or five successive nights, binding it 
 on with a rag. Care must be taken in all cases 
 to pare the corn moderately close before apply- 
 ing the remedy ; but in no case should any of the 
 above be applied to a raw surface. 
 
 CURLS {False), Pomade for. — Melt togeth- 
 er, in an earthen pipkin, 24 ounces of Burgundy 
 pitch and 8 ounces of white wax ; add i ounce of 
 pomatum; remove from the fire, and add 4 
 ounces of brandy or other spirit ; replace it on 
 the fire till it boils slightly, then strain through 
 linen, adding bergamot or other perfume, and 
 cast in molds. 
 
 DANDRUFF.— 'Dtmi^aKTl\:^y he caused by 
 wearing close and heavy hats or caps, by the 
 application of oils or dyes to the hair, by confin- 
 ing the hair too closely to the head, by excessive 
 brain-labor, by uncleanliness, or by all these 
 causes combined. To effect a cure, wear the 
 hair short, let the head-covering be as light and 
 well ventilated as possible, avoid all applications 
 of grease or dyes, exercise the brain less and the 
 body more, and wash the head thoroughly two 
 or three times a day in cold water, and follow 
 each washing by a vigorous rubbing with the 
 balls of the fingers. The better the general 
 health is and the stronger the digestion, the less 
 tendency there will be to this disease, as well as 
 to all others. 
 
 DANDRUFF, other Remedies for.— I. Take 
 carbolic acid ^ drachm; oil of bergamot i 
 drachm ; glycerine 2 oz. Mix ; rub thoroughly 
 into the roots of the hair, and apply bay rum 
 freely afterwards; one application will cleanse 
 the hair and scalp as clean as can be desired. Its 
 use once a week will keep the hair soft and glos- 
 sy, and will prevent dandruff from forming, 
 besides keeping the scalp healthy and cool. — 
 2. Take a thimbleful of powdered refined borax, 
 let it dissolve in a teacupful of water, first brush 
 the head well, then wet a brush and apply it to 
 the head. Do this every day for a week, and 
 twice a week for a few times, and you will effec- 
 tuallv remove the dandruff. 
 
 ERUPTIONS on the /vrr^. — Dissolve an 
 ounce pf borax in a quart of water, and apply 
 this with a fine sponge every evening before 
 going to bed. This will smooth the skin when 
 the eruptions do not proceed from an insect 
 working under the cuticle. Many persons' faces 
 are disfigured by red eruptions caused by a small 
 creature working under the skin. A very ex- 
 cellent remedy is to take the fiour of sulphur and 
 rub it on the face dry, after washing it in the 
 morning. Rub it well with the fingers, and then 
 wipe it off with a dry towel. There are many 
 who are not a little ashamed of their faces who 
 can be cured if they follow these directions. 
 
 EYELASHES, To Leupken. — The^ mode 
 
32<5 
 
 DICTIONARY OF EVERY- DA Y WANTS. 
 
 adopted by the beauties of the East to increase 
 the length and strength of their eyelashes is 
 simply to clip the split ends with a pair of scis- 
 sors about once a month. Mothers perform the 
 operation on their children, both male and female, 
 when they are mere infants, watching the op- 
 portunity whilst they sleep; the practice never 
 fails to produce the desired effect. 
 
 EYELASHES, To ^/a<r>t^«.— The simplest 
 preparations for this purpose, are the juice of 
 elder-berries, burnt cork, and cloves burnt at the 
 candle. Another means is, to take the black of 
 frankincense, rosin, and mastic This black will 
 not come off with perspiration. ' 
 
 A stick of India ink is the best of alL 
 
 FLESH WORMS.— Utit^ specks, when they 
 exist in any number, are a cause of much 
 nnsightliness. They are minute corks, if we may 
 use the term, of coagulated lymph, which close 
 the orifices of some of the pores or exhalent ves- 
 sels of the skin. On the skin immediately ad- 
 jacent to them being pressed with the finger 
 nails, these bits of coagulated lymph will come 
 from it in a vermicular form. They are vulgarly 
 called "flesh worms," many persons fancying 
 them to be living creatures. These may be got 
 rid of and prevented from returning, by washing 
 with tepid water, by proper friction with a towel, 
 and by the application of a little cold cream. 
 The longer these little piles are permitted to re- 
 main in the skin the more firmly they become 
 fixed ; and after a time, when they lose their 
 moisture they are converted into Jong bony 
 spines as dense as bristles, and having much of 
 that character. They are known by the name of 
 spotted achne. With regard to local treatment, 
 the following lotions are calculated to be service- 
 able: — I. Distilled rose-water, I pint ; sulphate 
 of zinc, 20 to 60 grains. Mix. — 2. Sulphate of 
 copper, 20 grains ; rose-water, 4 ounces; water 
 12 ounces. Mix. — 3. Oil of sweet almonds, i 
 ounce ; fluid potash, l drachm. Shake well to- 
 gether, and then add rose-water, I ounce ; pure 
 water, 6 ounces. Mix. The mode of using these 
 remedies is to rub the pimples for some minutes 
 with a rough towel, and then dab them with the 
 lotion. — 4. Wash the face twice a day with warm 
 water, and rub dry with a coarse towel. Then 
 with a soft towel rub in a lotion made of two 
 ounces of white brandy, one ounce of cologne, 
 and one half ounce of hqucwr potassa. 
 
 FRECKLES, Removal of. — Freckles, so per- 
 sistently regular in their annual return, have 
 annoyed the fair sex from time immemorial ; and 
 vaiious means have been devised to eradicate 
 them, although thus far with no decidedly satis- 
 factory results. The innumerable remedies in 
 use for the removal of these vexatious intruders 
 are either simple and harmless washes, such as 
 parsley or horse-radish water, solutions of borax, 
 etc., or injurious nostrums, consisting principally 
 of lead and mercury salts. 
 
 If the exact cause of freckles were known, a 
 remedy for them might be found. A chemist in 
 Moravia, observing the bleaching effect of mer- 
 curial preparations, inferred that the growth of a 
 local parasitical fungus was the cause of the dis- 
 colorction of the skin, which extended and ripen- 
 ed its spores in the warmer season. Knowing 
 that sulpho-carbolate of zinc is a deadly enemy 
 to all parasitic vegetation (itself not being other- 
 wise injurious), he applied this salt for the pur- 
 pose of removing the freckles. The compound 
 
 consists of two parts of sulpho-carbolate of zinc, 
 twenty-five parts of distilled glycerine, twenty- 
 five parts of rose-water, and five parts of scented 
 alcohol, and is to be applied twice daily for from 
 half an hour to an hour, then washed off with 
 cold M-ater. Protection against the sun by veil- 
 ing and other means is recommended, and in 
 addition, for persons of pale complexion, some 
 mild prepartion of iron. 
 
 FRECKLES^ Other Cures for.— \. A very 
 simple and harmless remedy is equal parts of 
 pure glycerine and rose water, applied every 
 night, and allowed to dry. The following lotion 
 is harmless : — one drachm of sal-ammoniac, dis- 
 solved in a pint of spring water, add a quarter of 
 an ounce of^eau de Cologne; apply it night and 
 morning. — 2. Take tincture of benzoin, i pint; 
 tincture of tolu, y^ pint; oil of rosemary ]i^ 
 ounce. Mix. One tea-spoonful of the tincture 
 to be put in half a gill of water, and with a towel 
 dipped in this rub well the face, night and morn- 
 ing. — 3. Take an ounce of lemon juice, a quarter 
 of a drachm of powdered borax and a drachm of 
 sugar. Mix them and let them stand till fit for 
 use. Then rub it on the freckles occasionally. 
 Or else take half a drachm of muriate of am- 
 monia, two drachms of lavender water. Apply 
 this with a sponge two or three times a day.^ 
 4. Wash the skin frequently with a liniment com- 
 posed of equal parts of sweet oil, lime-water, and 
 ammonia. Distilled elder-flower water is also 
 an excellent application for removing freckles. 
 The skin should be bathed with it for five or ten 
 minutes, and washed afterward with clear water 
 night and morning. The honeywash, which is 
 simply honey dissolved in lukewarm water, and 
 used when cold, is another good lotion for 
 freckles. — 5. {Balsam of Honey.) Take fine pale 
 honey 4 ounces ; glycerine i ounce. Mix by a 
 gentle heat; when cold add alcohol i ounce; 
 essence of ambergris 6 drops; citric acid 3 
 drachms. This is intended to remove discolora- 
 tions and freckles, as well as to improve the 
 general appearance of the skin. — 6. Finally, 
 lemon juice alone is probably as good as any- 
 thing. And now, after all, if it were our case, 
 we should let cosmetics alone — unless abundant 
 exercise, fresh air, soap and water, and plain liv- 
 ing might be considered cosmetics. 
 
 GUMS„ Wash for, {Eati de Botof).—Tzk& 
 anise-seed, 80. parts; cloves, 20 parts; cinnamon, 
 20 parts; oil of peppermint, 10 parts; cochineal, 
 5 parts; vanilla, l part; rectified spirits, 800 
 parts ; rose water, 200 parts. Digest for about 
 a week and filter ; then add of essence of amber, 
 I part. A few drops in a glass of water to rinse 
 the mouth with. 
 
 HAIR, The. — If the ladies will trust to our 
 science on the subject of hair, in the first place, 
 we can assure them, most confidently, that, so 
 far is it from being true that oils and pomatums 
 increase the lustre of the hair, their effect is to 
 diminish that polish which it naturally possesses ; 
 while, whatever gloss they may give to hair 
 which is naturally dull, is false, and, like all 
 other falsities, disgusting. Absolute cleanliness, 
 by means of water alone, to commence, followed 
 by brushing in the direction of the hair itself in a 
 dry state, is the true method of giving to the hair 
 all the polish of which it is susceptible ; and it is 
 the effect of oils of all kinds to disturb or injure 
 this; to say nothing of the disgust and necessary 
 dirtiness of greasy hair. It is the effect of oils 
 
TOILET. 
 
 3*7 
 
 also to prevent it from curling; and this object is 
 most effectually obtained, if without artificial 
 means, by curling it when wet, and suffering it 
 to dry in that state. And, as it happens that al- 
 most all hair has a tendency to curl in one direc- 
 tion rather than in another, it is useful to study 
 that tendency, so as to conform to it in the arti- 
 ficial flexure given. As to artificial applications, 
 the whole of the so-called curling-fluids are mere 
 impositions ; while one, which is really effectual, 
 and at the same time inoffensive, is a weak solu- 
 tion of isinglass, by which a very firm and per- 
 manent form can be given to the hair. The 
 hair should never be twisted, knotted, or pulled 
 contrary to its natural direction, if you would 
 avoid baldness and headache. 
 
 Should the scalp be obstinately dry and harsh, 
 it may be safely washed with a cold weak solu- 
 tion of green tea, or with spirits of Castile soap 
 containing a few grains of tannin. In cases of 
 this kind the following may be applied : alcohol 
 eight parts, water eight parts, spirits of harts- 
 horn one part. Cologne water may also be 
 used; but perhaps the best plan under these 
 circumstances, and especially if there be an ac- 
 cumulation of dandruff, is to have the head thor- 
 oughly shampooed, after the fashion of the bar- 
 bers, repeating the operation afc intervals until 
 the scalp is perfectly clean, and is stimulated 
 into vigorous, healthful action. Nothing but 
 good can be derived from a due attention to 
 cleansing the hair. Of course, an immoderate 
 use of water is not beneficial. Once a week is 
 perhaps desirable, but this will depend upon the 
 individual. 
 
 HAIR, Art of Brushing. — As a general rule, 
 the head cannot be too much brushed, any more 
 than the horse's coat can be too much groomed. 
 The groom knows full well that by plenty of 
 combing and brushing he can not only produce 
 a fine coat, but add very considerably to the 
 healthy condition of the animal. And so it is 
 with man, the more the head be brushed, the 
 more healthy will be the skin, the more healthy 
 its function, namely the production and mainten- 
 ance of the hair, and, by a reflected power, the 
 more healthy the individual. I find that hair 
 dressers are divided on the subject of brushing, 
 one party recommending soft brushes and small 
 brushing ; the other, hard brushes and abundant 
 brushing. As usual, in all these differences, 
 both are right as respects a particular theory; 
 but the brushers have the best of the argument. 
 One has set the question for ever at rest, by the 
 announcement of the following paradox : "You 
 cannot brush the head too much, nor the hair 
 too little." 
 
 He is right : you cannot brush the head too 
 much, but as, by clumsy brushing with hard 
 brushes, you might over stretch or tear the hair, 
 and so destroy its beauty, be gentle in your sur- 
 face brushing; for here you cannot, in combina- 
 tion with the deep brushing, brush too little. 
 The fact is, there are two purposes to be attained 
 by brushing : firstly, to give health to the skin 
 of the head, and strength and vigor to the hair ; 
 for which end you cannot brush too much, or use 
 brushes too penetrating or too hard, so long as 
 the skin is not injured ; secondly, to smooth the 
 hair, or perhaps go the length of freeing it from 
 dust, for which object your brushes may be as 
 you please, and your hand as light as agreeable. 
 So that, in truth, each according to the purpose 
 
 he has in view, may be perfectly right; but, 
 nevertheless, at perfect variance w ith hii brother. 
 
 HAIR H RUSHES, To Clean. ~Y\\\ a pan 
 with warm water, and dissolve in it a quarter of 
 an ounce of soda to half a gallon of water. Comb 
 out the loose hairs ; take one brush at a time by 
 the handle and dip it several times in the water 
 without wetting the back ; then rinse in cold wa- 
 ter, and put near the fire or in the open air to 
 dry. Never use soap in washing hair brushes, 
 or allow the water to be more than lukewarm, 
 as hot water will soften the bristles and melt the 
 glue in the back, and also turn ivory backs 
 yellow. 
 
 HAIR, Bandoline for. — i. Mucilage of clean 
 picked Irish moss, made by boiling a quarter of 
 an ounce of the moss in one quart of water until 
 sufficiently thick, rectified spirit in the proportion 
 of a teaspoonful to each bottle, to prevent its be- 
 ing mildewed. The quantity of spirit varies ac- 
 cording to the time it requires to be kept. — 2. 
 Gum tragacanth, one drachm and a half; water, 
 half a pint ; proof spirit (made by mixing equal 
 parts of rectified spirit and water), three ounces ; 
 otto of roses, ten drops ; soak for twenty-four 
 hours and strain. — 3. This mixture is best made 
 a little at a time. Pour a tablespoonful of boil- 
 ing water on a dozen quince seeds, and repeat 
 when fresh is required. 
 
 HAIR OF CHILDREN. — It is a great 
 mistake to plait the hair of children under eleven 
 or twelve years of age. The process of plaiting 
 more or less strains the hairs in their roots by 
 pulling them tight ; tends to deprive them of their 
 requisite supply of nutriment, and checks their 
 growth. The hair of girls should be cut rather 
 short, and allowed to curl freely. When they 
 are about eleven or twelve, the hair should be 
 twisted into a coil, not too tight, nor tied at 
 the end with thin thread, but with a piece of 
 ribbon. 
 
 HAIR, Cleaning the. — From the too frequent 
 use of oils in the hair, many ladies destroy the 
 tone and color of their tresses. The Hindoos 
 have a way of remedying this. They take a 
 hand basin filled with cold water, and have ready 
 a small quantity of pea-flour. The hair is in the 
 first place submitted to the operation of being 
 washed in cold water, a handful of the pea-flour 
 is then applied to the head and rubbed into the 
 hair for ten minutes at least, the servant adding 
 fresh water at short intervals, until it becomes a 
 perfect lather. The whole head is then washed 
 quite clean with copious supplies of the aqueous 
 fluid, combed, and afterwards rubbed dry by 
 means of coarse towels. The hard and soft 
 brush is then resorted to, when the hair will be 
 found to be wholly free from all encumbering 
 oils and other impurities, and assume a glossy 
 softness, equal to the most delicate silk. This 
 process tends to preserve the tone and natural 
 color of the hair, which is so frequently destroyed 
 by the too constant use of caustic cosmetics. 
 
 HAIR CURLING.— \. Curling fluids are 
 prepared in a variety of ways; the best, however, 
 we are acquainted with is a mixture of olive oil 
 and beeswax. Take a piece of white beeswax, 
 about the size of the kernel of the common nut, 
 melt it in about an ounce of olive oil, and then 
 add a few drops of bergamot. — 2. Into a pint 
 of pure olive oil melt slowly a piece of bees- 
 wax about the size of a walnut; after which 
 add *■ quarter of an ounce of oil of rose- 
 
328 
 
 DICTIONARY OF E VERY-DAY WANTS. 
 
 mary and a quarter of an ounce of oil of ori- 
 ganum. — 3, Take carbonate of potash (dry), I 
 drachm ; cochineal, powdered, % drachm ; water 
 of ammonia, spirit of rose, of each I fluid ounce; 
 glycerine, ^ ounce; alcohol, l% ounce; distill- 
 ed water, 18 ounces. Digest with agitation for 
 a week, and then decant or filter. The hair is 
 moistened with it and then loosely adjusted. The 
 effect occurs as it dries. — 4. Take borax, two 
 ounces ; gum arable, one drachm ; and hot water 
 (not boiling), one quart ; stir, and as soon as the 
 ingredients are dissolved add three tablespoon- 
 fuls of strong spirits of camphor. On retiring to 
 rest wet the hair with the above liquid, and roll 
 it in twists of paper as usual. — 5. At any time 
 you may make your hair curl the more easily by 
 rubbing it with the beaten yolk of an egg, wash- 
 ed off afterwards with clear water, and then 
 putting on a little pomatum before you put up 
 your curls. It is well always to go through this 
 process when you change to curls, after having 
 worn your hair plain. 
 
 HAIR, Dressings for. — I. A cheap and very 
 good dressing is made by dissolving four ounces 
 of perfectly pure, dense glycerine in twelve 
 ounces of rose water. Glycerine evaporates only 
 at high temperatures; and therefore under its 
 influence the hair is retained in a moist condition 
 for a long time. — 2. Olive oil, 2 pints ; otto of 
 roses, I drachm; oil of rosemary, I drachm. 
 Mix. It may be colored red by steeping a little 
 alkanet root in the oil (with heat) before scent- 
 ing it. It strengthens and beautifies the hair. — 
 3. Bay rum, 2 pints; alcohol, I pint; castor oil, 
 I ounce ; carb. ammonia, ^ ounce ; tincture of 
 cantharides, I ounce. Mix them well. Tliis 
 compound will promote the growth of the hair 
 and prevent it from falling out. — 4. Take almond 
 oil, X of a pound ; white wax, ^ an ounce ; 
 clarified lard, 3 ounces ; liquid ammonia, a X 
 fluid ounce; otto of lavender, and cloves, of 
 each I drachm. Place the oil, wax, and lard in 
 a jar, which set in boiling water ; when the wax 
 is melted, allow the grease to cool till nearly 
 ready to set, then stir in the ammonia and the 
 perfume, and put into small jars for use. Never 
 use a hard brush, nor comb the hair too much. 
 Apply the pomade at night only. — 5. {Pomade.) 
 Dissolve thoroughly, over a slow fire, 2 ounces 
 of white wax and % ounce palm oil, with a flask 
 of the best olive oil. Stir it till nearly cold ; then 
 add I ounce of castor oil, and about three penny- 
 worth of bergamot, or any other perfume you 
 please. 
 
 HAIR DYES. — I. Take 3 parts of litharge 
 and 2 parts of quicklime, both in an impalpable 
 powder and mix them carefully. WTien used, a 
 portion of the powder is mixed with hot water or 
 milk, and applied to the hair, the part being after- 
 wards enveloped in oil-skin for 4 or 5 hours. 
 
 2. Litharge, 2 parts ; slaked lime, I part ; 
 chalk, 2 parts ; all finely powdered, and accurately 
 mixed. When required for use, mix the powder 
 with warm water, and dip a brush in the mix- 
 ture, and rub the hair well with it. After 2 
 hours let the hair be washed. 
 
 3. Mix 5 drachms of fresh slaked lime with ll^ 
 ounces of water ; strain through silk, and bottle. 
 Dissolve 5 drachms of acetate of lead in sufficient 
 water, and add enough slaked lime to saturate 
 the acetate acid (a drachm), let it settle, pour off 
 the supernatant liquor, wash the precipitate with 
 water and add it to the milk of lime in the bottle. 
 
 4. Sifted lime, 16 ounces ; white lead, 2 ounces; 
 litharge, in fine powder, i ounce ; mix well to- 
 gether and keep dry. To dye black, mix a little 
 of the powder with water to the consistence of 
 cream. To dye brown, use milk, instead of wa- 
 ter. Apply with a small sponge to every hair. 
 
 5. Litharge, 4^ ounces ; quicklime, ^ ounce; 
 reduce to an impalpable powder, and pass it 
 through a sieve. Keep it in a close bottle. 
 When used, wash the hair with soap and water ; 
 then with tepid water ; wipe it dry and comb 
 with a clean comb. Mix the dye in a saucer, 
 with hot water, to the consistence of cream, and 
 apply it to the hair, beginning atthe roots. Place 
 over it four folds of brown paper, saturated with 
 hot water, and drained till cool ; and over this an 
 oil-skin cap and a nightcap. Let it remain 4 to 
 8 hours, according to shade desired. When re- 
 moved, oil the hair, but do not wet it for 3 or 4 
 days. 
 
 6. Levigated litharge, 11 ounces; powdered 
 quicklime, 75 ounces; hair powder, 37 ounces. 
 Mix. When used, a portion of the powder is 
 mixed with warm water in a saucer, and applied 
 to the hair with the fingers, taking care to cover 
 the hair to the roots. Cover the whole with a 
 sheet of cotton wadding moistened with water, 
 and this with a folded cloth. Let it remain on for 
 3 hours, or, better, for the nighL 
 
 7. Washing the hair with the juice of green 
 walnuts, diluted with oUve oil, will dye the hair 
 black. 
 
 8. {Morfit^s. ) Infuse black tea, two ounces, in 
 one gallon of boiling water; strain and add three 
 ounces of glycerine, half an ounce of tincture of 
 cantharides, and one quart of bay rum. Digest 
 this mixture for a couple of days, and perfume 
 with essence of rose or bergamot, or any other 
 favorite essence to suit the taste. 
 
 The following dyes are composed of solutions 
 of nitrate of silver, and in applying them it should 
 be remembered that they stain the skin, as well 
 as the hair. There is, therefore, more difficulty 
 in applying them; they are, however, thought to 
 give a better color to the hair than the ones we 
 have given above : 
 
 1. Nitrate of silver, ii drachms; nitric acid, i 
 drachm; distilled water, I pint; sap green, 3 
 drachms ; gum arabic, I drachm. Mix. 
 
 2. Nitric acid, i drachm ; nitrate of silver, 10 
 drachms ; sap green, 9 drachms ; mucilage, 5 
 drachms ; distilled water, 37^ fluid ounces. 
 
 3. Silver, 2 drachms ; iron filings, 4 drachms ; 
 nitric acid, I ounce ; distilled water, 8 ounces ; 
 digest and decant the clear solution. To be care- 
 fully applied with a close brush. 
 
 4. Sulphuretum of potassae, 2 drachms; caustic 
 of potassse, i drachm ; nitrate of silver, crystal- 
 lized, I drachm ; tincture of galla, i ounce. 
 
 HAIR, Golden. — Golden hair fluids have re- 
 cently been the subject of continued investigation 
 by an English chemist, who, after a careful ana- 
 Ijrsis, asserts that they are composed of dilute 
 nitric and muriatic acids, with traces, in some 
 instances, of sulphuric acid. Though the pro- 
 prietors of these fluids announce that the prepa- 
 rations are harmless, yet instances have been re- 
 ported of ladies being injured by drops of the 
 nair dye falling on their shoulders. The agent to 
 effect the change in the color of the hair is the 
 nitric acid, aided by the chlorine evolved by the 
 decomposition of the muriatic acid. 
 
 HAIR, Gray. — It has been recently assert- 
 
TOILET, 
 
 329 
 
 ed that an undue proportion of lime in the system 
 is the cause of premature gray hair, and we are 
 advised to avoid hard water, either for drinking 
 pure or when converted into tea, coffee, or soup, 
 because hard water is strongly impregnated with 
 lime. Hard water may be softened by boiling 
 it : let it become cold, and then use it as a bever- 
 age. It is also stated that a liquid that will color 
 the human hair black, and not stain the skin, 
 may be made by taking one part of bay rum, 
 three parts of olive oil, and one part of good 
 brandy, by measure. The hair must be washed 
 with the mixture every morning, and in a short 
 time the use of it will make the hair a beautiful 
 black, without injuring it in the least. The 
 articles must be of the best quality, mixed in a 
 bottle, and always shaken well before being ap- 
 plied. 
 
 HAIR, To prevent turning Gray. — A good 
 remedy for the hair turning gray and falling off 
 is the following : Distill two pounds of honey, a 
 handful of rosemary, and twelve handfuls of the 
 tendrils of gr^pe vine, infused in a gallon of new 
 milk ; about two quarts of water will be obtained 
 from this, which apply to the hair frequently. 
 
 HAIR, Loss of. — One of the most unpleasant 
 consequences of early neglect is the constant 
 falling off of hair. We do not allude to the loss 
 of the hair dependent on age ; that is a natural 
 consequence of our infirmity, and cannot be re- 
 garded in the light of a disorder ; but instances 
 in which the hair has become thin, even to dis- 
 figurement, in early life, are far from being un 
 common, and, if neglected, must terminate in 
 confirmed baldness. This excessive loosening of 
 the hair, however, is far from being so irrepar- 
 able as is generally imagined, and if proper treat- 
 ment be adopted, the hair will grow fresh, and 
 assume all its original vigor and strength. 
 
 The head must be bathed daily with cold water, 
 into which a little eau de cologne has been pour- 
 ed, and the scalp should then be brushed until 
 the skin becomes red, and a warm glow is pro- 
 duced. Cold water is one of the finest cosmet- 
 ics known, and has this advantage, that while in 
 almost every instance it improves the hair, in no 
 case can it do injury. 
 ^ HAIR, To Restore. — Onions rubbed frequent- 
 above oy contamiug „..• -^^ ^;» ^Lp stimulating 
 (pus). The little bubbles attain their full size m 
 the course of two or three days, and either dry 
 up without breaking or more frequently burst 
 and then dry, forming a hard crusL For these 
 are recommended a lotion composed of alcohol 
 one part and five or six parts of soft water, 
 to which a very little distilled vinegar is added. 
 The ;^_if5^^^vJje^{5Pi()ved_by^warm water. 
 
 tincture of myrrh, I oz. ; cologne, i oz. ; tincture 
 of cantharides, Yz oz. ; distilled water, 24 
 ounces. Mix. — 2. Red wine, l pound; salt, i 
 drachm ; sulphate of iron, 2 drachms ; boil for a 
 few minutes, and add common verdigris, i 
 drachm ; leave it on the fire 2 minutes ; withdraw 
 it, and add 2 drachms of powdered nutgall. Rub 
 the hair with the liquid ; in a few minutes dry it 
 with a warm cloth, and afterwards wash with 
 water. — 3. Take elder water, ^ a pint; sherry 
 wine, % a pint ; tincture of arnica, y^ an ounce ; 
 alcoholic ammonia, i drachm — if this last-named 
 ingredient is old, and has lost its strength, then 
 two drachms instead of one may be employed. 
 The whole of these are to be mixed in a lotion 
 
 a sponge. Wash the head with warm water 
 twice a week. Soft brushes only must be used 
 during the growth of the young hair. 
 
 HAIR, Superfluous. — Any remedy is doubt- 
 ful ; many of those commonly used are danger- 
 ous. The safest plan is as follows : — The hairs 
 should be perseveringly plucked up by the roots, 
 and the skin, having been washed twice a-day 
 with warm soft water, without soap, should be 
 treated with the following wash, commonly call- 
 ed milk of roses. Beat four ounces of sweet 
 almonds in a mortar, and add half an ounce of 
 white sugar during the process; reduce the 
 whole to a paste by pounding; then add, in 
 small quantities at a time, eight ounces of rose 
 water. The emulsion thus formed, should be 
 strained through a fine cloth, and the residue 
 again pounded, while the strained fluid should 
 be bottled in a large stopped ■sial. To the pasty 
 mass in the mortar add half an ounce of sugar, 
 and eight ounces of rose water, and strain again. 
 This process must be repeated three times. To 
 the thirty-two ounces of fluid, add twenty grains 
 of the bichloride of mercury, dissolved in two 
 ounces of alcohol, and shake the mixture for five 
 minutes. The fluid should be applied with a 
 towel, immediately after washing, and the skin 
 gently rubbed with a dry cloth till perfectly dry. 
 Wilson, in his work on Healthy Skin, writes as 
 follows: — Substances are sold by the perfumers 
 called depilatories, which are represented as hav- 
 ing the power of removing hair. But the hair is 
 not destroyed by these means ; the root and that 
 part of the shaft implanted within the skin still 
 remain, and are ready to shoot up with increased 
 vigor as soon as the depilatory is withdrawn. 
 The eflect of the depilatory is the same, in ihis 
 respect, as that of a razor, and the latter is, 
 unquestionably, the better remedy. It must not, 
 however, be imagined tliat depilatories are nega- 
 tive remedies, and that, if they do no permanent 
 good, they are, at least, harmless ; that is not 
 the fact; they are violent irritants, and require to 
 be used with the utmost caution. After all, the 
 safest depilatory is a pair of tweezers and pa- 
 tience. 
 
 HANDS. — Dirty and coarse hands are no 
 less the marks of slothfulness and low breeding, 
 than clean and delicate hands are those of clean- 
 'liness and gentility. To promote the softness 
 ^^'%nd whiteness of the skin, mild emollient soaps, 
 °f or those abounding in oil, should alone be used, 
 "^by which means chaps and chilblains will gene- 
 ^'^rally be avoided. The coarse, strong kinds of 
 K soap, or those abounding in alkali, should for a 
 "I like reason be rejected, as they tend to render 
 °' the skin rough, dry, and brittle. The immersion 
 of the hands in alkaline lyes, or strongly acidu- 
 lated water, has a like effect. When the hands 
 are very . dirty, a little good soft soap may be 
 used with warm water, which will rapidly re- 
 move oily and greasy matter. Fruit and ink 
 stains mav be taken out by immersing the hands 
 in water slightly acidulated with oxalic acid, or a 
 few dr«ps of oil of vitriol, or to which a little 
 pearlash or chloride of lime has been added, 
 observing afterwards to well rinse them in clean 
 water, and not to touch them with soap for some 
 hours, as any alkaline matter will bring back the 
 stains, after their apparent removal by all the 
 above substances, except the last. 
 
 HANDS, Blistering of. — The best reme(Jy 
 
 bottle, and applied to the head every night with ' against the blistering of the hands by rowing oj 
 
330 
 
 DICTIONARY OF E VERY-DA Y WANTS. 
 
 fishing, or of the feet by ■walking, is to light a 
 tallow candle; let the tallow drop into water (to 
 
 })urify it from salt), then mix the tallow with a 
 ittle brandy, or any other strong spirit, and rub 
 it well into the hands or feet. 
 
 HANDS, to Beautify.— 1. Rub together in 
 a mortar four parts by weight of yelk of egg 
 ■with five parts of glycerine. No better ointment 
 for the hands can be procured. The compound 
 may be preserved for years. — 2. Take three 
 drachms of camphor gum, three do. white bees- 
 wax, three do. spermaceti, two ounces of olive 
 oil — put them together in a cup upon the stove 
 where they will melt slowly and form a white 
 ointment in a few minutes. If the hands be af- 
 fected, anoint them on going to bed, and put on 
 a pair of gloves. — 3. Take two ounces of Venice 
 soap, and dissolve it in two ounces of lemon 
 juice. Add one ounce of the oil of bitter al- 
 monds, and a like quantity of oil of tartar. Mix the 
 ■whole, and stir it well until it has acquired the con- 
 sistence of soap ; and use it as such for the hands. 
 The paste of sweet almonds, which contains an 
 oil fit for keeping the skin soft and elastic, and 
 removing indurations,' may be beneficially ap- 
 plied to the hands and arms. 
 
 HAN^DS, Chapped. — I. Glycerine and rose- 
 ■water, of each yi oz. ; mix, and rub it on the 
 back part of the hands night and morning. They 
 will require very few applications before they are 
 ■well. — 2. (^Glycerine lotion.) This useful and 
 pleasant application for chapped hands is pre- 
 pared by simmering one drachm of quince seed 
 in half a pint of boiling water for ten minutes, 
 straining the mucilage, and mixing one part with 
 one part of inodorous glycerine and six parts of 
 orange flower or rose water. A little borax may 
 be added if desirable. — 3. Melt tallow, and add 
 a little powdered camphor and glycerine, with a 
 few drops of oil of almonds to scent. Pour in 
 molds and cool. — 4. Put together equal weights 
 of fresh, unsalted butter, mutton tallow, bees- 
 wax, and stoned raisins; simmer until the raisins 
 are done to a crisp, but not burned. Strain and 
 pour into cups to cool. Rub the hands thor- 
 oughly with it, and though they will smart at 
 first, they will soon feel comfortable and heal 
 quickly. — 5. The easiest and simplest remedy is 
 found in every store-room. Take common 
 
 HANDS, To So/ten.— Ah^r cleansing the 
 hands with soap, rub them well with oatmeal 
 while wet. 
 
 HANDS, To Remove Stains from. — Damp 
 the hands first in water, then rub them with 
 tartaric acid, or salt of lemons, as you would with 
 soap ; rinse them and rub them dry. Tartaric 
 acid, or salt of lemons will quickly remove stains 
 from white m<uslin or linens. Put less than half 
 a teaspoonful of salt or acid into a table- spoonful 
 of water; wet the stain with it, and lay it in the 
 sun for an hour ; wet it once or twice with cold 
 water during the time ; if this does not quite re- 
 move it, repeat the acid water, and lay it in the 
 sun. 
 
 HANDS, To Whiten. — i. Stir a ^ of a 
 pound of Castile soap, and place it in a jar near 
 the fire, pour over it ^ a pint of alcohol ; when 
 the soap is dissolved and mixed with the spirit, 
 add I ounce of glycerine, the same of oil of al- 
 monds, with a few drops of essence of violets, or 
 otto of roses, then pour it into molds to cool for 
 use. — 2. A wine-glassful of eau de cologne, and 
 one of lemon juice, two cakes of brown Windsor 
 soap, mixed well together, when hard, will form 
 an excellent substance. 
 
 HEAD, Scurf in. — A simple and effectual 
 remedy. Into a pint of water drop a lump of 
 fresh quick lime, the size of a walnut ; let it stand 
 all night, then pour the water off clear from the 
 sediment or deposit, add a quarter of a pint of 
 the best ■vinegar, and wash the head with the 
 mixture. Perfectly harmless ; only wet the roots 
 of the hair. 
 
 LIPS, Chapped. — Take two ounces of ■white 
 wax, one ounce of spermaceti, four ounces of oil 
 of almonds, two ounces honey, quarter of an 
 ounce of essence of bergamot, or any other scent. 
 Melt the wax and spermaceti; then add the 
 honey, and melt all together, and -ivhen hot, add 
 the almond oil by degrees, stirring it till cold. — 
 2. Take oil of almonds, 3 ounces; spermaceti, 
 % ounce ; virgin rice, yi an ounce. Melt these 
 together, over a slow fire, mixing with them a 
 little powder of alkanet root, to color it. Keep 
 stirring till cold, and then add a few drops of tlve 
 oil of rhodium. — 3. Take oil of almonds, sperm- 
 aceti, white wax, and white sugar candy, equal 
 parts. These form a «TO£»d..iv'^'!ififx. 
 
 ^"Sta'nd d' «"-^' '^'Sd':"^'' ^^'■-'^^-^^> 
 aisn-water, rmse mem morougiiiy in ciear waierm j- , }^^ ^"^ clear solut 
 
 wipe them, and while they are yet damp, rub U Snf I ^y»*h a close brush, 
 pinch of the starch thoroughly over them, cover J^^J^~P^"^"l^"i pf potassae. 2drach 
 
 have it continually at hand for use. Then, everj 
 
 time that the hands are taken from the suds, oj"'^ "^"^a'/ """'^^J distilled water, 8 ounces • 
 dish-water, rinse them thoroughly in clear water^^^ n^r!i;„^^'i^:?u ^J'^*^'^^'' solution. To be care' 
 
 ing the whole surface. The effect is magical. 
 The rough, smarting skin is cooled, soothed and 
 healed, bringing and insuring the greatest degree 
 of comfort and freedom from this, by no means 
 insignificant trial. 
 
 IJAA^DS, Redness and Burning of. — Redness 
 and burning of the hands is caused by defective 
 circulation. The best remedy is to protect them 
 as much as possible from the cold when out of 
 doors, by using a muff or by wearing two pairs 
 of gloves, which are much warmer than one pair 
 lined. To prevent the burning sensation, hold 
 the hands for a few minutes in very warm water 
 after coming in, as that generally produces a 
 feeling of coolness afterwards, whereas cold wa- 
 ter causes a glow after it has been used. 
 
 NAILS ( The), Care of. — The nails should Oe 
 kept clean by the daily use of the nail brush and 
 soap and water. After wiping the hands, but 
 while they are still soft from the action of the 
 water, gently push back the skin which is apt to 
 grow over the nails, which will not only preserve 
 them neatly rounded, but will prevent the skin 
 cracking around their roots, (nail springs), and 
 becoming sore. The points of the nails should 
 be pared at least once a week; biting them 
 should be avoided. 
 
 NAILS, Biting the. — This is a habit that 
 should be immediately corrected in children, as, 
 if persisted in for any length of time, it perma- 
 nently deforms the nails. Dipping the finger- 
 ends in some bitter tincture will generally pre- 
 
TOILET. 
 
 33« 
 
 vent children trom putting them to the mouth ; 
 but if this fails, as it sometimes M'ill, each finger- 
 end ought to be encased in a stall until the pro- 
 pensity is eradicated. 
 
 NAILS, To Whiten. —The best wash for 
 whitening the nails is two drachms of diluted 
 sulphuric acid, one drachm of tincture of myrrh, 
 added to four ounces of spring water; first 
 cleanse the hands, and then apply the wash. 
 
 NOSES {Large), To Make Small.— Dr. Cid, 
 an inventive surgeon of Paris, noticed that elder- 
 ly people, who for a long time have worn eye- 
 glasses supported on the nose by a spring, are 
 apt to have this organ Icwig and thin. This he 
 attributes to the compression which the spring 
 exerts on the arteries by which the nose is nour- 
 ished. The idea occurred to him that the hint 
 could be made useful. Not long afterward, a 
 young lady of fifteen years consulted him, to see 
 if he could restore to moderate dimensions her 
 nose, which was large, fleshy, and unsightly. 
 The trait, he found, was hereditary in her family, 
 as her mother and sister were similarly afflicted. 
 This was discouraging, as hereditary peculiarities 
 are particularly obstinate. But the doctor deter- 
 mined to try his method ; he took exact measure- 
 ments, and had constructed for her a "lunette 
 pince-nez" — a spring and pad for compressing 
 the artery — which she wore at night and when- 
 ever she conveniently could in the daytime. In 
 three weeks a consolatory diminution was evident, 
 and in three months the young lady was quite 
 satisfied with the improvement in her features. 
 
 PIMPLES. — Several different forms of erup- 
 tions are popularly termed pimples, though vary- 
 ing considerably in their character. As this ar- 
 ticle is designed for general reading, we shall 
 adopt the popular appellation. Dry pimples 
 consist of little elevations sometimes showing 
 themselves on the surface, at other times per- 
 ceptible only to the touch. They usually itch 
 considerably, and when scratched to allay the feel- 
 ing, are liable to be converted into disagreeable 
 sores. We know of no better remedy for these 
 than a solution erf borax in warm water, after- 
 ward allowed to cool. This applied plentifully 
 as a wash or lotion will soothe the irritation. 
 
 Mattery pimples are distinguished from the 
 above by containing an opaque, yellowish fluid 
 (pus). The little bubbles attain their full size in 
 the course of two or three days, and either dry 
 up without breaking or more frequently burst 
 and then dry, forming a hard crust. For these 
 are recommended a lotion composed of alcohol 
 one part and five or six parts of soft water, 
 to which a very little distilled vinegar is added. 
 The crusts may be removed by warm water. 
 
 Watery pimples consist of little vesicles or 
 bladders filled with transparent liquid. No local 
 treatment is usually available. 
 
 In the treatment of pimples, attention should 
 
 be directed to improving the general health, pro- 
 
 . moting activity of the skin by exercise, frequent 
 
 ( bathing of the whole body, and the avoidance of 
 
 ' pastry, rich gravies and similar articles of food. 
 
 Pimples generally afflict persons of sedentary 
 
 habits, especially those confined in close, impure 
 
 atmospheres. Where the skin becomes torpid, 
 
 the great amount of waste usually passing off in 
 
 the form of insensible perspiration gathers at the 
 
 openings of the pores and clogs them. If bathing 
 
 is not frequent this layer of dead matter forms a 
 
 coating through which the insensible perspiration 
 
 (or wastes usually passed from the skin) are pre- 
 vented an egress and collect in pimples. It is 
 probable that the reason of the face being most 
 frequently the part disfigured, is because it is| 
 more frequently washed, the waste matter seeks 
 an outlet wherever the skin can act, and so too 
 much accumulates here to be thrown off easily. 
 The use of warm water for daily ablutions pro- 
 motes this attraction of waste matter to the spot. 
 By washing the face in very cold water and bath- 
 ing the body frequently in warm water the order 
 is reversed, and the excess of the face is drawn 
 to other parts and, diffused over a large surface, 
 passes off naturally aiid without any marked 
 signs. 
 
 Pimples frequently indicate a debilitated state 
 of the blood, are common in enervated systems. 
 Strengthen the system, promote the purification 
 of the blood by breathing fresh air, and aid the 
 throwing off of waste matters by frequent bath- 
 ing and gentle friction of the body. The bowels 
 should be kept regular by proper food, such as 
 fruits, vegetables, and particularly oat-meal. 
 
 The lotions, beautifiers, etc., usually sold con- 
 sist of borax water, glycerine in water, with a 
 little perfume, or the deadly preparations from 
 poisonous substances. One of the "remedies" 
 advertised was found to contain corrosive subli- 
 mate. Camphor is frequently prescribed by news- 
 papers, and forms an ingredient in some of the 
 proprietary preparations. It does not appear to 
 do any good, and is liable if used to any consider- 
 erable extent to exert a paralyzing influence — in 
 some cases even to the extent of total loss of power 
 and sensation in the parts to which it is applied. 
 It is also liable to drive in eruptions, causing in- 
 ternal trouble. Alum applied to the face occa- 
 sionally, especially after shaving, has been found 
 in some cases very useful in checking pimples. 
 
 Smashing pimples, or squeezing out "flesh 
 worms," only tends to an increase of the trouble. 
 If a large pimple seems inclined to form, the best 
 way is to let it come fully to a head, then prick 
 it with a needle and gently press out the matter, 
 breaking the skin as little as possible. This will 
 help to clear the face. Borax water is a simple, 
 harmless and often beneficial application to pim- 
 ples and inflamed or irritated skin, and in cases 
 of chaps, sunburn, or harshness of the skin. 
 
 SKIN, To Whiten and So/ten. — i. Take white 
 wax (pure), I ounce; spermaceti, 2 ounces; oil 
 of almonds, 9 ounces; melt together by a mo- 
 derate heat in a glazed earthenware vessel, and 
 add glycerine (best), 3 ounces ; balsam of Peru, 
 }4 ounce. The mixture is to be stirred until 
 nearly cold. — 2. Take a _i|f of a fluid ounce, each, 
 of tincture of tolu, tincture of benzola, and tinc- 
 ture of balsam of Peru, and gradually mix with 
 them a X of a pint of distilled elder water, when 
 a milky emulsive fluid will be the result. Then 
 have, ready melted in a basin, j/^ an ounce of 
 virgin wax and spermaceti, together with a ^ of 
 a pound of almond oil — this is best done by pla- 
 cing the ingredients in a basin set on to a small 
 saucepan of boihng water, thus to melt the ma- 
 terials by steam. Finally, the tincture and wa- .^ 
 ter mixture is to be gradually poured into the 
 basin of oil, sperm, etc., beating the mixture ra- 
 pidly with a fork, so as to insure perfect blend- 
 ing of all the ingredients. When finished, the 
 unguent assumes a beautiful snow-white creamy 
 consistency, which finally sets when quite cold. 
 To whiten the hands, rub them over with the 
 
33*" 
 
 DICTIONAR YOFE VER Y-DA Y WANTS. 
 
 sultana unguent on going to bed, and sleep in an 
 old pair of kid gloves. To prevent wrinkles and 
 preserve the skin, apply the unguent at night, 
 washing it off in the morning with cold cream 
 soap. There is scarcely a wound, bruise, or skin- 
 blotch but what it may be applied to with "safe- 
 ty and with succor." 
 
 .SUNBURN and TAN. — I. Take two 
 drachms of borax, one drachm of Roman alum, 
 one drachm of camphor, half an ounce of sugar- 
 candy, and a pound of ox-gall. Mix, and stir 
 well for ten minutes or so, and repeat this stir- 
 ring three or four times a day for a fortnight, till 
 it appears clear and transparent. Strain through 
 blotting paper, and bottle up for use. — 2. Milk 
 of almonds made thus : Take of blanched bitter 
 almonds half an ounce, soft water half a pint ; 
 make an emulsion by beating the almonds and 
 water together, strain through a muslin cloth, 
 and it is made. — 3. A preparation composed of 
 equal parts of ohve oil and lime water is also an 
 excellent remedy for sunburn. 
 
 TAN, To Remcnie. — Tan may be removed 
 from the face by mixing magnesia in soft water 
 to the consistency of paste, which should then be 
 spread on the face and allowed to remain a min- 
 ute or two. Then wash off with castile soap 
 suds, and rinse with soft water. 
 
 TEETH, Care of. — The mouth has a tem- 
 perature of ninety-eight degrees, warmer than is 
 ever experienced in the shade in the latitude of 
 New England. It is well known that if beef, 
 for example, be exposed in the shade during the 
 warmest of our summer days, it will very soon 
 begin to decompose. If we eat beef for dinner, 
 the particles invariably find their way into the 
 spaces between the teeth. Now if these parti- 
 cles of beef are not removed, they will frequently 
 remain till they are softened by decomposition. 
 In most mouths this process of decomposition is 
 in constant progress. Ought we to be surprised 
 that the gums and teeth against which these de- 
 composing or putrefying masses lie should be- 
 come subjects of disease ? 
 
 How shall our teeth be preserved ? The ans- 
 wer is very simple — keep them clean ! How shall 
 they be kept clean? Answer: by a tooth-pick, 
 rinsing with water, and the daily use of a brush. 
 
 The tooth-pick should be a quill, not because 
 the metallic picks injure the enamel, but because 
 the quill pick is so flexible it fits into all the ir- 
 regularities between the teeth. 
 
 Always after using the tooth-pick the mouth 
 should be thoroughly rinsed. If warm water 
 be not at hand, cold may be used, althougli the 
 warm is much better. Closing the lips, with a 
 motion familiar to all, everything may be thor- 
 oughly rinsed from the mouth. 
 
 Every morning (on rising) and every evening 
 (on going to bed) the tooth-brush should be 
 used, and the teeth, both outside and inside, 
 thoroughly brushed. 
 
 Much has been said, pro and con, upon the 
 use of soap with the tooth-brush. My own ex- 
 perience and the experience of members of my 
 family is highly favorable to the regular morn- 
 ing and evening use of soap. Castile or other 
 good soap.will answer this purpose. (Whatever 
 is good for the hands and face is good for the 
 teeth. ) The slightly unplaftsant taste which soap 
 has when we begin to use it will soon be un- 
 noticed. 
 
 TEETH, To Beautify. — Dissolve two ounces 
 
 of borax in three pints of boiling water, and be- 
 fore it is cold add one teaspoonful of the spirits 
 of camphor, and bottle for use. A tablespoon- 
 ful of this mixture, with an equal quantity of 
 tepid water, and applied daily with a soft brush, 
 preserves and beautifies the teeth, extirpates all 
 tartarous adhesion, arrests decay, induces a 
 healthy action of the gums, and makes the teeth 
 pearly white. 
 
 TEETH {Loose"), To Fasten, — ^To fasten loose 
 teeth and strengthen the gxims : Dissolve an 
 ounce of myrrh as much as possible in a pint of 
 port wine, and the same quantity of oil of al- 
 monds; wash the mouth with this fluid every 
 morning. 
 
 TEETH and GUMS, Wash /7r.— The teeth 
 should be washed night and morning, a mode- 
 rately small and soft brush being used ; after the 
 morning ablution pour on a second tooth-brush, 
 slightly damped, a little of the following lotion. 
 Carbolic acid, 20 drops; spirit of wine, 2 drachms; 
 distilled water, 6 ounces. After using this lotion 
 for a short time the gums become firmer and 
 less tender, and impurity of the breath (which is 
 most commonly caused by bad teeth) will be re- 
 moved. It is a great mistake to use hard tooth- 
 brushes, or to brush the teeth until the gums 
 bleed. 
 
 TOO TH PO IVDERS.—l.lmy persons, while 
 laudably attentive to the preservation of their 
 teeth, do them hurt by too much officiousness. 
 They daily apply to them some dentifrice pow- 
 der, which they rub so hard as not only to injure 
 the enamel by excessive friction, but to hurt the 
 gums even more than by the abuse of the tooth- 
 pick. The quality of some of the dentifrice 
 powders advertised in newspapers is extremely 
 suspicious, and there is reason to think that they 
 are not altogether free from a corrosive ingre- 
 dient. One of the safest and best compositions 
 for the purpose is a mixture of two parts of pre- 
 pared chalk, one of Peruvian bark, and one of 
 hard soap, all finely powdered, which is calcula- 
 ted not only to clean the teeth without hurting 
 them, but to preserve the firmness of the gums. 
 
 Besides the advantage of sound teeth for their 
 use in mastication, a proper attention to their 
 treatment conduces not a little to the sweetness 
 of the breath. This is, indeed, often affected by 
 other causes existing in the lungs, the stomach, 
 and sometimes even in the bowels, but a rotten 
 state of the teeth, both from the putrid smell 
 emitted by carious bones and the impurities lod- 
 ged in their cavities, never fails of aggravating 
 an unpleasant breath wherever there is a ten- 
 dency of that kind. 
 
 TO/LET, The. — In the first requisite, viz., 
 that of dress, we may say, health and comfort 
 first, ornament next. The dress should be plain, 
 neat, clean, loose, and rather light than heavy. 
 It should be plain and neat, because these are 
 the elements of true beauty ; and because God 
 clothed our first parents in simple skins, thus 
 showing the great design of dress to be utility, 
 and not ornament. Dress should be clean be- 
 cause it is demanded by decency and good taste ; 
 it should be loose and light so as to avoid all op' 
 
 Cression and restraint, so that every muscle may 
 ave the most perfect freedom of motion, while 
 mind and bodv are equally at ease. 
 
 TOILET FLNEGAR.—lla\{ a pint of Bor- 
 deaux, or of the best white wine vinegar; half .•» 
 pint of pale rum ; essence of bergamot, rosemary, 
 
WARDROBE. 
 
 333 
 
 and marjoram, a drachm each; and one pint 
 of rose or elder flower water. Mix the perfumes 
 with the spirit, then add the vinegar, and lastly, 
 the rose water. If not perfectly bright it may be 
 strained through blotting paper. 
 
 IV ARTS, To Rcmoz'e.—\. Pare the hard and 
 dried skin from their tops, and then touch them 
 with the smallest drop of strong acetic acid, tak- 
 ing care that the acid does not run off the wart 
 upon the neighboring skin, for if it do, it will 
 occxsion inflammation and much pain. If this 
 practice be continued once or twice daily, with 
 regularity, paring the surface of the wart occasion- 
 ally, when it gets bard and dry, the wart may be 
 
 soon efiectually cured. — 2. A mixture of two 
 parts of nitric acid to one of muriatic acid is a 
 good remedy for warts. It should be applied to 
 the warts with a small brush from a broom, and 
 care must be taken not to get acid on the flesh, 
 as it will make a sore. Saleratus will counteract 
 the action of the acid. 
 
 WHISKERS, To make Grcrju. — Shave the 
 beard at least three times a week, and use the 
 following as a stimulant: cologne, I ounce; alco- 
 hol, I pint ; castor oil, %, pint ; oil of cloves, 20 
 drops ; oil of bergamot, 20 drops ; tincture of 
 cantharides, 2 ounces. 
 
 WARDROBE 
 
 BALLS for Scouring Cloths, etc.—i. Fuller's 
 earth, 2 lbs.; soap, I lb.; turpentine, 2 oz.; ox 
 gall enough to make a paste. — 2. Fuller's earth, 
 whiting, and pipe clay, equal parts, ox gall 
 enough to make a paste. These are used to re- 
 move grease from cloth, or stains from clothes. 
 
 CLOTHING, Hints about. — All our garments 
 should be soft and pliable, and of such a shape 
 as to be comfortable to the wearer. They should 
 ■ not be warmer than is requisite to preserve the 
 body in a proper temperature. The clothing 
 worn next the skin should be made of substances 
 easily cleaned. Our dress should be adapted to 
 the age and constitution of the individual. Young 
 and robust persons require a smaller quantity 
 than those who are delicate or advanced in years. 
 A variety is requisite to suit the dilTerence of 
 temperature in summer and winter. The tem- 
 perature varies so often and so suddenly during 
 the first five months of the year, that no great 
 change in the character of our clothing should be 
 made till May or June. Light colored clothes 
 are cooler in summer, because they reflect a por- 
 tion of the sun's rays ; and they are warmer in 
 winter, because they do not radiate the heat of 
 the body so rapidly as dark colored clothing. 
 Dark colored clothes are wannest in summer, be- 
 cause the darker the cloth, the more perfectly it 
 absorbs the direct heat of the sun. They are, 
 however, colder in winter than light colored 
 clothing, proving the rapidity with which they 
 absorb the heat from the body. 
 
 CLOTHES, To Brush. — Have a wooden horse 
 to put the clothes on, and a small cane to beat 
 the dust out of them ; also a board or table long 
 enough for them to be put their whole length 
 when brushing them; Have two brushes, one a 
 hard bristle, the other soft ; use the hardest for 
 the great coats, and for the others when spotted 
 with dirt. Fine cloth coats should never be 
 brushed with too hard a brush, as they will take 
 ofl the nap, and make them look bare in a little 
 time. Be careful in the choice of the cane, do 
 not have it too large, and be particular not to 
 hit too hard. Be careful also not to hit the but- 
 tons, for it will scratch, if not break them ; there- 
 fore a small handwhip is the best to beat with. 
 II a coat be wet and spotted with dirt, let it be 
 quite dry before brushing; then rub out the 
 
 spots with the hands, taking care not to nrniple 
 it in so doing. If it want beating, do as before 
 directed, then put the coat at its full length on a 
 board ; let the collar be towards the left hand, 
 and the brush in the right. Brush the back of 
 the collar first, between the two shoulders next, 
 and then the sleeves, etc., obser^'ingto brush the 
 cloth the same way that the nap goes, which is 
 towards the skirt of the coat. 'V\Tien both sides 
 are properly done, fold them together, then 
 brush the inside, and last of all the collar. 
 
 CLOTHES, To Renovate. — To warm soft 
 water 4 gals., put in I beefs gall; saleratus, % 
 lb. Dissolve. Lay the garment on a bench and 
 scour every part thoroughly by dipping a stiff 
 brush into the mixture ; spots of grease and the 
 collar must be done more thorough, and longer 
 continued than other parts, and rinse the gar- 
 ment in the mixture by raising up and down a 
 few times, then the same way in a tub of soft 
 cold water ; press out the water and hang up to 
 dry ; after which it needs brushing the way of 
 the nap and pressing well under a damp cloth- 
 Beef's gall vdW. set the color on silks, woolen, 
 or cotton — one spoon to a gallon of water is suf- 
 ficient for this purpose. Spotted bombazine or 
 bombazette washed in this will also look nearly 
 equal to new. 
 
 CLOTH (or Clothing), To render Waterproof. 
 — Several inquiries have been made of us, lately, 
 respecting the mode of preparing cloth to render 
 it waterproof, arrd yet maintain its porosity. 
 Close waterproof cloth fabrics, such as glazed 
 oil cloth, India rubber, and gutta percha cloth 
 are completely waterproof, but do not permit 
 perspiration and the exhaled gases from the skin 
 to pass through them, because they are air tight 
 as well as water tiglit. Persons who wear air 
 tight garments soon become faint, if they are 
 undergoing severe exercise, such as that to which 
 soldiers are exposed when on march. A porous, 
 waterproof cloth, therefore, is the best for outer 
 garments during wet weather, for those whose 
 duties or labor causes them to perspire freely. 
 The best way for preparing such dotn is by the 
 process adopted for the tunics of the French sold- 
 iers during the Crimean war. It is as follows : 
 Take 2)^ pounds of alum and dissolve this in lO 
 gallons of boiling water ; then in a separate ves» 
 
334 
 
 DICTIONARY OF E VERY-DA Y WANTS. 
 
 sel dissolve the same quantity of sugar of lead in 
 lo gallons of water, and mix the two solutions. 
 The doth is now well handled in this liquid, un- 
 til every part of it is penetrated ; then it is squeez- 
 ed and dried in the air, or in a warm apartment, 
 then washed in cold water and dried again, when 
 it is fit for use. I f necessary, the cloth may be dipped 
 in the liquid and dried twice before being wash- 
 ed. The liquor appears curdled, when the alum 
 and lead solutions are mixed together. This is 
 the result of double decomposition, the sulphate 
 of lead, which is an insoluble salt, being formed. 
 The sulphate of lead is taken up in the pores of 
 the cloth, and it is unaffected by rains or moist- 
 ure, and yet it does not render the cloth air tight. 
 Such cloth is also partially non-inflammable. A 
 solution of alum itself will render cloth, prepared 
 as described, partially waterproof, but is not so 
 good as the sulphate of lead. Such cloth — cot- 
 ton or woolen — sheds rain like the feathers on 
 the back of a duck. 
 
 CLOTHING, Water-tight. — 'S,^zxdi recom- 
 mends the application of acetate of alumina for 
 the purpose of rendering clothing impervious to 
 water. The cloth is to be immersed in a mixture 
 of solutions of acetate of lead and sulphate of 
 alumina; by mutual decomposition of the salts, 
 acetate of alumina is produced on the cloth, and 
 when the goods are dried, basic acetate of alumina 
 adheres to the fiber, and thus protects it from the 
 action of moisture. The process is particidarly 
 recommended for military goods. 
 
 DRESSES, Uninflammable. — It is much to 
 be regretted that the process of rendering the 
 material of ladies' muslin dresses uninflammable 
 is not more generally understood and used. 
 Either of three substances — phosphate of am- 
 monia, tungstate of soda, and sulphate of am- 
 monia, can be mixed in the starch, and at the cost 
 of two cents a dress, deaths from burned gar- 
 ments can be rendered impossible. Articles of 
 apparel subjected to those agents can, if they 
 burn at all, only smoulder ; and in no case can 
 they blaze up in the sudden and terrible manner 
 in which so many fatal accidents have occurred to 
 the fair wearers of crinoline. 
 
 GARMENTS, To Make and Cut.— A Dress, 
 (the Waist). — Measure the lady you are going to 
 fit with an inch measure. First, under the arm, 
 down the seam of shoulder, across the chest 
 from seam to seam, I mean the seam under the 
 arm. Length from throat to waist. Length of 
 back to waist. Across the back the same way 
 as front. Cut in common lining the paper pat- 
 tern nearest your measure. Leave turnings, or 
 cut your pattern larger in any part (if required) 
 half an inch. In making up your lining to fit, 
 pin the body together on shoulder and under 
 the arm. Tack the plaits or run them up with 
 cotton. Take the lady's measure over her gown, 
 but fit it on without it. Before you begin to cut, 
 have a piece of paper ready written in the fol- 
 lowing manner, detailing in inches the respective 
 measurements ; for instance, a middle size would 
 be something near these proportions : 
 Under the arm .... 8 
 
 Shoulder 71-2 
 
 Chest ....... 19 
 
 Length of front .... 17 
 
 Length of back .... 15 1-2 
 
 Across the back .... 15 
 
 If for yourself, and you have no paper pattern 
 that fits, unpick half an old body that fits well ; 
 
 lay your new lining on your cutting board, with 
 an old body on top of it, and with your piercer 
 prick through both, in the old stitches of your 
 body pattern ; prick them well, as the marks are 
 apt to rub out; tack all the body well in the 
 holes round it, before you begin, and be very 
 careful to stitch your body to the tacking thread; 
 take care and attend to this. Five out of six per- 
 sons have their dresses made too tight across 
 the chest ; it is a sad fault ; I have many times 
 seen waists out of reason in length, and the front 
 two inches too narrow ; if a penknife were run 
 up the middle, it would burst open ; when I had 
 occasion to do it, I have never found any one 
 willing to have the seam sewn up again ; and I 
 feel convinced, that any lady, once wearing an 
 easy dress, would never go back to a tight one ; 
 to say nothing of its being healthy and beautiful. 
 Great care must be taken with the arm-holes ; 
 do not make them too large or too small ; thir- 
 teen inches is a nice size for a person not more 
 tnan twenty-four inches in the waist ; fourteen 
 inches is a large size, only required for stout 
 persons. If you have to alter the arm-hole, 
 never do it under the arm ; in nine cases out of 
 ten, it will spoil the dress, and it takes away the 
 free use of the arm ; a very small piece cut off 
 round the armhole, except underneath, will be 
 all that is necessary. Do not forget your sleeve 
 must be larger than the arm-hole an inch and a 
 half; when put in, it never looks the least full, 
 and sets better. The seam of your sleeve must 
 not be even with the seam of your body, but half 
 an inch in front of it. In cording the neck, do 
 not stretch it ; hold the cord tight. The waist 
 must, on the contrary, be pulled well, when the 
 cord is put on, or it will never fit ; it requires 
 much stretching. The fit of the body often de- 
 pends on the finishing of the waist. In putting 
 on a waistband, let it be larger than the body ; 
 the fashion at the present moment, I am glad to 
 say, is not carried to the extreme ; the waists are 
 moderate in length, and I do hope sensible wo- 
 men will cease to think tight waists are an orna- 
 ment. Nothing is so beautiful as nature, if we 
 only let it alone ; it is presumption to think we 
 can improve it ; so much has been said by all our 
 clever physicians on this subject, that more than 
 a passing remark from me will be unnecessary. 
 It is a common error to make the backs of'^a 
 dress of a different size ; both halves should be 
 of the same size ; as one conies under, and the 
 other over, they must of course wrap equal, and 
 certainly require to be both alike. Put the hooks 
 not more than one inch apart, and a quarter of 
 an inch from the edge of the back. If the dress 
 fastens in front, make the fastenings the same; 
 and I think a hem down the back a decided 
 improvement ; it takes off the width of the back, 
 for narrow backs and wide chests are what is 
 considered right. In gathering a body at the 
 waist, if it is at all thick material, gauge it with 
 strong silk or thread and large stitches, for it is 
 a small compass it has to be put in ; all full 
 bodies are made with quite a straight piece of 
 material, twenty inches long and eighteen wide ; 
 this is half the front ; gather it straight at the 
 bottom, and then place it on your tight lining; 
 fix it firmly, and then gather it at the shoulder; 
 but mind and do the bottom gauging first ; to 
 make a body with folds, still have your material 
 twenty inches long, and nineteen wide ; the selv- 
 age must reach from waist to shoulder. 
 
WARDROBE. 
 
 335 
 
 Have the piece on a table before you, and 
 make about four folds quite straight ; lay them 
 on your lining, push them close together at the 
 waist, and pull them wider apart at the shoul- 
 der. I find it makes the folds set better, to 
 cover over half the body-lining with a plain piece 
 of the dress, like you would wear a stomacher, 
 and then place your folds to meet it ; so that a 
 folded body will be in two pieces, the plain part 
 put on first, and then the folds after. In putting 
 folds on a body, let it be on the straight, or a 
 good across ; don't let it be neither one nor the 
 other, which is too frequently the case, and always 
 will, as a matter of course, set badly ; do not put 
 your folds into the neck — let them come toward 
 the shoulder; it winds the chest; they had bet- 
 ter be laid a little on the sleeves, then pushed 
 all toward the neck. In making your body- 
 lining ready to put on the part, be careful it is 
 very exact and smooth, and mind your body is 
 neat inside as well as out; don't let raw edges 
 be seen ; turn them, so that the outside fullness 
 or plaits cover what you can, and make the 
 seam under the arm and on the shoulder neat, 
 by sewing them over with white cotton ; that is, 
 if your body is lined with white, which it cer- 
 tainly ought to be. Do not have the lining too 
 stout. It will not give easily to the figure. A 
 yard and a quarter is plenty for a moderate-sized 
 person. Use little or no whalebone. Let it be 
 in thin strips which will give to the form. Be 
 sure to give ease in the arm-hole, and width in 
 the chest, whether for a dress or jacket. Be 
 "sure you are right" before you "go ahead;" 
 that is, look to see if you have the pattern of the 
 material all running in the same direction, the 
 two halves of the front and back cut for the op- 
 posite sides, the breadths of the skirt the same 
 length, etc., etc., else the scissors will do sad 
 mischief. If you are inexperienced, look twice 
 and baste carefully. Trust nothing to chance; 
 you can not be too precise. You will save time 
 and labor in the end, by being very particular 
 about the fastening. It is the soul of nice work. 
 
 In cutting the sleeve, measure the length of 
 the arm from the shoulder to the wrist, over the 
 bent elbow, no matter what the fashion of the 
 sleeve may be. If a bishop-sleeve, it should be 
 allowed long over the elbow, allowing at least 
 four inches for the droop, and shorter on the 
 inner seam. Remember to slope the top of the 
 sleeve for the arm-hole, not both sides alike, but 
 with the upper half curving in, say, half an inch; 
 also to allow one inch and a half to be taken up 
 in sewing in the sleeve — that is, allow the sleeve 
 to be that much larger than the arm-hole ; it will 
 look plain when sewn in. 
 
 Open sleeves should be lined as far back as 
 they are seen, either with a piece of the dress 
 material, or with silk. White silk is used as 
 a lining for black and other colors. If a 
 rich dress, the lining should be finished off with 
 a ruck of white ribbon, or black lace, just show- 
 ing over the edge. 
 
 If the caps of sleeves are sloped like the 
 sleeves, at the top, they will set down too close; 
 they should be hollowed in, a little, on the top. 
 
 Trimming should be sewn on strong but 
 lightly; never dragged in the least; hold it a 
 Uttle fall. 
 
 In making the skirt, supposing you have meas- 
 ured over your material, have your inch measure 
 ready to cut the skirt from it. It is a good plan 
 
 to write down in a little book the number of 
 inches long your skirt is required. Measure it 
 at the back of the dress, and then from the seam 
 under the arm. The slope begins here, and 
 gradually goes to the point. Lay the skirt on 
 a table, and have both halves exact, pin them to- 
 gether at the bottom, and pull them even at the 
 top. A dressmaker would have a person to hold 
 the skirt at the bottom, while she made it even 
 at the top. Put seam to seam. Care should be 
 taken to cut your skirt even, every breadth the ■ 
 same length ; and let your seams be nicely pin- 
 ned before you begin to run them. Make your- :i 
 selves a heavy cushion, to pin your seams to. 
 A common brick covered makes a very good one. 
 In cutting off the skirt, if the length, we will 
 suppose, should be forty-two or forty-six inches 
 long, leave four inches more for the hem and 
 turnings at the top. Cut the lining for the skirt 
 exact to the material, and mind it fits when 
 finished. Supposing you have to run the seams 
 of the skirt and the seams of your lining, lay the 
 lining on the table, placing the skirt on top, and 
 then tack the seams of your skirt to the lining. 
 Begin at the first seam, and gradually go on to 
 the last seam ; stitch up three pieces together, 
 and fell over the fourth ; having done this, hem 
 the bottom. Fix your hem all round before you 
 begin, and do not take the stitches through un- 
 less your hem is tacked or pinned : it will be 
 sure to be on the twist, and set badly. 
 
 Having done this, run on your braid, which 
 must be put on easy or rather full. Attend to 
 this, or you will spoil the set of the skirt. If the 
 skirt is to have flounces, they must be put on be- 
 fore you gauge the top ; and while the skirt is on 
 the table, put a white tacking-thread round the 
 skirt where each flounce is to be fixed. Flounces 
 take the same quantity of material if cut either 
 on the straight or the cross. It is a common 
 error to suppose they take more on the cross. 
 For the fullness of a flounce, allow one width on 
 the cross to one width on the straight of your 
 skirt; so that if you have six widths in your 
 skirts, you will have six widths in your flounces 
 on the cross. If there are three flounces of dif- 
 ferent widths, let the bottom and widest one have 
 the most fullness; three inches more fullness 
 will be sufficient. If the flounces are on the 
 straight, allow eight widths in tlie flounce to six 
 widths in the skirt. A small cord run in at the 
 top of the flounce makes it look neat. Before 
 running the cord in your flounce, join it round 
 the exact size of the skirt ; join round likewise 
 your flounces, and full them on the cord as you 
 go on. Halve and quarter your flounces and also 
 your skirt, and you will find them no trouble to 
 put on. 
 
 To cut flounces on a good cross, have the ma- 
 terial on a table, and turn down one corner in the 
 exact shape of half a pocket handkerchief, and 
 then cut it through. In turning down your half, 
 try two ways : one way lays flat on the table 
 when folded, and the other does not look so flat; 
 cut through the latter. In silk there is no per- 
 ceptible difference which way you cut it ; but in 
 crape you will very easily observe it. Take any 
 piece you have by you, and try it while reading 
 this. Now begin to turn down your material on 
 the cross, like a gentleman folds his neckerchief; 
 keep folding until you have the number of pieces 
 you want lor one' flounce, and keep each one 
 pinned to the other as you fold them, so as to 
 
336 
 
 DICTIONARY OF E VERY-DAY WANTS. 
 
 leave them all exact in width. Mind the edges 
 measure exact. Supposing you to keep turning 
 each one as you fold it. If the flounces are to be 
 nine inches, cut the selvage the same depth. 
 Some persons are at a loss to know how much 
 three or four flounces will take. Supposing you 
 have three flounces, one ten, one eight, and one 
 six inches deep at the selvage, the flounce of ten 
 inches wide would take not quite one yard and 
 three-quarters ; that of eight inches, one yard, a 
 quarter and three inches ; and that of six inches, 
 exactly one yard — making in all four yards for 
 three flounces; this, you will understand, is for 
 flounces cut on the cross or straight in any mate- 
 rial you may choose to use. I should advise you 
 to have paper and pencil and your inch measure, 
 and reckon before you purchase your material. 
 Trimmings down the front of a dress, when on 
 the cross, should be cut the same as flounces. 
 In trimming the front of a skirt, it is a good plan 
 to cut a paper the length of the skirt, and pin it 
 on the way you intend to trim, and then tack a 
 tacking-thread by it. Put tackings wherever 
 you mean to trim, before you begin trimming, 
 and lay your skirt on a table to do it ; put on all 
 trimmings with a light hand ; do not sew them 
 as you would a shirt — it gives them a puckered 
 look. Now mind a good cross, no attempt at 
 making pieces do, unless they are good corner 
 pieces that will join well ; you are more sure of 
 making a trimming well, if cut all from one piece. 
 Before cutting a skirt off, that you wish to put 
 tucks in, have a piece of lining or calico at hand, 
 and pin the tucks in it as you wish to put them 
 in your skirt. Supposing you to have pinned 
 your calico exactly like one width of your skirt, 
 take out your pins and measure with an inch 
 measure the exact quantity, and then calculate 
 f the exact quantity you will want for the whole 
 skirt. As a general rule, a tucked skirt takes 
 more than a flounced one, and makes less show 
 for the quantity of material used. When run- 
 ning seams of a silk skirt, notch the selvage all 
 the way up the seams of every breadth and pass 
 a moderately warm iron over the seams when 
 finished ; seams in a merino skirt require to be 
 run thickly and pressed open ; press every join 
 you make in every part of a dress. In gauging 
 a skirt of any kind, gauge the four back widths 
 in larger stitches than you gauge the three front 
 ones ; the rule in gauging is to take as much 
 on your needle as you leave ; that is, if you took 
 up on your needle a quarter of an inch, you 
 would leave a quarter of an inch ; this size 
 would do for the back gathers, but the front 
 must be smaller. All seams should be run with 
 silk the color of the dress. It is a good plan to 
 have fine black thread in your work-box, to sew 
 waists on and gauge the skirts of a dark dress. 
 
 Pockets in dresses are a decided objection, and 
 are often worn by ladies because they are put 
 there by the dressmaker, and save any further 
 trouble. A pocket will become loose in a dress, 
 or dirty, and require washing. It pocket-hand- 
 kerchiefs only were put in, the objection would 
 not be quite so great; so few ladies will wear 
 two, although that is what I could wish. If one 
 pocket must be worn in the dress, wear another 
 as well under the dress. What I should recom- 
 mend would be to wear two good loose pockets 
 stitched on a band, one on the right, and the 
 other on the left side, eighteen inches long and 
 nine inches wide, made in jean. In this size you 
 
 can cut two slits, one across the half of the length, 
 and the other nearer the top, almost at the band. 
 At the entrance to each pocket put a good button 
 and button-hole. A small purse will be more 
 safely carried in the top pocket; button it in, and 
 mind that the button-hole fits the button, or the 
 friction in walking may cause it to unbutton. 
 
 On walking out, if you require money, put it 
 loose in your pocket; this may seem objectionable 
 to some, but it certainly is the safest plan. Many 
 ladies like to carry a rather large sum of money; 
 not that they know they shall want it, but in case 
 they may. It certainly is not safe for ladies to 
 look into shop windows, or in any way to loiter 
 with money in their hands, or a watch or jewelry 
 in sight. There is no occasion to do without a 
 watch, but it should not be worn in sight in the 
 street. Ladies will say they like to have it handy, 
 so that they may easily see the time. Thieves 
 and pickpockets quite agree with ladies in carry- 
 ing every thing handily. 
 
 Summer yackets. — I will now give some hints 
 on the advantages of summer jackets to be worn 
 under the dress, made of thin washing material. 
 The object of these jackets is to preserve the lin- 
 ing of the dress clean, and to protect the dress 
 from the warmth of the neck. I was partly in- 
 duced to write these hints from having heard a 
 discussion between two young ladies upon the 
 importance of turning a silk dress. It was ad- 
 mitted by both, that the only bad or ugly part of 
 the gown about to be turned was the top of the 
 body. The perspiration and warmth of the neck 
 had certainly taken out the color of the silk hah 
 way across the back, from the shoulders upward. 
 Now this must be disheartening, to find a dress 
 spoilt before it is half worn out. During the 
 time of wearing a dress, how much more agree- 
 able it is to see the body-lining nice and clean ! 
 To those who wear habit-shirts they are a small 
 protection ; but unless they are constantly worn, 
 they will be of little avail. What I propose is 
 this : to wear a small, thin, white jacket, high, 
 made of jaconet or cambric muslin. The thin- 
 ness or thickness of the material must be regulat- 
 ed by the taste of the wearer. A muslin that re- 
 quires little or no starch is best. The jackets 
 can be worn either with short or long sleeves, or 
 without any sleeves at all, and to fasten either 
 before or behind, whichever may be preferred. 
 Many young persons merely tack a piece of lace * 
 or collar on their dress, and simply put it on 
 over their stays, with nothing to protect the dress. 
 In every way this is a dirty and extravagant habit, 
 for the body must get immensely soiled before 
 the skirt is half worn out. For those to whom 
 expense is no consideration, they can be very 
 prettily trimmed with insertion and lace ; but the 
 principal object being cleanliness and protection 
 to the dress, trimming is left entirely to the taste 
 of the wearer. Many ladies wear a low-body 
 petticoat, a thin jacket over, and lastly a habit- 
 shirt. If some persons can wear three articles, 
 and others none at all, there must be something 
 that requires altering 'in this part of a lady's 
 dress. 
 
 GARMENTS, To Reneiv -when Faded attd 
 Worn, — To alcohol I qt., add extract of logwood 
 X lb.; loaf sugar 2 oz.; blue vitriol % oz.; heat 
 gently until all are dissolved ; bottle for use. To 
 one pint of boiling water put three or four tea- 
 spoons of the mixture, and apply it to the garment 
 with a clean brush; wetting the fabric thoroughly; 
 
WARDROBE. 
 
 337 
 
 let dry; then suds out well and dry again to 
 prevent crocking; brush with the nap to give 
 the polish. This may be applied to silks and 
 woolen goods having colors ; but is most appli- 
 cable to gentlemen's apparel. 
 
 GREASE SPOTS, To Extract from Linen. 
 — ^Take magnesia in the lump, wet it and rub it 
 on the spot thoroughly ; let it remain an hour or 
 so, and brush it off. Another way is to scrape 
 French chalk upon the spot until it is well cover- 
 ed. Now hold a hot iron near it for a few min- 
 utes, and then brush off the chalk. If grease 
 still remains, do it again. French chalk can be 
 had of tailors, who use it in marking cloth for 
 cutting. 
 
 GLOVES {Kid), To Color.— i. Put one half 
 ounce extract of logwood into a two ounce phial, 
 and fill up with good brandy. This dye will 
 keep for years, if well corked. Put the gloves 
 on the hand, and with a small swab (a piece of 
 sponge tied to a stick is best), apply the dye 
 evenly all over them. Then rub the one hand 
 with the other, smoothly and firmly, until the 
 gloves are dry — a few minutes only, as the spirit 
 soon evaporates. More log\vood gives a nearly 
 black color; less produces a delicate lilac. — 2. Dis- 
 solve India ink in water, and apply with a 
 camel's hair brush. A fine brown may be ob- 
 tained by rubbing lightly with a strong decoction 
 of tea. 
 
 HA TSy To take Care of. — If your hat is wet, 
 shake it out as much as possible ; then brush it 
 with a soft brush as smooth as you can, or with 
 a clean linen cloth or handkerchief; wipe it very 
 carefully, keep the beaver flat and smooth, in the 
 same direction as it was first placed ; then, with 
 a small cane, beat the nap gently up, and hang 
 it up to dry in a cool place. When it is dry, lay 
 it on a table, and brush it round several times 
 with a soft brush in the proper direction ; and 
 you will find your hat not the least injured by 
 the rain. If the gloss is not quite so high as you 
 wish, take a fl.it iron, moderately heated, and 
 pass the same two or three times gently over the 
 hat ; brush it afterwards and it will become near- 
 ly as handsome as when sent home from the 
 maker. To scour a hat -when the nap is clotted, 
 and to take salt water out. — Get a hard brush, a 
 basin of hot water (boiling), and some yellow 
 soap ; rub a little of the soap lightly on the brush 
 and dip it into the water ; brush the hat round 
 with the nap. If you find the nap clotted, do 
 not scrape it with your fingers, as that tears it 
 off, but brush it until it is smooth, and the soap 
 is thoroughly out ; then take a piece of wood, or 
 the back of a knife, and scrape it well round ; 
 you will find all the dirt come out; then beat it 
 gently with a cane. 
 
 LAUNDRYING, With Carbolic Soap.— l^oi 
 a few ladies are so situated that they have neither 
 conveniences for washing nor time to go through 
 the usual processes even for the smallest articles, 
 and yet are not in the neighborhood of any per- 
 son to whom they can trust the doing up of 
 laces and sheer muslins. 
 
 We have accidentally discovered how great 
 help in such case is to be found in carbolic soap. 
 A cake of the article as prepared for the toilet 
 being in our soap dish, we one day put into a 
 suds made from it a handful of laces and linen 
 lawns, some of them quite yellow from long 
 waiting, and being busily absorbed, thought no 
 more about them until next day, when they were 
 
 found to be entirely whitened and cleansed, and 
 only needing to be rinsed to be ready for the 
 starching. 
 
 This knowledge may be made available in the 
 art of doing up nice laces, which any lady may 
 lejirn if she has the time to attend to it, thus 
 avoiding the necessity of sending them out to be 
 done by those who make the business a profes- 
 sion. 
 
 Stretch over a wine bottle, or better, a well 
 cleansed quart stone ink jug, as it is of more uni- 
 form diameter, the leg of a soft, firm, fine, white 
 cotton stocking, and secure it well by stitches. 
 On this, wind the collar or band of lace to be 
 cleansed, and then with fine needle and thread 
 baste it carefully on the stocking, following with 
 the needle all the scallops of the edge and catch- 
 ing down all the looos so they cannot get out of 
 place in washing. 
 
 Set the bottle in a deep dish or tin pail of car- 
 bolic soap suds and let it remain twelve or twen- 
 ty-four hours as the case may be. Rinse out the 
 suds by holding the bottle under the hydrant or 
 by moving it in a pail of clean water ; let it part- 
 ly drain off and then with a clean sponge or rag 
 or even with the fingers, saturate the lace with a 
 very weak solution of white pulverized, gum 
 arable in water. 
 
 When quite dry, rip off the lace, and if it 
 is not as smooth as is desired, lay it under pres- 
 sure between the blank leaves of a book, or if 
 there is haste, it may be pressed with a warm 
 flat iron between muslin lined flannels ; but the 
 whole process may be performed without any 
 warm water or irons, and several steps in the or- 
 dinary mode of washing saved. 
 
 The suds may be thrown into the wash bowls 
 to purify the drain pipes. 
 
 Whether it is safe to use carbolic soap freely in 
 washing, if the hands must come a good deal in 
 contact with it, is a question. 
 
 RIBBON ( Velvet), To /w«.— Dampen the 
 under side slightly, and draw it backward and 
 forward over a hot stove pipe until the velvet is 
 quite dry. A still better plan — though in winter it 
 is not always as convenient — is to lay a wet piece 
 of cotton cloth on a hot flat iron placed upside 
 down, and while the steam is rising from it, to 
 draw the under side of the velvet tightly back- 
 ward and forward over the wet cloth. 
 
 SHIRT BOSOMS AND COLLARS, To 
 Starch. — Pour a pint of boiling water upon two 
 ounces of gum arable, cover it and let it stand 
 over night ; in the morning pour it carefully from 
 the dregs into a clean bottle, cork it and keep it 
 for future use. A tablespoonful of this gum 
 arable water, stirred into a pint of starch made in 
 the usual manner, will give to lawns, either white 
 or printed, a look of newness when nothing else 
 can restore them after they have been washed. 
 To every pint of starch add a piece of butter, 
 lard, tallow or spermaceti candle the size of a 
 chestnut. 
 
 SHOE SOLES, To Save. — It consists merely 
 in melting together tallow and common resin, in 
 the proportion of two parts of the former to one of 
 the latter, and applying the preparation hot, to 
 the soles of the boots or shoes — as much of it as 
 the leather will absorb. 
 
 SILK, To A'ir/.— Silk articles should not be 
 kept folded in white paper, as the chloride of 
 lime used in bleaching the paper will probably 
 impair the color of the silk. Brown, or blue 
 
338 
 
 DICTIONARY OF EVERY-DAY WANTS. 
 
 paper is better; the yellowish, smooth India 
 paper is the best of all. Silks intended for dress 
 should not be kept long in the house before they 
 are made up, as lying in the folds will have a 
 tendency to impair its durability by causing it to 
 cut or split, particularly if the silk has been 
 thickened by gum. Thread lace vails are very 
 easily cut. But dresses of velvet should not be 
 laid by with any weight above them ; if the nap 
 of thin velvet is laid down, it is not possible to 
 raise it up again. 
 
 Hard silk should never be wrinkled, because 
 the thread is easily broken in the crease, and it 
 never can be rectified. The way to take the 
 wrinkles out of silk scarfs and handkerchiefs is 
 to moisten the surface evenly with a sponge and 
 some weak glue, and then pin the silk with some 
 toilet pins on a mattress or feather bed, taking 
 pains to draw out the silk as tight as possible. 
 When dry, the wrinkles will have disappeared. 
 The reason of this is obvious to every person. 
 Some silk articles should be moistened with weak 
 glue or gum-water, and the wrinkles ironed out 
 by a hot flat iron on the wrong side. 
 
 SILK {Black), To Choose.— Vihen a woman 
 is about to choose black .silk, it is well to pull a 
 thread out of the "tram", or filling. She must 
 try the strength of the thread. If it breaks easi- 
 ly, the examination has gone far enomgh ; it is 
 wisdom to look further. We will suppose the 
 thread has been tried and indicates some back- 
 bone ; then it is necessary, if the woman is right 
 brave, and dares to do such a thing with a hand- 
 some pair of clerk's eyes bearing down upon her 
 like a privateer upon a poor little merchantman, 
 to seize the silk by the corner and rub it just as 
 the washerwoman would do when she intends to 
 remove a stain. If this awful ordeal can be per- 
 formed to perfection — remember some muscle 
 must be brought into play — the silk is honest and 
 legitimate. If it is heavy with dye, if held up 
 to the light, slight traces of disaster may be dis- 
 cerned. 
 
 SILK {Black), To "Do w;)".— Boil an old 
 kid glove (cut into small shreds) in a pint of wa- 
 
 ter till the water is reduced to half a pint ; then 
 sponge your silk with it; fold it down tight, and 
 ten minutes after iron it on the wrong side while 
 wet. The silk will retain its softness and lustre, 
 and, at the same time, have the "body" of new 
 silk. 
 
 WORKING SUIT for Fartneis.—Tzrmtrs 
 and mechanics need some kind of a substantial 
 working dressy-one that is cheaply made and 
 easily put on and comfortably worn. It is very 
 expensive working" in a good suit of clothes and 
 exposing them to the various kinds of labor in- 
 cident to farm life. Put on a pair of new pants 
 and get into an apple tree to trim or graft it, or go 
 to repairing fences, and you will be sure to make 
 a rent in them before they are a day old. Such 
 a thing rarely happens to an old pair. We in- 
 vented a dress several years since which we have 
 used and recommended to others much to their 
 satisfaction. It is a sleeve vest closed in front, 
 and trowsers in one piece, with only one fasten- 
 ing with a strap behind the neck. The sleeve 
 may be made sufficiently large enough to wear 
 over a coat. The material should be of blue 
 drilling. 
 
 Thus at a trifling expense a man can be readily 
 fitted to grapple with any kind of work without 
 a constant fear of tearing or soiling his clothes, 
 while the cost is not one tenth part of a suit of 
 ordinary clothing. It will often be found con- 
 venient to wear in hot weather without any other 
 clothing than a shirt. Any clever house-keeper 
 who can make a pair of summer p^nts, can make 
 one of these most useful articles. The only diffi- 
 culty usually is not buying cloth enough to have 
 them made sufficiently large. The suit should 
 be large enough to wear over other garments, 
 if necessary, and when the day's work is done it 
 may be removed, others substituted, and the far- 
 mer is in complete trim to sit down of an evening 
 dressed in clean clothes and ready to engage in 
 conversation, reading, or any other amusement 
 suited to a rational and intelligent mind. The 
 cost of such a suit is trifling, and is more than 
 made up by what it saves of other clothes. 
 
 WASHING, BLEACHING AND DYEING. 
 
 ANNOTTO Z»K£'. — Cut the annotto into 
 small pieces, and boil it in a copper, with an 
 equal weight of good pearlash, then dilute with 
 water to a proper color. Process of Dyeing. — Im- 
 merse the articles, previously rinsed in clean wa- 
 ter, in the dye, and give them a good boil ; then 
 drain them out and rinse them well in clean 
 water. 
 
 Annotto is chiefly used for silks, to which it 
 imparts a fine orange yellow color, the shade of 
 which may be modified, by using different pro- 
 portions of pearlash, and also by giving the 
 stuff different mordants before puttmg it into the 
 dye-bath. 
 
 BLANKETS, To Clean. — Tut two large 
 tablespoonfuls of borax and a pint bowl of soft 
 soap into a tub of cold water. When dissolved, 
 put in a pair of blankets, and let them remain 
 
 over night. Next day rub and drain them out, 
 and rinse thoroughly in two waters, and hang 
 them oui to dry. Do not wring them. 
 
 BLACK DYE. — i. Logwood and cider, with 
 a little water, boiled together in iron, make a 
 good black dye. 
 
 2. To one pound of extract of logwood allow 
 an ounce of blue vitriol. Dissolve the logwood 
 in an iron vessel containing five gallons of water, 
 and let it boil. Add to the logwood a table- 
 spoonful of pulverized copperas. Pulverize the 
 vitriol and dissolve it in a separate vessel, con- 
 taining the same quantity of water ; let this also 
 boil. Scald the material first in the vitriol water, 
 and then put it in the logwood ; let it remain two 
 hours scalding in the logwood. It should be 
 frequently stirred. This is a good and con- 
 venient dye for silks and muslins. They can be 
 
WASHING, BLEACHING AND DYEING, 
 
 339 
 
 set by washing in a strong lather of home-made 
 soap, and afterward dipped in salt and water. 
 Ink-powder boiled with vinegar will dye black. 
 Copperas is the best thing to set black. 
 
 3. Allow a pound of logwood to each pouwd of 
 goods that arc to be dyed. Soak it over night 
 in soft water, then boil it an hour, and strain the 
 water in which it is boiled. For each pound of 
 logwood, dissolve an ounce of blue vitriol in 
 lukewarm water sufficient to wet the goods. Dip 
 the goods in — when saturated with it, turn the 
 whole into the logwood dye. If the goods are 
 cotton, set the vessel on the fire, and let the 
 goods boil ten or fifteen minutes, stirring them 
 constantly to prevent their spotting. Silk and 
 woolen goods should not be boiled in the dye- 
 stuff, but it should be kept at a scalding heat for 
 twenty minutes. Drain the goods without wring- 
 ing, and hang them in a dry, shady place, where 
 they will have the air. When dry, set the color 
 by putting them into scalding hot water that has 
 salt in it, in the proportion of a teacupful to 
 three gallons of the water. Let the goods remain 
 in till cold ; then hang them where they will dry 
 (they should not be wrung). Boiling hot suds 
 is the best thing to set the color of black silk — 
 let it remain in till cold. Soaking black dyed 
 goods in sour milk, is also good to set the color. 
 
 BLACK DYE for Cotton.— Y or 5 lbs. goods 
 — sumac, wood and bark together, 3 lbs.; boil 
 % hour, and let the goods steep 12 hours ; then 
 dip in lime water ^ hour ; then take out the 
 goods and let them drip an hour ; now add to 
 the sumac liquor, copperas 8 oz., and dip an- 
 other hour ; then run them through the tub of 
 lime water again for 15 minutes; now make a 
 new dye with logsvoocl, 2]/^ lbs., by boiling i 
 hour, and dip again 3 hours ; now add bi-chro- 
 mate of potash, 2 oz., to the logwood dye, and 
 dip I hour. Wash in clear cold water and dry 
 in the shade. You may say this is doing too 
 much. You cannot get a permanent black on 
 cotton with less labor. 
 
 BLACK DYE for Wool—l. For 10 lbs. of 
 wool, bi-chromate of potash, 4 oz,; ground argal, 
 3 oz.; boil together, and put in the wool; stir 
 well, and let it remain in the dye 4 hours. Then 
 take out the wool, rinse it slightly in clear wa- 
 ter ; then make a new dye, into which put log- 
 wood, 3^ lbs. Boil I hour, and add chamber- 
 lye, I pt. , and let the wool lie in all night. Wash 
 in clear water. 
 
 2. For 5 lbs. of goods — ^blue vitriol, 6 oz.; boil 
 it a few minutes, then dip the goods % of an 
 hour, airing often ; take out the goods, and make 
 a dye with logwood, 3 lbs.; boil ^ hour; dip 3^ 
 of an hour and air the goods, and dip ^ of an 
 hour more. Wash in strong suds. 
 
 This will not impart any of its color in fulling, 
 nor fade bv exposure to the sun. 
 
 BLACK DYE for Straw and Chip Bonnets. 
 — Chip hats being composed of the shavings of 
 wood, are stained black in various ways. First, 
 by being boiled in strong logwood liquor 3 or 4 
 hours ; they must be often taken out to cool in 
 the air, and now and then a small quantity of 
 green copperas must be added to the liquor, and 
 this continued for several hours. The saucepan 
 or kettle that they are dyed in may remain with 
 the bonnets in it all night; the next morning they 
 must be taken out and dried in the air, and 
 brushed with a soft brush. Lastly, a sponge is 
 dipped in oil, and squeezed almost to dryness; 
 
 with this the bonnets are rubbed all over, both 
 inside and out, and then sent to the blockers to 
 be blocked. Others boil them in logwood; and 
 instead of green copperas, use steel filings 
 steeped in vinegar ; after which they are finished 
 as above. 
 
 BLUE DY£. — Dip in a strong solution of 
 sulphate of indigo, or chemical blue ; set with 
 alum. The best way is to boil the articles in 
 strong alum water before dipping them. To 
 color wool blue, boil it in a decoction of logwood, 
 and sulphate or acetate of copper. 
 
 BLUE DYE for Wool (Quick Process). — 
 For 2 lbs. of goods — alum 5 oz.; cream of tar- 
 tar, 3 oz.; boil the goods in this for I hour; then 
 throw the goods into warm water, which has 
 more or less of the extract of indigo in it, ac- 
 cording to the depth of color desired, and boil 
 again until it suits, adding more of the blue if 
 needed. It is quick and permanent. 
 
 BLUE DYE, ANILINE.— To 100 pounds 
 of fabric dissolve i% pounds of aniline blue in 3 
 quarts of hot alcohol ; strain through a filter, and 
 add it to a bath of 130° Fah.; also 10 pounds of 
 Glauber's salts, and 5 pounds of acetic acid. En- 
 ter the goods, and handle them well for twenty 
 minutes ; then heat it slowly to 200° Fah.; then 
 add 5 pounds of sulphuric acid diluted with wa- 
 ter. Let the whole boil twenty minutes longer, 
 then rinse and dry. If the aniline be added in 
 two or three proportions during the process of 
 coloring, it will facilitate the evenness of the 
 color. The blue, or red shade of blue, is govern- 
 ed by the kind of aniline used, as there is a varie- 
 ty in the market. Hard and close wove fabrics, 
 such as braid, ought to be prepared in a boiling 
 solution of 10 pounds of sulphuric acid and 2 
 pounds of tartaric acid before coloring with the 
 aniline, as this will make the fabric more sus- 
 ceptible to the color. Blues soluble in water 
 color more easily than those which have to be 
 dissolved in alcohol. 
 
 BLUE, CHROME. — 100 pounds of wool 
 are boiled for i hour in a solution of 3 pounds of 
 bichromate of potash, 6 pounds of alum, i pound 
 of half-refined tartar : then it is taken out, cool- 
 ed, and rinsed. Boil 6 pounds of good logwood 
 in a bag for half jin hour in fresh water, add 3 
 pounds of cudbear, well moistened and dissolved. 
 Cool the dye to 180° Fah. Enter the prepared 
 wool, and handle it for three quarters of an hour; 
 bring it to a boil in this time. This color ought 
 to be always left a shade lighter when finished, 
 as all chrome colors darken in drying. 
 
 BLUE DYE, DARK {Suitable for Thibets 
 and Eastings). — Boil loo pounds of the fabric 
 for one hour and a half in a solution of 25 pounds 
 of alum, 4 pounds of tartar, 6 pounds of mor- 
 dant, 6 pounds of common extract of indigo; 
 cool them as usual. Boil in fresh water from 8 
 to 10 pounds of logwood, in a bag or otherwise, 
 then cool the dye to 1 70°Fah. Reel the fabric 
 quickly at first,' then let it boil strongly for one 
 hour. This is a very good imitation of indigo 
 blue. Chemic can be used in the preparation ; 
 but should the shade require more of the indigo 
 while finishing in the log\vood, extract of indigo 
 ought to be used. 
 
 The old English way of coloring a l)lue black 
 on lastings, is l)y lioiling 100 pounds of the fabric 
 for one and a half hours i:i a solution of 10 
 pounds of alum, I pound of copperas, and I 
 pound of blue vitriol ; take the goods out, cool 
 
340 
 
 DICTIONARY OF EVERY-DAY WANTS. 
 
 them, and boil them for one hour in a dye con- 
 taining lo pounds of logwood. This color would 
 not look well on soft goods, such as thibets, as 
 in fact it is only a dark slate, but it looks better 
 on lastings, on account of its gloss. 
 
 N. B. — To all these colors the logwood can be 
 boiled in large quantities, say a barrelful in a 
 hogshead of water at a time, 2 pounds of log- 
 wood being reckoned to a pail of liquid. This 
 will save boiling the chips in a bag. Five pails 
 will be equal to 10 pounds of chips. It has this 
 advantage, too: more can be easily added if the 
 shade require darkening. Extract of logwood 
 should never be used for blues, as it will produce 
 dull colors on account of its being disoxidized by 
 time. 
 
 BLUE DYE, DARK {Topped -with Log- 
 wood). — Give it a dip first in the blue vat, then 
 rinse ; then boil the wool for one hour in a kettle 
 containing lo pounds of alum, 2 pounds of half- 
 refined tartar, and Ij!^ pounds of blue vitriol; 
 after which take it out, cool, and make fresh wa- 
 ter. Add from 5 to 10 pounds of logwood, ac- 
 cording 'o the shade required, and the quality of 
 the logwood ; let it boil in a bag or otherwise, 
 cool the kettle to 170° Fah., enter the wool and 
 handle slowly; in one hour it can be cooled, 
 rinsed, and switched for drying. This does not 
 require any alkali in shading the wool, as the 
 soap will do this in fulling. If cloth be colored 
 this blue, some pearlash or urine may be used 
 to accomplish it ; but then the kettle ought to be 
 cooled to 136° Fah. The goods require good 
 tcouring, otherwise they will crock. 
 
 BLUE DYE, DARK {For Broadcloth in the 
 Wool). — This is colored in a healthy woad vat ; 
 the first dip is handled well and slow for one 
 hour in the net, then taken out, aired, and the 
 % vat stirred again ; in two hours it can be dipped 
 again for half an hour, and so often taken through 
 until it has acquired the right shade. The vat 
 ought to be strong enough in indigo to color it 
 dark enough in three dips. About lo pounds of 
 good indigo is reckoned to 100 pounds of wool ; 
 clear indigo blue does not require anything more, 
 but if taken through a warm bath containing two 
 
 })Ounds of blue vitriol, the color stands better in 
 iilling, and is faster ; after which it is rinsed, 
 switched, and dried. The dark blue generally 
 found in the market is topped with 15 pounds of 
 camwood or 20 pounds of red sanders ; the latter 
 are boiled on the colored wool, as the indigo 
 required for such dark colors would make it very 
 expensive. 
 
 BLUE DYE, INDIGO, for cloth {PART 
 LOG WOOD).— 100 pounds of cloth. Color the 
 cloth first by one or more dips in the vat of in- 
 digo blue, and rinse it well ; then boil it in a 
 solution of 20 pounds of alum, 2 pounds of half- 
 refined tartar, and 5 pounds of mordant for two 
 hours ; then take it out and cool. In fresh water 
 boil 10 pounds of good logwood for half an hour 
 in a bag or otherwise ; cool off the kettle to 1 70° 
 Fah. before entering ; handle well over a reel ; 
 let it boil for half an hour, then take it out, cool, 
 and rinse. This is a very fine blue, but not 90 
 permanent for wear. 
 
 BLUE DYE, INDIGO {For Hosiery).— 
 100 pounds of wool are colored with 4 pounds of 
 Guatemala or 3 pounds of Bengal indigo, in the 
 woad or soda vat ; then boil in a kettle a few 
 minutes 5 pounds of cudbear or 8 pounds of 
 orchil paste; add one pound of soda, or, better, 
 
 one pail of urine; then cool the dye to abou' 
 170° Fah., and enter the wool. Handle well for 
 about twenty minutes; take it out, and cool, 
 rinse, and dry. It is all the same if the cudbear 
 be put in before or after the indigo. Three 
 ounces of aniline purple dissolved in one half 
 pint of alcohol can be used instead of the cudbear. 
 It produces a very pretty shade, but it ought 
 never to be used for mixed goods, which have to 
 be bleached, as it runs into the white ; also the 
 cudbear disappears in the sulphur. 
 
 BLUE, LIQUID. — i. Take i ounce of soft 
 Prussian blue, powder it and put in a bottle with 
 I quart of clear rain water, and add a quarter 
 ounce of oxalic acid. A teaspoonful is sufficient 
 for a large washing. 
 
 2. Take half a pound of best double oil of 
 vitriol, mix one ounce of Spanish indigo, pounded 
 very fine, and scrape in a little chalk ; have an 
 iron pot half full of sand, set this on the fire; 
 when the sand is hot, put the bottle in, and let 
 the vitriol, etc., boil gently for a quarter of an 
 hour, take the whole off the fire, and let it stand 
 for twenty-four hours, and then bottle it for use. 
 
 3. Put into a small matrass or common vial I 
 oz. of pure Prussian blue reduced to powder, 
 and pour over it from I Y^ oz. to 2 oz. of concen- 
 trated muriatic acid. The mixture produces an 
 effervescence and the prussiate soon assumes the 
 consistence of thin paste. Leave it in this state 
 for 24 hours, then dilute it with 8 or 9 oz. of 
 water, and preserve the color thus diluted in a 
 bottle well stopped. 
 
 The intensity of this color may be lessened, if 
 necessary, by new doses of water. If the whole 
 of this mixture be poured into I quart of water, 
 it will still exhibit a color sufficiently dark for 
 washing prints. 
 
 BLUE DYE, LOGWOOD.— lo 100 pounds 
 of cloth or wool dissolve 15 pounds of alum, 2 
 pounds of half-refined tartar, and 3 pounds of blue 
 vitriol; enter the fabric, and let it boil for one 
 hour ; take it out, cool as usual. Then boil in 
 fresh water for twenty minutes 10 pounds of 
 good logwood in a bag or otherwise, cool the dye 
 to 170° Fah., and enter the fabric. Handle it 
 well for half an hour, during which time raise 
 the heat nearly to boiling, then take it out and 
 cool ; cool the dye to 136'' Fah. ; add 5 pounds of 
 pearlash, or Ij pails of urine. Enter the goods 
 again, and handle for half an hour, when they 
 will be a fine blue. Soda ought never to be used, 
 as it makes a dull color. Rinse and dry. This 
 color is suitable for blue-mixed hosiery. 
 
 BLUE, PRUSSIAN.— FrussiMe of potash 
 was formerly only used on cotton, with a pre- 
 paration of iron first ; and, about the year 1828, 
 was first used on woolens, and, of course, no 
 one then thought that they could be colored 
 without giving the fabric a preparation of iron, 
 before entering into the prussiate of potash solu- 
 tion. Every dyer had nis preference to one or 
 the other solutions of iron; they were nitro-muri- 
 ate of iron, acetate, and tartrate of iron. Some 
 used iron oxide (burnt copperas) dissolved in 
 sulphuric acid, etc. ; but later, the yellow prus- 
 siate was only used until the introduction of the 
 red prussiate of potash. The latter has the pre- 
 ference, as it can be added, for darkening the 
 shade, while in the process of coloring, which is 
 not the case with the yellow prussiate of potash ; 
 but this would rot the cloth, as this color requires 
 a large quantity of acid. To 100 pounds ot wool 
 
WASHING, BLEACHING AND DYEING. 
 
 34» 
 
 or flannel dissolve 8 pounds of red prussiate of 
 potash, 2 pounds of tartaric acid, 2 pounds of 
 oxalic acid, 5 pounds sulphuric acid. Handle the 
 fabrics in this for half an hour at 120° Fah.; then 
 reel the goods out, and heat to about 165° Fah.; 
 add 5 pounds of sulphuric acid, and 1% pounds 
 of tin crystals ; stir all well ; enter the goods, and 
 handle for half an hour longer ; then heat it to 
 208^ Fah., when it will be a good blue. The 
 shade can be varied to any extent by the addition 
 of logwood liquor and a few pounds of scarlet 
 spirit; but the liquid ought to be cooled first, and 
 the goods handled quickly to secure evenness 
 while in the logwood. This color ought never 
 to boil, especially when coloring with steam, as 
 more than boiling heat (212*) destroys the color 
 and makes it lighter ; but letting the fabrics lay 
 a few hours exposed to the oxygen before rins- 
 ing is an improvement to the color. This color 
 must be well washed or else it will smut This 
 blue will be brighter if aniline purple be used for 
 darkening, instead of logwood ; but this ought to 
 be done after the goods have been washed, and 
 in fresh water. If a mordant of 10 pounds nitric 
 acid, 36* B., 10 pounds muriatic acid, 22*" B., 10 
 pounds sulphuric acid, 66" B., diluted with wa- 
 ter, and I pound feathered tin added, be used, 
 instead of sulphuric acid, the color will be fast. 
 
 BLUE DYE, PRUSSIAN {For Cotton). — 
 I. Clean the cloth or goods by steeping in soap- 
 suds, then rinse in several different messes of 
 clean water, and lay aside moist. 
 
 2. Into a clean iron, stoneware, or wooden 
 vessel put the amount of clean warm water 
 deemed necessary to work the cloth or goods in 
 easily, and add the solution of pernitrate of iron, 
 and mix well by stirring with a wooden rod ; 
 after which put in the still moist cloth or goods, 
 and work them forty-five minutes or longer, and 
 let them lie in till the next bath is ready. 
 
 3. Into another clean stoneware, iron or wood- 
 en vessel put the amount of clean warm water 
 deemed necessary to work the goods in easily, 
 and add the prussiate of potash (pre\'iously dis- 
 solved in a little hot water in a basin or kettle), 
 and also the oil of vitriol, and mix well by stir- 
 ring with a clean, wooden rod ; then wring out 
 the goods evenly from the pernitrate of iron 
 bath, and work them in this prussiate of potash 
 bath twenty minutes ; after which wring out and 
 work again a few minutes in the pernitrate of 
 iron bath ; then wring out, rinse in several dif- 
 ferent messes of clean water, and dry in the 
 shade. 
 
 If the color of the goods should not be dark 
 enough after one round of dippings, repeat in the 
 order above described, till the shade suits. The 
 ■whole of the goods need not be dried after each 
 round of dippings for the purpose of examining 
 the color. Dry one end of the goods, or a small 
 piece. A handsomer shade of blue can be ob- 
 tained, if the expense can be afforded, by adding 
 to the pernitrate of iron bath two ounces by 
 weight of solution of protochloride of tin for each 
 pound of goods to be dyed. Strong ^^negar can 
 be used in the prussiate of potash bath in place 
 of oil of vitriol, but the blue color will not be so 
 handsome. If vinegar is used, three or four 
 
 Eints should be added to the prussiate of potash 
 ath for each pound of goods, and a portion of 
 the water equal to the vinegar should be omitted. 
 A single pound of cotton goods requires about 
 four gallons of water in each bath to work it in 
 
 easily. Larger quantities of these goods do not 
 need quite so much water in proportion. 
 
 The utensils used with this dye should be 
 cleaned first with potash lye, then with water, 
 afterwards with hot vinegar, and lastly with clean 
 water. 
 
 The use of brass or copper vessels in this dye 
 is to be avoided. 
 
 BLUE, PURPLE. — A curious purple was 
 very fashionable about twenty-five years ago. 
 100 pounds of wool were first dipped a light blue 
 in the vat, and well rinsed. Then take a stone 
 pot, put in 3 pounds of half-refined tartar, 3 
 pounds of feathered tin, 5 pounds of blue vitriol, 
 and 20 pounds of muriatic acid; heat all in a sand 
 bath until dissolved. 
 
 From this mordant take ID pounds in a suit- 
 able kettle ; add 5 pounds half-refined tartar to 
 it, stir it well, and enter the wool at 170* Fah. ; 
 let it boil for one hour ; take it out, cool, and let 
 it lay for twenty-four hours. Then boil out 20 
 pounds of good logwood for three quarters of an 
 hour in fresh water; cool off the kettle to 150" 
 Fah., enter the wool, and handle it well for half 
 an hour, then heat it up to 185*' Fah., but let it 
 not boil ; let it go for one hour more, when it 
 will be a dark purple. This color stands the sun 
 remarkably well, perhaps owing to the fact that 
 there is not any alum or sulphuric acid used, ex- 
 cept that contamed in the blue vitriol. 
 
 BLUE, PURP LE {Fast Color).— \oa pounds 
 of wool are first dipped in the blue vat to a light 
 shade, then boiled in a solution of 15 pounds of 
 alum and 3 pounds of half-refined tartar, for one 
 hour and a half ; the wool taken out, cooled, and 
 let stand twenty-four hours. Then boil in fresh 
 water 8 pounds of powdered cochineal for a few 
 minutes ; cool the kettle to 1 70" Fah. ; handle 
 the prepared wool in this for one hour, in which 
 time let it boil for three quarters of an hour, 
 when it is ready to cool, rinse, and dry. By 
 coloring first with cochineal, as aforesaid, and 
 finishing in the blue vat, the fast purple or dahlia, 
 so much admired in German broadcloths, will be 
 produced. Tin acids must not be used in this 
 color. 
 
 BLUE, SAXON— 100 pounds of thibet or 
 comb yarn, 20 pounds of alum, 3 pounds of 
 cream of tartar, 2 pounds of mordant, 3 pounds 
 of extract of indigo, or I pound of carmine in- 
 stead ; the latter makes a better color. When 
 all is dissolved, cool the kettle to 180° Fah. ; 
 enter and handle quickly at first, then let it boil 
 half an hour, or until even. If the fabric be not 
 scoured clean, it will look shady ; and about 5 
 pounds of common salt added will remedy this. 
 Remember, long boiling dims the color. Zephyr 
 worsted yam ought to be prepared first by boil- 
 ing it in a solution of alum and sulphuric acid, 
 then the indigo added afterwards. For common 
 coarse carpet yarn, it is only necessary to handle 
 it through a hot dye of 175" Fah., containing 15 
 pounds of alum, 10 pounds of sulphuric acid, 4 
 pounds of chemic paste, to 100 pounds of yarn, 
 or through its equivalent of extract of indigo. If 
 chemic be used, the dye ought not to come to a 
 boil, otherwise the impurities of the indigo will 
 color the yarn and dull its brilliancy. Rinse well 
 in water before drying. The tin acid fastens the 
 color somewhat. It will not fade so easily, nor 
 run into the white, if wove into flannels, which 
 have to be scoured in soap, and bleached. Tlie 
 color changes in the sulphur house into a stone 
 
342 
 
 DICTIONARY OF EVERY-DAY WANTS. 
 
 green shade, but the original color comes back 
 again when the fabric is rinsed again in water. 
 
 BLUE {^SK\) DYE for Cotton.— Yox 3 lbs. 
 goods — blue vitriol 4 oz.; boil a few minutes; 
 then dip the goods 3 hours, after which pass 
 them through strong lime water. You can make 
 this color a beautiful brow^n by putting the goods 
 through a solution of prussiate of potash. 
 
 BLEACHING.— TV^ operation by which the 
 natural colors of substances are discharged, and 
 they become white or colorless. Bleaching may 
 be performed either by natural means, as expos- 
 ure to light, air, and moisture, or by chemical 
 agents, as chlorine, chloride of lime, sulphurous 
 acid, etc. In many of the processes adopted for 
 this purjxjse, both methods are combined. 
 
 BLEACHING COTTON— Coiion, from its 
 original whiteness, and little attraction for color- 
 ing matter, is more easily bleached than most 
 other substances. On the old plan, it is first well 
 •washed in warm water to remove the weaver's 
 paste or dressing, then "bucked" (boiled) in a 
 •weak alkaline lye, and after being well washed 
 is spread out upon the grass, or bleaching ground, 
 and freely exposed to the joint action of light, air, 
 and moisture. The operation of "bucking" and 
 exposure is repeated as often as necessary, when 
 the goods are "soured" or immersed in water 
 acidulated with sulphuric acid, after which they 
 receive a thorough washing in dean water, and 
 are dried. From the length of the exposure upon 
 the bleaching ground, this method has been found 
 to injure the texture of the cloth, and from the 
 number of operations required, necessarily be- 
 comes expensive, and produces considerable de- 
 lay ; it has therefore very generally given place to 
 the improved system of chemical bleaching, by 
 means of chloride of lime. In this method, after 
 the first operation of washing and bucking, as in 
 the common process, the cotton is submitted to 
 the action of weak solutions of chloride of lime, 
 and afterwards passed through soured water, 
 •U'hen it has only to be thoroughly washed and 
 dried. 
 
 BLEA CHING LINEN— Untn is bleached 
 in a similar way to cotton, but the operation is 
 more troublesome, from its greater affinity for 
 coloring matter. 
 
 BLEACHING WOOL.— Wool is first ex- 
 posed to the joint action of fuller's earth and soap, 
 in the fulling mill, to remove adherent grease 
 and dirt, and is then well washed and dried, when 
 it is usually found sufficiently white for the pur- 
 poses of the dyer ; but should the slight yellow 
 tint it retains prove objectionable, it is run through 
 •water tinged blue with indigo, or it is exposed 
 to the fumes of burning sulphur; the latter 
 method gives it a harsh feel, which is best re- 
 moved by a bath of soap and water, but this will 
 reproduce its previous yellowishness. 
 
 BLEACHING SIL/^.— Silk is bleached by 
 boiling it in white soap and water, to remove the 
 natural yellow varnish that covers it, after which 
 it is subjected to repeated rinsings. Articles that 
 are required to be very white, as gloves, stock- 
 ings, etc., are also submitted to the action of sul- 
 phurous acid, or the fumes of burning sulphur. 
 
 BLC/E and PURPLE DYE for Sto<king 
 Yam. — For 5 lbs. of wool, bichromate of potash 
 I oz.; alum 2 oz.; dissolve them and bring the 
 water to a boil, putting in the wool and boiling i 
 hour; then throw away the dye and make an- 
 other dye with logwood chips I lb., or extract of 
 
 logwood 2^ oz., and boil i hour. This also 
 works very prettily on silk. 
 
 Whenever you make a dye with logwood chips, 
 either boil the chips y^ hour and pour off the dye, 
 or tie up the chips in a bag and boil with the 
 wool or other goods, or take 2^ oz. of the extract 
 in place of I lb. of the chips is less trouble and 
 generally the better plan. In the above recipe 
 the more logwood that is used the darker will be 
 the shade. 
 
 BORAX, Virtues of. — It may not be generally 
 known how very valuable borax is in various 
 
 Eurposes of household use. We find it the very 
 est cockroach exterminator yet discovered. 
 One half pound costing but fifty cents, has com- 
 pletely cleared a large house formerly swarming 
 with them, so that the aptpearance of one in a 
 month is quite a novelty. The various extermi- 
 nating powders puffed and advertised have been 
 found not fully effective, tending rather to make 
 the roaches crazy than to kill them. There is 
 something peculiar, either in the smell or touch 
 of borax, which is certain death to them. They 
 will flee in terror from it, and never appear again 
 where it has once been placed. It is also a great 
 advantage that borax is perfectly harmless to 
 human beings, hence no danger from poisoning. 
 It is also valuable for laundry purposes. 
 
 The washerwomen of Holland and Belgium, 
 so proverbially clean, and who get their linen so 
 beautifully white, use refined borax as washing- 
 
 i)owder, instead of soda, in the proportion of a 
 arge handful of borax powder to ten gallons of 
 water. They save soap nearly one-half. All the 
 large washing establishments adopt the same 
 mode. For laces, cambrics, etc., an extra quantity 
 of the powder is used ; and for crinolines (re- 
 quiring to be made stiff) a stronger solution is 
 necessary. Borax, being a neutral salt, does not 
 in the slightest degree injure the texture of linen. 
 Its effect is to soften the hardest water, and 
 therefore it should be kept on the toilet tables 
 As a way of cleansing the hair, nothing is better 
 than a solution of borax in water. It leaves the 
 scalp in a most cleanly condition, and the hair is 
 just sufficiently stiffened to retain its place. This 
 stiffness, however, can be readily removed, if 
 objectionable, by washing with water. Borax is 
 also an excellent dentifrice ; dissolved in water, 
 it is one of the best tooth-washes. In hot coun- 
 tries it is used, in combination with tartaric acid 
 and bicarbonate of soda, as a cooling beverage. 
 
 BROADCLOTH, To Remove Stains from.— 
 Take an ounce of pipe-clay, that has been ground 
 fine, and nnx it with twelve drops of alcohol, and 
 the same quantity of spirits of turpentine. When- 
 ever you wish to remove any stains from cloth, 
 moisten a little of this mixture with alcohol, and 
 rub it on the spots. Let it remain till dry, then 
 rub it off with a woolen cloth, and the spots will 
 disappear. 
 
 BROWN ZJKf.— The different shades of thfe 
 dye vary from pale yellow and reddish brown, up 
 to very dark brown, almost black, every shade of 
 which, however, may be produced as the taste of 
 the workman may dictate, by mixtures of reds 
 and yellows with blues and bhcks, or by simple 
 dyes, which at once impart a brown, — as catechu, 
 walnut rinds, or oxide of manganese. 
 
 BROWN DYE for Wool.-i. Boil the cloth 
 in a mordant of alum and common salt dissolv- 
 ed in water, then dye it in a bath of logw ood, to 
 which a little green copperas has been added. 
 
WASHING, BLEACHING AND DYEING. 
 
 343 
 
 The proportion of alum should be 2 oz,, and of 
 salt, I oz., to every pound of cloth. 
 
 2. Boil the goods in a mordant of alum and 
 sulphate of iron, then wince them through a bath 
 of madder. Remarks. The tint depends on the 
 relative proportions of the alum and copperas ; 
 the more of the latter, the darker will be tlie dye. 
 The joint weight of the two should not exceed ^ 
 of the weight of the wool. The best proportions 
 are 2 parts of alum and 3 of copperas. 
 
 3. Give the wool a mordant of alum and tartar, 
 then pass it through a madder bath, which will 
 dye it red. It must now be run through a black 
 bath of galls and sumach, or logwood, to which 
 a little acetate or sulphate of iron has been 
 added. 
 
 4. Proceed to mordant the cloth as last, and 
 dye in a madder bath, then remove it and add a 
 little acetate or sulphate of iron, and again pass 
 it through the bath, until the required tint is pro- 
 duc«d. 
 
 5. Give the cloth a light blue ground with in- 
 digo, then give it a mordant with alum, wash in 
 water, and run it through a bath of madder. 
 
 6. Give the cloth a mordant of alum and tartar, 
 then pass it through a madder bath, and after- 
 wards through a bath of weld or fustic, to which 
 a little iron liquor has been previously added. 
 In this way every shade from mordore and cin- 
 namon to dark chestnut may be dyed. 
 
 7. Boil I lb. of fustic chips for 2 hours, and 
 pass the cloth through the bath for i hour, take 
 It out and drain, then add l % oz. of green cop- 
 peras, and ^ lb. of good madder, and pass the 
 cloth again through the bath, until the proper 
 tint is produced. This makes bronze browns, 
 but by varying the proportion of the mordant, 
 other shades may be produced. 
 
 BROWN DYE, for Silk.—i. Give the silk 
 ?. mordant as before described, then dye in a bath 
 made by mixing the equal parts of decoction of 
 logwood, fustic, and Brazil wood. The shade 
 may be varied by mixing the decoctions in dif- 
 ferent proportions. Brazil wood reddening, log- 
 wood darkening, and fustic yellowing, the 
 tint. 
 
 2. Dissolve 4 oz. of annotto and i lb. of pearl- 
 ash in boiling water, and pass the silk through it 
 for 2 hours, then take it out, squeeze it well and 
 dry ; next give it a mordant of alum, and pass it 
 first through a bath of Brazil wood, and after- 
 wards through a bath of logwood, to which a 
 little green copperas has been added; wring it 
 out and dry ; afterwards rinse well. 
 
 BROWN DYE, for Cotton and Linen.— \. 
 Give the pieces a mixed mordant of acetate of 
 alumina and acetate of iron, and then dye them 
 in a bath of madder, or madder and fustic. When 
 the acetate of alumina predominates, the dye has 
 an amaranth tint. The iron darkens it. 
 
 2. First gall the goods, then turn them for a 
 short time through a black bath, next give them a 
 mordant of sulphate of copper, and pass them 
 through a decoction of fustic, afterwards through 
 a bath of madder, and again through the solution 
 of sulphate of copper; drain, dry, and rinse well, 
 then finish with a boil in soap and water. This 
 gives a chestnut brown. 
 
 3. First give a mordant of alum, then pass the 
 goods through a madder bath, and next through a 
 bath of fustic, to which a little green copperas 
 has been added. This gives a cinnamon brown. 
 
 BROWN DYES, DIRECT.— Bxo\tTi% m2.y 
 
 be also dyed at once, by what are called substan- 
 tive or direct dyes ; thus — 
 
 1. Decoction of oak bark dyes wool a fast 
 brown of various shades, according to the quan- 
 tity employed. If the cloth be first passed 
 through a mordant of alum, the color is bright- 
 ened. 
 
 2. Infusion or decoction of walnut feels dyes 
 wool and silk a brown, which, like the preceding, 
 is brightened by alum. The older tlie liquor the 
 better. 
 
 3. Horse-chestnut feels also give a brown. A 
 mordant of muriate of tin turns it on the bronze, 
 and sugar of lead the reddish brown. 
 
 4. Catechu, or terra japonica, gives cotton a 
 brown dye ; blue vitriol turns it on the bronze, 
 green copperas darkens it, when applied as a 
 mordant, and the stuff dyed in the bath boiling 
 hot. Acetate of alumina as a mordant brightens 
 it. The French color, called "carmelite," is 
 given with i lb. of catechu, 4 oz. of verdigris, 
 and 5 oz. of sal ammoniac 
 
 5. Sulphate or muriate of manganese, dissolved 
 in water with a little tartaric acid, gives the 
 bronze tint called "solitaire." The stuff after 
 being passed through the solution, must be turn- 
 ed through a weak lye of potash, and afterwards 
 through another of chloride of lime, to brighten 
 and fix it. 
 
 6. Prussiate of copper gives a bronze or yel- 
 lowish-brown to silk. The piece well mordanted 
 with blue vitriol, may be passed tlirough a solu- 
 tion oi prussiate of potash. 
 
 BROWN DYE, CHEAP.— The: following 
 is a good dye for coloring brown, composed of 
 materials easily procurable in the woods : Take 
 the bark of the common alder, boil it an hour ; 
 having sufficient water to cover the goods ; add a 
 very little copperas; dip in the articles to be 
 colored ; let them remain about ten minutes ; 
 wring them out, and then dip them into a very 
 weak lye — previously prepared — wring them out 
 immediately, and wash them in soap and soft 
 water. 
 
 BUFF DYE, on Cotton.— Take as much hot 
 fustic liquor and water, as will half fill a tub, 
 enter three pieces, give them five ends, hedge 
 out, take another tub of cold lime water, enter 
 the same pieces, and give them five ends in this, 
 take out, and in a short time they will be buff. 
 Renew your first and second tub, and proceed as 
 at first. This is all required for buff. 
 
 CALICOES, To ^aj/5.— Black calicoes should 
 be washed in water in which potatoes have been 
 boiled, or starch water made by having two or 
 three potatoes scraped in it ; or pour boiling wa- 
 ter on wheat bran, strain it, and when lukewarm 
 wash them in it, using no soap. Before wetting 
 any calico, rub soap on the crease spots — hard 
 soap, or soft soap a year old. Alum is good to 
 set the color of green ; salt put in the rins- 
 ing water of blue, black or green calico, will 
 prevent the colors running into each other. 
 Some washerwomen infuse eight gills of salt in 
 four quarts of boiling water, and put the calicoes 
 in while hot, leaving them until cold, which pro- 
 cess is to render the colors ))ermanent, so they 
 will not fade by subsequent washing. Cotton 
 goods (except pure white) should never remain 
 in water a moment longer than necessary, and 
 should be dried in the shade. 
 
 CARPET WARP, Coloring for. — 'E\tx&ct 
 of hemlock bark is the substance required. Wet 
 
.144 
 
 DICTIONARY OF EVERY-DAY WANTS. 
 
 the warp thoroughly with lime water, then boil 
 in a strong liquor made by dissolving extract of 
 hemlock bark in water. Use a brass, copper, 
 or porcelain kettle (not iron or tin); this gives a 
 tan color. For a black color use strong copperas 
 water in place of lime water. Iron or tin vessels 
 will answer when copperas is used. A slate 
 color can be made by using a small quantity of 
 the copperas water and extract liquor to a large 
 quantity of the warp. A brown color can be 
 made by using only a small portion of copperas 
 witii the extract. The shades of color can be 
 changed By varying the amount and proportion 
 of the coloring materials. A little care will 
 enable any one to make desirable colors with 
 these materials, and to modify the colors by using 
 other substances with them. The extract of 
 hemlock bark is very extensively used by tanners 
 for making leather, and is made at large establish- 
 ments for the purpose located in or near the hem- 
 lock forests 
 
 CHINTZ, To fTflj-?.— Take 2 lbs. of rice, 
 boil it in 2 galls, of water till soft ; then pour the 
 whole into a tub; let it stand till about the 
 warmth in general used for colored linens ; then 
 put the chintz in, and use the rice instead of 
 soap ; wash it in this till the dirt appears to be 
 out, then boil the same quantity as above, but 
 strain the rice from the water, and mix it in 
 warm clear water. Wash in this till quite clean; 
 afterwards rinse it in the water which the rice 
 has been boiled in, and this will answer the end 
 of starch, and no dew will affect it. If a gown 
 it must be taken to pieces, and when dried be 
 careful to hang it as smooth as possible ; after it 
 is dry rub it with a sleek stone, but use no iron. 
 
 CHROME ORAN-GE DYE, for White Cot- 
 ton Goods. — I. Clean the cloth or goods by 
 steeping in soap-suds, then rinse in several dif- 
 ferent messes of clean water, and lay aside moist. 
 
 2. Put the litharge and acetate of lead into a 
 brass or copper kettle, with only one fourth part 
 of the water that will afterwards be required to 
 dye the cloth or goods in, and boil together 
 thirty minutes or longer, stirring often with a 
 wooden rod; then add hot water till the amount 
 is reached that is needed to work the cloth or 
 goods in easily, and stir till thoroughly mixed, 
 after which put in the still moist cloth or goods, 
 and let them remain at a blood-heat thirty min- 
 utes or longer, stirring often. 
 
 3. Put the bichromate of potash and sal soda 
 into a brass, copper, or iron kettle, with only 
 one-fourth part of the water that will afterwards 
 be needed to dye the cloth or goods in, and boil 
 together at a full wallop thirty minutes or longer; 
 then add hot water till the amount is reached 
 that is required to work the goods in easily, after 
 which wring out the goods evenly from the 
 acetate of lead bath, and work them m this chro- 
 mate of potash and soda bath, at a blood-heat, 
 from fifteen to thirty minutes, or until the goods 
 take on an even and full orange color ; then re- 
 move from the bath, rinse in several different 
 messes of clean water, and dry, in the shade or 
 in sunshine. 
 
 If the color on the goods is not even, or not 
 dark enough, after they have been steeped once 
 in each bath, repeat the steepings or workings in 
 both baths in the order above described. In 
 fcvery repetition of these steepings, should any 
 repetition be necessary, a little fresh sal soda 
 should be procured and added to the chromate of 
 
 potash and soda bath, and the whole should 
 be well boiled before introducing the cloth or 
 goods. 
 
 A single pound of cotton cloth or goods re- 
 quires about four gallons of water in each kettle 
 or bath to work it in easily when dyeing. Larger 
 quantities of these goods do not need quite so 
 much water in proportion. 
 
 Kettles or utensils that have been used with 
 this dye may be cleaned, first with water, then 
 with warm or hot potash-lye, and lastly with 
 clean water. 
 
 DYE-STUFFS needed for one pound of 
 Goods. — Two ounces of litharge in a paper by it- 
 self, S. : Litharge for clirome orange. One and 
 a half ounces of acetate of lead in a paper by it- 
 self, S. : Acetate of lead for chrome orange One 
 and a half ounces of sal soda in a prper by itself, 
 S. : Sal soda for chrome orange. One and a 
 quarter ounces of bichromate of potash in a pa- 
 per by itself, S. : Bichromate of potash for 
 chrome orange. All of these articles should be 
 very accurately weighed. As customers rarely 
 or never possess scales and weights with which 
 they can accurately divide parcels of dye-stuffs, 
 nor kettles in which they can dye more than 
 three pounds of goods at one timewith this color, 
 it will be best to put up these dye-stuffs in sets 
 for three pounds of goods, or less. For instance, 
 should a customer wish chrome orange dyes for 
 five pounds of goods, it would be advisable to 
 put up one set of dyes for three pounds of goods, 
 and another set for two pounds. Each set, in 
 such a case, should be put in a wrapper by itself, 
 and labeled, respectively, "Chrome orange dyes 
 for three pounds ofgoods," and "Chrome orange 
 dyes for two pounds of goods." 
 
 To save time, the litharge and acetate of lead 
 c^n sometimes be both put into one package, 
 with the name of each article written upon it ; 
 but the bichromate of potash and .sal soda must 
 each be put into a paper by itself. Bichromate 
 of potash and sal soda react upon one another 
 when mixed if either salt is damp, and produce 
 a deliquescent salt that soon destroys the paper 
 wrapper. 
 
 CINNAMON BROWN AND COFFEE 
 BROWN DYES, for Cotton. — \. Clean the 
 cloth or goods by steeping in soap-suds, then 
 rinse in several different messes of clean water, 
 and lay aside moist. The preliminary washing 
 just described will be sufficient for old or worn 
 goods; but new cloth or yarn, or carpet- warp, 
 which almost always contain more or less oil 
 from the spinning, must be cleaned in a bath 
 made by dissolving a half ounce of hard soap and 
 a half ounce of sal soda in each gallon of water 
 needed for the steeping or washing. After the 
 goods have been thus cleaned, they are to be 
 well rinsed in clean water, and laid aside moist. 
 2. Steep the catechu and blue vitriol, from one 
 to two hours, in a brass or copper kettle, with 
 the amount of clean water deemed necessary to 
 work the cloth or goods in easily, stirring often 
 with a wooderi rod; then put in the still moist 
 cloth or goods, and steep at a scalding heat from 
 five to ten hours, or until the goods take on an 
 even, cinnamon brown color. The goods are to 
 be stirred frequently during this steeping, and 
 hot water is to be added to the kettle from time 
 to time, to compensate for loss by steam. After 
 the goods have taken on a cinnamon brown color, 
 remove them from the baih, rinse in sever^ 
 
WASHING, BLEACHING AND DYEING. 
 
 34S 
 
 perly done, it only remains to thoroughly rinse 
 the article in dean water until the latter passes 
 off uncolored, when it must be hung up to dry. 
 For dark-colored cloths the common practice is 
 to add some fuller's earth to the mixture of soap 
 and gall. When nearly dry, the nap should be 
 laid right, and the article carefully pressed, after 
 which a brush, moistened with a drop or two of 
 olive oil, should be several times passed over it, 
 which will give it a superior finish. Cloth may 
 also be cleaned in the dry way as follows : — 
 First, remove the spots as above, and, when the 
 parts have dried, strew clean damp sand over it, 
 and beat it in with a brush, after which brush the 
 article with a hard brush, when the sand will 
 readily come out, and bring the dirt with it. 
 Black cloth which is very rusty, should receive a 
 coat of reviver after drying, and be hung up until 
 the next day, when it may be pressed and finish- 
 ed off as before. Scarlet cloth requires consider- 
 able caution. After being thoroughly rinsed, it 
 should be repeatedly passed through cold spring 
 water, to which a tablespoonful or two of solu- 
 tion of tin has been added. If much faded, it 
 should be dipped in a scarlet dye-bath. Buff 
 cloth is generally cleaned by covering it with a 
 paste made with pipe-clay and water, which, 
 when dry, is rubbed and brushed off. 
 
 CLOTH, To Raise the NAPon.— So3.vi in 
 cold water for ^ an hour, then put on a board, 
 and rub the thread-bare parts with a half-worn 
 hatter's card, filled with flocks, or with a prickly 
 thistle, until a nap is raised. Hang up to dry, 
 and with a hard brush lay the nap tne .right 
 way. 
 
 CLOTHS, Fuller's Purifier for.— Tiry. pul- 
 verize, and sift the following ingredients : 
 
 Six lbs. of fuller's earth, i lb. of pipe clay, and 
 4 oz. of French chalk. 
 
 Make a paste of the above with the following : 
 One oz. of rectified oil of turpentine, 2 oz. of 
 spirit of wine, and Ij^ lbs. of melted oil soap. 
 
 Make up the compound into six-penny or shil- 
 ling cakes for sale. These cakes are to be kept 
 in water, or in small wooden boxes. 
 
 CLOTHES {Blaek), To clean. — Clean the 
 garments well, then boil four ounces of logwood 
 in a boiler or copper containing two or three gal- 
 lons of water, for half an hour. Dip the clothes 
 in warm water, and squeeze dry; then put them 
 into the copper and boil for half an hour. Take 
 them out, and add three drachms of sulphate of 
 iron ; boil for half an hour, then take them out, 
 and hang them up for an hour or two ; take them 
 down, rinse them in three cold waters, dry well 
 and rub with a soft brush which has had a few 
 drops of olive oil rubbed on its surface. If the 
 clothes are threadbare about the elbows, cuffs, 
 etc., raise the nap with a teazel or half worn hat- 
 ter's card, filled with flocks, and when sufficiently 
 raised, lay the nap the right way with a hard brush. 
 We have seen our old coats come out with a 
 wonderful dash of respectability after this oper- 
 ation. 
 
 CLOTHS (Black), To Revive when Faded.— 
 Boil three ounces of logwood in a quart of vinegar, 
 and when the color is extracted, drop in a piece 
 of carbonate iron the size of a large chestnut ; 
 let it boil five minutes. Have the articles to 
 be restored well sponged with soap and hot wa- 
 ter, lying them on the table, and brush the nap 
 down with a sponge. Then take the dye upon 
 the table and sponge them all over with it, tak- 
 
 different messes of clean water, and lay aside 
 moist. 
 
 3. Dissolve the bichromate of potash, by heat, 
 in a brass, copper, or iron kettle, with the 
 amount of clean water deemed necessary to work 
 the cloth or goods in easily ; then put in the still 
 moist cloth or goods, and steep at a scalding heat 
 one hour or longer, or until the goods take on a 
 coffee brown color ; after which remove from the 
 bath, rinse in several different messes of clean 
 water, and dry in the shade. 
 
 If the color on the goods should not be dark 
 enough, after they have been steeped once in 
 each bath, repeat the steepings in both baths, in 
 the order above directed, till the shade suits ; 
 then rinse in several different messes of clean 
 water, and dry in the shade. 
 
 If the goods should not take on any color after 
 steeped from one to two hours in the catechu 
 bath, it may be concluded that they still contain 
 grease or oil. In such a case the goods must be 
 lifted from the bath, drained well, rinsed in clean 
 water, and then steeped in a fresh bath of soap 
 and sal soda ; after which they are to be rinsed 
 ii\ clean water, and then returned to the catechu 
 bath, and steeped again. 
 
 W^hen ouly a cinnamon brown color is desired, 
 the steeping in the bichromate of potash bath 
 may be omitted, and the goods may be rinsed 
 and dried from the catechu bath. If a coffee 
 brown color is desired, druggists must be re- 
 quested to put up the appropriate quantity of 
 bichromate of potash, as without this request, in 
 each case, druggists do not put up that article. 
 
 A single pound of cotton goods requires about 
 four gallons of water in each bath to work it in 
 easily, when dyeing ; larger quantities of these 
 goods do not need quite so much water in pro- 
 portion. 
 
 Dye Stuffs needed for one Pound of Goods. — 
 Two ounces of dark-colored catechu (or cutch) in 
 a paper by itself, S. Catechu for brown on cot- 
 ton. One-fourth ounce of blue vitriol in a paper 
 by itself, S. Blue vitriol for broivn on cotton. 
 When a coffee brown dye is desired, put up, 
 in a paper by itself, a half ounce of bichromate 
 of potash, S. Bichromate of potash for brown on 
 cotton. For three pounds of^ goods, coffee brown 
 shade, put up only one ounce of bichromate of 
 potash, and for all quantities of goods above 
 three pounds, put up only a third of an ounce of 
 that salt for each pound. Time can be saved 
 when dyeing these browns by making the cat- 
 echu bath stronger than here directed, and if cus- 
 tomers wish to shorten the processes, put up 
 three or even four ounces of dark catechu for 
 each pound of goods. One-eighth of an ounce 
 of blue vitriol must be put up for each ounce of 
 catechu that is taken. 
 
 CLOTH, Cleaning and Scouring of. — The 
 common method of cleaning cloth is by beating 
 and brushing, unless when very dirty, when it 
 undergoes the operation of scouring. This is 
 best done on the small scale, as for articles of 
 wearing apparel, etc., by dissolving a little curd 
 soap in water, and, after mixing it with a little 
 oxgall, to touch over all the spots of grease, dirt, 
 tXc, with it, and to rub them well with a stiff 
 brush until they are removed, after which the 
 article may be well rubbed all over with a brush 
 or sponge dioped into some warm water, to 
 which the previous mixture and a little more ox- 
 gall has been added. When this has been pro- 
 
346 
 
 DICTIONARY OF E VERY-DAY WANTS. 
 
 ing care to keep them smooth, and brush down- 
 ward. 
 
 When completely wet with the dye, dissolve a 
 teaspoonful of saleratus in a teacup of warm wa- 
 ter, and sponge over again with this, which sets 
 the color so completely that nothing rubs off. 
 They must not be wrung or wrinkled but care- 
 fully hung up to drain. The brownest cloth 
 may be made a perfect black in this simple man- 
 ner. So many people have faded garments that 
 this recipe may be of service in restoring them 
 to a lively color, 
 
 CLOTHS, A Liquid to Extract Grease from. 
 —Take one peck of lime ; add thereto as much 
 water as will dissolve the lime and leave about 
 two gallons of clear water after it has been well 
 stirred and settled. Let it stand about two hours, 
 and then pour off the clear liquid into another 
 vessel. Now add to it three ounces of pearlash 
 for every gallon of the liquid, stir it well, and, 
 when settled, bottle it for use. This liquor is to 
 be diluted with water, to suit the strength or 
 delicacy of the color of the cloth. It is applied 
 with a piece of coarse sponge, rubbing out the 
 grease, and applying clear water afterwards. 
 
 COUNTERPANES ( White) and CALICO 
 QUILTS, To ;r«jA.— Wash them in the same 
 way as blankets, only with hard soap, and rinse 
 them in cold water. If convenient, it is the best 
 way to take them to a pump, and pump upon 
 them and pour off the water again and again, till 
 it is clear ; then wring them and hang them on 
 the line. In this way one wringing is saved, 
 which is well, for it is some of the hardest work 
 that is done. The heaviest kind of counterpanes, 
 especially if they are large, should be rinsed at a 
 pump, and taken in the tub to the clothes-line, 
 and put upon it without wringing. 
 
 CO A T, To Clean. — First clean the coat of 
 grease and dirt, then take one gallon of a strong 
 decoction of logwood made by boiling logwood 
 chips in water. Strain this liquid, and when 
 cool, add two ounces of gum Arabic in powder, 
 which should be kept in well-stopped bottles for 
 use. Then go gently over the coat with a sponge 
 wet in the above liquid diluted to suit the color, 
 and hang it in the shade to dry. After which 
 brush the nap smooth, and it will look as good 
 as new. The liquid will suit all brown or dark 
 colors if properly diluted, of which it is easy to 
 judge. 
 
 CO A T COLLARS, To Clean.— For cleaning 
 coat collars and all woolen goods I recommend 
 the Soap-tree Bark, which can be procured at the 
 drug stores. Break a piece about two incnes 
 square, into small bits, and pour over it a half 
 pint of boiling water ; let it stand an hour or two, 
 then sponge the collar well with the liquor; a 
 second sponging with clear water will clean it 
 nicely. Both washing and rinsing water should 
 be as warm as for flannel. We have by using 
 this bark washed black and blue Empress cloths 
 successfully and have cleaned hair cloth chairs, 
 which had been soiled by contact with the head. 
 
 CO TTON, To Remove Mildew from. — For 
 removing mildew from cotton cloth, mix soft 
 soap and salt till stiff, rub on the mildewed 
 places, and lay in the hot sun, leaving it out 
 night and day, but taking great care the cloth 
 thoroughly dries during the day, or it may mil- 
 dew in other places. 
 
 CRAPE {Black), To Remffve Water Stains 
 from. — When a drop of water Halls on a black 
 
 crape veil or collar, it leaves a conspicuous white 
 mark. To obliterate this, spread the crape on a 
 table (laying on it a large book or a paper-weight 
 to keep it steady), and place underneath the stain 
 a piece of old black silk. With a large camel's- 
 hair brush dipped in common ink, go over the 
 stain ; and then wipe off the ink with a little bit 
 of old soft silk. It will dry immediately, and 
 the white mark will be seen no more. 
 
 CRAPE, To Renr^o when C/^.— Wind the 
 crape smoothly about a round stick a foot long 
 — the end of a broom handle will do — and pin it. 
 Have ready a tea kettle with water in it, boiling. 
 Pass the stick with the crape on it back and forth 
 in front of the spout, until the crape is thorough- 
 ly steamed, but not until it is wet with moisture. 
 Then slip it off the stick, leaving it in the roll 
 until fully dry. This process also renews the 
 color. If the crape is very old and dingy, the 
 success is not so gratifying, 
 
 CRIMSON DYE.— One ounce cream tartar, 
 two of alum, one of cochineal — two drachms sal- 
 ammoniac, four of pearlash or soda, six ounces 
 wheat bran. Take a brass kettle with four gal- 
 lons of soft water — when scalded, put in the 
 cream-tartar and alum — let it boil — put in the 
 cloth, and stir occasionally for an hour ; take out 
 the cloth, rinse in cool water, and air it ; empty 
 the kettle and put in as much water as before ; 
 add the bran tied in a bag, take off the scum 
 which rises while it heats ; take out the bag, add 
 the cochineal, boil, put in the cloth, stir for an 
 hour, rinse in cold water; then empty the water, 
 put in as much of clean as before, warm, add the 
 sal-ammoniac, put in the cloth, stir five minutes, 
 then drain ; now add the pearlash and mix it, again 
 put in the cloth, stir for ten minutes, take out, air, 
 rinse — the color will be permanent and beautiful. 
 
 CURTAINS, To Clean. — Never iron lace 
 window curtains, and be careful not to make them 
 blue with indigo. Stretch them upon a mattress 
 to dry, pinning down carefully the extreme edge 
 of every point or scallop. 
 
 DRESSES, MOURNING, To Restore when 
 Faded. — ^Take two pints of water, and boil in it 
 the following ingredients until it is reduced t» 
 one pint: two ounces of Aleppo galls, in powder; 
 two ounces of logwood; oneounce of gum Arabic; 
 then add one ounce of sulphate of iron. Let it 
 evaporate to a powder. Another receipt. — Gall, 
 eight ounces; logwood, oneounce; green vitriol, 
 one ounce; iron filings, one ounce; sumac, one 
 ounce ; vinegar, one quart, 
 
 DRESSES, To Prese7ve the Color of. — The 
 colors of merinos, mousseline de laines, ging- 
 hams, chintzes, printed lawns, etc., may be pre- 
 served by using water that is only milk warm ; 
 making a lather with while soap before you put in 
 the dress, instead of rubbing it on the material ; 
 and stirring into a first and second tub of water 
 a large tablespoonful of ox gall. The gall can be 
 obtained from the butcher, and a bottle of it 
 should always be kept in every house. No col- 
 ored articles should toe allowed to remain long in 
 the water. They must be washed fast, and then 
 rinsed through two cold waters. Into each rins- 
 ing water, stir a teaspoonful of vinegar, \\ hich 
 will help to brighten the colors ; and after rinsing, 
 hang them out immediately. When ironing-dry 
 (or still a little damp), bring them in ; have irons 
 ready heated, and iron tliem at once, as it in- 
 jures the colors to allow them to remain damp 
 too long, or to sprinkle and roll them up in a 
 
WASHING, BLEACHING AND DYEING. 
 
 347 
 
 covering for ironing next day. If they cannot 
 be conveniently ironed immediately let them 
 hang till they are quite dry ; and then damp and 
 fold them on the following day, a quarter of an 
 hour before ironing. The best way is not to do 
 colored dresses on the day of the general wash, 
 but to give them a morning by themselves. They 
 should only be undertaken in clear bright weath- 
 er. If allowed to freeze, the colors will be irre- 
 parably injured. We need scarcely say that no 
 colored articles should ever be boiled or scalded. 
 If you get from a shop a slip for testing the du- 
 rability of colors, give it a fair trial by washing 
 it as aoove : afterwards, pinning it to the edge of 
 a towel, and hanging it to dry. Some colors, 
 (especiallypinks and light greens), though they 
 may stand perfectly well in washing, will change 
 as soon as a warm iron is applied to them ; the 
 pink turning purplish, and the green bluish. 
 No colored article should be smoothed with a 
 hot iron. 
 
 DRAB DYE, DARK, for Woolen Yarn.— 
 Boil one-eighth of a pound of green tea, in one 
 quart of water. When the strength is out, add 
 one-fourth of a teaspoonful of copperas. Place 
 the yarn in while warm. 
 
 DRAB DYE, SILVER {Light).— Yot $ 
 lbs. goods — alum, I small teaspoon, and log- 
 wood about the same amount ; boil well together, 
 then dip the goods. I hour; if not dark enough, 
 add in equal quantities alum and logwood, until 
 suited. 
 
 D YEING. — ^The art of fixing coloring matters 
 uniformly and permanently in the fibres of wool, 
 silk, linen, cotton, and other substances. Dyeing 
 is a chemical process, and the mode of its per- 
 formance depends upon the substance operated 
 on. Thus, it is found that the process by which 
 wool is dyed black, would only impart a rusty 
 brown to linen. Wool unites with almost all 
 coloring matters with great facility, silk in the 
 next degree, cotton less easily than silk, and 
 linen with even more difficulty. Preparatory to 
 the operation of dyeing, each of these substances 
 undergoes a species of preparation to free the 
 fibres from adhering foreign matters, as dirt, 
 grease, etc., which would prevent the absorption 
 of the aqueous fluid to be afterwards applied, as 
 well as impair the brilliancy of the edge. Wool 
 is cleaned or scoured by means of a weak alkaline 
 lye, soap and water, or putrid urine ; the latter 
 being very generally used for this purpose. Silk 
 is cleaned from the natural varnish that covers 
 it, by boiling with white soap and water. Cotton 
 and linen are cleaned with alkaline lyes of more 
 or less density. The substances so prepared are 
 ready to undergo the various operations of dye- 
 ing. 
 
 Among the various coloring materials employ, 
 ed by dyers, some impart their tints to different 
 substances by simple immersion in their infusions 
 or decoctions, and have hence been called "sub- 
 stantive colors" ; but by far the greater number 
 only imipart a fugitive dye, unless the fibres of 
 the stuff have been previously filled with some 
 substance, which has a strong affinity for the lat- 
 ter on the one hand, and the coloring material 
 on the other. The substances appHed with this 
 intention are called "Mordants", and generally 
 exercise the double property of "fixing" and 
 "striking" the color. Thus, if calico be dyed 
 with a decoction of madder, it will only receive 
 a fugitive and dirty red tinge, but if it be first 
 
 run through a solution of acetate of alumina, 
 dried at a high temperature, washed, and then 
 run through a madder bath, it will come out of 
 a permanent and lively red. The principal 
 mordants are the acetates of iron and alumina, 
 sulphate of iron, alum, and some other chemical 
 salts. A perfect knowledge of the behavior of 
 mordants, with different coloring substances, is 
 of paramount importance to the dyer. 
 
 After having received the proper mordants, 
 the goods are dried and rinsed, after which they 
 are passed for a shorter or longer time through 
 an infusion, decoction, or solution of dyeing mate- 
 rials, which constitute the "dye-bath"; they are 
 again dried and rinsed. In many cases, the im- 
 mersion in the dye-bath is repeated, either with 
 the same materials or with others to vary or mo- 
 dify the color. After the substances have been 
 properly dyed, they are subjected to a thorough 
 rinsing or washing in soft water, until the latter 
 runs off uncolored. 
 
 DYEING with Acids in Brass Kettles.— The 
 substance of the vessel in which articles are to 
 be dyed is of considerable importance, especially 
 where acid solutions are employed. Brass kettles 
 are most generally used for such operations ; but 
 scarlet, as well as some other dyes, in which 
 acids are used, can not well be introduced into 
 such a vessel. Reimann's Journal of Dyeing ad- 
 vises, in this case, that half an ounce of quick- 
 silver sublimate for every ten or fifteen pounds of 
 wool to be dyed be first added to the solution of 
 tin, and the whole well stirred up and then al- 
 lowed to stand until the kettle becomes of a sil- 
 very white color, after which the wool is to be 
 introduced and the dyeing prosecuted in the usual 
 manner. During the process the mercurial coat- 
 ing gradually becomes removed, and is subse- 
 quently to be renewed. The work is thus car- 
 ried on in what is equivalent to a quicksilver 
 kettle, since the brass is completely coated with 
 a layer of this metal. 
 
 DYES, FIXING.— Ut. Kipping of Manch- 
 ester, England, has a new process of fixing dyes. 
 He dissolves 20 ounces of gelatine in water and 
 adds three ounces of bichromate of potash. This 
 is done in a dark room. The coloring matter is 
 then added and the goods submitted thereto; 
 after which they are exposed to the action of 
 light, the pigment thus becomes insoluble in wa- 
 ter and the color is fast. 
 
 EMBROIDERY and GOLD LACE, To 
 Clean. — For this purpose no alkaline liquors are 
 to be used ; for while they clean the gold, they 
 corrode the silk, and change its color. Soap also 
 alters the shade, and even the species of certain 
 colors. But spirit of wine may be used without 
 any danger of its injuring either color or quality; 
 and, in many cases, proves as effectual for restor- 
 ing the lustre of the gold, as the corrosive de- 
 tergents. But, though spirit of wine is the most 
 innocent material employed for this purpose, it 
 is not in all cases proper. The golden covering 
 may be in some parts worn off; or the base met- 
 al, with which it has been alloyed, may be cor- 
 roded by the air, so as to leave the particles of 
 the gold disunited ; while the silver underneath, 
 tarnished to a yellow hue, may continue a toler- 
 able color; to the whole, so it is apparent that the 
 removal of the tarnish would be prejudicial, and 
 make the lace or embroidery less like gold thaa 
 it was before. 
 
 FEATHERS, 7c; Z>)v.— To dye them black. 
 
348 
 
 DICTIONARY OF EVERY-DAY WANTS. 
 
 they should first be dipped in a mordant of 
 acetate of iron, and then in a decoction of madder 
 and logwood, which should be boiling when 
 used. To produce blue feathers, indigo should 
 be used. For crimson feathers, use a mordant 
 of acetate of alumina, and then dip them in a 
 decoction of Brazil wood in a boiling state. The 
 feathers will now be found to have a deep red 
 hue ; the crimson tint may be imparted by dip- 
 ping them in a bath of cudbear. To obtain rose- 
 colored feathers use lemon juice and safflower. 
 Yellow feathers are prepared by using, first, a 
 mordant of acetate of^alumina, and then dipping 
 them in a solution of turmeric. The addition of 
 a little soda to the solution of turmeric will give 
 an orange tint to the feathers. For green, use a 
 solution of indigo and turmeric ; and for lilac a 
 solution of cudbear. These solutions should be 
 used in a boiling state, and the feathers allowed 
 to simmer in them until they have assumed the 
 required tint. Before the feathers are immersed 
 in any of the dyes, they should be dipped into 
 hot water, and allowed to drain before they are 
 plunged into the boiling coloring matter. As 
 soon as they are taken out of the dye, they 
 should be rinsed two or three times in cold wa- 
 ter, and then laid before a moderately hot fire to 
 dry. When they begin to dry, the feathers 
 should be passed gently between the thumb and 
 finger until they resume their original form. The 
 feathers may be curled by passing the vanes or 
 laminee, on each side of the central shaft over a 
 blunt piece of iron, such as the back of a knife. 
 
 FEA THERS {Ostrich), To dcan.—Qyxt some 
 white curd soap in small pieces, pour boiling wa- 
 ter on them, and add a little pearlash. When 
 the soap is quite dissolved, and the mixture cool 
 enough for the hand to bear, plunge the feathers 
 into it, draw the feathers through the hand till 
 the dirt appears squeezed out of them, pass them 
 through a clean lather with some blue in it, then 
 rinse in cold water with blue to give them a good 
 color. Beat them against the hand to shake off 
 the water, and dry by shaking them near a fire. 
 When perfectly dry, curl each fibre separately 
 with a blunt knife or ivory paper-folder. 
 
 FEATHERS {White), To clean. —Wash 
 them well in soft water, wilh white soap and 
 blue ; rub them through very clean white paper, 
 beat them on the paper, shake them before the 
 fire, dry them in the air, and afterward curl 
 them. 
 
 FLANNEL (yew). To Wash.—Qrxt the soap 
 small and boil it in a little water. Have two tubs 
 with water as hot as the hands can bear ; pre- 
 \-iously blue the water well, to keep the color of 
 the flannel, and put some of the boiled soap in- 
 to one tub to make a lather ; then wash the flan- 
 nel without squeezing it. Put it into the other 
 tub, and wring it in a large towel. Shake it out 
 then, and, after drying it smooth with a cool 
 iron. 
 
 The flannels should not be rubbed with soap, 
 nor should the material itself be rubbed, as in 
 washing linen, etc. ; the fibres of the wool con- 
 tain numberless little hooks, which the rubbing 
 knots together; hence the thickening of the fabric 
 and consequent shrinking in its dimensions. 
 
 FLANNEL, To Whiten when yeUo^u.—Ylxn- 
 nel which has become yellow with use may be 
 whitened by putting it for some time in a solu- 
 tion of hard soap, to which strong ammonia has 
 been added. The proportions we give are one 
 
 and a half pounds of hard curd soap, fifty pounds 
 of soft water and two-thirds of a pound of strong 
 ammonia. The same object may be attained in 
 a shorter time by placing the garments for a 
 quarter of an hour in a weak solution of bisul- 
 phite of soda to which a little hydrochloric acid 
 has been added. This latter process, we dare 
 say, will be effectual, and probably the oxalic 
 acid solution mentioned above would answer the 
 purpose as well. 
 
 GLOVES, To Dye. — Leather gloves, if not 
 greasy, may be dyed with any of the ordinary 
 dyes by brushing the latter over the gloves 
 stretched out smooth. The surface alone should 
 be wetted, and a second or third coat may be 
 given after the former one has become dry. 
 When the last coat has become thoroughly dry, 
 the superfluous color should be well rubbed out, 
 a smooth surface given them by rubbing with a 
 polished stick or piece of ivory, and the whole 
 gone over with a sponge dipped in white of egg. 
 
 GLOVES{Kid), To Clean.— X.YvX the gloves 
 on your hand and wash them, as if you were 
 washing your hands, in some spirits of tur- 
 pentine, until quite clean ; then hang them up in 
 a warm place, or where there is a current of air, 
 and all smell of the turpentine will be removed. 
 
 2. To clean kid gloves, have ready a little new 
 milk in one saucer, a piece of white soap in an- 
 other, and a clean cloth folded two or three times. 
 On the cloth spread out the glove smooth and 
 neat. Take a piece of flannel, dip it in the milk, 
 then rub off a good quantity of soap on the wet- 
 ted flannel, and commence to rub the glove to- 
 ward the fingers, holding it firmly with the left 
 hand. Continue this process until the glove, if 
 white, looks of a dingy yellow, though clean ; if 
 colored, till it looks dry and spoiled. Lay it to 
 dry, and the operator will soon be gratified to 
 see that the old glove looks nearly new. It will 
 be soft, glossy, smooth, and elastic. 
 
 3. Wrap a fine cloth around your finger, dip it 
 in new milk, and then rub on fine soap and rub 
 the glove lightly. In all the above operations 
 the glove must be on the hand. 
 
 4. Take fine curd soap, one pound, scrape it 
 into a powder, put into a jar, and pour upon it 
 from time to time, sufficient strong alcohol to 
 make it into a thick jelly; add one teaspoonful of 
 ether on one half teaspoonful liquor potassiae, 
 mix and put into bottles well corked. To use, 
 put the gloves on the hands, rub on the prepara- 
 tion with a piece of flannel, when the dirt will 
 disappear. 
 
 5. It is well known that common benzine is 
 the best substance to take the greasy dirt out of 
 leather gloves, as it does not attack the leather 
 like most of the other substances sometimes used 
 for that purpose. Those who make it a profes- 
 sion to clean gloves, put them all together in a 
 large, wide mouthed jar with glass stopper, until 
 it is about half full, cover the gloves with ben- 
 zine, close the stopper, and shake the whole 
 several times, letting it rest alternately. The 
 gloves are then taken out, one by one, and ex- 
 amined. If any dirt spots have remained, they 
 are rubbed out with benzine ; the glove is then 
 wrung out and hung up to dry. If such gloves 
 were, however, to be worn after simply air dry- 
 ing, the higher temperature of the hand would 
 cause the evaporation with an unpleasant odor 
 of the benzine which, at the lower temperature, 
 was left behind. Hence they are dried at a 
 
WASHING, BLEACHING AND DYEING. 
 
 349 
 
 temperature of some 200°, between plates heated 
 with boiling water, which removes all traces of 
 benzine, and consequent odor. 
 
 The benzine remaining in the bottle after hav- 
 ing been used a few times becomes dirty ; but as 
 benzine is so cheap as to make it not worth while 
 to recover it by redistillation when thus soiled, all 
 glove cleaners throw it away. 
 
 GLC V£S{ White Leather), To C/?a«.— White 
 leather gloves may be cleaned to look very well, 
 by putting on one at a time, and going over them 
 thoroughly with a shaving brush and lather. 
 Then wipe them off with a clean handkerchief or 
 sponge, and dry tliem on the hands by the fire 
 or in the sun. 
 
 GLO VES ( Wash-Leather), To Clean. — Re- 
 move the grease spots by rubbing with magnesia 
 or cream of tartar, prepare a lather of lukewarm 
 water and white soap ; wash the gloves in it, 
 wring them, and squeeze them through a fresh 
 lather. Rinse first in lukewarm water, then in 
 cold, and stretch them (on wooden hands, if pos- 
 sible) to dry in the sun or before a fire. 
 
 GREASE SPOTS, To ^^zw^<f. — Dissolve 
 an ounce of pure pearlash in a pint of spring 
 water, and to the solution add a lemon cut in 
 small slices. Mix the ingredients well, keep the 
 mixture in a warm state for a couple of days, 
 then strain it and bottle the clear liquid for use. 
 A little of this poured on stains of grease, pitch, 
 or oil, will remove them. As soon as they 
 disappear the cloth should be washed in clear 
 water. 
 
 GREEN DYE, for All-wool _ Goods.— \. 
 Clean the cloth or goods by steeping in soap 
 Euds, then rinse in several different messes of 
 clean water, and lay aside moist. 
 
 2. Steep the cloth or goods one hour or longer 
 in a bath made by dissolving the alum in the 
 package marked. Alum to mo7-dant green on 
 •woolen, in a clean brass or copper kettle, with 
 the amount of clean water deemed necessary to 
 work the goods in easily. After the conclusion 
 of this steeping or mordanting, lift the goods 
 from the bath, drain or wring well, and lay aside 
 moist in a clean place. 
 
 3. Inclose the fustic chips in a bag of tow 
 cloth, and steep them from one to two hours in 
 a brass or copper kettle with the amount of clean 
 water deemed necessary to work the cloth or 
 goods in easily ; then take out the bag of fustic, 
 and let the bath cool to a blood heat. When the 
 bath is thus cooled, add the sulphate of indigo 
 paste in small portions at a time, stirring con- 
 stantly, till the desired shade of green is obtained 
 (a point to be ascertained by testing with a piece 
 of unsized jiaper after each addition of the indigo 
 paste) ; then put in the still moist cloth or goods, 
 and work them thirty minutes at a little more 
 than blood-heat ; after which lift out the goods 
 from the bath, and add the alum in the package 
 marked, Alum to raise color in peen on woolen, 
 and stir till dissolved ; then put in the cloth or 
 goods, and work again twenty minutes at the 
 same degree of heat; lift out, cool thoroughly, 
 rinse in several different messes of clean water, 
 and dry in the shade. 
 
 A single pound of woolen goods requires about 
 four gallons of water to work it in easily, either 
 when mordanting or when dyeing. Larger quan- 
 tities of these goods do not need quite .so much 
 water in proportion. Use a clean wooden rod 
 for stirring this dye. 
 
 GREEN DYE for Cotton.— \. If the cotton 
 is new boil in weak lye or strong suds ; then 
 wash, and dry; give the cotton a dip in the home- 
 made blue dye-tub until blue enough is obtained 
 to make the green as dark as required, take out, 
 dry, and rinse the goods a little ; then make a 
 dye with fustic, ^ lb., logwood, 3 oz., to each I 
 lb. of goods, by boiling the dye I hour ; when 
 cooled so as to bear the hand, put in the cotton, 
 move briskly a few minutes, and let lie in i hour; 
 take out, and let it thoroughly drain; dissolve, 
 and add to the dye, for each lb. of cotton, blue 
 vitriol, y^ oz., and dip another hour ; wring out, 
 and let dry in the shade. By adding or dimin- 
 ishing the logwood and fustic, any shade of 
 green may be obtained. 
 
 2. For cotton goods : One pound of fustic, two 
 ounces ot logwood and one ounce of blue vitriol, 
 will color four or five pounds of goods. Boil the 
 logwood and fustic until the strength is out, then 
 add the vitriol, mix well, and put in the goods ; 
 stir ten or fifteen minutes, then wring them out 
 and scour in strong soap suds. 
 
 3. For eight pounds of cotton goods, two 
 pounds of fustic, two ounces of blue vitriol, one pint 
 of soft soap, four ounces chips of logwood. Soak 
 the logwood over night in soft water in a vessel 
 of brass, place it over the fire in the morning, 
 adding the other ingredients. When quite hot 
 it is ready for dyeing; it makes no difference 
 whether you wet the goods or not, provided you 
 have dye sufficient to color well. You Can ob- 
 taii> different shades by letting part of the goods 
 remain longer in the dye. 
 
 GREEN D YE for Silk. — ^Take green ebony, 
 boil it in water, and let it settle; take the clean 
 liquor as hot as you can bear your hands in it, 
 and handle your goods in it until of a bright yel- 
 low; then take water and put in a little sulphate 
 of indigo ; handle your goods in this till of the 
 shade wanted. The ebony may previously be 
 boiled in a bag, to prevent it from sticking to the 
 silk. 
 
 HATS, To Z>)'^.-— The hats should be first 
 strongly galled by boiling them a long time in a 
 decoction of galls with a little logwood, that the 
 dye may penetrate the better into their substance; 
 after which a proper quantity of vitriol and de- 
 coction of logwood, with a little verdigris, are 
 added, and the hats continued in this mixture 
 for a considerable time. They are afterwards 
 put into fresh liquor of logwood, galls, vitriol, 
 and verdigris ; and where the hats are of great 
 j)rice, or of a hair which with difficulty takes the 
 dye, the same process is repeated a third time. 
 For obtaining the most perfect color, the hair or 
 wool is dyed blue previously to its being formed 
 into hats. v 
 
 HOSE {Woolen), To Wash.—\l new, soak 
 all night, then wash in hot suds with beef's 
 gall, a tablespoonful to half a pail of water. 
 Rinse till no color comes out. Then stretch on 
 stocking frames, or iron them when damp on 
 the wrong side. 
 
 INDIGO or CHEMIC, Extract of. — For 
 good chemic or extract of indigo, take oil of 
 vitriol, Yi lb., and stir into it indigo, finely 
 ground, 2 oz., continuing the stirring at first for 
 yi hour; now cover over, and stir 3 or 4 times 
 daily for 2 or 3 days ; then put in a crumb of 
 saleratus and stir it up, and if it foams, put in 
 more and stir, and add as long as it foams ; the 
 saleratus neutraUzes any excess of acid ; then put 
 
350 
 
 DICTIONARY OF EVERY-DA Y WANTS. 
 
 into a glass vessel and cork up tight. It im- 
 proves by standing. 
 
 IRONING. — In ironing a shirt, first do the 
 back, then the sleeves, then the collar and bo- 
 som, and then the front. Iron calicoes generally 
 on the right side, as they thus keep clean for a 
 longer time. In ironing a frock, first do the 
 waist, then the sleeves, then the skirt. Keep the 
 skirt rolled while ironing the other parts, and set 
 a chair to hold the sleeves v/hile ironing the 
 skirt, unless a skirt-board be used. Silk should 
 be ironed on the wrong side, when quite damp, 
 with an iron which is not very hot ; light colors 
 are apt to change and fade. In ironing velvet, 
 turn up the face ol the iron, and after dampening 
 the wrong side of the velvet, draw it over the 
 face of the iron, holding it straight ; always iron 
 lace and needlework on the wrong side, and car- 
 ry them away as soon as they are dry. 
 
 LAC RED DYE.— For $ lbs. goods, argal, 
 lo oz.; boil a few minutes; then mix fine ground 
 lac, I lb., with muriate of tin, l^ lb.; and let 
 them stand 2 or 3 hours ; then add half of the lac 
 to the argal dye, and dip l4 hour; then add the 
 balance of the lac, and dip again I hour ; keep 
 the dye at a boiling heat, until the last half hour, 
 when the dye may be cooled off. 
 
 LACE and MUSLIN^ To Wash and Iron. 
 — Muslin or lace should never be rubbed in 
 washing. Take white soap in proportion to the 
 muslin you have to wash, shave it down, and 
 boil it with soft water till it dissolves. When 
 cold, it should be as thick as jelly; mix a part of 
 this jelly with soft tepid water, so as to be strong 
 of the soap ; let the muslins lie in this for a night, 
 then add boiling water ; move them up and 
 down in the water, repeatedly squeezing them 
 through the hands, so as to wash them, but do 
 not rub them. Having steeped them well in 
 soap and water before, makes rubbing quite un- 
 necessary ; tie them loosely up in a pillow-case, 
 and with soft water and the rest of the boiled 
 soap, boil them for a couple of hours. If in the 
 country, they should be laid out on the grass to 
 bleach (without the soap being washed out), and 
 watered when necessary, so as to keep them 
 moist. If in town, where no bleaching on the 
 grass can be procured, put them into a washing 
 tub, and, having poured boiling water over them, 
 leave them in the back court in the air for the 
 rest of the day, and during the night in the water ; 
 this has a great effect in whitening them; in either 
 case, after being bleached, rinse them twice 
 through cold water, to clear them completely 
 from the soap, and hang them up to dry before 
 being starched. A piece of lace, or any small 
 article, can' be very well bleached by being put 
 outside the window in the sun, in a crystal 
 bottle of water, having been previously washed, 
 and the soap left in it. It is a frequent practice 
 not to boil the starch, but to mix it with boiling 
 water, to hang up the muslins or laces the mo- 
 ment they have been put through the starch, and 
 squeezed out ; and when dry, and as hard as a 
 piece of board, then they water them (as it is 
 called), leaving one spot dry and the rest wet, 
 so that to stretch them out for ironing, without 
 tearing them, is almost impossible. This mode 
 of proceeding may account for the melancholy 
 frequency of torn lace, and the dull he.ivy ap- 
 pearance of beautiful worked collars, looking as 
 if they had been partially rubbed over with flour 
 and water. To give them that light transparent 
 
 look which adds so much to their beauty, the 
 treatment must be very different ; the starch 
 should be mixed in a little cold soft water, and 
 bruised down with the back of a spoon till quite 
 smooth ; more water should be added, till it re- 
 sembles thin milk, then boiled in a glazed-stone 
 pipkin, till it becomes clear and thick, so as to 
 jelly when cold. The muslin and laces should 
 be put through the starch while it is still warm ; 
 squeezed out first in the hand, then gently in a 
 clean smooth cloth, so as to get as much as pos- 
 sible of the starch out without fraying them in 
 any way. The cloth must not be twisted round 
 in the slightest degree, but gently pressed be- 
 tween the hands, putting but a few of the articles 
 in at one time; each article should then be taken 
 separately, held lightly by the two ends with the 
 forefinger and thumb of each hand, and beaten 
 between the palms of both hands for a few min- 
 utes ; next shaken out and drawn, so that each 
 thread in the muslin is perfectly straight, and 
 the shape of the collar is carefully preserved. I{ 
 after holding it up between you and the light, 
 you find that in some parts it is not sufficiently 
 clear, then a little drawing up and down on those 
 spots will be necessary, so as to free every thread 
 from the starch. It should then be folded up in 
 a damp cloth, and each article put beside it, as 
 soon as it has gone through the same process, so 
 that the whole may have a slight degree of damp- 
 ness when ironed. When it is not convenient 
 to do up muslins the moment they are starched, 
 it answers well, after they have been squeezed in 
 the cloth, to fold up each article, and to leave 
 them wrapped up together in a cloth for ?ome 
 hours, or a night, to clear themselves. When 
 this is done they generally require only to be 
 drawn a little, and folded up for ironing ; but 
 where great clearness is to be obtained, the stifT- 
 er the starch and the more thev are beaten the 
 better. In getting up fine tfiings well much 
 also depends on the ironing. The ironing 
 blanket should be thick, so that the work 
 on the collars, etc., should have a raised 
 look after being ironed. When the blanket 
 is thin the hard surface of the table flattens the 
 work, and injures the appearance. The ironing 
 blanket should be covered with a piece of thin, 
 smooth, long cloth kept for the purpose, and 
 washed each time it is used. In spreading out 
 the collar, or whatever you are about to iron, see 
 that it lies perfectly even, and that each thread is 
 straight up and down; also that the iron has been 
 carefully cleaned, first rubbed on a piece of old 
 carpet, and then wiped with a cloth ; and also 
 that it is not too hot. Singeing is a common 
 fault with the inexperienced, and it is a very bad 
 one; for, even when it is not to such a degree as 
 to burn, which may easily happen with a very 
 thin muslin, still it leaves a yellow shade, which 
 not only destroys the appearance at the time, but 
 is very difficult to get rid of. A little practice in 
 handling the irons will soon accustom one to the 
 degree of heat necessary, and till that is the case 
 an old pocket handkerchief, or some such thing, 
 should be at hand to try each iron upon before 
 you venture to iron any thing of consequence. 
 Do not pass your iron 'freouently over the sr.nie 
 place if you wish the muslin to retain the stiff- 
 ness, and also you should hang the article on a 
 screen before the fire the moment it is ironed ; 
 it becomes soft if folded up with the slightest 
 dampness upon it. Lace, which to look well 
 
WASHING, BLEACHING AND DYEING. 
 
 35i 
 
 should not be stiff, is improved and cleared by 
 being put through cold water as soon as it has 
 been starched ; it should then be squeezed out, 
 held by each hand, very slightly beaten between 
 the palms of the hands, and gently drawn out. 
 In drawing out the edge the nails must never 
 touch it. It should all be done by the ball of 
 the thumb and the forefinger, and ironed once or 
 twice over to take out the stiffening. Wlien lace 
 is sewed to a muslin collar, and washed with it, 
 as the collar requires to be stiffer than the lace, 
 it will be necessary, after putting it through the 
 starch, and clearing it, by heating and drawing 
 it, to gather the lace together in the hand, and 
 dip it into cold water, so as to take out • a good 
 deal of the starch, taking care not to wet the col- 
 lar ; but this is only necessary where the lace is 
 put on \vitli very little fullness, or quite plain. 
 Where it is put on full enough to be set up in 
 small pipes with the French irons, or, rather, 
 curling tongs (as they may be called), it is not 
 necessary to extract any portion of the starch ; 
 the lace is the better for being stiff, and, if rather 
 damp when set up in these small pipes, they will 
 retain a regular and tidy appearance as long as 
 the collar can be worn. These small French 
 irons are to be got of different sizes, and answer 
 remarkably well for nightcap borders, or frills of 
 any kind. When making use of them you should 
 be near a stove or fire, where they can be fre- 
 quently heated ; for, as they can not be used 
 when very hot, for fear of singeing the lace, 
 they require to be constantly heated, and must 
 be wiped widi a cloth each time before being 
 
 LACE {White Silk) or Blond, To Wash.— 
 Take a black bottle covered with clean linen or 
 muslin and wind the blond round it, (securing the 
 ends with a needle and thread,) not leaving the 
 edge outward, but covering it as you proceed. 
 Set the bottle upright in a strong cold lather of 
 white soap and very clear soft water, and place 
 it in the sun, having gently with your hand rub- 
 bed the 5uds up and down on the lace. Keep it 
 in the sun every day for a week, changing the 
 lather daily, and always rubbing it slightly when 
 you renew the suds. At the end of the week, 
 take the blond off the bottle, and (without rinsing) 
 pin it backward and forward on a large pillow 
 covered with a clean tight case. Every scallop 
 must have a separate pin ; or more, if the scallops 
 are not very small. The plain edge must be 
 pinned down also, so as to m.-ike it straight and 
 even. The pins should be of the smallest size. 
 When quite dry, take it off, but do not starch, 
 iron, or press it. Lay it in long loose folds, and 
 put it away in a pasteboard box. 
 
 Thread lace may be washed in the same 
 manner. 
 
 LA CE {Black), To Clean. — Sponge the lace 
 carefully with green tea, and wind it round and 
 round a bottle to dry, for if touched with an iron 
 it would look glossy and flattened. Some people 
 fill the bottle with warm water, which causes the 
 lace to dry more quickly. It must not be placed 
 near the fire, as it would give it a rusty appear- 
 ance. 
 
 LACE, To Renovate. — Lace, we are told, 
 may be restored to its original whiteness by first 
 ironing it slightly, then folding it up neatly, and 
 sewing it into a clean linen bag. This bag is 
 now kept for twenty-four hours in pure olive oil, 
 while in the meantime a strong solution of soap 
 
 is made in water. The bag, on being taken out 
 of the oil, is put into this boiling solution, and 
 kept there for a quarter of an hour ; after which 
 it is taken out, well rinsed in lukewarm water, 
 and then dipped into water containing a slight 
 proportion of starch. All that remains to 
 be done now is to take the lace out of the 
 bag, iron it, and stretch it with pins till perfecdy 
 dry. 
 
 LACE {Gold or Silver), To Clean. — Lay the 
 lace smooth on a woolen carpet or piece of wool- . 
 en cloth, and brush it free from dust, then burn 
 rock alum and powder it fine, and afterwards »♦ 
 sift it through a lawn sieve; then rub it over the 
 lace with a fine brush, and in so doing it will 
 take off the tarnish and restore it to its bright- 
 ness, if it be not too much worn on the threads. 
 
 LAMA DRESS, To Was/i.—BoW one pound 
 of the best rice in one gallon of water for three 
 hours. When boiled pour off what will be suffi- 
 cient to starch the dress ; wash the dress well in 
 the remainder, rinse it in clean cold water, wring 
 it well, then starch it with the rice water that 
 was kept for that purpose, and hang it before the 
 fire to dry. When dry enough iron with a cool 
 iron, as it is liable to scorch. If some parts of 
 the dress get too dry, they must be damped with 
 a wet cloth whilst ironing. No soap must be 
 used. The best way is to boil the rice on the 
 previous day, and merely warm it up the next 
 morning, for then you have the day before you 
 to complete the whole, as the dress must on no 
 account lie damp, even for an hour, or the colors 
 will be sure to run. This receipt will be found 
 equally well suited to delicate painted muslins 
 and pique's as to lama and alpaca dresses. 
 
 LA WN'S, To Wash. — Delicate lawn and mus- 
 lin dresses are so frequently spoiled by bad wash- 
 ing, the colors of the fabric yielding so readily 
 to the action of soap, that it is well to adopt a 
 new method of cleansing the finest materials, and 
 imparting to them the appearance of newness. 
 Take two quarts of wheat bran and boil it for 
 half an hour in soft water. Let it cool, then 
 strain it, and pour the strained liquor into the 
 water in which the dress is to be washed. Use 
 no soap, one rinsing alone is required, and no 
 starch. The bran water not only removes the 
 dirt, and insures against change of color, but 
 gives the fabric a pleasanter stiffness than any 
 preparation of starch. If the folds are drawn 
 from the skirts and sleeves, the dress will iron 
 better ; and will appear, when prepared in this 
 way, as fresh as new. 
 
 LINEN { Table), To Wash.— It is poor econo- 
 my to boil or freeze table cloths if brown. It 
 gives them an old, yellow look. White ones 
 may be kept clear by spreading for a few hours 
 in the hot sun, or on the snow when the sun 
 shines. If there are fruit stains on them pour 
 boiling water over them before washing. The 
 boiling and freezing make them soft, and once 
 hanging on the line in the air and freezing dry 
 wears linen more than two weeks constant use. 
 A little starch should be added to the last water 
 and they should be hung up straight on frames 
 to drj'. ' If they dry in a twist, they cannot be 
 ironed smooth without extra pains. 
 
 LIA^EN, To Remove Stains from. — Stains 
 occasioned by fruit, iron rust, and other similar 
 causes, may be removed by applying to the parts 
 injured a weak solution of the chloride of lime 
 — the cloth having been previously well washed 
 
352 
 
 DICTIONAR YOFE VER Y-DA Y WANTS. 
 
 of soda, oxalic acid, or salts of lemon in 
 •warm water. The parts subjected to this opera- 
 tion should be subsequently well rinsed in soft, 
 clean, varm water, without soap, and be im- 
 mediately dried in the sun. 
 
 LINEN, l¥NITENING. — AccorA\ng to a 
 French writer, crystallized carbonate of soda, 
 although so great a favorite with the washer- 
 women, is a declared foe to linen, since, not- 
 withstanding its cleansing power, it attacks the 
 fibre, and after a time makes it so rotten as to 
 cause it to tear, almost at the touch. An im- 
 provement on this substance, it is said, consists 
 in the employment of a solution in the propor- 
 tion of two pounds of soap to twenty-five quarts 
 of warm water, to which are to be added one 
 tablespoonful of essence of turpentine and three 
 spoonfuls of ammonia. The mixture is to be 
 stirred by the help of a little broom, and the 
 linen immersed in it for several hours, the tub 
 being completely covered. The articles are then 
 to be washed in the ordinary way, rinsed in tepid 
 water, and then blued, if this is necessary. The 
 same solution can be used twice over by heating 
 again and adding half the amount given of es- 
 sence of turpentine and ammonia. 
 
 It is claimed that this process is accompanied 
 by great economy of time, labor, and fuel, and 
 that the linen experiences little or no injury, ap- 
 pearing finally m a condition of irreproachable 
 whiteness. The ammonia, it is said, does not 
 exert any corrosive effect upon the fibre, since 
 it evaporates immediately; and the odor of the 
 turpentine entirely disappears in drying. 
 
 LINEN, Sizing of. — The peculiar smooth 
 linen called HolLind in the United States, and 
 used for window-shades, is sized with the fol- 
 lowing preparation : Carbonate of soda, (crystal- 
 flized,) I part; white wax, 4 to 6 parts; stearine, 
 4 to 6 parts ; pure white soap, 4 to 6 parts ; fine 
 Paris white or carbonate of magnesia, 20 parts ; 
 potato-starch, 40 parts ; fine wheat-starch, 160 
 parts. 
 
 This is boiled with sufficient water to form 
 1600 parts altogether. If necessary, some ultra- 
 marine is added to counteract the yellow tint of 
 the linen. The linen is starched with this pre- 
 paration, passed between rollers, and dried. It 
 IS then sprinkled with soap-water and placed in 
 the stamping-mill, afterward steamed and cal- 
 endered. 
 
 A mixture of the first four or five ingredients 
 named above is sold by druggists as a prepara- 
 tion for improving the starch used for stiffening 
 shirt-collars, etc. 
 
 LI LA C D YE. — For every pound of silk, take 
 one and a half pound of archil, mix it well with 
 the liquor ; make it boil a cjuarter of an hour, dip 
 the silk quickly, then let it cool, and wash it in 
 river water, and a fine half violet, or lilac, more 
 or less full, will be obtained. 
 
 LIQUID DYE COLORS. — \. (Blue.) a. 
 Dissolve litmus in water, and add ^ of spirit of 
 wine. — b. Dilute Saxon blue or sulphate of 
 indigo with water. If required for delicate work, 
 neutralize the acid with chalk. — c. To an aque- 
 ous infusion of litmus add a few drops of vine- 
 gar, till it turns full blue. 
 
 2. (Purple.) a. Steep litmus in water and 
 strain. — b. Add a little alum to a strained decoc- 
 tion of logwood. — c. Add a solution of carmine 
 (red) to a little blue solution of litmus or Saxon 
 blue. 
 
 3. (Green.) a. Dissolve crystallized verdigri? 
 in water. — b. Dissolve sap green in water, and 
 add a little alum. — c. Add a little salt of tartar to 
 a blue or purple solution of litmus, till it turns 
 green. — d. Dissolve equal parts of crystalhzed 
 verdigris and cream of tartar in water, and add a 
 little gum arabic. Used as an ink for writing. 
 
 4. (Yellow.) a. Dissolve gamboge in water, 
 and add a little gum arabic and alum. Used for 
 ink, to stain paper, color maps, etc. — b. Dissolve 
 gamboge in equal parts of proof spirit and wa- 
 ter. Golden colored. — c. Steep French berries 
 in hot water, strain, and add a little gum and 
 alum. — d. Steep turmeric, round zedoary, gam- 
 boge, or annotlo, in spirits of wine. — e. Dissolve 
 annotto in a weak lye of subcarbonate of soda or 
 potash. All the above are used by artificial 
 florists. 
 
 5. (Red.-)rt. Macerate ground Brazil in vine- 
 gar, boil a few minutes, strain, and add a little 
 alum and gum. — b. Add vinegar to an infusion 
 of litmus till it turns red. — c. Boil or infuse 
 powdered cochineal in water ; strain, and add a 
 little alum and gum. — d. Dissolve carmine in 
 liquor of ammonia, or in weak carbonate of pot- 
 ash water ; the former is superb. 
 
 All the preceding, thickened with a little gum, 
 are used as inks for writing, as colors to tint 
 maps, foils, paper, artificial flowers, etc., and to 
 paint on velvet. Some of them are very beau- 
 tiful. It must be observed, however, that those 
 made with strong spirit do not mix well with 
 gum, unless diluted with water. 
 
 MADDER RED DYE for Wool.— To each 
 lb. of goods — alum 5 oz. ; red, or cream of tar- 
 tar, I oz. ; put in the gooids and bring your kettle 
 to a boil for ^ hour ; then air them and boil \^ 
 hour longer; then empty your kettle and fill with 
 clean water, put in bran I peck ; make it milk 
 warm and let it stand until the bran rises, then 
 skim off the bran and put in madder ^ lb. ; put 
 in your goods and heat slowly until it boils and 
 is done. Wash in strong suds. 
 
 MERINOS, To Wash.—K\i old merino may 
 be made to look as good as new by first ripping 
 to pieces the skirt, and afterward washing each 
 breadth separately in warm suds, being careful 
 to rinse only in clean warm water suds. Cold 
 water after warm will shrink any kind of woolen 
 goods. Iron while quite damp on the wrong 
 side. Afterward fold one double on the right 
 side ; placing over it a clean newspaper, and iron 
 with a very hot flat, in this way making the seam 
 fold in all new double folded goods. 
 
 MILDEW, To Remove. — Take two ounces 
 of chloride of lime, pour on it a quart of boiling 
 water, then add three quarts of cold water; steep 
 the linen twelve hours, when every spot will be 
 extracted. 
 
 MUSLINS, PIQUES, ETC., French Me- 
 thod of Washing. — Prepare some rather warm 
 (not hot) lather, made with soft water and the 
 best white soap ; wash the dresses one at a time, 
 but do not soak them. As soon as the first lath- 
 er looks soiled squeeze the dress from it, and at 
 once wash it again in a fresh lather. When 
 thoroughly clean, rinse in pure cold water, lastly 
 in water slightly blued ; squeeze (not wring) the 
 water completely from the dress, and hang it in 
 a shaded place to dry; if wet weather, dry it by 
 the fire. The best prints will fade if hung in 
 the sunshine. 
 
 NANKEEN Z? KC. — Annotto and potash. 
 
WASHING, BLEACHING AND DYEING. 
 
 353 
 
 equal parts ; water sufficient ; boil till dissolved. 
 The proportion of potash is varied according to 
 the shade required ; the alkali darkens it. Used 
 to dye nankeen color, but chiefly to restore the 
 color of faded nankeen clothing. 
 
 ORANGE D YE. — This may be given by 
 mixing red and yellow dyes in various propor- 
 tions. A very good fugitive orange may be given 
 with annotto, by passing the goods through a 
 solution made with equal parts of annotto and 
 pearlash ; or still better, through a bath made of 
 I part of annotto dissolved in a lye of I parteach 
 of lime and pearlash, and 2 parts of soda. The 
 shade may be reddened by passing the dyed 
 goods through water acidulated with vinegar, 
 lemon-juice, or citric acid; or through a solution 
 of alum. The goods are sometimes passed 
 through a weak alum mordant before immersion 
 in the bath. 
 
 ORANGE DYE for Cotton. — Y ox 5 lbs. 
 goods — sugar of lead 4 oz. ; boil a few minutes, 
 and when a little cool put in the goods, dip 2 
 hours, wring out ; make a new dye with bichro- 
 mate of potash 8 oz. ; madder 2 oz. ; dip until it 
 suits ; if the color should be too red, t.ike off a 
 small sample and dip it into lime water, when 
 the choice can be taken of the sample dipped in 
 the lime or the original color. 
 
 ORANGE D YE for Woo/.— For 5 lbs. goods, 
 muriate of tin, 6 tablespoons ; argal, 4 oz. ; boil 
 and dip I hour ; then add to the dye, fustic, 2)4 
 lbs. ; boil 10 minutes, and dip ^ hour; and add 
 again to the dye, madder, I teacup, dip again 
 ^ hour. 
 
 Cochineal in place of madder makes a much 
 brighter color, which should be added in small 
 quantities until pleased. About 2 oz. 
 
 ORANGE DYE for 5'«7/J.— Bloodroot, boiled 
 in brass, and set with alum, will color an orange 
 color that is not easily faded. Old silk that is 
 not very fair will do very well for this kind of 
 color. 
 
 PINK D YE. — I. For every three pounds of 
 goods, take three and a half quarts of water, or 
 enough to cover the articles you wish to color. 
 Take two ounces of cochineal, and a half an 
 ounce of cream tartar, steep the cochineal in warm 
 water two hours, or until the strength is entirely 
 extracted, and add the cream tartar ; then wash 
 the cloth in clean water, wring it out and put it 
 in the dye ; bring it to a scalding heat ; let it re- 
 main a few moments and it will be finished. If 
 a light color is wanted use less cochineal — if a 
 dark, more — the shade depending on the quan- 
 tity of cochineal used. 
 
 2. Balm flowers, steeped in water, color a 
 pretty rose. 
 
 3. Make a solution of the carmine in a carmine 
 saucer, and set it with alum. 
 
 PINK D YE for Cotton.— Tvio pounds red- 
 wood ; four ounces of solution of tin ; boil the 
 wood one hour, turn off into a tub, then add the 
 tin, and put in the cloth ; let it stand a few min- 
 utes (five or ten), and a nice pink will be pro- 
 duced. This will color four pounds of goods ; 
 is quite a fast color. 
 
 PINK D YE for Wool.— For 3 lbs. of goods 
 — alum, 3 oz., boil and dip the goods I hour; 
 then add, to the dye, cream of tartar, 4 oz.; 
 cochineal, well pulverized, i oz.; boil well and 
 dip the goods while boiling, until the color 
 suits. 
 
 PINK DYE for Silk. -^ Mitt aluming, 
 
 handle the goods to be dyed in peach-wood liquor 
 till the color desired ; then take out and put in 
 a little alum liquor, handle the goods a little lon- 
 ger, take out, rinse in water, and finish. In 
 most cases, where the shade is not dark enough, 
 the operation must be repeated. 
 
 PINK for Listings. — To 100 pounds of 
 wool use 8 pounds of cochineal, 5 pounds of tar- 
 tar, 10 pounds of scarlet spirit, ^ pound of tin 
 crystals. Boil all together until dissolved ; then 
 cool off" the dye to 170° Fah.; enter and handle 
 well ; boil for half an hour. If the wool should 
 not color even in ten minutes, use a few pounds 
 of muriatic acid, (See "Scarlet on Wool.") If 
 this color be used for listings on white flannels, 
 add about 6 pounds more scarlet spirit to the 
 wool, just before taking it out. This additional 
 tin acid will fasten the cochineal more, without 
 rotting the wool. The color will stand the soap 
 better; and to keep the color from running be- 
 fore bleaching entirely, the scourer must add a 
 solution of 1 pound of muriatic acid to the last 
 rinsing of the flannel. If the cochineal should 
 have stained the white, then rinse in cold water 
 before fastening the spots, by the sulphur, when 
 bleaching. 
 
 PONCEON. — 100 pounds of fabric. Color 
 scarlet first, as given in recipe for scarlet on 
 wool, in another place, but leave out the flavine, 
 or yellow dyestufF. After the goods are well 
 rinsed, prepare a kettle with fresh water; heat it 
 to 180" Fah.; strain into it 5 pounds of cochineal 
 paste ; stir all well together, and enter the fabric; 
 handle it for half an hour without boiling ; rinse 
 and dry. Instead of ammoniated cochineal, 3 
 ounces of magenta crystals may be used. 
 
 PRINTS, To Pret'ent Fading. —The dress 
 should be washed in lather, and not by applying 
 the soap in the usual way direct upon the muslin. 
 Make a lather by boiling soap and water together; 
 let it stand until it is sufficiently cool for use, 
 and previously to putting the dress into it, throw 
 in a handful of salt; rinse the dress without 
 wringing it in clear, cold water, into which a 
 little salt has been thrown ; remove it and rinse 
 it in a fresh supply of clear water and salt. Then 
 wring the dress in a cloth and hang it to dry im- 
 mediately, spreading as open as possible, so as 
 to prevent one part lying over another. Should 
 there be any white in the pattern, mix a little 
 blue in the water. 
 
 PURPLE DYE for Cotton.— Get up a tub 
 of hot logwood liquor, enter three pieces, give 
 them five ends, hedge out ; enter them into a 
 clean alum tub, give them five ends, hedge out; 
 get up another tutl of logwood liquor, enter, give 
 them five ends, hedge out ; renew your alum 
 tub, give them five ends in that, and finish. 
 
 PURPLE D YE for Wool.— For 5 lbs. goods, 
 cream of tartar, 4 oz.; alum, 6 oz.; cochineal, 
 well pulverized, 2 oz.; muriate of tin, )4 teacup. 
 Boil the cream of tartar, alum, and tin, 15 min- 
 utes ; then put in the cochineal, and boil 5 min- 
 utes; dip the goods 2 hours ; then make a new 
 dye with alum, 4 oz.; Brazil wood, 6 oz.; log- 
 wood, 14 oz.; muriate of tin, I tea-cup, with a 
 little chemic ; work again until pleased. 
 
 PURPLE DYE for Silk.— For I lb. of silk 
 — having first obtained a light blue by dipping 
 in the home-made blue dye-tub, and dried, dip 
 in alum 4 oz., to sufficient water to cover, when 
 a little warm ; if the color is not fuU enough add 
 a little chemic 
 23 
 
354 
 
 DICTIONARY OF E VERY-DAY WANTS. 
 
 RED D YES, Oft IVhiie IVcolen Goods with 
 Aniline Red, {Solferino and Magenta Shades.) 
 — I. Clean the cloth or goods by steeping at a 
 gentle heat in weak soap-suds, then rinse in 
 several different messes of clean water, and lay 
 aside moist. 
 
 2. Put the aniline red powder into an earthen 
 or metallic vessel, and add to it 128 times its 
 weight of cold water, and stir with a spoon, or 
 small, clean wooden rod, until dissolved. When 
 the powder is dissolved, strain one-half of the 
 strong liquor or solution through cotton cloth 
 into a large brass, copper, or iron dye-kettle, and 
 add cold water till the amount is reached that is 
 needed to work the goods in easily, and then 
 mix very thoroughly by stirring with a wooden 
 rod. If any of the aniline red is found on the 
 strainer undissolved, it must be transferred with 
 a spoon to the vessel of cold water, and the 
 whole well stirred. A little more cold water 
 should also be added to the vessel. 
 
 3. The still moist cloth or goods are now to 
 be shaken by their ends, with the hands, to re- 
 move the plaits or folds, and then put into the 
 dye bath, which is to be gradually heated to a 
 nearly scalding heat, and maintained at that tem- 
 perature till the color on the goods is even, and 
 of the desired depth. The goods are to be 
 stirred constantly while they are in the dye- 
 bath. 
 
 If the color is not dark enough, after the goods 
 have been worked from fifteen to thirty minutes 
 at a nearly scalding heat, lift them from the bath, 
 strain in a little more of the strong, cold aniline 
 solution from the earthen vessel, and stir till 
 thoroughly mixed, then return the goods to the 
 bath, and work them again from fifteen to thirty 
 minutes. Repeat the removals of the goods from 
 the bath, the strainings in of a little of the strong, 
 cold aniline solution, and the steepings of the 
 goods for short periods, till the color on the 
 goods is of the desired shade; then remove from 
 the bath, rinse in several different messes of 
 clean water, and dry in the shade. 
 
 This process is adapted for either a Solferino 
 or Magenta shade of red. The Solferino shade 
 requires only about two-thirds as much of the 
 aniline red as is required for the Magenta shade. 
 Silk goods, and mixed goods of cotton and 
 wool, and also cotton goods may be dyed by this 
 process. The color is not so handsome nor so 
 durable on cotton as on woolen or silk. 
 
 A single pound of woolen goods requires about 
 four gallons of water to work it in easily, when 
 dyeing. Larger quantities of these goods do not 
 need quite so much water in proportion. 
 
 For the preliminary solution of the aniline-red 
 powder in the earthen vessel for bne pound of 
 goods. Magenta shade, use about one quart of 
 cold water. 
 
 If aniline-red powder is heated in a kettle with 
 water, a large portion of it will concrete on to 
 the kettle, and become almost insoluble. For 
 this reason it should be dissolved in a little cold 
 water before added to the dye-bath. 
 
 When convenient or practicable, let the aniline 
 red powder remain in the vessel of cold water 
 over a night, Ijeforc straining and using. 
 
 These aniline red colors can be dyed in much 
 less time, when the expense can be afforded, by 
 first dissolving the aniline red in a bottle with a 
 little warm alcohol. The alcoholic solution or 
 tincture is to be added from time to time to the 
 
 warm or hot dye-bath, till the color on the goods 
 is of the desired shade. The goods are to be re- 
 moved from the dye-bath before each addition of 
 the alcoholic solution, and the bath is to be well 
 stirred before the goods are returned. The al- 
 coholic solution should be first dropped into a 
 little water, and well mixed, and the mixture 
 should then be strained into the dye bath. 
 
 If a particle of aniline red gets into the dye- 
 balh before dissolved, it will cause the goods to 
 be spotted, or dyed unevenly. 
 
 Utensils that have been used with aniline red 
 may be cleaned first with water, then with a warm 
 mixture of water and chloride of lime, and lastly 
 with clean w^ater. Alcohol will be required to 
 remove any concretions of aniline red that may 
 be found on kettles or utensils. 
 
 For one pound of woolen goods. Magenta 
 shade, 96 grains of aniline red will be required, 
 S. Aniline red for one pound 0/ -woolen goods. 
 Magenta shade. For a Solferino shade on a 
 pound of goods, put up 64 grains of aniline red, 
 S. Aniline red for one pound 0/ goods, Solferino 
 shade. 
 
 For 96 grains of aniline red six fluid ounces of 
 alcohol will be required. More alcohol can be 
 used with advantage, when the expense can be 
 afforded. An avoirdupois ounce of commercial 
 aniline red requires from four to eight gills of 
 alcohol for its complete solution, but most gener- 
 ally six gills are sufficient. Troy or apothecary 
 grain weights are to be used in putting up these 
 dyes, as the grain weight is the same in quantity 
 in all the systems of weights used in drug 
 stores. 
 
 RED, IIYFERNIC.—Hypermc red is ge- 
 nerally used for carpets and zephyrs. loo pounds 
 of yarn are boiled in a solution of 15 pounds of 
 alum, and 3 pounds half-refined tartar, for one 
 hour, or, what is just as well, laid over night in 
 the hot liquid. The color is much improved if 
 this prepared yarn can lay a few days in the at- 
 mosphere before coloring it red. In fresh water 
 boil 30 pounds of hypernic, or beechwood, for 
 ten minutes. Cool the hquid to 170" Fahr.; then 
 add 3 pounds of whiting, or chalk; handle in 
 this the prepared yarn, for ten minutes ; bring 
 up the heat to 200*, when the yarn will be a fine 
 red ; in half an hour it will be ready to take out 
 and cool. For carpet yarn, it is not necessary to 
 rinse, but to dry as it is. If hard water is to be 
 used, as in some localities, the chalk is un- 
 necessary ; but the latter surely adds brilliancy 
 to the color, equaling cochineal. Use in the 
 preparation no blue vitriol, which dulls the 
 color. 
 
 RED D YE for Cotton. Take muriate of tin 
 % of a tea-cup; add sufficient water to cover the 
 goods well, bring it to a boiling heat, putting in 
 the goods I hour, stirring often ; take out the 
 goods and empty the kettle and put in clean wa- 
 ter with nic-wood I lb., steeping it for ^ hour, 
 at hand heat ; then put in the goods and increase 
 the heat for i hour, not bringing to a boil at all ; 
 air the goods and dip an hour as before ; wash 
 without soap. 
 
 RED MADDER.— This color is mostly used 
 for army uniforms. To 100 pounds of fabric, 
 use 20 pounds of alum, 5 pounds of tartar, and 
 5 pounds of scarlet spirit. After these ar^ dis- 
 solved, enter the goods, and let them boil for 
 two hours ; then take them out, let cool, and lay 
 over night. Into fresh water stir 75 pounds of 
 
WASHING, BLEACHING AND DYEING. 
 
 355 
 
 good Holland madder. Enter the fabric at 120° 
 Fah., and bring it up to 200° in the course of an 
 hour, during which time it must be handled well 
 to secure evenness ; then rinse and dry. 
 
 DYEING TURKEY RED.— Thxs is a tedi- 
 ous, long process, and only profitable when pro- 
 duced in large quantities. The most expensive 
 works for this purpose are in Elberfeld, Prussia, 
 and the following is one of the methods there in 
 use: 
 
 First Operation. — loo pounds of yarn are first 
 boiled in a weak soda lye, and afterwards well 
 rinsed in the river. 
 
 Second Operation. — Soak 25 pounds of sheep- 
 dung for a few days in a solution of 10 pounds 
 of soda ; then add to it 6 pounds of olive oil ; 
 strain it through a sieve ; then handle through 
 this the j'arn, skein after skein ; wring each out 
 loosely, and lay it on slats, but so that no large 
 lumps accumulate, as it will heat and set it on 
 fire ; the yarn must be turned from time to time 
 on the slats, to secure an even drying ; then fin- 
 ish the drying in a moderately warm room of 
 148" Fah. After it is dry the same operation is 
 gone through with as at first ; and the yarn re- 
 ceives from two to four operations through the 
 dung and oil, according to the darkness of the 
 shade wanted ; it must be dried each lime. 
 
 Third Operation. — 6 pounds of olive oil and 
 10 pounds of soda are mixed in about 6 pails of 
 water ; if the oil should not become mixed and 
 some swim on the top, more soda is required. 
 Handle the yarn, skein after skein, through this 
 as before; wring out loosely, and hang it up 
 again to dry ; the drying out to be very slow, so 
 as to give the oil time to ferment in connection 
 with the oxygen, as it is considered that the 
 warm oil can penetrate the fiber better ; this op- 
 eration also is repeated two or three times every 
 time it is dried. 
 
 Fourth OpctatioH,—-Tii the old remaining oil- 
 bath add a solution of 10 pounds of soda; take 
 the yarn through again as before, and dry. 
 
 Fifth Operation. — Now lay the yarn into a 
 warm solution of 10 pounds of soda for 5 hours, 
 to free it from the superfluous oil not absorbed 
 by the fiber, then rinse it well in the river. 
 
 Sixth Operation. — Take the yarn through a 
 decoction of 20 pounds of ground nutgalls and 
 10 pounds of sumach, in sufficient water, skein 
 after skein; wring it out, and dry in the open 
 air ; turn it often, so as to secure an even 
 color. 
 
 Seventh Operation. — 30 pounds of good alum, 
 free from any iron, such as will not show a blue 
 shade if a few drops of yellow prussiate of pot- 
 ash solution are added; otherwise it will not 
 make a bright color. This alum is neutralized 
 from its free sulphuric acid by a solution of 3 
 pounds of soda slowly added, so as not to boil it 
 over by the too sudden escape of carbonic acid 
 gas ; pass the yarn through this yet warm solu- 
 tion of alum, wring it out, and dry as before, blit 
 not too hot, as the acid of the alum might injure 
 the cotton or crystallize the alum. 
 
 Eighth Operatiotu — The yarn is now freed 
 from the loosely superfluous alum adhering to 
 the fiber by soaking it in warm water, and rins- 
 ing well in the river. 
 
 Ninth Operation. — Into a suitable warm bath 
 stir 100 pounds of good madder; add 50 pounds 
 of beef blood ; slir it well and enter the yarn ; 
 handle quick at first, so as to get it even, and 
 
 bring it to a boil during I hour ; then sling the 
 skeins together and drop them into the liquor, 
 and let them boil for one hour. It will be surer 
 even by coloring only 25 pounds of yarn at a 
 time ; then rinse it. 
 
 Tenth Operatiotu — The yam is again taken 
 through an oil bath with soda as before and 
 dried ; then boil it in a solution of 5 pounds of 
 olive oil, 6 pounds of castile soap, and 5 pounds 
 of soda, from which it will come out bright red ; 
 then rinse it. 
 
 Eleventh Operation. — To still more brighten 
 the color, without drying, put the yarn into clean 
 bags and boil it for two hours in a bath contain- 
 ing 15 pounds of good white soap, i^ pounds 
 of tin crystals, and ^ pound of nitric acid. 
 
 Then take it out, rinse while yet hot, when it 
 will be at last done. 
 
 This is the only fast-red which is good for 
 bleached goods ; others are less durable. 
 
 RED DYE for Wool.— A. good and bright 
 red color may be obtained on wool by the use of 
 lac-dye, in the following way ; In the first place, 
 a tolerably stiff paste is made of the lac-dye and 
 sulphuric acid, and this is allowed to stand for a 
 day. For dyeing 10 pounds of wool, one pound 
 of tartar, two thirds of a pound of salts of tin, 
 and three quarters of a pound of t,he paste just 
 mentioned are required. The wool must be 
 boiled in the bath for three quarters of an hour, 
 after which, as a matter of course, it must be 
 carefully rinsed and dried. 
 
 RIBBONS, to IVash. — As washing and doing 
 up ribbons is quite a source of economy, it is not 
 every lady that knows that, with the exception 
 of a few delicate colors, pink, sky-blue, &c., al- 
 most any ribbon can be washed and ironed, and 
 made to look nearly if not quite as well as new. 
 To wash ribbons, make a clear lather of clean 
 white soap, the water as warm as you can bear 
 your hands; rub the ribbon through this ; soap 
 may also be applied where there are grease spots 
 on the wrong side; rinse in cold water. As 
 soon as washed, without hanging out to dry, 
 have ready a hot iron, and press them out while 
 wet; press on the wrong side; they will wrinkle, 
 and never look well, if not pressed while wet. 
 If you wish to stiffen them, dip them before iron- 
 ing, in a solution of gum arable ; when ironed 
 smooth, take the scissors and trim off the ends. 
 I have renewed narrow satin riblions, yellow 
 and white, in this way, when you would not 
 know they had ever been worn ; also wide col- 
 ored ribbons, black, etc. 
 
 SCARFS {China Crape), ToWash.—li±Q 
 fabric be good, these articles of dress can be 
 washed as frequently as may be required, and 
 no diminution of their beauty will be discover- 
 able, even when the various shades of green have 
 been employed among other colors in the pat- 
 terns. In cleaning them make a strong lather 
 of boiling water ; suffer it to cool ; when cold, 
 or nearly so, wash the scarf quickly and thor- 
 oughly, dip it immediately in cold hard water in 
 which a little salt has been thrown (to preserve 
 the colors), rinse, squeeze, and hang it out to 
 dry in the open air; pin it at its extreme edge to 
 the line, so that it may not in any part be folded 
 together ; the more rapidly it dries the clearer it 
 will be. 
 
 SCARLET {Cochineal) DYE, {old Mode).— 
 In former times, when cochineal was very ex- 
 pensive, the goods were colored in two waters^ 
 
3S6 
 
 DICTIONARY OF E VERY-DA Y WANTS. 
 
 •with nitrate of tin. By this process, the coch- 
 ineal colors only the outside of the fabric (the 
 cut showing white in broadcloth), and about 
 thirty per cent, less of cochineal is used than in 
 scarlet colored \«th muriate of tin in one opera- 
 tion ; but it is useful for braided scarlet random. 
 To ICO pounds of fabric dissolve lo pounds of 
 nitrate of tin, 5 pounds of cream of tartar, i 
 pound of flav-ine. The nitrate of tin should be 
 made thus : 10 pounds nitric acid, 36° B. ; 5 
 pounds muriatic acid, 22° B.; 5 pounds water; 
 mix these ingredients, and add 1 pound feath- 
 ered tin, small quantities to prevent overheating. 
 Boil it for ten minutes ; cool off to 1 70° ; enter 
 the goods, and boil them for one hour; then take 
 out, cool, and rinse. To fresh water add 7 
 pounds of cochineal, well ground, and 2 pounds 
 of starch in solution, and strain ; let all boil for 
 five minutes; cool the dye to 180"; add I pound 
 of nitrate of tin; handle the fabric well, and boil 
 for three quarters of an hour ; then take it out, 
 cool, and rinse. This is a very bright scarlet, 
 and is used for scarlet random; only use no 
 flavine in the preparation of the random, to 
 secure a good white. This scarlet requires two 
 waters ; the cochineal would not adhere to the 
 wool with nitrate of tin, as it does with the mu- 
 riate of tin in one operation. In all scarlets, the 
 yellow shade is governed by the quantity of 
 citron bark or flavine used. I find a very foolish 
 habit, m many dye houses, of letting the liquor 
 run half away after every dip is colored; the old 
 liquor, or second kettle, makes not only a better 
 color, but will save at least twenty per cent, of 
 dye stuflf and heat. Of course common sense 
 must govern the judgment of the operator, or the 
 acid will be too strong in the dye, after several 
 dips. 
 
 SCARLET with LAC DYE. — For 100 
 pounds of flannel or yarn, take 25 pounds of 
 ground lac dye, 15 pounds of scarlet spirit, (as 
 below), 5 pounds of tartar, I pound of flavine, 
 according to shade, i pound of tin crystals, 5 
 pounds of muriatic acid. Boil all for fifteen 
 minutes, then cool the dye to 1 70° Fah. ; enter 
 the goods, and handle them quickly at first ; let 
 them boil one hour ; rinse them while yet hot, 
 before the gum and impurities harden. This 
 color stands scouring with soap better than coch- 
 ineal scarlet, but this is in consequence of a 
 larger amount of acid being used than is neces- 
 sary with cochineal scarlet. To this color, a 
 small quantity of sulphuric acid may be used, as 
 it dissolves the gum. The quantity of lac dye 
 should be regulated by its quality. 
 
 SCARLET DYE /err Woo/.— For every 100 
 pounds of fabric, boil, in a suitable kettle, 1 1 
 pounds of ground Honduras cochineal, 5 pounds 
 of half-refined tartar or 3 pounds of tartaric acid, 
 2 pounds of oxalic acid, I pound of tin crystals, 
 1^ pounds of flavine, 10 pounds of scarlet spirit. 
 (The latter is prepared as follows: Take i6 
 pounds muriatic acid, 22** B., I pound feathered 
 tin, 2 pounds water. The acid snould be put in 
 a stoneware pot, and the tin added, and allowed 
 to dissolve; the mixture should be kept a few 
 days before using.) After it has boiled for about 
 fifteen minutes, cool the dye to 180° Fah.; enter 
 the goods, iiandle them quickly at first, and let 
 them boil slowly for one hour, when they will 
 be a good scarlet. Take them out, cool, and 
 rinse in cold water. If it should happen that the 
 wool or flannel shows some white hair, which is 
 
 generally the case when new wool is used, then 
 add 5 pounds of raw muriatic acid to the dye. 
 This powerful agent will work wonders in scar- 
 lets, oranges, and pinks, as it tans the wool, 
 which is perhaps a little greasy, and prevents the 
 tin crystals from fastening too quickly to it, and 
 thereby evener colors are obtained. This latter 
 fact is very valuable, and not generally known. 
 
 SHAWLS, SCARFS, etc.. To Clean.— lUhe 
 fabric be good, these articles of dress can be 
 washed as frequently as may be required, and no 
 diminution of their beauty will be discoverable, 
 even when the various shades of green have 
 been employed among other colors in the pat- 
 terns. In cleaning them, make a strong lather 
 of boiling Mater ; suffer it to cool ; when cold, or 
 nearly so, wash the scarf quickly and thoroughly, 
 dip it immediately in cold hard water in which a 
 little salt has been thrown (to preserve the col- 
 ors,) rinse, squeeze, and hang it out to dry in 
 the open air; pin it at its extreme edge to the 
 line, so that it may not in any part be folded to- 
 gether ; the more rapidly it dries the clearer it 
 will be. 
 
 SHA WLS ( Woolen), Scotch Method of Clean- 
 ing. — Scrape one pound of soap, boil it down in 
 sufficient water. When cooling, beat it with the 
 hand; it will be a sort of jelly. Add three 
 tablespoonfuls of spirit of turpentine, and one 
 of spirit of hartshorn. Wash the articles thor- 
 oughly in it. Then rinse in cold water until all 
 the soap is taken off, then in salt and water. 
 Fold between two sheets, taking care not to 
 allow two folds of the article washed to lie to. 
 gether. Mangle, and iron with a very cool iron. 
 Shawls done in this way look like new. Only 
 use the salt where there are delicate colors that 
 may strike. 
 
 SHAWLS (^Cashmere'), To Clean the White 
 Middle of. — Prepare a mixture of equal parts 
 of camphor, W. I. molasses and clean soft soap. 
 Fold a sheet and lay upon the bench or table 
 used. Single your shawl and lay the white part 
 upon the sheet, then with a clean white cloth rub 
 the mixture thoroughly into all the white. Rub 
 first the right side, then turn and rub the other 
 side. Rinse thoroughly in luke-warm water, 
 taking care not to wet the colors unnecessarily. 
 Press the water out, and wring in a dry cloth. 
 Iron while damp, crease through the middle and 
 you will be surprised at the newness of your old 
 shawl. 
 
 SHIRT-BOSOMS, To Polish.— Vni a little 
 common white wax in your starch, say two 
 ounces to the pound ; then if you use any thin 
 patent starch, be sure you use it warm, otherwise 
 the wax will get colcl and gritty, and spot your 
 linen, giving it the appearance of being stained 
 with grease. It is different with collar starch — 
 it can be used quite cold ; however, of that anon. 
 Now, then, about polishing shirts : starch the 
 fronts and wristbands as stiff as you can. Always 
 starch twice, that is, starch and dry, then starch 
 again. Iron your shirt in the usual way, mak- 
 ing the linen nice and firm, but without any at- 
 tempt at a good finish ; don't lift the plaits ; your 
 shirt is now ready for polishing, but you ought 
 to have a board the same size as a common shirt 
 board, made of hard wool, and covered with only 
 one ply of plain cotton cloth. Put this board 
 into the breast of your shirt, damp the front very 
 lightly with a wet sponge, then take a polishing 
 iron, which is flat and leveled a little at (Xie end 
 
WASHING, BLEACHING AND DYEING. 
 
 357 
 
 — ^polish gently with the beveled part, taking care 
 not to drive the linen up into wave-like blisters ; 
 of course this requires a little practice, but if you 
 are careful and persevere, in a short time you 
 will be able to give that enamel-like finish which 
 seems to be so much wanted. 
 
 SHIRT COLLARS, To Dress. — Y ox this 
 
 E)arpose use the best starch, say two pounds, and 
 bur ounces of wax apd six and a half pints of 
 water ; first dissolve the wax in the boiling wa- 
 ter, take the vessel off the fire and allow ir to 
 stand for five minutes ; during this time dissolve 
 the starch in the smallest possible quantity of 
 cold water, then pour it gradually into the vessel 
 and boil for twenty-five minutes — keep stirring 
 all the time; this starch can be used quite cold; 
 rub it well into the collars, wring as tight as you 
 can, finish by wringing in a cloth, then iron ; 
 thus you will have them stiff without being hard, 
 and when well dressed will have that beautiful 
 elastic finish so much admired in new collars. 
 
 SILK, To Clean. — i. Dresses cleaned by the 
 following method have not the appearance of 
 being cleaned: Quarter of a pound of honey, 
 quarter of a pound of soft soap, two wine glasses 
 of gin, three gills of boiling water ; mix and let 
 stand until blood-warm ; spread the silk on a 
 clean table with a cloth under it — there must be 
 no gathers ; dip a nail brush into the mixture, 
 and rub tlie silk well, especially where there are 
 stains or the most dirt or spots, and with a 
 sponge wet the whole breadth generally, and 
 rub gently; then rinse the silk in cold soft water; 
 hang it up to drain, and iron it damp. The 
 quantity stated is for a plain dress. — 2. Grate 
 raw potatoes to a fine pulp in water, and pass 
 the liquid matter through a coarse sieve in an- 
 other vessel of water; let the mixture stand 
 undisturbed till the fine white particles of the 
 potato are precipitated ; then pour the mucilagin- 
 ous liquor from the fecula, and preserve it for 
 use. The article to be cleaned should be spread 
 upon a linen cloth upon a table, and washed with 
 a sponge dipped in the potato liquor, until the 
 dirt is perfectly separated, then rinsed in clear 
 •water several times without wringing. Two 
 middle size4 potatoes will be sufficient for one 
 pint of water. Iron whilst damp on the wrong 
 side. Should the silk be of more than one color, 
 it is desirable to wet a small piece first, lest the 
 dress should be spoiled by moisture, causing the 
 colors to run; but for self-colored silks, the direc- 
 tion is an excellent one; and satinets, even of 
 light colors, if not greased or stained, make up 
 again nearly equal to new. — 3. Take a quarter of 
 a pound of soft soap, a teaspoonful of brandy 
 and a pint of gin; mix all well together and strain 
 through a cloth. With a sponge or flannel spread 
 the mixture on each side ofthe silk without creas- 
 ing it; wash it in two or three waters and iron 
 it on the wrong side. It will look as good as 
 new, and the process will not injure silks of even 
 the most delicate colors. 
 
 SILKS {Colored'), To Clean. — Put some white 
 soap into boiling water, and heatit until dissolved 
 ia a strong lather. At a hand heat put in the 
 article- If strong, it may be rubbed as in wash- 
 ing; rinse it quickly in warm water, and add oil 
 of vitriol, sufficient to give another water a sour- 
 ish taste, if for bright yellows, crimsons, maroons, 
 and scarlets; but for oranges, fawns, browns, 
 or other shades, use no acid. For bright scarlet, 
 use a solution of tin. Gently squeeze and then 
 
 roll it in a coarse sheet, and wring it. Hang it 
 in a warm room to dry, and finish it by calender- 
 ing or mangling. 
 
 For pinks, rose colors, and thin shades, etc, 
 instead of oil of ^^trioI, or solution of tin, prefer 
 lemon juice, or white tartar, or vinegar. 
 
 For blues, purples, and their shades, add a 
 small quantity of American pearlash; it will re- 
 store the colors. Wash the articles like a linen 
 garment, but, instead of wringing, gently squeeze 
 and sheet them, and when dry, finish them with 
 fine gum water, or dissolved isinglass, to which 
 add some pearlash, rubbed on the wrong side; 
 then pin them out. 
 
 Blues of all shades are dyed with archil, and 
 afterwards dipped in a vat ; twice cleaning with 
 pearlash, restores the color. For olive-greens, 
 a small quantity of verdigris dissolved in water, 
 or a solution of copper, mixed with the water, 
 will revive the color again. 
 
 SILK ( White), To Zf/m<r>4.— According to a 
 French patent, an improvement upon the ordin- 
 ary method of bleaching wool and silk by s«\phur, 
 consists in the use of a solution, in the propor- 
 tion of four pounds of oxalic acid and four pounds 
 of salt, in two quarts of water. This is said to 
 be available for silk in all its forms, as well as 
 for crude, carded, spun, or woven wool. The 
 material is allowed to remain an hour in this 
 fluid, and then is washed off in warm water and 
 dried. Or wash the articles clean, rinse in suds, 
 and smoke with brimstone while wet; the silk 
 must be brushed or washed with a sponge ; if 
 rubbed, it will never press smoothly ; expose the 
 goods to the air, and the odor will soo« pass off. 
 
 SILK {Black), To Renoz'ate.—l. Boil an old 
 black kid glove till it begins to dissolve, strain 
 the water, and sponge with it the right side of 
 the silk; iron while damp on the wroag side. — 
 2. Take two raw potatoes of ordinary size, pare 
 them, and remove the core if they are hollow. 
 Slice them into a half pint of cold water, and 
 leave them over night. The next morning, 
 sponge the silk with the water, not wetting it 
 too freely; then iron it, and its appearance will 
 be greatly improved.— 3. To bullock's gall, add 
 boiling water sufficient to make it warm, and 
 with a clean sponge rub the silk well on both 
 sides ; squeeze it well out, and proceed again ih 
 like manner. Rinse it in spring water, and 
 change the water till perfectly clean, dry it in the 
 air, and pin it out on a Lible ; but first dip the 
 sponge in glue water, and rub it on the wrong 
 side; then dry it before a fire. 
 
 SILK {Black) Reviver. — Boil logwood in wa- 
 ter half an hour; then simmer the silk half an 
 hour; take it out, and put into the dye a little 
 blue vitriol, or green copperas ; cool it and sim- 
 mer the silk for half an hour. Or, boil a hand- 
 ful of fig leaves in two quarts of water until it be 
 reduced to one pint; squeeze the leaves, and bot- 
 tle the liquor for use. When wanted sponge the 
 silk with it. 
 
 SILK ( imte or very Light), To Clean.— 
 Take one quart of lukewarm water, and mix with 
 it four ounces of soft soap, four ounces of honey, 
 and a good sized wineglass of gin. The silk 
 must be unpicked and laid in widths on a kitchen 
 table; then take a common scrubbing brush quite 
 new, dip it in the mixture, and rub the silk 
 firmly up and down on both sides, so as to sat- 
 urate it. Rinse it in cold water twice until free 
 from soap, hang it on a dothes horse to drain 
 
358 
 
 Dictionary of e very-day wants. 
 
 until half dry; then iron it with a piece of thin 
 muslin between it and the iron, or it will be 
 marked on the ironed side. The silk when laid 
 on the table must be kept quite smooth, so that 
 every part may come under the brush. White 
 silk requires a little blue in the water. 
 
 SILK, IVAS/IIJVG.—No person should ever 
 wring or crush a piece of silk when it is wet, 
 because the creases thus made will remain for- 
 ever, if the silk is thick and hard. The way to 
 wash silk is to spread it smoothly upon a clean 
 board, rub white soap upon it, and brush it with 
 a clean, hard brush. The silk must be rubbed 
 until all the grease is extracted, then the soap 
 should be brushed off with clean, cold water, 
 applied to both sides. The cleansing of silk is a 
 very nice operation. Most of the colors are liable 
 to be extracted with washing in hot suds, espe- 
 cially blue and green colors. A little alum, dis- 
 solved in the last water that is brushed on silk, 
 tends to prevent the colors from running. Al- 
 cohol and camphene, mixed together, is used for 
 removing grease from silk. 
 
 SILir, WRINKLED.— T:o make silk, which 
 
 has been wrinkled and tumbled, appear like new 
 
 — sponge it on the surface with a weak solution 
 
 of gum arable or white glue, and iron it on the 
 
 wrong side. 
 
 SILK, To Remove Grease from. — ^A sure and 
 safe way to remove grease stains from silks is to 
 rub the spot quickly with brown paper ; the 
 friction will soon draw out the. grease ; or lay 
 the silk upon a table, with an ironing blanket 
 under it, the right side of the silk downward ; 
 put a piece of brown paper on the top, and apply 
 a flat iron just hot enough to scorch the paper. 
 We have found this recipe more efficacious than 
 any scouring drops ever compounded. 
 
 SILK, To Retnove Wax Stains from. — Mix 
 powdered French chalk with lavender water to 
 the thickness of mustard. Put it on the stain, 
 and rub it gently with the finger or palm of the 
 hand. Put a sheet of clean blotting paper and 
 brown paper over it, and smooth it with a warm 
 iron. When dry the chalk must be removed, 
 and the silk gently dusted with a white handker- 
 chief. If a faint mark still remains, a second 
 application of French chalk and lavender water 
 Vill generally remove it. If the wax stain has 
 fallen thickly on the silk, it should be removed 
 first carefully with a penknife. 
 
 SILK STOCKINGS (^White), To Wash.— 
 Heat some rain or soft water, and while on the 
 fire cut into it slices of good yellow soap, to make 
 a lather ; put the stockings in vhile the lather is 
 ■warm, but not scalding, and wash them in two 
 such waters (a wineglassful of gin in the first 
 water is an improvement) ; rinse them well in 
 lukewarm water, having ready a second rinsing 
 water, in which is mixed a little blue (not the 
 common kind, but such as is used for muslins 
 and laces), or rose pink, which can be procured 
 at the chemist's, and is used in the same way as 
 the blue, by tying it up in a piece of flannel and 
 squeezing it into the water. After rinsing, put 
 the stockings between towels and let them get 
 almost dry ; place them on a small sheet, lay 
 them out quite flat, as they are when first pur- 
 chased, tack them to the sheet with a needle and 
 thread, turn the sheet over them, and have them 
 mangled. If it is not convenient to have them 
 mangled, the next best plan is to put four or six 
 stocluugs one upon the other between a piece of 
 
 calico, lay them on a stone doorstep, and beat 
 them with the rolling pin. They must not be 
 mangled or beaten in towels, as the pattern of 
 the towels would be impressed on them. If the 
 stockings have lace fronts they will more par- 
 ticularly require the tacking mentioned above to 
 make tliem look nice. No soda or washing 
 powder of any kind must be put to them, and 
 they must be done quickly, and not left lying 
 about. 
 
 SLATE DYE, For Cotton or Woolen.— 'BoW 
 the bark in an iron kettle, skim out the chips 
 after it has boiled sufficiently, and then add coj>- 
 peras to set the dye. If you wish it very dark 
 add more copperas. This is excellent for stock- 
 ings. 
 
 SLATE DYE, For Silk.— To make a slate, 
 take a pan of warm water and about a teacupful 
 of logwood liquor, pretty strong, and a piece of 
 pearlash, of the size of a nut; take gray-colored 
 goods, and handle a little in this liquor, and it is 
 finished. If too much logwood is used, the col- 
 or will l^ too dark. 
 
 SOAFSUDS, CLEARING.— li is generally 
 known that a little dissolved alum is very effect- 
 ive in clearing muddy water ; but recent experi- 
 ments show its further virtues. In a place where 
 water was scarce, a little alum was dissolved in 
 hot water, and thrown into a tub of thick soap- 
 suds. In a short time the soap curdled, and ac- 
 companied by the muddy particles, sank to the 
 bottom, leaving the water above perfectly clear, 
 pure, and devoid of smell. This water was 
 found very useful for washing clothing, when 
 poured off the sediment. A similar result was 
 attained in a quick manner by filling a boiler 
 with soapsuds, placing it on a fire, and throwing 
 a bit of alum into it. When the suds boiled, the 
 scum went over, and left the water clear, soft, 
 and as useful for washing clothes as it had ori- 
 ginally been- 
 
 STARCH, Aluvt in. — For starching muslins, 
 ginghams, and calicoes, dissolve a piece of alum 
 the size of a shellbark, for every pint of starch, 
 and add to it. By so doing, the colors will keep 
 bright for a long time, which is very desirable 
 when dresses must be often washed, and the cost 
 is but a trifl,e. 
 
 STARCHING, CLEAR.— This is practiced 
 as follows : Rinse the articles in three waters, 
 dry them, and dip them in a thick starch, previ- 
 ously strained through muslin ; squeeze them, 
 shake them gently, and again hang tliem up to 
 dry; and when dry, dip them twice or thrice in 
 clear water, squeeze them, spread them on a 
 linen cloth, roll them up in it, and let them lie 
 an hour before ironing them. Muslins will look 
 well when starched and clapped dry, while the 
 starch is hot, then folded in a damp cloth tiil 
 they become quite damp before ironing them. 
 If muslins are sprinkled they are apt to be spoti- 
 ted. Some ladies clap muslins, then dry them, 
 and afterward sprinkle them. 
 
 STARCH, FLOUR. — Mix flour gradually 
 with cold water, so that it may be free from 
 lumps. Stir in cold water till it will pour easily; 
 then stir it into a pot of boiling water, and let it 
 boil five or six minutes, stirring it frequently. ' 
 A little spermaceti wiU make it smoother. This 
 starch will answer very well for cotton and linen. 
 
 STARCH, G[/Jll ARABIC— Take 2 ounces 
 of white gum arable powder, put it into a pitch. 
 er, and pour on it a pint or more of boiling watex 
 
WASHING, BLEACHING AND DYEING. 
 
 359 
 
 (according to the degree of strength you desire), 
 and then, having covered it, let it set all night. 
 In the morning pour it carefully from the dregs 
 into a clean bottle, cork it, and keep it for use. 
 A tablespoonful of gum water stirred into a pint 
 of starch that has been made in the usual man- 
 ner, will give the lawns (either white, black, or 
 printed), a look of newness, when nothing else 
 can restore them after washing. It is also good, 
 much diluted, for thin white muslin and bob- 
 binet. 
 
 STARCH, GLUE.— Boil a piece of glue four 
 inches square, in three quarts of water. Keep 
 it in a bottle well corked. Use for calicoes. 
 
 STARCH, To Improve.— To each bowl of 
 starch add one teaspoonful of epsom salts, and 
 dissolve in the usual way by boiling; the fabric 
 thus starched will be considerably stiffer, besides 
 being rendered to a certain degree fire-proof. 
 
 STARCH LUSTER.— K substance known 
 by this title is used for washing purposes which, 
 when added to the starch, causes the linen to 
 which it is applied to assume not only a high 
 polish but a dazzling whiteness. A portion of 
 the size of an old-fashioned cent added to half a 
 pound of starch, and boiled with it for two or 
 three minutes, will produce the best results. 
 This substance is nothing more than stearine, 
 colored by a slight addition of ultra-marine blue, 
 the esseiitial ingredient being the stearine ; and 
 with or without the coloring matter, will be 
 found to add very much to the beauty of linen 
 articles to which it is applied. 
 
 STARCH POLISH— "iixV^ common dry 
 potato or wheat starch sufficient to make a pint 
 of starch when boiled. Then add half a drachm 
 of spermaceti, and half a drachm of white wax, 
 and then use it as common starch, only using 
 the iron as hot as possible. In this manner a 
 brilliant polish is produced. 
 
 STEEL D YE {Dark). —Black wool— it may 
 be natural or colored, lo lbs. — white wool i^ 
 lbs. Mix evenly together and it will be beauti- 
 ful. 
 
 STRAW COLOR for i'Z/yJ. — Smartweed, 
 boiled in brass and set with alum, will color a 
 fine straw color. 
 
 STRAW BONNETS, To Bleach.— ?,iTa.w 
 hats which have turned yellow may be bleached 
 by the use of a soap prepared by taking any 
 good soda soap and precipitating it from its solu- 
 tion by means of common salt, and adding to it 
 one-fourth the weight of sulphate of soda, previ- 
 ously rubbed into a mass with water, then dry- 
 ing the product. About equal parts, by weight, 
 of water are to be poured upon this, and for 
 every two pounds of soap, half an ounce of spir- 
 its of sal-ammoniac is to be added ; and after the 
 whole has assumed a gelatinous consistency, one 
 part of the mass is to be dissolved in eight parts 
 of warm water; smaller proportions of the 
 foregoing will, of course, answer for a few arti- 
 cles. The objects to be bleached are to be wash- 
 ed by means of a brush in this solution, and 
 transferred, while still moist, into water acidu- 
 lated with hydrochloric acid (twenty-five parts 
 water to one and a half of acid), and allowed to 
 remain a few hours in this liquid. They are then 
 to be washed with fresh cold water, and dried. 
 Experiment has proved the results of this method 
 of bleaching to be exceedingly satisfactory. 
 
 STRAW BONNETS, To C/^<7«.— The bon- 
 nets may be washed with soap and water, then 
 
 rinsed in clear water, and dried in the air. They 
 must then be washed over with white of an egg, 
 well beaten. The wire must be removed before 
 washing. 
 
 STRAW BONNETS, To Dye Chestnut 
 Brown. — For twenty-five straw hats: i pound 
 and a half of ground sanders, 2 pounds of ground 
 curcuma, three-quarters of a pound of powdered 
 gall nuts, or sumac, one-tenth of a pound of 
 rasped logwood. These ingredients are allowed 
 to boil in a kettle with the straw hats ; the boil- 
 er, however, must be large enough so that the 
 hats are not pressed against each other. After 
 two hours' boiling the hats are withdrawn, rins- 
 ed, and allowed to remain over night in a bath 
 of nitrate of iron of 4 degrees Baume, when they 
 are washed. A darker brown may be obtained 
 by increasing the quantity of sanders. When 
 dry, the hats are brushed with a brush of dogs' 
 (couch) grass, in order to give them the desired 
 luster. 
 
 STRA W BONNETS, To Dye Black.— Fox 
 twenty-five straw hats : They are put in a boil- 
 ing bath of four pounds of logwood, one pound 
 of gall nuts, or sumac, and one-half pound of 
 curcuma, or fustic. The hats are allowed to re- 
 main therein for two hours. They are hereupon 
 immersed in a bath of nitrate of iron of four de- 
 grees Baume, when they are carefully rinsed in 
 water, dried, and brushed. 
 
 STRA W and CHIP HA TS, To Varnish 
 Black. — Best alcohol 4 oz. ; pulverized, black 
 seahng-wax i oz. ; put them into a vial, and put 
 the vial into a warm place, stirring or shaking 
 occasionally, until the wax is dissolved; apply it 
 when warm by means of a soft brush, before the 
 fire or in the sun. 
 
 It gives stiffness to old straw hats or bonnets, 
 makes a beautiful gloss, and resists wet ; if any- 
 thing else is required, just apply it to small bask- 
 ets also, and see how nicely they will look. 
 
 STRA W BONNETS, To Dye Silver Gray. 
 — For twenty-five straw hats : In order to pro- 
 duce this color, the whitest hats must be select- 
 ed ; they are first softened in a bath of crystal- 
 lized soda, to whtch some clear lime-water has 
 been added. As dye-bath, the following decoc- 
 tion is used, and the hats are kept therein under 
 constant boiling. The recipe for the bath is folir 
 pounds of pure alum, three-eighths of a pound 
 of tartaric acid, some ammoniacal cochineal, and 
 carmine of indigo; a little sulphuric acid may be 
 added to this decoction according to necessity. 
 The sulphuric acid is employed in order to neu- 
 traUze the alkali of the cochineal dye. When 
 the last mentioned ingredients are made use of, 
 the hats are allowed to remain for an hour longer 
 in the boiling bath, when they are rinsed in 
 slightly acidulated water. 
 
 STRA W BONNETS, Slate Dye/or.—TiTst 
 soak the bonnet in rather strong warm suds for 
 15 minutes to remove sizing or stiffening; then 
 rinse in warm water, to get out the soap ; now 
 scald cudbear, 1 oz., in sufficient water to cover 
 the hat or bonnet; work the bonnet in this dye, 
 at 180° of heat, until you get a light purple; 
 now have a bucket of cold water, blued with the 
 extract of indigo, }4 oz-. and work or stir the 
 bonnet in this, until" the tint pleases; dry, then 
 rinse out with cold water, and dry again, in the 
 shade. If you get the purple too deep in shade 
 the final slate will be too dark. 
 
 STRAW BONNETS, To Dye Violet,— 1^6 
 
3^0 
 
 DICTIONAR YOFE VER Y-DA Y WANTS. 
 
 four pounds of alum, one pound of tartaric acid, 
 and one pound of chloride of tin. Dissolve these 
 ingredients in water, and allow the hats to re- 
 main in the boiling solution two hours ; add then 
 so much of a decoction of logwood and carmine 
 of indigo as is requisite for obtaining the desired 
 shade, and rinse finally in water in which some 
 alum has been solved. It is self-evident that for 
 the above mentioned quantities of mordants and 
 dyes the requisite amount of water has to be 
 taken. 
 
 STRAW HATS, To WAiUn.— ScTaY>Q stick 
 sulphur with a knife, mix the powder to a mush 
 with water, plaster it thickly over the straw, and 
 place in the hot sun for several hours ; brush off 
 •when dry. An easy and effectual plan. 
 
 SUMMER SUITS, To i^r<7j/5. — Summer 
 suits are nearly all made of white or buff linen, 
 pique, cambric or muslin, and the art of preserv- 
 ing the new appearance after washing is a mat- 
 ter of the greatest importance. 
 
 Common washerwomen spoil everything with 
 soda, and nothing is more frequent than to see 
 the delicate tints of lawns and percales turned 
 into dark blotches and muddy streaks by the ig- 
 norance and vandalism of a laundress. 
 
 It is worth while for ladies to pay attention to 
 this, and insist upon having their summer dress- 
 es washed according to the directions which 
 they should be prepared to give their laundress. 
 
 In the first place, the water should be tepid, 
 the soap should not be allowed to touch the 
 fabric ; it should be washed and rinsed quick, 
 turned upon the wrong side, and hung in the 
 shade to dry, and when starched (in thin boiled 
 but not boiling starch) should be folded in sheets 
 or towels, and ironed upon the wrong side, as 
 soon as possible. 
 
 But linen should be washed in water in which 
 hay has been boiled, or a quart of bran. This 
 last will be found to answer for starch as well, 
 and is excellent for print dresses of all kinds, 
 but a handful of salt is very useful also to set the 
 colors of light cambrics and dotted lawns ; and a 
 little beef's gall will not only set but highten 
 yellow and purple tints, and has a good effect 
 upon green. 
 
 VEILS {Black Lace), To C/can.—Tass them 
 through warm water in which ox-gall has been 
 dissolved, a tablespoonful to a quart of water, 
 and then rinse in Cold water. Stiffen by dipping 
 in water in which a bit of gum arable or glue has 
 been dissolved; clap between the hands till 
 almost dry, then pin out nicely on a frame or 
 bed till entirely dry, 'and press between the folds 
 of a sheet. 
 
 VEILS {White Lace), To Clean.— Tut the 
 veil into a strong lather of white soap and very 
 clear water, and let it simmer slowly for a quarter 
 of an hour. Take it out and squeeze it well, but 
 be sure not to rub it. Rinse it in two cold wa- 
 ters, with a drop or two of liquid blue in the 
 last. Have ready some very clear weak gum 
 arabic water, or some thin starch, or rice water. 
 Pass the veil through it, and clear it by clapping. 
 Then stretch it out even, and pin it to dry on a 
 linen cloth, making the edge as straight as pos- 
 sible, opening out all the scallops, and fastening 
 each with pins. When dry, lay a piece of thin 
 muslin smoothly over it, and iron it on the 
 wrong side. 
 
 VEILS {Black Tissue), To Rcne'.v.—'Dv^ them 
 in thin glue water; shake them gently until 
 
 nearly dry ; spread black silk or cambric on the 
 ironing blanket, and press with a moderate 
 iron. 
 
 VELVET, To take Grease <7«// ^/.— To take 
 grease out of velvet or cloth, get some turpen- 
 tine and pour it over the place that is greasy ; 
 rub it till quite dry with a piece of clean flannel ; 
 if the grease be not removed, repeat the applica- 
 tion, and when done, brush the place well; and 
 hang up the garment in the open air in order to 
 take away the smell. 
 
 VELVET, To Restore. — Cover a hot smooth' 
 ing iron with a wet cloth, and hold the velvet 
 firmly over it. The vapor arising will raise the 
 pile of the velvet with the assistance of a light 
 
 VIOLET DYE. —This, like purple, is pro- 
 duced by a mixture of red and blue coloring mat- 
 ter, applied either together, or in succession- A 
 good violet may be given to silk or' wool by pass- 
 ing it first through a solution of verdigris, then 
 through a decoction of logwood, and lastly through 
 alum water. A fast violet may be given by dy- 
 ing the goods a crimson with cochineal, without 
 alum or tartar, and, after rinsing, passing them 
 through the indigo vat. — Linens or cottons are 
 first galled with l8 % of gall nuts, next passed 
 through a mixed mordant of alum, iron liquor, 
 and sulphate of copper, working them well, then 
 worked in a madder bath made with an equal 
 weight of root, and lastly brightened with soap 
 or soda. Another good method is to pass cloth 
 dyed Turkey red through the blue vat. — Wool, 
 silk, cotton, or linen, mordanted with alum and 
 dyed in a logwood bath, or a mixed bath of Ar- 
 chil and Brazil, also takes a pretty, but false 
 violet 
 
 WASHING, Hints on. — Tlie linen for Mon- 
 day's wash should be collected on Saturday, 
 sorted and put to soak in cold water according to 
 the various kinds. The body linen should be 
 put into one tub, the bed and table linen in 
 another, and the fine things separately. Plain 
 collars, cuffs, wristbands, should be strung 
 through the button holes on a piece of bobbin 
 long enough to enable the articles to be easily 
 divided for rubbing, starching, etc. Colored 
 muslins, prints, and flannels must be laid aside 
 to be washed in a different manner from white 
 calico or linen. Properly boiled suds are far bet- 
 ter than soap for washing, particularly if a wash- 
 ing machine be employed. The suds should be 
 prepared in the following manner : — Shred into 
 an earthenware jar the best yellow soap cut into 
 very fine shavings, and pour boiling water to 
 the quantity required. One pound of soap is 
 plenty for one gallon of water. Add to this 
 quantity half a pound of the best soda, and set 
 the jar (covered) on a stove or at the back of the 
 kitchen range till the soap is quite dissolved. If 
 this be done on Saturday evening, the soap will 
 be a smooth jelly fit to use on Monday morning. 
 
 WASHING FLUIDS.— \. Take one pound 
 of sal soda and half a pound of unslaked lime, 
 put them into a gallon of water and boil twenty 
 minutes ; let it stand till cool, then drain off and 
 put into a strong jar or jug; soak your dirty 
 clothes over night, or until they are wet through, 
 then wring them out and rub on plenty of soap, 
 and in one boiler of clothes, well covered with 
 water, add one teacupful of washing fluid; boil 
 half an hour briskly, and then wash them thor- 
 oughly through one suds, rinse, and your clothes 
 
WASHING, BLEACHING AND DYEING. 
 
 361 
 
 ■will look better than the old way of washing 
 t^vice before boiling. 
 
 2. Five pounds of sal soda, one pound of bo- 
 rax, one pound of unslaked lime. Dissolve the 
 soda and borax in one gallon of boiling water ; 
 slake the lime in the same quantity of boiling 
 water; then pour them both into eight gallons 
 of cold water ; stir a few times and let it stand 
 until morning, when tlie clear fluid should be 
 poured off into jars, ready for use. For two 
 pails full of water use half a pint of the com- 
 pound. Soak your clothes over night, putting 
 soap on the soiled parts. In the morning wring 
 them out and put them on to boil, first putting 
 some of the fluid and soap into the boiler. After 
 boiling ten or twelve minutes, take them out into 
 your machine or tub and the dirt will rub right 
 off; then rinse well in two waters. 
 
 3. One and one quarter pound of washing soda, 
 % pound borax, and dissolve in 4 quarts water 
 by boiling. When the mixture is cold add about 
 one lialf a teacupful of water of ammonia (harts- 
 horn), and bottle for use, taking care to keep the 
 fluid corked from the air. For use take a cup- 
 ful to a pailful of water. 
 
 4. Sal soda and borax, % lb. each; gum 
 camphor, i oz. ; alcohol, %, pint. Dissolve the 
 soda and borax in one gallon of boiling rain wa- 
 ter, pour in two gallons of cold rain water, add 
 the camphor first dissolved in the -alcohol, stir 
 well and bottle for use. Four tablespoonfuls of 
 the preparation are to be mixed with a pint of 
 soft soap, and the clothes boiled in a suds made 
 of this. It is all the better if the clothes are soak- 
 ed over night, before putting them into the 
 suds. 
 
 5. Soak your clothes over night in clear, cold 
 water ; in the morning have over the fire what 
 water is necessary to boil them in, add one ta- 
 blespoonful of saleratus, one pint of soft soap, 
 or one quarter of a bar of hard soap, wring or 
 drain your clothes from the water in which they 
 have stood over night, put them in your boiler, 
 boil three quarters of an hour, when they will 
 need but little rubbing, rinse, and your clothes 
 will be beautifully white. Your suds will be ex- 
 cellent for washing colored clothing of all kinds, 
 as it does not injure the nicest prints. One pound 
 of saleratus will do twenty washings for any 
 common family. 
 
 WHITE D YE for Stlk.—TVt silk is treated, 
 first of all, with soap, taking one quarter of a 
 pound to one pound of silk, boiled an hour in a 
 fresh soap solution, containing one and a half 
 ounces in the pound, taken through cold water, 
 and next sulphured. The sulphuring is repeated 
 three times, and after each time the silk is steam- 
 ed at a temperature of 88-100" F. After the 
 last sulphuring the silk is steamed several times 
 till the sulphurous smell has entirely disappeared. 
 The silk is now washed twice in pure running or 
 soft (rain) water, passed into a strong, boiling 
 soap bath, drawn five times through the same, 
 wrung out, prepared, and dyed white, according 
 to pattern, in a fresh boiling bath of soap, to 
 which a little reddish aniline blue, soluble in al- 
 cohol, has been added. The silk thus dyed white 
 is washed twice more, and then drawn five times 
 through a cold vinegar (acetic acid) bath. It is 
 then finished. 
 
 If the white has turned out too blue, some 
 ammoniacal cochineal is added to the \-inegar 
 bath. 
 
 By this process everv kind of white can be ob- 
 tained — pure white, milk white, bluish white, or 
 reddish white. 
 
 WINE COLOR DYE for Woo/.— For 5 lbs. 
 goods — camwood 2 lbs. ; boil 15 minutes and dip 
 the goods }4 hour; boil again and dip ^ hour; 
 then darken with blue vitriol i ^ oz. ; if not dark 
 enough, add copperas }4 oz. 
 
 WOOLEN ARTICLES, To Clean. — The 
 shrinking and discoloring of woolen articles may I 
 be, in great part, prevented by care in washing 
 them. Never wash them in hard water, nor wa- 
 ter softened by soda ; nor should they be rubbed 
 with soap. The fibers of wool are covered with 
 little points, all directed one way. K% the wool- 
 en is rubbed, these become tangled, and form a 
 kind of thick felt, by which means the article is 
 shrunk and thickened. For the same reason it 
 is not desirable to wring woolen things. Before 
 washing, woolen things should be well brushed 
 and shaken to get rid of the dust. Rain, or soft 
 river water, should have a strong lather made in 
 it with soap; or, if the things are very greasy, 
 oxgall should be added, in the proportion of half 
 a pint to six quarts of water; then boihng water 
 should be added to the lather to make it as hot 
 as it is possible to bear the hand in ; and the 
 dirty woolen should be put in, and dipped and 
 raised repeatedly for several minutes. It should 
 then be squeezed (not wrung) as dry as possible 
 from the dirty, slimy liquor, and the process, if 
 necessary, repeated with some clean lather. If 
 the article is not very dirty, and becomes quite 
 clean in the first washing, the second washing 
 may be in hot water onlv, without soap; and, in 
 either case, a blue-bag sKould be used in the last 
 water. When gall has been used, a third water 
 is necessary to take off the bad smell. WTien 
 the article is finished, it should be squeezed as 
 dry as can be, and dried as quickly as possible 
 in the open air, if the weather is fine. 
 
 WOOL, To Cleanse. — Make a liquid of water 
 3 parts and urine I part; heat it as hot as you 
 can bear the hand in it ; then put in the wool, a 
 little at a time, so as not to have it crowd; let it 
 remain in for 15 minutes; take it out over a 
 basket to drain; then rinse in running water, and 
 spread it out to dry; thus proceed in the same 
 liquor ; when it gets reduced fill it up, in the 
 same proportions, keeping it at hand heat, all the 
 time not using any soap. * 
 
 YELLOW DYE for Cotton.— \%X. Qean the 
 cloth or goods by steeping in soap-suds, then 
 rinse in several different messes of clean water, 
 and lay aside moist. 
 
 2d. Into a clean brass, copper, or wooden 
 vessel put the amount of clean warm -water 
 deemed necessary to work the goods in easily, 
 then add the acetate of lead (previously dissolved 
 in a little hot water in a basin or kettle), and stir 
 with a wooden rod till well mixed ; after which 
 put in the cloth or goods, and let them he in 30 
 minutes or longer, stirring often. 
 
 3d. Into another clean earthen, wooden, or 
 metalhc vessel put the amount of clean warm 
 water deemed requisite to work the goods in 
 easily, then add the bichromate of potash (previ- 
 ously dissolved in a little hot water in a brass or 
 iron kettle), and stir with a clean wooden rod 
 till well mixed ; after which wring out the goods 
 evenly from the acetate of lead bath and work 
 them in this bichromate of potash bath fifteen 
 minutes or longer, then wring out, rinse in sev- 
 
362 
 
 DICTIONARY OF EVERY-DAY WANTS. 
 
 eral different messes of clean water, and dry in 
 the shade or in sunshine. 
 
 If the color is not even or full after one round 
 of dippings, repeat the dippings in both baths, 
 in the order above described, till the color is 
 even and satisfactory. 
 
 A single jjound of cotton goods requires about 
 four gallons of water in each bath to work it in 
 easily. Larger quantities of these goods do not 
 need quite so much water in proportion. 
 
 YELLOW DYES for Cotton.— \. For three 
 pounds of goods, dissolve in six quarts of soft 
 water, six ounces of sugar of lead; dissolve three 
 ounces of the bichromate of potash in another 
 vessel and dip the goods, one piece at a time, 
 into the sugar of lead and then into the bichro- 
 mate ; dry and rinse, and it is done. 
 ' 2. For 5 lbs. of goods — sugar of lead 7 oz. ; 
 dip the goods two hours ; make a new dye with 
 bichromate of potash 4 oz. ; dip imtil the color 
 
 suits, wring out and dry ; if not yellow enough, 
 repeat the operation. 
 
 3. The following substances impart a yellow 
 to goods, either at once, or after they have been 
 mordanted with alumina or tin : — annotto, dyer's 
 broom, fustic, fustet, French berries, quercitron 
 bark, turmeric, barberry root. Goods mordanted 
 with acetate of lead, and afterwards passed 
 through a bath of chromate of potash, acquire a 
 brilliant chrome yellow color; solution of sulphate 
 or acetate of iron, followed by immersion in pot- 
 ash or lime-water, gives a yellow, buff, or orange, 
 — orpiment dissolved in ammonia imparts a 
 golden yellow. 
 
 YELLOW DYE for Silk.— For one pound 
 of silk — alum 3 oz. ; sugar of lead ^ oz. ; im- 
 merse the goods in the solution over night ; take 
 out, drain, and make a new dye with fustic one 
 pound; dip tintil the required color is ob- 
 tained. 
 
 WINES, LIQUORS AND VINEGAR. 
 
 * A CID, Royal Strawberry. — Take 3 pounds of 
 ripe strawberries, 2 ounces of citric acid, and I 
 quart of spring water. Dissolve the acid in the 
 water, and pour it on the strawberries, and let 
 them stand in a cool place 24 hours. Then drain 
 the liquid off, and pour it on 3 more pounds of 
 fruit ; let it stand 24 hours. Add to the liquid 
 its own weight of sugar ; boil it 3 or 4 minutes 
 in a porcelain-lined preserve kettle, lest metal 
 may affect the taste, and, when cool, cork it in 
 bottles lightly for 3 days, then tightly, and seal 
 them. Keep in a dry and cool place. It is deli- 
 cious for sick and well. 
 
 ADULTER A TIONof Wine and Liquors.— 
 We have given considerable time to the investi- 
 gation of this question, and have come to the 
 conclusion that it is next to impossible to obtain 
 here real Sherry and Port wine, and very diffi- 
 cult to obtain real Brandy. The cheaper liquors, 
 such as Whisky, Gin, Apple Jack, Brandy, and 
 others are all made from high wines, and some- 
 times even low wines are employed for this pur- 
 pose. They are mixtures of alcohol, water, and 
 ethers, which, according to the process of fer- 
 mentation, distillation, and the materials employ- 
 ed, are of different composition and quality, 
 thereby characterizing the different liquors. 
 They are colored by either sugar coloring or ex- 
 tract of logwood. The fusel oil is the most ob- 
 jectionable, in fact highly poisonous, constituent 
 of these liquors, and ought to be removed as far 
 as possible without destroying or removing the 
 compound ethers of it. This is accomplished by 
 filtering through charcoal, or by distilling for 
 very high graded wine. We are aware, how- 
 ever, that it lies principally with the distiller 
 himself, in selecting the materials and conduct- 
 ing the fermentation properly, to avoid the form- 
 ation of an undue amount of fusel oil. The 
 quality of these liquors may be tested in the fol- 
 lowing way : — A certain volume is subjected to 
 distillation in a retort, connected with a Liebig's 
 cooler to condense the alcohol. After three-. 
 
 fourths of the liquid are distilled over, remove 
 the flame ; fill up the alcohol to the volume ori- 
 ginally taken, and note the specific gravity, from 
 which may be calculated the percentage of spirit; 
 the residue in the retort is tested for taste and 
 odor, whereby the nature of the coloring material 
 and the adulteration with pepper or other sharp- 
 tasting spice is detected. The alcohol is tested 
 for fusel oii. The percentage of alcohol in whis- 
 kies and gins is from 45 to 50, that of brandy, 
 from 50 to 65. The residue from brandy will 
 always contain some tannic acid, derived from 
 the oaken casks in which it is exported. This is 
 easily detected by a salt of iron giving the green- 
 ish blue color of ink. This same plan is followed 
 in the analysis of wines, where the residue alone 
 will be a criterion of the quality of the wine. All 
 wines contain tartaric acid in some shape, which, 
 however, is generally supplied in manufactured 
 wine, so that its presence cannot be taken as a 
 proof of the genuineness of the wine. We can give 
 you at present no sure test for establisliing the 
 diflbrence between natural color and artificial 
 coloring, though many have been published 
 from time to time. This is a question which 
 must be decided by the experience of the 
 analyst. 
 
 ALCOHOL. — Proof spirit, which is the stand- 
 ard by which all mixtures of alcohol and water 
 are judged, contains 50 per cent, by volume and 
 42-52 per cent, by weight of alcohol. Tlie 
 specific gravity of proof spirit is 0.933; ^^'U 
 when a spirit is "above proof," it denotes that 
 it contains an excess of alcohol. Thus if 100 vol- 
 umes of a spirit require 20 volumes of water to 
 reduce it to "proof standard, " it is said to be 20 
 over proof, while the term "under proof has 
 reference to a less strong spirit than the stand- 
 ard. Thus, if 100 volumes of a spirit require 20 
 volumes of spirit of a specific gravity of 0.825 ^"^ 
 raise it to the "proof' standard, the sample is 
 said to be "20 under proof." The strength is 
 ascertained by the hydrometer. 
 
WINES, LIQUORS AND VINEGAR. 
 
 363 
 
 Alcohol, when thoroughly rectified and cleans- 
 ed, is called pure neutral spirit, and is the basis 
 of all the domestic manufactured imitations of 
 foreign brandies, gins, cordials, etc. The high 
 wine, or neutral spirit, distilled and rectified, 
 and sold as French pure spirit, is free from all 
 deleterious substances, and when sweetened, 
 colored, and properly flavored, will compete fa- 
 vorably with imported brandy or gin. Good 
 strong whisky may be used as a substitute for 
 the above proof spirit, but it is inferior to the 
 other. The whisky should be of proper strength, 
 and treated as follows ; this process destroys the 
 fusel oil, and precipitates the verdigris to the 
 bottom: — 
 
 To 40 gals, whisky, add \% lbs. unslaked 
 lime; ^ lb. powdered alum ; and %, pt. spirits 
 of nitre; stir well, and let stand twenty- four 
 hours. Then draw off into another cask, avoid- 
 ing the sediment. It is then fit for use. All oils 
 used must be cut in 90 per cent, alcohol, using 
 I qt. alcohol to 2 oz. oil, and should stand twenty- 
 four hours before using. 
 
 ALE, To Bre~iU. — The various operations of 
 brewing are nearly the same for every species of 
 malt liquor, the differences in the products aris- 
 ing from the materials employed, the heat of the 
 water used for mashing, and the temperature at 
 which the fermentation is conducted. (See Brew- 
 ing. ) For ale, pale or lightly dried malt should 
 be chosen, as well as pale hops, if it be desired 
 to brew a liquor possessing but little color ; and 
 the fermentation should be carried on at a low 
 temperature. Almost every county m England 
 has its variety of ale, but the difference consists 
 chiefly (the same quantity of malt and hops being 
 used) in the preparation of the malt. The water 
 may in some cases vary in quality, the boiling 
 may be longer or shorter, or the liquor may be 
 turned on at a different heat ; but these circum- 
 stances being considered, one general process 
 serves for the whole, as before observed. For 
 immediate use, the malt may be all pale ; but if 
 brewed for keeping, or in warm weather, one- 
 fourth should be amber malt. 6 lbs. of Kent 
 hops should be used to the quarter, or 8 to 10 lbs. 
 for keeping ale. 
 
 ALE, Burton. — This is a strong species of 
 ale, of which only a barrel and a half is drawn 
 from a quarter of malt. Temperature lor the firs* 
 mash 170*', and for the second 180°, followed by 
 a mash for table beer at 165°. It is tunned at 
 58*, and cleansed at 72". The finest pale malt, 
 ground two days before using, together with the 
 best Kent hops, (6 to 8 lbs. per quarter,) are em- 
 ployed for this ale. 
 
 ALE for Private Families. — A bushel and 
 three quarters of ground malt and a pound of 
 hops are sufificient to make 18 gallons of good 
 family ale. That the saccharine matter of the 
 malt may be extracted by infusion, without the 
 farina, the temperature of the water should not 
 exceed 165" or 170° Fahrenheit's thermometer. 
 The quantity of water should be divided into two 
 portions, one of which should be poured upon 
 the malt as speedily as possible, and the whole 
 being well mixed together by active stirring, the 
 vessel should be closely covered over for an hour; 
 if the weather be cold, for an hour and a half. 
 If hard water be employed, it should be boiled, 
 and the temperature allowed, by exposure to the 
 atmosphere, to fall to about 165° Fahr. ; but if 
 rain water is used, it may be added to tlie malt 
 
 as soon as it reaches the point. After standing 
 the proper time, the wort must be drawn off into 
 another vessel, and the second portion of the wa- 
 ter poured on, which should be allowed to mash 
 an hour. The first wort may then be boiled with 
 j^ lb. of hops for one hour, by which time the 
 second mashing will be ready to be drawn off, 
 and should be boiled for half an hour, with % 
 lb. of fresh hops. The two liquors should now 
 be mixed and cooled down to the temperature of 
 60*^ or 65°, when a pint of good thick yeast 
 should be well stirred in, and as soon as the fer- 
 mentation is completed, the liquor may be drawn 
 off into a clean cask previously rinsed with boil- 
 ing water. When the slow fermentation which 
 will ensue has ceased, the cask should be loosely 
 bunged for two days, after which, if the liquor 
 be left quiet, the bung may be properly fastened. 
 Pale malt is the best, because, when highly dried, 
 it does not afford so much saccharine matter. If 
 the malt be new, it should be exposed to the air, 
 in a dry room, for two days previously to its 
 being used. A third mashing may be made for 
 table beer. 
 
 ALE, Home Brewed. — For this purpose a 
 quarter of malt, (8 bus.) is obtained at the malt 
 house — or, if wished to be extra strong, nine 
 bushels of malt — are taken, with hops, 12 lbs. ; 
 yeast, 5 qts. 
 
 The malt, being crushed or ground, is mixed 
 with 72 gals, of water at the temperature of 160°, 
 and covered up for 3 hours, when 40 gallons are 
 drawn off, into which the, hops are put, and left 
 to infuse. Sixty gallons of water at a tempera- 
 ture of 170" are then added to the malt in the 
 mash-tub, and well mixed, and after standing 2 
 hours, sixty gallons are drawn off. The wort 
 from these two mashes is boiled with the hops 
 for 2 hours, and after being cooled down to 65", 
 is strained through a flannel bag into a ferment- 
 ing tub, where it is mixed with the yeast and left 
 to work for 24 or 30 hours. It is then run into 
 barrels to cleanse, a few gallons being reserved 
 for filling up the casks as the yeast works over. 
 
 ARRACK PUNCH SYRUP.— $^4 lbs. 
 sugar; 3^ gals, water. Boil up well; then add 
 1% gals, lemon juice to the boiling sugar, and stir 
 till the liquid is clear; pour it in a clean tub, and, 
 when nearly cool, add 5 gals. Batavia arrack ; 
 then filter. 
 
 ARRACK, BATAVIA.— To 12 gallons pale 
 rum, add 2 ounces flowers of benzoin ; ^ ounce 
 balsam of Tolu; I ounce sliced pine apple. Di- 
 gest with occasional agitation for a month; then 
 add yi pint raw milk agitated well for fifteen 
 minutes, and rack in a week; a fine imitation. 
 
 BARRELS, To Sweeten when Foul. — i. Set 
 fire to I lb. or more of broken charcoal, put it 
 into the cask, and immediately fill up the cask 
 with boiling water. After this roll the cask once 
 f)r twice a day for a week ; then pour out the 
 charcoal and water, wash out the cask with clean 
 cold water, and expose it to the external air for 
 some days. — 2. A pint of the permanganate 
 turned into the most musty, filthy cider or beer 
 cask and rinsed about a few moments will en- 
 tirely decompose all fungoid growths and ferment- 
 ing matter, and render the cask as sweet as those 
 that are new. The deodorizing, disinfecting 
 power of the permanganate, holding, as it does, 
 five equivalents of oxygen, is wonderful; it will 
 even deodorize carbolic acid. 
 
 BEAD for Liquors, — The best bead is the 
 
3^4 
 
 DICTIONARY OF EVERY-DAY WANTS. 
 
 orangeflower water bead, (oil of neroli), l drop 
 to each gallon of brandy. Another victhod. — 
 To every 40 drops of sulphuric acid, add 60 drops 
 purest sweet oil in a glass vessel ; use immedi- 
 ately. This quantity is generally sufficient for 
 10 gallons spirit. Another. — Take I ounce of 
 the purest oil sweet almonds ; i ounce of sul- 
 phuric acid; put them in a stone mortar; add, by 
 degrees, 2 ounces white lump sugar, rubbing it 
 •well with the pestle till it becomes a paste ; then 
 add small quantities of spirits of wine till it comes 
 into a liquid. This quantity is sufficient for 100 
 gallons. The first is strongly recommended as 
 the best. 
 
 BEER, To give the Appearance of Age to. — 
 Add a few handfuls of pickled cucumbers and 
 Seville oranges, both chopped up. Tliis is said 
 to make malt liquor appear six months older 
 than it really is. 
 
 BEER BOUQUET. — According to Dr. 
 Boettger, this liquor consists of a solution of the 
 essential oil of lemons in light petroleum oil, and 
 a coarse fusel oil, containing spirit colored by 
 turmeric. 
 
 BEER, CHEAP.— i.Water IS gaXs.; boil half 
 the water with ^ lb. hops; then add to the other 
 half in the tun, and well mix with I gal. molas- 
 ses and a little yeast. — 2. Fill a boiler with the 
 green shells of peas, pour on water till it rises 
 half an inch above the shells, and simmer for 
 three hours. Strain off the liquor, and add a 
 strong decoction of the wood sage, or the hop, 
 so as to render it pleasantly bitter, then ferment 
 in the usual manner. The wood sage is the best 
 substitute for hops, and being free from any 
 anodyne property is entitled to a preference. By 
 boiling a fresh quantity of shells in the decoction 
 before it becomes cold, it may be so thoroughly 
 impregnated with saccharine matter, as to afford 
 a liquor, when fermented, as strong as ale. 
 ■ BEER CUR. — Put a quarter of an ounce of 
 cinnamon, two cloves, one allspice, a little grat- 
 ed nutmeg, and one gill of sherry into a jug; let 
 it stand for two hours, then add two pints of best 
 Burton ale and four bottles of good ginger beer ; 
 ice with blocks of clear ice. 
 • BEER, To Enliven and Restore m/fen Dead. — 
 Boil some water and sugar, or water and treacle, 
 together, and when cold add some new yeast ; 
 this will restore dead beer, or ripen bottled beer 
 in 24 hours ; and it will also make worts work in 
 the tun if they are sluggish. 
 •^ Or, a small teaspoonful of carbonate of soda 
 may be mixed with a quart of it as it is drawn 
 for drinking. 
 
 Or, boil for every gallon of the liquor 3 oz. of 
 sugar in water; when cold add a little yeast, and 
 put the fermenting mixture into the flat beer, 
 whether it be a full cask or the bottom of the 
 cask. 
 / Or, beer may often be restored which has be- 
 come flat or stale, by rolling and shaking the 
 cask for a considerable time, which will create 
 such a new fermentation as to render it neces- 
 sary to open a vent-peg to prevent the cask from 
 bursting. 
 
 BEER, Fining and Preserving. — Take a 
 handful of Uie hops boiled in the first wort, and 
 dried; %, lb. of loaf sugar dissolved in the beer; 
 I lb. of chalk; and j^ lb. of calcined oyster 
 shells. Put the whole in at the bung hole, stir- 
 ring them well and then rebunging. This pre- 
 paration will also suit for racked beer; in put- 
 
 ting in the hops it may be advisable to place 
 them in a net with a small stone in the bottom 
 so as to sink them, otherwise they will swim at 
 the top. 
 
 BEER, To Improz'e the Flavor of. — Bruise 
 ginger, i oz. ; bruise cloves, ^ oz. ; a few scalded 
 hops and a doz. broken coarse biscuits to every 
 two barrels. Rummage well. 
 
 BEER, GINGER.— I. Ten pounds of sugar; 
 9 ounces of lemon juice; ^ a pound of honey ; 11 
 ounces of bruised ginger root : 9 gallons of wa- 
 ter; 3 pints of yeast. Boil the ginger half an 
 hour in a gallon of water ; then add the rest of 
 the water and the other ingredients, and strain it 
 when cold. Add the white of an egg, beaten, 
 and % ^^ ounce of essence of lemon. Let it 
 stand 4 days, then bottle, and it will keep many 
 months. 
 
 2. Three gallons of cold spring water, one 
 quart of molasses, one tablespoon of cream of 
 tartar, three tablespoons of ginger, one quart of 
 yeast; mix together in a tub, and stand for five 
 hours. It may then be bottled, and will be fit 
 for use in one day. 
 
 3. White sugar 5 lbs.; lemon juice i gill; 
 honey ^ lb.; ginger, bruised, 5 oz. ; water ^% 
 gals. Boil the ginger thirty minutes in three 
 qts. of the water; then add the other ingredients, 
 and strain ; when cold, put in the white of an 
 egg, well beaten, with one teaspoon of lemon 
 essence — let stand four days, and bottle. It will 
 keep for months — much longer than if yeast was 
 used; the honey, however, operates mildly in 
 place of yeast. , 
 
 4. Put two gallons of cold water in a pot upon 
 the fire; add to it two ounces of good ginger 
 bruised, and two pounds of white or brown sug- 
 ar. Let this come to a boil, and continue boil- 
 ing for about half an hour. Then skim the liquor 
 and pour into a jar or tub, along with one sliced 
 lemon and half an ounce of cream of tartar. 
 When nearly cold put in a te.ispoonful of yeast, 
 to cause the whole to work. The beer is now 
 made; and after it has worked for two days, 
 strain it and bottle it for use. Tie down the 
 corks firmly. 
 
 5. To two pounds of white sugar, two ounces 
 of best Jamaica ginger, well bruised, two ounces 
 of cream of tartar, and the rind of two lemons, 
 add two gallons of boiling water; stir all to- 
 gether till they become lukewarm, toast a slice 
 of bread, pour on it two tablespoonfuls of good 
 fresh yeast, and place it to float on the top of the 
 mixture ; cover the whole up for twenty-four 
 hours, then strain and bottle it, taking care not 
 to fill the bottles; cork and wire it securely. 
 This quantity will make three dozen bottles, and 
 will be ready for use in three or four days. 
 
 BEER POWDERS, GINGER.— i. Take 2 
 drs. of fine loaf sugar, 8 grs. of ginger, 26 grs. of 
 carbonate of potassa, all in fine powder; mix them 
 intimately in a Wedgwood's ware mortar. Take 
 also 27 grs. of citric or tartaric acid (the first is the 
 pleasantest, but the last is the cheapest). The 
 acid is to be kept separate from the mixture. 
 The beer is prepared from the powders thus : 
 Take two tumbler-glasses, each half filled with 
 water ; stir up the compound powder in one of 
 them, and the acid powder in another, then mix 
 the two liquors ; an effervescence takes place, 
 the beer is prepared, and may be drunk off. 
 The effervescence is occasioned by the dis- 
 charge of the carbonic acid ot the carbonate of 
 
WINES, LIQUORS AND VINEGAR. 
 
 365 
 
 potassa. If the beer is allowed to stand for a few 
 minutes it becomes flat; this is owing to its hav- 
 ing lost all its carbonic acid. The cost of these 
 powders is 20 cts. a dozen sets. — 2. ( With Soda 
 Powders.) Put into blue papers, 30 grains to 
 each paper, of bicarbonate of soda, 5 grains of 
 powdered ginger, and I drachm of white pow- 
 dered sugar. Put into white papers, 25 grains, 
 to each, of powdered tartaric acid. Put I paper 
 of a kind to ^ a pint of water. The common 
 soda powders of the shops are like the above, 
 with the sugar and ginger omitted. 
 
 BEER, HOP.—Tmn. 5 quarts ofwateron6 
 ounces of hops ; boil three hours ; strain off the 
 liquor ; turn on 4 quarts more of water, and 12 
 spoonfuls of ginger, and boil the hops 3 hours 
 longer ; strain and mix it with the other liquor, 
 and stir in 2 quarts of molasses. Brown, very 
 dry, half a pound of bread, and put in — rusked 
 bread is best. Pound it fine, and brown it in a 
 pot, like coffee. After cooling to be about luke- 
 warm, add a pint of new yeast that is free from 
 salt. Keep the beer covered, in a temperate 
 situation, till fermentation has ceased, which is 
 known by the settling of the froth ; then turn it 
 into a keg or bottles, and keep it in a cool place. 
 
 BEER, LEMON— To a gallon of water add 
 a sliced lemon, a spoonful of ginger, ^ a pint 
 of yeast, and sugar enough to make it quite 
 sweet. 
 
 BEER, MAPLE.— To 4 gallons of boiling 
 •water add I quart of maple syrup, and half an 
 ounce of essence of spruce ; add one pint of yeast 
 and proceed as with ginger pop. 
 
 BEER, AfOLASSES.— Hops 1 oz. ; water 
 I gal, ; boil for 10 minutes, strain, add molasses 
 1 lb., and when lukewarm, yeast, i spoonful. 
 Ferment. 
 
 BEER, To Restore when Musty. — Run it 
 through some hops that have been boiled in 
 strong wort, and afterwards work it with double 
 the quantity of new malt liquor ; or if the fault 
 is in the cask, draw it off into a sweet cask, and 
 having boiled ^^ lb. of brown sugar in I quart 
 of water, add I or 2 spoonfuls of yeast before it 
 is quite cold, and when the mixture ferments, 
 pour it into the cask. 
 
 BEER, PHILADELPHIA.— V^vA^x 30 gal- 
 lons ; brown sugar 20 lbs. ; ginger, bruised, i ^ 
 lb. ; cream of tartar ^ lb. ; supercarbonate of 
 soda 3 oz.; oil of lemon, cut in a little alcohol, 
 
 1 teaspoon; whites of 10 eggs, well beaten; hops 
 
 2 oz. ; yeast I quart. 
 
 The ginger root and hops should be boiled 20 
 or 30 minutes in enough of the water to make 
 all milk warm, then strained into the rest, and 
 the yeast added and allowed to work over night ; 
 skimmed and bottled. 
 
 BEER, ROOT.—\. Take 3 gals, of molas- 
 ses ; add 10 gals, of water at 60° Fah. Let 
 this stand 2 hours, then pour into a barrel, and 
 add powdered or bruised sassafras and winter- 
 ■green bark, each ^ lb., bruised sarsaparilla 
 root y^ lb., yeast one pint, water enough to fill 
 the barrel, say 25 gals. Ferment for 12 hours 
 and bottle. 
 
 2. For 10 gals, beer, take 3 lbs. common bur- 
 dock root, or I ounce essence of sassafras ; % 
 lb. good hops ; I pint corn, roasted brown. Boil 
 the whole in 6 gals, pure water until the strength 
 of the materials is obtained; strain while hot into 
 a keg, adding enoi^h cold water to make 10 
 gals. When nearly cold, add clean molasses or 
 
 syrup until palatable, — not sickishly sweet. Add 
 also as much fresh yeast as will raise a batch of 
 8 loaves of bread. Place the keg in a cellar or 
 other cool place, and in 48 hours you will have a 
 keg of first-rate sparkling root beer. 
 
 3. For each gallon of water to be used, take 
 hops, burdock, yellow dock, sarsaparilla, dande- 
 lion, and spikenard roots, bruised, of each ^ 
 ounce ; boil about 20 minutes, and strain while 
 hot, add 8 or 10 drops of oils of spruce and sas- 
 safras, mixed in equal proportions, when cool 
 enough not to scald your hand, put in 2 or 3 
 tablespoons of yeast ; molasses, ^ of a pint, or 
 white sugar ^ lb., gives it about the right sweet- 
 ness. 
 
 4. American sarsaparilla, 2 pounds ; spice 
 wood, ^2 pound; guaiac chips, I pound; birch 
 bark, ^ pound; ginger, ^ ounce; sassafras, 
 4 ounces; prickly ash bark, ^ ounce ; white mus- 
 tard, I ounce ; hops, i ounce. Boil for twelve 
 hours at a moderate heat, with sufficient water, 
 so that the remainder shall measure five gallons, 
 to which add of tincture of ginger, 8 ounces; oil 
 of wintergreen, l ounce; alcohol, I quart; or 
 sufficient to prevent fermentation. 
 
 To make Root Beer, take of the above decoc- 
 tion, 1 quart; molasses, 8 ounces; water 2|^ gal- 
 lons ; yeast, 4 ounces. 
 
 The Root Beer, in warm weather, should be 
 mixed the evening before it is used. It can be 
 kept for use either bottled or drawn by a com- 
 mon beer pump. Most people prefer a small ad- 
 dition of wild cherry bitters or hot drops to the 
 above beer. 
 
 BEER, To Cttre when Ropy. — Put a handful 
 or two of flour, and the same quantity of hops, 
 with a little powdered alum, into the beer, and 
 rummage it well. 
 
 BEER, SASSAFRAS.— Have ready 2 gals, 
 of soft water ; one quart of wheat bran ; a large 
 handful of dried apples ; half a pint of molasses ; 
 a small handful of hops ; half a pint of strong 
 fresh yeast, and a piece of sassafras root the size 
 of an egg. Put all the ingredients (save molas- 
 ses and yeast) at once in a large kettle. Boil 
 until the apples are quite soft. Pour the molas- 
 ses in a small, clean tub or a large pan. Set a 
 hair sieve over the vessel and strain the mixture 
 through it. Let it stand until it becomes only 
 milk warm, when stir in the yeast, put the liquor 
 immediately into the keg or jugs, and let it 
 stand, uncorked, to ferment. Fill the jugs quite 
 full, that the liquor in fermentation may run 
 over. Set them in a large tub. When the fer- 
 mentation has subsided, cork, and use next day. 
 2 large tablespoons of ginger, stirred into the 
 molasses, will be found to be an improvement. 
 If the yeast is stirred in while the liquor is too 
 warm, it will be apt to turn sour. If the liquor 
 is not at once put into jugs, it will not ferment 
 well. Keep in a cool place. This beer is only 
 for present use, as it will not keep more than 2 
 days in very warm weather. 
 
 BEER, SOLID. — By a very simple process, 
 introduced by Mr. Mertens, the wort, after being 
 made in the mash-tub of malt and hops, in the 
 usual manner, is sucked up by a pipe into a large 
 vacuum (exhausted by an air-pump), and then 
 persistently worked round and round, while the 
 moisture is evaporated. The wort emerges from 
 its tribulations with a pasty consistence, and is 
 allowed to fall from a considerable height into 
 air-tight boxes, in which it reposes like bard- 
 
366 
 
 DICTIONARY OF EVERY-DAY WANTS. 
 
 bake. It soon gets so exceedingly tough that it 
 has to be broken up with a chisel and mallet, 
 and in that condition is easily sent abroad, or to 
 any part of the world, for people to brew their 
 own malt liquor. 
 
 BEER, To Restore when Sour. — Good hops 
 ^ lb., powdered chalk 2 lbs.; put in the hole of 
 the cask, and bung close for a few days ; for 
 frosted beer, add some finings, a few handfuls of 
 flour, and some scalded hops ; for ropy beer, use 
 a handful or two of flour, the same of hops, with 
 a little powdered alum to each barrel. Rum- 
 mage well. 
 
 BEER, SPR UCE.—l. Boil a handful of hops, 
 and 2 of the chips of sassafras root, in lo gallons 
 of water ; strain it, and turn on, while hot, a gal- 
 lon of molasses, 2 spoonfuls of the essence of 
 spruce, 2 spoonfuls of ginger, and I of pounded 
 allspice. Put it into a cask; and when cold 
 enough, add half a pint of good yeast; stir it well; 
 stop it close ; when clear, bottle and cork it. 
 
 2. For 3 gals, water put in l qt. and ^ pt. of 
 molasses, 3 eggs well beaten, yeast i gill. Into 
 2 qts. of the water boiling hot put 50 drops of 
 any oil you wish the flavor of; or mix I oz. each, 
 oils sassafras, spruce and wintergreen, then use 
 50 drops of the mixed oils. 
 
 3. Boil 8 gals, of water, and when in a state 
 of complete ebullition pour it into a beer barrel 
 which contains 8 gals, more of cold water; then 
 add. 16 lbs. of molasses, with a few tablespoon- 
 fuls of the essence of spruce, stirring the whole 
 well together ; add half a pint of yeast, and keep 
 it in a temperate situation, with the bung-hole 
 open for two days till the fermentation be abated, 
 when the bung may be put in and the beer bot- 
 tled off. It is fit to drink in a day or two. If 
 you can get no essence of spruce make a strong 
 decoction of the small twigs and leaves of the 
 spruce firs. 
 
 4. Take of the essence of spruce half a pint; 
 bruised pimento and ginger, of each four ounces; 
 water, three gallons. Boil five or ten minutes, 
 then strain and add 1 1 gallons of warm water, a 
 pint of yeast, and six pints of molasses. Allow 
 the mixture to ferment for 24 hours. 
 
 5. Take of oil of spruce, sassafras, and winter- 
 green, each 40 drops ; pour I gal. of boiling wa- 
 ter on the oils, then add 4 gals, of cold water, 3 
 pints of molasses, i pint of yeast. Let it stand 
 for 2 hours and bottle. 
 
 BEER POWDERS, SPRUCE. — White 
 sugar, I drachm ; bicarbonate of soda, I scruple; 
 essence of spruce, 8 grains ; essence of lemon, l 
 grain. Mix and wrap it in blue paper. Then 
 add tartaric acid, ^ drachm, and wrap it in white 
 paper. For use : dissolve each paper in separate 
 glasses, one third full of water, pour one into 
 the other, and drink immediately. 
 
 BEER, Improved STRONG.— UaXt, i peck; 
 coarse brown sugar, 6 pounds ; hops, 4 ounces ; 
 good yeast, i teacup ; if you have not malt, take 
 a little over i peck of barley, (twice the amount 
 of oats will do, but are not as good, ) and put it 
 into an oven after the bread is drawn, or into a 
 stove oven, and steam the moisture from them. 
 Grind coarsely. Now pour upon the ground 
 malt 2,% gallons of water at 170 or 172° of heat. 
 The tub in which you scald the malt should have 
 a false bottom, 2 or 3 inches from the real bot- 
 tom ; the false bottom should be bored full of 
 gimlet holes, so as to act as a strainer, to keep 
 back the malt meal. When tlie water is poured 
 
 on, stir them well, and let it stand 3 hours, and 
 draw off by a faucet; put in 7 gallons more of 
 water at 180 to 182°; stir it well, and let it stand 
 2 hours and draw it off. Then put on a gallon 
 or two of cold water, stir it well and draw it off; 
 you should have about 5 or 6 gallons. Put the 
 6 pounds of coarse brown sugar in an equal 
 amount of water ; mix with the wort, and boil 
 1% to 2 hours with the hops; you should have 
 eight gallons when boiled ; when cooled to 80' 
 put in the yeast, and let it work 18 to 20 hours, 
 covered with a sack ; use sound iron hooped kegs 
 or porter bottles, bung or cork tight, and in two 
 weeks it will be good sound beer, and will keep 
 a long time ; and for persons of a weak habit of 
 body, and especially females, I glass of this with 
 their meals is far better than tea or coffee, or all 
 the ardent spirits in the universe. If more malt 
 is used; not exceeding ^ a bushel, the beer, of 
 course, would have more spirit, but this strength 
 is sufficient for the use of families or invalids. 
 
 BEER, TOMATO.— Q^ihex the fruit once 
 a week, stem, ivash and mash it ; strain through 
 a coarse linen bag, and to every gallon of the 
 juice add a pound of good, moist brown sugar. 
 Let it stand nine days, and then pour it off from 
 the pulp, which will settle in the bottom of the 
 ■jar. Bottle it closely, and the longer you keep 
 it the better it is when you want to use it. Take 
 a pitcher that will hold as much as you want to 
 use — for my family I use a gallon pitcher — fill it 
 nearly full of fresh sweetened water, add some 
 of the preparation already described, and a few 
 drops of essence of lemon, and you will find it 
 equal to the best lemonade, costing almost noth- 
 ing. To every gallon of sweetened water I add 
 a half tumbler of beer. 
 
 BITTERS, STOMACH.— European Gentian 
 root, i^ ounce; orange peel, 2}4 ounces; cin- 
 namon, J4 ounce; anise seed, }4 ounce; corian- 
 der seed, J/i ounce ; cardamom seed, J^ ounce ; 
 unground Peruvian bark, }4 ounce ; gum kino, 
 ^ ounce; bruise all these articles, and put them 
 mto the best alcohol, i pint ; let it stand a week 
 and pour off the clear tincture ; then boil the 
 dregs a few minutes in l quart of water, strain, 
 and press out all the strength; now dissolve loaf 
 sugar, I poimd, in the hot liquid, adding 3 quarts 
 cold water, and mix with spirit tincture first 
 poured off, or you can add these, and let it stand 
 on the dregs if preferred. 
 
 BITTERS, ^A"^AX>K — Bruised gentian, 
 8 ounces ; orange peel, 5 ounces ; cardamoms, 3 
 ounces; cassia, i ounce; cochineal, ^ ounce; 
 spirit, 1 gallon. Digest for one week, then de- 
 cant the clear, and pour on the dregs, water, 5 
 pints. Digest for one week longer, decant, and 
 mix the two tinctures together, 
 
 BOTTLES, To STveeten when Musty. — 
 Sweeten with sulphuric acid and water mixed in 
 the proportion of a quart of water to half a pint 
 of acid, 
 
 BOTTLES, Wax /or.— Take one pound of 
 resin, one pound, of beeswax, and half a pound 
 of tallow. Mix these with red or yellow ochre, 
 soot, or Spanish whiting, according to the color 
 j-ou require. Melt the Mhole carefully, stirring 
 it all the time. If it be likely to boil over, stir 
 it with a candle end, which will allay the violence 
 of the ebullition. (See also Page 40.) 
 
 BOTTLES, Sealing Compound for. — Gelatin 
 mixed with glycerine yields a compound liquid 
 when hot, but becoming solid by cooling, at the 
 
WINES, LIQUORS AND VINEGAR. 
 
 367 
 
 same time retaining much of the elasticity. Bot- 
 tles may be hermetically sealed by dipping their 
 necks into the liquid mixture, and repeating the 
 operation until the cap attains any thickness re- 
 quired. 
 
 BOTTLING MALT LIQUORS.— There 
 can be no doubt that all fermented malt liquors, 
 as well as wine, are improved by bottling, when 
 the work is performed with sufficient skill and 
 care ; but there are several consideradons requi- 
 site to success which we shall now bring under 
 the notice of our readers. 
 
 The state of the liquor at the time of bottling. 
 The fermentation of the liquor should be nearly 
 completed; if not, there will be the risk of burst- 
 ing the bottles in consequence of the generation 
 of^too large a quantity of gas. On the other 
 hand, if the fermentation be over and the liquor 
 he flat, the beer will become more or less sour. 
 The mode of judging as to the fitness of the 
 liquor for holding is to ascertain its condition in 
 the cask. If, on drawing the vent-peg, the liquor 
 spurts out with violence, it is certain that the 
 process of fermentation is still going on ; on the 
 other hand, if it appears to be still, and on being 
 tasted is in good condition and brisk, it may be 
 held to be in a fit state for botding. If, how- 
 ever, it be too brisk and frothy while botding, 
 the botdes ought to be left uncorked for a few 
 hours, and filled out. They should only be filled 
 up as the froth works within an inch of the 
 cork. 
 
 BO TTLING, Corks for. — ^There is no economy 
 in bid corks. If they are not sufficiently sound, 
 and allow the air to escape, the liquor becomes 
 flat, and consequently sour, and the bottles 
 might nearly as well be left open. The corks 
 should be soaked in the liquor before being put 
 into the bottles, and if the bottles be then laid 
 on their sides, the corks will swell so as to be 
 perfectly tight. It need hardly be added that 
 great care should be taken that the bottles 
 have been thoroughly washed and are perfectly 
 clean. 
 
 BRANDY. — ^To 40 gals, of pure or neutral 
 spirits, add I lb. crude tartar, dissolved in I gal. 
 hot water ; acetic ether, % pint ; bruised raisins, 
 t lbs.; tinct. kino, 2 ounces; sugar, 3 lbs.; color 
 with sugar coloring. Stand 14 days, and draw 
 off. 
 
 BRANDY, BRITISH.— I. Clean spirit, 100 
 gals.; nitric ether, 2 lbs.; cassia buds (ground), 
 ^ lb.; bitter almond meal, y^ lb.; orris root 
 (sliced), 6 ounces; powdered cloves, I ounce; 
 capsicum, i oz. ; good vinegar, 2 gals. ; brandy 
 coloring, l quart. Mix well in an empty cognac 
 cask, and let them macerate for a fortnight, oc- 
 casionally stirring. The proportion of the in- 
 gredients may be varied by the skillful brewer, 
 as much depends on their respective strengths. 
 
 2. Clean spirit, loo gals.; strong vinegar, 3 
 gals.; bitter almonds (ground), X ^^•\ cassia 
 buds (ground), ^ lb.; orris root (ground), 7 
 ounces ; Guinea pepper (ground), 6 oz.; pow- 
 dered cloves, I ounce ; tincture of catechu, 4 
 pints ; nitric ether, 2 pints ; brandy coloring, I 
 quart. Put them on the lees into a fresh emp- 
 tied cornac cask, and macerate as before. In- 
 stead of tincture of catechu you may use half a 
 pound of the powder mixed with hot water to a 
 paste. 
 
 3. Good plain malt spirit (17 up), loo gals. ; 
 finely powdered catechu, 12 ounces ; tincture of 
 
 vanilla, 2 ounces ; burnt sugar coloring, i quart 
 or more. Mix well. 
 
 BRANDY, BLACA'BERRY. —Essence of 
 blackberry, I lb.; blackberry juice, I gal.; syrup 
 of gum arable, I gal.; pure spirits, 4 barrels. 
 
 BRANDY, CHERRY. — 1. To every 10 
 gals, of brandy made by the receipt for French 
 brandy, add 3 quarts of wild black cherries, 
 stones and all bruised; crushed sugar, 2 lbs.; 
 let it stand for one week, then draw or rack it 
 off as it is wanted for use. 
 
 2. Good whisky, 10 gals.; wild black ber- 
 ries, 5 quarts well bruised with stones broken ; 
 common almonds, shelled, I lb.; white sugar, 
 cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg, well bruised, of 
 each 1^ oz. Mix, and let them stand 12 days, 
 and araw off". This, with the addition of 2.gds. 
 brandv, makes most superior cherry brandy. 
 
 BRANDY, COGNAC— To every 10 gals, of 
 pure spirits add 2 quarts New England rum, or 
 I quart Jamaica rum, and from 30 to 40 drops 
 of oil cognac cut in half a pint of alcohol, and 
 color with burnt sugar to suit. 
 
 BRANDY, To Decolorize— When stained by 
 the cask, a nail, or dropping a bit therein, when 
 boring for a faucet, or any other cause, add about 
 one quart of new milk to ten gallons; let it settle 
 or filter. 
 
 BRANDY, FRENCH.— Vme spirits, I gal.; 
 best French brandy, or any kind you wish to 
 imitate, I quart ; loaf sugar, 2 ounces ; sweet 
 spirits of nitre, ^ ounce ; a few drops of tinct. 
 of catechu, or oak bark, to roughen the taste if 
 desired, and color to suit. 
 
 BRANDY, PALE.—1% made the same as 
 by the above receipt, using pale instead of the 
 French, and using only I oz. tinct. of kino for 
 every 5 gals. 
 
 BREWERIES.— The size of a brewery is 
 stated in the number of quarters of malt that can 
 be used in one brewing ; thus, a brewery having 
 a mash tun in which twenty combs of malt can 
 be mashed at a brewing, would be a ' 'ten quarter 
 brewery", and so on, the rest of the plant being 
 made in proportion. 
 
 Until steam came into general use as a motive 
 power, all the labor was done by hand or horse 
 power ; sometimes a water wheel was used ; but 
 it is believed that on no occasion has wind power 
 been applied. Of late years, steam has not only 
 been used in breweries as a motive power, but 
 also as a means of transmitting heat ; so that the 
 brewer having a boiler to supply steam to the 
 engines, uses it also to supply steam for boiling 
 both liquor and wort, either by forming the boil- 
 ing coppers with an outer pan or jacket of iron, 
 and passing steam through the space between 
 that and the inner pan of the copper, or by pass- 
 ing the steam through coils of copper pipe fixed 
 at the bottoms of vessels made of wood, iron, or 
 copper, whichever of these be preferred. 
 
 In building a brewery every advantage should 
 be taken of any favorable natural features of the- 
 locality, such as a hill side, where the building 
 may be arranged so that the utensils can be placed 
 in a position one above another in level, taking 
 advantage of the natural slope to save labor, 
 which might otherwise have to be expended in 
 pumping the worts or beer about. A good sup- i4 
 ply of suitable water, or "liquor", as it is called 
 m breweries, is also indispensable. That there - 
 is this should always be ascertained before either 
 building a new brewery or extending an old one* 
 
368 
 
 DICTIONARY OF E VERY-DAY WANTS. 
 
 The mash tun should be made either of good 
 yellow deals or of oak, and should have a false 
 bottom, generally of iron, made of several plates, 
 so as easily to be removed for cleansing the tun. 
 These plates are very closely perforated -with 
 holes about one bvelfth of an inch in diameter; 
 sometimes, however, with slots that width, but 
 about two inches to three inches long, cast in 
 them. These slots and also the small holes are 
 about three eighths of an inch on the bottom side 
 of the plate, being made so much taper to pre- 
 vent their blocking. The plates with slots are 
 more expensive than the others, but some brew- 
 ers prefer them. The mash tun should contain 
 from eighteen to nineteen cubic feet for every 
 quarter of malt. Formerly, when the crushed 
 malt had been placed in the tun, the nearly boil- 
 ing hot liquor was run in, and the whole was 
 thoroughly mixed together by men with poles, 
 each having several cross pieces, about the size 
 of the staves of a ladder, in one end. This opera- 
 tion is termed mashing, and these oars are still 
 used by some brewers, more especially where a 
 "Steele's" or a similar machine is used. 
 
 A better and more certain method of mashing 
 •was required ; for it was found that in some parts 
 of the mash tun a sort of cake or dumpling would 
 be formed, the outside of which, consisting of a 
 pasty mass of flour, prevented the liquor reach- 
 ing the inside, to extract the valuable ingredient 
 of the malt. The machine which for many years 
 has been fitted to mash tuns, to perform this 
 operation, is made as follows : A circular crank, 
 with radial teeth, is bolted to the sides of the 
 mash tun ; a vertical shaft is erected in bearings 
 in the center of the tun. This shaft is either 
 carried some few feet above the top of the tun, 
 
 1 or else passes through a stuffing box in the bot- 
 tom, and is worked by bevel wheels from a. hori- 
 zontal shaft. The vertical shaft supports loosely 
 a bearing which carries one end of a second hori- 
 zontal shaft, which is inside the tun, at about 
 half its depth. The other end of this shaft has 
 a pinion keyed upon it. This pinion gears with 
 it, and is supported by the circular rack before 
 mentioned. A revolving motion is given to this 
 horizontal shaft by bevel wheels from the vertical 
 one, and upon it is hung a sort of rake, which, 
 as the shaft revolves, thoroughly mixes up the 
 mash. Sometimes there are two, and even three 
 of these rake shafts. It will be obvious that, as 
 these shafts revolve, the pinion gearing into the 
 fixed rack causes the whole to revolve somewhat 
 slowly round the tun. 
 
 In large breweries, where there are sometimes 
 a dozen or more mash tuns, rather than have a 
 large engine, it is better to have a small one to 
 pump all the liquor, and another to grind the 
 malt ; and these may be kept at work all day, 
 preparing for the morrow. Indeed, a vast 
 amount of money in first cost, and in labor after- 
 wards, may be saved by properly planning and 
 arranging evei7thing beforehand. 
 
 BREWING. — The process of brewing has 
 been fully described in many excellent treatises, 
 from which the intelligent reader can obtain all 
 the knowledge he requires ; but we think it will 
 be of service to furnish a condensed view, of 
 
 ^ what is essential to brewing successfully, on the 
 scale suitable for a single household, and care- 
 fully avoiding all such details as are not abso- 
 lutely requisite. 
 
 The Boiler, — The material of which this is 
 
 made requires attention. An iron boiler will be 
 found suitable, but it is much less desirable than 
 one of copper. A copper boiler, although at first 
 more expensive, is to be preferred, as it can be 
 kept cleaner, is more readily heated, will last for 
 a greater length of time, and as old metal will be 
 worth about half its original cost. A boiler which 
 can contain abput'fbrty-five gallons.will be found 
 most convenient for domestic use. It is lar^-e 
 enough to produce half a hogshead of strong ale, 
 and the same quantity of table beer, which for 
 many families will be found a sufficient quantity. 
 A pipe of about an inch and three quarters m 
 diameter should project from the bottom of the 
 boiler, and beyond the brickwork with which it 
 is built up, and this pipe ought to be situated so 
 as completely to dram off all the liquor from the 
 boiler; but this it cannot do unless tlie internal 
 orifice of the pipe be on a level with the lowest 
 part of the boiler. Into this pipe a tap is to be 
 fixed without any bend or curve in it, so as the 
 more readily to allow the hops to pass through. 
 During the process of brewing a piece of canvas 
 may be rolled round the end of the tap so as to 
 hang down into the sieve through which the con- 
 tents of the boiler are to be strained. 
 
 The Mash- Tub. — A sherry-cask, with one 
 fourth of its length cut off, will make an excellent 
 and cheap mash-tub, capable of containing about 
 eighty gallons. At the distance of about a couple 
 of inches from the bottom of the mash-tub, a 
 wooden hoop must be fixed to support a false 
 bottom of wood, perforated with numerous small 
 holes, close to each other. Both the false bot- 
 tom, and the hoop on which it rests, must be 
 movable, and the latter must be attached to the 
 sides of the tub with small nails. The mash-tub 
 must be furnished with a straight tap, on a level 
 with the bottom of the vessel, for the purpose of 
 drawing off the worts. The mash-tub must be 
 placed on the stand or gawntree, at a height suf- 
 ficient to allow the underback to be placed with 
 facility below the tap in the mash-tub. 
 
 The Oar. — This is a mashing-stick, consisting 
 of an ash pole about two yards in length, having 
 at its extremity a frame about twelve inches long, 
 and narrower at the lower than at the upper end. 
 Across this frame there are several spars, by 
 which it is rendered a convenient implement for 
 thoroughly mixing the malt, and bringing it all 
 in contact with the water. The person whose 
 business it is to use the mashing-stick, and to 
 stir the worts in the boiler, must be enabled to 
 stand sufficiently high to perform the operation 
 efficiently, and for this purpose he ought to be 
 furnished with a set of steps of a suitable 
 height. 
 
 Gauge Sticks are of importance to enable the 
 brewer accurately to ascertain the quantity of 
 worts in the boiler ; to measure the number of 
 gallons of water in the mash-tub, or the quantity 
 of liquor in the fermenting tuns or other vessels. 
 These useful implements may be easily made by 
 putting into the different vessels they are intend- 
 ed for, a certain number of gallons of water, and 
 marking the stick at the various points at which 
 the water rises when any specified number of 
 gallons are successively introduced. 
 
 The Underback and Coolers. — The mash-tub 
 may be made by using the fourth part of the 
 sherry cask already spoken of. It will suit well 
 as an underback, and along with three or four 
 large tubs to serve as coolersi will be sufficient 
 
WINES, LIQUORS AND VINEGAR. 
 
 369 
 
 for the brewing of half a hogshead of ale, and 
 the same quantity of table beer. 
 
 Fermenting Tuns, etc. — For half a hogshead 
 O)' ale, and the same quantity of table beer, two 
 fermenting tuns will be necessary, each contain- 
 ing forty-two gallons. Besides these, a wooden 
 vessel, or "piggin," holding about a gallon, and 
 having a long upright handle, will be necessary 
 lor the purpose of lifting the worts from the 
 underback into the coolers, and a couple of pails 
 will be requisite, each of them being marked so 
 as to indicate two gallons and a half. 
 
 The Thermometer and Saccharometer. — The 
 art of brewing requires that the degree of heat, 
 and the quantity of saccharine or sweet matter in 
 the liquid be correctly ascertained. For these 
 purposes the instruments are requisite. Their 
 mode of action will be explained to those who 
 purchase them by the manufacturer, and their 
 uses will be illustrated in the instructions we are 
 about to give. 
 
 The Bre7L'house and Vessels. — In making the 
 comparatively small quantity of liquor required 
 in a single household, it is not only difficult, but 
 often quite impossible, to have an outhouse set 
 apart for brewing, and for no other purpose. 
 Yet it is a very desirable thingifthis can be done. 
 Washing, for example, ought never to be carried 
 on in a brewhouse; as nothing is more injurious 
 than to leave the remnant of dirty soapsuds in 
 the tubs used in brewing. In fact, the greatest 
 cleanliness is indispensable. All the vessels 
 should be perfectly sweet, and free from must- 
 iness or any other smell ; they ought to be strictly 
 examined the day before the brewing commences, 
 and should never be used for any other purpose ; 
 and they ought to be carefully cleansed and kept 
 quite free from dirt. 
 
 To Clean Casks. — ^These should be well clean- 
 sed w-ith boiling water, and if the bung-hole be 
 large enough, they should be scrubbed inside 
 with a handbrush, sand, and fuller's earth, and 
 afterwards scalded. As to the coolers, and in- 
 deed all the vessels, care should be taken not to 
 let the water stand in them any length of time, 
 as in all water left stagnant a prodigious mul- 
 titude of animalcules are generated, which, al- 
 though too minute to be visible to the naked eye, 
 are easily discerned by the microscope. Water 
 in which these creatures are generated emits an 
 intolerable stench ; and if the vessels containing 
 them are of wood, they retain the smell, and 
 hardly any amount of scrubbing will eradicate it. 
 Zinc-Lined Coolers. — So important is it that 
 the coolers should be free from any bad odor, 
 that we recommend that the interior of the ves- 
 sels be lined with zinc; this secures greater 
 purity, and expedites the cooling of the worts. 
 The mash-tub should be kept scrupulously clean, 
 no grains being allowed to remain in it longer 
 than the day after the brewing. We shall now 
 make a few remarks on the ingredients used in 
 brewing, and then give a description of the pro- 
 cess. 
 
 IVater. — Different opinions are entertained as 
 to the relative merits of the water for brewing; 
 but we may \vith confidence state that rain water 
 is certainly superior to any other for the purpose. 
 It is, however, difficult to obtain this in a condi- 
 tion of sufficient purity, as the rain water col- 
 lected from the roofs of houses carries particles 
 of vegetable substances, imparting to the water 
 a nauseous flavor. The purest water is that 
 
 produced from melted snow, collected in the 
 open fields after a heavy fall. This water pos- 
 sesses the highest degree of purity, and is all but 
 identical with distilled water ; it being, in fact, 
 the result of distillation. If it is desirable that 
 rain water should be used, let it be obtained in 
 as pure a condition, and as free from any peculiar 
 taste and odor as possible. River water is well 
 suited to the purpose so far as its softness is con- 
 cerned, but it contains, especially in the warmer 
 and autumnal months, a large quantity of both 
 animal and vegetable substances. Hard water, 
 in consequence of its chemical constitution, has 
 less power than the two other kinds to extract 
 the virtues of the malt and the hops ; but this in- 
 convenience may be obviated by raising the heat 
 of the water. Skillful brewing, no doubt, can do 
 much towards rendering the liquor made from 
 hard water as good as any other ; but undoubt- 
 edly pure rain water is the best. 
 
 Malt. — The best malt has a sweet smell, a 
 mellow taste, a round body, and a thin skin ; 
 pale malt is adapted for domestic brewing, and 
 brown malt for public breweries. 
 
 Hops. — The best hops are of a bright green 
 color, sweet smell, and a feeling of clamminess 
 when rubbed between the hands. 
 
 Brewing. — We shall now describe the process 
 of brewing, for, say, half a hogshead of strong 
 ale, the same quantity of middle ale, and a quar- 
 ter hogshead of table beer. This will require six 
 bushels of malt, and care must be taken that it 
 has not been dried at too high a temperature, 
 nor ground more than three days, and that it is 
 pale malt, and of the best quality. 
 
 Heat Required. — It is of the utmost con- 
 sequence to obtain such a degree of heat as shall 
 be best adapted to extract the essential properties 
 of the malt. Put forty-four gallons of boiling 
 water, heated to 2 12 degrees of the thermometer, 
 into the mash-tub, and add five or six gallons of 
 cold water, so as to reduce the heat from the 
 boiling point to 182 degrees. Put the malt into 
 the mash-tub, and with the oar or mashing-stick 
 stir it so completely that the water shall have 
 access to every part. When this is done, let 
 about a half-peck of the malt be strewed on the 
 top of the mash in the mash-tub ; this will serve 
 as a non-conductor, and tend to keep in the heat. 
 The cover is now to be put on the mash-tub, a 
 blanket placed on the cover, and sacks on the 
 blanket. Every means must be employed to 
 keep in the heat, to prevent the steam from es- 
 caping. I^t it he observed that there are now 
 fifty gallons of water in the mash-tub, and six 
 bushels of malt, or about eight and a quarter 
 gallons of water to each bushel of malt. The 
 mash must be left covered from two to three 
 hours, after which some of the worts is to be run 
 off into a pail and returned again, till at last the 
 liquor running from the tap appears perfectly 
 clear, and then let it run into the underback. 
 When the worts have run off for some time, and 
 the bed of the mash begins to appear, water at 
 190 degrees of heat must be added. This must 
 be done in such a manner that the water shall fall 
 in a shower all over the surface of the mash at 
 the same moment, so as to carry with it the vir- 
 tues of the malt left behind by the liquor already 
 run off. While this new supply of water is being 
 showered on the surface of the mash, the tap is 
 still running, and the first forty-four gallons must 
 be set aside for the half-hogshead of strong ale*, 
 
370 
 
 DICTIONARY OF EVERY-DA V WANTS. 
 
 the next 40 gals, for the half-hogshead of the 
 ale of middle strength, when the tap should be 
 shut, and the worts intended for the table beer 
 allowed to remain in the mashing, but 24 gals, 
 of water at 195 degrees of temperature must be 
 added to the mash for the table beer, in the man- 
 ner already described. 
 
 Boiling the Worts, — In boiling the worts for 
 the strong ale, the 44 gals, already set aside for 
 the purpose are now to be put into the boiler, 
 and raised to the temperature of 200 degrees. 
 Put 2 lbs. of the best hops, well rubbed and 
 separated by the hand, into the liquor, and boil 
 briskly for three-quarters of an hour ; stir well 
 during the boiling. Add 2 pounds more of the 
 hops, rubbed and separated as before, and let the 
 boiling be continued for 25 or 30 minutes longer. 
 The quantity of 44 gals., thus boiled, will be re- 
 duced by evaporation, and by the liquor absorbed 
 by the hops, to about 30 gals.; and before draw- 
 ing it off its specific gravity should be tested by 
 the saccharometer. This ought to be from 102 
 to 108, but if greater strength be required, a 
 quarter of a pound of raw sugar for each gallon 
 should be added, which ought to produce a spe- 
 cific gravity of from 112 to Xl8, equal to the best 
 ale. The liquor is now to be run off into the 
 tubs, the piece of canvas already spoken of being 
 fixed on the tap so as to direct the liquor through 
 the hair sieve into the vessel to contain it. It is 
 then put into the coolers to the depth in summer 
 of not more than two, and in winter about three 
 or four inches. 
 
 The Second Worts. — ^When the liquor for the 
 strong ale is out of the copper, the second worts 
 must be put into it along with two pounds of 
 fresh hops, and boiled briskly for an hour and a 
 half. If, when tested by the saccharometer, the 
 specific gravity is only 51, and if the quantity of 
 thirty gals, be in the boiler, 20 pounds of sugar 
 ,must be added, which will increase it to 73 or 74. 
 After boiling a few minutes, draw off the liquor 
 and place it in the coolers. The worts for the 
 table beer must now be put into the boiler, with 
 the four pounds of hops boiled in the processes 
 before referred to. It must be boiled for two 
 hours, and when the boiling is nearly completed, 
 half a pound of sugar per gallon will give the 
 beer a suitable degree of specific gravity. 
 
 Fermentation. — Here it must be stated, that 
 for each kind of ale or beer it is requisite that 
 there should be a surplus quantity of a couple of 
 gallons to supply the loss occasioned by the fer- 
 mentation. It is desirable to have three fer- 
 menting tuns. When the liquor for the strong 
 ale has cooled down to 85 degrees, take out 
 about I gal. of it, and pour into it three English 
 pints of brewer's strong ale yeast of the best 
 quality. Pour this mixture into the tun, into 
 which put the worts, and let it then be well in- 
 corporated with the yeast, and cover up the tun 
 for the fermentation. The same process is to be 
 carried out with the ale of the second strength, 
 but the table beer is to be fermented at 80 de- 
 grees, and one English pint of yeast will be suf- 
 ficient. 
 
 The morning after the liquor has been put into 
 the tuns with the yeast, the surface of the worts 
 ought to be covered with a white cream ; this is 
 to DC stirred up with the contents of the tun, 
 and some of the liquor subjected to examination. 
 Some decrease of specific gravity, and a slight 
 addition to the heat of the liquor ought to be 
 
 detected. The state of the liquor must again be 
 examined into in the evening, and if the fermen- 
 tation be weak some yeast must be added, and 
 mixed up with the mass of the liquor. If by the 
 second morning the work is going on well, the 
 surface of the liquor will be covered with thick 
 froth ; but on testing the condition of the liquor, 
 if there appears no indication of an increase of 
 heat, and no apparent diminution of specific 
 gravity in it, let the head of froth be broken up, 
 and the whole be well stirred. The head of froth 
 which afterwards appears, of a dark brown color, 
 on its surface, must be carefully removed, as it 
 will fall to the bottom and spoil the flavor of 
 the ale. The same remark may be made as to 
 the yeast which appears at the bungliole during 
 the fermentation, which continues for some time 
 after the ale is put into the casks. 
 
 After the ale and beer are made, the next 
 process we come to is that of 
 
 Fining, — There are several methods of doing 
 this. Perhaps as good a way as any is to dis- 
 solve an ounce of isinglass in a quart of stale 
 beer, allowing it to remain for several days ; add 
 another quart of the stale beer, strain tlirough 
 a sieve, and put an English pint to each half- 
 hogshead. 
 
 CARBONATED DRINK.— Tv.^o quarts of 
 ice water, fourteen tablespoonfuls of vinegar, 
 two teaspoonfuls of ground ginger ; sweeten to 
 taste, and add one teaspoonful of soda and one 
 of cream tartar. 
 
 CHAMPA ONE, AMERICAN.— GooA cider 
 (crab-apple cider is the best), 7 gals. ; best 
 fourth-proof brandy, 1 quart; genuine cham- 
 pagne wine, 5 quarts ; milk, I gal.; bitartrate 
 of potassa, 2 ounces. Mix, and let stand a short 
 time ; bottle while fermenting. An excellent 
 imitation. 
 
 CHAMPAGNE, BRITISH.— To everv five 
 pounds of rhubarb, when sliced and bruisecf, put 
 
 1 gal. of cold spring water; let it stand three 
 days, stirring two or three times every day; then 
 press and strain it through a sieve, and to every 
 gallon of liquor, put three jiounds and a half of 
 loaf sugar; stir it well, and when mellecf barrel it. 
 Wheii^it has done working bung it up close, first 
 suspending a muslin bag with isinglass from the 
 bung into the* barrel. To 15 gals, of liquor put 
 
 2 oz. of isinglass. In six months bottle it and 
 wire the bottles; let them stand up for the first 
 month, then lay 4 or 5 down lengtli\\ays for a 
 week, and if none burst, all may be laid down. 
 Should a large quantity be made, it must remain 
 
 longer in cask. It may be colored pink by put 
 . '. ' It ^^'11 keep 
 for many years. 
 
 ling in a quart of raspberry juice. 
 
 CHAMPA GNE, B URGUND Y, —Loaf sug- 
 ar, 56 lbs.; brown sugar (pale), 48 lbs.; water 
 (warm), 45 gals.; white tartar, 4 ounces. Mix, 
 and at a proper temperature add yeast, I quart ; 
 afterwards add sweet cider, 5 gals.; bitter al- 
 monds (bruised), 6 or 7 in number; pale spirit, 
 I gal.; orris powder, % ounce. 
 
 CHAMPAGNE, CIDER.— Goodi dder, 20 
 gals.; spirit, I gal.; honey or sugar, 6 lbs. Mix, 
 and let them rest for a fortnight; then fine with 
 skimmed milk, I quart. This, put up in cham- 
 pagne bottles, silvered, and labeled, has often 
 been sold for champagne. It opens very spark- 
 ling. 
 
 CHAMPAGNE CUP.— To two ounces of 
 powdered loaf sugar put the juice and rind of one 
 
WINES, LIQUORS AND VINEGAR. 
 
 371 
 
 lemon pared thin ; pour over these a large glass 
 of dry sherry, and let it stand for an hour, then 
 add one bottle of sparkling champagne and one 
 of soda water, a thin slice of fresh cucumber with 
 the rind on, a sprig of borage or balm, and ice 
 with blocks of clear ice, 
 
 CHAMPAGNE, SHAM,— Tai^Q l lemon, 
 sliced ; i tablespoonful of tartaric acid ; i ounce 
 of race ginger; l^ pounds of sugar; 2^ gallons 
 of boiling water poured on the above. When 
 blood warm, add I gill of distillery yeast, or 2 
 gills of home-brewed. Let it stand in the sun 
 through the day. When cold, in the evening, 
 bottle, cork, and wire it. In two days it is ready 
 for use. 
 
 CHERRY BOUNCE.— TTiVc lo gallons of 
 good whisky ; 4 to 6 quarts of wild black cher- 
 ries bruised so as to break the stones ; common 
 almonds, shelled, I lb. ; white sugar, i^ lbs. ; 
 cinnamon, ^ oz. ; cloves, ^oz; nutmeg, % oz.; 
 all bruised. Let stand I2 to 13 days, and draw 
 off. This, with the addition of 2 gallons of 
 brandy, makes very nice Cherry Brandy. 
 
 CIDER, General Rules far Alaking. — Always 
 choose perfectly ripe and sound fruit. 
 
 Pick the apples by hand. (An active boy with 
 the bag slung over his shoulder, will soon clear 
 a tree. Apples that have lain any time on the 
 soil, contract an earthy taste, which will always 
 be found in the cider.) 
 
 After sweating, and before being ground, wipe 
 them dry, and if any are found bruised or rotten, 
 put them in a heap by themselves, for an inferior 
 cider to make vinegar. 
 
 Always use hair cloths, instead of straw, to 
 place between the layers of pomace. The 
 straw, when heated, gives a disagreeable taste 
 to the cider. 
 
 As the cider runs from the press, let it pass 
 through a hair sieve into a large open vessel, 
 that will hold as much juice as can be expressed 
 in one day. In a day, or sometimes less, the 
 pomace will rise to the top, and in a short time 
 grow very thick : when little white bubbles break 
 through it, draw off the liquor by a spigot, 
 placed about three inches from the bottom, so 
 that the lees may be left quietly behind. 
 
 The cider must be drawn off into very clean, 
 sweet casks, and closely watched. The moment 
 the white bubbles before mentioned are perceived 
 rising at the bung-hole, rack it again. When 
 the fermentation is completely at an end, fill up 
 the cask with cider, in all respects like that al- 
 ready contained in it, and bung it up tight ; pre- 
 vious to which a tumbler ot sweet oil may be 
 poured into the bung-hole. 
 
 After being made and barreled it should be 
 allowed to ferment until it acquires the desired 
 flavor, for perfectly sweet cider is not desirable. 
 In the meantime clean barrels for its reception 
 should be prepared thus : Some clean strips of 
 rag are dipped into melted sulphur, lighted and 
 hung in the bung-hole and the bung laid loosely 
 on the end of the rag. This is to allow the sul- 
 phur vapor to well fill the barrel. Tie up a half 
 pint of mustard seed in a coarse muslin rag and 
 
 Sut it into the barrel, then put your cider in. 
 Tow add the isinglass, which "fines" the cider 
 but does not help to keep it sweet. This is the 
 old fashioned way, and will keep cider in the 
 same condition as it went into the barrel, if kept 
 in a cool place, for a year. The sulphur vapor 
 checks the fermentation, and the sulphur in the 
 
 mustard seed keeps it checked. We hear that 
 professional cider dealers are now using the bi- 
 sulphite of lime instead of the mustard seed and 
 sulphur vapor. This bi-sulphite of lime is the 
 same as the "preserving powder." It is only 
 another form of using the sulphur, but is more 
 convenient and perhaps more effectual. Another 
 method is to add sugar, one and a half pounds 
 sugar to a gallon of the cider, and let it ferment. 
 This makes a fermented, clear good cider, but 
 sweet. It lasts sweet about six months, if kept 
 in a cool situation. 
 
 Preparatory to bottling cider it should be ex- 
 amined, to see whether it be clear and sparkling. 
 If not it should be clarified in a similar way to 
 beer, and left for a fortnight. The night before 
 it is intended to put it into bottles, the bung 
 should be taken out ot the cask, and left so until 
 the next day, when it may be bottled, but not 
 corked down until the day after, as, if this be 
 done at once, many of the bottles will burst by 
 keeping. The best corks, and champagne-bot- 
 tles should be used, and it is usual to wire and 
 cover the corks with tinfoil, after the manner of 
 champagne. A few bottles may be kept in a 
 warm place to ripen, or a small piece of lump 
 sugar may be put into each bottle before cork- 
 ing, if the cider be wanted for immediate use, or 
 for consumption during the cooler portion of the 
 year, but for warm weather and for long keeping 
 this is inadmissible. The bottled stock should 
 be stored in a cool cellar, when the quality will 
 be greatly improved by age. 
 
 CIDER, To Clear. — To clear and improve 
 cider generally take two quarts of ground horse- 
 radish and one pound of thick gray filtering pa- 
 per to the barrel, and either shake or stir until 
 the paper has separated into small shreds, and 
 let it stand for twenty-four hours, when the cider 
 may be drawn off by means of a syphon or a 
 stop cock. Instead of paper a preparation of 
 wool may be taken, which is to be had in the 
 market here, and which is preferable to paper, 
 as it has simply to be washed with water when 
 it may be used again. 
 
 CIDER, BOILING,— To prepare cider for 
 boiling, the first process is to filter it immediately 
 on coming from the press. This is easiest done 
 by placing some sticks crosswise in the bottom 
 of a barrel — a flour-barrel with a single head is 
 the best — wherein an inch hole has been bored, 
 and covering these sticks with say four inches of 
 clean rye or wheat straw, and then filling the 
 barrel to within a foot of the top with clean sand 
 or coal-dust — sand is the best. Pour the cider 
 as it comes from the press into the top of this 
 barrel, drawing it off as soon as it comes out at 
 the bottom into air-tight casks, and let it stand 
 in the cellar until March. Then draw it out with 
 as little exposure to the air as possible, put it 
 into bottles that can be tightly and securely cork- 
 ed, and in two months it will be fit for use. 
 
 CIDER, Wilhout Apples.— To each gallon of 
 cold water, put l lb. common sugar, % oz. tar- 
 taric acid, I tablespoonful of yeast, shake well, 
 make in the evening, and it will be fit for use 
 next day. Make in a keg a few gallons at a 
 time, leaving a few quarts to make into next 
 time ; not using yeast again until the keg needs 
 rinsing. If it gets a little sour make a little more 
 into it, or put as much water with it as there is 
 cider, and put it with the vinegar. If it is desired 
 to bottle this cider by manufacturers of small 
 
37« 
 
 DICTION AR YOFE VER Y-DA Y WANTS. 
 
 drinks, you will proceed as follows : Put in a 
 barrel 5 gallons hot water, 30 lbs. brown sugar, 
 % lb. tartaric acid, 25 gallons cold water, 3 pints 
 of hop or brewers' yeast worked into paste with 
 ^ lb. flour, and i pint water will be required in 
 making this paste, put all together in a barrel, 
 which it will nil, and let it work 24 hours — the 
 yeast running out at a bung all the. time, by put- 
 ting in a little occasionally to keep it full. Then 
 bottle, putting in 2 or 3 broken raisins to each 
 bottle, and it will nearly equal champagne. 
 
 CIDER CHAMPAGNE.— Good pale vinous 
 cider, l hogshead; proof spirit (pale), 3 gallons; 
 honey or sugar 14 lbs. Mix, and let them re- 
 main together in a temperate situation for one 
 month ; then add orange-flower water, I quart; 
 and fine it down with skimmed milk, j^ gallon. 
 This will be very pale; and a similar article, 
 when bottled in champagne bottles, silvered and 
 labeled, has been often sold to the ignorant for 
 champagne. It opens very brisk, if managed 
 properly. 
 
 CIDER, CHAMPA ^./Vi?.— Champagne cider 
 is made as follows^ — To loO gals, of good cider 
 put 3 gals, of strained honey, or 24 lbs. of good 
 white sugar. Stir well and set it aside for a 
 week. Clarify the cider with half a gallon of 
 skimmed milk, or j^f lb. of dissolved isinglass, 
 and add 4 gals, of pure spirits. After 2 or 3 days 
 bottle the clear cider, and it will become spark- 
 ling- 
 
 In order to produce a slow fermentation, the 
 casks containing the fermenting liquor must be 
 bunged up tight. It is a great object to retain 
 much of the carbonic gas in the cider, so as to 
 develop itself after being bottled. 
 
 CIDER, CHERRY,— 2,0 gals, of apple cider, 
 8 quarts of dried black cherries, 2 quarts of dried 
 «■ blueberries, I quart of elderberries, 75 1^^* ^^ 
 brown sugar. If you desire to make smaller 
 quaritities, proportion the quantities of the ingre- 
 dients accordingly. 
 
 CIDER, To CAN.— C\Aer, if taken when 
 first made, brought to boiling heat, and canned, 
 precisely as fruit is canned, will keep from year 
 to year without any change of taste. Canned up 
 in this way in the fall, it may bekepta half dozen 
 years or longer, as good as when, first made. It 
 is better that the cider be settled and poured off 
 from the dregs, and when brought to boiling 
 heat the scum that gathers on the surface taken 
 off"; but the only precaution necessary to preser- 
 vation of the cider is the sealing of it up air tight 
 when boiling hot. The juice of other fruit can; 
 no doubt, be preserved in the same way. To all 
 tastes not already corrupted by strong drink, 
 these unfermented juices are very delicious. The 
 juice of the grape is better than wine a century 
 old, and more healthy. Churches believing in 
 literal eating and drinking at the Lord's supper 
 could in this way avoid the poisonous fermented 
 spirits and drink the pure unfermented juice of 
 the grape, as was doubtless done by the primi- 
 tive Christians. 
 
 CIDER, DEVONSHIRE. — The apples, 
 after being plucked, are left in heaps in the or- 
 chard for some time, to complete their ripening, 
 and render them more saccharine. They are 
 then crushed between grooved cylinders, sur- 
 mounted by a hopper, or in a circular trough, 
 by two vertical edge-wheels of wood moved by a 
 horse ; after passing through which, they are re- 
 ceived into large tubs or dves, and are then 
 
 called pomace. They are afterwards laid on 
 the vat in alternate layers of the pomace and 
 clean straw, called reeds. They are then pressed, 
 a little water being occasionally added. The 
 juice passes through a hair sieve, or similar 
 strainer, and is received in a large vessel, whence 
 it is run into casks or open vats, where every 
 thing held in mechanical suspension is deposited. 
 The fermentation is often slow of being devel- 
 oped; though the juice be set in November or 
 December, the working sometimes hardly com- 
 mences till March. Till this time the cider is 
 sweet; it now becomes pungent and vinous, 
 and is ready to be racked for use. It the fer- 
 mentation continue, it is usual to rack it again 
 into a clean cask that has been well sulphured 
 out, and to leave behind the head and sediment ; 
 or two or three cans of cider are put into a clean 
 cask, and a match ot brimstone turned in it ; it 
 is then agitated, by which the fermentation of 
 that quantity is completely stopped. The cask 
 is then nearly filled, the fermentation of the whole 
 is checked, and the cider becomes fine. If, on 
 the first operation, the fermentation is not 
 checked, the process of racking is repeated until 
 it becomes so, and is continued from time to 
 time till the cider is in a quiet state and fit for 
 drinking. 
 
 CIDER, FRENCH.— After the fruit is 
 mashed in a mill, between iron cylinders, it is 
 allowed to remain in a large tun or tub for 14 or 
 15 hours, before pressing. The juice is placed 
 in casks, which are kept quite full, and so placed 
 upon gawntrees, or stillions, that small tubs may 
 be put under them, to receive the matter that 
 works over. At the end of 3 or 4 days for 
 sweet cider, and 9 or 10 days for strong cider, it 
 is racked into sulphured casks, and tlien stored 
 in a cool place. 
 
 CIDER, To Preserve and Keep Sweei.—\. To 
 one barrel of cider put in I lb. of mustard seed, 
 2 lb. of raisins, and ^ lb. of the sticks (bark) of 
 cinnamon. 
 
 2. When the cider in the barrel is in a lively 
 fermentation, add as much white sugar as will 
 be equal to a ^ or ^ of a pound to each gallon 
 of cider (according as the apples are sweet or 
 sour), let the fermentation proceed until the 
 liquid has the taste to suit, then add ^ of an 
 ounce of sulphite (not sulphate^ of lime to each 
 gallon of cider, shake well, and let it stand three 
 days, and bottle for use. The sulphite should 
 first be dissolved in a quart or so of cider before 
 introducing it into the barrel of cider. 
 
 3. When fermentation commences in one bar- 
 rel, draw off the liquor into another one — strain- 
 ing through a flannel cloth. Put into the cider 
 ^^ of an ounce of the oil of sassafras, and the 
 same of the oil of wintergreen — well shaken up 
 in a pint of alcohol. But one difficulty is said to 
 pertain to this preparation of cider. It is so 
 palatable that people won't keep it long. 
 
 4. Much of the excellence ot cider depends 
 upon the temperature at which the fermentation 
 is conducted, and is a point greatly overlooked 
 by the manufacturers of this liquor. As soon as 
 pressed from the fruit, it should be strained into 
 sulphured casks and placed in a cool situation 
 where the temperature does not exceed 50° Fah. 
 — if left in the heating sun much of the sugar is 
 converted into vinegar by the absorption of at- 
 mospheric oxygen, and thus the liquor becomes 
 acid and rough. Oa the contrary, if the fermen- 
 
WINES, LIQUORS AND VINEGAR, 
 
 373 
 
 tation be conducted at a low temperature, nearly 
 the whole of the sugar is converted into alcohol 
 and remains in the liquor instead of undergoing 
 the process of acetification. 
 
 The acetous fermentation of the conversion of 
 alcohol into vinegar proceeds most rapidly at a 
 temperature of ninety-five degrees Fidirenheit, 
 nnd at a lower temperature the action becomes 
 slower, until at 46^ Fah. no such change takes 
 place. Independently of differences in the quali- 
 ty of the fruit, this is the principal cause of the 
 superiority of the cider made by one person over 
 another, living in the same neighborhood. The 
 one has a cooler cellar or barn than the other to 
 store his cider in. 
 
 In practice it has been found tliat sour and 
 rough apples produce the best cider. This aris- 
 es because they contain less sugar and more malic 
 acid, and the presence of the latter impedes the 
 conversion of alcohol into vinegar, but cider 
 made with such apples can never equal in quality 
 that prepared at a low temperature from fruit 
 abounding in sugar, which, if properly strained 
 or racked at every indication of fermentation, will 
 keep good twenty years. 
 
 CIDER, To Keep Sweet and Sweeten -when 
 Sour. — To keep cider perfect, take a keg and 
 bore holes in the bottom of it; spread a piece of 
 ■woolen cloth at the bottom ; then fill with clean 
 sand closely packed; draw your cider from a 
 barrel just as fast as it will run through the sand; 
 after tliis, put it in clean barrels which have had 
 a piece of cotton or linen cloth 2 by 7 inches dip- 
 ped in melted sulphur and burned inside of them, 
 thereby absorbing the sulphur fumes (this pro- 
 cess will also sweeten sour cider) ; then keep it 
 in a cellar or room where there is no fire, and 
 add % lb. white mustard seed to each barrel. If 
 cider is long made, or souring when you get it, 
 about I qt. of hickory ashes (or a little more of 
 other hard wood ashes) stirred into each barrel 
 ■will sweeten and clarify it nearly equal to recti- 
 fying it as above; but if it is not rectified, it must 
 be racked off to get clear of the pomace, as, with 
 this in it, it will sour. Oil or whisky barrels are 
 best to put cider in, or % pint sweet oil to a bar- 
 rel, or a gallon of whisky to a barrel, or both, may 
 be added with decidedly good effects ; isinglass, 
 4 oz. to each barrel, helps to clarify and settle 
 cider that is not going to be rectified. 
 
 CIDER, WESTERN.— To one pound of su- 
 gar, add one half an ounce of tartaric acid, and 
 two tablespoonfuls of good yeast. Dissolve the 
 sugar in one quart of warm water ; put all in a 
 gallon jug; shake it well, fill the jug with pure 
 cold water, let it stand uncorked twelve hours, 
 and it is fit for use. 
 
 CLARET, BRITISH. — i. Cider (rough), 
 35 gallons ; red Cape, 45 gallons ; red tartar, dis- 
 solved, 1% pound. Mix well and fine. 
 
 2. Spirit, 5 gallons; cider, 50 gallons; red 
 Cape, 35 gallons; good Port, 15 gallons; red 
 tartar, dissolved, 2 pounds. Mix well and fine. 
 
 3. Cider, 50 gallons ; spirit, 7 gallons ; red 
 Cape, 42 gallons ; good Port, 5 gallons; red tartar, 
 2 pounds. Mix well and fine. 
 
 4. Red Cape or Port, 50 gallons ; cider, 50 gal- 
 Ions ; spirit, 10 gallons ; red tartar, 2 or 3 pounds. 
 Mix well and fine. 
 
 5. Six gallons of water, two gallons of cider, 
 and eight pounds of Malaga raisins, bruised; put 
 them all together, and let them stand closely co- 
 vered iu a warm place for a fortnight, stirring 
 
 them well every second day ; then strain out the 
 liquor into a clean cask, and put to it a quart of 
 barberries, a pint of the juice of raspberries, and 
 a pint of the juice of black cherries. Work it up 
 with a little mustard-seed, and cover the bung 
 with a piece of dough ; let it stand at the fireside 
 for four days; then bung it up, and let it remain 
 a week, and bottle it off. When it becomes fine 
 and ripe, it will drink like claret- 
 
 6. Rough Port, 50 gallons ; cider, 50 gallons ; 
 cream of tartar, 3 pounds; powdered catechu, 
 % pound; spirit, 4 gallons. Mix. Red Cape may 
 be used for Port. 
 
 CLARET CUP. — A bottle of light claret, 
 one of soda water, a wineglassful of powdered 
 sugar, a large glass of sherry, or small one of cu- 
 racoa, the rind of a lemon cut very thin, a few 
 slices of cucumber with the rind on, a sprig of 
 borage or mint, mix all well together, and ice it 
 by putting in six or eight lumps of clear ice the 
 size of an egg. 
 
 COLORING for LIQUORS.— TakQ 2 pounds 
 crushed or lump sugar, put it into a kettle that 
 will hold 4 to 6 quarts, with ^ tumbler of water. 
 Boil it until it is black, then take it off and cool 
 with water, stirring it as you put in the water. 
 
 COLORING for LIQUEURS. — Blue— Sul- 
 phate of indigo, nearly saturated with chalk. 
 
 Yellow — Infusion of safilowers in water. 
 
 Green — Equal parts of each of the above. 
 
 Red — Cochineal in small quantities. 
 
 Violet — Turnsole. 
 
 Fawn color — White sugar, and heat it until 
 of a proper color. 
 
 , Dark red or brandy color — Burnt sugar or 
 brandy coloring. 
 
 COOLING DRINK for Hot Weather. —A 
 delicious and slightly aperient effervescing citrate 
 of magnesia may be made by thoroughly mixing 
 3 ounces of powdered loaf sugar with 2 ounces 
 of powdered citric acid, then add |^ ounce of cal- 
 cined magnesia, I yi ounce of bicarbonate of soda, 
 and I yi ounce of tartaric acid. Pass the whole 
 thrice through a fine sieve, and then moisten it 
 with very strong alcohoL Granulate it by passing 
 it through a coarse sieve, and dry on a wooden 
 tray at a temperature of 50° C. When dry add 
 ten drops of essential oil of lemons, and then bot- 
 tle at once in clean dry bottles. • 1 
 
 CORDIAL, ANISETTE C40 Gals.) — Put 
 in a barrel 13 gals, alcohol, 75 per cent. Dis- 
 solve 2% oz. essence of green anise-seed in I gaL 
 95 per cent, alcohol, and add % gal. orange- 
 flower water, 8 or ten drops infusion mace, and 
 5 drops essence of cinnamon. Then put in the 
 barrel 26 gals, sugar syrup, 25 degrees Baume' ; 
 stir fifteen minutes, and let it rest four or five 
 days ; then filter. Add 2 or 3 sheets of filtering 
 paper. 
 
 CORDIAL, BLACKBERRY.— To one gaL 
 of blackberry juice add four pounds of white su- 
 gar ; boil and skim off, then add one ounce of 
 cloves, one ounce of cinnamon, ten grated nut- 
 megs, and boil down till quite rich ; then let it 
 cool and settle, afterward drain off, -and add one 
 pint of good brandy or whisky. 
 
 CORDIAL, CARA WA K— Take 8 gals, spi- 
 rit, 50 per cent. ; I oz. oil of caraway wliich you 
 dissolve in spirit 95 per cent.; 8 lbs. sugar; 8 lbs. 
 water. Dissolve your sugar in tlie water ; mix, 
 stir, and filter. 
 
 CORDIAL, CINNAMON— This, is seldom 
 made with cinnamon, but with either the essential 
 
574 
 
 DTCTIONARY OF E VERY-DA Y WANTS. 
 
 oil, or bark of cassia. It is preferred colored, 
 and therefore may be very well prepared by 
 simple digestion. If the oil be used, I dr. will 
 be found to be enough for 2 or3 gallons of spirit. 
 The addition of 2 or 3 drops each of essence of 
 lemon and orange peel, with about a spoonful of 
 essence of cardamoms to each gallon, will improve 
 it. Some persons add to the above quantity 
 
 1 drachm of cardamom seeds and I oz. each of 
 dried orange and lemon peel, l oz. of oil of cas- 
 sia is considered to be equal to 8 lbs. of the buds, 
 or bark. If wanted dark it may be colored with 
 burnt sugar. The quantity of sugar is l^ lb. to 
 the gallon. 
 
 CORDIAL, CITRON.— Xt&ovt rind of cit- 
 rons, 3 lbs. ; orange peel, I lb. ; nutmegs bruised, 
 
 2 oz. ; proof spirit, 13 gallons; distill or macerate, 
 add water sufficient, and 2 lbs. of fine lump sugar, 
 for every gallon of the cordial. 
 
 CORDIAL, CZOr^.— Bruised cloves i oz., 
 or essential oil i dr., to every 4 gallons of proof 
 spirit. If distilled it should be drawn over with 
 a pretty quick fire. It is preferred of a very deep 
 color, and is therefore strongly colored with 
 poppy-flowers or cochineal, or more commonly 
 with brandy coloring, or red sanders wood. It 
 should have 3 lbs. of sugar to the gallon, and 
 this need not be very fine. The addition of 
 I drachm of bruised pimento, or 5 drops of the 
 oil for every ounce of doves, improves this 
 cordial. 
 
 CORDIAL, CORIANDER.— \ lb. of corian- 
 der seeds ; I oz. of caraways, and the peel and 
 juice of I orange to every 3 gallons of proof 
 spirit. 
 
 CORDIAL, CURA CO A. —Essence of bitter 
 oranges, 2 oz. ; ess. of neroli, 2 oz. ; ess. of cin- 
 namon, ^ oz. ; 3 drs. mace, infused in alcohol. 
 Dissolve the above essences in i gal. alcohol, 
 95 per cent. ; then put in a clean barrel 13 gals, 
 alcohol, 85 per cent. ; 26 gals, sugar syrup, 30 
 degrees Baum^ ; and add i gal. perfumed spirit 
 as above. Color with saffron or turmeric. 
 
 CORDIAL, GINGER.— YicV one pound of 
 large white currants from their stalks, lay them 
 in a basin, and strew over them the rind of an 
 orange and a lemon cut very thin, or half a tea- 
 spoonful of essence of lemon, and one ounce and 
 a half of the best ground ginger and a quart of 
 good whisky. Let all lie for twenty-four hours. 
 If it tastes strong of the ginger, then strain it ; 
 if not, let it lie for twelve hours longer. To 
 every quart of strained juice add one pound of 
 loaf sugar pounded ; when the sugar is quite dis- 
 solved and the liqueur appears clear, bottle it. 
 This cordial is also extremely good made with 
 raspberries instead of currants. 
 
 CORDIAL, NOYAU. — "Simch and pound 
 very fine two pounds of the best bitter and half 
 a pound of sweet almonds. Add the thinly pared 
 rinds of two lemons, and three tablespoonfuls of 
 boiled milk which has become cold, put all to- 
 gether into a jar, and add two quarts of old 
 whisky, cork up the jar, and let it stand for six 
 weeks, shaking the jar every day. At the end of 
 that time strain the liquor, and to every quart 
 add three pints of clarified syrup, and filter 
 through blotting-paper. The almonds that are 
 strained from the liquor make a nice flavoring 
 for puddings, by putting them into a wide- 
 mouthed bottle and pouring whisky over them. 
 
 CORDIAL, PEPPERMINT.— To make 
 peppermint cordial take thirteen gallons of recti- 
 
 fied spirits, one in five under hydrometer proof, 
 twelve pounds of loaf sugar, one pint of spirits of 
 wine that will fire gunpowder, fifteen penny- 
 weights of oil of peppermint, and as much water 
 as xnA fill up the cask, which should be set on 
 end ; after the whole has been well mixed this 
 will make twenty gallons. 
 
 CORDIAL, Strawberry or Raspberry. — Sugar 
 down the berries overnight, using more sugar 
 than you would for the table, about half as much 
 again. In the morning lay them in a hair sieve 
 over the basin ; let them remain until evening, 
 so as to thoroughly drain ; then put the juice in 
 a thick flannel bag ; let it drain all night, being 
 careful not to squeeze it, as that takes out the 
 brightness and clearness. All this should be 
 done in a cool cellar, or it will be apt to sour. 
 Add brandy in proportion of one-third the quan- 
 tity of juice, and as much more sugar as the taste 
 demands. Bottle it tightly. It will keep six or 
 eight years, and is better at last than at first. 
 
 CREAM NECTAR.— I&rtmc acid, i ounce; 
 cream of tartar, i ounce; white sugar, 1}^ pounds; 
 water, 1 pint; the whites of two eggs, well 
 beaten ; one tablespoonful of wheat flour. Put 
 all the above articles in a tin dish, and heat it — 
 but not to the boiling point — and then add a drop 
 of good oil of lemon, or any other flavor you 
 choose, and then you have the syrup. Directions 
 for Using. — Take a glass two-thirds full of wa- 
 ter, add 3 tablespoonfuls of the syrup, and as 
 much soda as you can place on a dime. This 
 makes a cool and refreshing drink in hot weather. 
 
 CREAM .SCZJyi.— Loaf sugar ten lbs., wa- 
 ter 3 gals. ; warm gradually so as not to burn ; 
 good rich cream, 2 quarts; extract vanilla, l^ 
 ounce; extract nutmeg, % ounce; tartaric acid, 
 4 ounces. Just bring to a boiling heat ; for, if 
 you cook it any length of time, it will crystallize ; 
 use 4 or 5 spoonfuls of this syrup instead of three, 
 as in other syrups ; put % teaspoonful of soda to 
 a glass ; if used without a fountain. For charged 
 fountains no acid is used. 
 
 CURRANT ICE WATER.— Tress the juice 
 from ripe currants, strain it, and put a pound of 
 sugar to each pint of juice. Put it into bottles, 
 cork and seal it, and keep it in a cool, dry place. 
 When wanted, mix it with ice water for a drink ; 
 or put water with it, make it very sweet, and 
 freeze it. Freezing takes away much of the 
 sweetness. The juices of other acid fruits may 
 be used in the same way. 
 
 EFFERVESCING FRUIT DRINKS.— 
 Very fine drinks are prepared by putting straw- 
 berries, raspberries, or blackberries, into good 
 vinegar, and then drawing it off, and adding a 
 new supply of fruit, till enough flavor is secured. 
 Keep the vinegar bottled, and in hot weather use 
 it thus : Dissolve yi a teaspoonful, or less, of 
 saleratus, or soda, in a tumbler (very little wa- 
 ter), till the lumps are all out Then fill the 
 tumbler two-thirds full of water, and add the 
 fruit vinegar. If several persons are to drink, 
 put the fruit vinegar into each tumbler, and dis- 
 solve the soda in a pitcher, and pour into the 
 tumblers as each person is ready to drink; delay 
 spoils it. 
 
 ETHER, BUTRIC.—Thh is much used to 
 impart a pineapple flavor to rum. Dissolved in 
 8 or 10 parts of alcohol it forms the pineapple 
 essence. From 20 to 25 drops of this essence, 
 added to I lb. sugar containing a little citric acid, 
 imparts to the mixture a strong taste of pineapple. 
 
WINES, LIQUORS AND VINEGAR. 
 
 575 
 
 ETHER, A A/ VLO- ACE TIC— This is a 
 preparation of fruit oil and other ingredients, 
 and when diluted with alcohol, it is sold as es- 
 sence of jargonelle pear, and is used for flavor- 
 ing different liquors. Fifteen parts amylo-acetic 
 ether, with half a part of acetic ether, dissolved 
 in lOO parts of alcohol, form what may be called 
 the bergamot pear essence, which, when em- 
 ployed to flavor sugar, acidulated with a little 
 citric add, imparts the odor of the bergamot 
 pear, and a fruity, refreshing taste. 
 
 ETHER, FELARGONIC—TYiis has the 
 agreeable odor of the quince, and when dissolved 
 in alcohol in due proportion, forms the quince 
 essence. 
 
 ETHER, AMLITJC—iSamc as amylo eth- 
 er) mixed with butyric ether, forms in alcoholic 
 solution the banana essence. 
 
 ETHER, AMVLIC.—Axx alcoholic solution 
 of this ether in the proportion of i part to 6 or 8 
 of alcohol forms a flavoring liquid under the 
 name of apple essence. 
 
 FINING FOlF£>ER.—Take eggs, any 
 quantity ; beat them to a froth, and expose them 
 to a gentle heat or in the sun to dry, then pow- 
 der. In some cases a little fine wheat flour is 
 added, the paste made into balls, and dried in 
 the sun, or a warm room, and then powdered. 
 Used for all the purposes of fresh eggs by solu- 
 tion in cold water. 
 
 FREEZING PREPARA TYCA''.— Common 
 sal-ammoniac, well pulverized, i part, saltpetre 
 2 parts ; mix well together. Then take common 
 soda, well pulverized. To use, take equal quanti- 
 ties of these preparations (which must be kept 
 separate and well covered previous to using) and 
 put them in the freezing pot ; add of water a 
 proper quantity, and put in the article to be 
 frozen in a proper vessel ; cover up, and your 
 wants will soon be supplied. For freezing cream 
 or wines this can't be beat. 
 
 GIN. — Take lOO gallons of clean, rectified 
 spirits ; add, after you have killed the oils well, 
 I^ oz. of the oil of English juniper, % ounce of 
 angelica essence, ^ oz. of the oil bitter almonds, 
 y^ oz. of the oil of coriander, and }4 oz. of the 
 oil of caraway ; put this into the rectified spirit 
 and well rurnmage it up : this is what the recti- 
 fiers call strong gin. 
 
 To make this up, as it is called by the trade, 
 add 45 lbs. of loaf-sugar, dissolved; then rum- 
 mage the whole well up together with 4 oz. of 
 roche alum. For finings, there may be added 2 
 oz. of salts of tartar. 
 
 GIN, CORDIAL.— Oi the oil of bitter al- 
 monds, vitriol, turpentine, and juniper, ^ a 
 drachm each, kill the oils in spirits of wine; 15 
 gallons of clean, rectified proof-spirits, to which 
 add I drachm of coriander seeds, i drachm of 
 pulverized orris root, ^ pint of elder-flower wa- 
 ter, with 10 lbs. of sugar and 5 gals, of water or 
 liquor. 
 
 GIN, ENGLISH.— VXam malt spirit, 100 
 gals.; spirits of turpentine, I pint; bay salt, 7 
 lbs. Mix and distill. The difference in the flavor 
 of gin is produced b^ varying the proportion of 
 turpentine, and by occasionally adding a small 
 quantity of juniper berries. 
 
 GIN, HOLLAND.— To 40 gals, of neutral 
 spirits, add 2 ounces spirits nitre; 4 lbs. of loaf 
 sugar ; I oz. oil juniper ; y^ ounce oil caraway. 
 The juniper and ciraway to be first cut in a 
 quart of alcohol ; stand 24 hours. 
 
 GIN, HOLLAND ( To Reduce).— To 25 gals, 
 pure Holland gin, add 25 gallons pure French 
 spirit; ^ gallon of white sugar syrup; mix thor- 
 oughly. 
 
 GINGER POP.—\. Crushed white sugar 28 
 lbs., water 30 gals., yeast i pint, powdered gin- 
 ger (best) I lb,, essence of lemon ^ oz., essence 
 of cloves j^ oz. To the ginger pour half a gal- 
 lon of boiling water and let it stand 15 or 20 
 minutes. Dissolve the sugar in 2 gals, of warm 
 water, pour both into a barrel half filled with 
 cold water, then add the essence and the yeast ; 
 let it stand half an hour, then fill up with cold 
 water. Let it ferment 6 to 12 hours, and bot- 
 Ue. 
 
 2. One and a half ounces of the best ground 
 Jamaica ginger, i oz. of cream of tartar, i lb. of 
 sugar, and 2 sliced lemons ; to all of which add 
 4 quarts of boiling water, and yi pint of yeast ; 
 let it ferment for 24 hours, strain and bottle it. 
 In a week or two it will be ready for use. 
 
 3. Water 5^ gals.; ginger root, bruised, ]^ 
 lb.; tartaric acid /^ oz.; white sugar 2j^ lbs.; 
 whites of 3 eggs, well beaten ; lemon oil i tea- 
 spoon; yeast i gill. Boil the root for 30 minutes 
 in I gal. of the water, strain off, and put the oil 
 in while hot; mix. Make over night, and in the 
 morning skim and bottle, keeping out sedi- 
 ments. 
 
 HOPS, To Choose. — Put them between the 
 fingers or the palms of the hand, and if good, a 
 rich glutinous substance will be felt, with a fra- 
 grant smell, and a fine yellow dust will appear. 
 The best color is a fine olive gieen, but if too 
 green, and the seeds are small and shriveled, 
 they have been picked too soon and will be defi- 
 cient in flavor. If of a dusty brown color, they 
 were picked too late, and should not be chosen. 
 When a year old, they are considered as losing 
 one-fourth in strength. 
 
 LEMONADE.— \\'V\iQ^ sugar l lb.; tartaric 
 acid ^ oz.; essence of lemon 30 drops; water 3 
 quarts. Mix. 
 
 LEMONADE, ITALIAN— Y^xt: and press 
 2 doz. lemons; pour the juice on the peels, and 
 let it remain on them all night ; in the morning 
 add 2 lbs. of loaf sugar, a quart of good sherry, 
 and 3 quarts of boiling water. Mix well, add a 
 quart of boiling milk, and strain it through a 
 jelly-bag till clear. 
 
 LEMONADE, MILK.—Th.z juice of seven 
 lemons, half a pint of sherr)*, % of a pound of 
 white sugar, and a quart of boiling water ; mix, 
 and when cold add a pint of boiling milk ; let it 
 stand for some hours, then strain clear through 
 a jelly-bag, and ice. This is always better if 
 made the day before it is required. 
 
 LEMONADE, PORTABLE. — i. Mix 
 strained lemon juice with loaf sugar, in the pro- 
 portion of 4 large lemons to a pound, or as much 
 as it will hold in solution ; grate the rind of the 
 lemons into this, and preserve the mixture in a 
 jar. If this is too sweet, add a httle citric acid. 
 Use a tablespoonful to a tumbler of water. 
 
 2. Tartaric acid, one-half ounce ; loaf sugar, 
 three ounces ; essence of lemon, one-half drachm. 
 Powder the acid and sugar; mix them and pour 
 the essence of lemon upon them, a few drofis at 
 a time ; when all is mixed, divide into twelve 
 equal parts, and put them in white paper, like 
 powders. When wanted, dissolve one in a 
 tumbler of water, and lemonade will be tlie re- 
 sult. 
 
376 
 
 DICTIONARY OF E VERY-DAY WANTS. 
 
 LEMONADE, EFFERVESCING.— Take 
 powdered white sugar, i pound ; bicarbonate of 
 soda, ^ pound; essence of lemon, \% drachms. 
 Mix and divide it into six dozen papers. 
 
 Tartaric or citric acid, 5 ounces. Divided into 
 the same number of papers. 
 
 The granulated effervescent powders found in 
 the market are made in the following way: — A 
 clean iron or copper pan is heated over a slow 
 fire, and the mixture of finely pulverized sugar 
 and citric acid put in and well stirred, until it 
 commences to cake, without of course changing 
 its color ; the pan is then taken from the fire and 
 the bicarbonate of soda stirred into the mixture, 
 until it is uniformly distributed through the 
 mass, when the whole is pressed through a coarse 
 sieve, and the granules exposed to the air for a 
 little while to harden. They are then ready for 
 bottling. A tablespoonful of this put in a glass 
 of water will dissolve almost instantaneously, 
 producing a good lemonade. 
 
 MEAD. — The following is a good receipt for 
 mead : — On twenty pounds of honey pour five 
 gallons of boiling water ; boil, and remove the 
 scum as it rises ; add one ounce of best hops, and 
 boil for ten minutes ; then put the liquor into a 
 tub to cool ; when all but cold add a little yeast 
 spread upon a slice of toasted bread ; let it stand 
 in a warm room. When fermentation is finished, 
 bung it down, leaving a peg-hole which can after- 
 wards be closed, and in less than a year it will 
 be fit to bottle. 
 -? MEAD, SARSAPARILLA. — i pound of 
 Spanish sarsaparilla ; boil 5 hours, so as to strain 
 off 2 gallons; add 16 pounds of sugar, and 10 oz. 
 of tartaric acid. Half a wineglass of syrup to 
 half pint tumbler of water, and one half teaspoon- 
 ful of soda water, is a fair proportion for a drink. 
 
 METHEGLIN—TsWx one and a half barrels 
 of water with as much honey as will cause an egg 
 to rise a little above the water; then boil the 
 mixture to one barrel, skimming off the surface. 
 It will be a fine red or wine color, and clear; then 
 remove from the fire, and when cold, put it into 
 a barrel, leaving the bung-hole open for several 
 days, until fermentation be over; then stop it 
 close, and put into a cold cellar. 
 
 NECTAR, CREAM. — Part ist; take one 
 gallon water, 6 lbs. loaf sugar, 6 oz. tartaric acid, 
 gum arable I oz. Part 2d ; 4 teaspoonfuls of flour, 
 the whites of 4 eggs beat finely together ; then 
 add yi pint water; when the first part is blood 
 warm put in the 2d, boil 3 minutes, and it is done. 
 Directions : 3 tablespoonfuls of the syrup to a 
 glass half or two-thirds full of water, add ^ tea- 
 spoonful of carljonate of soda made fine; stir well 
 and drink at y<Ar leisure. 
 
 ORANGEADE. — Squeeze the juice of seven 
 good oranges, peel three of them, and pour boil- 
 ing water over the peel, cover it close till cold, 
 boil water and sugar together to a thin syrup, 
 skim carefully; when all are cold, mix the juice, 
 the infusion, and the syrup well together, with as 
 much more water as will make a rich drink, 
 strain through a jelly-bag, add a large glass of 
 pale brandy, and ice it well with lumps of clear 
 ice. 
 
 ORGEA T. — Boil two quarts of milk with a 
 stick of cinnamon, and let it stand to be quite cold, 
 taking out the cinnamon. Blanch four ounces of 
 the best sweet almonds ; pound them well (in a 
 marble mortar) with a little rose water ; mix them 
 well with the milk; sweeten to your taste; let it 
 
 boil again for a few minutes ; strain through a 
 fine sieve till quite smooth and free from almonds. 
 Serve either cold or warm, in handled glasses. 
 
 PORTER. — Pale malt, 8 quarters ; amber 
 malt, 6 quarters ; brown malt, 2 quarters. Mash 
 it twice, with 55 and 48 barrels of water, then 
 boil with Kent hops, one cwt., and set with yeast, 
 10 gallons ; salt, 7 pounds ; flour, 2 pounds. 
 Twenty barrels of good table beer may be had. 
 from the grains. If deficient in color, add burnt 
 malt. 
 
 PORTER, For Bottling.— Vz\e malt, 5 quar- 
 ters ; amber malt, 3 quarters ; brown malt, 2 
 quarters; burnt malt to color if required. Mash 
 with twenty-four, fourteen and eleven barrels of 
 water, then boil with Kent hops, one cwt., and 
 set with yeast, 7 gallons; salt, 3 pounds. Mash 
 the grains for table beer. 
 
 PORTER, To Bottle.— 1. Choose clear weath- 
 er, if possible. 
 
 2. Leave the bung out of the cask all night, 
 
 3. Fill your bottles, then throw sheets of paper 
 over them to keep out the dust, and let them 
 stand for twenty-four hours, then cork and wire. 
 
 4. Pack them away in a cool place. 
 
 If for exportation to a hot climate, the bung 
 must be left out of the cask for twenty-four 
 hours, and the bottles must not be corked for at 
 least three days. If for immediate use, we may 
 ripen it in two or three days, by adding a small 
 piece of sugar to each bottle before corking. 
 
 PUNCH. — Water, 3 gals. ; tartaric acid, 4 oz.> 
 or to taste; lump sugar, to sweeten; brandy, 3 
 pints ; rum, 3 pmts. The peels of three lemons 
 grated, essence of lemon to flavor ; rub the es- 
 sence with a little lump sugar in a mortar, adding 
 a little of the spirit. 
 
 PUNCH, MILK. — Yellow rinds of 2 dozen 
 lemons; steep two days in two quarts of brandy; 
 add spirits, 3qts. ; hot water, 2qts.; lemon juice, 
 I qt.; loaf sugar, 4 lbs.; boiling milk, 2 qts.; 2 
 nutmegs grated; mix, and in two hours strain 
 through wool. 
 
 RA TAFIA. — Ratafia may be made with the 
 juice of any fruit. Take 3 gals, cherry juice, 
 and 4 lbs. sugar, which you dissolve in the juice; 
 steep in 2^ gals, brandy ten days; 2 drs. cinna- 
 mon; 24 cloves; 16 oz. peach-leaves; 8 oz. bruised 
 cherry kernels. Filter, mix both liquids, and 
 filter again. 
 
 RUM, JAMAICA.— i. To 24 gallons New- 
 England rum, add 5 gallons Jamaica rum ; 2 oz. 
 btityric ether ; ^ ounce oil of caraway, cut with 
 alcohol, 95 per cent. Color with sugar coloring. 
 
 2. To 36 gallons pure spirits, add i gallon 
 Jamaica rum ; 3 ounces butyric ether ; 3 ounces 
 acetic ether; Vz gallon sugar syrup. Mix the 
 ethers and acici with the Jamaica rum, and stir it 
 well in the spirit. Color with burnt sugar 
 coloring. 
 
 RUM, PINE-APPLE.— 10 50 gallons rum, 
 made by the fruit method, add 25 pine-apples 
 sliced, and 8 pounds white sugar. Let it stand 
 two weeks before drawing ofl. 
 
 RUM, SANTA CRUZ.— To 50 gallons pure 
 proof spirit, add 5 galloifs Santa Crgz rum ; 5 
 pounds refined sugar, in ^ gallon water; 3 ounces 
 butyric acid; 2 ounces acetic ether. Color if ne- 
 cessary. 
 
 RUM, ST. CROIX.— To 40 gallons p. or n. 
 spirits, add 2 gallons St. Croix rum ; 2 ounces 
 acetic acid; l^ ounce butyric acid; 3 pounds 
 loaf sugar. . . . -- - 
 
WINES, LIQUORS AND VINEGAR. 
 
 377 
 
 RUM SHRUB.— T^iviTinc acid, 5 lbs.; pale 
 sugar, 100 lbs.; oil lemon, 4 drs. ; oil orange, 
 
 4 drs. ; put them into a large cask (80 gals. ) 
 and add water, 10 gals. Rummage till the acid 
 and sugar are dissolved, then add rum (proof), 
 20 gals.; water to make up 55 gals, in all ; col- 
 oring I quart or more. Fine with 12 eggs. The 
 addition of 12 sliced oranges will improve the 
 flavor. 
 
 SALINE DRAUGHT.— Tzke 20 grains of 
 carbonate of soda, and an equal quantity of white 
 sugar, 25 grains of either lemon or tartaric acid ; 
 mix this in 2 glasses of water, as usual. If you 
 substitute half a lemon for the acid, it will be a 
 still more delicious draught and very refreshing 
 in hot weather, or when feverish. 
 
 SCHIEDAM SCHNAPPS, To Imitate.— 
 To 25 gals, good common gin, 5 over proof, add 
 15 pints strained honey; 2 gals, clear water; 
 
 5 pints white-sugar syrup ; 5 pints spirit of 
 nutmegs mixed with the nitric ether ; 5 pints 
 orange-flower water ; 7 quarts pure water ; i 
 ounce acetic ether; 8 drops oil of wintergreen, 
 dissolved with the acetic ether. Mix all the in- 
 gredients well; if necessary, fine with alum and 
 salt of tartar. 
 
 SHERBET.— BoW in 3 pints of water 6 or 8 
 stalks of green rhubarb, and 4 oz. of raisins or 
 figs ; when the water has boiled about half an 
 hour, • strain it, and mix it with a teaspoonful of 
 rose water, and orange or lemon syrup to the 
 taste. Drink it cold. 
 
 SHERBET, LEMON— T>is%o\xQ 1% lbs. 
 of loaf sugar in I quart of water; add the juice 
 of 10 lemons ; press the lemons so as to extract 
 both the juice and the oil of the rind, and let the 
 peel remain a while in the water and sugar. 
 Strain through a sieve, and freeze like ice 
 cream. 
 
 SHERBET, ORANGE.— Take the juice of 
 1 dozen oranges, and pour I pint of boiling wa- 
 ter on the peel, and let it stand, covered, half an 
 hour. Boil I lb. of loaf sugar in I pint of water, 
 skim, and then add the juice and the water from 
 the peel to the sugar. Strain and cool, or freeze 
 it. The juice of 2, and a little more sugar, im- 
 proves it. 
 
 SHERBET, PERSIAN— Pulyerized sugar 
 1 lb.; super-carbonate of soda 4 ounces; tartaric 
 acid 3 oz.; put all the articles into the stove oven 
 when moderately warm, being separate, upon 
 paper or plates ; let them remain sufficiently long 
 to dry out all dampness absorbed from the aii* 
 then rub about 40 drops of lemon oil, (or if pre- 
 ferred any other flavored oil, ) thoroughly with 
 the sugar in a mortar — wedge-wood is the best — 
 then add the soda and acid, and continue the 
 rubbing until all are thoroughly mixed. 
 
 SUMMER DRINKS.— The first, thelsest, 
 because the safest for laborers, invalids, the 
 sedentary, for all classes, at all times of the day 
 and night, is half a glass at a time, repeated in 
 10 minutes if desired, of common cold water, at 
 the temperature of the spring, or well, or reser- 
 voir, or cistern. Ice water is more palatable, 
 but very often kills. 
 
 Any drink which contains alcohol, even cider, 
 root beer, or domestic cordials — all are not only 
 not harmless, but are positively injurious, be- 
 cause the atom of alcohol, by using the strength 
 of the next minute for the present, leaves the 
 system that next minute just that much weaker 
 than it would have been had not that atom of 
 
 alcohol been taken; this is the case, because that 
 atom of alcohol has not one particle of nutriment, 
 hence cannot supply the system with one single 
 atom of strength. 
 
 If anything is added to the summer drink, it 
 should contain some nutriment, so as to strength- — 
 en the body, as well as to dilute the blood for 
 purposes of a more easy flow through the system, 
 as any one knows that the thinner the fluid is, 
 the more easily does it flow. Some of the more 
 nutritious and safe drinks are given below, espe- 
 cially for those who drink in the sun of simimer, 
 all to be taken at the natural temperature of the 
 shadiest spot in the locality. 
 
 To any of them ice may be added, but it is a 
 luxurious, not a beneficial ingredient, nor a safe 
 one. 
 
 1. Buttermilk. 
 
 2. A pint of molasses to a gallon of water. 
 
 3. A lemon to a half a gallon of water, and a 
 teacupful of molasses,*or as much sugar. 
 
 4. Vinegar, sugar and water are substitutes, 
 but the vinegar is not a natural acid, contains 
 free alcohol, hence is not as safe or healthful. ( 
 
 5. A thin gruel made of corn or oats, is 
 strengthening. 
 
 6. A pint of grapes, currants, or garden ber- 
 ries to a half gallon of water is agreeable. 
 
 Cold water applied to the head is very refresh- 
 ing to harvesters. Wading in water abates thirst. 
 Persons cast away at sea will suffer less from 
 thirst, if the clothing is kept wringing wet with 
 salt water. A piece of silk fitted in the hat is a \ 
 great protection to the head against sun heat ; it 
 is an absolute protection if one side is well cov- 
 ered with gold leaf. As there is always a space 
 between the top of the head and crown of the 
 hat, hatters should practice this idea. 
 
 SYRUP, BLACA'BERR V. —Blackherry 
 juice, I pint; clarified sugar, 2j4 lbs.; brandy or 
 whisky, ^ glass. Dissolve the sugar by the aid 
 of heat in the juice, and when cold add the spirit. 
 SYRUP, Aromatic Blackberry. — The aromatic 
 blackberry syrup is made by taking aromatic 
 syrup instead of clarified sugar. The former 
 is made in the following way : Refined sugar, 
 5 pounds ; water, 2 pints ; bruised ginger, I 
 ounce; cloves, yi oz.; calamus root, % oz.; nut- 
 megs, I oz.; boil for 2 hours the ginger, cloves, 
 calamus, and nutmegs in the water, strain, and 
 dissolve the sugar, and when near cold add oil 
 of bitter almonds, 4 drops; essence of cinnamon, 
 15 drops; essence of nutmegs, i tablespoonful; 
 essence of lemon, 20 drops. Stir the whole well 
 until the oils are perfectly dissolved. 
 
 SYRUPS, To Color.— Powder cochineal I oz.; 
 soft water i pint ; boil the cochineal in the wa- 
 ter for a few minutes, using a copper kettle; 
 while boiling, add 30 grains of powdered alum, 
 and I dr. of cream of tartar; when the coloring 
 matter is all out of the cochineal, remove it from 
 the fire, and when a little cool, strain, bottle, 
 and set aside for use. 
 
 SYRUP, LEMON — Coffee sugar, 3 lbs.; 
 water, l>^ pints; dissolve by gentle heat, and 
 add citric acid 3 oz., and flavor with oil or ex- 
 tract of lemon. Or take citric acid in powder % 
 oz.; oil of lemon 4 drops ; simple syrup i quart. 
 Rub the acid and oil in 3 or 4 spoons of the 
 syrup, then add the mixture to the remainder, 
 and dissolve with gentle heat. 
 
 SYRUP, Imitation Lemon. — Four ounces of 
 tartaric acid, powdered; 2 drachms of oil of lem- 
 
378 
 
 DICTIONARY OF EVERY-DAY WANTS. 
 
 on. This can be kept in a vial for a month, and 
 then must be renewed, A tablespoonful, put 
 into water sweetened with white sugar, makes 
 six glasses of lemonade. 
 
 SYRUP, RASPBERRY.— Tske orris root, 
 bruised, any quantity, say % lb., and just hand- 
 somely cover it with dilute alcohol, (76 per cent, 
 alcohol, and water, equal quantities,) so that it 
 cannot be made any stronger of the root. 
 
 SYRUP, SARSAPARILLA. —To simple 
 syrup add 10 drops oil of anise ; 20 drops oil of 
 wintergreen ; 20 drops oil of sassafras, and 6 oz. 
 of caramel or coloring to the gallon. Before the 
 oils are added to the syrup, they should be cut 
 by grinding them in a mortar with as much sugar 
 as they will moisten, or mix with a small quantity 
 of alcohol. 
 
 SYRUP, SODA.— The common or more wa- 
 tery syrups are made by using loaf or crushed 
 sugar, 8 pounds; pure water, I gallon; gum 
 arable, 2 ounces ; mix in a brass or copper kettle; 
 boil until the gum is dissolved, then skim and 
 strain through white flannel, after which add 
 tartaric acid, 5^ ounces, dissolved in hot water; 
 to flavor, use extract of lemon, orange, rose, 
 pineapple, peach, sarsaparilla, strawberry, etc., 
 }4 ounce to each bottle, or to your taste. 
 
 SYRUP, FA A' ILL A. —To simple syrup add 
 ^ oz. of extract of vanilla to the gallon. 
 
 TEARS of the Widow of Maladar.— Tlain 
 spirit at 18" B. 5 quarts; bruised cloves J4 oz. ; 
 bruised mace 48 grs. ; digest in a corked carboy 
 for a week, add burnt sugar to impart a slight 
 color, filter, and add white sugar 4^ lbs. ; dis- 
 solved in distilled or filtered rain water j4 gallon; 
 some add 2 or 3 oz. of orange flower water. A 
 pleasant liquor. 
 
 VINEGAR, To Make— \. Make a box about 
 three and a half by three feet, and seven feet 
 long, with one side hung on hinges so that it can 
 be opened and shut. Inside of this box, on 
 cleats to hold them, fit shelves the size of the in- 
 side of the box ; the shelves are to be about one 
 and a half inches apart. On the upper side of 
 these shelves gouge out channels with a one and 
 a half inch chisel or gouge, a half or three-quar- 
 ters of an inch deep, running from one end to 
 the other (nearly), then turn and come back to 
 (riearly) the other end, about six inches from the 
 last channel made, and so continue until the up- 
 per side is covered with channels running^ from 
 end to end. There should be cleats fastened to 
 the under side of the shelf to prevent the shelf 
 from warping; the cleats are put on with screws. 
 The channels must be made slightly slanting. 
 At the end of the last channel made bore a 
 three-quarter inch hole. In this hole place a 
 short wooden tube, so that when the cider ar- 
 rives here it will fall through and into the com- 
 mencement of the first channel in the next shelf 
 below. All these shelves are made alike. The 
 shelves must, of course, slant from side to side, 
 and about two inches is the right slant ; that is 
 to say, one side of the shelf must be two inches 
 lower than the other. One shelf must slant one 
 ■way, and the one next below must slant the other 
 way. Under the hole in the last channel of the 
 bottom shelf, place a barrel or hogshead to catch 
 the vinegar as it falls through the tube. Now 
 bore a one inch hole in the bottom of the box, 
 at one end, not into a channel, but so the vine- 
 gar cannot run out. Now in the other end of 
 the first or lowest shelf, bore a one inch hole 
 
 near one corner, then in the next shelf above in 
 the opposite end and corner, bore another like 
 hole, and so continue until each shelf has such a 
 hole bored through it, and of course you will 
 want a hole in the top of the box. These holes 
 are for a draft of air to circulate through the box, 
 and as the air in the box is warmer than the air 
 in the room there will of course be a draft of air 
 through the box. The cider or other mixture 
 heats itself in passing through. 
 
 To commence making vinegar, have your box 
 or maker in some small room where you can 
 have a fire and keep the temperature about 90*^ 
 or 95° Fah. Have a barrel, or tub, or hogshead 
 placed a little higher than the box and near the 
 end where the first channel commences in the 
 top shelf; in this tub or hogshead have a faucet 
 so that you can regulate the amount of cider or 
 mixture running. Your mixtures ought to be 
 warmed to about 90 or 95 degrees. A few gal- 
 lons or a half barrel of good strong vinegar 
 should be run through first, so that the shelves 
 will be well soured before letting other mixtures 
 run through. It is a good idea to add one-third 
 or one-fourth of good vinegar to any mixture of 
 cider before allowing it to run through the maker. 
 Then open the faucet so that a stream not larger 
 than a straw shall fall into the commencement of 
 the first channel in the top shelf, and when it 
 falls through the last hole and into the barrel 
 below the maker, you will find it is good, strong, 
 and pure vinegar. This I believe to be the best 
 and simplest way to make vinegar quickly yet 
 discovered. The side hung on hinges should be 
 kept closed while making and should shut tight. 
 The outside box can be put together with nails, 
 being careful to expose none to the action of the 
 vinegar inside of the box. Do not use any nails 
 or iron in putting in the shelves, etc., as if you 
 do, you will have ink instead of vinegar. All 
 fastenings must be made of wood pegs in place 
 of nails, etc., etc. Of course, when once started, 
 you will make vinegar night and day until 
 through making. 
 
 If you do not intend to make any great amount 
 of vinegar it would probably be best for you to 
 make it with shavings, which you can get at the 
 planing mills cheaply or for nothing. If not near 
 a mill they can be made quickly by hand. 
 
 To make molasses vinegar, take any amount 
 of water, and for every ten gallons used add one 
 of molasses and a little yeast, and let it ferment. 
 After done working let it run through the maker. 
 If you want something very strong use two gal- 
 lons, instead of one, for every ten gallons of wa- 
 ter. Sorghum vinegar is made the same. 
 
 2. As my object is to give full practical direc- 
 tions to manufacture vinegar from cider and other 
 alcoholic solutions, in the quickest possible time, 
 I shall do so by using the fewest words I can, 
 and give directions that all may understand. In 
 the first place it is necessary that the cider should 
 have passed through the first fermentation or got 
 through working — the longer you let it stand 
 after fermentation the better for the resulting 
 vinegar — then get four hogsheads, remove three 
 of the heads from two of the same, leave in the 
 head that is the least likely to leak, then get four 
 sticks, one and a half inches in diameter or there- 
 about, and one foot long ; make a sort of table or 
 frame-work just large enough to go inside the 
 hogshead, and place it in the same ; now lay 
 across this frame-work sticks or boards, they need 
 
WINES, LIQUORS AND VINEGAR. 
 
 379 
 
 not be tight together, but perhaps half an inch 
 apart, so as to let the air go up through ; now fill 
 the hogshead with shavings from some hard 
 wood (birch, or maple, or beech is best), then 
 take one of the hogsheads that has no head in 
 and shave off one end so as to fit into the hogs- 
 head just filled, one or tvi'o inches ; then place it 
 on top of the other hogshead, the same standing 
 on one end, and fill this one to within about eight 
 inches of the top with shavings. The shavings 
 are merely poured into the stands from baskets ; 
 they are not to be pressed or pounded down, as 
 it is very important that they should lay in the 
 stands loosely, so as to allow the air to circulate 
 up through all parts of the stands ; then get a 
 wooden hoop, one that came off from one of the 
 hogsheads, and place it inside of the last hogs- 
 head filled, about eight inches from the top, and 
 fasten it with wooden pegs ; then get some good 
 boards, matched are best, and cut out a head 
 that will fit on the hoop just put in, and cork it 
 tight with rags or cotton; then bore about fifty 
 holes in the head not larger than a quarter of an 
 inch. It is easiest to mark the head off in squares 
 and bore the holes in the corner off each square 
 all over the head, before the head is fastened in 
 the hogshead ; then cut off three or four boards 
 to lay on top for a cover, then bore a hole about 
 two inches from the bottom of the lower hogs- 
 head for a faucet to draw off the vinegar ; then 
 another three-quarter inch hole about one foot 
 from the bottom, this to be left open for a vent 
 hole, as it is highly important that there should 
 be a current of air through the shavings, as this 
 is what causes the acetification of the cider or 
 other mixture poured through the shavings ; also 
 bore a three-quarter inch hole just below the 
 perforated head ; then fix the other two hogs- 
 heads the same as the two just finished, and 
 place all four in some room in some out-shed 
 where you can have a fire if necessary, and you 
 are ready to go making vinegar. 
 
 Now warm the room to about ninety by the 
 thermometer, and keep it so for two or three 
 hours ; the cider or other mixture should stand 
 in the vinegar room until it has acquired a tem- 
 perature of about eighty or ninety degrees ; then 
 commence making vinegar by pouring into the 
 stand marked No. i, cider at the rate of one and 
 a half to two gallons per hour and continue to do 
 so until you have about ten gallons in the lower 
 hogshead of No. i stand, then draw from No. I 
 stand as much and as often as you put it in No. i, 
 and pour it into No. 2, and from No. 2 draw 
 every hour pure made vinegar. 
 
 It will be remembered that the stands should 
 stand quite level, so that the cider or mixture in 
 spreading over the head bored full of holes will 
 run through each and every hole, so that in 
 dropping over the shavings it will be exposed to 
 the air as much as possible. If on lifting the 
 top, the air coming out smells strong of vinegar 
 all is doing well (and the air should be a little 
 warmer than the air in the vinegar room); if it 
 is not so, then you must not pour the cider so 
 often, and not quite so much at a time, and all 
 will soon be right. It is not necessary that you 
 should be particular to pour it through every 
 hour, but in order to make the largest amount 
 per day, you should pour it through as often as 
 every hour, which is as often as it should be 
 poured through. It would be advisable to have 
 your cider or other mixture already worked be- 
 
 fore you commence making vinegar, as after you 
 once get your stands in working order they keep 
 improving, and will make better vinegar at the 
 end of a week than when you first commenced 
 with them ; and after you once get them started 
 you ought not to stop them until you get through 
 making or have made enough to last six months. 
 You can if you wish let the stands remain idle 
 for a week at any time, but if idle longer, say a 
 month or two, the shavings are very apt to get 
 mouldy, then they must be exchanged for new 
 ones. The shavings last from three to six 
 months constant use, and may be known to be 
 spoiled when the liquid coming from the stands 
 is not cleoTi and the vinegar will not have the 
 full strengtn. The shavings can be washed and 
 used again, but it is about as well to get new 
 ones. If you want to make a little cheaper vine- 
 gar, and yet one that you can warrant to keep 
 pickles, you can take the cider and put three 
 times as much water with it, and for every ten 
 gallons of water add one gallon of cheap molasses 
 or cheap whisky (which is best) and let it fer- 
 ment ; if molasses, then pour through the same 
 as if it were cider ; you will find you have a good 
 strong vinegar, and not more than one in fifty 
 can tell it from pure cider vinegar ; if you want 
 vinegar that is extra strong, then use two gallons 
 of molasses in place of one as above, and you 
 will find you have vinegar strong enough for 
 table or any other use. After you get your 
 stands making vinegar, it is a good plan to put 
 with your cider or mixture about one gallon of 
 vinegar to every eight or ten of mixture, as it acts 
 as a kind of vinegar ferment, and the vinegar 
 makes quicker and better; it is a good plan to stop 
 the lower vent hole every night after you are done 
 work for the day, and open it in the morning. 
 
 Commence work as early in the morning as 
 you choose, and work as late at night as you 
 wish. Some makers work all night, and the 
 stands work as well or better than if idle nights, 
 should you not have or wish to purchase hogs- 
 heads, and not be particular about making it very 
 fast or in any great quantity, you can take com- 
 mon cider barrels and fix them the same as di- 
 rected to fix the hogsheads, but you must not 
 pour more than three or four quarts through 
 these small stands at once. Stands of this size 
 can be put in some unoccupied room in the house 
 or in the cellar ; when you are making vinegar it 
 is not expected you will pay your whole attention 
 to it, but will attend to your other work, the 
 same as usual, and pour through your vinegar 
 every hour, or about as often as this ; in this way 
 the cost of making is Httle or nothing. Of course, 
 the more stands you have the faster you can 
 make. Should you have molasses sugar, or re- 
 fuse molasses, mix about one gallon with ten of 
 water, and ferment it, and pour it through the 
 same as if it were pure cider. The same mix- 
 tures as used by the box-making arrangement 
 can of course be used in making with the shav- 
 ings. Rain or brook water is much better for 
 making mixtures than well water, which is gen- 
 erally hard. It takes from two to five days for . 
 molasses and water or other mixtures to ferment, " 
 and may be known to be through fermenting 
 when it remains quiet and the hissing noise ceases. 
 If yeast is plenty and cheap, it is well to use two 
 to four quarts to the barrel of mixture, and should 
 be well stirred up. If the color is not dark 
 enough, then take any quantity of cheap brown 
 
38o 
 
 DICTIONAR YOFE VER Y-DA V WANTS. 
 
 sugar and put it in a kettle over a hot fire with 
 about one half part water, and let it burn for 
 c^out one hour; then put about one quart of wa- 
 ter to every five pounds of sugar, and mix it 
 well, and you have a good coloring and can 
 color to suit your self. If there should'be any 
 trouble in the stands not working good, you can 
 easily apply a remedy, but if yoUffollow direc- 
 tions, everything will go on all right. 
 
 3. To eight gallons of clear rain water, add 
 three quarts of molasses ; turn the mixture into 
 a clean tight cask, shake it well two or three 
 times, and add three spoonfuls of good yeast or 
 two yeast cakes. Place the cask in a warm 
 place ; and in ten or fifteen days a(l([\a sheet of 
 common wrapping-paper, ^meared with molas- 
 ses, and torn into narrow strips, and you will 
 have good vinegar. The paper is necessary to 
 form the "mother," or life, of the liquor. 
 
 4. Acetic acid, 4 lbs.; molasses, I gallon; yeast, 
 1 quart; put them into a forty-gallon cask, and 
 fill it up with rain water ; stir it up, and let it 
 stand one to three weeks, letting it have all the 
 air possible, and you will have good vinegar. If 
 wanted stronger, add more molasses. Should 
 you at any time have weak vinegar on hand, put 
 molasses into it to set it working. This will soon 
 correct it. 
 
 5. Molasses l qt. ; yeast I pt. ; warm rain wa- 
 ter 3 gals. Vni jJl into a jug or keg, and tie a 
 piece of gauze over the bung to keep out flies 
 and let in air. In hot weather set it in the sun ; 
 in cold weather set it by the stove or the chimney 
 comer, and in three weeks you will have good 
 vinegar. When this is getting low, pour out 
 some for use, and fill up the jug in the same pro- 
 portion as at first, and you will never have 
 trouble for want of good vinegar. 
 
 6. To I gallon of clear clover blossoms add I 
 quart of molasses and a % pound of sugar; pour 
 over these one gallon of boiling water. When 
 cold, add % a pint of good yeast. If more wa- 
 ter is needed, add as you please. It makes 
 strong, pure vinegar. 
 
 7. Mix 5 qts. of warm rain water with 2 qts. 
 of Orleans molasses, and 4 qts. of yeast. In a 
 few weeks you will have the best vinegar you 
 ever tasted. 
 
 8. One pint of strained honey and two gallons 
 of soft water. Let it' stand in a moderately- 
 warm pkice. In three weeks it will be excellent 
 vinegar. 
 
 VINEGAR, CAMP.— Take sliced garlic, 4 
 ounces ; soy, 2 ounces ; walnut catsup, 2 ounces; 
 cayenne pepper, I ounce ; black pepper, i ounce; 
 chopped anchovies, 15; vinegar, i gallon; coch- 
 ineal, I drachm. Infuse for one month, and strain. 
 
 VINEGAR, CIDER. — i. The most profit- 
 able return from such apples as are made into 
 cider is the further transformation of the juice 
 into vinegar. To do this, the barrels should be 
 completely filled, so that all impurities that 
 "working" — fermenting — throws off will be eject- 
 ed through the bung-hole. This process should 
 be completed before the barrel is put in the cel- 
 lar, and when this is done, the purified juice 
 should be drawn out of the original cask and put 
 into others where there is a small amount of old 
 vinegar, which will amazingly hasten the desired 
 result. If no vinegar can be obtained to "start" 
 the cider, it must remain in a dry cellar six 
 months, and perhaps a year (the longer the bet- 
 ter), before it will be fit for the table. 
 
 2. Save all your apple parings and slice in 
 with them all waste apples and other fruits ; keep 
 them in a cool place till you get a pailful, then 
 turn a large plate over them, on which a light 
 weight should be placed, and pour on boiling 
 water till it comes to the top. After they have 
 stood two or three days pour off the liquid, which 
 will be as good cider as much that is offered for 
 sale ; strain and pour it into a cask or some other 
 convenient vessel, (anything that can be closely 
 covered will do,) and drop in a piece of "mother," 
 or vinegar plant, procured of some one that has 
 good vinegar. If set in a warm place, the vine- 
 gar will be fit for use in three or four weeks, 
 when it can be drawn off for use, and the cask 
 filled with cider made from time to time by this 
 process. The parings should be pressed com- 
 pactly into a tub or pail, and only water enough 
 poured over to come to their surface, otherwise 
 the cider would be so weak as to require the ad- 
 dition of molasses. By having two casks, one 
 to contain the vinegar already made and the other 
 to fill into from time to time, one never need be 
 without good vinegar. The rinsings of preserve 
 kettles, sweetmeat jars, and from honey, also 
 stale beer and old cider, should all be saved for 
 the vinegar cask; only caution should be used 
 that there be sufficient sweetness or body to 
 whatever is poured in, or the vinegar may die 
 from lack of strength. 
 
 3. A barrel or a cask of new sweet cider, buried 
 so as to be well covered with fresh earth, will 
 turn to sharp, clear, delicious vinegar in three or 
 four weeks, as good as ever sought affinity with 
 cabbage, pickles, or table sauce, and better than 
 is possible to make by any other process. 
 
 VINEGAR, COLD IVA TER.— To six gal- 
 lons of rain water, add one gallon of common 
 molasses, and half a gallon of good hop yeast ; 
 set the cask in a warm place, and shake well 
 once a week for a few weeks; and you will have 
 excellent vinegar. A bit of gauze or very thin 
 cloth should be tacked over the bung-hole, to 
 keep out dust and insects till the vinegar is made; 
 then put in the bung and keep it from the air or 
 it will lose strength. 
 
 VINEGAR, COWSLIP. — To 4 gallons of 
 water with the chill just taken off, add 6 pounds 
 of brown sugar and ^ a peck of cowslips, flowers 
 and stalks together; put all into a cask with 3 
 tablespoonfuls of yeast ; lay a piece of glass or 
 slate over the bung-hole, and set it in a warm 
 place till the vinegar grows sour, when the bung 
 may be fastened down. This is a cheap and ex- 
 cellent vinegar, keeping pickles nice and crisp. 
 If kept in a warm place the vinegar will be ready 
 in six months. A quarter of an ounce of gelatine 
 or isinglass will make it clear sooner. 
 
 VINEGAR, BLA CK CURRANT. —To four 
 pounds of fruit, very ripe, put three pints of 
 vinegar; let it stand three days, stir occasionally; 
 squeeze and strain the fruit. After boiling ten 
 minutes, to every pint of juice add one pound of 
 lump sugar. Boil twenty minutes. 
 
 VINEGAR, HONEY.— W\\ one pound of 
 honey with a gallon of cider, and expose it to the 
 sun, or keep it where it is warm, and in a few 
 months it will be so strong that water will be 
 necessarv to dilute it. 
 
 VINEGAR, HORSERADISH.— VoMr&qMari 
 of best vinegar on three ounces of scraped horse- 
 radish, an ounce of minced eschalot, and one 
 drachm of cayenne; let it stand a week, and you 
 
WINES, LIQUORS AND VINEGAR. 
 
 381 
 
 will have an excellent relish for cokl beef, salad, 
 etc., costing scarcely anything. Horseradish is 
 in highest perfection about November. 
 
 VINEGAR, GOOSEBERRY.— BxmsQ the 
 gooseberries, when ripe, and to every quart put 
 3 quarts of water ; stir them well together, and 
 let the whole stand for 24 hours, then strain it 
 through a canvas bag. To every gallon of 
 liquor add I lb. of brown sugar, and stir them 
 well together before they are put into the cask. 
 Proceed in all other respects as before. This 
 vinegar possesses a pleasant taste and smell; but 
 raspberry vinegar, which may be made on the 
 same plan, is far superior in these respects. The 
 raspberries are not required to be of the best 
 sort, still they should be ripe and well-flavored. 
 VINEGAR, PERRY.— Fnt 30 or 40 lbs. of 
 Tvild pears into a tub, pour water over them, and 
 leave them 3 days to ferment. Repeat this every 
 day for a month, at the end of which it will be 
 good vinegar. 
 
 VINEGAR, DR Y FOR TABLE. — Wash 
 well half a pound of white tartar with warm wa- 
 ter, then dry it, and pulverize as fine as possible. 
 Soak that powder with good sharp vinegar, and 
 dry it before the fire or in the sun. Re-soak it 
 as before with vinegar, and dry it as above, re- 
 peating this operation a dozen times. By these 
 means you will have a very good and sharp 
 powder, which turns water instantly into vine- 
 gar. It is very convenient to carry in the pocket, 
 especially when traveling. 
 
 VINEGAR, PRIMROSE.— To 15 quarts of 
 water put 6 lbs. of brown sugar; let it boil ten 
 minutes, and take off the scum; pour on it half 
 a peck of primroses ; before it is quite cold, put 
 in a little fresh yeast, and let it work in a warm 
 place all night. Put it in a barrel in the kitchen, 
 and when done working close the barrel, still 
 keeping it in a warm place.- 
 
 VINEGAR, RASPBERRY— I. Take fresh 
 raspberries picked from their stalks, 3 lbs.; best 
 white wine vinegar, 2 pints. Steep the raspber- 
 ries for a fortnight in a covered glass vessel in 
 the vinegar, and then strain without pressing, 
 adding afterwards 2 or 3 lbs. of loaf sugar, which 
 is to be dissolved with a gentle heat in the water 
 bath. By this method, which is unfortunately 
 expensive, the beautiful aroma of the fruit is 
 entirely preserved. 
 
 2. Boil down the juice of raspberries with an 
 equal weight of sugar, and add to the mixture 
 an equal quantity of the best white wine or 
 French vinegar. 
 
 3. (Very fine.) Fill glass jars, or large wide- 
 necked bottles, with very ripe but perfectly 
 sound, freshly-gathered raspberries, freed from 
 the stalks, and cover them with pale white wine 
 vinegar ; they may be left to infuse from a week 
 to ten days without injury, or the vinegar may 
 be poured from them in four or five. After it is 
 drained off, turn the fruit into a hair sieve placed 
 over a deep dish or bowl, as the juice will flow 
 slowly from it for many hours ; put fresh rasp- 
 berries into the bottles, and pour the vinegar 
 back upon them. Two or three days later 
 change the fruit again, and when it has stood the 
 same space of time drain the whole of the vine- 
 gar from it ; pass it through a jelly-bag or a thick 
 linen cloth, and boil it gently for 4 or 5 minutes 
 with its weight of good sugar, roughly powdered, 
 or a pound and a quarter to the exact pint, and 
 be very careful to remove the scum entirely as it 
 
 rises. On the following day bottle the syrup, 
 observing the directions we have given for the 
 strawberry vinegar. When the fruit is scarce it 
 may be changed twice only, and left a few days 
 longer in the vinegar. 
 
 4. To each quart of raspberries, allow a pound 
 of loaf sugar. Mash the raspberries and strew 
 the sugar over them, having first crushed it with 
 the rolling-pin. Let the raspberries and sugar 
 stand till next day, keeping them well covered, 
 then put them in a thin linen bag and squeeze 
 out the juice with your hands. To every pint of 
 juice allow a quart of the best vinegar. Bottle 
 it, cork it tightly, and set it away for use. It 
 will be ready in a few days. 
 
 5. Put a pound of very fine ripe raspberries in 
 a bowl, bruise them well, and pour upon them a 
 quart of the best white wine vinegar ; next day 
 strain the liquor on a pound of fresh ripe rasp- 
 berries ; bruise them also, and the following day 
 do the same, but do not squeeze the fruit, or it 
 will make it foment; only drain the liquor as dry 
 as you can from it. The last time pass it through 
 a canvas bag, previously wet with the vinegar, 
 to prevent waste. Put the juice into a stone jar, 
 with a pound of sugar to every pint of juice ; the 
 sugar must be broken into lumps ; stir it, and 
 when melted, put the jar into a pan of water ; 
 let it simmer, and skim it ; when cold, bottle it; 
 it will be fine, and thick, when cold, like strained 
 honey, newly prepared. 
 
 VINEGAR, RHUBARB.— Excellent vine- 
 gar may be made from the rhubarb plant in the 
 following manner: For 5 gals, take 12 ordinary 
 sized stalks of rhubarb; pound or crush them 
 with a piece of wood in the bottom of a strong 
 tub ; add 3 gals, of water ; let this stand twenty- 
 five hours, strain off the crushed rhubarb, and 
 add 9 lbs. of sugar free from molasses, and a 
 small teacupful of the best brewers' yeast ; raise 
 the temperature to 60" or 80°, and put into a 
 twelve-gallon cask ; place it in a position where 
 the temperature will not fall below 60°, In a 
 month strain off from the grounds, returning it 
 to the cask again, and let it stand till it becomes 
 vinegar. 
 
 VINEGAR, STRA WBERRY.—i. Take the 
 stalks from the fruit, which should be a highly 
 flavored sort, quite ripe, fresh from the beds, 
 and gathered in dry weather ; weigh and put it 
 into large glass jars, or wide-necked bottles, and 
 to each pound pour about a pint and a half of 
 fine pale white wine vinegar, which will answer 
 the purpose better than the entirely colorless 
 kind, sold under the name of distilled vinegar, 
 but which is the pyroligneous acid greatly diluted. 
 Tie a thick paper over them, and let the straw- 
 berries remain from 3 to 4 days ; then pour off 
 the vinegar and empty them into a jelly-bag, or 
 suspend them in a cloth that all the liquid may 
 drop from them without pressure ; take an equal 
 weight of fresh fruit, pour the vinegar upon it, 
 and 3 days afterwards repeat the same process, 
 diminishing a little the proportion of strawber- 
 ries, of which the flavor ought ultimately to over- 
 power the vinegar. In three days drain off the 
 liquid very closely, and after having strained it 
 through a linen or a flannel bag, weigh it, and 
 mix with it an equal quantity of highly refined 
 sugar roughly powdered; when this is nearly 
 dissolved, stir the syrup over a very clear fire 
 until it has boiled 5 minutes, and skim it thor- 
 oughly; pour it into a delicately clean stone 
 
382 
 
 DICTIONARY OF EVERY-DAY WANTS. 
 
 pitcher, or into large China jugs, throw a folded 
 cloth over and let it remain until the morrow ; 
 put it into pint or half pint bottles, and cork them 
 lightly with new velvet corks, for if these be 
 pressed in tightly at first, the bottles would be 
 liable to burst; in four or five days they may be 
 closely corked, and stored in a dry and cool 
 place. 
 
 Damp destroys the color and injures the flavor 
 of these fine fruit vinegars, of which a spoonful 
 or two in a glass of water affords so agreeable a 
 summer beverage, and one which, in many cases 
 of illness, is so acceptable to invalids. 
 
 Where there is a garden the fruit may be 
 thrown into the vinegar as it ripens, within an 
 interval of forty-eight hours, instead of being all 
 put to infuse at once, and it must then remain a 
 proportionate time ; one or two days in addition 
 to that specified will make no difference to the 
 
 E reparation. The enameled stewpans are the 
 est possible vessels to boil it in, but it may be 
 simmered in a stone jar set into a pan of boiling 
 water, when there is nothing more appropriate 
 at hand ; though the syrup does not usually keep 
 so well when this last method is adopted. 
 
 2. Put 4 pounds of very ripe strawberries, 
 nicely dressed, into 3 quarts of the best vinegar, 
 and let them stand 3 or 4 days ; then drain the 
 vinegar through a jelly-bag, and pour it on the 
 same quantity of fruit. Repeat the process in 
 three days for a third time. Finally, to each 
 pound of the liquor thus obtained, add I pound 
 of fine sugar. Bottle, and let it stand covered, 
 but not tightly corked, I week; then cork it tight, 
 and set it in a cool, dry place, where it will not 
 freeze. 
 
 VINEGAR, SUGAR. — Put nine pounds of 
 brown sugar to every six gallons of water ; boil 
 it for a quarter of an hour, and then pour it in a 
 tub in a luke-warm state ; put to it a pint of new 
 bran, let it work four or five days, stir it up three 
 or four times a day, then turn it into a clean 
 barrel, iron-hooped, and set full in the sun. 
 
 VINEGARfrom SORGHUM.— Yox 40 gals. 
 take 8 gallons of syrup ; put this in first, then fill 
 with rain water. If you can get filtered cistern 
 water it will make the vinegar clearer. Add a 
 teacupful of hop yeast, then set the barrel in a 
 warm place with bung Qpen. 
 
 VINEGAR, WHITE WINE.— M^sh up 
 20 lbs. raisins, and add 10 gallons water; let it 
 stand in a warm place for one month, and you 
 will have pure white wine vinegar. The raisins 
 may be used a second time the same way. 
 
 VIN^EGAR, To Increase the S/tarpness and 
 Strength of . — Boil two quarts of good vinegar till 
 reduced to one ; then put it in a vessel and set 
 it in the sun for a week. Now mix the vinegar 
 with six times its quantity of bad vinegar in a 
 small cask : it will not only mend it, but make it 
 strong and agreeable. 
 
 VINEGAR PLANT.— Wh:A VS popularly 
 know as the vinegar plant is only a form of the 
 "mother of vinegar, which is, again, only a 
 state of common mould. For the manner of 
 obtaining it, we quote the following from the 
 Irish Farmers' Gazette: — Leave a little vinegar 
 in a small bottle to become stale (during hot, 
 close weather is best), till a film appears on the 
 surface. If a few fragments of coarse brown 
 sugar be now added, it will somewhat aid its 
 growth ; but when the film has attained the thick- 
 ness of parchment, it is ready for transfer to 
 
 syrup, where it soon becomes the housewife's 
 normal vinegar plant. Procure a large jar or 
 bottle, and to two quarts of boiling water add 
 half a pound of treacle and half a pound of the 
 commonest brown sugar ; stir well together, and 
 when cool transfer the film from the surface of 
 the vinegar to the surface of the syrup ; cover up 
 to exclude air, and keep in a warm cupboard. 
 This film will rapidly grow, and form a thick, 
 slippery, gelatinous mass all over the surface of 
 the syrup, and in course of six weeks or so the 
 liquid will be changed to excellent vinegar. The 
 vinegar plant can now be taken and divided into 
 layers, or cut up into fragments, each piece of 
 which if placed upon fresh syrup will rapidly 
 grow and change the liquor into vinegar. The 
 vinegar should be allowed to settle, and be strain- 
 ed before it is used. 
 
 WAX PUTTY, for Leaky Casks, Bungs, etc. 
 — Spirits turpentine, 2 pounds; tallow, 4 pounds; 
 yellow wax, 8 pounds; solid turpentine, 12 
 pounds. Melt the wax and solid turpentine 
 together over a slow fire; then add the tallow. 
 When melted, remove far from the fire ; then 
 stir in the spirits turpentine, and let it cool. 
 
 WHISKY, BOURBON. — To 100 gallons 
 pure proof spirit, add 4 ounces pear oil ; 2 oz. 
 pelargonic ether ; 13 drs. oil of wintergreen, 
 dissolved in the ether ; I gallon wine vinegar. 
 Color with burnt sugar. 
 
 WHISKY, Irish or Scotch. — To 40 gallons 
 proof spirits, add 60 drops of creosote, dissolved 
 m I quart of alcohol; 2 ounces acetic acid; I 
 pound loaf sugar. Stand 48 hours. 
 
 WHISKY, MONONGAHELA. — To 40 
 gallons proof spirits, add 2 ounces spirits of nitre; 
 4 pounds dried peaches ; 4 pounds N. O. sugar ; 
 I quart rye (burnt and ground like coffee) ; ^ 
 pound allspice ; ^ pound cinnamon ; ^ pound 
 cloves. Put in the ingredients, and after stand- 
 ing 5 days, draw it off, and strain the same, if 
 necessary. 
 
 WHISKY, To Neutralize to make Various 
 Liquoi-s. — To 40 gallons of whisky, add l^lbs. 
 unslaked lime, 3^ lb. alum, and ^^ pint spirits 
 of nitre. Stand 24 hours and draw it off. 
 
 WINE MAKING, Process of. — The Must. 
 — ^We suppose that the grapes are fully ripened 
 and ready for use, although still on the vines. 
 Select a clear day and gather the vintage as soon 
 as the dew is off the grapes. Every bunch should 
 be clipped from the vines with a pair of scissors, 
 and carefully laid in a basket, or other vessel, to 
 avoid bruising as much as possible. Gather none 
 but the fully ripe grapes, and as many of them 
 as can be pressed in a day to insure uniform 
 quality, a very important consideration. Besides, 
 the larger the quantity fermented at once, the 
 better the wine will be. The grapes being 
 brought to the wine house should now be care- 
 fully overlooked, and all the imperfect and decay- 
 ed ones removed. The next consideration is 
 whether the grapes shall be pressed with, or 
 without their stems. Many recommend the 
 latter, as there is an astringent property in the 
 stems that gives a peculiar flavor to the wine; 
 but no doubt the better way is to strip the 
 berries from the stalks. This is sometimes done 
 by hand picking, but a very simple instrument 
 will greatly expedite the process. Take a box 
 or trough, and lay within it, a few inches 
 from the bottom and from the top, a lattice 
 work of wooden slats (which had better 
 
WINES, LIQUORS AND VINEGAR. 
 
 383 
 
 be joined without nails); upon this lay the 
 bunches. 
 
 Lay a similar but smaller lattice, with a handle 
 to work it, upon the mass, and by rubbing the 
 grapes between the two, the berries will readily 
 separate from the combs and fall through into the 
 trough beneath. By the aid of an assistant, 
 drawing the grapes as they fall, through an 
 opening at the end of the trough, a great deal 
 can be done in a short time. The next step is 
 to mash the grapes. The oldest and best method 
 is to stamp them with naked feet. In some wine 
 countries the stampers wear sabots, or wooden 
 shoes ; sometimes wooden pounders or beetles 
 are used, and sometimes the grapes are passed 
 between rollers, grooved or fluted diagonally, so 
 as not to break the grape stones. (There is a 
 bitter principle in the stones or pips very much 
 to be avoided. ) 
 
 We now come to the pressing. The ordinary 
 wine-press is a platform of solid wood, raised 
 high enough from the ground to allow the must 
 to run through a spout on one side into proper 
 vessels. Two upright beams of heavy timber, 
 and a cross beam at top, support a powerful 
 screw that is worked by hand levers, like a wind- 
 lass. The grapes are placed upon the platform 
 and heavy timbers laid upon them : then abo\'e 
 these other tiers of timbers are crossed, and 
 upon all the great screw comes down, just as the 
 President of the United States comes down upon 
 the postmasters and collectors. 
 
 Besides the alwve there are smaller presses 
 used, some of which are for sale at the agricul- 
 tural warehouses. For small quantities of grapes 
 a home-made press will answer. Take an or- 
 dinary barrel, bore holes in the bottom and lower 
 half, with a half-inch auger, place a layer of 
 clean straw on the bottom and against the sides, 
 within which place the maslied grapes, and upon 
 them a layer of straw and the barrel-head. Upon 
 the whole place a short upright of stout timber. 
 Stand this barrel in a tub, about a foot from the 
 wall ; nail a cleat to the wall, under which place 
 the end of a lever that rests upon the upright ; 
 by hanging heavy weights upon the long end of 
 the lever, you haVe a tolerably powerful wine- 
 press. 
 
 A few hints about pressing. Some exquisite 
 %vines are made by piling a mass of trodden 
 grapes in a great upright vessel, and using only 
 the must that runs off without the aid of the 
 screw. The rest of the must goes to press and 
 produces an ordinary wine. When the w ine press 
 is used alone, three qualities can be produced : 
 first, by reserving the must that flows from the 
 gentlest pressure; secondly, by keeping apart 
 the must of a severer pressure ; and, thirdly, by 
 extracting the last drop of juice with all the 
 power of the screw, aided by a long rope attach- 
 ed to the lever, and worked by a windlass. We 
 may also add, that a sort of bastard wine can be 
 made, by adding water to the skins left after the 
 third pressure, partially fermenting tlie mass, 
 and subjecting it to a fourth pressure. The pro- 
 duct, however^ is not wine, but only a first cousin 
 of wine, of poor quality, and known as piquette. 
 
 In this country these nice distinctions are not 
 always observed. The entire product of a vine- 
 yard often goes to form one wine only, and in 
 this \'iew we shall continue ; hinting, that as the 
 select wines of the world bring enormous prices, 
 and the common wines the opposite, that it is 
 
 worth the while of every American wine-maker 
 to do his best, and follow the injunction of St. 
 Paul : "Try all things." 
 
 Fermentation. — As soon as the must is pres- 
 sed from the grapes, it is put in casks prepared 
 for the purpose ; these casks should be as large 
 as possible, "for the larger the cask the better 
 the wine." The casks should be three-quarters 
 full only, and it is recommended by some, that a 
 square hole, about six inches across, should be 
 left at the top, covered by a coarse piece of can- f 
 vas. The following extract from Mulder's 
 "Chemistry of Wine," will explain this process * 
 clearly : 
 
 "Shortly after pressing, the liquid appears to 
 be in motion, ana little air bubbles rise to the 
 surface; fermentation has begun; the juice, not 
 quite clear at first, becomes more turbid, the 
 motion of the liquor increases, and froth is form- 
 ed on the surface; the gas bubbles become 
 larger, the consistency of the liquor decreases, as 
 do also its saccharine contents. In place of these, 
 more and more alcohol is engendered, and the 
 liquid, originally watery, and now enriched with 
 alcohol to a greater or less degree, can no longer 
 retain in a state of perfect solution various mat- 
 ters which it previously held in that condition. 
 Fermentation reaches its highest point with great- 
 er or less rapidity, according to the temperature; 
 in a moderate climate it generally occurs in from 
 three to four days. 
 
 "When the fermentation is diminishing, and 
 l)efore it is completely finished, the whole mass 
 of liquid is stirred up, in order to bring its ele- 
 ments into contact with each other afresh. 
 
 "After some days the whole mass reaches its 
 highest point of effervescence, and at this it re- 
 mains for three or four days ; it then begins to 
 diminish, and by forming a precipitate at the 
 bottom, allows the wine to become gradually 
 clearer. 
 
 "The wine is now racked off into another ves- 
 sel, the sediment being left behind. Fermenta- 
 tion continues, but more quietly ; and this is call- 
 ed after-fermentation. Sugar is being constantly 
 converted into alcohol and carbonic acid, and a 
 fresh precipitate is constantly forming, and de- 
 positing itself at the bottom. 
 
 "After the wine has undergone this after-fer- 
 mentation for several months (and the fermenta- 
 tion generally increases again during the next 
 spring ; at the time, it is said, when the vines 
 blossom, that is, when the warmth of the air ex- 
 cites fermentation again,) and has been drawn 
 off from time to time in other vessels, in order 
 to free it from the sediment which has been con- 
 tinually forming, it is transferred into casks in 
 which it can be exported." 
 
 WINE, APPLE. — Take pure cider made 
 from sound ripe apples as it runs from the press; 
 put sixty pounds of common brown sugar into 
 fifteen gallons of the cider, and let it dissolve ; 
 then put the mixture into a clean barrel, and fill 
 the barrel up to within two gallons of being full, 
 with clean cider ; put the cask in a cool place, 
 leanng the bung out for forty-eight hours ; then 
 put in the bung, with a small vent, until fermen- 
 tation wholly ceases, and bung up tight ; and in 
 one year the wine will be fit for use. This wine 
 requires no racking ; the longer it stands upon 
 the lees, the better. 
 
 WINE, APRICOT. —Wipe clean and cut 
 twelve pounds of apricots ; boil them in two gal- 
 
384 
 
 DICTIONARY OF E VERY-DAY WANTS. 
 
 Ions of water till the water has imbibed the flavor 
 of the fruit ; then strain the liquor through a hair 
 sieve, and to each quart of it put six ounces of 
 loaf sugar ; then boil it and add 6 lbs. sugar and 
 one pound of sliced beetroot. When fermented, 
 put into the cask a quart or more of brandy 
 or flavorless whisky. 
 
 IVINE, BLACKBERRY.— G^iher the ber- 
 ries when perfectly ripe, and in such a manner 
 as to avoid bruising. Empty them, as fast as 
 gathered, into a tub until you have a quantity 
 sufficient to fill, with juice, the cask in which 
 you propose to make the wine. 
 
 Have the utensils, etc., required in the process, 
 all ready before you pick — or at least before you 
 mash your berries. Everything must be scru- 
 pulously clean. You want a keg, a beater of 
 seasoned hard wood, a pail, a large bowl, tureen 
 or other vessel into which to strain your juice, a 
 good thick strainer — two or three folds of fine 
 white flannel is the best material — a couple of 
 yards of osnaburgs, a spare tub or a bucket or 
 two, and a tub of soft spring water. Everything 
 must be perfectly clean and free from dirt or odor 
 of any kind. 
 
 Crush the berries thoroughly with the beater, 
 and then after straining the liquor, which runs 
 freely from the pulp through the folded flannel, 
 empty it into the cask, measuring it as you put it 
 in. When the juice has been all drained from 
 the pulp, you proceed to press the pulp dry. If 
 the quantity is large, this had best be done by a 
 regular press, but if only a few gallons are want- 
 ed, the osnaburg answers very well. Stretch 
 out the osnaburg, put a gallon or a gallon and a 
 ' half of the pulp into the center, fold the cloth 
 over it on each side, and let a strong hand at 
 either end twist the cloth with all their strength; 
 f when the juice is well pressed out, remove and 
 jlay aside the cake of pomace, and put in more 
 (pulp. This process is apparently rough, but is 
 t)Oth rapid and effiectual. The juice so extracted 
 is strained and measured into the cask as before 
 mentioned. The flannel strainer and the osna- 
 burg may need rinsing occasionally during the 
 work. 
 
 When all the pulp is pressed, put the hard 
 cakes of pomace taken from the cloth into a tub, 
 and pour upon them a little more soft spring 
 water than you have clear juice ; break up the 
 balls and wash them thoroughly in the water, so 
 as to obtain all the juice left in the mass, and 
 then strain it clear : measure out as many gallons 
 of this water as you have of clear juice, say five 
 gallons of the water to five gallons of the juice, 
 dissolve in each gallon of the water six pounds 
 of sugar (brown or white, as you want a com- 
 mon or first-rate wine), and when thoroughly 
 dissolved, add the juice (first passing it again 
 through the strainer), and mix them. Then 
 rinse out your cask, put it where it can stand 
 undisturbed" in a cellar; fill it perfectly full of 
 the mixture, and lay a cloth loosely over the 
 bung-hole. In two or three days fermentation 
 will commence, and the impurities run over at 
 the bung ; look at it every day, and if it does not 
 run over, with some of the mixture which you 
 have reserved in another vessel, fill it up to the 
 bung. In about three weeks fermentation will 
 have ceased, and the wine be still ; fill it again, 
 drive in the bung tight, nail a tin over it, and let 
 it remain undisturbed until the following Novem- 
 ber, or what is. better, March. Then draw it off, 
 
 without shaking the cask, put it into bottles or 
 demijohns, cork tightly and seal over. 
 
 For a ten-gallon cask, you will need about 4^3 
 gallons of juice, 4^ gallons of water, and 26 
 pounds of sugar, and in the same proportion for 
 larger or smaller quantities. Some persons add 
 spirit to the wine, but instead of doing good, it 
 is only an injury. 
 
 Another process is, after pouring in the mix- 
 ture for a ten-gallon cask, to beat up the whites 
 of two or three eggs into a froth, put them into 
 the cask, and with a long stick mix them thor- 
 oughly with the wine. In five or six days, draw 
 the now clarified wine off" by a spigot, and with- 
 out shaking the cask at all, into a clean cask, 
 bung up and tin, to be drawn off" into glass in 
 November or March. 
 
 The more carefully your juice is strained, tjie 
 better the quality of your sugar, and the more 
 scrupulously clean your utensils, particularly 
 your kegs, are, the purer and better will be your 
 wine. 
 
 The best quality, when you gather your own 
 fruit, and make it yourself, costs you only the 
 price of the white sugar, and when bottled will 
 cost you in money about twelve and a half cents 
 a bottle. 
 
 WINE, BLACKBERRY, {Other Methods 
 of. Making). — I. Having procured berries that 
 are fully ripe, put them into a tub or pan with a 
 tap to it, and pour upon them as much boiling 
 water as will just cover them. As soon as the 
 heat will permit the hand to be put into the ves- 
 sel, bruise them well till all the berries are bro- 
 ken. Then let them stand covered till the ber- 
 ries begin to rise toward the top, which they 
 usually do in three or four days. Then draw 
 off" the clear liquor into another vessel, and add 
 to every 10 quarts of this liquor 4 pounds of 
 sugar ; stir it • well, and let it stand to work a 
 week or ten days ; then filter it through a flannel 
 jelly bag into a cask. Take now 4 ounces of 
 isinglass and lay it to steep for twelve hours in 
 a pint of blackberry juice ; the next morning boil 
 it over a slow fire for half an hour with a quart 
 or 3 pints more juice, and pour it into the cask ; 
 when cool, rouse it about well and leave it to 
 settle for a few days, then rack it off into a clean 
 cask, and bung it down. 
 
 2. The following is said to be an excellent 
 recipe for the manufacture of a superior wine 
 from blackberries : — Measure your berries, and 
 bruise them ; to every gallon adding i quart of 
 boiling water. Let the mixture stand twenty- 
 four hours, stirring occasionally ; then strain off" 
 the liquor into a cask, to every gallon adding 2 
 pounds of sugar; cork tight, and let stand till 
 the following October, and you will have wine 
 ready for use, without any further straining or 
 boiling, that will make lips smack, as they never 
 smacked under similar influence before. 
 
 3. Gather when ripe, on a dry day. Put into 
 a vessel, with the head out, and a tap fitted near 
 the bottom ; pour on them boiling water to cover 
 them. Mash the berries with your hands, and 
 let them stand covered till the pulp rises to the 
 top and forms a crust, in three or four days. 
 Then draw off the fluid into another vessel, and 
 to every gallon hdd one pound of sugar ; mix 
 well, and put into a cask, to work for a week or 
 ten days, and throw off any remaining lees, 
 keeping the cask well filled, particularly at the 
 commencement. When the working has ceased. 
 
WINES, LIQUORS AND VINEGAR. 
 
 385 
 
 bung it ^own ; after six to twelve months it may 
 be bottled. 
 
 WINE, CHERRY.— \. To make 5 pints of 
 this wine, take 15 lbs. of cherries and 2 of cur- 
 fants ; bruise them together ; mix with them 7^ 
 of the kernels, and put the whole of the cherries, 
 currants, and kernels into a barrel, with a quart- 
 er of a pound of sugar to every pint of juice. 
 The barrel must be quite full ; cover the barrel 
 with vine leaves, and sand above them, and let 
 it stand until it has done working, M'hich will be 
 in about three weeks ; then stop it with a bung, 
 and in two months time it may be bottled. 
 
 2. Gather the cherries when quite ripe. Pull 
 them from their stalks, and press them through 
 a hair sieve. To every gallon of the liquor add 
 
 2 lbs. of lump sugar finely beaten, stir all to- 
 gether, and put it into a vessel that will just hold 
 it. When it has done fermenting, stop it very 
 close for three months, and then bottle it off for 
 use. 
 
 WINE, CIDER.— Ltt the new cider from 
 sour apples, (ripe, sound fruit preferred,) fer- 
 ment from I to 3 weeks, as the weather is warm 
 or cool. When it has attained to a lively fermen- 
 tation, add to each gallon, according to its acidi- 
 ty, from }2 ^ 1^' to 2 lbs. of white crushed sugar, 
 and let the whole ferment until it possesses pre- 
 cisely the taste which it is desired should be 
 permanent. In this condition pour out a quart 
 of the cider and add for each gallon }^ ounce of 
 sulphite of lime, not sulphate. Stir the powder 
 and cider until intimately mixed, and return the 
 emulsion to the fermenting liquid. Agitate brisk- 
 ly and thoroughly for a few moments, and then 
 let the cider settle. Fermentation will cease at 
 once. When after a few days, the cider has be- 
 come clear, draw oflf carefully, to avoid the sedi- 
 ment, and bottle. If loosely corked, which is 
 better, it will become a sparkling cider wine, 
 and may be kept indefinitely long. 
 
 WINE, CURRAN^T.— The currants should 
 be fully ripe when picked ; put them into a large 
 tub, in which they should remain a day or two ; 
 then crush with the hands, unless you have a 
 small patent wine press, in which they should 
 not be pressed too much, or the stems will be 
 bruised, and impart a disagreeable taste to the 
 juice. If the hands are used, put the crushed 
 fruit, after the juice had been poured off, in a 
 cloth or sack and press out the remaining juice. 
 Put the juice back into the tub after cleansing it, 
 where it should remain about three days, until 
 the first stages of fermentation are over, and re- 
 moving once or twice a day the scum copiously 
 arising to the top. Then put the juice in a ves- 
 sel — a demijohn, keg, or barrel — of a size to suit 
 the quantity made, and to each quart of juice add 
 
 3 lbs. of the best yellow sugar, and soft water 
 sufficient to make a gallon. 
 
 Thus, ten quarts of juice and 30 lbs. of sugar 
 will give you 10 gals, of wine, and so on in pro- 
 portion. Those who do not like sweet wine can 
 reduce the quantity of sugar to two and a half, 
 or who wish it very sweet, raise to three and a 
 half pounds per gallon. 
 
 The vessel must be full, and the bung or stop- 
 per left off until fermentation ceases, which will 
 be m 12 or 15 days. Meanwhile, the cask must 
 be filled up daily with currant juice left over, as 
 fermentation throws out the impure matter. 
 When fermentation ceases, rack the wine off 
 carefully, either from the spiggot or by a syphon, 
 
 and keep running all the time. Cleanse the cask 
 thoroughly with boiling water, then return the 
 wine, bung up tightly, and let it stand 4 or 5 
 months, when it will be fit to drink, and can be 
 bottled if desired. 
 
 All the vessels, casks, etc., should be perfectly 
 sweet, and the whole operation should be done 
 with an eye to cleanliness. In such event, every 
 drop of brandy or other spirituous liquors added 
 will detract from the flavor of the wine, and will 
 not, in the least degree, increase its keeping 
 qualities. Currant wine made in this way will 
 keep for an age. 
 
 WINE, CURRANT, Other Methods of Mak- 
 ing. — I. To every pailful of currants, on the 
 stem, put one pailful of water ; mash and strain. 
 To each gallon of the mixture of juice and water 
 add 2)% lbs. of sugar: Mix well, and put into 
 your cask, which should be placed in the cellar, 
 on the tilt, that it may be racked off in October, 
 without stirring up the sediment. Two bushels 
 of currants will make one barrel of wine. Four 
 gallons of the mixture of juice and water will, 
 after 13 lbs. of sugar are added, make 5 gals, of 
 wine. The barrel should be filled within three 
 inches of the bung, which must be made air 
 tight, by placing wet cl.ny over it after it is 
 driven in. 
 
 2. Pick your currants when ripe on a fair day, 
 crush them well, and to every gallon of juice add 
 two of water and 3 lbs. of sugar — if you wish it 
 sweeter, add another half pound of sugar — mix 
 all together in some large vessel, then dip out 
 into earthen jars, let it stand to ferment in some 
 cool place, skimming it every other morning. 
 In about ten days it will be ready to strain off; 
 bottle and seal, or put in a cask and cork tight, 
 the longer you keep it the better it will be. 
 
 3. Into a ten gallon keg, put 10 quarts of cur- 
 rant juice, 30 lbs. of sugar and fill up with water. 
 Let it stand in a cool place, until sufficiently 
 worked, and then bung up tight. You can let it 
 remain in the cask, and draw out, as you want 
 to use it. 
 
 WINES, Coloring /7r.— WTiite sugar, i lb.; 
 water, i gal.; put into an iron kettle, let boil, 
 and burn to a red black, and thick ; remove from 
 the fire and add a little hot water to keep it from 
 hardening as it cools ; then bottle for use. 
 
 WINE, To Cool. — In the absence of ice take 
 a bottle of wine, surround it with a piece of linen 
 dipped in water, and place it in a draught. It 
 will be found that the liquid in the bottle will be 
 reduced to a temperature much below that of the 
 surrounding air, having parted with its caloric to 
 the vapour formed by the evaporation of the wa- 
 ter of the cloth. 
 
 WINE, DAMSON— GaXher the fruit dry, 
 weigh and bruise it, and to every 8 lbs. of fruit 
 add I gal. of water ; boil the water, pour it on 
 the fruit scalding hot; let it stand for two days; 
 then draw it off, put it into a clean cask, and to 
 every gallon of liquor and 2% lbs. of good sugar; 
 fill the cask. It may be bottled off after stand- 
 ing in the cask a year. On bottling the wine, 
 put a small lump of loaf sugar into every bottle. 
 
 WINE, ELDERBERRY.— T^Vq elderberry 
 juice, 10 gals.; water, 10 gals. ; white sugar, 45 
 pounds ; red tartar, 8 ounces. These are put 
 into a cask, a little yeast added, and the whole is 
 fermented. When undergoing fermentation, 
 ginger root, 4 ounces ; allspice 4, and cloves i 
 ounce, are put into a bag of clean cotton cloth, 
 
 35 
 
386 
 
 DICTIONARY OF EVERY-DAY WANTS. 
 
 and suspended in the cask. They give a pleasant 
 flavor to the wine, which will become clear in 
 about two months, and may be drawn off and 
 bottled. Some add brandy to this wine, but if 
 the fermentation is properly conducted, this is 
 not necessary. 
 
 WINE, ELDER, (^Flavored with Hops.)— 
 A lady, disliking the taste of spices in home- 
 made wines, was induced to try the effect of fla- 
 voring elder wines with hops. The result is one 
 of the most grateful, wholesome, and valuable 
 beverages. Its color equals that of the finest 
 claret ; and it produces no acidity alter drinking, 
 as many home-made wines do. The berries, 
 which must be thoroughly ripe, are to be stripped 
 from the stalk, and squeezed to a pulp. Stir and 
 squeeze this pulp, once every day for four days ; 
 then separate the juice from the pulp by passing 
 through a cane sieve or basket ; to every gallon 
 of juice, add half a gallon of cold spring water; 
 boil nine gallons with six ounces of hops for half 
 an hour ; then strain it, and boil again, with three 
 pounds of sugar to the gallon, for about ten 
 minutes, skimming it all the time; pour it into a 
 cooler, and, while lukewarm, put a piece of 
 toasted bread with a little barm on it to set it 
 working ; put it into a cask as soon as cold ; when 
 it has done working, cork it down, and leave it 
 six months before it is tapped ; it is then drink- 
 able, but improves with age exceedingly. 
 
 WINE, To Restore when Flat. — Add four or 
 five pounds of sugar, honey, or bruised raisins, 
 to every hundred gallons, and bung close. A 
 little spirits may also be added 
 
 WINE, GRAPE. — Take two quarts of grape 
 juice, two quarts of water, four pounds of sugar. 
 Extract thejuice of the grape in any simple way; 
 if only a few quarts are desired, we do it with a 
 strainer and a pair of squeezers, if a larger quan- 
 tity is desired, put the grapes into a cheese press 
 made particularly clean, putting on sufficient 
 weight to extract the juice of a full hoop of grapes, 
 being careful that none but perfect grapes are 
 used, perfectly ripe and free from blemish. After 
 the first pressing put a little water with the pulp 
 and press a second time, using the juice of the 
 second pressing with the water to be mixed with 
 the clear grape juice. If only a few quarts are 
 made place the wine as soon as mixed into bot- 
 tles, filling them even full and allow to stand in a 
 warm place untill it ferment, which will take 
 about thirty-six hours usually ; then remove all 
 the scum, cool and put into a dark, cool place. 
 If a few gallons are desired place in a keg, but 
 the keg must be even full, and after fermentation 
 has taken place and the scum removed, draw off 
 and bottle, and cork tight. 
 
 WINE, GINGER.— \. Boil together for half 
 an hour, 7 quarts of water, 6 pounds of sugar, 
 2 ounces of the best ginger, bruised, and the rind 
 of three good-sized lemons. When lukewarm 
 put the whole into a cask, with the juice of the 
 lemons, and ^ of a pound of sun raisins ; add 
 I teispoonful of new yeast, and stir the wine 
 every day for ten days. 
 
 2. Water, 10 gals. ; lump sugar, 20 lbs.; brui- 
 sed ginger, 8 oz.; 3 or 4 eggs. Boil well and 
 , skim ; then pour hot on six or seven lemons cut 
 in slized, macerate for two hours ; then rack and 
 ferment; next add spirits, 2 qts.; and afterwards 
 finings, I pint; runmage well. To make the 
 color, Ijoil Yz oz. saleratus, and ]A oz. alum, in 
 I pint of vrater, till you get a brigh red color. 
 
 3. Take one quart of 95 per cent, alcohol, and 
 put into it one ounce of best ginger root, (bruis- 
 ed and not ground,) five grains of capsicum, and 
 one drachm of tartaric acid. Let stand one week 
 and filter. Now add one gallon of water, in 
 which one pound of crushed sugar has been boiled. 
 Mix when cold. To make the color, boil ^ oz. 
 of cochineal, % ounce of cream tartar, ^ ounce 
 of saleratus, and ^ ounce alum in a pint of water 
 till you get a bright red color. 
 
 WINE, GOOSEBERRY.— Y\qV and bruise 
 the gooseberries, and to every pound, put a quart 
 of cold spring water, and let it stand three days, 
 stirring it twice or thrice a day. Add to every 
 gallon of juice three pounds of loaf sugar; fill the 
 barrel, and when it is done working, add to every 
 twenty quarts of liquor, one quart of brandy, and 
 a little isinglass. The gooseberries m«st be 
 picked Avhen they are just changing color. The 
 liquor ought to stand in the barrel six months. 
 Taste it occasionally, and bottle when the sweet- 
 ness has gone off. 
 
 WINES, HOMEMADE. — To secure the 
 best results whatever fruit is chosen, currant, 
 gooseberry, elderberry, etc.. it should be gath- 
 ered during fair weather, and be fully ripe, but 
 not over ripe. If not ripe enough it will make 
 a harsh wine and will require too much sugar to 
 save it ; if over ripe it will be dull in flavor. Next 
 it should be picked clear of stems and damaged 
 or green fruit. Then bruise or mash the fruit 
 with say an instrument like an ordinary potato 
 masher. This should be done in a vessel con- 
 taining a guard, such as a piece of wire sieve, 
 over the tap hole, so as to keep back husks and 
 seeds when drawing off the liquor. After mashing 
 add water in proportions hereafter to be named, 
 and stir up well the mixture of mashed fruit and 
 water. Let it stand thirty or forty hours, stirring 
 every four or five hours. Now draw off the 
 liquor through the tap hole, and gather the resi- 
 due into a coarse bag and squeeze thejuice out 
 of it and add to the liquid already drawn oS, 
 The sugar, tartar, etc., are now added in a fine 
 powder or solution, and the whole well stirred. 
 If the weather is moderately warm fermentation 
 soon sets in, which shoukl go on three or four 
 days before the new made wine is put into the 
 cask. The bung should be left out, so that the 
 wine can clear itself. In about a week whatever 
 flavoring extracts are wanted can be put into the 
 wine and in about another week the brandy or 
 clear spirits needed to give it keeping qualities. 
 The cask is now filled up with wine that has 
 arived at a similar state of ripeness and bunged 
 tight. After four or five weeks it is tried by 
 boring a hole about a third from the top of the 
 heading and a gill or so drawn off to see whether 
 it is clear. If it is not, bung it up again and let 
 it rest, or fine it with isinglass as we will explain 
 by-and-by. If already fine, it may be carefully 
 drawn off by a spigot inserted so as not to drain 
 the very bottom of the cask. The bottom may be 
 kept for vinegar. The mashed mass or must of 
 strongly flavored fruits such as mulberries or 
 black currants may be boiled, but the flavors of 
 the delicate kinds are spoiled by boiling. 
 
 The general proportions are : Fruit, four to six 
 pounds; soft water, one gallon; sugar, three to 
 five pounds, according to the sweetness of the 
 juice (the juice should aiwavs be of a positive or 
 cloying sweetness when the sugar is added); 
 cream of tartar, one and a quarter ounces ; brandy 
 
fVAVES, LIQUORS AiVD VINEGAR, 
 
 387 
 
 fourth proof, two-thirds of a gill to a gallon of 
 the wine. If the fruit is sweet, or a full propor- 
 tion of sugar used, no spirit or brandy will be 
 needed ; enough alcoliol will be liberated to pre- 
 serve the wines. If no brandy is convenient a 
 quarter of a gill of spirits of wine will do in its 
 place, or a gill of bourbon whisky run through a 
 handful of broken charcoal so as to take out the 
 whisky flavor. 
 
 Every sweet fluid will yield a wine. Beets, 
 parsnips, turnips, sugar, maple juice, cherryjuice, 
 wortleberry, raspberry, etc, etc. Many pleasant 
 flavors are made by mixing t\vo or three different 
 kinds of fruit. 
 
 For fining or clearing the wine use a quarter 
 of a pound of isinglass, dissolved in a portion of 
 the wine, to a barrel. This must be put in after 
 fermentation is over, and should be added gently 
 nt the bung hole, and managed so as to spread 
 as much as possible over the upper surface of the 
 liquid; the intention being that the isinglass 
 should unite with impurities and carry them with 
 it to be bottom. 
 
 WINE, LEMON. — Sugar, 60 pounds ; rais- 
 ins (bruised), 15 pounds; water, 30 gallons. Boil, 
 then add cifler, 15 gallons. Ferment, and add 
 spirit, 3 gallons; white tartar, 12 ounces; essence 
 of lemon, 2 ounces ; finings, I pint. Observe to 
 shake the essence, w ith a pint of the spirit, until 
 it becomes milky, before adding it to the wine. 
 
 WINE, MADEIRA,— To 40 gallons pre- 
 pared cider, add, \(. lb, tartaric acid ; 4 gallons 
 spirits; 3 lbs. loaf-sugar. Let it stand todays, 
 draw it off carefully; fine it down, and again rack 
 it into another cask. 
 
 WINE, MORELLA.—I^Q the juice of 
 Morella or tame clierries, and to each quart put 
 three quarts of water and four, pounds of coarse 
 brown sugar ; let them ferment and skim until 
 worked clear ; then draw off, avoiding the sedi- 
 ment at the bottom. Bung up, or bottle, which 
 is best for all wines, letting the bottles lie always 
 on the side, either for wines or beers, 
 
 WINE, MULBERRY, — The mulberries 
 ought to be gathered when they are just turning 
 from red to black, and when they are quite free 
 from dew or moisture. When gathered, let them 
 be spread loose on a cloth or a clean floor, and 
 let them lie for twenty-four hours. Then, hav- 
 ing put them into a proper vessel, squeeze out 
 the j uice, and drain it off from the seeds. Then 
 boil a gallon of water for each gallon of juice; 
 skim the water, and add some cinnamon slightly 
 bruised. To each gallon add six ounces of white 
 sugar-candy finely powdered. Skim and strain 
 when the liquor is settled, and add to it more of 
 the juice. To every gallon of the liquor add a 
 pint of white or Rhenish wine. Let it stand to 
 settle in the cisk five or six days, then draw it 
 off and keep it in a cool place. 
 
 WINE, PARSNIP.— Take fifteen pounds of 
 sliced parsnips, and boil until quite soft in five 
 gallons of water ; squeeze the liquor well out of 
 them, run it through a sieve, and add three 
 
 f>ounds of coarse lump sugar to every gallon of 
 iquor. Boil the whole for three-quarters of an 
 hour. When it is nearly cold, add a little yeast 
 on toast. Let it remain in a tub for ten days, 
 stirring it from the bottom every day ; then put 
 it into a cask for a year. As it works over, fill 
 it up every dav. 
 
 IVIA'E, {Poor,) To ImproT'e. — Poor wines 
 may be improved by being racked off, and re- 
 
 turned to the cask again ; and then putting into 
 the wine about i lb. of jar or box raisins, bruised, 
 and I quart of brandy. 
 
 Or, put into the wine 2 lbs, of honey, and a 
 pint or two of brandy. The honey and brandy 
 to be first mixed together. 
 
 Or, draw off 3 or 4 quarts of such wine and 
 fill the cask up with strong wine. 
 
 WINE, (Bri/M) PORT.—X. Damson juice, 
 20 gallons; cider, 20 gallons; sloe juice, I pound; 
 sugar, 10 pounds ; honey, 10 pounds. Ferment, 
 then add spirit, 3 gallons ; red cape, 10 gallons ; 
 red tartar (dissolved), ^ pound; powder of 
 catechu, ^ pound ; bruised ginger, l ounce ; cas- 
 sia, I ounce ; cloves, ^ ounce. Mix well with 
 brandy coloring, I pint, and fine with bullock's 
 blood. 
 
 2. BuUace, 8 pounds ; damsons, 40 pounds ; 
 water, 6 gallons. Boil the water, skim it, and 
 pour it boiling hot on the fruit ; let it stand four 
 or six days at least. During that time bruise 
 the fruit or squeeze it with your hands. Then 
 draw or pour it off" into a cask, and to every gal- 
 lon of liquor put two pounds and a half of fine 
 sugar, or rather more : put some yeast on a slice 
 of bread (warm) to work it. When done work- 
 ing, put a little brandy into to the cask and fill it 
 up. Bung it up close, and let stand six or twelve 
 months : then bottle it off. The quantity of bul- 
 lace should be one pound to every five of damsons. 
 This wine is nearer in flavour to port than any 
 other : if made with cold water, it will be equally 
 as good, but of a different color. 
 
 3, Red cape, 100 gallons: sloe juice, i gallon; 
 honey, 12 pounds; rough cider, 21 gallons; 
 bruised cochineal, 4 ounces ; brandy coloring, 
 I pint ; spirit, 6 gallons ; bruised bitter almonds, 
 Yi ounce ; cloves, ^^ ounce ; powered catechu, 
 r pound; re(i tartar, I pound. Mix well, and 
 fine down with bullock's blood. 
 
 4- Cider, 25 gallons; elder juice, 5 gallons; 
 port wine, 5 gallons ; brandy, I gallon ; red tar- 
 tar, 6 ounces ; catechu, 2 ounces ; finings, I 
 quart; logwood, I pound. Well mix and bung 
 close, 
 
 WINE, PORT,— I, To 40 gals, prepared 
 cider add 6 gals, good port wine; 10 quarts wild 
 grapes, (clusters); ^ lb. bruised rhatany root, 
 3 oz. tincture of kino ; 3 lbs. loaf sugar ; 2 gals, 
 spirits. Let this stand ten days; color if too 
 light, with tincture of rhatany, then rack it off 
 and fine it. This should be repeated until the 
 color is perfect and the liquid clear. 
 
 2. Worked cider, 42 gallons ; good port wine, 
 12 gallons; good brandy, 3 gallons; pure spirits, 
 6 gallons. Mix. Elderberries and sloes, and 
 the fruit of the black hawes, make a fine purple 
 color for wines, or use burnt sugar. 
 
 WINE, QUINCE.— <:imnc&s (sliced), 12 in 
 number ; boil for a quarter of an hour, in water, 
 I gallon ; then add lump-sugar, 2 pounds. Fer- 
 ment, and add lemon wine, I gallon; spirit, I 
 pint. 
 
 WINE, RASIN — Raisins, 5 cwt. ; water, 
 100 gallons. Put them into a cask. Mash for 
 a fortnight, frequently stirring, and leave the 
 bung loose until the active fermentation ceases, 
 then add brandy, $ gallons. Well mix, and let 
 it stand till fine. The quantity of raisins and 
 brandy may be altered to suit. 
 
 WINE, RASPBERR K— Take three pounds 
 of raisins, wash, clean, and stone them thor- 
 oughly ; boil two gallons of spring water for half 
 
3S8 
 
 DICTIONARY OF EVERY-DAY WANTS. 
 
 an hour ; as soon as it is taken off the fire pour 
 it into a deep stone jar, and put in the raisins, 
 with six quarts of raspberries and 2 lbs. of loaf 
 sugar ; stir it ■well together, and cover them 
 closely, and set it in a cool place ; stir it twice a 
 day, then pass it through a sieve ; put the liquor 
 into a close vessel, adding I lb. more loaf sugar; 
 let it stand for a day and night to settle, after 
 ■which bottle it, adding a little more sugar. 
 
 WINE, RHUBARB.— To each gal. of juice, 
 add I gal. of soft ■water in which 7 lbs. of brown 
 sugar iias been dissolved ; fill a keg or a barrel 
 ■with this proportion, leaving the bung out, and 
 keep it filled ■ivith sweetened water as it works 
 over until clear ; then bung down or bottle as 
 you desire. 
 
 These stalks will furnish about three-fourths 
 their weight in juice, or from sixteen hundred to 
 two thousand gallons of wine to each acre of 
 well cultivated plants. Fill the barrels and let 
 them stand until spring, and bottle, as any wine 
 ■will be better in glass or stone. 
 
 WINE, To Remove Ropiness from. — Add a 
 little catechu or a small quantity of the bruised 
 berries of the mountain ash. 
 
 WINE, To make Settle We//.— Take a pint 
 of wheat and boil it in a quart of water till it 
 bursts and becomes soft ; then squeeze through 
 a linen cloth, and put a pint of the liquor into a 
 hogshead ot unsettled white wine ; stir it well 
 about, and it will become fine. 
 
 WINE, SHERRY.— To 40 gals, prepared 
 cider, add 2 gals, spirits ; 3 lbs. of raisins ; 6 
 gals, good sherry, and }4 oz. oil bitter almonds, 
 (dissolved in alcohol.) Let it stand 10 days, and 
 draw it off carefully ; fine it down and again rack 
 it into another cask. 
 
 WINE, LONDON SHERRY.— Chopped 
 f raisins, 400 lbs.; soft water, 100 gals.; sugar, 
 45 lbs.; white tartar, I lb.; cider, 16 gals. Let 
 them stand together in a close vessel one month; 
 stir frequently. Then add of spirits 8 gals.; wild 
 cherries, bruised, 8 lbs. Let them stand I month 
 longer, and fine with isinglass. 
 
 WINE, To Restore, 'when Sour or Sharp. — 
 I. Fill a bag with leek-seed, or of leaves or 
 twisters of vine, and put either of them to infuse 
 in the cask. 
 
 2. Put a small quantity of powdered charcoal 
 in the wine, shake it, and after is has remained 
 still for 48 hours decant steadily. 
 
 WINE, STRAWBERRY.— Bruised straw- 
 berries, 12 gals.; cider, 10 gals.; water, 7 gals.; 
 sugar, 25 lbs. Ferment, then add of bruised 
 orris root, bruised bitter almonds, and bruised 
 cloves, each }4 oz.; dissolved red tartar, 6 oz. 
 WINE, TOMATO.— Take ripe, fresh toma- 
 toes, mash very fine, strain through a fine sieve, 
 Sweeten with good sugar to suit the taste, set it 
 away in an earthen or glass vessel, nearly full, 
 cover tight, with the exception of a small hole 
 for the refuse to work off through during its fer- 
 mentation. When it is done fermenting, it will 
 become pure and clear. Then bottle, and cork 
 ■ tight. A little salt improves its flavor ; age im- 
 proves it. 
 
 WINE, T'W^iV//'.— Take a large number of 
 turnips, pare and slice them ; then place them in 
 a cider-press, and obtain all the juice you can. 
 To every gal. of juice add 3 lbs. of lump sugar, 
 and half a pint of brandy. Pour into a cask, but 
 do not bung until it has done working; then 
 bung it close for three months, and draw off into 
 
 another cask ; when it is fine, bottle, and cork 
 well. 
 
 WINE, [/NEERMENTED. — Gather the 
 grapes when well ripened. Carefully remove all 
 decayed and xmripe berries. Mixed varieties, or 
 any one of the favorite varieties of grapes may 
 be used. Press out the juice and boil as long as 
 any scum rises. Skim carefully from time to 
 time. Do not boil to exceed an hour. Pottle 
 while hot, and seal either in glass bottles, jugs, 
 or air-tight casks. It is fit for use at any time, 
 but after being opened it must not be allowed to 
 ferment. Excepting strawberry syrup, this will 
 be found the most delightful and exhilarating of 
 all unfermented beverages. It needs no sugar, 
 and may be reduced when drank. 
 
 WINE, To Remove the Taste of the Cask 
 from. — Finest oil of olives, i lb. Put it into the 
 hogshead, bung close, and roll it about, or other- 
 wise well agitate it, for 3 or 4 hours, then gib 
 and allow it to settle. The olive oil will gradu- 
 ally rise to the top and carry the ill flavor 
 with it. 
 
 WINE, To F/avor. — When the vinous fer- 
 mentation is about half over, the flavoring ingre- 
 dients are to be put into the vat and well stirred 
 into the contents. If almonds form a component 
 part, they are first to' be beaten to a paste and 
 mixed with a pint or two of the must. Nutmegs, 
 cinnamon, ginger, seeds, etc., should, before 
 they are put into the vat, be reduced to powder, 
 and mixed with some of the must. 
 
 WINE, To Me/low. — Wine, either in bottla 
 or wood, will mellow much quicker when only 
 covered ■with pieces of bladder well secured, 
 than ■with corks or bungs. The bladder allow? 
 the watery particles to escape, but is imperviout 
 to alcohol. 
 
 WINE, To Convent WJiite into Red.—Vui 4 
 ounces of turnsole rags into an earthen vessel, 
 and pour upon them a pint of boiling water; 
 cover the vessel close, and leave it to cool ; strain 
 off the liquor, ■which will be of a fine deep red, 
 inclining to p"arple. A small portion of this col* 
 ors a large quantity of wine. This tincture may 
 either be made in brandy, or mixed with it, or 
 else made into a syrup, with sugar, for keeping. 
 In those countries which do not produce the 
 tingeing grape ■w'hich affords a blood-red juice, 
 wherewith the wines of France are often stained, 
 in defect of this the juice of elderberries is used, 
 and sometimes logwood is used at Oporto. 
 
 WOOD, To Remove the Taste of when A'rai. 
 — ^A new keg, churn, bucket, or other wooden 
 vessel, will generally communicate a disagree- 
 able taste to anything that is put into it. To 
 prevent this inconvenience, first scald the vessel 
 well with boiling water, letting the water remain 
 in it till cold ; then dissolve some pearlash or 
 soda in lukewarm water, adding a little lime to 
 it, and wash the inside of the vessel well with 
 this solution. Afterwards scald it well with plain 
 hot water, and rinse it with cold water before 
 you use it. 
 
 WOODEN TAPS AND FAUCETS, To 
 Prevent Cracking. — This is best prevented by 
 putting the taps and faucets in melting paraffine, 
 and heating them before at a temperature of 212° 
 F, until bubbles of air cease to escape from the 
 wood. The whole is then allowed to cool to 
 about 120° F., when the taps are taken from the 
 bath and cleaned from the adhering paraffine by 
 rubbing with a dry coarse piece of cloth. 
 
WORKERS IN GLASS. 
 
 389 
 
 WORKERS IN GLASS. 
 
 AMALGAM for MIRRORS.— Lt^di and tin 
 of each 2 oz.; bismuth 2 oz.; mercury 4 ounces. 
 Add the mercury to the rest in a melted state 
 and removed from the fire ; mix well wth an 
 iron rod. 
 
 This amalgam melts at a low heat, and is em- 
 ployed for silvering the insides of hollow glass 
 vessels, globes, convex mirrors, etc. The glass 
 laeing well cleaned, is carefully warmed, and the 
 amalgam, rendered fluid by heat, is then poured 
 in, and the vessel turned round and round, so 
 that the metal may be brought in contact with 
 every part of the glass, which it is desired to 
 cover. At a certain temperature this amalgam 
 readily adheres to glass. 
 
 BREAK ( To) GLA SS in any Required way. 
 — Dip a piece of worsted thread in spirits of tur- 
 pentine, wrap it round the glass in the direction 
 required to be broken, and then'set fire to the 
 thread, or apply a red hot wire round the glass, 
 and if it does not immediately crack, throw cold 
 water on it while the wire remains hot. By this 
 means glass that is broken may often be fash- 
 ioned and rendered useful for a variety of pur- 
 poses. 
 
 BOREING HOLES in Glass.— Any hard 
 steel tool will cut glass with great facility when 
 kept freely wet with camphor dissolved in tur- 
 pentine. A drill-bow may be used, or even the 
 nand alone. A hole bored may be readily en- 
 larged by a round file. The ragged edges of 
 glass vessels may also be thus easily smoothed 
 by a flat file. Flat window glass can readily be 
 sawed by a watch spring saw by aid of this solu- 
 tion. In short, the most brittle glass can be 
 wrought almost as easily as brass by the use of 
 cutting tools kept constantly moist with cam- 
 phorized oil of turpentine. 
 
 COLORS, To Faint -with upon Glass.— Tlie 
 several sorts of colors, ground in oil for this pur- 
 pose, may be had at all the color-shops, etc. 
 
 Whites. — Flake white, podium. 
 
 Blacks. — Lampblack, ivory-black. 
 
 Browns. — Spanish brown, umber, spruce ochre, 
 Dutch pink, orpiment. 
 
 Blues. — Blue bice, Prussian blue. 
 
 Reds. — Rose-pink, vermilion, red-lead, Indian- 
 red, lake cinnabar. 
 
 Yello7Lis. — English pink, masticot, English 
 ochre, Saunders blue, smalt. 
 
 Greens. — Verdigris, terra vert, verditer. 
 
 The ultramarine for blue, and the carmine for 
 red, are rather to be bought in powders, as in 
 that state they are less apt to dry ; and as the 
 least tint of these will give the picture a cast, 
 mix up what is wanted for present use with a 
 drop or two of nut-oil -upon the pallet with the 
 pallet-knife. 
 
 Then lay a sheet of white paper on the table, 
 and taking the picture in the left hand, with the 
 turpentine side next you, hold it sloping (the 
 bottom resting on the white paper), and all out- 
 lines and tints of the prints will be seen on the 
 glass ; and nothing remains but to lay on the 
 colors proper for the different parts, as follows : 
 
 As the lights and shades of the picture open, 
 lay the lighter colors first on the lighter parts of 
 tte print, and the darker over the shaded parts ; 
 
 and having laid on the brighter colors, it is not 
 material if the darker sorts are laid a little over 
 them ; for the first color will hide those laid on 
 afterwards. For example : 
 
 Reds. — Lay on the first red-lead, and shade 
 \vith lake or carmine. 
 
 Yellows. — The lightest yellow may be laid on 
 first, and shaded with Dutch pink. 
 
 Blues. — Blue bice, or ultramarine, used for 
 the lights, may be shaded with indigo. 
 
 Greens. — Lay on verdigris first, then a mixture 
 of that and Dutch pink. This green may be 
 lightened by an addition of Dutch pink. 
 
 When any of these are too strong, they may 
 be lightened, by mixing white with them upon 
 the pallet ; or darken them as much as required 
 by mixing them with a deeper shade of the same 
 color. 
 
 The colors must not be laid on too thick ; but 
 if troublesome, thin them before using them, 
 with a little turpentine oil. 
 
 Take care to have a pencil for each color, and 
 never use that which has been used for green, 
 with any other color without first washing it well 
 with turpentine oil, as that color is apt to appear 
 predominant when the colors are dry. 
 
 Wash all the pencils, after using, in turpentine 
 oil. 
 
 The glass, when painted, must stand 3 or 4 
 days free from dust before it is framed. 
 
 COLORS for Grotinds en Glass. — Take iron- 
 filings and Dutch yellow beads, equal parts. If a 
 little red cast is wanted, add a little copper filings. 
 With a steel muUer grind these together on a 
 thick and strong copper plate, or on porphyry. 
 Then add a little gum arable, borax, common 
 salt, and clear water. Mix these with a little 
 fluid, and put the composition in a phial for use. 
 
 When it is to be used there is nothing to do 
 but, with a hair pencil, to lay it quite flat on th« 
 design drawn the day before; and having left 
 this to dry also for another day, with the quill of 
 a turkey, the nib unsplit, heighten the hghts in 
 the same manner as with crayons on blue paper. 
 Whenever there are more coats of the above 
 composition put one upon another, the shade 
 will naturally be stronger ; and when this is fin- 
 ished, lay the colors for garments and complex- 
 ions. 
 
 COLOR, LAKE (For Glass). — Gnndi the 
 lake with water impregnated with gum and salt ; 
 then make use of it with the brush. The shad- 
 ing is operated by laying a double, treble, or 
 more coats of the color, where it is wanted 
 darker- 
 
 COLOR, FLUE FURFLE.—Uake a com- 
 pound of lake and indigo, ground together with 
 gum and salt water, and use it as directed in the 
 preceding article, 
 
 COLOR, green:— Mix with an propor- 
 tionable quantity of gamboge ground together as 
 above. 
 
 COLOR, YELLOW.— Grind gamboge with 
 salt water only. 
 
 CROWN WINDOW-GLASS. —Take of 
 white sand, 60 lbs.; of purified pearlash, 30 lbs.; 
 of saltpetre, 15 lbs. ; of borax, I lb. ; and of 
 arsenic, }^ lb. 
 
390 
 
 DICTIONARY OF EVERY-DAY WANTS. 
 
 This will be very clear and colorless if the in- 
 gredients ¥e good, and will not be very dear. It 
 will run with a moderate heat ; but if it be desir- 
 ed to be yet more fusible and soft, ?^ a lb. or a 
 pound more of arsenic may be added. 
 
 If the glass should prove yellow, the manganese 
 must be used as above directed lor the looking- 
 glass. 
 
 CUTTING GLASS.— ThQ cutting of glass, 
 says the Technologist, is an operation so fre- 
 quently put in practice in the laboratory, that 
 any simple method of effecting it is sure to run 
 the rounds of the press as soon as published. 
 Almost all the methods in common use are very 
 old. Of course, for cutting flat glass, such as 
 window panes, th'e diamonds is the best agent. 
 For cutting rounds, or ovals, out of flat glass, 
 the diamond is the best tool ; and, if the operator 
 has no diamond, it will always pay to carry the 
 job to a glazier, rather than waste time and make 
 a poor job by other and inferior means. When, 
 however, it is required to cut off a very little 
 from a circle or oval, the diamond is not avail- 
 able, except in very skillful hands. In this case, 
 a pair of pliers, or very dull scissors, in the best 
 tool, and the cutting is best performed under 
 water. A little practice will enable the operator 
 to shape a small round, or oval, with great ra- 
 pidity, ease, and precision. When bottles or 
 flasks are to be cut, the diamond is still the best 
 tool in skillful bands ; but ordinary operators will 
 succeed best with pastiles, or a red hot poker. 
 We prefer the latter, as being the most easily 
 obtained, and the most efficient; and we have 
 never found any difficulty in cutting off broken 
 flasks so as to make dishes, or to carry a cut 
 spirally round a long bottle, so as to cut it in the 
 form of a corkscrew. And, by the way, when 
 so cut, glass exhibits considerable elasticity, and 
 the spiral may be elongated like a ringlet. The 
 process is very simple. The line of the cut 
 should be marked by chalk, or by pasting a thin 
 strip of paper alongside of it ; then make a file 
 mark to commence the cut ; apply the hot iron, 
 and a crack will start ; and this crack will follow 
 the iron wherever we choose to lead it. 
 
 For drilling holes in glass, a common steel 
 drill, well made and tempered, is the best tool. 
 The steel should be worked at a low temperature, 
 so as to be sure not to burn it, and then tem- 
 pered as hard as possible, in either mercury or 
 a bath of salt water that has been well boiled. 
 Such a drill will go through glass very rapidly, 
 if kept well moistened. A good liquid for moist- 
 ening such drills is turpentine in which some 
 camphor has been dissolved. This was the lu- 
 bricator recommended by Griffin in his work on 
 chemical manipulation, and it has been frequent- 
 ly published since. Dilute sulphuric acid is 
 equally good, if not better ; and we have found 
 carbolic acid singularly efficient. 
 
 DRAWING on GLASS.— Gnni lampblack 
 with gum-water and some common salt. With a 
 pen or hair-pencil, draw the design on the glass, 
 and afterwards shade and paint as already given 
 elsewhere. 
 
 ENGRA VINGS, To Transfer on Glass.— 
 Metallic colors prepared and mixed with fat oil, 
 are applied to the stamp on the engraved plate. 
 Wipe with the hand in the manner of the printers 
 of colored plates ; take a proof on a sheet of 
 silver paper, which is immediately transferred on 
 the tablet of glass destined to be painted, being 
 
 careful to turn the colored side against the glass; 
 it adheres to it, and as soon as the copy is quite 
 dry, take off the superfluous paper by washing it 
 with a sponge ; there will remain only the color 
 transferred to the glass ; it is fixed by passing 
 the glass through the ovens. 
 
 ETCHING on C/ajj.— Druggist bottles, bar- 
 tumblers, signs, and glassware of every descrip- 
 tion, can be lettered in a beautiful style of art, by 
 simply giving the article to be engraved, or 
 etched, a thin coat of the engraver's varnish, 
 and the application of fluoric acid. Before 
 doing so, the glass must be thoroughly clean- 
 ed and heated, so that it can hardly be held. 
 The varnish is then to he applied lightly over, 
 and made smooth by dabbing it with a small ball 
 of silk, filled with cotton. When dry and ever, 
 the lines may be traced on it by a sharp steel, 
 cutting clear through the varnish to the glass. 
 The varnish must be removed clean from each 
 letter, otherwise it will be an imperfect job. 
 When all is ready, pour on or apply the fluoric 
 acid with a feather, filling each letter. Let it re- 
 main until it etches to the required depth, then 
 wash off with water, and remove the varnish. 
 
 FLINT-GLASS. — Take of white sand, 120 
 lbs.; red-lead, 50 lbs.; the best pearlash, 40 lbs.; 
 nitre, 20 lbs.; manganese, 5 oz. 
 
 If the composition be fused with a very strong 
 fire, and time be given to it, a glass will be pro- 
 duced that will have the play of the best flint- 
 glass, and yet be hard and strong. It is not so 
 cheap as other compositions, where arsenic 
 or common salt is introduced, or where more 
 of the pearlash are used; in either of which 
 eases, savings may be made by diminishing pro- 
 portionably the quantitie of nitre. But the qual- 
 ities of this glass will be found to come nearer to 
 the standard of perfection, which is to unite the 
 lustre and hardness together in the greatest de- 
 gree they are compatible with each other. 
 
 FRIT, To Make. — Frit, in the glass manu- 
 facture, is the matter or ingredients of wich glass 
 is to be made, when they have been calcined or 
 baked in a furnace. There are three kinds of 
 frit : the first, crystal frit, or that for crystal or 
 clear glass, is made with salt of pulverine and 
 sand. The second and ordinary frit is made of 
 the bare ashes of the pulverine or barilla, with- 
 out extracting the salt from them. This makes 
 the ordinary white or crystal-glass. The third 
 is frit for green glasses, made of common ashes, 
 without any preparation. This last frit will re- 
 quire 10 or 12 hours baking. The materials in 
 each are to be finely powdered, washed and 
 searced ; then equally mixed, and frequently stir- 
 red together in the melting-pot. 
 
 GILD, (To) Glass and Poirelaiit. — Drinking 
 and other glasses are sometimes gilt on their 
 edges. This is done, either by an adhesive var- 
 nish, or by heat. The prepared by dissolving in 
 boiled linseed-oil an equal weight either of copal 
 or amber. This is to be diluted by a proper 
 quantity of oil of turpentine, so as to be applied 
 as thin as possible to the parts of the glass in- 
 tended to be gilt. When this is done, whicli will 
 be in about 24 hours, the glass is to be placed in 
 a stove, till it is so warm almost to burn the 
 fingers when handled. At this temperature the 
 varnish will become adhesive, and a piece of 
 leafgold, applied in the usual way, will immedi- 
 ately stick. Sweep off the superfluous portions 
 of the leaf; and when quite cold it may be burn- 
 
WORKERS IN GLASS. 
 
 391 
 
 jshed, takmg clear to interpose a piece of very 
 thin paper (Indian paper) between the gold and 
 the burnisher. If the varnish is very cold, this 
 is the best method of gilding glass, as the gold 
 is thus fixed on more evenly than in any other 
 way. 
 
 GLASS for LOOKING-GLASS PLATES. 
 — I. Take of white sand, cleansed, 60 lbs.; of 
 purified pearlash, 25 lbs.; of saltpetre, 15 lbs.; 
 and of borax, 7 lbs. 
 
 This composition should be continued long in 
 the fire; which should be for some time strong, 
 and afterwards more moderate, that the glass 
 may be entirely free from bubbles before it is 
 working. It will be entirely clear of all color, 
 unless in case of some accident ; hut if any yellow 
 tinge should, nevertheless unfortunately infect it, 
 there is no remedy except by adding a small 
 proportion of manganese, which should be mixed 
 with an equal quantity of arsenic, and after their 
 being put into the glass, giving it a considerable 
 heat again, and then suffering it to free itself from 
 bubbles in a more moderate one, as before. If 
 the tinge be slight, an ounce of manganese may 
 be first tried, and if that prove insufficient, the 
 quantity must be increased, but the glass will 
 always be obscure in proportion to the quantity 
 that is admitted. 
 
 2. Take of the white sand, 60 lbs.; of pearlash, 
 20 lbs.; of common salt, ID lbs.; of nitre, 7 lbs.; 
 and of borax, I lb. 
 
 ■' This glass will rnn with a little heat as the 
 former, but it will be more brittle and refract the 
 ravs of the light in a greater degree. 
 
 'GREEN BOTTLE-GLASS.— \. Take of 
 wood-ashes, 200 lbs.; and of sand, 1 00 lbs. Mix 
 them thoroughly by grinding together. 
 
 This is the due proportion where the sand is 
 good and the wood-ashes are used without any 
 other addition. 
 
 2. Take of wood-ashes, 170 lbs.; of sand, loo 
 lbs.; and of scoria, or clinkers, 50 lbs. Mix the 
 whole well by grinding them together. 
 
 The clinkers should be well ground before they 
 are used, if they admit of it; but frequently they 
 are too hard, and in that case they should be 
 broken into as small bits as can be done conveni- 
 ently and mixed with the other matter without 
 any grinding. The harder they are, the less 
 material will be the powdering of them as they 
 will the sooner melt of themselves in the furnace, 
 and consequentlv mix with the other ingredients. 
 
 GREEN FIIIAL-GLASS ( O^wotcjw).— Take 
 of the cheapest kind of white sand, 120 lbs.; of 
 wood-ashes, well burnt and sifted, 80 lbs.; of 
 pearlash, 20 lbs.; of common salt, 15 lbs.; and of 
 arsenic, i lb. 
 
 This will be green, but tolerably transparent 
 and will work with a moderate fire, and vitrify 
 quickly with a strong one. 
 
 GREEN WINDOW-GLASS.— r. Take of 
 white sand6olbs.; of unpurified pearlash, 30 lbs.; 
 of common salt, 10 lbs.; of arsenic, 2lbs.; and of 
 manganese 2 oz. This is a cheap composition and 
 will not appear too green nor be very deficient 
 in transparency. 
 
 2. Take of the cheapest kind of white sand, 
 120 lbs.; of unpurified pearlash, 30 lbs.; of wood- 
 ashes, well burnt and sifted, 60 lbs., of common 
 salt, 20 lbs.; and of arsenic, 5 lbs. This compo- 
 sition is very cheap, and will produce a good 
 glass with a greenish cast. 
 
 LUTES. — Lutes are compositions which are 
 
 employed to defend glass and other vessels, from 
 the action of fire, or to fill up the vacancies which 
 occur, when separate tubes, for the necks of 
 different vessels, are inserted into each other 
 during the process of distillation. Those lutes 
 which are exposed to the action of fire, are usu- 
 ally called fire-lutes. 
 
 For a very excellent fire-lute, which will enable 
 glass vessels to sustain an incredible degree of 
 heat, take fragments of porcelain, pulverise and 
 sift them well, and add an equal quantity of fine 
 clay, previously softened with as much of a 
 saturated solution of muriate of soda, as is requi- 
 site to give tlie whole a proper consistence. 
 Apply a thin and uniform coat of this composition 
 to the glass vessels, and allow it to dry slowly 
 before they are put in on the fire. 
 
 Equal parts of coarse and refractory clay 
 mixed with a little hair, form a good lute. 
 
 Fat earth, beaten up with fresh horse-dung, 
 Chaptal recommends as an excellent fire - lute, 
 which he generally used, and the adhesion of 
 which was such, that after the retort had cracked, 
 the distillation could be carried on and regularly 
 finished. 
 
 Lutes for the joining of such vessels as retorts 
 and receivers, are varied according to the nature 
 of the vapors which will act against them, in 
 order not to employ a more expensive and trouble- 
 some composition than the case requires. For 
 resisting watery vapors, shps of wet bladder, or 
 slips of wet paper or linen, covered with stiff 
 flour paste, may be bound over the juncture. 
 
 A closer and neater lute for more penetrating 
 vapors, is composed of whites o: eggs made 
 into a smooth paste with quick -lime, and applied 
 upon strips of linen. The quick-lime should be 
 previously slacked in the air, and reduced to a 
 fine powder. The cement should be applied the 
 moment it is made ; it soon dries, becomes very 
 firm ; and is in chemical experiments one of the 
 most useful cements known. 
 
 Where saline, acrid vapors are to be resisted, 
 a lute should be composed of boiled linseed oil 
 intimately mixed with clay, which has been pre- 
 viously dried, finely powdered, and sifted. This 
 is called fat lute. It is applied to the junctures, 
 as the undermost layers, and is secured in its 
 place by the white of egg lute last mentioned, 
 which is tied on with packthread. 
 
 MANUFACTURE OF GLASS. — Glass is 
 a combination of sand, flint, spar, or some other 
 silicious substance, with one or other of the fixed 
 alkalies, and in some cases with a metalic oxide. 
 Of the alkalies, soda is commonly prefered ; and 
 of the silicious substances, white sand is most 
 in repute, as it requires no preparation for coarse 
 goods, while more washing in water is sufficient 
 for those of a finer (juality. The metallic oxid 
 usually employed, is litharge, or some other 
 preperation of lead. Iron is used in bottle glass. 
 
 The silicious matter should be fused in contact 
 with something called a flux. The substances 
 proper for this purpose are lead, borax, arsenic, 
 nitre or any alkaline matter. The lead is used 
 in the state of red-lead; and the alkalies are 
 soda, pearlash, seasalt, and wood-ashes. When 
 red-lead is used alone, it gives the glass a yellow 
 cast, and requires the addition of nitre to correct 
 it. Arsenic, in the same manner, if used in 
 excess, is apt to render the glass milky. For 
 aperfectly transparent glass, the pearlash is found 
 much superior to lead; perhaps better than any 
 
392 
 
 DICTION AR Y OF E VER Y-DA Y WANTS. 
 
 other flux, except it be borax, which is too ex- 
 pensive to be used, except for experiments, or 
 for the best looking-glasses. 
 
 The materials for making glass must first be 
 reduced to powder, which is done in mortars or 
 by horse mills. After sifting out the coarse parts, 
 the proper proportions of silex and flux are mix- 
 ed together, and put into the calcining furnace, 
 where they are kept in a moderate heat for 5 or 
 6 hours, being frequently stirred about during 
 the process. When taken out the water is called 
 frit. Frit is easily converted into glass by only 
 pounding it, and vitrifying it in the melting pots 
 of the glass furnace ; but in making fine glass, it 
 will sometimes require a small addition of flux to 
 the frit to correct any fault. For, as the flux is 
 the most expensive article, the manufacturer will 
 rather put too little at first than otherwise, as he 
 can remedy this defect in the melting pot. The 
 heat in the furnace must be kept up until the 
 glass is brought to a state of perfect fusion ; and 
 during this process any scum which arises must 
 be removed by ladles. When the glass is per- 
 fectly melted, the glass-blowers commence their 
 operations. 
 
 For the best flint-glass, 120 lbs. of white sand, 
 50 lbs. of red-lead, 40 lbs. of the best pearlash, 
 20 lbs. of nitre, and 5 oz. of manganese; if a 
 pound or two of arsenic be added, the composi- 
 tion will fuse much quicker, and with a lower 
 temperature. 
 
 For a cheaper flint-glass, take 120 lbs. of white 
 sand, 35 lbs. of pearlash, 40 lbs. of red-lead, 13 
 lbs. of nitre, 6 lbs. of arsenic, and 4 oz. of mag- 
 nesia. 
 
 This requires a long heating to make clear 
 glass, and the heat should be brought on gradu- 
 ally, or the arsenic is in danger of subliming be- 
 fore the fusion commences. A still cheaper 
 composition is made by omitting the arsenic in 
 the foregoing, and substituting common sea- 
 salt. 
 
 For the best German crystal-glass, take 120 
 lbs. of calcined flints or white sand, the best 
 pearlash, 70 lbs. ; saltpetre, 10 lbs. ; arsenic, 
 Yz lb. ; and 5 oz. of manganese. • Or, a cheaper 
 composition for the same purpose is 120 lbs. of 
 sand or flints, 46 lbs. of pearlash, 7 lbs. of nitre, 
 6 lbs. of arsenic, and 5 oz. of manganese. This 
 will require a long continuance in the furnace ; 
 as do all others where much of the arsenic is 
 employed. 
 
 For looking-glass plates, washed white sand, 
 60 lbs. ; purified pearlash, 25 lbs. ; nitre, 15 lbs.; 
 and 7 lbs. of borax. If properly managed, this 
 glass will be colorless. But if it should be ting- 
 ed by accident, a trifling quantity of arsenic, and 
 an equal quantity of manganese, will correct it ; 
 an ounce of each may be tried first, and the 
 quantity increased if necessary. 
 
 The ingredients for the best crown-glass must 
 be prepared in the same manner as for looking- 
 glasses, and mixed in the following proportions : 
 60 lbs. of white sand, 30 lbs. of pearlash, and 15 
 lbs. of nitre, 1 lb. of borax, and ^ lb. of arsenic. 
 
 The composition for common green window- 
 glass is, 120 lbs. of white sand, 30 lbs. ofun- 
 purified pearlash ; wood-ashes, well burnt and 
 sifted, 60 lb. ; common salt, 20 lbs. ; and 5 lbs. 
 of arsenic. 
 
 Common green bottle-glass is made from 200 
 lbs. of wood-ashes, and 100 lbs. of sand; or 170 
 lbs. of ashes, 100 lbs. of sand, and 50 lbs. of the 
 
 slag of an iron furnace ; these materials must be 
 well mixed. 
 
 The materials employed iu the manufacture of 
 glass, are by chemists reduced to three classes, 
 namely, alkalies, earths, and metallic oxides. 
 
 The fixed alkalies may be employed indiffer- 
 ently; but soda is preferred in this country. The 
 soda of commerce is usually mixed with common 
 salt, and combined with carbonic acid. It is pro- 
 per to purify it from both of these foreign bodies 
 before using it. This, however, is seldom done. 
 
 The earths are silica (the basis of flints), lime, 
 and sometimes a little alumina (the basis of clay). 
 Silica constitutes the basis of glass. It is em- 
 ployed in the state of fine sand or flints ; and 
 sometimes for making very fine glass, rock crys- 
 tal is employed. When sand is used, it ought, 
 if possible, to be perfectly white, for when it is 
 colored with metallic oxides, the tinnsparency of 
 the glass is injured. Such sand can only be 
 employed for very coarse glasses. It is neces- 
 sary to free the sand from all the loose earthy 
 particles with which it may be mixed, whi>;h is 
 done by washing it well with water. 
 
 Lime renders glass less brittle, and enables it 
 to withstand better the action of the atmosphere. 
 It ought in no case to exceed the 20th part of the 
 silica employed, otherwise it corrodes the glass 
 pots. This indeed may be prevented by throw- 
 ing a little clay into the melted glass; but in that 
 case a green glass only is obtained. 
 
 The metallic oxides employed are the red oxide 
 of lead or litharge, and the white oxide of arsenic. 
 The red oxide of lead, when added in sufificient 
 quantity, enters into fusion with silica, and forms 
 a milky hue like the dial-plate of a watch. When 
 any combustible body is present, it is usual, in 
 some manufactories, to add a little white oxide 
 of arsenic. This supplying oxygen, the cumbus- 
 tible is burnt, and flies off, while the revived ar- 
 senic is at the same time volatized. 
 
 There are several kinds of glass adapted to dif- 
 ferent uses. The best and most beautiful are 
 the flint and the plate-glass. These, when well 
 made, are perfectly transparent and colorless, 
 heavy and brilliant. They are composed of fixed 
 alkah, pure silicious sand, calcined flints and 
 litharge, in different proportions. The flint glass 
 contains a large quantity of oxide of lead, which 
 by certain processes is easily separated. The 
 plate glass is poured in the melted state upon a 
 table covered with copper. The plate is cast %, 
 an inch thick or more, and is ground down to a 
 proper degree of thickness, and then polished. 
 
 Crown-glass, that used for windows, is made 
 without lead, chiefly of fixed alkali fused with 
 silicious sand, to which is added some black oxide 
 of manganese, which is apt to give the glass a 
 tinge of purple. 
 
 Bottle-glass is the coarsest and cheapest kind, 
 in this little or no fixed alkali enters the com- 
 position. It consists of alkalide earth and oxide 
 of iron combined with alumina and silica. In 
 this country it is composed of sand and the refuse 
 of the soap-boiler, which consists of the lime em- 
 ployed in rendering this alkali caustic, and of the 
 earthy matters with which the alkali was con- 
 taminated. The most fusible is flint-glass, and 
 the least fusible is bottle-glass. 
 
 MARBLE {To) a Globe Glass.— QxmA well 
 on a stone, minium for red, turmeric, or rather 
 cerussa citrina, for yellow, smalt for blue, verd- 
 igris for green, ceruse, or chalk, for white. W' ork 
 
WORKERS IN GLASS. 
 
 393 
 
 each in oil separate, and with a hog's hair pencil, 
 single or mixed, as you think fit, scatter the same 
 into the glass, and roll it, or dispose the colors, 
 as you like. Then, last of all, fling a little mead 
 amongst them, which covers all. For the Magic 
 Lanthorn, paint the glasses with transparent 
 colors, tempered with oil of spike. 
 
 PA CKING Glass or China. — Procure some 
 soft straw or hay to pack them in, and, if they 
 are to be sent a long way and are heavy, the hay 
 or straw should be a little damp, which will pre- 
 vent them slipping about. Let the largest and 
 heaviest things be always put undermost in the 
 box or hamper. Let there be plenty of straw, 
 and pack the articles tight; but never attempt to 
 pack up glass or China which is of much conse- 
 quence, till it has been overlooked by some one 
 used to the job. The expense will be but trifling 
 to have a person to do it who understands it, and 
 the loss may be great, if articles of much value 
 are packed up in an improper manner. 
 
 PAIN7 (To) and STAIN Class and Por- 
 celain. — I. To paint upon glass is an art which 
 has generally appeared difficult ; yet there is no 
 representation more elegant than that of a mezzo- 
 tint© painted in this manner, for it gives all the 
 softness that can be desired in a picture, and is 
 easy to work, as there are no outlines to draw, 
 nor any shades to make. 
 
 The prints are those done in mezzotinto; for 
 their shades being rubbed down on the glass, the 
 several lines, which represent the shady part of 
 any common print, are by this means blended 
 together, and appear as soft and united as in any 
 drawing of Indian-ink. 
 
 Provide such mezzotintos as are wanted ; cut 
 the' margin ; then get a piece of fine crown-glass, 
 the size of the print, and as flat and free from 
 knots and scratches as possible ; clean the glass 
 and lay some Venice turpentine, quite thin and 
 smooth, on one side, with a brush of hog's hair. 
 Lay the print flat in water, and let it remain on 
 the surface till it sinks, it is then damp enough; 
 take it carefully out, and dab it between some 
 papers, that no water may be seen, yet so as to 
 be damp. 
 
 Next lay the damp print with its face upper- 
 most upon a flat table ; then hold the glass over 
 it, without touching the turpentine, till it is 
 exactly even with the print, let it fall gently on 
 it. Press the glass down carefully with the 
 fingers in several parts, so that the turpentine 
 may stick to the print; after which take it up, 
 then holding the glass towards you, press the 
 prints with the fingers, from the centre towards 
 the edges, till no blisters remain. 
 
 When this is done, wet the back of the paint 
 with a sponge, till the paper will rub off with the 
 fingers; then rub it gently, and the white paper 
 will roll off, leaving the impression only upon the 
 glass ; then let it dry, and, with a camel's hair 
 pencil, dipped in oil of turpentine, wet it all over, 
 and it will be perfectly transparent, and fit for 
 painting. 
 
 2. The first thing to be done, in order to paint, 
 . or stain glass in the modern way, is to design, 
 and even color the whole subject on paper. Then 
 choose such pieces of glass as are clean, even, 
 and smooth, and proper to receive the several 
 parts. Proceed to distribute the design itself, or 
 the paper it is drawn on, into pieces suitable to 
 those of the glass; always taking care that the 
 glasses may join in the contours of the figures, 
 
 and the folds of the draperies ; that the carnations 
 and other finer parts may not be impaired by the 
 lead with which the pieces are to be joined to- 
 gether. The distribution being made, mark all 
 the glasses, as well as papers, that they may be 
 known again; which done, apply every part of 
 the design upon the glass intended for it; and 
 copy or transfer the design upon the glass with 
 the black color diluted in gum-water, by tracing 
 and following all the lines and strokes that appear 
 through the glass, with the point of a pencil. 
 
 When these strokes are well dried, which will 
 be in about 2 days (the work being only in black 
 and white), give it a slight wash over with urine, 
 gum-arabic, and a little black; and repeat this 
 several times, according as the shades are desired 
 to be heightened, with this precaution, never to 
 apply a new wash till the former is sufficiently 
 dried. This done, the lights and risings are 
 given by rubbing ofl the color in the respective 
 places with a wooden point, or by the handle of 
 the pencil. 
 
 The colors are used with gum-water, the same 
 as in painting in miniature, taking care to apply 
 them lightly, for fear of effacing the outlines of 
 the design ; or even, for the greater security, to 
 apply them on the other side ; especially yellow, 
 which is very pernicious to the other colors, by 
 blending therewith. And here too, as in pieces 
 of black and white, particular regard must always 
 be had not to lay color on color, till such time 
 as the former is well dried. 
 
 When the painting of all the pieces is finished, 
 they are carried to the furnace to anneal, or to 
 bake the colors. 
 
 PHIAL-GLASS (Best).— Take of white sand, 
 I20 lbs.; of unpurified pearlash, 50 lbs. ; of com- 
 mon salt, 10 lbs.; of arsenic, 5 lbs. ; and of man- 
 ganese, 5 oz. 
 
 This will be a very good glass for the purpose 
 and will work with a moderate heat, but requires 
 time to become clear, on account of the proportion 
 of arsenic; when, however, it is once in good 
 condition, it will come very near to the crystal 
 glass. 
 
 PRINCE RUPERT'S DROPS. — Prince 
 Rupert's drops are made by letting drops of melt- 
 ed glass fall into cold water ; the drops assumed 
 by that means an oval form, with a tail or neck 
 resembling a retort. They possess this singular 
 property, that if a small portion of the tail is 
 broken oft, the whole bursts into powder, with 
 an explosion, and a considerable shock is commu- 
 nicated to the hand that grasps it. 
 
 POLISHING and GRINDING Glass.— To 
 grind plate-glass, lay it horizontally upon a flat 
 stone table, made of a very fine grained free- 
 stone ; and forits greater security, plaster it down 
 with mortar or stucco. The stone table is sup- 
 ported by a strong wooden frame, with a ledge 
 all round its edges, rising about 2 inches above 
 the glass. Upon the plate to be ground is laid 
 another rough glass, not above half as big, and 
 so loose as to slide upon the former ; but cement- 
 ed to a wooden plank, to guard it from the injury 
 it must otherwise receive from the scraping of the 
 wheel whereto the plank is fastened, and from 
 the weights laid upon it to promote the triture 
 or grinding of the glasses. The whole is covered 
 with a wheel made of hard light wood, about 6 
 inches in diameter by pulling of which backwards 
 and forwards alternately, and sometimes turning 
 it round, the workmen, who always stand 
 
394 
 
 DICTIONARY OP EVERY-DAY WANTS. 
 
 opposite to each other, produce a constant attri- 
 tion between the two glasses, and bring them to 
 whatever degree of smoothness they please, by 
 first pouring in water and coarse sand ; after that, 
 a finer sort of sand, as the work advances, till at 
 last they pour in the powder of smalt. As the 
 upper or imcumbent glass becomes smooth, it 
 must be removed, and another, from time to time, 
 substituted to it. 
 
 The engine just described is called a mill by 
 the workmen, and is employed only in grinding 
 the largest-sized glasses. In gi-inding lesser 
 glasses, they usualy work without a wheel, having 
 four wooden handles fastened to the corners of 
 the stone that loads the upper plank, by which 
 they work it about. The grmder's part done, the 
 glass is turned over to the polisher, .who, with 
 fine powder of tripoli stone or emery, brings it to 
 a perfect evenness and lustre. The instrument 
 made use off in this branch, is a board furnished 
 with a felt and small roller, which the workman 
 moves by means of a double handle at both ends. 
 The artist in working this roller, is assisted by a 
 wooden hoop or spring, to the end of which it is 
 fixed; for the spring, by constantly bringing the 
 roller back to the same points, facilitates the 
 action of the workman's arm. 
 
 SIL VERING GLASS.— Th&v?ci\oM.% methods 
 invented by Liebig, Bothe, Boettger, and others 
 for depositing silver upon glass have been con- 
 siderably modified and improved by Krippendorf, 
 in Switzerland, and we give below a condensed 
 statement of the latest improvements introduced 
 by him. The following are the labels required 
 for the materials to be used in silvering glass : 
 
 1. Seignette salts ; that is tartrate of soda and 
 potash. 
 
 2. Solution of seignette salts in the proportion 
 of one gramme to fifty grammes of distilled water. 
 
 3. Caustic ammonia, fifty cubic centimeters. 
 
 4. Solution of nitrate of silver, i -S. 
 
 5. A flask of 1,000 cubic centimeters capacity 
 for the reducing liquid. 
 
 6. A second flask of same size for the silvering 
 solution. 
 
 With the help of the above chemicals and 
 flasks, the two normal solutions, viz.: (i) the 
 reducing liquid; (2) the silvering liquid can be 
 prepared in the flasks (5 and 6). 
 
 1, The normal reducing solution: 900 cubic 
 centimeters (grammes) distilled water are mixed 
 with ninety cubic centimeters seignette salts 
 solution (2) and the mixture brought to boiling 
 over a suitable fire. During the boiling of the 
 liquid, by which considerable steam is evolved, 
 twenty cubic centimeters of the nitrate of silver 
 solution are added from No. 4, by which the 
 whole liquid is blackened. The whole is allowed 
 to boil for ten minutes until the so called oxytar- 
 trate of silver is formed, when the reducing 
 liquid is ready for use. This normal liquid can 
 be preserved any length of time ; in fact, it seems • 
 to improve by age. It can be kept in flasks, and 
 when required for use must be carefully filtered. 
 Experience has shown that it is better to prepare 
 the normal reducing hquid in a flask rather than 
 in a capsule. 
 
 2. The normal silvering liquid: Nitrate of silver 
 is dissolved in water, and ammonia gradually 
 added until the brown precipitate is nearly all 
 dissolved, then filtered, and diluted until there is 
 one gramme of nitrate of silver in 100 cubic 
 cai timeters of the liquid. For those who are not 
 
 chemists, it is as well to take 900 cubic centi- 
 meters distilled water, add eighty cubic centi- 
 meters of the silver solution from No. 4 ( i -S) 
 and afterwards 100 drops caustic ammonia from 
 No. 3. 
 
 3. The silvering process: Equal volumes of 
 the liquids (i) and (2) are carefully and separately 
 filtered and afterwards poured together into a 
 vessel of the proper size, and the well cleaned 
 glass plate introduced. In about ten minutes a 
 decomposition of the mixture begins to take place, 
 indicated by a blackening of the surface, and pure 
 metallic silver will be deposited upon the plate. 
 The introduction of the plate and the cleaning of 
 it take place precisely as in photographic opera- 
 tions, otherwise irregular lines and unequal 
 deposits of silver result. Gentle heat and sunlight 
 facilitate the operation, while cold and darkness 
 retard it. Finally the plate is removed from the 
 vessel, rinsed with pure water, and varnished or 
 otherwise protected by a background. Good 
 photographic varnish can be recommended for 
 coating the film. For bath, after the operation, 
 contains fifty to sixty per cent of the original 
 silver, which can be reclaimed as chloride by the 
 addition of hydrochloric acid. Hollow ware, 
 reagent bottles, and test tubes are silvered by 
 simply pouring in the solutions (i) and (2) in the 
 some way as described above. The silvering the 
 interior of large flasks, it is well to introduce a 
 small quantity of the liquid at first, and to turn 
 it rapidly around until the surface is covered 
 with a thin deposit. Treated in this way, the 
 operation becomes a very simple one, and may 
 lead to the introduction of silver mirrors as sub- 
 stitutes for quicksilver glasses for very many 
 purposes. 
 
 SIZING for GOLD on (7/a.w.— Rub up copal 
 varnish either with white hole, umber, or ochre, 
 all of which must be perfectly dry, and then strain 
 through a cloth. The glass must then be clean- 
 sed with fine chalk, painted over with the varnish, 
 placed in a warm room, and protected from dust. 
 When it is sufficiently dry, the leaf is to be 
 applied and pressed down with cotton. 
 
 SOLUBLE GLASS, To Prepare. — This ar- 
 tide of commerce, which has come into extensive 
 use for a great variety of purposes, is very easily 
 prepared when once the process is known. 
 
 Potash soluble glass is obtained by mixing 15 
 parts powdered quartz or pure sand with 10 parts 
 of purified pearlashes, and I quart of charcoal, 
 in a Hessian crucible, and exposing the mixture 
 to such a heat as that the mass after six hours 
 shall have become vitrified. Charcoal is employed 
 for assisting, by its decomposition, the production 
 of carbonic acid, as also some sulphuric acid, 
 which may have been produced. It is at present, 
 however, omitted ; and if the glass is manufac- 
 tured on a large scale, the vitrification is done in 
 a reverberatory furnace capable of holcKng from 
 1200 to 1500 pounds. The ashes and sand must 
 be well mixed together for some time, the furnace 
 must be very hot before throwing the mixture in, 
 and the heat must be constantly kept up until the 
 entire mass is in a liquid condition. The material 
 is then raked out and thrown upon a stone hearth, 
 and left to cool. The glass mass so obtained is 
 hard and blistery, of blackish-gray color; and if 
 the ashes were not pure, it will also be adulterated 
 with foreign salts. By pulverizing and exposing 
 it to the air, it will absorb acidity, and by degrees 
 tlae foreigu salts will, after frequent agitation and 
 
WORKERS IN GLASS. 
 
 395 
 
 stirring, be completely separated, particularly 
 after pouring over the mass some cold water, 
 which dissolves them, but not the soluble glass. 
 The purified mass is now put into an iron cal- 
 dron, containing five times its quantity of hot 
 water, in small portions, and with constant agi- 
 tation and replacing occasionally hot water for 
 that which evaporates during the boiling; after 
 five or six hours the whole is dissolved; the 
 liquid is then removed and left to settle over 
 night, in order to be able to separate any unde- 
 composed silex. The next day it is evaporated 
 still further until it has assumed the consistency 
 of a syrup, and_ standing zS*' B., and is com- 
 posed of 28 per cent, of potash, 62 per cent, of 
 silica, and 12 per cent, of water. It has an al- 
 kaline taste, is" soluble in all proportions of 
 water, and is precipitated by alcohol; if any 
 salts should effervesce, they may be wiped off. 
 The color is not quite white, but has a greenish 
 or yellowish white tinge. 
 
 To make soda soluble glass, to 45 parts of silica 
 or white river sand are added 23 parts of carbon- 
 ate of soda fully calcined, and 3 parts of char- 
 coal. This is treated in the same manner as the 
 other glass. The proportions of the mixture are 
 altered by different manufacturers; some pro- 
 pose to use 100 parts silex, 60 parts anhydrous 
 Glauber salts, and 15 to 20 parts of charcoal. 
 By the addition of some copper scales to the 
 mixture the sulphur will be separated. Another 
 method is proposed by dissolving the fine silex 
 in caustic soda lye. Kuhlman employs the pow- 
 dered flint, which is dissolved in an iron caldron 
 under a pressure from 7 to 8 atmospheres. 
 
 Liebig has recommended infusorial earth in 
 place of sand, on account of its being readily 
 soluble in caustic lye; and he proposes to use 
 120 parts of the earth to 75 parts of caustic soda, 
 from which 240 parts of silica-jelly may be ob- 
 tained. His mode is to calcine the earth so as 
 to become white, and passing it through a sieve. 
 The lye he prepares from 75 ounces of calcined 
 soda, dissolved in five times the quantity of boil- 
 ing water, and then treated by 56 ounces of dry 
 slacked lime ; this lye is concentrated by boil- 
 ing down to 48" B. ; in this boiling lye 120 
 ounces of the prepared infusorial earth are added 
 by degrees, which are readily dissolved, leaving 
 scarcely any sediment. It has then to undergo 
 several operations for making it suitable for use, 
 such as treating again with lime-water, boiling it 
 and separating any precipitate, which by con- 
 tinued boiling forms into balls, and which can 
 then be removed from the liquid. This clear 
 liquid is then evaporated to the consistency of 
 syrup ; it forms a jelly slightly colored, feels dry 
 and not sticky, and is readily soluble in boiling 
 water. 
 
 The difference between potash and soda sol- 
 uble glass is not material; the first may be pre- 
 ferred in whitewashing with plaster of Paris, 
 while the soda glass is more fluidly divisible. 
 
 It may be observed that, before applying 
 either soluble glass, it ought to be exposed to 
 the air for ten or twelve days, in order to allow 
 the efflorescence of any excess of alkali which 
 might act injuriously. 
 
 Double soluble glass is compound of potash 
 and soda, and is prepared from 1 00 parts of 
 quartz, 28 parts of purified pearlashes, 22 parts 
 of anhydrous bicarbonate of soda, and 6 parts of 
 charcoal, which are spread in the manner al- 
 
 ready described. If the mass is fully evapor- 
 ated to dryness, it forms a vitrious solid guss, 
 which cannot be scratched by steel, has a con- 
 choidal fracture, is of a sea-green color, is trans- 
 lucent and even transparent, has a specific grav- 
 ity of 1.43. 
 
 Soluble glass for the use of stereo-chromic 
 painting is obtained by fusing 3 parts of pure 
 carbonate of soda and 2 parts of powdered 
 quartz, from which a concentrated solution is 
 prepared, i part of which is then added to 4 
 parts of a concentrated and fully saturated solu- 
 tion of potash-glass solution, by which tliere is 
 a more condensed amount of silica with the 
 alkalies ; this solution has been found to work 
 well for paint. Siemens's patent for the manu- 
 facture of soluble glass consists in the produc- 
 tion of a liquid quartz by digesting the sand or 
 quartz in a steam-boiler tightly closed and at a 
 temperature corresponding to 4-5 atmospheres, 
 with the common caustic alkalies, which are in 
 this way capacitated to dissolve from three to four 
 times the weight of silica to a thin liquid. The 
 apparatus, which was patented in 1845, is well 
 known in this country, as some persons, many 
 years later, obtained a patent for the same pur- 
 pose in the United States, which, on inspection, 
 does not appear to differ from that of Siemens 
 Brothers. ^ 
 
 The latter is the true method of making soluble 
 glass ; in fact, the only process by which it ought 
 to be made, and we believe the only way in which 
 at present it' is produced by those who pretend 
 to manufacture a serviceable article. 
 
 When made in the old way, by simply boil- 
 ing, at about 212" Fahr., or slightly above that 
 temperature, the water is unable to dissolve a 
 glass containing more than about 60 parts silex, 
 as the remaining 10 parts of potash or 30 of 
 soda are necessary to render it soluble. When, 
 however, a close boiler is used, according to 
 Kuhlman's method, and a pressure of 7 or 8 
 atmospheres, which corresponds with a temper- 
 ature of some 120** above the boiling point of 
 water, the solvent qualities of the latter are in- 
 creased to such an extent as to enable it to dis- 
 solve a glass containing half and one third the 
 amount of potash or soda. 
 
 Experience has taught that the soluble glass 
 made in the old way, with an excess of alkali, 
 can not stand the influence of the atmosphere 
 when used as a paint. The soda washes out, 
 and leaves the silex in a pulverized condition, so 
 that it soon disappears. In this way the re- 
 putation of soluble glass has suffered consider- 
 ably, before chemistry had taught to produce a 
 better article. Now, however, that by means of 
 heat and pressure we are able to dissolve a glass 
 containing so little soda that the particles 
 appear protected or enveloped by the silica, the 
 atmospheric influences do not affect these, for it 
 is itself a paint, varnish, or rather glazing, and a 
 useful addition to common oil paint. It enters 
 in the chemical paint, already described, and 
 gives it the glossy appearance. 
 
 An object painted with soluble glass which 
 was prepared by simple boiling is only slightly 
 affected by cold water, but strongly by boiling 
 water. When prepared under pressure and a 
 heat of some 330 °, from a compound containing 
 the least possible amount of alkali, it is \\v\- 
 affected by cold water, and the object painted or 
 covered by the san^e can only be deprived of its 
 
396 
 
 DICTION-ARY OF E VERY-DAY WANTS. 
 
 coating by undergoing the same heat and pressure 
 as was required to prepare the original solution. 
 
 These remarks will show the great value of 
 soluble glass, when prepared after the improved 
 method, as compared to the less value, or rather 
 inutility, of that prepared after the old method, 
 at least in cases where it is used for paint or 
 Tarnish. 
 
 The most extensive use which is made at 
 present of soluble glass, produced after the old 
 method, is for the adulteration of soap; in fact, 
 such a preparation is a kind of soap, in which 
 the expensive fatty acids are replaced by the 
 cheap silicic acid or sand ; but it is a bad soap, 
 very caustic, as the silicic acid but very imper- 
 fectly neutralizes the alkali; consequently all 
 soaps adulterated in this way are very injurious 
 for the skin, and for fine textures. 
 
 In several European countries, a penalty of 
 heavy fines is imposed on its manufacture, being 
 considered as an injurious adulteration of an 
 article of prime necessity, of which the purity 
 ought to be protected, and the universal appli- 
 cation encouraged as much as possible. 
 
 SOLUBLE GLASS for FLOORS. — Instead 
 of the old-fashioned method of using wax for 
 polishing floors, soluble glass is now employed 
 to great advantage. For this purpose the floor 
 is first well cleaned, and then the cracks filled up 
 with a cement of water-glass and powdered chalk 
 or gypsum; afterward a water-glass of sixty to 
 sixty-five degrees, of the thickness of syrup, is 
 applied by means of a stiff brush. Any desired 
 color is to be imparted to the floor in a second 
 coat of the water-glass, and additional coats are 
 to be given until the requisite polish is obtained. 
 A still higher finish may be given by pumicating 
 off the lost layer, and then putting on a coating 
 of oil. 
 
 STAINING GLASS.— 1\C\=, beautiful branch 
 of the art is quite too much neglected. The 
 gorgeous display that may be made, and that has 
 been so sucessfuUy done by some artists, is suffi- 
 cient to excite the desire to bring it into more 
 general use. One can conceive of no more beau- 
 tiful method of ornamenting the windows of 
 churches, and public buildings, or, in fact, any- 
 thing in the way of ornamenting on glass. The 
 following method is the one now in general use. 
 Before engaging in this, it would be better if the 
 artist could get some little previous instruction. 
 We will endeavor to give the correct principles in 
 regard to the oven, the baking, the colors, and 
 the manner of making and using them. 
 
 The Oven is made of fire brick, and arched 
 over like a common bake oven. This is to admit 
 of an iron chest, or muffle, as it is called, so close 
 on the outside that neither fire nor smoke can 
 penetrate, and about three or four inches less 
 than the oven, so that there may be an equal 
 space at the top, bottom, and sides, with legs to 
 keei) it from the bottom. 
 
 The sheet of glass to be worked upon (the 
 softer the glass the better) should be spread over 
 with gum water, and let dry, in order to prevent 
 the colors from running together, it being also 
 much better than the slippery glass to work on. 
 After it is dry, lay it down evenly upon the 
 design, which has been previously sketched upon 
 paper, and trace, with a fine hair pencil, all the 
 outlines and shades of the picture or ornament 
 wdth black. (See the mode of the preparation of 
 colors at the end of this article.) 
 
 The Lights and Shades are produced by dots, 
 lines, and hatches, very much after the manner 
 of the engraver. When this is finished and dry, 
 it is ready for the 
 
 Floating, Take the prepared colors and float 
 th/sm on by dipping the pencil in the color, and 
 taking it, as full as it will hold, to the glass, and 
 just near enough so that the mixture will flow out 
 upon the glass, care being taken that the pencil 
 does not touch the glass, as it leaves a spot. This 
 refers only to transparent colors. 
 
 Taking out the Lights. — ^The methods of doing 
 this, after the color is on, are various. Perhaps 
 the best way is to take a goose-quill, made in the 
 shape of a pen, without the slit. With this the 
 artists take out the lights by dots, lines, etc., to 
 suit his taste. It is then ready for the kiln or 
 oven. 
 
 Over the bottom of the oven, or muffle, must 
 be spread, about a half inch thick, a bed of 
 slacked lime, perfectly dry, and sifted through a 
 sieve. Upon this lay a sheet of glass, then 
 another layer of lime, and «o on, if desired, for 
 half a dozen sheets, though for very fine work, 
 and where uniformity of coloring is required, it 
 is better to have a less number. There may be 
 quite a number of iron slides in the muffle, so 
 that a number of glasses may be burned at one 
 heat, without having more than one or two upon 
 each slide. Close the muffle and raise the fire ; 
 but gradually, or the heat will break the glass. 
 
 After it is got up to a red heat, it may remain 
 so for two, three, or four hours, according to the 
 tests, which are straps of glass, painted with the 
 same colors as the sheets, and drawn out occa- 
 sionally. When the colors are properly burned 
 in, the fire may die away gradually, as it was 
 raised. When cold, the glass is taken out and 
 well cleaned. 
 
 The chemicals mentioned in the following pre- 
 paration of colors, may be had at most of the 
 first-class drug stores. These preparations should 
 be combined, so that each shall require about the 
 same amount of heating to bring out the color. 
 
 STAINING GLASS, Colors/or.— Flesh. Red 
 lead I oz.; red enamel 2 oz. Grind to a fine 
 powder; work it up with alcohol, on a flag stone. 
 Requires slight baking. — Black. Iron scales 
 14^ oz.; white crystal glass 2 oz.; antimony i oz.; 
 manganese % oz. Pound fine and grind in strong 
 vinegar. — Brilliant Black. Made to any degree 
 of depth by the mixture of cobalt with the oxides 
 of iron and manganese. — Broavn. White glass 
 I oz.; manganese Y^ oz. — Rich Bro^n. Oxide of 
 platinum. — Red. Red chalk I oz.; white, hard 
 enamel 2 oz.; peroxide of copper I drachm. — 
 Fine Red. Rust of iron 3 oz., glass of antimony 
 20Z., litharge 2 oz., sulphuret of silver ^drachm. 
 — Green. Brass dust 2 oz., red lead 2 oz., white 
 sand 2 oz. Calcine the brass to an oxide, and 
 make all into a fine powder. Heat in a crucible 
 one hour, in a hot oven. When cold, grind in a 
 brass mortar. — Green. Oxide of chrome. — Green. 
 Blue on one side, yellow on the other. — Yelloiv. 
 Fine silver, dissolved in nitric acid. Dilute with 
 plenty of water. Pour in a strong solution of 
 salt, and the silver, in the form of phloride of 
 silver, will fall to the bottom in a yellow powder. 
 When settled, pour off the fluid ; fill up with 
 water ; when settled, pour off again, and so on 
 for five or six times. When dry, mix the powder 
 with three times its weight in pipe cl.iy, well 
 burned aud pounded. Paint on the back of the 
 
WORKERS LW METALS. 
 
 397 
 
 glass. — Yellcnv. Sulphuret of silver, glass of 
 antimony, and burnt yellow ocher. — Blue. 
 Oxide of cobalt, which is cobalt ore, after 
 being well roasted, is dissolved in diluted 
 nitric acid. Add considerable water, and 
 pour into it a strong solution of carbonate of 
 soda. A carbonate of cobalt is thrown to the 
 bottom in a powder. Wash well, as for chloride 
 of silver, and let dry. Mix this with three times 
 its weight of saltpeter. Burn the mixture in a 
 crucible, by putting^a red hot coal to it. Heat, 
 wash, and dry it. ' Three pints of this to one of 
 a flux made of white sand, borax, saltpeter, and 
 a very little chalk, melted together for an hour, 
 and then ground into an enamel powder for use. 
 Any shape may be had by more or less flux. — 
 Violet. Black oxide of manganese, I oz. ; zaffer, 
 I oz. ; pounded white glass, 10 02. i red lead, i 
 oz. J miX| fuse, and grind. 
 
 The fluxes are made of flint glass, borax, pipe 
 clay, white sand, &c. 
 
 The principles of glass staining, and making 
 the colors, therefore, will be found of great ser- 
 vice to beginners ; yet it must be understood 
 that the practice will be very difficult, without 
 some practical instructions ; yet, one who has a 
 taste, and some scientific ability, may be enabled, 
 by studying these rules closely, and by a few 
 trials in experimenting, to succeed in producing 
 the work properly. 
 
 WIN DO W GLASS, ( C^-f<7/).— Take of white 
 sand, 6o lbs. ; of unpurified pearlash, 25 lbs. ; of 
 common salt, 10 lbs. ; of nitre 5 lbs. ; of arsenic 
 2 lbs. ; and of manganese, i}i oz. This will 
 be inferior, but may be improved, when de- 
 sired, by purifying the pearlash. For other 
 methods of^ makiog cheap glass, see receipts al- 
 ready given* 
 
 WORKERS IN metals: 
 
 ALLOY (^Anti-Friction), For Journal Soxes. 
 —I. Zinc, 17 parts; copper, l part; antimony, 
 lyi parts. This possesses unsurpassable antifric- 
 ion qualities, and does not require the protection 
 of outer casings of a harder metal. 2. The best 
 alloy for journal boxes is composed of copper, 
 24 lbs. ; tin, 24 lbs. ; and antimony, 8 lbs. 
 Melt the copper first, then add the tin, and lastly 
 the antimony. It should first be run into ingots, 
 then melted and cast in the form required for 
 the boxes. 
 
 ALLO Y Incorrasive. — By preparingan alloy of 
 97 parts lead to 3 parts tin, a metal is produced 
 upon which the action of pure water is very 
 much decreased ; and by using an alloy of 95 
 parts lead to 5 parts tin, we have a metal on 
 which the action of pure water is scarcely per- 
 ceptible. 
 
 ALLOY, for Soldering Iron to Steel, or either 
 0/ these to Brass. — This alloy consists of 3 parts 
 of tin, 39^ of copper, and 7^ of zinc. When 
 applied in a molden state, it will firmly unite the 
 metals first named. 
 
 ALUMINUM, To Extract from Clay.—Tht 
 first thing is to extr.ict from the clay alum, 
 and then from the alum alumina, and then con- 
 vert the alumina into a chloride of alumina ; and 
 then from this, by the aid of sodium, we obtain 
 aluminum. All these processes require so much 
 patient labor and apparatus, as to account for 
 the cost of extraction and put it beyond the reach 
 of most amateurs. We will give the processes 
 from the beginning. Clay free from carbonate of 
 lime or oxide of iron, is dried without burning, 
 powdered, sifted, and mixed with forty-five per 
 cent, of sulphuric acid (oil of vitriol) of the 
 gravity 1.45. All this in a stone or brick recep- 
 tacle. Then it is heated in a furnace two or 
 three days, withdrawn, and allowed to rest for a 
 week in a warm place ; then it is leached as 
 wood ashes are leached for ley. This is boiled 
 until it is a thick liquid, when a solution of am- 
 monia is added, which causes the thicker parts of 
 the alum water to fall to the bottom; the upper 
 
 thin liquor is drawn off, a thin wire of thread 
 put in the middle, around which the alum (sul- 
 phate of alumina) in a few days crystalizes, as 
 we see it in the druggists. Now we have what 
 is called ammonia alum. Now take any quan- 
 tity of this, expose it to a white heat in a cruci- 
 ble to drive off the sulphur and ammonia, and 
 we have a white powdery mass called alumina. 
 
 Now supposing your alumina to have come 
 out pure and clear, mix equal parts of alumina, 
 oil, and lampblack, and escpose to a very strong 
 heat to thoroughly drive off every trace of water. 
 This heat is kept up until all the oil and 
 lampblack is driven off. Then take what is left, 
 put into a porcelain tub over a furnace; through 
 this tube pass chlorine gas, while the tube is 
 heated red hot. Your gas is obtained by pour- 
 ing four parts muriatic acid upon one part of 
 black oxide of manganese ; the gas rises there- 
 from and may be conducted by a tube over the 
 alumina. As soon as the tube is choked — that 
 is, when no more gas will enter into combina- 
 tion with the alumina, stop operations and allow 
 the whole to cool. You now have the sesqui- 
 chloride of alumina in crystals at the cooler end 
 of the tube. This is taken out and preserved in 
 naphtha for use. It attracts the water of the at- 
 mosphere very rapidly. Now take your sesqui- 
 chloride — say six ounces — put it into a wide tub ; 
 heat it to drive off moisture and add ; then in 
 the portion of the tube nearest you put some 
 pieces of sodium, which has a strong affinity for 
 chlorine, and increase the heat until no more 
 sodium is visible — or, in other words, you now 
 have resulting the double chloride of sodium and 
 aluminum. It is best to have a connection with 
 a stream of hydrogen gas, in which the last 
 found compound is cooled. Now put the whole 
 into a crucible, cover with common salt, and ex- 
 pose to a powerful heat. At the end of an hour 
 or so the button of aluminum is found at the 
 bottom of the crucible. 
 
 This is an outline of the principal processes 
 from the clay to the metal. Manufacturers on 
 
398 
 
 DICTIONARY OF E VERY-DAY WANTS. 
 
 the large scale make many variations, of course ; 
 but they generally purchase their alum ready 
 made. There is no certain methods of obtaining 
 aluminum from the clay by any shorter process. 
 An Italian chemist, Corbelli, says he has obtained 
 it by mixing six parts pure clay with ten parts of 
 sulphuric or muriatic acid, and then heating the 
 dried and filtered solution in a porcelain crucible 
 to 900° Fahrenheit ; then powdering this cal- 
 cined mass, he mixes it with twenty parts ferro- 
 cyanide of potassium and fifteen parts chloride 
 of sodium powdered and thoroughly dried ; the 
 whole is then exposed to a white heat in a porce- 
 lain crucible, until the contents are fused, when 
 the usual button of aluminum is found at the 
 bottom. We have, however, never heard of any 
 one who has repeated the Italian gentleman's 
 experiment. 
 
 AMALGAM for Electrical Machines. — I. 
 Zinc and tin, of each one part, quicksilver two 
 parts. Melt the tin and zinc, add the mercury 
 made hot, pour the mixture into a wooden box, 
 and shake until cold. 
 
 2. Zinc, 2 parts, tin, part, quicksilver, 3 
 parts. 
 
 3. Zinc, 2 parts, tin, I part, quicksilver, 5 
 parts. 
 
 4. Quicksilver, 6 oz., bees wax, ^ oz., zinc, 
 2 oz., grain tin, I oz. 
 
 5. Boettger recommends an amalgam made of 
 two parts by weight of zinc, mixed, while melt- 
 ed, with one part of mercury. He finds it supe- 
 rior to the amalgam commonly used. 
 
 AMALGAM of Gold. — Place one part of gold 
 in a small iron saucepan or ladle, perfectly clean, 
 then add 8 parts of mercury, and apply a gentle 
 heat, when the gold will dissolve ; agitate the 
 mixture for one minute, and pour it out on a 
 clean plate or stone slab. 
 
 For gilding brass, copper, etc. The metal to 
 be gilded is first rubbed over with a solution of 
 nitrate of mercury, and then covered with a very 
 thin film of the amalgam. On heat being applied 
 the mercury volatilizes, leaving the gold behind. 
 
 A much less proportion of gold is often em- 
 ployed than the above, where a very thin and 
 cheap gilding is required, as by increasing the 
 quantity of the mercury, the precious metal may 
 be extended over a much larger surface. A simi- 
 lar amalgam prepared with silver is used for sil- 
 vering. 
 
 AMALGAM for Mirrors, — Lead and tin, 
 each I oz. ; bismuth, 2 oz.; mercury 4 oz.; melt 
 as before, and add the mercury. These are used 
 to silver mirrors, glass globes, etc., by warming 
 the glass, melting the amalgam, and apply- 
 ing it. 
 
 ANNEALING STEEL. — \. For a small 
 quantity. Heat the steel to a cherry red in a 
 Charcot fire, then bury in sawdust, in an iron 
 box, covering the sawdust with ashes. Let stay 
 until cold. — 2. For a larger quantity, and when 
 it is required to be very "soft." Pack the steel 
 with cast iron (lathe or planer) chips in an iron 
 box, as follows : Having at least ^ or J^ inch 
 in depth of chips in the bottom of box, put in a 
 layer of steel, then more chips to fill spaces be- 
 tween the steel, and also the Yz ox % inch space 
 between the sides of box and steel, then more 
 steel ; and, lastly, at least I inch in depth of 
 chips, well rammed down on top of steel. Heat 
 to and keep at a red heat for from two to four 
 hours. Do not disturb the box until cold. 
 
 ANVILS, Improved. — The face or table of 
 anvils, as at present made, is often defective, 
 having frequently hard and soft places after 
 hardening, while the face should be equally hard 
 all over its surface ; and the steel in some in- 
 stances not being properly welded to the iron 
 part or butt which forms the lower part, the anvil 
 is thereby rendered unsound and not fit for use. 
 Some improvements recently patented by an in- 
 ventor of Sheffield, England, have for their ob- 
 ject the removal of such defects, and consist in 
 so making anvils that the face may be equally 
 hard all over when finished, and in so casting or 
 welding the butt to the head or upper table that 
 the parts may be thoroughly amalgamated, and 
 the anvil made more durable at a less expense 
 than hitherto. 
 
 He first prepares a model of the size and shape 
 of the anvil to be produced. He then places it 
 in a box, covers it with composition, and fills up 
 the box with sand in the ordinary manner. After 
 the model is removed, and the sand perfectly 
 dry, (this being done in the usual way,) he first 
 pours in the molten steel to form the face or 
 table, then, through the same aperture, (after the 
 steel on the table is sufficiently cool,) he pours 
 in a very mild molten steel, which flows over the 
 table and gives the requisite toughness and so- 
 lidity to the steel back. After a proper time has 
 elapsed, he pours in through another opening 
 the iron or metal, which also runs upon the steel, 
 and forms the lower part or butt of the anvil, 
 and a perfect amalgamation takes place between 
 the iron and steel. The casting being complete, 
 it is then finished in the ordinary manner. 
 
 To harden the work, a large metal box or 
 trough, 6 or 8 inches deep, is formed, in which 
 is inserted a number of perforated sharp-edge 
 bars of metal, on which the anvil is allowed to 
 rest on its face or upper surface, either flat or 
 slanting. A sluice communicating with a reser- 
 voir of water is then opened, and a force of cold 
 water is allowed to flow upon the face by an up- 
 ward cast, and to pass under the anvil and over 
 the bars to any depth required. By these means 
 a much harder and more regular surface is ob- 
 tained than by the present mode of manufacture. 
 After this, the surface is ground in the ordinary 
 way. 
 
 ANTIMONOID. — A welding power, named 
 antimonoid, has been in use for some time past 
 in Germany, and found to be of great efficiency. 
 The formula for its preparation has, until lately, 
 been kept a secret ; but we now learn that it 
 consists of four parts of iron turnings, three parts 
 of borax, two parts of borate of iron, and one of 
 water. 
 
 ASHBERRIUM.—IMxi name has been ap- 
 plied to a new alloy which consists of 80 parts of 
 tin, 14 of antimony, 2 of copper, 2 of nickel, i 
 of alimonium, and I of zinc. 
 
 BA TTER Y, Cheap Electrical. — First procure 
 a common wine bottle of a good length and 
 thickish glass. Drill a hole through its bottom, 
 which is generally done by placing a piece of 
 worsted, which must be dipped in turpentine, 
 upon the bottom, and igniting it. Through this 
 hole and the mouth pass a spindle. Fasten it 
 well in the bottle ; put a crank upon one end. 
 Then put the bottle on a frame similar to a 
 grindstone. Next make a cushion of wash-leath- 
 er, stufied with wool, and fastened to the top of 
 a small frame. This frame is to be of such a 
 
WORKERS IN METALS. 
 
 399 
 
 touch it with a little grease ; if you want to take 
 the copper off" the article you must do it over with 
 a slight varnish. — 3- -^ Cheap Galvanic Battery 
 has been described by Dr. Golding Bird, which, 
 it is stated can decompose w^ter and ignite char- 
 coal. The mode of construction is to break the 
 stem of six tobacco pipes close to the bowls, and 
 close the apertures at the bottom of each bowl 
 with sealing wax ; get six small toy tumblers, 
 about half an inch in hight : put in each a cylinder 
 of amalgamated zinc, and place in each pipe bowl' 
 a thin slip of platinum foil, half an inch wide, and 
 connect it with the zinc of the next cell with 
 platinum wire ; fill the pipe bowls with the nitric 
 acid and the tumblers with dilute sulphuric acid, 
 and the battery is complete. In case the plati- 
 num cannot be obtained, copper may be substi- 
 tuted. This battery is in imitation of the famou.s 
 battery made by Faraday out of a common 
 thimble. 
 
 BA TTERY {Mercurial) of Davy.— This gal-' 
 vanic battery, which has lately been extensively 
 and almost exclusively used in France, is not so 
 universally known as it deserves. It is composed 
 of zinc and carbon ; but in place of diluted acid, 
 the zinc is simply immersed in pure water, while 
 the carbon is immersed in a paste of moistened 
 sulphate of the oxide of mercury. The chemical 
 action is similar to the Daniel battery, consisting 
 of zinc, copper, and sulphate of copper. The 
 zinc is oxidized at the expense of the water, which 
 is decomposed, its oxygen combining with the 
 zinc, forming oxide of zinc, while the hydrogen 
 in its nascent state reduces the oxide of mercury, 
 combining with the oxygen, forming water, and 
 leaving the mercury in a metallic state. In this 
 condition mercury can not remain in combination 
 with sulphuric acid. Hence, the latter is also set 
 free and combines with the oxid of zinc, forming 
 sulphate of zinc; exactly as is the case in the 
 Lowe, Daniel, and other batteries, while the 
 metallic mercury collects at the bottom of the 
 vessel. Such a battery may remain in operation 
 for half a year, without cleaning or the addition 
 of liquid. The current generated by 40 small 
 elements has the same power as that from 60 of 
 Daniel's larger ones, which lasted less than half 
 the time. 
 
 As a modification of this battery, instead of the 
 soluble sulphate of mercury, the insoluble sub- 
 sulphate of the same metal may be used. When 
 mercury is boiled with sulphuric acid, a portion 
 of the acid is decomposed in order to furnish 
 oxygen for the oxidation of the mercury, which 
 then combines with the remaining acid and forms 
 a dry, neutral salt. When this is diluted with 
 water, it is resolved, like many other salts, into 
 two compounds; an acid sulphate, which is 
 dissolved, andabasic sulphate, which is insoluble. 
 The latter has a lemon-yellow color, and being 
 supposed to resemble closely in its medical effects 
 the powdered root of a now obsolete plant, the 
 turpeth, it was called the mineral turpeth. 
 
 For many years this substance had no practical 
 value in the arts, but now it will probably be 
 extensively employed in galvanic batteries for 
 telegraphic and other purposes. 
 
 BA TTERY, To plate with. — If the plate, is 
 to be gold use the gold solution for electro-plating; 
 if silver, use the silver solution. Prepare the 
 article to be plated by immersing it for several 
 minutes in a strong ley made of potash and rain 
 water, polishing off thoroughly at the end of the 
 
 hight that the cushion shall press against the 
 sides of tlie bottle, and a piece of black silk is 
 fastened to the top of the cushion, and hangs 
 over the bottle. The cushion should be smeared 
 with an amalgam formed by melting together in 
 the bowl of a tobacco pipe, one part of tin with 
 two of zmc ; to which, while fluid, should be 
 added six parts of mercury. These should be 
 stirred about till quite cold, and then reduced to 
 a fine powder in a mortar, and mixed with a 
 sufficient quantity of lard to form a stickish paste. 
 When this is done the machine is complete. But 
 before using we must have a conductor. This is 
 made in the following manner: At right angles to 
 one end of a cylinder of wood, about two and 
 one-half inches in diameter, and six fhches long, 
 fix a small wooden cylinder about three-quarters 
 of an inch in diameter, and three inches long, 
 rounded at both ends ; the other end of the large 
 cylinder is also to be rounded. Cover the whole 
 with tinfoil, and mount it on a stand on a glass 
 rod. When used, it is to be placed with the 
 even piece in a line even with, and about half an 
 inch from the bottle ; and it should be of such a 
 hight as to come just below the silk apron. When 
 it is wished to charge a Leyden jar, it is to be 
 placed at the round end of the conductor. By 
 these simple means a great variety of pleasing 
 experiments may be performed. 
 
 BA TTER V, Cheap Galvanic. — I. Procure 
 about twenty copper pennies, (if worn smooth so 
 much the better) or get some sheet copper, cut 
 circular and of a large diameter, and the same 
 number similar pieces of zinc. The latter may 
 be formed by the constructor himself; being very 
 easily melted, it may be cast in a mold like lead, 
 or it may be procured in a sheet, and cut similar 
 to the copper. Then provide the same number 
 of pieces of cloth, which must be soaked in a 
 solution of common salt and water; or what is 
 better, a liquid composed of one quart of sul- 
 phuric acid, two of nitric acid and sixty of water. 
 After this is done, place one of the pieces of zinc 
 in a tea saucer, and on it put one of the pennies, 
 or j)ieces of sheet-copper; on this place a piece 
 of cloth, and so continue making a pile — zinc, 
 copper, cloth — until they are all piled on one 
 another ; taking care to make the same arrange- 
 ment throughout. The piece on the top, which 
 will be a penny, should have a copper wire, 
 which, for some experiments, should be tipped 
 with platinum wire soldered to it, and the lower 
 piece, which will be zinc, should be treated in 
 the same manner. From the ends of these wires 
 a stream of the galvanic fluid will constantly issue, 
 until all the acid is absorbed from the pieces of 
 cloth, and although the apparatus is on a very 
 small scale, a variety of exceedingly interesting 
 experiments may be performed with it. — 2. Take 
 a cylindrical vessel, and put another of porous 
 porcelain inside of it; fill the vessel with diluted 
 sulphuric acid, and the space between the two 
 with sulphate of copper (if you require to plate 
 the article with copper); if not a solution of the 
 salt of gold, silver, etc. , according to that whidi 
 you wish it to be ; put a slip of zinc in the sul- 
 phuric acid, and attach a copper wire to it, and 
 the other end to the medal or article you wish to 
 plate, and immerse that in the other solution. 
 Your battery is now complete. If you want the 
 copper to be very thick, you must put a few- 
 solid crystals of copper in the solution; where 
 you do not want it to come in contact, you must 
 
400 
 
 DICTIONARY OF EVERY-DAY WANTS. 
 
 time with a soft brush and prepared chalk. Care 
 should be taken not to let the fingers laid down 
 in the directions for plating with a battery. If 
 the article being plated has the strip of zinc 
 touching much of its surface, it may be well to 
 change the place of contact at every polishing. 
 
 You will find this mode of plating but little in- 
 ferior to that of plating with a battery. It is 
 more employed now, perhaps, than any other. 
 
 BA TTER V ( Galvanic) Improved Liquid for, 
 — Mr. Victor Barjon's new battery liquid, is made 
 by mixing a solution of bichromate of potash with 
 a little lime, and with sulphuric acid. He puts 
 2 lbs. of bichromate of potash into a gallon of 
 boiling water, and lets the solution cool down to 
 68°, and adds 2 oz. of lime. After stirring, he 
 adds sulphuric acid until the gravity reaches 35° 
 Beaume. Then, having stirred the whole, he 
 lets it stand for 24 hours, when it is ready for 
 use. 
 
 BELL METAL.— \. Melt together under 
 powdered charcoal, 100 parts of pure copper, 
 with 20 parts of tin, and unite the two metals by 
 frequently stirring the mass. Product very fine. 
 — 2. Copper 3 parts; tin I part; as above. Some 
 of the finest church bells in the world have this 
 composition. — 3. Copper 2 parts ; tin I part ; as 
 above. — 4. Copper 72 parts; tin 26^ parts; 
 iron lYz parts. Tlie bells of small clocks or 
 pendules are made of this alloy in Paris. 
 
 It is absolutely necessary in this process to 
 keep the metals from contact with the air, for 
 which purpose, the powdered charcoal is em- 
 ployed. The union of the two metals in this alloy 
 IS so complete, that its gravity is considerably 
 greater than that of the mean of its constituents, 
 thus evincing chemical union to have taken 
 place. 
 % The proportions of the first form are those of 
 the Indian gong, so much celebrated for the 
 richness of its tone. In very small bells, and in 
 those of repeating watches, a little zinc is gene- 
 rally added, which makes them give out their 
 tones the sharper. A less proportion of tin is 
 now generally used for church bells, than for 
 house or clock bells, the tones being thought to 
 be rendered thereby more suitable to their re- 
 spective purposes. The substitution of zinc for 
 the iron m the last formula, would (I am told) 
 improve the tone. 
 
 To give this alloy its highest degree of sono- 
 rousness, it must be subjected to sudden refrige- 
 ration. M. D'Arcet recommends the pieces to 
 be ignited after they are cast, and then to be 
 suddenly plunged into cold water. They are 
 next to undergo a well-regulated pressure by 
 skillful hammering, until they have assumed 
 their intended form ; then to be heated, and al- 
 lowed to cool slowly in the air. In a general 
 way, however, bells are formed by simple cast- 
 ing. The addition of lead, and other metals, to 
 this alloy, greatly lessens its sonorousness. For 
 common purpose the third form is generally 
 used. 
 
 BOILER EXPLOSIONS, To Prevent. — 
 Frequent inspection and careful management of 
 , boilers are the best preventives of explosions, 
 '.' and the insurance of losses by damage from such 
 explosions, by companies established especially 
 for such purposes, secures the desirable inspec- 
 tion ; while if the rides adopted by these com- 
 panies are faithfully observed, good management 
 as well as safety is obtained. The following 
 
 rules are so plain and practical that they are 
 calculated to meet almost every conceivable exi- 
 gency : 
 
 Lo7L> Water. — In case of low water, immedi- 
 ately bank or cover the fires with ashes, or if no 
 ashes are at hand, use fresh coal. Do not turn 
 on the feed under any circumstances, nor tamper 
 with or open the safety-valve. Let the steam 
 outlets remain as they are. 
 
 In Cases of Foaming. — Close throttle, and keep 
 closed long enough to show true level of water. 
 If that level is sufficiently high, feeding and blow- 
 ing will usually suffice to correct the evil. In 
 cases of violent foaming, caused by dirty water, 
 or change from salt to fresh, or vice versa, in 
 addition to the action before stated, check draught 
 and cover fires with fresh coal. 
 
 Safety-Valves. — Raise the safety-valves cau- 
 tiously and frequently, as they are liable to be- 
 come fast in their seats, and useless for the pur- 
 pose intended. 
 
 Safety-Valve and Pressure-Gauge. — Should 
 the gauge at any time indicate the limit of pres- 
 sure allowed by this company, see that the safety- 
 valves are blowing off. In case of difference, 
 notify the company's inspector. 
 
 Gauge-Cocks — Glass-Gauge. — Keep gauge- 
 cocks clear, and in constant use. Do not open 
 them too suddenly. Glass gauges should not be 
 relied on altogether. 
 
 Leaks. — When leaks are discovered, they 
 should be repaired as soon as possible. 
 
 Blisters. — When a blister appears, there must 
 be no delay in having it carefully examined, and 
 trimmed or patched, as the case may require. 
 
 Clean Sheets. — Particular care should be taken 
 to keep sheets and parts of boilers exposed to 
 the fire perfectly clean ; also all tubes ; flues and 
 connections well swept. This is particularly 
 necessary where wood or soft coal is used for 
 fuel. 
 
 Blowing-Off. — Blow down at least once in two 
 weeks — every Saturday night would be better. 
 In case the feed becomes muddy, blow out six or 
 eight inches everyday. Where surface blow-cocks 
 are used, they should be often opened for a few 
 moments at a time. 
 
 Filling up the Boiler. — After blowing down, 
 allow the boiler to become cool before filling 
 again. Cold water pumped into hot boilers is 
 very injurious from sudden contraction. 
 
 Exterior of Boiler. — Care should be taken that 
 no water comes in contact with the exterior 
 of the boiler, either from leaky joints or other 
 causes. 
 
 Removing Deposit and Sediment. — In tubular 
 boilers, the hand-holes should be often opened, 
 and all collections removed from over the fire. 
 Also, when boilers are fed in front and blown 
 off through the same pipe, the collections of mud 
 or sediment in the rear end should be often re- 
 moved. 
 
 General Care of Boilers and Connections.— 
 Under all circumstances keep the gauges, cocks, 
 etc., clean and in good order; and things gene- 
 rally, in and about the engine and boiler-room, 
 in neat condition. 
 
 BOILER INCRUSTA TIONS, To Prevent. 
 — A very simple mode of preventing boiler in- 
 crustation is in general use at the Darmstadt 
 gas-works. The engine has worked day and 
 night since 1854 almost without interruption, and 
 the formation of calcareous deposits has been 
 
WORKERS IN METALS. 
 
 401 
 
 entirely prevented by the use of crude prolig- 
 neous acid, combined with tar ; it is either intro- 
 duced into the boiler or mixed with the feed 
 water. Since the mixture has been in use they 
 have never had a stoppage through incrustation, 
 and have never had to use a hammer to remove 
 scale. Each year, during the summer, when 
 less gas is required, the boiler is opened, and 
 perhaps a couple of handfuls of loose sediment 
 taken from the bottom. The quantity employed 
 is very small— just enough to redden litmus 
 paper; consequently the iron is not attacked, as 
 mdeed is apparent from the fact that the boiler 
 has been but twice under repair. 
 
 BOILERS, ToFrn'ent Lime Deposits.— ?\x\. 
 into your cistern or tank, from which the boiler 
 is fed, a sufficient amount of oak tan bark, in 
 the piece, to color the water rather dark; run 
 four weeks and renew. This plan has been 
 much used, in the lime-stone sections of Ohio, 
 giving general satisfaction. 
 
 BORAX, To Prepare for the Blaiv-pipe.— 
 Take one ounce of borax, coarsely powdered, 
 
 ?ut it into a clean crucible, and cover it loosely, 
 ut the whole into a furnace, and watch it till it 
 ceases to swell, then augment the heat, and 
 when the whole fuses quietly, take it out, and 
 pour it into a wedgewood-ware or metallic mor- 
 tar, and when cold, reduce it to an impalable 
 powder, in which state it is to be used. 
 
 BORAX, Substitute for. — Coppers, 2 oz. ; 
 saltpetre, I oz. ; common salt, 6 oz. ; black ox- 
 ide of manganese, I oz. ; prussiate of potash, i 
 oz. ; all pulverized, and mixed with 3 lbs. of 
 nice welding sand, and use the same as you would 
 sand. High tempered steel can be welded with 
 this at a lower heat than is required for borax. 
 
 BRASS. — An alloy of copper and zinc. 
 Brass was formerly manufactured by cementing 
 granulated copper, or copper clippings, with 
 calcined calamine and charcoal, in crucibles, ex- 
 
 })0sed to a bright heat. The alloy was found in 
 umps at the bottom of the crucible on cooling. 
 These were remelted and cast into ingots. At 
 the present day, brass is generally made by di- 
 rect union of the metals. This process requires 
 much care, owing to the different degrees of 
 fusibility of copper and zinc. The proper quan- 
 tity of zinc is first melted, and slips of copper 
 plunged into it, which are rapidly dissolved, as 
 It were, and the addition is continued until an 
 alloy is formed, somewhat difficult of fusion, 
 when the remainder of the copper is added. 
 The brass thus formed is broken into pieces, and 
 remelted under charcoal, and a proper addition 
 of either zinc or copper made, to bring it up to 
 the color and quality desired. It is next cast 
 into plates, or other forms, in moulds of granite. 
 When submitted to the rolling-press for reduc- 
 tian to thin plates, it requires to undergo the 
 operation of annealing several times. 
 
 1. {Fine Brass.) — 2 parts of copper to I part 
 of zinc. This is nearly one equivalent each of 
 copper and zinc, if the equivalent ot the former 
 metal be taken at 63-2; or 2 equivalents of cop- 
 per to I equivalent of zinc, if it be taken with 
 Liebig .ind Berzelius, at 31-6. 
 
 2. Copper 4 parts, zinc I part. An excellent 
 and very useful brass. 
 
 BRASS, Dipping. — ^The operation of "dip- 
 ping "is practised as follows : The shop 
 is or should be, a well ventilated, high- 
 roofed apartment, with abundant provision 
 
 for the escape of the fumes of the acid. 
 It is built round interiorly with brick-work, 
 on which to place the tubs which contain the 
 water to kill the acitl, and the "jowls" or 
 earthware vessels in which the various strengths 
 of acid are contained. There should also be a 
 muffle in which to anneal the work, and a hori- 
 zontal plate of iron with provision to heat it, in 
 order to keep the boxwood receptacle or sheet- 
 iron pan and its contents at a moderate temper- 
 ature. This shop should be in connection with 
 a space or yard in which to place the pickle 
 troughs, and there should be ample provision for 
 the supply of clean cold water ; it soft water so 
 much the better ; also a set lx)iler in which to 
 keep hot a supply of lye or alkaline solution, as 
 potash or soda. The materials employed are 
 aquafortis of various strengths, pure water, and 
 argol, i. e., the refuse or sediment of wine casks, 
 or crude tartar in the form of a powder. After 
 annealing, the work is immersed in a weak so- 
 lution of pickle, to scale it, or remove the ex- 
 ternal skin. After rinsing it out, it is brushed 
 with sand, to remove the more firmly adherent 
 scales. Again pickled, if uniformly clean, it is 
 then in a condition to receive a final finish, if 
 bright dipped; and, if dead dipped, to be sub- 
 jected to the "deadening" process, which is 
 conducted as follows : The aquafortis is reduced 
 from its dipping strength by means of water, or 
 a special variety is used and designated by the 
 name of "deadening aqua." A quantity of 
 either the former or latter is poured into a 
 "jowl." or brown earthenware opened-mouthed 
 vessel. The articles are placed therein, and the 
 jowl agitated till a creamy coating is observ- 
 able over their entire surface ; they are then re- 
 moved and washed out in water. After they arc 
 cooled and the acid "killed," they are passed 
 through the strong aquafortis, rinsed out in three 
 several tubs of water, and then dried out in 
 warm box-sawdust contained in the sheet-iron 
 pan already alluded to. Any acid which may 
 have accidently insinuated itself into defects in 
 the work is neutralized by immersion in the lye 
 or alkaline solution contained in the boiler. 
 After the articles are dried out they are then 
 plunged into a tub containing pure water, on 
 the surface of which is strewed a small quantity 
 of argol, or tartar. In this condition the work- 
 man holds them in his vice, or, if round or 
 globular places them on the chuck in his lathe. 
 
 The operation of dipping is considerably de- 
 pendent on temperature. It is retarded by cold, 
 and accelerated by a moderate heat ; in exceed- 
 ingly hot weather it is with great difficulty ac- 
 complished, and is rarely satisfactory, as the 
 work becomes speckled or irregular in the "dead- 
 ening." The success of the operation of dip- 
 ping is greatly dependent on the mixture of the 
 metal, and not a little on the aquafortis, its 
 strength and purity. Up to the present time 
 practice has been the only guide to English 
 "dippers;" the recurrence of a certain phenom- 
 ena they obviate by experience, by rule of thumb 
 or experiment ; and these experiments are not 
 on all occasions successful in removing the diffi- 
 culties which present themselves. Science, to 
 be useful, should deal with the rationale of the 
 operations and processes employed in manufac- 
 tures ; but no scientific work has yet explained 
 the "why and because " which regidates the 
 failure or success of "dead dipping." 
 
 26 
 
402 
 
 DICTIONARY OF EVERY-DAY WANTS. 
 
 To dipping follows burnishing, the process of 
 which is as follows ; 
 
 BRASS, BURNISHING. — Burnishing, 
 which furnishes a contrast to other portions of 
 dead dipped work, is effected by means of steel 
 burnisher, or tools of steel, varying in form, 
 according to the nature of the work and surfaces 
 of the portion to be burnished. For ordinay flat 
 work, or tubes and the edges of cast work, the 
 burnishers are from twelve to fifteen inches long 
 and oval shape, and tapering to a point. Other 
 varieties of burnishers, as for lathe burnishing, 
 are made with variously formed terminations; 
 others are hooked, and of various breadths and 
 thicknesses ; all are blunt, and after being hard- 
 ened are polished up to the highest degree of 
 brilliancy on the portion used for burnishing. 
 The article to be burnished is held in a vice, if 
 cast; if stamped, it is laid on a ♦'force" or solid 
 metal convex brass or lead cast of the stamped 
 article ; this furnishes an internal support to the 
 thin metal, and prevents its sinking under the 
 pressure of the burnisher. The surface to be 
 burnished is operated upon with the steel burn- 
 isher, dipped in "ox gall." This lubricates the 
 burnisher, and prevents scratching. The work, 
 when it gets dry, is dipped into the argol water. 
 When the article has been burnished on all the 
 portions intended, it is passed through "sharp 
 water," i. e., water in which a small quantity of 
 acid has been mixed, thereafter it is rinsed out 
 in pure water, and finally dried out in warm box- 
 sawdust ; it is then lacquered to protect it from 
 oxidation or tarnish. 
 
 BRASS, To Bronze. — For bronzing the brass 
 objects are first made warm, and washed in a hot 
 solution of ammonium chloride, (sal .immoniac,) 
 and then placed over night in a tolerably diluted 
 solution of two parts cupric acetate, (verdigris.) 
 and one part ammonium chloride in six parts of 
 vinegar. The next morning they are taken out 
 and washed. A bronze to be applied with the 
 brush is made by boiling l6 parts ammonium 
 carbonate and 1 6 parts cupric sulphate in 200 
 parts vinegar till the latter is almost entirely 
 evaporated ; then adding one part of oxalic acicl, 
 and 4 parts of ammonium chloride dissolved in 
 200 parts vinegar ; the whole is placed over the 
 fire till it boils, then cooled, filtered, and preserv- 
 ed in well-stoppered bottles. Clean thoroughly 
 the object to be bronzed, heat it, and apply the 
 liquid with a fine brush. After griving it time 
 to act, pour on boiling water, and rub with a dry 
 oily cotton rag, and then with dry cotton, till 
 every trace of the vinegar has disappeared. 
 
 BRASS, A nnu. — The difficulty of uniting 
 iron to brass is created by the unequal rate of 
 expansion in the two metals, which destroys the 
 unity when the temperature is changed. A new 
 alloy of copper is announced, and the inventor 
 claims that its expansion by heat is so similar to 
 iron and steel, that the surfaces may be regarded, 
 when joined, as permanently united, for all prac- 
 tical purposes. The formula is as follows : Tin, 
 3 parts ; copper, 39^ parts ; zinc 7^ parts. 
 
 BRASS, Coating;: — i. Brass plates and rods 
 may be covered with asuperficial coating of brass, 
 by exposing them in a heated state to the fumes 
 of melted zinc, at a high temperature. Use. For 
 rolling into thin plates, or drawing into wire. The 
 celebrated spurious gold wire of Lyons is thus 
 made. — 2. Vessels of copper mr.y be coated with 
 brass, internally, by filling them with water 
 
 strongly acidulated with muriatic acid, adding 
 some amalgam of zinc and cream of tartar, and 
 then boiling for a short time. 
 
 BRASS, To Coat with Tin. — It is often desir- 
 able to coat brass, copper or lead with a thin 
 covering of tin. This can be managed thus: 
 Half a pint of table salt and a quarter pound of 
 cream of tartar are dissolved in about five gallons 
 of water. Some tin scrapings or filings are then 
 added to the water. The articles to be coated 
 are then put into the solution and smartly boil^, 
 being stirred all the time, until the requisite 
 coating is given. Boiling in a tin vessel without 
 the filings will give a very fair coating, but of 
 course not so good. 
 
 BRASS, 7'o Cover 'with beautiful Lustre Col- 
 ors. — One ounce of cream of tartar is dissolved 
 in one quart of hot water, to which is added h.ilf 
 an ounce of tin salt (protochloride ofiin) dissolv- 
 ed in four ounces of cold water. The whole is 
 then heated to boiling, the clear solution decanted 
 from a trifling precipitate, and poured under 
 continual stirring into a solution of three ounces 
 hyposulphite of soda in one-half a pint of water, 
 whereupon it is again heated to boiling, and 
 filtered from the separated sulphur. This solution 
 produces on brass the various luster-colors, 
 depending on the length of time during which 
 the articles are allowed to remain in it. The 
 colors at first will be light to dark gold yellow, 
 passing through all the tints of red to an irri- 
 descent brown. A similar series of colors is 
 produced by sulphide of copper and lead, which, 
 however, are not remarkable for their stability; 
 whether this defect will be obviated by the use of 
 the tin solution, experience and time alone can 
 show. 
 
 BRASS, CLEANING of.— Rub the surface 
 of the metal with rotten stone and sweet oil, then 
 rub off with a piece of cotton flannel and polish 
 with soft leather. A solution of oxalic acid rub- 
 bed over tarnished brass soon removes the 
 tarnish, rendering the metal bright. The acid 
 must be washed off with water, and the brass 
 rubbed with wjytening and soft leather. A 
 mixture of murfatic acid and alum dissolved in 
 water, imparts a golden color to brass articles 
 that are steeped in it for a few seconds. 
 
 BRASS, Cleansing Solution for. — Put fogether 
 two ounces sulphuric acid, an ounce and a half 
 nitric acid, one dram saltpetre and two ounces 
 rain water. Let stand for a few hours, and 
 apply by passing the article in and out quickly, 
 and then washing off thoroughly with clean rain 
 water. Old discolored brass chains treated in 
 this way will look equally as well as when new. 
 The usual method of drying is in sawdust. 
 
 BRA SS, To Deposit on Zinc and other Metals. 
 — It is easy enough to electro-plate brass objects 
 with copper, silver, or gold, by means of the 
 galvanic battery ; but the deposition of brass on 
 other metals is not so easy. Brass being an alloy 
 of copper and zinc, there is a tendency to deposit 
 the copper in preference, if we use a solution of 
 sulphate of copper and sulphate of zinc, mixed, 
 for our deposition bath. Experience has proved 
 that weak currents, produced by weak batteries, 
 have especially a tendency to deposit only one 
 metal out of the mixture, of diverse metallic salts, 
 and it requires a strong current to deposit them 
 together, so as to obtain an alloy. But strong 
 currents possess the grave objection of deposition 
 thick, irregular, brittle films, which do not adhere 
 
WORKERS IiV METALS, 
 
 403 
 
 well and easily peel off. Hence it is desirable to 
 use a preparation of the metallic salts, which 
 will permit their simultaneous precipitation at the 
 same time with a weak current, 
 t Such a preparation was given recently by 
 Walenn, in England. It had already been found 
 that by using in the bath the cyanides of copper 
 and zinc, (cyanides, by the way, are always used 
 in depositing gold and silver, ) the alloy may be 
 much more easily deposited than from the sul- 
 phides. The manufacturers of gas fixtures make 
 their castings of chandeliers and brackets mostly 
 of zinc, and then electro-plate them with brass. 
 This method is followed at present, also, in 
 making statuary. It is prepared in quantity for 
 the trade on a large manufacturing scale. The 
 practice in such establishments, thus far, is to 
 dissolve cyanide of copper and zinc in a solution 
 of cyanide of potassium and a salt of ammonium, 
 so as to obtain a more soluble double or triple 
 salt of the metal, with potassium and ammo- 
 nium. 
 
 This preparation, notwithstanding it allows 
 the deposition of the alloy to take place regular- 
 ly, has the defect of evolving hydrogen gas in 
 great quantity, which interferes with the galvanic 
 current ; and this defect has been removed by 
 the prescription of Walenn, which runs as fol- 
 lows : To a mixed solution of cyanide of potas- 
 sium and neutral tartrate of ammonia in water, 
 add the cyanides of copper and zinc till saturated, 
 then add the oxides of the same metals ; that is, 
 black oxide of copper and unadulterated zinc- 
 white, and let the liquid dissolve as much of 
 them as possible. This preparation being used 
 as a bath, causes the evolution of hydrogen to be 
 made much less. It may even be entirely pre- 
 vented by the addition of ammonide of copper, 
 when a very weak galvanic current will suffice. 
 If the color of the brass is too pale, a little more 
 copper salt is to be added to the solution ; if too 
 deeply copper-colored, a little more of the zinc 
 salt. A large brass plate is used for the positive 
 electrode, the object to be coated being attached 
 to the negative one. If every thing works right, 
 the brass plate will lose as much in weight as the 
 object gains by the deposit. As a general hint 
 for all electro-plating, we must observe that the 
 objects to be coated must be well cleaned, 
 scrubbed with fine sand, washed, then scrubbed 
 again, and then connected with the zinc pole of 
 the battery before being placed in the trough ; 
 and that the best way of treatment after the de- 
 posit is formed, is to wash in clear water and 
 dry in the sawdust of a non-resinous wood. If 
 the solution is worked at an elevated temperature, 
 the contact of the coating will be promoted. Fi- 
 nally, we may observe that acid solutions give 
 "mat" deposits, while alkaline solutions give the 
 reverse, a bright or bristling coating. 
 
 BRASS INLAID WORK, To Polish.— ?\\z 
 the brass very clean with a smooth file; then 
 take some tripoli powdered very fine, and mix it 
 with the linseed oil. Dip in this a rubber of hat, 
 with which polish the work until the desired ef- 
 fect is obtained. 
 
 If the work is ebony, or black rose-wood, take 
 some elder-coal powdered very fine, and apply it 
 dry after you have done with the tripoli, and it 
 will produce a superior polish. 
 
 The Trench mode of ornamenting with brass 
 differs widely from ours, theirs being chiefly 
 water-gilt (or mouiu), excepting the flutes of 1 
 
 columns, etc., which are polished very high with 
 rotten stone, and finished with elder-coal. 
 
 BRASS, To Lacquer. — Lacquering, or the 
 covering of finished brass work with transparent 
 varnish to preserve the surface and finish of the 
 articles from ordinary and extraordinary atmos- 
 pheric and other influences, may be said to com- 
 plete the manipulatory operations in the manu- 
 facture of objects in brass. The lacquering room, 
 in the best regulated manufactories, is a lofty, 
 well-aired apartment, with counters round, on 
 which to lay the finished articles. In it are erect- 
 ed, on brick basements, with cast-iron top or 
 plate placed horizontally like an ordinary hot- 
 hearth, one or more stoves. Ordinary cast-iron 
 frames and doors are inserted in front to allow 
 of the introduction of the fuel. A series of flues 
 running under the surface of the iron plate se- 
 cures the diffusion of the heat generally on its 
 upper surface. On this plate are laid the articles 
 to be lacquered. The lacquer or varnish is com- 
 posed of spirits of wine m which has been dis- 
 solved seed lac In appearance it presents that 
 of pale French brandy, verging, where colored, 
 into that of the brown variety of the spirit already 
 named. Turmeric, dragon's blood, or sandal 
 wood, will impart various shades of color if dis- 
 solved in the mixture of spirits of wine and lac 
 already named. The brass articles having been 
 coated over when cold with the lacquer, are laid 
 on the hot iron plate, and when sufficiently heat- 
 ed are again coated with lacquer applied with 
 large round camel hair brushes, of sizes varying 
 from five-eighth inch to one inch diameter. 
 Delicate and skillful application, and the perfec- 
 tion of lacquering consist in a uniform coating. 
 Careless lacquering is indicated by smearing or 
 irregular depths of shade, and consequently im- 
 paired brilliancy of effect. Too much heat friz- 
 zles the lacquer ; if too cold the articles will be 
 dull. The spirit of wine is simply a solvent for 
 the gum, and when the lacquer is applied evap- 
 orates or flies off, leaving the gum on the surface 
 of the brass, and protects its surface completely 
 for years from ordinary exhalations or other in- 
 fluences. ,Sea air, the noxious fumes of chemi- 
 cals or tobacco, the deposits of flies, damp, etc., 
 however, act upon it, and corrode through the 
 lacquer, impairing its brilliancy and protective 
 properties. The idea that lacquering brightens 
 up brass work, apart from finish, is an error too 
 frequently entertained; imless there is preNaous 
 finish, lacquer being transparent serves only to 
 render more apparent the existing defects on the 
 surface of the object on which it is applied. 
 
 Attempts have been made to introduce steam- 
 hfeated lacquering plates, or a hollow iron box 
 into which the steam passes. Heat in steam, 
 however, indicates pressure, and no ordinary en- 
 gine boiler valve could be so loaded as to stand 
 the pressure to get up the required degree of 
 heat equal to that produced by fuel introduced 
 immediately under a cast-iron pl.ate. 
 
 Steam has,Jiowever, been successfully applied 
 to the lacquering of tubes and other hollow ar- 
 ticles as follows: A stcim pipe is conducted from 
 the boiler of the engine connected with the works; 
 this pipe is led into the lacquering room, and 
 placed horizontally about three feet or three feet 
 six inches from the floor. In this horizontal tube 
 is inserted, at regular distance-;, a number of good 
 well-made gun-metal taps ; these are fitted with 
 lever keys, easily removed after tlie steam has 
 
404 
 
 DICTIONARY OF E VERY-DA Y WANTS. 
 
 been turned on or off. The taps have tapering 
 ends, which are inserted into the ends of the 
 pipe or tube to be lacquered. The opposite end 
 of the tube is supported on a%tand, the steam is 
 turned on, passes through the interior of the 
 tube, and speedily heats it to a sufficient temper- 
 ature for lacquering. The lacquer is then ap- 
 {ilied as already described. For the purpose of 
 acquering such articles as have been named, the 
 steam method alluded to has no equal. The 
 heat of the tube, or hollow article to be operated 
 upon, can be increased or diminished at will by 
 simply turning on more, or checking the admis- 
 sion of the steam. Contrast this with the ted- 
 ious process of heating a twelve or eighteen feet 
 tube, or hollow cornice pole, on a cast-iron 
 plate. The utmost length which could be prop- 
 erly heated at one time would not extend be- 
 3'ond eighteen inches or two feet. We have thus 
 at least twelve separate heatings ; removed 
 from the hot plate the article speedily cools, and 
 we have nine or twelve separate joinings of lac- 
 quer ; the lacquerer must be careful and skillful 
 indeed who is able to conceal the junctions of 
 the several points of contact. If this is con- 
 trasted with the tube regularly heated by steam, 
 the superiority of the steam process will at once 
 be recognized. 
 
 BRASS ORNAMENTS, To Clean.— Brass 
 ornaments, that have not been gilt or lacquered, 
 may be clean, and a very brilliant color given 
 to them, by washing them with alum boiled in 
 strong lye, in the proportion of an ounce to a 
 pint, and afterwards rubbing them with strong 
 tripoli. 
 
 BRASS ORNAMENTS, To Preserve.— 'Y\(\% 
 may be done by two simple processes. The 
 first is to beat sal ammoniac into a fine powder, 
 then to moisten it with soft water, rubbing it on 
 the ornaments; which must be heated over 
 charcoal and rubbed dry with bran and whiting. 
 The second is to wash the brass work with roche 
 alum boiled in strong lye, in the proportion of an 
 ounce to a pint. When dry it must be rubbed 
 with fine tripoli. Either of these processes will 
 give to brass the brilliancy of gold. , 
 
 BRASS, To Temper, or Draw its Temper. — 
 Brass is rendered hard by hammering or rolling, 
 therefore when you make a thing of brass, neces- 
 sary to be in temper, you must prepare the ma- 
 terial before shaping the article. Temper may 
 be drawn from brass by heating it to a cherry 
 red, and then simply plunging it into water the 
 same as though you were going to temper 
 steel. 
 
 BRASS, For Wire. — Copper, 34 parts ; cala- 
 mine, 56 parts. Mix. 
 
 BLUING Small Steel Articles.— l. Having 
 a quantity of charcoal ashes on an iron plate, or 
 in a box, place over the fire, and heat slowly. 
 Put the articles to be blued in the ashes, and as 
 they get heated, take out occasionally to see how 
 the color is drawing. When the color is a blue, 
 do not take them out, but leave them until they 
 have become white again, when they should be 
 taken out and allowed to cool. Now, by return- 
 ing the articles and reheating you will have the 
 "second blue." The first blue will rub off 
 easily, the second blue will wear quite a long 
 time, but in order to get a good color, the article 
 should be highly polished, and free from grease 
 of any kind, and in no case should the articles 
 be dipped in oil or water, before or after bluing, 
 
 unless you wish to spoil the color. — 2. Give the 
 pieces a bright fine polish, and lay them in a 
 sheet-iron pan, with some slaked lime. Set the 
 pan over a forge, or in any place where he can 
 regulate the heat, and watch them carefully until 
 they have the right color. If the steel be good, 
 they will take on a bright vivid blue. 
 
 BLUE (^Transparent), For Steel Ploughs. — 
 Take dammar varnish % gal. ; finely ground 
 Prussian-blue % oz. ; mix thoroughly. For 
 ground steel ploughs, or other ground steel, one 
 or two coats of this will be found sufficient to 
 give a nice blue appearance, like highly tempered 
 steel; some may wish a little more blue; if so, 
 add the Prussian-blue to your liking. 
 
 BRITANNIA METAL.— i. Tin, 82 parts ; 
 lead, 18 parts; brass, 5 parts; antimony, 5 parts. 
 Mix. 
 
 2. Brass, I part; antimony, 4 parts; tin, 20 
 parts. Mix. 
 
 3. Plate brass, tin, bismuth, and antimony, of 
 each equal parts. Add this mixture to melted 
 tin until it acquires the proper color and hard- 
 ness. 
 
 BRONZE, Aluminum. — Resembles gold in 
 appearance ; is said to be twice as strong as the 
 best gun-metal ; as light as wrought-iron ; is not 
 easily tarnished. It is easily stamped and en- 
 graved. It is composed of 10 parts of alumi- 
 num and 90 of copper. It requires to be re- 
 melted, as the first melting is brittle. 
 
 BRONZE, Gold. — Pure gold bronze powder 
 may be made as follows : Grind leaf gold with 
 pure honey until the leaves are broken up and 
 minutely divided. Remove tliis mixture from 
 the stone by a spatula and stir up in a basin of 
 water ; the water will melt the honey and set the 
 gold free. Leave the basin undisturbed until the 
 gold subsides. Pour off the water and add 
 fresh instead, until the honey is entirely washed 
 away, after which collect the gold on filtering 
 pans and dry for use. A cheaper sort may be 
 made thus : Melt one pound of tin in a crucible 
 and pour it on one-half pound of pure mercury; 
 when this is solid grind it into powder with seven 
 ounces of flowers of sulphur, and one-half pound 
 of sal ammoniac 
 
 BRONZING Gun-barrels.— The so-called 
 butter of zinc used for bronzing gun-barrels is 
 made by dissolving zinc in hydrochloric acid 
 till no more free acid is left ; which is secured by 
 placing zinc in the acid until it ceases to be dis- 
 solved. The liquid is then evaporated until a 
 drop taken out and placed on a piece of glass 
 solidifies in cooling, when it is mixed with 2 
 parts of olive-oil for every three parts of the li- 
 quid. The barrels must be cleansed and 
 warmed before applying the so-called butter, 
 which put on with a piece of linen rag. 
 
 BRONZE, For Cutting Instrtimcnts. — Cop- 
 per, 100 parts ; tin, 14 parts. M. Dussaussy 
 says that the above alloy, when hardened and 
 tempered after the manner of the ancients, will 
 yield an edge nearly equal to that of steel. Sev- 
 eral analyses have been made of ancient cutting 
 instruments, whence it appears that the proportion 
 of tin varies from 4 to 15 per cent., which tends 
 to prove that more depends on the exact mode 
 of tempering the alloy, than on the relative 
 quantities of the ingredients. Zinc and tin are in- 
 admissible in bronze for this purpose. One or 
 two per cent, of iron might nevertheless be 
 added with advantage. The ancient bronze used 
 
WORKERS IN METALS. 
 
 40s 
 
 for springs, contained only 3 to 4 per cent, of 
 tin, 
 
 BRONZING FLUID. — ¥oT hrovm: Iron 
 filings, or scales, i lb.; arsenic, I oz.; hydrochloric 
 acid, I lb.; metallic zinc, l oz. The article to be 
 bronzed is to be dipped in this solution till the 
 desired effect be produced. 
 
 BRONZE, Green. — Acetic acid, diluted, 4lbs.; 
 green verditer, 2 oz.; muriate of ammonia, i oz.; 
 common salt, 2oz.; alum, >^ oz.; French berries, 
 Yz lb.; boil them together till the berries have 
 yielded their color, and strain. Olive bronze, for 
 brass or copper, — Nitric acid, loz.; hydrochloric 
 acid, 2 oz.; add titanium or palladium, as much 
 as will dissolve, and add three pints of distilled 
 water. 
 
 BRONZING for Iron or ^^w^.— First, make 
 a black paint; then put in a little chrome-yellow, 
 only sufficient to give it a dark-green shade ; 
 apply a coat of this to the article to be bronzed ; 
 when dry, give it a coat of varnish ; and when 
 the varnish is a little dry, dust on bronze by 
 dipping a piece of velvet into the bronze and 
 shaking it upon the varnish; then give it another 
 coat of varnish, and when dry, all is complete. 
 
 BRONZING of Medals and Ornaments of 
 Copper, Electrotypes, etc, — i. Having thoroughly 
 cleaned and polished the surface of the specimen, 
 with a brush apply the common crocus powder, 
 previously made into a paste with water. When 
 dry, place it in an iron ladle, or on a common fire- 
 shovel, over a clear fire about I minute ; and 
 when sufficiently cool, polish with a plate brush. 
 By this process a bronze similar to that on tea- 
 urns is produced ; the shade depending upon the 
 duration of the exposure to the fire. 
 
 2. By substituting finely-powdered plumbago 
 for crocus powder in the above process, a beauti- 
 ful, deep, and permanent bronze appearance is 
 produced. 
 
 3. Rub the medal with a solution of livers of 
 . sulphur, or sulphuret of potassium, then dry. 
 
 This produces the appearance of antique bronze 
 very exactly. 
 
 4. Dissolve 2 oz. of verdigris and I oz. of sal 
 ammoniac in i pint of vinegar, and dilute the 
 mixture with water until it tastes but slightly 
 metallic, when it must be boiled for a few min- 
 utes, and filtered for use. Copper medals, etc. , 
 previously thoroughly cleaned from grease and 
 dirt, are to be steeped in the liquor at the boiling 
 point, until the desii-ed effect is produced. Care 
 must be taken not to keep them in the solution 
 too long. When taken out, they should be care- 
 fully washed in hot water, and well dried. Gives 
 an antique appearance. 
 
 5. (Chinese method. ) Make a paste with 2 oz. 
 each of verdigris and vermilion ; 5 oz. each of 
 alum and sal ammoniac, all in fine powder, and 
 vinegar q. s.; then spread it over the surface of 
 the copper, previously well cleaned and bright- 
 ened, uniformly warm the article by the fire, and 
 afterwards well wash and dry it, when, if the tint 
 be not deep enough, the process may be repeated. 
 The addition of a little blue vitriol inclines the 
 color to a chestnut brown, and a little borax to a 
 yellowish brown. Much employed by the Chinese 
 for copper tea-urns. 
 
 6. Dissolve i oz. of sal ammoniac, 3 oz, cream 
 of tartar, and 6 oz. of common salt, in i pint of 
 hot water ; then add 2 oz. of nitrate of copper, 
 dissolved in }/^ a pint of water ; mix well, and 
 apply it repeatedly to the article, placed in a damp 
 
 situation, by means of a brush moistened there- 
 with. Very antique. 
 
 7. Sal^ of sorrel ^ oz.; sal ammoniac i oz.; 
 distilled vinegar 2% pints ; dissolve. As last. 
 
 BRONZE for Mortars. — Copper 93 parts; lead 
 5 parts; tin 2 parts. The edges and lips of 
 mortars must be tempered by heating them to a 
 cherry red, and then plunging them into cold 
 water; as unless so treated, they are very apt to 
 be broken. 
 
 BRONZE for Ornamental Work to he Gilded. 
 — I. Copper 82 parts ; zinc 18 parts ; tin 3 parts ; 
 lead 2 parts. 
 
 2. Copper 83 parts; zinc 17 parts; tin I part; 
 lead ^ part. 
 
 BRONZE POWDER.— I. {Beautiful red.) 
 Mix together sulphate of copper 100 parts; car- 
 bonate of soda 60 parts; apply heat until they 
 unite into a mass, then cool, powder, and add 
 copper filings 15 parts ; well mix, and keep them 
 at a white heat for twenty minutes, then cool, 
 powder, and wash and dry. 
 
 2. {Gold colored.) Verdigris 8 oz. ; tutty powder 
 40Z.; borax and nitre, of each 2 oz.; bichloride of 
 mercury ^ oz.; make them into a paste with oil, 
 and fuse them together. Used in japanning as a 
 gold color. 
 
 3. Dutch leaf reduced to an impalpable powder 
 by grinding. 
 
 4. {Iron colored.) Plumbago finely pow^dered. 
 
 5. {Silver white.) Melt together i oz. each of 
 bismuth and tin, then add I oz. of running quick- 
 silver ; cool and poivder. 
 
 • BRONZE for Statuary. — i. Copper 88 parts ; 
 tin 9 parts ; zinc 2 parts; lead i part. 
 
 2. Copper 82^ parts; tin 5 parts; zinc 10 5^ 
 parts ; lead 2 parts. These are very nearly the 
 proportions in the celebrated statue of Louis XV. 
 
 3. Copper 90 parts ; tin 9 parts ; lead I part. 
 
 4. Copper 91 parts ; tin 9 parts. 
 BRONZING, Surface. — This term is applied 
 
 to the process of imparting to the surfaces of 
 figures of wood, plaster of Paris etc., a metallic 
 appearance. This is done by first giving them a 
 coat of oil or size varnish, and when this is nearly 
 dry, applying with a dabber of cotton or a camel- 
 hair pencil, any of the metallic bronze powders ; 
 or the powder may be placed in a little bag of 
 muslin, and dusted over the surface, and after- 
 wards finished off with a wad of linen. The sur- 
 face must be afterwards varnished. 
 
 Paper is bronzed by mixing the powders up 
 with a little gum and water, and afterwards 
 burnishing. 
 
 Iron castings may be bronzed by thorough 
 cleaning, and subsequent immersion in a solution 
 of sulphate of copper, when they acquire a coat of 
 the latter metal. They must be then washed in 
 water. 
 
 BRONZE { VINEGAR),forBrass.—Vmeg3X, 
 ID gals.; blue vitriol, 3 lbs.; muriatic acid, 3 lbs.; 
 corrosive sublimate, 4 grs.; sal ammonia, 2 lbs.; 
 alum, 8 oz. 
 
 BUTCHER KNIVES.— In forging out the 
 knife as you get it near to its proper thickness, 
 be very careful not to heat it too high, and to 
 water-hammer as for mill picks ; when about to 
 temper, heat only to a cherry-red and hold it in 
 such a way that you can hold it plumb as you 
 put it into the water, which prevents it from 
 springing — put it plumb into the water and it 
 will come out straight. 
 
 Take it from the water to the fire and pass it 
 
4o6 
 
 DICTIONAR YOFE VER Y-DA Y WANTS. 
 
 through the blaze until a little hot; then rub a 
 candle over it upon both sides and back to the 
 fire,- passing it backward and forward, in the 
 blaze, turning it over often to keep thereat even 
 over the whole surface, until the tallow passes 
 off as though it went into the steel ; then take 
 out and rub the candle over it again (on both 
 sides each time) and back to the fire, passing it 
 as before, until it starts into a blaze, with a snap, 
 being careful that the heat is even over the whole 
 length and width of the tool, then rub the tallow 
 over it again and back, for 3 times, quickly as it 
 burns off; and lastly rub the tallow over it again 
 and push it into the dust of the forge, letting it 
 remain until cold. 
 
 If these directions are followed with dexterity 
 you will have the temper alike from edge to 
 back; and the edge will be the best ever made. 
 CAR A T. — ^The carat is an imaginary weight, 
 that expresses the fineness of gold, or the pro- 
 portion of pure gold in a mass of metal ; thus, 
 an ounce of gold is divided into 24 carats, and 
 gold of 22 carats fine is gold of which 22 parts 
 out of 24 are pure, the other two parts being sil- 
 ver, copper, or other metal ; the weight of four 
 grains, used by jewelers in weighing precious 
 stones and pearls, is sometimes called diamond 
 weight — the carat consisting of 4 nominal grains, 
 a little lighter than 4 grains troy, or 74V16 carat 
 grains being equal to 72 grains troy. The term 
 or weight carat derives its name from a bean, the 
 fruit of an Abyssinian tree, called kuara. This 
 bean, from the time of its being gathered varies 
 very little in its weight, and seems to have been, 
 from a very remote period, used as a weight for 
 gold in Africa. In India also the bean is used 
 as a weight for gems and pearls. 
 
 CASTING Delicate Objects in Metal, as done 
 in India, — The goldsmiths and silver workers 
 always prefer the curious clay compound pre- 
 pared by the white ants, and taken out of their 
 huge honeycomb abodes, for forming the tiny 
 crucibles used in tlieir arts ; it burns beautifully 
 without cracking, when taken from a proper lo- 
 cality, but is more frequently found full of grit, 
 and too friable after repeated washings, to hold 
 together. The stomachs of these "white ants" 
 are evidently supplied with a powerful chemical 
 secretion, and this, doubtless combining with 
 certain clays and earths, constitutes the useful 
 crucible product. It burns to a hard white ves- 
 sel, on which the borax of the artisan gives a 
 brilliant internal glaze; but this earth is never used 
 for any but the diminutive melting pots alluded 
 to. AVhite ants, if they "swarm" or "lodge" for 
 a short time on sheet glass, corrode the same in 
 zigzag patterns, as if etdied by fluoric acid ; oc- 
 casionally these marks resemble Persian charac- 
 ters or Egyptian hieroglyphics. Hence some 
 potent chemical acid enters into their building 
 composition, of which the tenacity in some coun- 
 tries, when it has been well kneaded, pounded, 
 and sun-dried, renders it a fine cheap flooring 
 for settlers' houses. It is very generally used in 
 South Africa. 
 
 In casting small articles in brass and the 
 cheaper metals, they fix the mold with iron wire 
 to the mouth of the melting pot, well luting the 
 connections repeatedly with a mixture of stiff clay 
 and cow-dung kneaded together till quite strong 
 and safe, gradually warming the luting at the 
 mouth of the furnace, and repairing all cracks 
 and fissures as they may appear j when thorough- 
 
 ly dry, the whole mass is put in the rude native 
 furnace of common clay ; and on the contents of 
 the melting pot being fused, it is turned gently 
 "topsy turvy" and the metal runs from its in- 
 verted mouth into the attached mold. For arti- 
 cles of ornament and elaborate design, of any 
 size, even to a field piece, the native workman 
 makes a composition of two parts "dammar" 
 resin, and one pai't beeswax (common resin will 
 replace the first in America); these are very 
 slowly and carefully melted over charcoal, and 
 stirred together (in the open air, and not under 
 a roof), and when almost hard are molded by the 
 hands, the lathe, or in metallic shapes. These 
 models in their turn are then encased in suitable 
 mold clay, and very carefully and slowly dried in 
 a shady spot until perfectly hard and seasoned. 
 The workman then, over charcoal, gently heats 
 the mold and pours out the composition from the 
 hole he left as a future "ingate;" when every 
 particle of the mixture has flowed out into a ves- 
 sel held to catch it for future use, he increases 
 his fire till smoke rises from the interior of his 
 mold, and it is gradually brought to a condition 
 to receive the molten metal. From an earring 
 to an idol this is the favorite modus operandi of 
 casting, and it can be most thoroughly recom- 
 mended to the ingenious amateur, if he be not 
 already practicing it. Bismuth is so very highly 
 priced in India that "fusible metal" is never em- 
 ployed; the present mode, besides being cheap- 
 er, gives a sharper casting, especially for small 
 jewelry, and tiny silver ornaments, to say noth- 
 ing of avoiding the contamination of precious 
 metals by the lead of the alloy. 
 
 There is great reason for supposing that in the 
 days of "human sacrifices," models of the entire 
 figure were obtained by casts of the victims who 
 were immolated, in substantial clay coverings, 
 which, when red hot, were filled with molten 
 gold or silver, and gave the perfect images re- 
 quired by the priesthood. The delicate German 
 castings of flowers and insects are nowadays cast 
 in the same fashion — "burning out." Fish and 
 reptiles, such as snakes and lizards, may be so 
 cast very life-like in tin, and afterwards bronzed. 
 CASTING METALS, Nno Process of.— 
 Any design, whether in high or low relief, chased 
 on metal of any required pattern or shape, whether 
 flat as a door-plate or round as a vase, can be re- 
 produced by casting ad infinitum, and each cast- 
 ing will show upon it all the sharpness of the 
 original chasing. Molds are made with a pre- 
 paration of fine clay. The making of one of these 
 molds takes from five to ten minutes. They have 
 then to stand twenty-four hours exposed to dry 
 air, after which they are baked in a furnace for 
 eight hours. These clay molds, into which the 
 metal is afterwards poured, are, to all intents 
 and purposes, encaustic tiles. The molds are 
 placed in a box, and the air is extracted from 
 them so as to form a vacuum, after which the 
 molten metal is forced into them; and in this 
 way in ten minutes a casting can be completed. 
 When the casting is taken out, the design, how- 
 ever intricate, is found to be perfectly represent- 
 ed, with the exception of removing a slight sur- 
 face of clay from it, which can be done in half an 
 hour, and the article is then ready to be sent to 
 the bronzer, instead of having to be put in the 
 chaser's hands. In this way an enormous amount 
 of cost and labor on ornamental articles in metal 
 is saved. 
 
WORKERS IN METALS. 
 
 407 
 
 CASTINGS, Soldering.— Y'lvsi dip the cast- 
 ings in alcohol, after which, sprinkle muriate of 
 ammonia (sal-ammoniac) over the surface to be 
 soldered. Then hold the casting over a charcoal 
 fire till the sal-ammoniac begins to smoke, then 
 dip into melted tin (not solder). This prepares 
 the metal for soldering, which can then be done 
 in the ordinary way. 
 
 CAST-IRON, To Soften for Drilling.— HqoX 
 to a cherry red, having it lie level in the fire, 
 then with a pair of cold tongs put on a piece of 
 brimstone, a little less in size than you wish the 
 hole to be when drilled, and it softens entirely 
 through the piece ; let it lie in the fire until a 
 little cool, when it is ready to drill. 
 
 CAST-IRON, To W^f/^.— Take of good clear 
 white sand, three parts; refined solton, one part; 
 fosterine, one part; rock-salt, one part; mix all 
 together. Take 2 pieces of cast-iron, heat them 
 in a moderate charcoal-fire, occasionally taking 
 them out while heating, ^d dipping them into 
 the composition, until they are of a proper heat 
 to weld ; then at once lay them on the anvil, and 
 gently hammer them together, and, if done care- 
 uilly by one who understands welding iron, you 
 ' will have thetn nicely welded together. One man 
 prefers heating the metal, then cooling it in the 
 water of common beans, and heat it again for 
 welding. 
 
 CA S T-STEEL, English. — The finest of steel, 
 called English cast-steel, is prepared by breaking 
 to pieces blistered steel, and then melting it in a 
 crucible with a flux composed of carbonaceous 
 and vitrifiable ingredients. The vitrifiable ingre- 
 dient is used only inasmuch as it is a fusible body, 
 which flows over the surface of the metal in the 
 crucibles, and prevents the access of the oxygen 
 of the atmosphere. Broken glass is sometimes 
 used for this purpose. 
 
 Wlien thoroughly fused it is cast into ingots, 
 which, by gentle heating and careful hammering, 
 are tilted into bars. 13y this process the steel 
 becomes more highly carbonized in proportion to 
 the quantity of flux, and in consequence is more 
 brittle and fusible than before. Hence it sur- 
 
 E asses all other steel in uniformity of texture, 
 ardness, and closeness of grain, and is the ma- 
 terial employed in all the finest articles of English 
 cutlery. 
 
 CAST-STEEL, To Restore when Burnt. — 
 Take i ^ pounds borax, % pound sal-ammoniac, 
 ^ pound prussiate of potash, I ounce rosin. 
 Pound the above fine, add a gill each of water 
 and alcohol. Put in an iron kettle, and boil until 
 it becomes a paste. Do not boil too long, or it 
 will become hard on cooling. 
 
 CAST-STEEL and IRON, To Make Edge- 
 tools from. — This method consists in fixing a 
 clean piece of wrought iron, brought to a weld- 
 ing heat, in the center of a mold, and then pour- 
 ing in melted steel, so as entirely to envelop the 
 iron ; and then forging the mass into the shape 
 required. 
 
 CASE-HARDENING.— ThQ operation of 
 giving a surface of steel to pieces of iron, by 
 which they are rendered capable of receiving 
 great external hardness, while the interior portion 
 retains all the toughness of good wrought iron. 
 Iron tools, fire-irons, fenders, keys, etc., are 
 usually case-liardened. 
 
 I. The goods, finished in every respect but 
 polishing, are put into an iron box, and covered 
 with animal or vegetable charcoal, and cemented 
 
 at a red heat, for a period varying with the size 
 and description of the articles operated on. 
 
 2. Cow's horn or hoof is to be baked or thor- 
 oughly dried, and pulverized. To this add an 
 equal quantity of bay salt ; mix them with stale 
 chamber-lye, or wliite wine vinegar; cover the 
 iron with this mixture, and bed it in the same in 
 loam, or inclose it in an iron box ; lay it then on 
 the hearth of the forge to dry and harden ; then 
 put it into the fire, and blow till the lump have a 
 blood-red heat, and no higher, lest the mixture be 
 burnt too much. Take the iron out, and immerse 
 it in water to harden. 
 
 3. The iron, previously polished and finished, 
 is to be heated to a bright red and rubbed or 
 sprinkled over with prussiate of potash. As soon 
 as the prussiate appears to be decomposed and 
 dissipated, plunge the article into cold water. 
 
 4. Make a paste with a concentrated solution 
 of prussiate of potash and loam, and coat the iron 
 therewith ; then expose it to a strong red heat, 
 and when it has fallen to a dull red, plunge the 
 whole into cold water. 
 
 CASE SPRINGS, for Watches, To Tem- 
 per. — Having fitted the spring in the case ac- 
 cording to your liking, temper it hard by heating 
 and plunging into water. Next polish the small 
 end so that you may be able to see when the 
 color changes ; lay it on a piece of copper or 
 brass plate, and hold the plate over your lamp, . 
 'with the blaze directly under the largest part of 
 the spring. Watch the polished part of the steel 
 closely, and when you see it turn blue remove 
 the plate from the lamp, letting all cool gradual- 
 ly together. When cool enough to handle polish 
 the end of the spring again, place it on the plate 
 and hold over the lamp as before. The third 
 bluing of the polished end will leave the spring 
 in proper temper. Any steel article to which 
 you desire to give a spring temper may be treat- 
 ed in the same way. 
 
 Another process said to be good is to temper 
 the spring as in the first instance ; then put it 
 into a small iron ladle, cover it with linseed oil 
 and hold over a lamp till the oil takes fire. Re- 
 move the ladle, but let the oil continue to burn 
 until nearly all consumed, when blow out, re- 
 cover with oil and hold over the lamp as before. 
 The third burning out of the oil will leave the 
 spring in the right temper. 
 
 CLOCKS, To Clean and Repair.— Take the 
 movement of the clock "to pieces." Brush the 
 wheels and pinions thoroughly with a stiff, 
 coarse brush; also the plates into which the trains 
 work. Clean the pivots well by turning in a 
 piece of cotton cloth held tightly between your 
 thumb and finger. The pivot holes in the plates 
 are generally cleansed by turning a piece of wood 
 into them, but it will be found that a strip of cloth 
 or a solt cord drawn tightly through them will act 
 the best. If you use two cords, the first one 
 slightly oiled, and the next dry to clean the oil 
 out, all the better. Do not use salt or acid to 
 clean your clock— it can do no good, but may do 
 a great deal of liarm. Boiling the movement in 
 water, as some practice, is also foolishness. 
 
 The holes through which the great arbors, or 
 winding axles work, are the only ones that usu- 
 ally require bushing. When they have become 
 too much worn the great wheel on the axle before 
 named strikes too deeply into the pinions above 
 it, and stops the clock. To remedy this bushing 
 is necessary, of course. The most common way 
 
4o8 
 
 DICTIONARY OF E VERY-DAY WANTS. 
 
 of doing it is to drive a steel point or punch into 
 the plate just above the axle hole, thus forcing 
 the brass downward until the hole is reduced to 
 its original size. Another mode is to solder a 
 piece of brass upon the plate in such a position 
 as to hold the axle down to its proper place. If 
 you simply wish your clock to run, and have no 
 ambition to produce a bush that will look work- 
 manlike, about as good a way as . Js to fit 
 a piece of hard wood between the pj^t which 
 comes through the top of the plate and the axle. 
 Make it long enough to hold the axle to its 
 proper place and so that the axle will run on the 
 end of the grain. Cut notches where the pivots 
 come through, and secure by wrapping around it 
 and the plate a piece of small wire, or a thread. 
 There is no post coming through above the axle 
 on the striking side, but this will rarely require 
 bushing. 
 
 To remedy worn pinions turn the leaves or 
 rollers so the worn places upon them will be 
 towards the arbor or shaft, and fasten them in 
 that position. If they are "rolling pinions," and 
 you cannot secure them otherwise, you had better 
 do it with a little soft solder. 
 
 Oil only, and very lightly, the pallets of the 
 verge, the steel pin upon which the verge works, 
 and the point where the loop of the verge wire 
 works over the pendulum wire. Use none but 
 the best watch oil. Many jobs of clock cleaning 
 are spoiled by oiling all the pivots and probably 
 the pinions. The doing of this causes their accu- 
 mulation of dust, and this dust mixing with the 
 oil, by grinding together increases the friction 
 of the parts, and sooner or later, the stoppage of 
 the clock. We often hear persons complaining 
 of their clocks stopping in cold weather — in nine 
 cases out of ten the cause may be attributed to 
 this very injudicious use of oil. A gum has 
 formed on the pivots or pinions, or both, which 
 stiffens under the influence of the cold, and, of 
 course, stops the movement. But this is not the 
 only bad result. A clock grinding along in con- 
 sequence of having been improperly oiled, will 
 wear out in less than half the time that it would 
 under other circumstances. The reason in this 
 must be apparent to all — each pivot or each 
 pinion leaf has been converted, as it were, into a 
 grindstone. 
 
 If not very cautious in putting up your clock 
 you will get some of the striking-train wheels in 
 wrong, and thus produce a derangement in the 
 striking. If this should happen, prize the plates 
 apart on the striking side, slip the pivots of the 
 upper wheels out, and having disconnected them 
 from the train, turn them part around and put 
 them back. If still not right, repeat the experi- 
 ment. A few efforts at most will get them to 
 working properly. 
 
 Always examine the pendulum wire at the 
 point where the loop of the verge wire works 
 over it. You will generally find a small notch, 
 or at least a rough place, worn there. Dress it 
 out perfectly smooth, or your clock will not be 
 likely to work well. Small as this defect may 
 seem, it stops a large number of clocks. 
 
 COINS etc. , To take Impressions from. — Make 
 a thick solution of isinglass in water, and lay it 
 hot on the metal; let it remain for twelve hours, 
 then remove it, breathe on it and apply gold or 
 silver-leaf on the wrong side. Any color may be 
 given to the isinglass instead of gold or silver, 
 by simple mixture. 
 
 COPPER, To Whiten Throughout.— ^Yzk^ 
 thin plates of copper, as thin as a knife, heat them 
 six or seven times, and quench them in water ; 
 then melt them, and to each pound add 4 ounces 
 of saltpetre and 4 ounces of arsenic, well powder- 
 ed and mixed, and first melted apart in another 
 crucible, by gentle degrees ; then take them out, 
 and powder them; then take Venetian borax and 
 white tartar, of each an ounce and a half; then 
 melt these, with the former powder, in a crucible, 
 and pour them out into some iron receiver; it 
 will appear as clear as crystal, and is called 
 crystallinum fixiim arsenicum. Of this clear 
 matter, broken into little pieces, throw into the 
 melted copper (by small pieces at a time, staying 
 five or six minutes between each injection) 4 oz.; 
 when all is thrown in, increase the fire, till all be 
 well melted together for a quarter of an hour; 
 then pour it out into an ingot. 
 
 COPPER SOLUTION for Battery. — To 
 every gallon of saturafed solution of sulphate of 
 copper, add 2^ ounces of strong sul]ihuric acid 
 and ^2 drachm white arsenic. If single cell, 
 place a bag of sulphate in the solution just below 
 the surface, to keep up the strength. 
 
 COPPER Powder. — This is prepared by dis- 
 solving fihngs or slips of copper with nitrous 
 acid in a receiver. When the acid is saturated, 
 the slips are to be removed; or, if filings be em- 
 ployed, the solution is to be poured off from 
 what remains undissolved. Small bars are then 
 put in, which will precipitate the copper-powder 
 from the saturated acid; and, the liquid being 
 poured from the powder, this is to be washed 
 clean of the crystals by repeated waters. 
 
 COPPER, To Tin for Strw-Dishcs or other 
 Purposes. — Wash the surface of the article to be 
 tinned, with sulphuric acid ; and rub the surface 
 well, so as to have it smooth and free of black- 
 ness caused by the acid; then sprinkle calcined 
 and finely pulverized sal-ammoniac upon the 
 surface, holding it over a fire where it will be- 
 come sufficiently hot to melt a bar of solder 
 which is to be rubbed over the surface; if a stew- 
 dish put the solder into it and swab it about 
 when melted. You will wipe off any surplus 
 solder, and also for the purpose of smoothing 
 the surface, by means of a tow or cotton swab, 
 tied or tacked to a rod. In this way any dish or 
 copper article may be nicely tinned. 
 
 COPPER, To .SZ/trr.— Silver dust (fine), 
 one ounce ; common salt and sal ammoniac, of 
 each four ounces ; corrosive sublimate, a quarter 
 of an ounce. Mix. The copper must be pre- 
 viously well cleaned by friction, adding a little 
 warm water to form a paste. 
 
 COPPER, To Deposit upon Cast-iron.— The 
 pieces of cast-iron are first placed in a bath made 
 of 50 parts of hydrochloric acid, at 15° Beaume 
 (sp. gr., 1. 105), and I part of nitric acid; next, 
 in a second bath, composed of 10 parts of nitric 
 acid, 10 parts of chloride of copper, dissolved in 
 80 parts of the same hydrochloric acid as just 
 alluded to. The objects are rubbed with a 
 woolen rag and a soft brush, next washed with 
 water, and again immersed until the desired 
 thickness of copper is deposited. When it is 
 desired to give the appearance of bronze, the 
 coppered surface is rubbed with a mixture of 4 
 parts of sal ammoniac and i each of < alic and 
 acetic acids dissolved in 30 parts of water. 
 
 COPPER and BRASS, To 7;«.— Boil 6 
 lbs. of cream of tartar, 4 gals, of water, and 8 
 
WORKERS IN METALS. 
 
 409 
 
 lbs, of grain-tin, or tin shavings. After the ma- 
 terials have boiled a sufficient time, the substance 
 to be tinned is put therein and the boiling con- 
 tinued, when the tin is precipitated in its metallic 
 form. 
 
 COPPER, BRASS ANDIRON, To Tin in 
 the cold and without Apparatus. — The requisites 
 for accomphshing this object are : 1st. The ob- 
 ject to be coated with tin must be entirely free 
 from oxide. It must be carefully cleaned, and 
 care be taken that no grease spots are left ; it 
 makes no difference whether the object be 
 cleaned mechanically or chemically. 2d. Zinc 
 powder ; the best is that prepared artificially by 
 melting zinc and pouring it into an iron mortar. 
 It can be easily pulverized immediately after sol- 
 idification ; it should be about as fine as writing 
 sand. 3d. A solution of protochloride of tin, 
 containing 5 to 10 per cent., to which as much 
 pulverized cream of tartar must be added as will 
 go on the point of a knife. The object to be 
 tinned is moistened with the tin solution, after 
 which it is rubbed hard with the zinc powder. 
 The tinning appears at once. The tin salt is de- 
 composed by the zinc, metallic tin being depos- 
 ited. When the object tinned is polished brass 
 or copper, it appears as beautiful as if silvered, 
 and retains its luster for a long time. The author 
 uses this method in his laboratory to preserve his 
 iron, steel and copper apparatus from rust. This 
 method would become of great importance if the 
 tinning could be made as thick as in the dry way, 
 but this has not as yet been accomplished. 
 
 COPPER and BRASS, To Coat with Zinc. 
 — In order to do this, it is simply necessary to 
 immerse the articles in a boiling bath of sal am- 
 moniac containing zinc-foil or powdered zinc. 
 The deposit thus made is brilliant and adheres 
 firmly. 
 
 COPPER and BRASS {Polished), To Clean. 
 — Copper tea-kettles, boilers, and other house- 
 hold articles having polished surfaces should not 
 be allowed to get rusty, as rust will destroy more 
 of the metal than is used up by the ordinary 
 wear of the utensils. If the surface be rubbed 
 but a little every day, the labor of keeping them 
 bright will be very light. In case a rust has 
 formed on the surface, apply a solution of oxalic 
 acid, which, well rubbed over tarnished copper 
 or brass, will soon remove the tarnish, rendenng 
 the metal bright. The acid must be washed off 
 with water, and the surface rubbed with whiten- 
 ing and soft leather. A mixture of muriatic acid 
 and alum, dissolved in water, imparts a golden 
 color to brass articles that are steeped in it for a 
 few seconds. To give a finer polish, go over 
 the surface of the metal with rotten-stone and 
 sweet-oil ; then rub off with a piece of cotton 
 flannel and polish it with soft leather. 
 
 DIAMONDS, Imitation. — Imitation dia- 
 monds are plenty enough, and in their fabrication 
 considerable skill is often displayed, and the im- 
 itation is at times very clever ; it appears, how- 
 ever, that there is a prospect that real diamonds 
 will eventually be manufactured. Hitherto 
 though chemists have had no difficulty in dis- 
 covering of what diamonds were composed, they 
 have never succeeded in producing them. Dia- 
 monds are chemically the same as charcoal, and 
 they may be readily converted into it, but the 
 more satisfactory transmutation of charcoal into 
 diamonds proved a most tantalizing mystery. At 
 last we hear of the secret being discovered, and 
 
 the discoverer, instead of privately profiting by it, 
 makes it pubhc. It is said to be simply this: 
 If a current of chlorine be m.ade to pass through 
 cast-iron, when in a state of fusion, perchloride 
 of iron is formed, which disappears by evapor» 
 ation, leaving the carbon of the metal at liberty 
 in a crystallized state, forming either black, color- 
 less or colored diamonds. 
 
 DIN or, SHOPS, To Prezient.—K rubber 
 cushion under the leg of work-benches in manu- 
 factories, is a cheap relief from the deafening din 
 of noisy shops. Chambers' Journal describes a 
 factory where the hammering of fifty copper- 
 smiths was scarcely audible in the room below, 
 their benches having under each leg a rubber 
 cushion. We have seen the same effect pro- 
 duced by standing the legs of the bench in nail- 
 kegs filled with sand, by which means all vibra- 
 tion and shock was prevented. 
 
 DRILLS and GRA VERS, To Temper.— 
 When the graver or drill is too hard, which 
 may be known by the frequent breaking of the 
 point, temper as follows : Heat a poker red hot, 
 and hold the graver to it within an inch of the 
 point, waving it to and fro till the steel changes to 
 a light straw color ; then put the point into oil 
 to cool, or hold the graver close to the flame of a 
 candle till it be of the same color and cool in 
 tallow ; but be careful either way not to hold it 
 too long, for then it will be too soft, in which 
 case the point will be blue, and must be broken 
 off and whetted and tempered anew. 
 
 DRILLS, (yeweller's). To Temper. — Select 
 none but the finest and best steel for your drills. 
 In making them never heat higher than a cherry 
 red, and always hammer till nearly cold. Do all 
 your hammering in one way; for if, after you have 
 flattened your piece out, you attempt to hammer 
 it back to a square or a round you spoil it. 
 When your drill is in proper shape heat it to a 
 cherry red, and thrust it into a piece of resin, or 
 into quicksilver. 
 
 ELAINE, To obtain Pure. — Olive oil, I part; 
 alcohol, 9 parts. Mix and heat to the boiling 
 point, in a close vessel, then allow it to cool, and 
 place it in a freezing mixture until the whole of 
 the stearine is deposited, then decant the clear 
 and distill off the alcohol in a water-bath, the 
 remainder will be pure elaine. This elaine or 
 pure oil will not freeze in frosty weather, and 
 neither thickens nor corrodes when applied to 
 metals. It is a perfect cure for "lame" chrono- 
 meters, watches, &c. 
 
 ELECTRO-COPPERING.— Make a strong 
 solution of sulphate of copper (boiling water will 
 dissolve the most) and strain it. Connect to the 
 wire from the zinc pole of the battery, a clean 
 plate of copper, and place it in the solution. 
 Suspend from a rod across the top of the bath, 
 by means of wire, the articles to be coppered, 
 care being taken that they do not touch each 
 other, and connect this rod with the other pole 
 of the battery. Smee's battery and the electro- 
 poion batterv are the best for this kind of work. 
 ELECTRO-GILDING and SILVERING. 
 — The Gold Bath. — Gilding can be done either 
 hot or cold; in each case the composition of the 
 bath is the same, only the gilding with a warm 
 bath is generally richer in tone, and may some- 
 times render coloring unnecessary. With a cold 
 bath, necessitated by the difficulty of heating 
 large masses of liquid for the production of bulky 
 articles, coloring is always indispensable. Gild- 
 
410 
 
 DICTIONARY OF E VERY-DA Y WANTS. 
 
 ing by cold baths has nearly disappeared from 
 workshops where steam is employed. 
 
 The baths are formed of double cyanide of 
 gold and potassium. Dissolve 2 oz. of gold in 
 aqua regia; evaporate the solution to a sirupy 
 consistence; redissolve it in warm water, and add, 
 little by little, 2^ lbs. of cyanide of potassium, 
 previously dissolved in water. This will make 
 about thirteen gallons of bath. It is best not to 
 employ it until it has been boiled several hours. 
 The most suitable temperature for tl^e bath, when 
 in operation, is i6o*' Fahr. 
 
 Immerse in the bath a plate of gold put in 
 communication with the positive pole, and which 
 serves to feed the bath continually. In proportion 
 as the gold is deposited upon the object to be 
 gilt placed at the negative pole, a nearly equal 
 quantity of gold is dissolved at the positive pole, 
 and maintains the bath in the same state of 
 saturation. 
 
 By this arrangement the cold baths acq^iire great 
 durability ; it is also applied to warm baths, but 
 they deteriorate very quickly. The cyanide of 
 potassium is destroyed by a prolonged boiling. 
 The electric current is furnished by a Bunsen's 
 battery, the number of cells being regulated by 
 the nature of the article to be gilt. 
 
 Before putting the articles into the bath, they 
 are rinsed in alcohol, in order to dissolve the 
 greasy matters by which they are soiled ; next 
 into a bath of dilute nitric acid; then into a bath 
 of acid nitrate of mercury, strength 4 per cent.; 
 and lastly, rinsed in abundance of water; the 
 articles are then ready to be immersed in the 
 gold bath. The time of the immersion varies 
 according to the thickness to be given to the 
 coating, and is in direct proportion with the 
 weight of gold deposited. 
 
 To ascertain the weight of gold (deposited, 
 two weighings are necessary; the first, when the 
 articles are about to be put into the bath ; the 
 second, upon the gilt and dried articles. 
 
 All the metals gild equally well in the above 
 bath, but steel requires a more concentrated 
 solution, or, what is better, a previous coppering 
 in an alkaline bath. Aluminum can not be gilt 
 directly; it must be coppered also. In this case, 
 an acid copper bath is best for the purpose. 
 
 Reserves. — By means of reserves we may ob- 
 tain various artistic effects, for which taste is the 
 only guide. The most suitable varnish for this 
 kind of work is composed of copal varnish, oil, 
 and chromate of lead. This varnish is applied 
 with a hair-pencil to all those parts of the article 
 where it is not wished that the metal should be 
 deposited. When it is allowed to dry properly, 
 it is not attacked by acid or alkaline solutions. 
 It is completely dissolved by essence of turpen- 
 tine or light coal-oil. "^ 
 
 Green and Red Gilding. — We may obtain 
 green gold and red gold directly by the battery. 
 For green gold, a solution of the double cyanide 
 of silver and potassium is added to the gold bath 
 until the desired color is obtained; then we 
 operate with an anode of gold alloy. In this 
 process, as in all those which have for their aim 
 the deposit of metallic alloys, it is very important 
 to well proportion experimentally the surface of 
 the anode to that of the article to be gilt. To 
 obtain red gold, a solution of cyanide of potassium 
 and copper is added to the gold bath. But the 
 result is obtained more easily with the mixture 
 formerly employed by the mercery-gilders, which 
 
 consisted of 25 parts of acetate of copper, 65 of 
 cream of tartar, and 10 of table-salt, applied with 
 a soft brush. The articles are heated over charcoal 
 until the salts assume a brownish color; they are 
 then cooled in water acidulated with nitric acid. 
 
 Upon removal from the gold bath, the articles 
 are generally of a tarnished color, in which state 
 they are unfit for sale. They have, therefore, to 
 undergo several operations with the scratch-brush, 
 and coloring and burnishing. 
 
 Polishing. — This operation is performed with 
 a scratch-brush of brass wire, the diameter of 
 which varies according to the delicacy of the 
 article. It is always performed under a liquid 
 — generally licorice - water — the object of which 
 is to form a light mucilage, which admits of the 
 scratch-brush rubbing the gilt article less roughly. 
 
 For smooth surfaces, the hand-labor is re- 
 placed by the wheel. _ Upon an axle revolving 
 600 times a minute a mandrel of copper is mount- 
 ed, furnished with a brass wire brush; a reservoir 
 above constantly supplies the brush with the 
 mucilaginous liquid, which flows into a lower 
 receptacle. One workman can accomplish as 
 much with the wheel as ten without it. 
 
 Coloring is performed by means of a mixture 
 called ormolu, and composed of 30 pai'ts of alum, 
 30 of nitrate of potassa, 30 of red ochre, 8 of 
 sulphate of zinc, l of common salt and i of sul- 
 phate of iron. It is applied with a soft brush. 
 Tlie articles are placed over a clear charcoal fire 
 until the salts, melted and dried, assume a brown 
 aspect; they are then suddenly cooled in nitric 
 acid water containing 3 per cent, of hydrochloric 
 acid; afterwards washed in abundance of water 
 and dried with sawdust. 
 
 Burnishing is effected by means of hard stones 
 — agates, hematites — mounted in strong wooden 
 handles, or with tools of highly-polished steel. 
 
 Flat Gilding. — Starting with the principle, 
 "As is the surface so is the gilding," if we can 
 obtain a perfectly mat surface before gilding, it 
 is evident that we shall have very little to do in 
 order to retain this aspect after gilding. The 
 result has been obtained by previously depositing 
 a mat coating of a less costly metal than gold, 
 the deposit of which can be easily regulated. 
 
 Silver and copper equally accomplish this aim. 
 The silvering is performed in baths, which will 
 be described elsewhere; only the silver bath 
 must not contain more than eight grains of silver 
 per 1000, and the deposit must be made slowly 
 with a very weak current. The coppering is 
 performed in the usual baths of sulphate of copper, 
 after a first coating given in the alkaline copper 
 bath. The time of immersion and the energy of 
 the pile aro conditions which a little practice will 
 soon teach. 
 
 The articles being perfectly mat, are conveyed 
 to a more dilute gold bath than that prescribed 
 above, which is worked warm. It must not 
 contain more than five grains per 1000. It is 
 important to continually move the articles about 
 in the bath, and to maneuvre the anode so as to 
 render the color uniform. Gilding upon copper, 
 less costly than gilding upon silver, is usually 
 of an inferior tone of color, and more liable to 
 oxidize; so the latter metal is generally pre- 
 ferred. 
 
 The metals deposited under the influence of 
 the electric battery do. not always present the 
 same physical characters. 
 
 SometJroes tlie deposit is rough and brittle, at 
 
WORKERS IiV METALS. 
 
 411 
 
 others soft and flexible; sometimes it possesses 
 intermediate qualities, and is as perfect in its 
 
 f)hysical properties as the best rolled copper ; 
 astly it may be deposited under the form of a 
 non-adherent crystalline powder. 
 
 These different molecular states depend on the 
 relations which must exist aniong the four fol- 
 lowing conditions : 1st, the proportions of the 
 two electrodes; 2d, the strength of the solutions; 
 3d, the temperature at which the operation is 
 carried on ; 4th, the intensity of the pile. 
 
 In all cases, it is important that the relative 
 surfaces of the anode and the articles in com- 
 munication with the negative pole be nearly 
 equal. A positive electrode larger than the 
 negative electrode tends to produce a crystalline 
 deposit, which may extend to the pulverulent 
 state, if the difference in their dimensions is very 
 considerable. By working .with a too concen- 
 trated solution, the deposit is rough and brittle ; 
 increasing the intensity of the battery will restore 
 the deposit to its normal state. 
 
 If the bath be too weak, or the temperature be 
 too low, the deposit slackens, and assumes a 
 crystalline appearance, which may be easily made; 
 to disappear by raising the temperature, or by 
 diminishing the intensity of the pile. If the 
 temperature be too high, the deposit will become 
 pulverulent. This may be remedied by dimin- 
 ishing the power of the pile employed. The 
 regulation of the intensity of the current is, in 
 most cases, the jremedy to apply to the accidents 
 that occur. 
 
 Therefore, it is ftn the perfect equilibrium 
 among these four conditions that the galvanic 
 precipitation of a metal with all its special quali- 
 ties of ductility and malleability depends. The 
 operator soon acquires the means of working 
 satisfactorily. 
 
 In those cases in which a simple cell is em- 
 ployed, the success of the operation depends on 
 the relation between the zinc surfaces and the 
 number of articles to be coated. 
 
 With perfectly saturated solutions and a weak 
 current, success is certain. 
 
 ELECTRO-PLATING BrassorZincwithotit 
 a Battery. — Take a cold, saturated solution of 
 cupric sulphate, (blue vitriol, ) and pour in a so- 
 lution of potassic cyanide, till the precipitate first 
 formed is dissolved again. After the liquid has 
 become clear, add one tenth to one fifth of its 
 volume of liquid ammonia,and dilute with water till 
 Beaume's hydrometer for heavy liquids indicates 
 8°, corresponding with a specific gravity of 1.06. 
 As during this operation the very poisonous 
 hydrocyanic (prussic) acid is developed, in the 
 form of vapor, it is necessary to perform it either 
 in the open air, or under a flue with good draught, 
 and to avoid the fumes. 
 
 Then take the zinc objects, and clean them with 
 diluted sulphuric acid, pumice-stone and sand, 
 wash them with water, and place them for twenty- 
 four hours in the above-described liquid. After 
 which, when taken out and washed with water, 
 they will be found covered with a film of 
 copper. 
 
 In order to cover with brass, pour into a 
 saturated solution of equal parts of cupric and 
 zincic sulphate (blue and white vitriol) the solu- 
 tion of potassic cyanide, until the precipitate is 
 dissolved again, and add the same quantity of 
 ammonia as before — one tenth to one fifth. If a 
 pale brass is desired, take two parts of zincic 
 
 sulphate to one of cupric sulphate, (vitriol,) and 
 proceed as already described. 
 
 In case zinc objects are to . be gilded, it is 
 necessary to cover them first with copper, on 
 which the gold deposits better than on zinc. It 
 is the same with iron objects. This metal, how- 
 ever, is much more easily covered with copper 
 than zinc is, iron requiring only an immersion in 
 a solution of cupric sulphate. 
 
 ELECTRO-PI^A TING Glass Mi)-rors. — 
 The platinized mirrors are not electro-plated, the 
 platinum solution is simply put on the glass and 
 the metalprecipitated by heat and purely chemical 
 action. To make the solution, take chloride of 
 platinum, and if you can not obtain it from some 
 chemist, you may easily make it by dissolving 
 half an ounce of platinum in aqua regia and 
 evaporating to dryness in order to remove all 
 excess of acid, applying only a moderate heat 
 in order not to reduce the platinum back to its 
 metallic state. This chloride of platinum is there 
 rubbed up on a glass plate with oil of lavender, 
 adding the oil carefully little by little so as not 
 to cause the mixture to become too hot, which 
 would result in a failure. After adding nearly 
 two ounces of eil, the mixture is left for two 
 weeks to settle, when the liquid is poured off 
 from the sediment and filtered. After another 
 week's rest, i drachm of litharge and i drachm 
 of borate of lead are rubbed up with i scruple of 
 lavender oil, and this mixture added to the 
 platinum mixture only as it is to be used. The 
 mixture is then put on the glass and gradually 
 dried, when the glass is introduced into a properly 
 constructed furnace, similar to a muffle furnace; 
 at the red heat the oil is decomposed, its carbon 
 and hydrogen reduces the platinum to the metallic 
 state, and mingling with the easily fusible lead 
 and borax glass formed on the surface, melts into 
 the surface of the glass plate and forms the pla- 
 tinum mirror, so much admired fortheir property 
 of reflecting light from both sides, while at the 
 same time they are transparent enough to make 
 strongly illuminated objects visible through them. 
 As it takes for every square foot scarcely i grain 
 of platinum, it is seen that the coating is very 
 thin, showing the great divisibility of this metal; 
 and as I grain of platinum costs less than 2 
 cents, the process is not expensive, the labor and 
 other materials used amounting to more than the 
 expense of the platinum. 
 
 ELECTRO-FLA TING Silver on Irm.— The 
 common practice among electro-platers is to 
 immerse the steel or iron, first in a bath of 
 sulphate of copper, and connect it for a short 
 time with a not too strong battery, so as to ob- 
 tain a thin, even film of metallic copper. On this 
 the silver mav then easily be deposited. 
 
 ELECTRO-PLATING German Silver on 
 other Metals. — Take the chl'orides of the three 
 metals which constitute German silver and mix 
 them in propordon as they are in that alloy ; that 
 is, for the basest: i nickel, 4 zinc, and 5 copper ; 
 for the best or imitation silver ofFrick: 3 nickel, 
 2 zinc, and 8 copper ; and the Chinese white 
 copper : 6 nickel, 5 zinc, and 8 copper ; all other ■'■ 
 German silver alloys are between these, so it 
 will be seen that a wide latitude exists. These 
 chlorides are made by dissolving the respective 
 metals in hydrochloric acid, and driving off the 
 excess by a moderate heat. When dissolved in 
 water, a concentrated solution of cyanide of potas- 
 sium is added, and in this way the cyanides of the 
 
412 
 
 DICTIONARY OF EVERY-DA Y WANTS. 
 
 metals are formed which precipitate, and are re- 
 dissolved again by adding more of the cyanide 
 solution. We thus obtain a solution of the cya- 
 nides of the metals in cyanide of potassium, the 
 same as was obtained in the solution for electro- 
 plating brass. The solution is then moderately 
 heated in a cast-iron vessel, and the objects to be 
 plated suspended in the same after having been 
 carefully cleaned and connected with the zinc 
 pole of the battery; on the other pole of the 
 battery, of course, a plate of German silver is 
 suspended, of a similar alloy in order to keep the 
 solution uniform, as from this plate the same 
 amount is dissolved as is deposited on the ob- 
 jects plated. 
 
 ELECTRO-PLA TING, Gold solution for.— 
 Dissolve five pennyweights gold coin, five grains 
 pure copper and four grains pure silver in three 
 ounces nitromuriatic acid; which is simply two 
 parts muriatic acid and one part nitric acid. The 
 silver will not be taken into solution as are the 
 other two metals, but will gather at the bottom 
 of the vessel. Add one ounce pulverized sul- 
 phate of iron, half an ounce pulverized borax, 
 twenty-five grains pure table salt, and one quart 
 hot rain water. Upon this the gold and copper 
 will be thrown to the bottom of the vessel with 
 the silver. Let stand till fully settled, then pour 
 off the liquid carefully, and refill with boiling 
 rain water as before. Continue to repeat this 
 operation until the precipitate is thoroughly 
 washed; or, in other words, fill up, let settle, 
 and pour off so long as the accumulation at the 
 bottom of the vessel is acid to the taste. 
 
 You now have about an eighteen carat chloride 
 of gold. Add to it an ounce and an eighth cyanu- • 
 ret potassa, and one quart rain water — the latter 
 heated to the boiling point. Shake up well, then 
 let stand about twenty-four hours and it will be 
 ready for use. 
 
 Some use platina as an alloy instead of silver, 
 under the impression that plating done with it is 
 harder. I have used both, but never could see 
 much difference. 
 
 Solution for a darker colored plate to imitate 
 Guinea gold may be made by adding to the above 
 one ounce of dragon's blood and five grains iodide 
 of iron. 
 
 If you desire an alloyed plate, proceed as first 
 directed, without the silver or copper, and with 
 an ounce and a half of sulphuret potassa in place 
 of the iron, borax and salt. 
 
 ELECTRO-PLATING, Silver solution for. 
 — Put together into a glass vessel, one ounce good 
 silver, made thin and cut into strips; two ounces 
 best nitric acid and half an ounce pure rain water. 
 If solution does not begin at once, add a little 
 more water — coiTtinue to add a very little at a 
 time till it does. In the event it starts off well, 
 but stops before the silver is fully dissolved, you 
 may generally start it up again all right by add- 
 ing a little more water. 
 
 When solution is entirely effected, add one 
 quart of warm rain water and a large tablespoon- 
 ful of table salt. Shake well and let settle, then 
 proceed to pour off and wash through other 
 waters as in the case of the gold preparation. 
 When no longer acid to the taste, put in an ounce 
 and an eighth cyanuret potassa and a quart pure 
 rain water ; after standing about twenty-four 
 hours it will be ready for use. 
 
 ELECTRO-PLA TED GOODS, To rcmmc 
 Tarnish f torn. — Make a solution of half a pound 
 
 cyanuret potassa in two gallons rain water. Im- 
 merse the article till the tarnish has disappeared, 
 then rinse off carefully in three or four waters, 
 and dry in sawdust. 
 
 ELECTROTYPING.—The object sought to 
 be attained by electrotyping is, by means of the 
 action of the electricity generated by a galvanic 
 pile or battery, to precipitate a metal from its 
 solution upon a given subject in a continuous uni- 
 form coating, so that this coating is an exact copy 
 of all the details on the surface of the object. 
 This coating may be adherent when it is desired 
 to protect an inferior metal by a superior, as when 
 copper is plated with silver ; or the coating may 
 be non-adherent when deposited in a mould, as 
 in the reproduction of antique bronzes, etc. 
 
 The electric current employed is usually sup- 
 plied by the "constant battery," known as 
 Daniell's, or by a Bunsen's battery. The ap- 
 paratus is either simple or compound. In a 
 simple apparatus, the mould, the object upon 
 which the precipitated metal must be deposited, 
 forms an essential portion of the electric current. 
 In a compound apparatus, the battery is outside 
 the bath to be decomposed, and the mould is 
 connected with the zinc pole ; the copper or carbon 
 pole is connected with the bath. The advantage 
 derived from employing a compound apparatus 
 consists in its enabling the operator to attach to 
 the copper pole a soluble electrode, or anode : 
 that is, a plate of the same metal as is held in 
 solution in the bath, which plate becomes dis- 
 solved in nearly the same ratio as the metal is 
 deposited upon the mould. 
 
 The electrotype apparatus is termed simple 
 when the galvanic current is produced in the same 
 vessel as that in which the metallic deposit is 
 effected. It is most frequently employed to ob- 
 tain deposits of copper; but when deposits of the 
 precious metals are required, the compound ap- 
 paratus is preferred. 
 
 Into any suitable vessel, which may be of glass, 
 earthenware, stoneware or wood, put the solution 
 of the metal to be deposited — sulphate of copper, 
 (blue vitriol,) for example — with which to cover 
 the moulds with copper. Another vessel, of 
 much smaller diameter, is placed in the center of 
 the first vessel; it must be of porous material — 
 unglazed porcelain, for instance. Sulphuric acid, 
 diluted with from twelve to fifteen times its 
 weight of water, is poured into the smaller vessel, 
 and a plate or cylinder of amalgamated zinc sus- 
 pended in it. The moulds are put in communi- 
 cation with the zinc by means of a copper Mire. 
 The solution becomes exhausted of its copper in 
 proportion as it is deposited on the moulds, and 
 must be renewed by suspending a bag of crystals 
 of sulphate of copper in the bath. 
 
 When operations are carried on upon a large 
 scale, the apparatus may be constructed in tiie 
 following manner: a box of any required dimen- 
 sions constructed of elm, oak, or any hard wood, 
 is coated inside with pitch, marine glue, or gutta- 
 percha. The box is divided into two compart- 
 ments by a porous partition or diaphragm, which 
 may be made of plaster of Paris or of parchment. 
 If of plaster, it must not be more than half an 
 inch in thickness, so that the intensity of the 
 current may be diminished .as little as possible. 
 
 The first compartment is nearly filled with a 
 cold saturated solution of sulphate of copper, or 
 of any other salt which it is intended to decom- 
 pose. Into this solution the moulds are sus- 
 
WORKERS IN METALS. 
 
 413 
 
 pended near the diaphragm. The second com- 
 partment is filled with water slightly acidulated, 
 in which a plate of zinc, presenting a surface 
 nearly equal to that of the mould, is suspended, 
 about half an inch from the diaphragm. When 
 matters are thus arranged, connection is estab- 
 lished by means of a copper wire between the 
 moulds and the zinc. As soon as the circuit is 
 closed, an electric current results, in consequence 
 of which the zinc becomes the positive pole, and 
 the mould the negative pole; the sulphate of 
 copper is decomposed, the sulphuric acid and the 
 oxygen go to the zinc, which is dissolved ; the 
 hydrogen of the decomposed water then reduces 
 the copper, which is deposited at the negative 
 pole. The solution is kept in a state of satu- 
 ration, as in the preceding case. The tem- 
 perature should be maintained between 104° 
 and 107*^ Fahr., to avoid crystallization; and as | 
 saturation is always more complete at the bottom 
 of the vessel than at the top, the mould must be 
 turned from time to time quickly, to prevent 
 oxidation. 
 
 Another inconvenience is the unequal thick- 
 ness of the deposit, always more abundant at 
 the extreme opposite to the point of connection 
 than at the point itself. This inconvenience is 
 remedied by placing several conducting-wires 
 along both ends of the mould, taking care to 
 turn back those which are fixed to the lower edge. 
 The apparatus is compound when the galvanic 
 current is produced outside the bath containing 
 the solution to be decomposed. In this arrange- 
 ment a current of any degree of strength may be 
 employed, according to the size and number of 
 cells forming the battery. 
 
 ELECTROTYPING, DanidVs Battery for. 
 — ^l"he batteries generally employed are those of 
 Daniell and Bunsen. The Daniell battery, as 
 improved, consists of a copper vessel, about 7 
 in. in height, 5^ in. in width, and ^ of an in. 
 in thickness, furnished with two appendages, 
 forming a beveled pocket, communicating with 
 the interior of the vessel by numerous apertures, 
 and filled with crystals of sulphate of copper. A 
 saturated solution of sulphate of copper is poured 
 into the vessel, into which a linen bag is im- 
 mersed, containing a plate of zinc, 4^ inches 
 wide. By means of two screws, the conducting 
 wires may be adjusted to the poles, or the zinc 
 element may be attached to the succeeding cop- 
 per element. 
 
 Bunseti's Battery. — ^This, like Daniell's, is a 
 constant battery. It is composed of a cylinder 
 of amalgamated zinc, placed in an earthenware 
 or glass vessel, containing diluted sulphuric acid. 
 This cylinder surrounds a porous vessel, which 
 contains a cylinder of carbon, dipping into nitric 
 acid. To the upper portion of the zinc a strip 
 of copper is soldered, the conical extremity of 
 which fits tightly into an aperture pierced in the 
 upper portion of the carbon of the adjoining 
 element. By these means communication be- 
 tween the elements is established. 
 
 The negative pole is always at the extremity 
 of the pile terminated by the zinc ; the positive 
 pole at the other extremity. 
 
 The best proportions of water and sulphuric 
 acid to employ to form the acidulated water in 
 which the zmc is immersed are one part acid to 
 nine parts water. The nitric acid surrounding 
 the carbon must be concentrated, but not fuming. 
 Smee^s Battery. — This form of constant bat- 
 
 tery is mostly employed in the production and 
 duplicating of copper plates. The voltaic couple 
 consists of a plate of platinized silver placed 
 between two surfaces of amalgamated zinc. Tlie 
 silver communicates by a wire with the positive 
 pole of the decomposing apparatus, or the anode, 
 which must be of equal surface with the mould. 
 The zinc is connected by a wire, fastened by a 
 screw to the mould placed at the negative pole 
 of the decomposing apparatus. The voltaic ap- 
 paratus must be charged with sulphuric acid 
 diluted with fifteen or sixteen times its weight 
 of water. 
 
 The decomposing apparatus may be either 
 vertical or horizontal. If the latter, the mould 
 must be placed at the bottom, else the deposit 
 of copper will not be of uniform hardness. The 
 vertical form is considered best for slow deposit; 
 the horizontal is more appropriate for a rapid 
 deposit of copper. 
 
 When the apparatus is filled with liquid, take 
 a piece of copper of the same dimensions as the 
 plate to be moulded or copied, and put it in 
 communication with the silver of the battery. 
 The battery being charged, the vessel filled with 
 the solution, and the piece of copper to be dis- 
 solved (anode) being immersed in the solution 
 and connected with the silver of the battery, the 
 wire which is soldered to the plate or mould on 
 which the deposit is to be made is put into com- 
 munication with the zinc of the battery, and the 
 operator must take especial care not to immerse 
 this plate or mould in the solution until the last 
 thing, in order to complete the circuit with it. 
 These arrangements being properly made, we 
 see a deposit of pure copper formed, which does 
 not adhere to the original plate, on account of 
 the film of air which separates them, or the very 
 thin coating of wax with which the plate has 
 been previously rubbed. 
 
 Definition of the Electric Current. — When the 
 opposite poles of an electric pile are connected 
 by a good conductor — as a copper wire, for ex- 
 ample, the electricities are set in motion in the 
 wire. The positive electricity passes from the 
 positive to the negative pole, the negative elec- 
 tricity travels in the opposite direction. It will 
 be perceived that there are two currents of elec- 
 tricity. To designate the direction in which they 
 travel, it is only necessary simply to indicate the 
 path the positive electricity takes ; it being un- 
 derstood that the negative electricity takes the 
 opposite direction. 
 
 Chemical Effect of the Battery. — If we attach 
 a metallic wire to one of the poles, and a second 
 wire to the other pole, and then immerse these 
 two conductors (electrodes) in a saline solution 
 — sulphate of copper, for example — taking care 
 that the wires do not touch, we perceive that the 
 metal of the salt in solution becomes deposited 
 upon the negative electrode : the other elements 
 of the salt go to the positive electrode. 
 
 The same experiment performed upon an al- 
 kaline or earthy salt, placed in solution in a U 
 tube, gives the alkali at the negative pole and the 
 acid at the positive pole. 
 
 From this it appears that the salts do not all 
 behave in the same manner under the influence 
 of the electric current; but the difference in the 
 results observed is not due to a difference in the 
 action of the current ; it arises from the oxidiza- 
 bility of the alkaline and earthy metals, which, 
 upon their arrival at the negative pole, decompose 
 
414 
 
 DICTIONARY OF E VERY-DA Y WANTS. 
 
 the water and become oxidized, with a disengage- 
 ment of hydrogen. 
 
 ELECTROTYPING, Baths for.— T\iQs.^^2L- 
 ratus by the aid of which we may decompose the 
 various metallic combinations employed in electro- 
 typing having been described, we proceed to give 
 Some details upon the combinations themselves. 
 Copper Baihs. — The sulphate, chlorate, nitrate, 
 and acetate are the combinations employed, 
 especially the sulphate, on account of its cheap- 
 ness. This salt presents a considerable resistance 
 to the passage of the electric current, and the 
 conducting power of<the solution may be increas- 
 ed by adding to it a small quantity of sulphuric 
 or nitric acid. A solution containing one pound 
 of sulphate of copper in three and a half pints of 
 water, and one third to one half of its volume of 
 sulphuric acid, diluted with eight parts of water, 
 forms a good working bath, especially when 
 operating with non-conducting substances coated 
 with plumbago. 
 
 The soluble electrode is always in copper ; the 
 mould may be formed of plumbago, carbon, gold, 
 silver, platina, nickel, as well as of copper. 
 
 The discoverers of electrotyping are of opinion 
 that it is always objectionable to employ an acid 
 bath, yet many persons prefer it. The nitrate, 
 chloride, and other soluble salts of copj^er present 
 no advantages over the sulphate. 
 
 Silver Baths. — The choice of the silver salt to 
 be employed depends upon the nature of the 
 mould, which may be gold, platinum, silver, 
 copper, carbon, or a plastic substance covered 
 with one of these substances. Sulphate of silver 
 answers very well for metals which have more 
 affinity for oxygen than silver. Of all the salts 
 that can be employed, the nitrate of silver is the 
 least suitable. The following is the composition 
 of the silver bath now generally adopted : Dis- 
 solve 2 lbs. of silver in 6 lbs. of nitric acid, and 
 gently evaporate the solution over a spirit-lamp 
 until the resulting nitrate is fused. By this 
 means we drive off not only the excess of acid, 
 
 The bath is •formed of the double cyanide of 
 gold and potassium, dissolved in an excess of 
 potassium. To prepare it, dissolve 2 oz. of gold 
 in aquaregia; evaporate it to a syrupy consistence; 
 re-dissolve it in warm water, and add, little by 
 little, 2 lbs. of cyanide of potassium, previously 
 dissolved in water, and thus form 1 1 gallons of 
 bath. It is best to boil it several hours before 
 employing it. The most suitable temperature 
 for operating is i6o° Fahr. 
 
 ELECTROTYPING, Moulds for.— Every 
 substance which is a conductor of electricity may 
 be employed to form a mould suitable for the 
 electrotypmg process, provided that it is not 
 liable to be acted upon by the solution, or to be 
 reacted upon by the metal precipitated. A non- 
 conducting mould fulfilling these conditions may 
 also be employed, by taking the precaution of 
 imparting a conducting faculty to its surface by 
 means of a very thin coating of a conducting 
 body, like plumbago, in a state of powder. 
 
 Metallic Moulds. — The conducting bodies ca- 
 pable of serving as moulds are — the metals, 
 well-calcined carbon, and plumbago. The so- 
 lution most commonly employed in electrotype 
 operations is sulphate of copper, upon which 
 zinc, tin and iron act. These three metals can 
 not, therefore, be employed to make moulds, 
 unless previously coppered in alkaline baths. 
 Platina and gold perfectly unite all the required 
 conditions ; but their high price does not admit 
 of their being employed on a large scale. These 
 exceptions stated, there remain among the abun- 
 dant metals only silver, copper, and lead, and 
 the alloys of the latter metal, to form moulds. 
 Silver, which can be precipitated only by gold 
 and platinum, must be employed to reduce the 
 metals when we wish the deposit precipitated to 
 be of great purity. We obtain very excellent 
 moulds of copper by means of an electro-chemical 
 deposit of this metal upon the original subject, 
 or upon a cast suitably metallized. Sheet-lead, 
 when carefully cleaned of its oxide, is first flatten- 
 
 but also reduce the copper that may be present. | ed in a press between two iron plates. The 
 Then dissolve the nitrate in a gallon of water. I object to be moulded is placed on the lead and 
 Then, in another vessel, dissolve 4 lbs. of cyanide | covered with a steel plate, and passed through a 
 of potassium, and add the solution gradually to rolling-press ; the lead receives a perfect 
 
 the silver solution ; cyanide of silver is precipi- 
 tated, and the nitrate of potassa formed remains 
 in solution. 
 
 This operation, conducted with care, up to the 
 moment when the addition of a small quantity of 
 cyanide no longer causes a precipitate, admits of 
 the removal of the nitrate of potassa in solution 
 by decantation. The precipitate remaining in 
 the vessel is washed in pure water, and imme- 
 diately dissolved in 4 lbs. of cyanide of potassium. 
 Then sufficient water is added to make up ten 
 gallons. This bath is not immediately ready for 
 use. Before it will yield a good deposit, it must 
 be mixed with an equal quantity of an old bath ; 
 or, to impart to it the qualities of an old bath, it 
 must be boiled for several hours ; or, which is 
 more to be depended upon, 2 lbs. of yellow 
 prussiate of potash is added to every 4 lbs. of 
 silver. But this last composition of the bath, 
 although most generally employed, is not adapted 
 for brilliant silvering. 
 
 Gold Baths. — Gilriing may be done either hot 
 or cold ; the composition of the bath is the same 
 in each case; only warm gilding is generally 
 richer in color, and is usually adopted where the 
 baths can be heated by steam. 
 
 im- 
 pression of even the most delicate parts. This 
 is the method adopted in "nature printing." 
 The alloys of lead employed are plumber's solder, 
 type-metal, and fusible metal. Moulds in fusible 
 metal are employed onlyin copying medals. The 
 alloy most frequently employed consists of five 
 parts lead, three parts tin, and three parts liismuth. 
 It melts at 176° Fahr. With this alloy moulds 
 are taken by percussion. Moulds are taken in 
 plumber's solder by pouring the metal on a 
 piece of paper, and laying this on a piece of 
 cloth. The medal to be copied is laid upon the 
 alloy, covered with a piece of wood, and struck 
 a sharp blow. The mould must not be separated 
 from the metal until the latter is quite cold. 
 Success in this kind of moulding depends on the 
 skill of the operator. 
 
 A^on-conducting Moulds. — The plastic materials 
 most commonly used are plaster of Paris, wax, 
 stearine, paraffine, gelatine, sealing-wax, and 
 gutta-percha. 
 
 Wax. — Plaster models are put into warm 
 water until they are ihorouglily saturated, but 
 not so as to ap])ear wet on the surface; the 
 plaster is then put into a paper bag, and melted 
 wax poured upon it. Left in a cool place, the 
 
WORKERS IN METALS. 
 
 415 
 
 wax easily separates from the plaster; but as wax 
 and similar substances contract materially upon 
 cooling, it is necessary to employ a mixture of 
 equal parts of yellow wax and resin. When 
 melted and stirred together, the mixture is left 
 to repose until all the bubbles have disappeared, 
 and it has acquired the consistency of treacle. It 
 is then poured over the mode^Jike wax. 
 
 Stcarine. — Stearine may be employed in lieu 
 of wax — or, still better, a mixture of thirty-two 
 parts of spermaceti, seven of wax, and seven of 
 mutton-fat, melted and strained. It is well to 
 add a little plumbago to the mixture, to irnpart 
 conductibility. Plaster moulds should be satu- 
 rated with stearine. Sulphur moulds yield very 
 fine impressions. 
 
 Gtitta-percha. — ^This substance is admirably 
 adapted for electrotype opei'ations. Sufficiently 
 elastic to admit of the copying of undercut ob- 
 jects, and wholly unchangeable in acid and alka- 
 line baths, it lasts almost indefinitely, if it be 
 kept from the air. To prevent the spontaneous 
 change of gutta-percha, it must be kept under 
 water. When old, it becomes brittle. Its ori- 
 ginal properties may be restored by boiling it 
 with a third of its weight of new gutta-percha. 
 
 There are two methods of obtaining a mould — 
 by melting and by pressure. 
 
 The first method consists in putting into a stove, 
 heated to 230 or 250° Fahr., the model and the 
 sheet of gutta-percha, mixed with one third its 
 weight of linseed-oil, so as to form a kind of 
 fusion on the surface of the model ; then, on re- 
 moval from the stove, the gutta-percha is pressed 
 down upon the model by the hand, moistened 
 with cold water to prevent adherence, until a 
 perfect mould may be supposed to be taken. 
 When the gutta-percha is cold, it is separated 
 from the model, and presents a perfect copy of 
 all the details of the original. The principal ob- 
 jection to this method is that the gutta-percha 
 undergoes great change, in consequence of which 
 it will serve for only a small number of opera- 
 tions, and require a long time for each. 
 
 The second process, much preferable to the 
 first, is by mechanical pressure. It requires a 
 large quantity of material, but is a better and 
 quicker process than that described above. On 
 the platform of a screw-press a frame is placed, 
 in which the bed upon which the model to be 
 copied is laid. A lump of gutta percha, softened 
 in boiling water, and well kneaded in the hands, 
 then a counterpart representing the principal 
 sinuosities of the model, and horizontal on its 
 upper surface, are laid upon the bed. In order 
 to avoid the adherence of the model, it is gone 
 over with a soft brush dipped in weak soap- 
 water, and the lump of gutta-percha is dusted 
 with plumbago. The gutta-percha, in yielding 
 under the pressure, drives out the air and water 
 before it, and impresses itself perfectly on the 
 model. When cold, the mould is removed. 
 Moulding in gutta-percha requires models in 
 metal, which may be pressed or heated without 
 fear of injury. If the model be of plaster or wax, 
 we have recourse to modeling in 
 
 Gelatine. — This substance is more elastic than 
 gutta-percha, and admits of objects more under- 
 cut being executed. It has the inconvenience of 
 spoiHng in acid baths, and of furnishing a very 
 brittle metal, in consequence of the necessity 
 that exists for making a very rapid deposit to 
 avoid alteration in the surface of the mould. 
 
 Gelatine becomes nearly impermeable if we add 
 to its solution in warm water 2 per cent, of tan- 
 nic acid dissolved in alcohol, and 10 per cent, of 
 treacle. But it still spoils in the baths if care be 
 not taken to protect the external surface by a 
 thin coating of gutta-percha or by a thick var- 
 nish. Dipping the gelatine mould into a strong 
 solution of alum renders it of a horny texture, 
 and less subject to be acted upon by the bath, 
 but the mould contracts a little in consequence of 
 this treatment. ] 
 
 Sealing-Wax. — Only the best quality of this 
 material can be employed as moulds. It is usu- , 
 ally applied to copy seals, by holding a card over 
 the flame of a candle, and rubbing the surface in 
 a circular direction with a stick of sealing-wax 
 until sufficient thickness is obtained. Care must 
 be taken that no air-bubbles exist. The seal or 
 other object to be copied is then applied with 
 strong pressure, and left till cold. 
 
 ELECTRO TYPING, Metallization of the 
 Moulds for. — Non-conductors of electricity re- 
 quire to be metallized in order to render them 
 conductors. This is accomplished by two methods 
 — the dry way and the wet way. 
 
 Plumbago. — Of all metallic or metallizing 
 powders applied by the dry way, plumbago is 
 the best. Its unctuous nature renders its appli- 
 cation easy ; by means of a soft brush, the plum- 
 bago may be applied to the most undercut por- 
 tions of the mould. All kinds of plumbago are 
 not equally good for metallization, and it is use- 
 ful to make trial of their conductibility before 
 adopting them. 
 
 The moist way consists in coating the surface 
 of the mould with a metallic solution, and in re- 
 ducing the metal it contains by the action of a 
 gas, of a liquid, or of light. The most con- 
 venient solution is that of nitrate of silver in al- 
 cohol. It is applied to the mould with a fine 
 pencil, and left to dry. Two or three successive 
 applications are necessary; then the article is 
 submitted to the action of nascent sulphureted 
 hydrogen gas. Immediately the surface of the 
 mould turns black the mould is ready for the 
 bath, for the sulphureted silver has rendered the 
 surface conducting. We may arrive at the same 
 result by replacing the action of sulphureted 
 hydrogen by that of phosphorus dissolved in sul- 
 phide of carbon, or by the direct action of solar 
 light, or by gallic and pyrogallic acids, or by 
 sulphate of iron in its minimum state of oxida- 
 tion ; but the first method is preferable. It is 
 employed to metallize vegetable and animal mat- 
 ters, such as flowers, fruit, insects and osier and 
 reed articles, so as to produce very curious re- 
 sults. The reduction of nitrate of silver by hy- 
 drogen permits, also, of the metallizing of silk 
 threads, and consequently, of coppering, gilding, 
 and silvering them. So, also, by metallization 
 by the moist way, glass may be covered with 
 metallic deposits, producing very remarkable 
 artistic effects. 
 
 When the moulds are rendered conductors, a 
 copper wire is attached to them, and they are put 
 into the bath. 
 
 If the article be undercut, it is well to multi- 
 ply the points of contact, so as to cause the de- 
 po'sits to fall upon several parts at once. The 
 physical qualities of the copper obtained depend 
 upon a perfect equilibrium between the four con- 
 ditions which we have before described. 
 The thickness of the copper deposited upon a 
 
4i6 
 
 DICTIONARY OF E VERY-DAY WANTS. 
 
 given surface can not be perfectly uniform, in 
 consequence of the galvanic current acting in an 
 inverse ratio to the distance. The result is that 
 the parts of the mould nearest to the anode 
 receive most deposit, while the distant portions 
 receive much less. There exist, therefore, very 
 sensible differences in the thickness of the depo- 
 sits, and, consequently, the electrotype deposit 
 does not present all the solidity desirable. 
 
 To remedy this inconvenience, it has been pro- 
 posed to solidify the interior of the galvanic shell, 
 and take advantage of the different fusion points 
 of copper and brass. 
 
 By means of the gas blow-pipe, wire or pieces 
 of brass are melted into the copper shell, and 
 perfectly unite with it, giving to the electro 
 deposit the malleability and other qualities of an 
 article that has been cast. 
 
 Metallic Powders. — Copper and silver are 
 sometimes employed as metallic powders. 
 
 To obtain an extremely fine copper powder, the 
 copper is precipitated from a boiling solution of 
 its sulphate by metallic zinc ; the copper is after- 
 ward separated from the zinc in excess by diluted 
 sulphuric acid. The powder obtained is dried at 
 a gentle heat. 
 
 Silver powder is prepared by boiling recently- 
 prepared chloride of silver in water acidulated 
 with sulphuric acid, and a piece of pure zinc. 
 
 The metallic powders are applied to the 
 moulds — plaster impregnated with unctuous 
 matters, etc. — after slightly warming them. A 
 camel's or badger's-hair pencil is preferred for 
 this purpose. The parts of the mould on which 
 the metal is not to be deposited are coated with 
 varnish. 
 
 Metals can be applied to glass without the 
 interposition of a varnish. The object is sub- 
 ' mitted to the fumes of hydrofluoric acid, until the 
 I surface assumes a mat ox ground-glass appearance. 
 Plumbago is then applied with a cork or leather 
 stump. An exceedingly thin coating of plumbago 
 adheres to the rough surface with great force. 
 
 Cleaning. — The plastic moulds, when covered 
 with a conducting coating by the preceding 
 
 Processes, are ready to be immersed in the baths, 
 'he metallic surfaces require to be first scoured 
 and cleaned, either by chemical or mechanical 
 means, which will be described hereafter. 
 
 ELECTROTYPING, Solders for. — To 
 establish communication between the mould and 
 the negative pole of the galvanic battery, a con- 
 ductor is formed of a band of copper or of lead, 
 which, if the mould is metallic, is soldered to the 
 edges in the following manner: 
 
 Soldering with Chloride of Zinc and Tin. — 
 The two surfaces to be united are scraped clean, 
 and slightly moistened with a pencil dipped in 
 hydrochlorate of zinc, and then are easily soldered 
 with the soldering-iron and a little tm solder. 
 After putting them closely in contact, the 
 soldering is completed with the iron or the 
 spirit-lamp. 
 
 Soldering with Stearine. — This process is 
 simpler than the other. Siearine, generally at 
 hand, is the only substance required to deoxidize 
 the metals, and determine their adherence by the 
 aid of tin solder. 
 
 The pieces to be cleaned are first scraped, and 
 rubbed with sand-paper. The articles are then 
 warmed at the flame of a spirit-lamp, and rubbed 
 lightly with a piece of stearine. A very thin 
 piece of solder is then applied to the heated part, 
 
 which immediately spreads, and combines in- 
 timately with the copper. The same operation 
 is repea} ."d upon the other piece to be soldered. 
 The two'articles are now held in close contact 
 by a pair of pincers, and heated together, and 
 they are left in the pincers until they are cold. 
 
 ELECTROTYPE PLATES, To Coat with 
 Iron. — The following has been successfully em- 
 ployed in coating electrotype deposits with a coatin g 
 of pure iron, thereby rendering them little inferior 
 to steel-plate engravings as regards durability : 
 
 Dissolve I lb. of sal ammoniac in I gal. of 
 rain-water, then add 2 lbs. of neutral acetate of 
 iron ; boil the solution in an iron-kettle for 2 
 hours, replacing the water lost by evaporation ; 
 when cold, filter the solution, and keep it in 
 close-covered vats (when not in use) to prevent 
 oxidation. 
 
 The iron plate used in the decomposition-cell 
 must be of the same surface as the plate to be 
 coated with iron ; a Smee's battery, of at least 3 
 cells, charged with I part sulphuric acid, and 60 
 parts water, being used for the decomposition. 
 
 To insure success the following rules must be 
 observed: 1st. The plate must be thoroughly 
 freed from any greasy matter by immersing in a 
 solution of caustic soda, then rinsed in clean cold 
 rain-water, after which dip it in dilute acetic acid, 
 and immediately transfer it to the solution of iron; 
 this will insure perfect adhesion between the 
 metals. 2d. The solution must be filtered pre- 
 vious to use to remove the oxide of iron formed 
 by exposure to the atmosphere. After the plates 
 have been coated with iron they must be well 
 rinsed in clear warm rain-water, then in a weak 
 alkaline solution, well dried with a piece of 
 clean soft cotton, and slightly oiled to prevent 
 oxidation. 
 
 The coating of iron is very hard and brittle, 
 resembling the white iron used by manufacturers 
 of malleable iron. Should any of the surface be 
 damaged, the whole coating of iron may be re- 
 moved by immersion in dilute sulphuric acid, and 
 re-coated again by the above process. 
 
 ELECTROTYPING Plaster Casts. —To 
 prepare a plaster cast for electrotyping, first dry 
 the plaster cast in the oven thoroughly, then get 
 equal parts of beeswax and common resin, melt 
 them together, and boil the cast until it will not 
 absorb any more ; when cold, get some good 
 black lead and cover the cast entirely, not thick 
 but a bright surface, then you can electroplate in 
 your battery as usual. 
 
 EMERY WHEELS.— Take & solid wheel, 
 made of pine, or any other soft wood, and of the 
 size required for his purpose. Turn the wheel 
 true, and then turn rounds or hollows in its face, 
 to suit the tools he wishes to grind, gouges, 
 rounds, etc., mentioned by him. Then let him 
 prepare some best glue, and, using it hot and 
 thin, put it on the face of the wheel with a brush. 
 The first coat of glue should be a light one, and 
 when it is dry a second one should be a})plied, 
 and as quickly as possible, as much emery should 
 be sifted upon the wet surface as the glue will 
 hold. When this is dry another coat of glue 
 and emery should be applied in the same way. 
 This will make a wheel that will last for months, 
 and grind faster than anything else. 
 
 ENAMELS.— ThQ beauty of the enamels 
 is altogether dependent on the purity of their 
 component parts, and great care is therefore re- 
 quired in the selection. 
 
WORKERS IN- METALS. 
 
 417 
 
 The presence of iron in the white ground mass 
 is especially obnoxious, and for this reason crude 
 soda is never used in its composition ; but always 
 a purified article. White enamel/* prepared 
 similarly to those given in our former article, 
 is always the ground mass of enamels, and a 
 coloring is produced by the addition of various 
 oxides of metals. To affix enamels to metals, a 
 ground mass of white is burned in under a muffle 
 furnace first, and the colored enamel is afterward 
 put on with a brush, and burned in at a second 
 and less intense heating. The ground mass is 
 required to be less fusible, and contains, there- 
 fore, less fluxing material than the colored 
 enamels afterward added. Besides carbonate of 
 soda, borax, and saltpetre, the silicate of lead is 
 the principd flux used ; but the latter must never 
 be employed when a purple color is to be 
 produced by oxide or chloride of gold, as the 
 color would be destroyed during the heating. 
 
 The following composition, given by Dr. F. 
 Stohmann, answers excellently for the ground 
 mass, when purple, blue, and other tender colors 
 are to be added subsequently : 3 parts of sand, 
 I part of chalk, 3 parts of calcined borax; or 3 
 parts of glass free from lead, I part of calcined 
 borax, % part of nitrate of soda, and I part of 
 antimoniate of potash. The latter composition 
 is especially adapted for blue colors. The quan- 
 tity of metal oxides depends entirely on the 
 depth of the color which it is intended to 
 produce. 
 
 The quantity of the above component parts 
 can be varied within certain limits; but the 
 principal quality requisite in a good enamel must 
 never be lost sight of; that is, it must, when ex- 
 posed to a low temperature, become sufficiently 
 soft to show a glassy surface after cooling, and, 
 at the same time, it must not become thinly fluid 
 when smelted. This shows that it is by no 
 means easy to hit always the exact proportions, 
 and that great care is required in the business. 
 
 When a white opaque enamel is to be produced, 
 it is especially important to use very pure ma- 
 terials. But if the mass, after smelting, shows 
 a slight tinge only, the clear white can, in most 
 cases, be restored by the addition of a little py- 
 rolusite, which, however, must contain at least 
 90 to 95 per cent, of black oxide of manganese. 
 If the common kinds, which often contain from 
 30 to 40 per cent, of peroxide of iron are used, 
 they would spoil the color still more. An excess 
 of pure black oxide of manganese is also in- 
 jurious, as it would produce a violet color. The 
 action of pyrolusite in producing a clear white 
 is simply based on the fact that it gives off oxy- 
 gen in the heat to organic matter which may be 
 in the paste, and destroys it; and if small quan- 
 tities of protoxide of iron are present they are 
 oxidized to peroxide. Being itself reduced to 
 the colorless suboxide, it is incorporated in the 
 mass without imparting the violet color, so char- 
 acteristic to its higher oxides. If a bluish white 
 is desired, it can be easily imparted to the paste 
 by adding a small excess of pyrolusite. A yellow- 
 ish tinge may thus be completely covered. 
 
 To the original basis of white enamels, which 
 has very nearly or entirely the composition of 
 clear crystal glass, a certain proportion of a 
 mixture of oxide of lead and tin, and often also 
 sand, is added. The metal oxides are prepared 
 by calcining the metals in the air. This is easily 
 done, as at a certain temperature a proper mixture 
 
 of lead and tin burns like tinder. It is then only 
 necessary to continually take off the skin of the 
 oxides in order to expose new metal surface to 
 the air. The whole mass is thus finally changed 
 into a yellowish powder, which is best heated a 
 second time until no more sparks issue from it. 
 The second heating is performed in order to 
 oxidize the small globules of metal which may 
 have been scraped off the surface of the metal to- 
 gether with the oxides. The proportion of lead 
 and tin taken varies greatly, from 15 to 40 parts 
 being used to 100 parts of lead. Oxidation takes 
 place the more readily, the more lead there is in 
 the alloy. / 
 
 A very fine white enamel is obtained by smel- 
 ting one part of the oxides (made by calcining 2 
 parts of lead and I of tin) with 2 parts of finely 
 pulverized crystal glass, and a small quantity of 
 pyrolusite. When the mass has become entirely 
 fluid, it is poured into cold water, and sub- 
 sequently powdered to repeat the operation of 
 smelting. This is often done three or four times, 
 in order to produce an entirely homogeneous 
 mass. 
 
 Thepurity of the white is principally dependent 
 on the proportion of tin in the composition, a 
 larger addition producing a more prominent 
 white. The less sand there is used, the more 
 fusible is the enamel, and vice versa. 
 
 Sometimes the antimoniate of potash or soda is 
 used in the composition, but it must never be 
 brought together with a glass containing lead, 
 as a very inferior enamel would result. The 
 usual composition of enamels, in which the 
 antimoniate is present, is 3 parts of crystal glass 
 to I part of antimoniate. It is mixed and smelted 
 in the usual way. 
 
 For fine white enamels pure sand is usuallynot 
 taken. A mixture of I part of sand, and ^ part 
 salt, which has been calcined, is melted with % 
 part oxide of lead ; this mass is powdered and 
 used instead of sand. 
 
 According to Clouet, a mixture of 60 parts of 
 sand, 30 parts alum, 35 parts salt, and 1 00 parts 
 of litharge produces a good white enamel, which 
 resists a high temperature. It is desirable that 
 the sand contain a small proportion of talc. 
 
 The most important manufacture in which 
 enameling is used is that of the dials for clocks 
 and watches. The proceeding is as follows : If" 
 the dials are large, both sides are covered with a 
 coarsely pulverized mass of enamel, which has 
 been previously prepared, and is only made into 
 a pasty mass with a little water. This is allowed 
 to dry gradually at a low heat, and then the 
 whole is exposed to the heat of a muffle-furnace, 
 until the enamel has become soft and glassy. It is 
 taken out, and the small blisters which are usually 
 found on the surface are ground down with fine 
 sand. The dials are then brought back into the 
 furnace, and once more heated until the enamel 
 just commences to smelt on the surface. On taking 
 them out and cooling them, it is found that the 
 surfaces have the peculiar beautiful lustre which 
 we see on dials. The circles are then drawn and 
 divided into hours and minutes, by means of a 
 machine; the marks are made with black enamel, 
 which is mixed with a little lavender oil ; and to 
 burn in the black marks the dials are exposed to 
 another slight heat. Small dials are enameled 
 on one side only. 
 
 When jewelry or other ornaments are to be 
 enameled on parts of tlieir surfaces only, the 
 27 
 
4i8 
 
 DICTIONARY OF E VERY-DAY WANTS. 
 
 respective spots are first roughened, and an in- 
 denture is made either with a chisel or a stamp. 
 These places are then filled with enamel, which 
 is burned in. 
 
 Colored enamels are mostly spread on a white 
 ground mass, which has been previously burned 
 in, but sometimes they are put directly on the 
 metal. In the latter case a comparatively low 
 heat is employed in burning in the enamel. 
 
 The colors in enamels are produced by oxides 
 of metals, as mentioned above. Their stability 
 in the heat depends on the degree of the affinity 
 which the metau has for the oxygen. 
 
 According to Dr. F. Stohmann, the different 
 colors are prepared as follows : 
 
 Purple. — Oxide or chloride of gold is used to 
 produce this color. Very little gold is sufficient 
 to color a large quantity of enamel. As before 
 mentioned, a paste must not be used for this 
 enamel which contains lead or tin ; it is custom- 
 ary to use one consisting of crystal glass, borax, 
 and saltpetre, or of 3 parts quartz-sand, I part 
 chalk, and 3 parts calcined borax. The purple 
 color can not stand high temperatures. 
 
 Red. — We have no metal the oxide of which 
 gives us directly a red color. It is therefore 
 produced by adding to the paste of the enamel a 
 mixture of peroxide of iron and clay, which is 
 hard to fuse. But even in burning this in too 
 high a heat must be avoided, in order to prevent 
 the formation of silicate of peroxide of iron, 
 which would destroy the color. The mixture is 
 made by heating 2 to 2^ parts of copperas and 
 I part of sulphate of alumina, first slowly, to 
 drive out the water, then stronger, until the 
 whole has assumed a red color. The right 
 moment is seen by samples, which are from time 
 to time taken out of the furnace, and allowed to 
 cool, when the true color appears. The depth 
 of the red color can be widely varied by altering 
 the proportion of copperas and sulphate of alum- 
 ina. Thus the proportion above given would 
 produce a deep red, while 3 parts of sulphate of 
 alumina and I part of copperas would make a 
 flesh-color. 
 
 Yellow. — A good yellow color is made by 
 mixing l part of oxide of antimony, i part of 
 white-lead, i part of alum, and I of sal-ammonia. 
 These substances are heated over a fire until the 
 sal-ammonia has sublimated, and the whole has 
 assumed a yellow color. With a small quantity 
 of peroxide of iron, a yellow color can also be 
 produced, if a high heat is used in burning the 
 paste. This may consist of sand, oxide of lead, 
 and borax for the antimony yellow, and of alum, 
 oxide of lead, salt, and talcose sand, for the oxide 
 of iron. 
 
 A good yellow may also be produced with the 
 salts of silver. For this purpose a small quantity 
 of oxide of silver, for mstance, is put on the 
 surface of the enamel, which has already been 
 burned before, and a low heat is given. After 
 cooling, metallic silver will be found coating the 
 spot. On scraping this off, the enamel below will 
 be found yellow. 
 
 Green. — This is produced by burning 2 ounces 
 of oxide of cojiper or chrome with 4 ounces of 
 paste. A small quantity of peroxide of iron is 
 sometimes added. 
 
 Blue is always produced by oxide of cobalt. 
 It is mixed with a paste which contains little or 
 no lead, as this would deteriorate the color. 
 Black is produced by adding large quantities 
 
 of metal oxides with the paste, so that their color 
 becomes so dark as to appear black. It can be 
 done, for instance, by mixing pyrolusite, oxide 
 of copper, and oxide of cobalt, or, according to 
 Clouet, by mixing an easily fusible clay with a 
 third of its weight of protoxide of iron. 
 
 Violet. — It has already been mentioned that 
 this color is produced by black oxide of mangan- 
 ese. Care must be taken that no organic sub- 
 stances — as, for instance, ccal-dust, smoke, etc. 
 — come in contact with it in burning, as these 
 destroy the color. 
 
 According to Armengaud's G^nie Industriel, 
 an enamel which is applicable to fine stone-work, 
 metals, and fancy wood-work, is produced with- 
 out the employment of heat, in the following 
 manner : 
 
 1. By mixing mineral salts or oxides, which 
 are capable of forming silicates with silica, in a 
 solution of soda water-glass of syrup consistency, 
 with a certain amount of silica. 
 
 2. By precipitating these sUicates by means of 
 a fixing medium, which consists of a salt, acting 
 by double decomposition. 
 
 The artificially produce dsilicate of soda is dis- 
 solved in water, and the solution concentrated to 
 the consistency of syrup ; then the finely-pulver- 
 ized mineral, mixed with finely-ground quartz, 
 is added to the solution of water-glass, and by 
 careful mixing and rubbing the whole, it is made 
 into a homogeneous paste or thin dough. 
 
 This is spread on the object which it is to 
 adorn, or to guard against the influence of the 
 atmosphere. As soon as the mass has become 
 dry, the fixing-medium, or reagent, which is a 
 more or less clear solution of a salt by which the 
 silicates are to be precipitated, is spread over it 
 with a fine brush. 
 
 The precipitation takes place after some time : 
 and when the covering substances have become 
 entirely hard, the covered object attains a much 
 greater durability. This is the case, because it 
 has received an entirely new structure for a thick- 
 ness of several millimeters from its surface, which 
 now is much more perfectly coherent. 
 
 The coherence and different appearance of the 
 surface can be varied in itensity, by — i. Giving 
 a larger addition of silica, from ^/^ to ^ of the 
 mass, if an enamel is tlesired which can resist a 
 high temperature. 2. By augmenting the quan- 
 tity of soda, or potash water-glass. This must 
 be done to the higher a degree the easier fusible 
 the product is intended to be. 
 
 ENAMELED Writing Surfaces. — A useful 
 substance for making gl.iss labels, sign boards, 
 etc., is made as follows : 30 parts, by weight, of 
 pure saltpetre, 90 parts of fine sand (silicic acid), 
 and 250 parts of litharge, to be thorouglily blend- 
 ed, and then melted. 'I'he enamel made by these 
 means can be written or drawn on with the same 
 facility as the best paper; and has the novel, and, 
 we may say, the unprecedented, capability, of 
 perfect permanency, if the ink be properly pre- 
 pared, as the writing can be burnt in, by means 
 of a muffle, in less than a minute. Another 
 advantage will help to recommend it to ingenious 
 inventors : it can be treated, for photographic 
 purposes, with a substitute for collodion. This 
 substitute can be prepared as follows : 10 parts 
 of gum, I part of honey, and 3 parts of bichro- 
 mate of potash; filtered and dried on the surface 
 of the above described preparation. The plate 
 is exposed in the usual way. The development 
 
WORKERS IN METALS, 
 
 419 
 
 is made by dusting, the powder being composed 
 of 10 parts, by weight, of cobalt oxide, 90 parts 
 of iron scales, loo parts of red lead, and 30 parts 
 of sand. When these components are mixed, 
 the chromate should be decomposed by immer- 
 sion in a bath of water, acidulated with 5 per 
 cent, of muriatic acid. After washing and dry- 
 ing, the enamel should be melted on a piece of 
 iron plate, coated with chalk; a minute's sub- 
 jection to heat is enough, and the photograph 
 on the enamel, perfectly glazed on, will be ap- 
 parent. 
 
 ETCHING, — A species of engraving, in 
 which the design is formed on the plate by the 
 action of an acid, or some other fluid, instead of 
 the graver. 
 
 The plate is covered with a ground or varnish 
 capable of resisting the action of the etching 
 fluid, the design is next scratched on the metal 
 by means of a species of needle or pointed tool 
 of steel. A border of wax is then placed round 
 the plate, and the *'biting" menstruum poured on, 
 and allowed to remain till the lights or finest 
 portion of the design is sufficiently "bit in." The 
 etching fluid is then poured off, the plate 
 washed, and the light parts "stopped up" with 
 wax or varnish, when the solvent is again poured 
 on, and allowed to remain until the finest portion 
 of the exposed lines are sufficiently deep, when 
 the acid is again poured off, and the whole pro- 
 cess is repeated till the very darkest lines or 
 shadows are sufficiently formed. The plate is 
 then cleaned, and is printed from in the same 
 way as a common engraved copper-plate. The 
 most approved way of laying the design on the 
 etching ground, is first to draw it with a black- 
 lead pencil on paper, then to damp the paper, 
 place it with the design next the wax or varnish, 
 and to pass the whole through a rolling-press, 
 by which means the picture will be transferred 
 from the paper to the ground. 
 
 There are several varieties of etching, among 
 which may be named etching loith a dry point, 
 performed entirely with the point, without any 
 ground, the burr being removed with the scraper; 
 etching with a soft ground, when a coating of 
 lard or tallow is employed, and the design is 
 drawn on a piece of paper, laid evenly on the 
 ground, by which means the fatty matter adheres 
 to the paper, on the parts pressed on by the 
 pencil, and the copper beneath becomes exposed. 
 This method is employed to produce imitations 
 of chalk or pencil drawings. Stippling, or exe- 
 cuting the design in dots instead oflines. Aqua- 
 iinta, in which a weak spirituous solution of gum 
 mastich is poured over the plate, placed in a 
 slanting direction, by which a gi-anulated surface 
 is formed, and small interstices left, exposing 
 the naked metal ; a wall of wax is next placed 
 round the margin of the plate, the etching fluid 
 poured on, and the lighter parts successively 
 "stopped out" until the design is completed. 
 Aquatinta etchings bear a great resemblance to 
 Indian ink drawings. The fineness or coarseness 
 of the grain depends entirely upon the quantity 
 of matter dissolved in the spirit employed to 
 form the ground. 
 
 The fluids employed for "biting in" the de- 
 signs vary considerably; almost every etcher 
 having his own receipt. Aquafortis, more or 
 less diluted, is. however, generally employed for 
 copper, and this, with the addition ofpyrolig- 
 
 that will rapidly dissolve the metal may be used 
 for this purpose. The etching varnish or ground 
 may be formed of any substance capable of re- 
 sisting the action of the etching fluid, and, at the 
 same time, sufficiently soft to allow of the free 
 use of the needle or point, and sufficiently solid 
 to prevent an injury to the design during the 
 "scratching in." 
 
 In etching on glass, the ground is laid on, and 
 the design scratched out in the usual way, when 
 liquid hydrofluoric acid is applied, or the glass 
 is exposed to the action of hydrofluoric acid gas. 
 The former renders the surface of the etching 
 transparent, the latter opaque. A very simple 
 way of performing this operation is to wet the 
 design with sulphuric acid, and then to sprinkle 
 on some finely-pulverized fluor spar, (fluoride 
 of calcium, ) by which means hydrofluoric acid is 
 set free and attacks the glass. This may be very 
 easily applied to the graduation of glass vessels, 
 thermometer tubes, etc. 
 
 A most rapid method of etching on iron or 
 steel, capable of very general application, is as 
 follows : Warm the metal until it is capable of 
 melting a piece of beeswax, or etching varnish, 
 which must then be carefully rubbed over it, so 
 as to form a thin and even coating ; allow the 
 whole to cool, and scratch out the design in the 
 common way, with a needle or point ; then 
 sprinkle on a little powdered iodine, and at the 
 same time add a few drops of water with a camel- 
 hair pencil, and work them into a liquid paste, 
 which must be moved about over the intended 
 engraving, for a period varying from one to five 
 minutes, according to the depth of lines required 
 to be produced. Afterwards wash the whole in 
 clean water. Persons acquainted with the pro- 
 perties of iodine will readily perceive that the 
 same etching-paste, by being kept for a few days, 
 will again acquire the property of dissolving iron. 
 I have thus successfully employed the same ma- 
 terials three or four times. Iodine will, doubt- 
 less, at no very distant period, supersede the 
 use of acids for the above purpose, on account of 
 its portability and convenience. To travelers 
 and amateurs who amuse themselves with the 
 delightful art of etching, it will, I think, prove 
 invaluable. 
 
 ETCHING on Ivory. — Cover the ivory to be 
 etched with a thin coating of beeswax, then trace 
 the figure you desire to present through the wax. 
 Pour over it a strong solution of nitrate of silver. 
 Let remain a sufficient length of time, then re- 
 move it, with the wax, by washing in warm 
 water. The design will be left in dark lines on 
 the ivory. 
 
 FILES and RASPS.— Files and other in- 
 struments for the abrasion of various substances 
 may be made by folding up separate pieces of 
 wet clay in muslin, cambric, and Irish linen, 
 forcing them by the pressure of the hand into 
 the interstices of the threads, so that oil divest- 
 ing them of the covering, and having them well 
 baked, a file is produced of a new species, said 
 to be capable of operating on steel; andveryuseful 
 in cutting glass, polishing, and rasping wood, 
 ivory, and all sorts of metals. 
 
 FILES and RA SFS, To Re-cut ivhcn Old.— 
 Dissolve 4 oz. of saleratus in i quart of water, 
 and boil the files in it for half an hour; then re- 
 move, wash, and dry them. Xow have ready, 
 in a glass or stone ware vessel, i quart of rain 
 
 neous acid, for etching on steel ; but any flufd I water, into which you have slowly added 4 oz. of 
 
420 
 
 DICTIONAR YOFE VER Y-DA V WANTS. 
 
 best sulphuric acid, and keep the proportions for 
 any amount used. Immerse the files in this 
 preparation for from six to twelve hours, accord- 
 ing to fineness or coarseness of the file; then 
 remove ; wash them clean, dry quickly, and put 
 a little sweet oil on them to cover the surface. 
 If the files are coarse, they will need to remain 
 in about twelve hours, but for fine files six to 
 eight hours is sufficient. This plan is applicable 
 to blacksmiths', gunsmiths', tinners', copper- 
 smiths' and machinists' files. Copper and tin 
 workers will only require a short time to take 
 the articles out of their files, as the soft metals 
 with which they become filled are soon dissolved. 
 Blacksmiths' and saw-mill files require full time. 
 Files may be re-cut three times by this process. 
 The liquid may be used at different times if re- 
 quired. Keep away from children, as it is pois- 
 onous. 
 
 FILES, To Clean.— Holding a file filled with 
 work under a steam jet at 40 lbs. pressure is an 
 effectual way of cleaning the same. 
 
 GALVANIZING Gray Iron Castings. — 
 Cleanse the articles in an ordinary chafing mill, 
 which consists of a barrel revolving on its axis ; 
 when the sand is all removed take them out and 
 heat one by one, plunging while hot in a liquid 
 composed as follows : 10 pounds of hydrochloric 
 acid, sheet zinc, q. s. to make a saturated solu- 
 tion. In making this solution, when the evolu- 
 tion of gas has ceased, add muriate, or preferably 
 sulphate of ammonia, I pound, and let it stand 
 until dissolved. The castings should be so hot 
 that when dipped into this solution, and instant- 
 ly removed, they will immediately dry, leaving 
 the surface crystallized like frost-work on a win- 
 dow pane. Next, plunge Ihem while hot, but 
 perfectly dry, into a bath of melted zinc, previ- 
 f ously skimming the oxide on the surface away, 
 and throwing thereon a small amount of pow- 
 dered sal-ammoniac. If the articles are very 
 small, inclose them in a wrought-iron basket on 
 a pole, and lower them into the metal. When 
 this is done, shake off the superfluous metal, and 
 cast them into a vessel of water to prevent them 
 from adhering together when the zinc upon the 
 surface solidifies. 
 
 GILDING. — Gold is employed for gilding the 
 surface of copper, brass and silver by the follow- 
 ing different processes : l. Hot gilding for the 
 ormulu, the bright French gold for ornaments of 
 all kinds; the metal to be gilded is first washed 
 with a solution of nitrate of mercury or amalga- 
 mating water, which gives a silvery surface ; to 
 this surface an amalgam of gold and mercury is 
 applied, from which the mercury is driven off hy 
 heat. The color is then hightened by burning it 
 on Calder's wax, formed of wax, verdigris and 
 blue vitriol ; it is then polished and brightened 
 by a boiling solution of common salt and cream 
 ef tartar. Some adepts heat the article on a hot 
 iron plate provided with small apertures, and 
 when heated apply some solution of iodine and 
 yellow ochre with a brush. 2. German gilding 
 of silver is performed by a solution of gold in 
 nitric acid, to which sal-ammoniac and alembroth 
 (a triple salt formed by salt and ammonia and 
 corrosive sublimate) have been added. This so- 
 lution of gold evaporates to the consistency of 
 oil, and is then applied to the silver or nickel, 
 both of w liich it blackens, but they appear gilded 
 on being healed. 3. Gilding is also performed 
 by rubbing the metal with .lite ashes of linen 
 
 rags which have been impregnated with a solu- 
 tion of gold. 4. Wet gilding by merely dipping 
 the work in a solution of gold. 5. Gilding by 
 the well-known process of electro-plating. 
 
 GILDING, Grecian. — Take sal-ammoniac 
 and bichloride of mercury, equal parts, dissolve 
 in nitric acid, and make a solution of gold with 
 this fluid, lay it on the silver and expose it to a 
 red heat; it will then be gilded. 
 
 GILDING Polished y>/,f/'fl/j.--i. Polished iron 
 and steel may be readily gilded by applying an 
 ethereal solution of gold to the surface with a 
 camel-hair pencil. The ether flies off and leaves 
 the surface coated with gold ; it must then be 
 polished with a burnisher. In this way, any 
 fancy device or writing may be executed on steel 
 or iron. This species of gilding is not, however, 
 so durable as the following : — 
 
 2. Apply gold leaf to the surface of polished 
 iron, steel, or copper, heated to a bluish tint, 
 press it on gently with a burnisher, avoiding 
 i)reaking or injuring the gold; again expose it 
 to a gentle heat, and repeat the process with 
 fresh leaves of gold, until the .gilding has ac- 
 quired a proper thickness ; then let it cool and 
 polish it with the burnisher. 
 
 GILDING Picture Frames. — The surface to 
 be gilt must be carefully covered with a strong 
 size, made by boiling down pieces of white leath- 
 er, or clippmgs of parchment, till they are re- 
 duced to a strong jelly. This coating being dried 
 eight or ten times, more size must be applied, 
 the size being mixed with a small quantity of 
 whitening. The last coating is composed of size 
 and massicot, or sometimes yellow ochre. Let 
 it dry thoroughly, and then damp the surface a 
 little at a time with a damp sponge, and apply 
 the gold leaf before this dries. It will immedi- 
 ately adhere, and when dry, those parts which 
 are to be brilliant are to be burnished with an 
 agate or dog's-tooth burnisher. 
 
 GILDING and SIL VERING, To Test the 
 Gentiineness of. — A solution of chloride of cop- 
 per is the test for gilding. When the object is 
 only covered with the usual gold-colored alloy, 
 this reagent produces a black spot, which is not 
 seen if the gilding has been done with gold. 
 
 Equal parts of bichromate of potash and nitric 
 acid, brought in contact with real silver, will 
 form a red spot, while alloys imitating silver 
 show divers other peculiar colors, or no change 
 whatever. 
 
 GILT ORNAMENTS, To Clean.— Th^ best 
 way to prevent gold and gilt ornaments from 
 tarnishing, and to make them bright, is to keep 
 them in box-wood sawdust, which may be ob- 
 tained at any ivory turner's. To clean them, 
 wash in a lather with a soft brush, rinse, and let 
 them drain on a cloth. When nearly dry, put 
 them into the box-wood sawdust. 
 
 GLASS GLOBES, To Silver.— TzV^ equal 
 parts of tin and lead, and melt them together; 
 add while they are in fusion two parts of bismuth 
 and two parts of mercury. Take from the fire, 
 and so soon as cool enough for the glass to bear 
 it, pour into the globe and move slowly so that 
 the amalgam will pass over every part of its in- 
 terior. A thin film will be left at every point of 
 contact. 
 
 GOLD, Artificial. — An American has dis- 
 covered a beautiful alloy, which has been most 
 successfully applied as a substitute for gold ; it 
 is composed of pure copper, 100 parts ; pure tin. 
 
WORKERS IN METALS. 
 
 421 
 
 17 parts; magnesia, 6 parts; tartar of commerce, 
 9 parts; sal ammoniac, 3 •6 parts; and quicklime, 
 I '6 part. The copper is first melted, then the 
 lime, magnesia, sal ammoniac, and tartar are 
 added, little at a time, and the whole is briskly 
 stirred for about half an hour, so as to mix 
 thoroughly, after which the tin is thrown on the 
 surface in small grains, stirring until entirely 
 fused. The crucible is now covered, and the 
 fusion kept up for about thirty-five minutes, 
 when the dross is skimmed off, and the alloy 
 found ready for use. It is quite malleable and 
 ductile, and may be drawn, stamped, chased, 
 beaten into powder, or into leaves, like gold leaf. 
 In all of which conditions it is not distinguishable 
 from gold even by good judges, except by its 
 inferior weight. 
 
 GOLD ARTICLES, Polishing Pcmder for. 
 — Dr. W. Hofmann has analyzed a polishing 
 powder sold by gold workers in Germany, which 
 always commands a very high price, and hence, 
 it may be inferred, is well adapted for the pur- 
 pose. He found it to be a very simple composi- 
 tion, being a mixture of about 70 per cent, of 
 sesquioxide of iron and 30 per cent, of sal-ammo- 
 niac. To prepare it, protochloride of iron, pre- 
 pared by dissolving iron in hydrochloric acid, is 
 treated with liquid ammonia, until a precipitate is 
 no longer formed. The precipitate is collected 
 on a filter, and without washing, is dried at such 
 a temperature that the adhering sal-ammoniac 
 shall not be volatilized. The peroxide of iron 
 precipitate at first becomes charged with sesqui- 
 oxide. 
 
 GOLD, To make of Four Carats. — Four carat 
 gold is used to a considerable extent for cheap 
 rings, pin-tongues and the like. It is a very 
 nice metal, wears well, does not black the finger, 
 and presents somewhat the appearance of Guinea 
 gold. You make it by melting together eighteen 
 parts copper, four parts gold, and two parts silver. 
 
 GOLD, To jKake of Twelve Carats. — Melt 
 together, in the usual way, twenty-five grains 
 gold — if coin — thirteen and a half grains copper, 
 and seven and a third grains silver. This is a 
 very good gold for rings, etc. — stands acids 
 almost equal to the higher grades, and looks fully 
 as well. Of course it is deficient in weight. 
 
 GOLD, To make of Sixteen Carats. — Com- 
 
 Sound sixteen grains pure gold with five and a 
 alf grains pure copper and two and a half grains 
 pure silver. Or, if gold coin is used, seventeen 
 grains gold, five grains copper and two grains 
 silver. 
 
 GOLD, To make of Eighteen Carats. — To 
 make the eighteen carat gold, generally in use, 
 melt together as above, eighteen grains pure 
 gold, four grains pure copper and two grains 
 pure silver. In cases where you find it necessary 
 to use gold coin, weigh out in the proportion of 
 nineteen and a half grains gold, three grains cop- 
 per and one and a half grains silver. 
 
 GOLD COIN, To ;;w/(r.— The gold of Ameri- 
 can and English coin is twenty-two carat fine. 
 Copper alone usually forms the alloy, though a 
 portion of silver is sometimes added. To make 
 coin gold, you melt together with saltpetre and 
 sal-ammoniac, the two metals in the proportion 
 of twenty-two grains pure gold and two grains 
 pure copper. When silver forms a part of the 
 alloy it is usually about one-third silver to two- 
 thirds copper. 
 
 GOLD, Counterfeit. — Fuse together with 
 
 saltpetre, sal-ammoniac and powdered charcoal, 
 four parts platina, two and a half parts pure 
 copper, one part pure zinc, two parts block tin 
 and one and a half parts pure lead. 
 
 Another good recipe calls for two parts platina, 
 one part silver and three parts copper. 
 
 A metal compounded in accordance with either 
 formula, as exhibited above, will so nearly re- 
 semble gold as to almost defy detection without 
 a resort to thorough tests. The platina requires 
 a high temperature to melt, but nothing could be 
 substituted that would act so well, as it adds to 
 the ring of the metal, and to a great extent forti- 
 fies it against the action of acids. 
 
 If at any time you should find your metal too 
 hard or brittle for practical use re-melt it with 
 sal-ammoniac. It may in some cases be necessary 
 to repeat this operation several times, but it will 
 be sure to produce the desired effect eventually. 
 
 GOLD, Coloring. — Gold is colored by two 
 processes, called the dry and wet color; but the 
 materials used in both cases are the same. They 
 are as follows : — One part salt, one part alum, 
 and two parts saltpetre; each material to be 
 pounded separately in a mortar, taking care they 
 are perfectly clean (this is the dry process). Af- 
 ter being well pounded they are put into an iron 
 color-pot and slowly heated over a fire. The 
 color must boil gradually, and must be stirred 
 with an iron rod. It will then rise, and then it 
 is ready for the reception of the articles to be 
 colored, which must be not less than 18 carat. 
 They are suspended in the color by r8 carat wire, 
 and kept in motion till the liquid begins to sink, 
 then they are taken out and dipped in aquafortis 
 pickle. The color will rise again, and then 
 another dip, and sometimes two, is necessary to 
 give them the proper color. The wet color 
 process is a much inferior method, except for 
 gold of lower standard, and then not below 15 
 carat, as the alloy would suffer so seriously from 
 the coloring. The fact is, coloring is no more 
 than taking from the surface the inferior metals, 
 leaving a thin coating of pure gold. 
 
 GOLD CHAIN, To C^««.— Put it an a small 
 glass bottle, with warm soapsuds and a little 
 prepared chalk; shake it well, rinse in clear, 
 cold water, and wipe on a towel. 
 
 GOLD, To C/^«w.— Powder some whiting, 
 and make it into a moist paste with some sal 
 volatile. Cover over the gold ornaments and 
 surface with a soft brush, let it dry, and then 
 brush it off with a moderately hard brush. 
 
 GOLD AMALGAM, To J/«/Cr.— Eight parts 
 of gold and one of mercury are formed into an 
 amalgam for plating by rendering the gold into 
 thin plates', making it red hot and then putting it 
 into the mercury while the latter is also heated 
 to ebullition. The gold immediately disappears 
 in combination with the mercury, after which the 
 mixture may be turned into water to cool. It is 
 then ready for use. 
 
 GOLD AMALGAM, To Plate wttJu~<:kM. 
 amalgam is chiefly used as a plating for silver, 
 copper or brass. The article to be plated is 
 washed over with diluted nitric acid or potash lye 
 and prepared chalk, to remove any tarnish or 
 rust that might prevent the amalgam from ad- 
 hering. After having been polished perfectly 
 bright the amalgam is applied as evenly as pos- 
 sible, usually with a fine scratch brush. It is 
 then set upon a grate over a charcoal fire, or 
 placed into an oven and heated to that degree at 
 
422 
 
 DICTIONARY OF EVERY-DAY WANTS. 
 
 which mercury exhales. The gold, when the 
 mercury has evaporated, presents a dull yellow 
 color. Cover it with a coating of pulverized 
 nitre and alum in equal parts, mixed to a paste 
 with water, and heat again till it is thoroughly 
 melted, then plunge into water. Burnish up 
 with a steel or blo<Sstone burnisher. 
 
 GOLD, To separate from Gilt Copper or 
 Silver. — ^Take a solution of borax in water, ap- 
 ply to the gilt surface, and sprinkle over it some 
 finely powdered sulphur, make the article red- 
 hot and quench it in water, then scrape off the 
 gold and recover it by means of lead. 
 
 GOLD or SILVER, To Enamel.— liikQ 
 half a pennyweight of silver, two pennyweights 
 and a half of copper, three pennyweights and a 
 half of lead and two pennyweights and a half of 
 muriate of ammonia. Melt together and pour 
 into a crucible with twice as much pulverized 
 sulphur ; the crucible is then to be immediately 
 covered that the sulphur may not take fire, and 
 the mixture is to be calcined over a smelting fire 
 until the superfluous sulphur is burned away. 
 The compound is then to be coarsely pounded, 
 and with a solution of muriate of ammonia to be 
 formed into a paste, which is to be placed upon 
 the article it is designed to enamel. The article 
 must then be held over a spirit lamp till the 
 compound upon it melts and flows. After this 
 it may be smoothed and polished up in safety. 
 This makes the black enamel now so much used 
 on jewelry. 
 
 GOLD, French. — Spanish copper 6 parts, 
 silver 3 parts ; gold 5 parts. Mix. 
 
 GOLD (Green), To Make.—M€[\. together 
 nineteen grains pure gold and five grains pure 
 silver. The metal thus prepared has a beautiful 
 green shade. Some years ago it was used pretty 
 extensively by jewelers in the formation of leaves, 
 but we do not meet with it so often now. 
 
 GOLD (Green), To Highten the Color oj.— 
 Take of saltpetre, i oz. 10 dwts. ; sal ammoniac, 
 I oz. 4 dwts. ; Roman vitriol, I oz. 4 dwts. ; 
 verdigris, 18 dwts. Mix them well together and 
 dissolve a portion in water, as occasion requires. 
 
 The work must be dipped in these composi- 
 tions, applied to a proper heat to burn them off, 
 and then quenched in water or vinegar. 
 
 GOLD, To Gild with tipon Silver. — Beat a 
 ducat thin, and dissolve it in two ounces oiaqua 
 regia; dip clean rags in it and let them dry; 
 bum the rags, and, with the tinder thereof, rub 
 the silver with a little spittle ; be sure first that 
 the silver be cleansed from grease. 
 
 GOLD, Imitation. — i. Four ounces platina, 
 three ounces silver, one ounce copper. 
 
 2. To 100 parts copper, melt with six parts 
 magnesia, three and one-half parts sal ammonia, 
 one eight-tenth parts quicklime, and nine parts 
 cream tart.ar, and, when fusing for some time, 
 add 17 parts zinc, and stir it quickly. 
 
 3. Sixteen parts copper, seven parts platina; 
 melt with borax and charcoal and one part zinc 
 added. 
 
 4. Platinum, 16 parts ; copper, 7 parts; zinc, 
 I part; put in a crucible, cover with charcoal 
 powder, and melt into a mass. 
 
 GOLD LAQUER.—Qo\^ Laquer is made 
 by dissolving gum shellac in alcohol, and color- 
 ing it with turmeric or gamboge. It is strained 
 through a cloth before it is used, and generally 
 takes several days to macerate. 
 
 GOLD, Mosaic. — Copper and zinc, equal 
 
 parts. Fuse at the lowest possible temperature, 
 and stir well to produce a perfect admixture, 
 then add more zinc until the fused alloy becomes 
 perfectly white; lastly, pour it into moulds. 
 The proportion of zinc to the copper is from 50 
 to 55 per cent., exclusive of what is lost by the 
 heat employed. 
 
 GOLD, Oreide. — The best article is made by 
 compounding four parts pure copper, one and 
 three-fourth parts pure zinc, one-fourth part 
 magnesia, one-tenth part sal-ammoniac, one- 
 twelfth part quicklime, and one part cream tar- 
 tar. Melt the copper first, then add as rapidly 
 as possible the other articles in the order named. 
 
 GOLD i^6i^Z>£y?.— Put some gold-leaf, with 
 a little honey, or thick gum-water made with 
 gum-arabic, into an earthen mortar, and pound 
 the mixture till the gold is reduced to very small 
 particles; then wash out the honey or gum re- 
 peatedly with warm water, and the gold in pow- 
 der will be left behind. When dry, it is fit for 
 use. 
 
 GOLD (Dutch) Poavder. — This is made from 
 Dutch gold-leaf, which is sold in books at a very 
 low price. Treat in the manner described above 
 for true gold-powder. When this inferior pow- 
 der is used, cover the gilding with a coat of clear 
 varnish, otherwise it will soon lose its bright 
 appearance. 
 
 GOLD (Mosaic) Powder for Bronzing, etc. — 
 Melt I lb. tin in a crucible, add ^ lb. of purified 
 quicksilver to it ; when this is cold, it is reduced 
 to powder, and ground, with ^ lb. sal-ammo- 
 niac and 7 oz. flour of sulphur, till the whole is 
 thoroughly mixed. They are then calcined in a 
 matrass ; and the sublimation of the other in- 
 gredients leaves the tin converted into the mo- 
 saic gold-powder which is found at the bottom 
 of the glass. Remove any black or discolored 
 particles. The sal-ammoniac used must be very 
 white and clear, and the mercury of the utmost 
 purity. When a deeper red is required, grind 
 a very small quantity of red-lead with the above 
 materials. 
 
 GOLD PLATING SOLUTION, To Make 
 and Apply. — Dissolve half an ounce of gold 
 amalgam in one ounce of nitro-muriatic acid. 
 Add two ounces of alcohol, and then, having 
 brightened the article in the usual way, apply 
 the solution with a soft brush. Rinse and dry 
 in saw-dust, or with tissue paper, and pohsh up 
 with chamois skin. 
 
 GOLD, To Refine. — If you desire to refine 
 your gold from the baser metals, swedge or roll 
 it out very thin, then cut into naiTOw strips and 
 curl up so as to prevent its lying flatly. Drop 
 the pieces thus prepared into a vessel containing 
 good nitric acid, in the proportion of acid two 
 ounces, and pure rain water half an ounce. 
 Suffer to remain until thoroughly dissolved, 
 which will be the case in from half an hour to 
 one hour. Then pour off the liquid carefully and 
 you will find the gold in the forAi of a yellow 
 powder lying at the bottom of the vessel. Wash 
 this with pure water til! it ceases to have an acid 
 taste, after which you may melt and cast into any 
 form you choose. Gold treated in this w.iy may 
 be relied on as perfectly pure. 
 
 In melting gold use none other than a char- 
 coal fire, and during the 'process sprinkle salt' 
 petre and potash into the crucible occasionally. 
 Do not attempt to melt with stone coal, as it ren- 
 ders the metal brittle a^d otherwise imperfect. 
 
WORKERS IN METALS. 
 
 4*3 
 
 GOLD, Recovering. — Gold may be stripped 
 from articles that have been gilt by placing them 
 in strong nitric acid, in which some salt has been 
 previously dissolved. When a number of arti- 
 cles have been stripped in the solution, it begins 
 to work slowly, and it is time then to abandon 
 it, and use a new one. The gold may then be 
 recovered from the old solution, by evaporating 
 it to drj'ness, and fusing the residuum with a 
 small piece of soda or potash, the gold being 
 fused into a button. The addition of a little salt- 
 petre will tend to make the refining process more 
 complete. As there is some trouble connected 
 wth this process, it is scarcely worth adopting 
 where very small quantities of gold are con- 
 cerned. In such a case it is a better plan to sus- 
 pend the article, from which the gold is to be 
 removed, in the gilding bath in the place of the 
 anode when gilding another article. 
 
 GOLD (Red), To Highten tJie Color of.— To 
 4 oz. of melted yellow wax, add, in fine powder, 
 ly^ oz. of red ochre, \]/^ oz. of verdigris, cal- 
 cined till it yield no fumes, and % oz. of calcined 
 borax; mix them well together. It is necessary 
 to calcine the verdigris, or else by the heat ap- 
 plied in burning the wax, the vinegar becomes 
 so concentrated as to corrode the surface, and 
 make it appear speckled. 
 
 GOLD SOLDER.— M&\t together in a char- 
 coal fire twenty-four grains gold coin, nine grains 
 pure silver, six grains copper and three grains 
 good brass. This makes a solder for gold rang- 
 ing from twelve to sixteen carats in fineness. 
 Where a finer grade is to be worked, the solder 
 may be made to correspond by increasing the 
 proportion of gold in its composition. A darker 
 solder may be made, if desired, by lessening the 
 proportion of silver, and increasing that of the 
 copper in a corresponding degree. 
 
 GOLD TARNISHED in SOLDERING, 
 To Clean. — The old English mode was to expose 
 all parts of the article to a uniform heat, allow it 
 to cool and then boil until bright in urine and 
 sal-ammoniac. It is now usually cleansed with 
 diluted sulphuric acid. The pickle is made in 
 about the proportion of one-eighth of an ounce 
 acid to one ounce rain water. 
 
 GOLD and SIL VER, A New Process of Sepa- 
 rating. — Instead of precipitating the sulphate of 
 silver, which results from the refining of gold by 
 sulphuric acid, by copper, it is reduced, at the 
 ■works of the San Francisco Assaying and Refin- 
 ing Co., by protosulphate of iron. The hot, 
 thick, turbid mass, which is obtained by treating 
 the bullion with sulphuric acid in cast-iron pots, 
 is placed into a cast-iron vessel containing sul- 
 phuric acid of 58" B. heated to about 110° C. 
 A very small quantity of water is then added, and 
 after a few minutes the now clear solution is 
 drawn into a second vessel, which can be cooled 
 from the outside. By the addition of the water 
 all the sulphate of lead is precipitated, which 
 carries down all impurities, and all the suspended 
 gold. As soon as the solution in the lower ves- 
 sel is cooled to from 30° to 40° C, the mother 
 liquor is pumped back into the upper vessel, 
 where it is ag.iin heated and treated as before 
 with acid of 58" B. The sulphate of silver is 
 found in hard yellow crystals in a layer one or 
 two inches thick, containing but. very little free 
 acid. The crystals are put on the false bottom 
 of a box lined wltli lead, which is provided with 
 wheels and an opening for letting off the liquor. 
 
 These crystals are mixed with a red powder, es- 
 sentially sulphate of copper. A hot aqueous so- 
 lution of sulphate of copper is allowed to run 
 through them. The copper salt is dissolved first, 
 and collected in a separate vessel to be worked 
 for sulphate of cojjper. As soon as the filtrate 
 shows the pure brown color of the sesquisulphate 
 of iron, it runs into another vessel, where on 
 cooling the greater part of the dissolved silver 
 salt is decomposed, and metallic silver precipi- 
 tated, which is added to the principal mass on 
 the filter. Here the crystals have been converted 
 into a dense coherent mass of metallic silver, 
 which may be considered as completely reduced 
 as soon as the iron solution, filtering through, 
 shows a pure green color. It is washed with 
 water, pressed, and melted. The oxidized iron 
 solution is collected in a lead lined vessel, which 
 contains iron scraps. It is thereby converted 
 into a solution of protosulphate, and used again. 
 The small quantity of silver and copper, which 
 is precipitated by the iron scraps, is from time 
 to time added to the crystals on the filter where 
 the copper is rapidly dissolved. One hundred 
 pounds of silver, reduced on the filter, require 
 about* 20 cubic feet of solution of protosulphate 
 of iron. 
 
 GOLD, Test for. — In order to ascertain wheth- 
 er an article is made of gold, if a doubt arises a 
 simple plan is to rub a portion of the article upon 
 a piece of slate, wedgewood ware or oil stone 
 (dry), and then apply a single drop of nitric acid 
 by touching the part with the stopper of the bot- 
 tle. If the acid produces no effect the article 
 may be considered gold. K very inferior alloy 
 of gold, however (twelve carat gold), will stand 
 this test ; but its color' will act as a guide, as it 
 will fail (except when electro-gilt) to present the 
 rich yellow color of good gold. When a common 
 gold article has been strongly gilt, it will be ad- 
 visable to pass a keen but smooth file over a 
 small part of the article, and then apply the nitric 
 acid to the part, when, if the article is not gen- 
 uine, the characteristic green tint of nitrate of 
 copper will at once show itself. 
 
 GOLD ( Yellow), To Highten the Color of.— 
 Take of saltpetre, 6 oz. ; green copperas, 2 oz. ; 
 white vitriol and alum, of each, i oz. 
 
 If it be wanted redder, a small portion of blue 
 vitriol must be added. These are to be well 
 mixed, and dissolved in water as the color is 
 wanted. 
 
 GONGS, Chinese.— It is said they are of an 
 alloy consisting of 78 per cent, of copper and 22 
 of zinc. The operation of making them chiefly 
 consists in a well-managed beating out and an- 
 nealing of the disc. 
 
 GUN-BARRELS, Broioning for.— Spirits of 
 nitre i lb. ; alcohol I lb. ; corrosive sublimate I 
 oz. ; mix in a bottle and keep corked for use. 
 Plug both ends of the barrel, and let the plugs 
 stick out three or four inches, to handle by, and 
 also to prevent the fluid from entering the barrel, 
 causing it to rust ; polish the barrel perfectly ; 
 then rub it well with quicklime by means of a 
 cloth, which removes oil or grease ; now apply 
 the browning fluid with a clean white cloth, ap- 
 ply one coat and set in a warm, dark place, until 
 a red rust is formed over the whole surface, 
 which will require, in warm weather, from ten 
 to twelve hours, and in cold weather, from fifteen 
 to twenty hours, or until the rust becomes red ; 
 then card it down with a gun-maker's card and 
 
424 
 
 DICTIONARY OF E VERY-DA Y WANTS. 
 
 rub off with a clean cloth ; repeat the process 
 until the color suits, as each coat gives a darker 
 shf-de. 
 
 XiUNBARRELS {Twist), Browning for.— 
 Take spirits of nitre ^ oz. ; tincture of steel 
 % oz. ; (if the tincture of steel cannot be obtain- 
 ed, the unmedicated tincture of iron may be used, 
 but it is not so good) black brimstone ]^ oz. ; 
 blue vitriol ]^ oz. ; corrosive sublimate ^ oz. ; 
 nitric acid i dr. or 60 drops; copperas % oz.; 
 mix with \]/2 pts. of rain water, keep corked, 
 also, as the other, and the process of applying is 
 also the same. 
 
 GUN METAL.— \. Melt together 112 lbs. of 
 Bristol brass, 14 lbs. of spelter, and 7 lbs, of 
 block tin. — 2. Melt together 9 parts of copper 
 and I part of tin ; the above compounds are those 
 used in the manufacture of small and great brass 
 guns, swivels, etc. 
 
 HAIRSPRING of Watch, To weaken.— TVxs 
 is often effected by grinding the spring down. 
 You remove the spring from the collet, and place 
 it upon a piece of pivot wood cut to fit the centre 
 coil. A piece of soft steel wire, flattened so as 
 to pass freely between the coils, and armed with 
 a little pulverized oil-stone and oil, will serve as 
 your grinder, and with it you may soon reduce 
 the strength of the spring. Your operations will, 
 of course, be confined to the centre coil, for no 
 other part of the spring will rest sufficiently 
 against the wood to enable you to grind it, but 
 this will generally suffice. The effect will be 
 more rapid than one would suppose, therefore it 
 will stand you in hand to be careful or you may 
 get the spring too weak before you suspect it. 
 
 Another and perhaps later process is as follows: 
 Fit the collect, without removing the spring, 
 upon a stick of pivot wood, and having prepared 
 a little diluted nitric acid in a watch-glass, plunge 
 the centre coils into it, keeping the other parts 
 of the spring from contact by holding it in the 
 shape of an inverted hoop skirt, with your 
 tweezers. Expose it a few seconds, governing 
 the time of course by the degree of effect desired, 
 and then rinse off, first with clean water, and 
 afterwards with alcohol. Dry in the sun or with 
 tissue paper. 
 
 HARDENING Mill-Picks and Cast-Steel in 
 General. — The hardening of cast-steel in general 
 is a process well known to every smith and forge- 
 man and to the mechanic, in so far as it regards 
 turning-tools, chisel, hammers, and other tools 
 which he has constantly to use. But it frequently 
 happens that the same chisel, after being ap- 
 parently well hardened, has assumed quite 
 another degree than it had at first. It is, there- 
 fore, not surprising that the workman, after 
 having struck the right degree, takes care of his 
 tool in every conceivable manner. Even work- 
 men that are exclusively occupied with hardening 
 can only guarantee five good pieces out of ten. 
 One thinks he has obtained a uniform degree, 
 by testing with the file, but use soon proves that 
 the degree varies in the different pieces. The 
 one bends, the other breaks ; and yet they are 
 all made out of one and the same material, and 
 have passed through the same operation. Let 
 us first see what qualities are best adapted for 
 the respective instruments. For mill-picks, 
 especially when theyare to be used for re-dressing 
 French stones, only the very best English tool- 
 steel should be selected. The commercial English 
 cast-steel, so called, is, although it is directly 
 
 imported and bears the stamp "Huntsman," 
 only mild cast-steel, or at least an inferior kind 
 of tool-steel. 
 
 Unfortunately for the artisan, common welding- 
 steel is sold sometimes for tool-steel. Both 
 kinds consist of cast-steel, but they are unequal 
 in quality. The steel sold under tire term Fiiss- 
 stahl (foot-steel) — so called because it only 
 occurs in lengths of one foot — although only one 
 fourth of an inch thick, is really excellent tool- 
 steel. Yet, in order to get only this brand, and 
 no other, one has to get it directly from the 
 manufacturer, who, by the way, should be in- 
 formed for what purpose it is intended. 
 
 The second reason why the hardness is not 
 always found to be a uniform one, is to be attri- 
 buted to forging. In forging, it is scarcely to 
 be avoided that one piece gets warmer than an- 
 otl:er, since it is not well possible to measure the 
 heat during this operation. The warmer the steel, 
 the more does its texture become changed and 
 the more the molecules separate from each other. 
 It is also observable that an inferior piece 
 of cast-steel tears and cracks if forged too 
 cold. 
 
 Mill-picks should be forged in the following 
 manner: The steel must be slowly heated in the 
 charcoal fire till it assumes a bright red color. 
 If a part gets yellow or white, it should be cut 
 off, and used for some other purpose. A mill- 
 pick must be beaten out on one side in one heat ; 
 when the steel commences to cool off, cold water 
 must be poured upon the anvil, and the hammer 
 also must be dipped into cold water. The blows 
 should be light, quick, and frequent, and the 
 water must be renewed at the same time, until 
 the iron is perfectly cool. By this procedure it 
 will acquire a very dense structure. Should 
 cracks present themselves, the fissured piece is 
 to be cut off. The steel may then l^e filed or 
 ground until as thin as desired. This method 
 being applied by a very few smiths only, com- 
 paratively speaking, the stone-dresser himself 
 will have to watch the operations of the smith. 
 
 All the vaunted nostrums for hardening fail 
 to give satisfaction for the purpose in question. 
 
 The process of hardening proper is practiced 
 as follows ibr ordinary tools : The tool after being 
 heated to the desired length, is immersed in 
 water for only a short time ; it is then withdrawn 
 and polished with pumice-stone, so that the an- 
 nealing colors may be recognized. If it possesses 
 the desired color, the whole piece is at once im- 
 mersed in the trough. This process, indeed, 
 suffices very well for the tools of iron workers ; 
 but not so for tools that are to be possessed of a 
 high and perfectly uniform degree of hardness, 
 as is the case with millers' tools. If they are 
 forged as described above, and then properly 
 prepared by grinding or filing, the hardening 
 may be proceeded with. No one, in the first 
 place, should endeavor to heat the pieces in the 
 smith's hearth. This process should be accom- 
 plished by setting four bricks upon a solid sup- 
 port, filling the interior with charcoal, that is 
 kindled and fanned until well glowing. The 
 picks are then stuck in and left to themselves, 
 without further fanning. When they have as- 
 sumed the color of the fuel, the time has arrived 
 when they may be dipped into the water. 
 
 The water should not be calcareous, or if it is 
 so, a little soap or soda should be added to it in 
 order to neutralize the lime. Its temperature 
 
WORKERS IN- METALS. 
 
 425 
 
 man, however well instructed in theories and 
 rules, must study closely the behavior of his ma- 
 terial, and watch his process well — in short, use 
 his own judgment. 
 
 HOLES IN IRON, Chinese Method 0/ Men- 
 ding. — The Chinese mend holes in cast-iron 
 vessels as follows : They melt a small quantity 
 of iron in a crucible the size of a thimble, and 
 pour the molten metal on a piece of felt covered 
 with wood-ashes. This is pressed inside the 
 vessel against the hole, and as it exudes on the 
 other side it is struck by a small roll of felt cov- 
 ered with ashes. The new iron then adheres to 
 the old. 
 
 HORSE-POWER of Steam-Engines and 
 Boilers, To Ascertain. — The Franklin Institute, 
 in Philadelphia, referred this subject to a com- 
 mittee, which has quite recently delivered a report, 
 which from its useful contents we think will 
 prove of interest. It is as follows: 
 
 In a thorough examination of this question, it 
 is necessary first to advert to the origin of the 
 term horse-power, and the manner in which it 
 was first used to designate the power of the 
 steam-engine. The early demand for the steam- 
 engine was to effect some task before performed 
 by horses, and it became a question of comparison 
 of the new mechanical with the animal motor. 
 
 From experiments made to determine the 
 actual power exerted by good average horses, it 
 has been found that a horse, working for eight 
 hours per day, will exert a force equal to about 
 23,400 pounds, and when working for three 
 hours only, will exert as much as 32,900 pounds, 
 raised one foot high per minute. The example 
 taken as a unit by James Watt was that given by 
 the heavy dray-horses of the brewers of London, 
 whose maximum performance in hauling was 
 found to be 150 pounds at two and a half miles 
 per hour; equal to 33,000 pounds lifted one foot 
 high in a minute. This has since remained the 
 standard for a horse-power, both in English, 
 Continental, and American practice. 
 
 This unit of power exerted upon the piston of 
 the steam-engine, measured by the instrument 
 known as an indicator, is termed the indicated 
 horse-power; and the power given out by the 
 engine to the machinery is the actual or effective 
 horse-power, being the indicated power minus 
 the friction of the engine. There is also the 
 nominal power, a term based upon the size of 
 the cylinder and an arbitrarily assumed speed of 
 piston and pressure of steam. This might also 
 be termed the commercial power of the engine. 
 Watt, in the construction of steam-engines after 
 the type established by him, adopted for the speed 
 of the piston 128 times the cube root of the stroke 
 in feet ; and assumed seven pounds as the effect- 
 ive pressure upon the piston. He thus obtained 
 a nominal horse-power, which, under the most 
 unfavorable circumstances, his engines were sure 
 to produce. 
 
 Then, again, we have the rule of the British 
 admiralty for marine-engines, in which the old 
 assumed pressure of seven pounds is adhered to, 
 but the actual speed of the piston is taken into 
 account. Another rule for the nominal power 
 of high-pressure engines has the authority of 
 Bourne, who assumes the speed of the piston to 
 be that given by Watt, and the effective pressure 
 on the piston to be three times as great, th.it is, 
 twentv-one pounds per square inch. His rule is 
 to multiply the square of the diameter of th« 
 
 also must not be low, about 65° being the most 
 suitable. 
 
 After being withdrawn, the objects, of which it 
 is said that they are "hard as glass," must be 
 •'letdown." To this end a sufficiently strong 
 piece of iron is brought to a red heat ; the respec- 
 tive tools are then laid upon it, and the time is 
 waited for when the desired tempering-color 
 appears. It should be near sulphur yellow for 
 mill-picks; orange for cutting- tools on metal; 
 Z'w/r^ for wood-cutting tools; and dark blue io 
 light blue for hard chisels to be used on metal. 
 When the desired color has made its ap- 
 pearance, the tools are repeatedly coated with a 
 fat oil, (olive or rape-seed oil, not petroleum,) 
 whereupon they are allowed to cool. For the 
 different brands of one and the same kind of steel, 
 the proper color can only be found out by ex- 
 periments. In hardening files, it is beneficial to 
 stir in the water some acid, which purifies them 
 from the adhering film of oxide. Upon fine, 
 pohshed objects common washing-soap may be 
 spread. For steel that readily' acquires fissures 
 the following procedure is to be recommended : 
 Finely ground chalk is mixed with oil to a thick 
 paste, and with this the piece is brushed over. 
 Then it is hardened, as above described. If such 
 a tool is tested with the file after hardening, it is 
 apparently very soft ; however, this softness is 
 only limited to the depth of a thin crust, that has 
 been formed by the mixture. When the latter is 
 cleaned off, the tool will appear perfectly hard. 
 All these remarks refer to tool-steel and welding- 
 steel. 
 
 A few words may be added on the hardening 
 of pivots and counter-sinks. In withdrawing 
 pivots from the water they sometimes break in- 
 stantaneously, sometimes after a short while. 
 In order to obviate this, wrought-iron rings must 
 be drawn on their heads. The diameter of the 
 ring should exceed that of the pivots by one 
 eighth of an inch. They are to be heated slowly 
 and with caution, in order that they may get 
 uniformly hot. When they have attained the 
 proper degree of heat, finely powdered yellow 
 prussiate of potassa is spread over them, the 
 cylinders being turned constantly so that the 
 flux may flow around them. However, before 
 this substance ceases to flow, the pivots must be 
 withdrawn from the fire and immersed vertically 
 into the cooling-trough. The water must be of 
 the same temperature and nature as above pre- 
 scribed. The tools have to remain in the water 
 from one to six days, according to their dimen- 
 sions. If prematurely withdrawn, they often 
 break. Pivots that are to remain soft, so that 
 they may be turned, should be well covered with 
 a mixture of clay and calf's hair. But, though 
 these precautions m.ay have been observed, break- 
 ages are still within the range of possibility. It 
 has, for instance, happened to the writer, though 
 but once, that a cylinder broke after having been 
 ready for four weeks. 
 
 Springs and counter-sinks are cooled in oil, of 
 which there must be a sufficient quantity so that 
 it may not get too hot. 
 
 Springs are annealed by heating them upon a 
 hot iron until a pigeon's wing will singe, or at 
 least become yellow, when held at some distance 
 over it, when they are allowed to cool. 
 
 In conclusion, it may not be superfluous to 
 remark that it is in hardening as in most other 
 branches of the arts and manufactures ; the work- 
 
426 
 
 DICTIONARY OF EVERY-DAY WANTS. 
 
 cylinder in inches by the cube root of the stroke 
 in feet, and divide the product by 15%- Thus 
 we find a great diversity in the rules for estimat- 
 ing the nominal power of engines. This nomi- 
 nal power, the power at which the engine is rated 
 by the maker, has gradually become greater as 
 the speed and pressure have been increased. 
 But, in all cases, the nominal power is much less 
 than the actual power at which such engine is 
 capable of working, with the average pressure 
 and speed common to engines of that class. 
 
 Going back to the historical era of the use of 
 steam, the committee find that, at an early day, 
 although subsequent to Watt's time, the evapo- 
 ration of a cubic foot of water per hour, from 
 and at the temperature of 212°, was ruled to be 
 the measure of a nominal horse-power. All 
 subsequent authorities, without exception, have 
 adopted this standard. In the steam-boiler they 
 make no distinction between the nominal and 
 the actual horse-power. There is only one de- 
 finition of the term, and that is the evaporation 
 of a cubic foot of water, as previously stated. It 
 is with this definition that we use the term horse- 
 power. This rule appears yet to be applicable, 
 and it only needs some statements of conditions 
 such as will allow purchasers and sellers to con- 
 form to this requirement. 
 
 For stationary boilers, with natural draught, 
 assuming that the chimneys and flues shall be 
 adequate, in size and form, to afford the necessary 
 draught, and that the fuel is coal of average good 
 quality, it appears that nearly all writers give 
 about 55-100 square feet of grate to each horse- 
 power of boilers ; and as this ratio gives a very 
 small grate for the lesser number of horse-power, 
 about two feet are added as a constant. 
 
 Having thus designated the means for burning 
 the fuel, the conditions attached to the horse- 
 power of boilers are within some limit as to 
 quantity of fuel to be used in producing this 
 effect. In other words, the arrangement and 
 extent of heating-surface should be such that at 
 least the average result by evaporation of nine 
 pounds of water from and at 212° with one pound 
 of good anthracite coal burned (over and above 
 ashes) shall be attained. As there are 59.48 
 pounds of water at 212'' in a cubic foot, it follows 
 that 6.61 pounds of coal will be needed for its 
 evaporation. Adopting the more convenient 
 number of seven pounds as a liberal allowance, 
 the rule would be 7 H. P. divided by 0.55 H. P. 
 2, equal to the number of pounds burned per 
 hour per square foot of grate ; or for boilers of 
 
 10 h. p., 7^ square feet of grate, 9.33 pounds 
 per hour per square foot of grate. 
 
 20 h. p., 13 square feet of grate, 10. 76 pounds 
 per hour per square foot of grate. 
 
 40 h. p., 24 square feet of grate, 11.66 pounds 
 per hour per square foot of grate. 
 
 60 h. p., 35 square feet of grate, 12.00 pounds 
 per hour per square foot of grate. 
 
 It may be as well to refer to chimneys and 
 flues, and add tl^t the average height of chim- 
 neys above the surface of the grate for stationary 
 boilers should be taken as from fifty to sixty feet, 
 and the sectional area to conform to BouUon & 
 Watt's rule, (as quoted by Bourne,) which is, 
 "Multiply the number of pounds of coal con- 
 sumed under the boiler f>er hour by twelve, and 
 divide the product by the square root of the 
 height of the chimney in feet, and the quotient 
 is the proper area of the chimney in inches at 
 
 the smallest part." The rule, though appropriate 
 for land boilers of moderate size, is not applicable 
 to powerful boilers with internal flues, such as 
 those used in steam-vessels in which the sec- 
 tional area of the chimney is from six to eight 
 square inches per horse-power. 
 
 The sectional area of tubes or flues, and the 
 setting of the boiler, must also be properly pro- 
 portioned so that the escaping gases, as they 
 leave the steam-generating surface of the boiler, 
 be not more then 300** above the temperature of 
 the steam. The above conditions apply parti- 
 cularly to stationary boilers with natural draught. 
 We have no intention, however, to limit the test 
 of a boiler to these conditions of grate-surface 
 and chimney; they are incidentally mentioned 
 as good average practice. When a forced 
 draught is employed, as in the locomotive, we 
 find the heating-surface sixty-five times the grate 
 area, and eighty pounds of coal burned per square 
 foot of grate. 
 
 These general conditions, dependent upon 
 each other, being fulfilled, namely, a grate-sur- 
 face so proportioned to the draught as to admit 
 easily the combustion of seven pounds of anth- 
 racite coal, or combustible equal to that amount 
 per horse-power per hour, and the escaping gases 
 not over the temperature before mentioned, it 
 rnd!y be safely asserted that a boiler so set, of any 
 given horse-power, failing to evaporate that 
 number of cubic feet of water per hour, with that 
 amount of coal, does not produce its nominal 
 horse-power. We may also state, in connection 
 herewith, that a cubic foot of water evaporated 
 into steam is abundance for one actual horse- 
 power, when used in the cylinder of an engine 
 without expansion ; when used in a three-port 
 slide-valve engine, cutting off during the last 
 quarter, it will yield about l^ indicated horse- 
 power, and will give as high as ly^ indicated 
 horse-power, according to the pressure of the 
 steam, the point of cut-off and the type and effi- 
 ciency of the engine. 
 
 IRON, To Galvanize. — To effect this result, 
 the iron plates are first immersed in a "cleansing 
 bath" of equal parts of sulphuric or muriatic acid 
 and water, used warm. They are then scrubbed 
 with emery or sand, to clean them thoroughly 
 and detach all scales, if any are left; after which 
 they are immersed in a "preparing bath," of 
 equal parts of saturated solutions of chloride of 
 zinc and chloride of ammonium, from which 
 bath they are directly transferred to the flliid 
 "metallic bath," consisting of twenty chemicaj 
 equivalents of zinc to one of mercury, or, by 
 weight, six hundred and forty pounds of zinc to 
 one hundred and six of mercury, to which are 
 added from five to six ounces of sodium. As 
 soon as the iron has attained the temperature of 
 this hot fluid bath, which is only 680'' Fahr., it 
 may be removed, and will then be found tho- 
 roughly coated with zinc. 
 
 Care must be taken not to leave the plates too 
 long immersed in this bath, as its affinity for iron 
 is such that they may become dissolved. This 
 is the case with thin plates of wrought-iron, 
 which, even when one eighth of an inch thick, 
 may be dissolved in a few seconds. It is safe, 
 therefore, to let the bath ])reviously act on some 
 wrought-iron, so that it dissolves a portion of it, 
 in order to satisfy its inconveniently great affi- 
 nity for this metal. 
 From what has been said, it is clear that this 
 
WORKERS IN METALS. 
 
 427 
 
 method produces not only a superficial zinc coat- 
 ing, but also a layer of an alloy of zinc and iron. 
 This can not peel off, but can only be lost by 
 oxidation of the zinc, which protects the iron as 
 long as this oxidation lasts. The "galvanic" 
 protection, of course, ceases as soon as the last 
 of the metallic zinc has become oxidized. 
 
 IRON CASTINGS, Ornamentation of. — 
 Since Zimmerman, of Berlin, began to make his 
 exquisite iron castings many things both useful 
 and ornamental have been produced in cast iron. 
 But iron being so liable to rust, it is desirable to 
 protect it from the influence of the atmosphere. 
 This is usually effected by means of a bronze 
 paint. The bronze paint used to coat the Berlin 
 castings is made of ferro-cyanide of copper, which 
 forms a rich brown paint with a metallic lustre. 
 The ferro-cyanide of copper is easily made in the 
 following manner : A solution of sulphate of 
 copper is taken and to it is added gradually a 
 solution of ferro-cyanide of potassium, when a 
 brown precipitate will be produced. This, when 
 mixed with a suitable vehicle, is used as a basis 
 for all the different colored bronzing, whether 
 yellow, green or brown. 
 
 The French use the green bronzing very much, 
 which may be produced in the following manner: 
 When the ground has been produced with the 
 above paint, and before it is quite dry, it is dust- 
 ed over with copper bronze powder, and allowed 
 to dry thoroughly, and then the loose powder is 
 brushed off and the article is polished ; it will 
 then appear like bright copper. The only thing 
 required to produce the green tint is to wash the 
 articles gently over with a solution of acetate of 
 copper and allow it to dry gradually. When 
 perfectly dry, the higher parts of the article must 
 be rubbed with a piece of clean rag to cause the 
 brown copper color to appear. The article will 
 look like a bronze which has become green by 
 age. The common brown bronze is produced by 
 brushing the above bright copper colored bronze 
 over with black lead ; and the pale or yellow 
 bronze is produced by using yellow bronze or 
 brass powder in pl^ce of the copper powder above 
 referred to. Those who wish a more solid and 
 durable bronze than bronze paint and powder 
 will produce, coat the iron by electricity with 
 copper or brass, and produce the different colors 
 by the same means as those used to color the 
 copper and brass colors produced by the pow- 
 ders. 
 
 An easy method of coating cast-iron with cop- 
 per is that of M. Oudrd. He first coats the 
 cast-iron with a metallic paint, and then electro- 
 deposits copper upon it in a bath of sulphate of 
 copper. A modification of his process is some- 
 times used — a brass powder being used instead 
 of copper powder. This brass powder is pro- 
 duced in the following manner : Equal parts of 
 copper and tin are melted together, and when 
 cold the alloy is powdered in a mortar and sifted; 
 this can easily be done, for this alloy is as brittle 
 as glass. This powder is mixed with the ferro- 
 cyanide of copper paint, which makes a very 
 good conducting surface and takes the copper 
 well in the sulphate of copper bath, and the paint 
 adheres very firmly to the iron. 
 
 For brassing iron the method is not quite so 
 simple. For brassing direct on the iron the iron 
 is required to be scrupulously clean, or the de- 
 posit will not adhere ; but the easiest way is first 
 to coat the article with copper by Oudre's pro- 
 
 cess, and then, after thoroughly rinsing it in 
 clean water, transfer it to the brassing solution, 
 which is formed and worked in the following 
 manner, according to Morris and Johnson's pro- 
 cess : — Dissolve i lb. of cyanide of potassium, 
 I lb. of carbonate of ammonia, 2 oz. cyanide of 
 copper, and l oz. of cyanide of zinc in i gallon 
 of water, and work the solution at 150° Fahr., 
 with a large brass anode and a powerful battery. 
 To increase the proportion of zinc add carbonate 
 of ammonia or lower the temperature. We have 
 tried this method of depositing brass, and have 
 found it a very good one ; but the electrolytic 
 processes are very little used for bronzing because 
 they are more difficult, consequently more ex- 
 pensive. 
 
 IRON, To Give the Color of Copper.— 'YtH&s. i 
 oz. of copper-plates, cleansed in the fire ; 3 oz. 
 oi aqua fortis ; dissolve the copper, and when it 
 is cold use it by washing your iron with it by the 
 help of a feather ; it is presently deansed and 
 smooth, and will be of a copper color ; by much 
 using or rubbing it will wear off, but may be re- 
 newed by the same process. 
 
 IRON, To Preserve from Oxidization. — 
 Among the many processes and preparations for 
 preserving iron from the action of the atmos- 
 phere, the following will be found the most effi- 
 cient in all cases where galvanization is impracti- 
 cable ; and, being unaffected by sea water, it is 
 especially applicable to the bottoms of iron ships, 
 and marine work generally: Sulphur, 17 lbs.; 
 caustic potash (lye of 35° B.), 5 lbs., and copper 
 filings, I lb. To be heated until the copper and 
 sulphur dissolve. Heat, in another vessel, tal- 
 low, 750 lbs., and turpentine, 150 lbs., until the 
 tallow is liquefied. The compositions are to be 
 mixed and stirred together while hot, and may 
 be laid on, as paint, to the iron. 
 
 IRON WORK, To Taint.— There is no pro- 
 duction for iron work so efficacious as well boiled 
 linseed oil, properly laid on. The iron should 
 be first well cleaned and freed from all rust and 
 dirt ; the oil should be of the best quality, and 
 well boiled, without litharge or any dryer being 
 added. The iron should be painted over with 
 this, but the oil must be laid on as bare as pos- 
 sible, and on this fact depends in a great measure 
 the success of the application, for if there be too 
 thick a coat of oil put upon the work, it will skin 
 over, be liable to blister, and scarcely ever get 
 hard; but if iron be painted with three coats of 
 oil, and only so much put on each coat as can be 
 made to cover it by hard brushing, we will guar- 
 antee that the same will preserve the iron from 
 the atmosphere for a much longer time than any 
 other process of painting. If a dark coloring 
 matter be necessary, we prefer burnt umber to 
 any other pigment as a stain ; it is a good hard 
 dryer, and has many other good properties, and 
 mixes well with the oil without injuring it. 
 
 IRON, To Improve when Poor. — Black oxide 
 of manganese I part; copperas and common salt 
 4 parts each; dissolve in soft water and boil until 
 dry ; when cool pulverize and mix quite freely 
 with nice welding sand. When you have poor 
 iron which you cannot afford to throw away, heat 
 it and roll it in this mixture, working for a time, 
 re-heating, etc., will soon free it from all impu- 
 rities, which is the cause of its rottenness. 
 
 IRON RAILINGS, Decay ^/— Every one 
 must have noticed the destructive combination of 
 lead and iron, from railings being fixed in stone 
 
DICTIONARY OF EVERY-DAY WANTS. 
 
 428 
 
 vith the former metal. The reason for this is, 
 that the oxygen of the atmosphere keeps up a 
 galvanic action between the two metals._ This 
 waste may be prevented by substituting zinc for 
 lead, in which case the galvanic influence would 
 be inverted; the whole of its action would fall on 
 the zinc : the one remaining uninjured, the other 
 nearly so. Paint formed of the oxide of zinc, for 
 the same reason preserves iron exposed to the 
 atmosphere infinitely better than the ordinary 
 paint composed of the oxide of lead. 
 
 IRON, To Tin.— To tin iron, clean the sur- 
 face with dilute sulphuric acid— scratch-brushing 
 if necessary — until the entire surface is bright. 
 Take it from the acid, and dip it in a bath of hot 
 lime water, and rub dry with bran or sawdust. 
 Then dip it in melted tin, having upon its sur- 
 face a stratum of melted tallow. 
 
 IRON SLAG CEMENT.— \ rfew form of 
 cement, of much value, may, it is said, be pre- 
 pared by finely pulverizing the slag of iron fur- 
 naces, and passing this through a fine sieve. 
 This powder is then to be mixed in a mill with 
 calcined gypsum, to which a variable amount of 
 soluble phosphate of lime has been previously 
 added. The best proportion of the different in- 
 gredients is said to consist of 700 parts of gypsum 
 and 300 of slag, to which, for use in the open air, 
 28 parts of soluble phosphate of lime are to be 
 added. This, however, may be replaced by a 
 corresponding quantity, six to fourteen parts, of 
 phosphoric or boracic acid, or any other substance 
 capable of combination with the iron. The super- 
 phosphate of lime may also be substituted for the 
 soluble phosphate. For this, however, an equal 
 quantity of slag must be used. On the other 
 hand, if the quantity of soluble phosphate of lime 
 IS increased, the sulphate maybe entirely omitted. 
 
 It is always necessary to have the different 
 ingredients finely pulverized and well mixed. 
 When used, a sufficient quantity of water is to be 
 added, and the whole thoroughly stirred together. 
 "With these substances blocks can be made as 
 hard as marble, and capable of imitating this 
 substance very closely. For this purpose the 
 necessary moulds are to be laid upon a porous 
 bed — gypsum, for instance — and subjected, by 
 means of a screw or hydraulic press, to a great 
 pressure. The cement, thus compressed, is re- 
 moved from the mould in the form of a very 
 hard block, which takes as fine a polish asmarble, 
 and may be stained or colored previous to the 
 pressure in such a way as closely to resemble the 
 different colors of this rock. This artificial marble 
 resists the influence of air, moisture, and frost, 
 and is said to be well adapted for the fronts of 
 houses, floor tiles, etc. 
 
 IRON, To Test the Quality of .—Iron men of 
 long experience are often able, or at least claim 
 to be able, to tell the quality of iron by the eye 
 alone. But the test of the eye in deciding the 
 quality of any iron must not be definitely relied 
 upon. It has been laid down that good wrought- 
 iron should be silvery white, fibrous, having a 
 fresh and somewhat reflex appearance in its fibres, 
 silky ; when carbon is in excess, it is claimed to 
 have a bluish, and often gray color; sulphur 
 in excess, a dead color, with a tinge of blue ; 
 silica, phosphorus, and carbon in excess, a bright 
 color, which is the more beautiful the more silica 
 and phosphorus exist. But the lustre of iron 
 does not depend principally upon its color, for 
 pure iron, though silvery white, reflects little 
 
 light. A small quantity of carbon in chemical 
 combination, as well as of phosphorus or silica, 
 increases the brilliancy of its lustre, while the 
 lustre is generally diminished by silica, lime, sul- 
 phur, magnesia, or carbon in larger quantities. 
 The most reliable test is ductility and malleability, 
 with a due admixture of the eye-test just de- 
 scribed. 
 
 IRON, To Prevent Welding. — Where it is 
 desired to weld two bars of iron together, for 
 making axletrees or other purposes, through 
 which you wish to have a bolt-hole^ without 
 punching out a piece of the iron, you will lake a 
 piece of wet paste-board, the width of the bar 
 and the length you desire not to weld, and place 
 it between the two pieces of iron, and hold them 
 firmly uj)on the pasteboard while taking the heat, 
 and the iron will weld up to the pasteboard, but 
 not where it is; then open the hole, with swedge 
 and punch, to the desired size. 
 
 IVOR Y, To Sikjcr. — Immerse the ivory in a 
 weak solution of nitrate of silver till it takes upon 
 itself a bright yd'low color ; take it then from the 
 solution and expose, under water, to the rays of 
 the sun. In two or three hours it will become 
 black; but on taking it out of the water and 
 rubbing it, the blackness will change to a beau- 
 tiful silvering. 
 
 JAPANNING on Metal, Wood and Paper. 
 — Japanning on metal, wood, and paper is exe- 
 cuted in much the same manner as similar works 
 in spirit or oil varnishes, except that every coat 
 of color or varnish is dried by placing the object 
 in an oven or chamber called a stove, heated by 
 flues to as high a temperature as can safely be 
 employed without injuring the articles, or causing 
 the varnish to blister or run. For ornamental 
 works, the colors ordinarily employed by artists 
 are used; they are ground in linseed oil or tur- 
 pentine, and are afterwards brought to a proper 
 consistence for working by mixing them with 
 copal or anime varnish. The latter is generally 
 used, as it dries quicker, and is less expensive 
 than the copal varnish. 
 
 For black japanned works, the ground is first 
 prepared with a coating of black, made by mixing 
 drop ivory black to a proper consistence with 
 dark-colored anime varnish, as this gives a black- 
 er surface than would be produced by the japan 
 alone. The object is then dried in the stove, 
 three or four coats of japan are afterwards applied, 
 and the work is dried in the stove between every 
 coat. If the surface is required to be polished, 
 as for the best works, five or six coats of japan 
 are necessary, to give suflicient body to prevent 
 the japan being rubbed through in the polishing. 
 
 For brown japanned works, the clear japan 
 alone is used as the ground, or umber is mixed 
 with the japan to give the required tint, and the 
 work is afterwards dried in the oven, in the 
 same manner as black japan. 
 
 For colored works no japan is used, but they 
 are painted with the ordinary painters' colors, 
 ground with linseed oil or turpentine, and mixed 
 with anime varnish; and the work is dried in the 
 oven in the same manner as the black jnpan. 
 
 To protect the colors, and give brilliancy and 
 durability to the surface, the work is afterwards 
 varnished with copal or anime varnish, made 
 without driers. Two or three coats of varnish 
 suffice for ordinary works, and five or six for the 
 best works that are polished. Very pale varnish 
 is of course required, for light colors. 
 
WORKERS nv METALS, 
 
 429 
 
 Ornamental devices are painted on the objects 
 in the usual manner, after the general color of 
 the ground has been laid on. The colors are 
 dried in the stove, and the work is finally var- 
 nished and polished just the same as plain colors, 
 but more carefully. 
 
 Metal works require no other preparation than 
 cleaning with turpentine, to free them from 
 grease or oil, unless the latter should happen to 
 be linseed oil, in which case the cleaning is gene- 
 rally dispensed with, and the articles are placed 
 in the stove and heated until the oil is baked 
 quite hard. 
 
 Wood that is intended to be used for the best 
 japanned work, requires to be thoroughly well 
 dried before it is made up, or otherwise it will 
 be subject to all the evils of shrinking, warping, 
 and splitting, when exposed to the heat of the 
 stove. To avoid these evils, the wood, after 
 having been well seasoned in the usual manner, 
 by exposure to the air, is sawn out nearly to the 
 required forms, and baked for several days in 
 the japanner's stove, the heat of which is grad- 
 ually increased ; and the wood is afterwards 
 worked up into chairs, tables, trays, and similar 
 articles, which are afterwards again exposed to 
 the heat of the stove, and any cracks or other 
 imperfections, that may be thus rendered appa- 
 rent, are carefully stopped with putty, or white 
 lead, before the japanning is commenced. 
 
 JEWELRY, To C/d-aw.— Dissolve one 
 ounce of cyanide of potassium in three gills of 
 soft water. Turn up the end of a piece of brass 
 or iron wire into a hook. Attach to it the article 
 to be cleaned, and immerse it in the solution, 
 shaking it. backward and forward for a second or 
 two, then take it out and rinse well in clean 
 water. Wash it with warm water and soap to 
 remove any film of cyanide that may remain; 
 rinse again, dip into spirits of wine, and dry in 
 boxwood sawdust. The advantage of dipping in 
 spirits of wine is the immediate drying of the 
 work without any sticking of the sawdust to it. 
 When done with the solution, put it in a bottle 
 and cork tightly. It may be used again and 
 again for some months. Do not forget to label 
 the bottle — Poison. One caution is necessary; 
 do not bend over the solution so as to inhale its 
 odor, nor dip the fingers in it; if one of the ar- 
 ticles drops from the hook, better empty the 
 solution into another vessel. The cyanide is a 
 violent poison, and although there is no danger 
 in cautiously using it, carelessly inhaling it is in- 
 jurious, and its. absorption through the pores of 
 the skin even more so. 
 
 JE WELR Y ( Gilf), To aean.—Take half a 
 pint of boiling water, or a little less, and put it into 
 a clean oil flask. To this add one ounce of cyanide 
 of potassium, shake the flask, and the cyanide 
 ■will dissolve. When the liquid is cold, add half 
 a fluid ounce of liquor ammonia, and one fluid 
 ounce of rectified alcohol. Shake the mixture 
 together, and it will be ready for use. All kinds 
 of gilt articles, whether Birmingham ware or 
 "articles de Paris," which have become dis- 
 colored, may be rendered bright by brushing 
 tkem with the above mentioned fluid. 
 
 JE WELERS'ROC/GE.—i.BissoWe sulphate 
 of iron in hot water, add a solution of pearlash as 
 long as any precipitate falls, wash this often with 
 warm water, drain it, and calcine to a bright red 
 color. — 2. Precipitate a dilute solution of sulphate 
 of iron, with ammonia in excess, wash and ex- 
 
 press the precipitate, then calcine it to redness. 
 Used as a polishing powder, and for covering 
 razor strops. 
 
 LIGHTNING RODS.—T\\e best method of 
 erecting and constructing lightning rods, accord- 
 ing to Prof. Henry, is as follows : — 
 
 1. The rod should consist of round iron of 
 about one inch in diameter ; its parts, through- 
 out the whole length, should be in perfect metallic 
 continuity, by being secured together by coupling 
 ferrules. 
 
 2. To secure it from rust the rod should be 
 coated with black paint, itself a good conductor. 
 
 3. It should terminate in a single platinum 
 point. 
 
 4. The shorter and more direct the course of 
 the rod to the earth the better ; bendings should 
 be rounded, and not formed in acute angles. 
 
 5. It should be fastened to the building by iron 
 eyes, and may be insulated from these by cylin- 
 ders of glass. 
 
 6. The rod should be connected with the earth 
 in the most perfect manner possible, and nothing 
 is better for this purpose than to place it in 
 metallic contact with the gas-pipes, or, better, 
 the water-pipes of the city. This connection 
 may be made by a ribbon of copper or iron sol- 
 dered to the end of the rod at one of its extremi- 
 ties, and wrapped^round the pipe at the other. 
 If a connection or this kind is impracticable, the 
 rod should be continued horizontally to the 
 nearest well, and then turned vertically down- 
 ward until the end enters the water as deep as 
 its lowest level. The horizontal part of the rod 
 may be buried in a stratum of pounded charcoal 
 and ashes. The rod should be placed, in pre- 
 ference, on the west side of the building. A rod 
 of this kind may be put up by an ordinary black- 
 smith. The rod in question is in accordance 
 with our latest knowledge of all the facts of elec- 
 tricity. Attempted improvements on it are 
 worthless, and, as a general thing, are proposed 
 by those who are but slightly acquainted with 
 the subject. 
 
 MEDALS, Moulds /or.— Take a thin piece 
 of wood, of the thickness of the cast around the 
 edge. Then cut a hole and fit in the metal per- 
 fectly. Dampen some soft newspaper, and spread 
 over the face. Beat to a pulp about one eighth 
 inch thick all over one face of the medal, and 
 about one half inch around on the wood. Now 
 spread some more over without beating, and 
 clamp fast to the wood. Dry by the fire per- 
 fectly. That will remove when dry. Then ope- 
 rate with the other side in the same manner. He 
 will then have moulds more perfect than can be 
 made in any other way I know of, except they 
 are made of metal. Let him take out the medal, 
 and p]ace the papers in position, making a vent 
 through the wood for air and gases. He need 
 not be afraid of the paper's burning. 
 
 MAGNESIUM.— The metallic base of the 
 earth magnesia. The existence of this metal was 
 demonstrated by Sir H. Davy in 1808, but it was 
 first obtained in sufficient quantity to examine its 
 properties, by Bussy in 1830. 
 
 Introduce 5 or 6 pieces of potassium about the 
 size of peas, into a glass tube retort, and over 
 the potassium lay a sufficient number of small 
 fragments of chloride of magnesium to cover it. 
 The latter must then be heated to near its point 
 of fusion, when the flame of the lamp must be 
 applied to the potassium, so that its vapor may 
 
430 
 
 DICTIONARY OF EVERY-DA Y WANTS. 
 
 pass through the sttatum of heated chloride. As 
 soon as the vivid incandescence that follows is 
 over, throw the mass into water, and collect the 
 insoluble metallic portion. 
 
 Color and lustre resemble silver, malleable and 
 fusible at a red heat, unaffected by dry air and 
 water; burns with brilliancy in oxygen gas, 
 yielding oxide or protoxide of magnesium, or 
 magnesia, and inflames spontaneously in chlo- 
 rine, yielding cliloride of magnesium. It dis- 
 solves in the acids with the evolution of hydrogen 
 gas, and pure salts of magnesia result. Chloride 
 of magnesium is best prepared by dissolving 
 magnesia in muriatic acid, evaporating to dry- 
 ness, adding an equal weight of muriate of am- 
 monia, projecting the mixture into a red-hot 
 platinum crucible, and continuing the heat till a 
 state of tranquil fusion be attained. On cooling 
 it forms a transparent, colorless, and very deli- 
 quescent mass. Iodide, fluoride, and bromide 
 of magnesium may be prepared by dissolving 
 magnesia in hydriodic, hydrofluoric, and hydro- 
 bromic acids. 
 
 METALS, Fancy Coloring for.—l. A solu- 
 tion is made in the following manner: — Dissolve 
 four ounces of the hyposulphite of soda in one 
 and a half pint of water, and then add a solution 
 of one ounce of acetate of lead in the same quan- 
 tity of water. Articles to be colored are placed 
 in the mixture which is then gradually heated to 
 boiling point. The effect of this solution is to 
 give iron the effect of blue steel ; zinc becomes 
 bronze; and copper or brass becomes succes- 
 sively yellowish, red, scarlet, deep blue, light 
 blue, bluish white, and, finally, white, with a 
 tinge of rose. This solution has no effect on lead 
 or tin. — 2. By replacing the acetate of lead in the 
 solution by sulphate of copper, brass becomes 
 first of a fine rosy tint, then green, and finally of 
 an iridescent brown color. Zinc does not color 
 in this solution — it throws down a precipitate of 
 brown sulphuret of copper ; but if boiled in a 
 solution containing both lead and copper, it be- 
 comes covered with a black adherent crust, which 
 may be improved by a thin coating of wax. — 3. 
 If the lead solution be thickened with a little 
 gum tragacanth, and patterns be traced with it 
 on brass which is afterward heated to two hund- 
 red and twelve degrees, and then plunged in so- 
 lution No. I, a good marked effect is produced. 
 
 METAL, To Ckan.—Mix '/^ pint of refined 
 neat's-foot oil, and ^ a gill of spirit of turpen- 
 tine. Scrape a little rotten-stone ; wet a woolen 
 rag with the liquid, dip it into the scraped kernel, 
 and rub the metal well. Wipe it off with a soft 
 cloth, polish with dry leather, and use more of 
 the kernel. In respect to steel, if it is very rusty, 
 use a little powder of pumice with the liquid, on 
 a separate woolen rag first. 
 
 METALS, Paste for Cleaning.— T^t oxalic 
 acid, I part; rotten-stone, 6 parts. Mix with 
 equal parts of train oil and spirits of turpentine 
 to a paste. 
 
 METAL {Specula), for Telescopes. —'i^ltM 7 
 lbs. of copper, and when fused add 3 lbs. of zinc 
 and 4 lbs. of tin. These metals will combine to 
 form a beautiful alloy of great lustre, and of a 
 light yellow color, fitted to be made into specula 
 for telescopes. Mr. Mudge used only copper 
 and grain tin, in the proportion of 2 lbs. to i\]4 
 ounces. 
 
 METAL SHEATHING for Ships. —Best 
 selected copper, 60 parts ; best zinc, 40 parts ; 
 
 melt together in the usual manner, and roll into 
 sheets of suitable thickness. This composition 
 resists oxidation from exposure to sea-water, and 
 prevents the adhesion of^ barnacles. 
 
 AIETAL, Printers^ Type. — Put into a crucible 
 ID lbs. of lead, and when it is in a state of fusion, 
 throw in 2 lbs. of antimony; these metals, in 
 such proportions, form the alloy of which com- 
 mon printing types are made. The antimony 
 gives a hardness to the lead, without which the 
 type would speedily be rendered useless in a 
 printing press. Different proportions of lead, 
 copper, brass, and antimony, frequently consti- 
 tute this metal. Every artist has his own pro- 
 portions, so that the same composition cannot 
 be obtained from different foundries ; each boasts 
 of the superiority of his own mixture. 
 
 METAL, White. — I. Melt together 10 oz. of 
 lead, 5 oz. of bismuth, and 4 drs. ofregulusof 
 antimony. — 2. Melt together 2 lbs. of regulus of 
 antimony, 8 oz, of brass, and lo oz. of tin. 
 
 METALS, Writing Inscriptions on. — Take 
 }i lb. of nitric acid and i oz. of muriatic acid. 
 Mix, shake well together, and it is ready for use. 
 Cover the place you wish to mark with melted 
 bees-wax; when cold, write your inscription 
 plainly in the wax clear to the metal with a sharp 
 instrument ; then apply the mixed acids with a 
 feather, carefully filling each letter. Let it re- 
 main from one to ten minutes, according to ap- 
 pearance desired ; then throw on water, which 
 stops the process, and remove the wax. 
 
 MOIREE METALLIQUE, A Method of 
 Otnamenting the Surface of Tin Plate by Acid. 
 — The plates are washed by an alkaline solution, 
 then in water, heated, and sponged or sprinkled 
 with the acid solution. Tlie appearance varies 
 with the degree of heat and the nature and 
 strength of the acids employed. The plates, after 
 the application of the acids, are plunged into 
 water slightly acidulated, dried, and covered with 
 whitie or colored varnishes. The following are 
 some of the acid mixtures used : Nitro-muriatic 
 acid, in different degrees of dilution ; sulphuric 
 acid, with 5 parts of water ; i part of sulphuric 
 acid, 2 of muriatic acid, and 8 of water; a strong 
 solution of citric acid ; l part of nitric acid, 2 of 
 sulphuric acid, and 18 of water. Solution of pot- 
 ash is also used. 
 
 NICKEL PLATING. —The advantages of 
 electro-plating with nickel are : First, that the 
 coating of nickel is quite hard, nearly as hard as 
 iron, so that it keeps its polish much better than 
 Britannia metal or any other similar tin alloy — 
 even better than brass or silver; secondly, that 
 it adheres well, even when put on in thick layers, 
 so that it may be easily polished ; and then has 
 a shade between that of polished steel and that 
 of alloy of silver and copper ; thirdly, that it re- 
 quires no lacquer or varnish, since it does not 
 tarnish by exposure to the air, as brass does, and 
 even silver, when exposed to the least trace of 
 sulphurous vapors. It retains its lustre for a 
 very long time, being proof against oxidation 
 under ordinary circumstances ; wherefore Richter 
 counted nickel among the noble metals. It only 
 oxidizes at a red heat when in contact with air ; 
 when air is excluded, heat reduces its oxide to 
 the metallic state. Plating with nickel is accom- 
 plished like other electro-plating, only the bath 
 or nickel solution is prepared in a peculiar way. 
 The simple soluble salts of nickel appear not 
 adapted for the purpose; double salts are re- 
 
WORKERS IN METALS. 
 
 431 
 
 quired. Becquerel, the great French chemist, 
 prescribes a solution of the double sulphate of 
 nickel and potassa; this solution is not patented, 
 and may be used by every one. 
 
 A few of the methods of preparing the salts, 
 that are or may be used, are as follows : 
 
 According to H. Rose, nickel may be sepa- 
 rated from cobalt as follows : The mixed metals 
 are dissolved in considerable excess of hydro- 
 chloric acid, and the solution is diluted with a 
 very large quantity of water; a current of chlorine 
 is then passed through the liquor for several 
 hours, and the upper part of the flask is left 
 filled with the gas after the current has ceased ; 
 carbonate of baryta is next added in excess, the 
 whole digested together, with frequent agitation 
 for fifteen or eighteen hours, and then thrown 
 on a filter. The filtrate yields pure oxide of 
 nickel by precipitation with caustic potassa; 
 while the residuuni on the filter, after being 
 washed in water, dissolved in hot hydrochloric 
 acid, and the baryta precipitated with a sulphuric 
 acid, furnishes, with hydrate of potassa, a pre- 
 cipitate of hydrated oxide of cobalt, free from 
 nickel, which, when washed and dried, is re- 
 duced in a platinum or porcelain crucible by 
 hydrogen gas. 
 
 Acetate of Nickel. — By neutralizing acetic acid 
 with carbonate or oxide of nickel, and gently 
 concentrating by evaporation, so that crystals 
 may form. Small green crystals, soluble in six 
 parts of water. 
 
 Carbonate of Nickel. — This salt may be ob- 
 tained in the manner described above in connec- 
 tion with the preparation of metallic nickel, or 
 by simply adding carbonate of soda to a solution 
 of chloride or sulphate of nickel, but in this case 
 some hydrate of nickel is precipitated with it. 
 The following is another formula which produces 
 a nearly pure carbonate, but one which may still 
 contain a little cobalt, the entire separation of 
 which is a matter of extreme difficulty, and can 
 only be effected in the manner recommended by 
 Rose, described above : 
 
 The mineral (crude speiss or kupfernickel) is 
 broken into small fragments, mixed with from 
 one fourth to one half its weight of iron filings, 
 and the whole dissolved in aqua regia; the solu- 
 tion is gently evaporated to dryness, the residue 
 treated with boiling water, and the insoluble 
 arseniate of iron removed by filtration; the liquid 
 is next acidulated with hydrochloric acid, treated 
 with sulphureted hydrogen, in excess to preci- 
 pitate the copper, and after filtration is boiled 
 with a little nitric acid, to bring back the iron to 
 the state of sesquioxide ; to the cold and largely 
 diluted liquid a solution of bicarbonate of soda is 
 gradually added, and the sesquioxide of iron 
 separated by filtration; lastly, the filtered solution 
 is boiled with carbonate of soda, in excess, and 
 the pale green precipitate of carbonate of nickel 
 collected, washed and dried. 
 
 It is freely soluble in the acids, and is chiefly 
 employed to prepare the salts and other com- 
 pounds of nickel. 
 
 Chloride of N'ickel. — From carbonate or oxide 
 of nickel and hydrochloric acid, as the acetate. 
 Small green crystals, which are rendered yellow 
 and anhydrous by heat, unless they contain cobalt, 
 when the salt retains a tint of green. 
 
 Oxalate of Nickel. — By adding a strong solu- 
 tion of oxalic acid to a like solution of sulphate of 
 nickel, and collecting the pale bluish-green pre- 
 
 cipitate which forms after a time. Used to prepare 
 both metallic nickel and its oxide. 
 
 Oxides of Nickel. — There are two oxides of 
 nickel, but only one of them (protoxide) acts as 
 a base : 
 
 Protoxide of Nickel. — I. Byheatingthe nitrate, 
 carbonate or oxalate, to redness in open vessels. 
 Anhydrous. 
 
 2. By precipitating a soluble salt of nickel 
 with caustic potassa. Hydr.ated. An ash-gray 
 powder, freely soluble in acids, forming the or- 
 dinary salts of nickel. 
 
 Sesquioxide of Nickel. — By passing chlorine « 
 through water holding the hydrated protoxide in 
 suspension; or by mixing a salt of nickel with 
 bleaching powder. An insoluble, black powder, 
 which is decomposed by heat. 
 
 Sulphate ofN^ickcl. — From carbonate or oxide 
 of nickel and dilute sulphuric acid as the acetate. 
 Green prismatic crystals, soluble in three parts 
 of cold water. With the sulphates of potassa 
 and ammonia, it forms beautiful double salts. 
 
 It may also be that ammonia, potassic or sodic 
 chlorides will prove useful. Solutions of the re- 
 spective chlorides (chloride of nickel and of the 
 chloride which it is desired to unite with it) are 
 poured together and allowed to crystallize. 
 
 OIL for Sewing Machines, IVatches, etc. — 
 Refined oil, for fine mechanism, can be prepared 
 by putting zinc and lead shavings, in equal parts, 
 into good Florence olive oil, and placing it in a 
 cool place till the oil becomes colorless. 
 
 OIL, Watchmakers'. — ^This is prepared by 
 placing a clean slip of lead in a small, white 
 glass bottle filled with olive oil, and exposing it 
 to the sun's rays for some time, till a curdy 
 matter ceases to deposit, and the oil has become 
 quite limpid and colorless. 
 
 PEARLS or Delicate Articles, To Hold.— 
 Eastern jewelers resort to an ingenious plan for 
 firmly securing in any desired position such 
 pearls as they wish to drill or work upon. The 
 gems are first fitted loosely in holes bored in a 
 piece of soft wood. A few drops of water are 
 then sprinkled over them, and this penetrating 
 the fibres, causes the wood to swell and the pearl 
 is held as in a vise, but without marring it or in 
 any way depreciating its value. After a time the 
 water evaporates, the fibres gradually relax, and 
 the gem is again set free. 
 
 PEWTER, Common.— Ue\t in a crucible 7 
 lbs. of tin, and when fused throw in i lb. of lead, 
 6 oz. of copper and 2 oz. of zinc. This combi- 
 nation of metals will form an alloy of great 
 durability and tenacity; also of considerable 
 lustre. 
 
 PEWTER, Best.— The best sort of pewter 
 consists of 100 parts of tin, and 17 of regulus of 
 antimony. 
 
 PEWTER, Hard.— Melt together 12 lbs. of 
 tin, I lb. of regxilus of antimony, and 4 oz. of 
 copper. 
 
 PINCHBECK.— I. Put into a crucible 5 oz. 
 of pure copper; when it is in a state of fusion 
 add I oz. of zinc. These metals combine, forming 
 an alloy not unlike jeweler's gold ; pour it into 
 a mould of any shape. This alloy is used for 
 inferior jewelry. . 
 
 Some use only half this quantity of zmc, m 
 which proportion the alloy is more easily worked, 
 especially in the making of jewelry. 
 
 2. Mc'll together I oz. of brass with i^^ or 3 
 oz. of copper, fused under a coat of charcoal dust. 
 
432 
 
 DICTIONARY OF EVERY-DAY WANTS. 
 
 FLA TING and GILDING without a Batte- 
 ry. — A very useful solution of silver or gold for 
 plating or gilding without the aid of a battery 
 may be made as follows : Take, say, i ounce of 
 nitrate of silver, dissolved in I quart of distilled 
 or rain water. When thoroughly dissolved, 
 throw in a few crystals of hyposulphite of soda, 
 which will at first form a brown precipitate, but 
 which eventually becomes redissolved if suffi- 
 cient hyposulphite has been employed. A slight 
 excess of this salt must, however, be added. 
 The solution thus formed may be used for coat- 
 ing small articles of steel, brass, or German sil- 
 ver, by simply dipping a sponge in the solution 
 and rubbing it over the surface of the article to 
 be coated. I have succeeded in coating steel 
 very satisfactorily by this means, and have found 
 the silver so firmly attached to the steel (when 
 the solution has been carefully made) that it has 
 been removed with considerable difficulty. A 
 solution of gold may be made in the same way, 
 and applied as described. A concentrated solu- 
 tion of either gold or silver thus made, may be 
 used for coating parts of articles which have 
 stripped or blistered, by applying it with a camel 
 hair pencil to the part, and touching the spot at 
 the same time with a thin clean strip of zinc. 
 
 FLA TING on Iron and Steel.— Tsks two 
 quarts rain water, dissolve two pounds cyanide 
 of potassium, and filter. This solution is only 
 for steel or iron. In order to plate steel or iron, 
 dip it into pure sulphuric acid for one minute, 
 then clean with pumice stone and brush ; rinse, 
 and hang in cyanide solution of potassium for 
 three minutes, or until it becomes white; then 
 hang in silver solution until plated heavy enough. 
 
 FLA TED METAL, Test f or. —K cold solu- 
 tion of bichromate of potassa in nitric acid is, 
 according to Dr. Bottger, an excellent test for 
 the genuineness of silver-plating on metals. 
 The metallic surface to be tested is first of all 
 cleaned with strong alcohol, in order to remove 
 dirt, fatty matter, and especially any varnish. 
 A drop of the test-fluid is then applied to the 
 metallic surface by means of a glass rod, and 
 immediately afterwards washed off with some 
 cold water. If pure silver is present, there will 
 appear a blood-red colored mark (chromate of 
 silver). Upon German silver the test-liquid 
 appears brown, but, after washing with water, 
 the blood-red colored mark does not appear; the 
 so-called Britannia metal is colored black ; on 
 platinum no action is visible ; metallic surfaces 
 coated with an amalgam of mercury yield a reddish 
 speck, which, however, is entirely washed off by 
 water ; on lead and bismuth the test-liquid forms 
 a yellow-colored precipitate; zinc and tin are 
 both strongly acted upon by this test-liquid ; the 
 ' stain, as regards the former metal, is entirely 
 removed by water, while, as regards the latter, 
 the test-liquid is colored brownish, and addition 
 of water produces a yellow precipitate which 
 somewhat adheres to the tin. 
 
 FLASTER FIGURES, To give the Ap- 
 pearance of Bronze. — Make a preparation of 
 palm soap, five ounces; sulphate of copper, one 
 and a half ounces, and sulphate of iron, one and 
 a half ounces. Dissolve the soap in rain water in 
 one vessel and the sulphates in another. Put 
 together and let settle, then pour off the water. 
 Dry the precipitate, and apply to the figure by 
 mixing as a paint with linseed oil and turpentine. 
 
 FOLISUED IRONS, To Freserve from 
 
 Rust. — Polished iron-work may be preserved 
 from rust by a mixture not very expensive, con- 
 sisting of copal varnish intimately mixed with 
 as much olive-oil as will give it a degree of 
 greasiness, adding thereto nearly as much spirit 
 of turpentine as of varnish ; or varnish with wax 
 dissolved in benzine. The cast-iron work is 
 best preserved by rubbing it with Vilack-lead. 
 
 But where rust has begun to make its appear- 
 ance on grates or fire-irons, apply a mixture of 
 tripoli, with half its quantity of sulphur, inti- 
 mately mingled on a marble slab and laid on 
 with a piece of soft leather ; or emery and oil 
 may be applied with excellent effect ; not laid 
 on in the usual slovenly way, but with a spongy 
 piece of the fig-tree fully saturated with the mix- 
 ture. This will not only clean, but polish, and 
 render the use of whiting unnecessary. 
 
 FOLISHING FOWDER.— 'ie^weXQxs and 
 others who have use for jewelers' rouge as a 
 polish for glass or metal will find the following 
 a perfect recipe : Dissolve any quantity of good 
 green vitriol (sulphate of iron) in enough water 
 not to leave a sediment. When well dissolved, 
 drop into the water small lumps of carbonate of 
 ammonia until the iron falls to the bottom in the 
 form of a fine powder (the peroxide of iron). 
 Keep on dropping in ammonia until no more 
 iron falls. Let the water stand awhile until it 
 clears, then pour it off. Turn the iron powder 
 between two sheets of blotting paper, and press 
 it to get it as dry as possible. Then turn it into 
 an old teacup or porcelain crucible and stand it 
 over a clear good fire until the iron is just red 
 hot (in the dark) and no more. When this is 
 done you have the best polishing powder known 
 in the trade at a very trifling cost. 
 
 FUTTY FOLISHERS.—i. Melt tin, rake 
 off the dross as it is formed, and calcine this 
 dross till it becomes whitish. — 2. Melt tin I oz. 
 with an equal weight, or Ij^ oz. of lead, and 
 then raise the heat so as to render the mixed 
 metals red hot, when the tin will be immediately 
 flung out in the state of putty. Both are very 
 hard, used for polishing glass and japan work, 
 and to color opaque white enamel. 
 
 RUST, To Remove from Polished Steel or 
 Iron. — Sometimes rust can be removed from 
 polished iron or steel with little difficulty; but 
 sometimes it can not be made to disappear with- 
 out polishing the surface anew. Rust is oxide 
 of iron. The oxygen of the atmosphere unites 
 with the iron chemically, thus forming a thin 
 scale on the surface, not one thousandth part of 
 an inch in thickness. Red rust may be formed 
 on the polished surface a thousand times without 
 materially corroding the metal, provided it be 
 removed soon after it has formed. The usual 
 manner of removing red rust is to cover the 
 rusty portion with common olive oil, and rub it 
 in well with a woolen cloth. After it has stood 
 a few hours, rub the parts with finely pulverized 
 slaked lime, or Spanish whiting, until the rust 
 is all removed. If red rust is allowed to accu- 
 mulate until the polished surface is corroded, 
 sweet oil and a severe rubbing will seldom 
 remove it. The entire surface must be repol- 
 ished with emery, or some other grit, before 
 black rust will disappear from polished steel or 
 any other metal. 
 
 RUSSIAN SHEET-IRON, Manufacture 
 of. — The refined iron is hammered under the 
 tilt-hammer into narrow slabs, calculated to pro* 
 
WORKERS IN METALS. 
 
 433 
 
 duce a sheet of finished iron two archines by 
 one, (fifty-six inches by twenty-eight inches,) 
 weighing when finished from six to twelve 
 pounds. These slabs are called balvanky. They 
 are put in the reheating furnaces, heated to a 
 red heat, and rolled down in three operations to 
 something like a sheet, the rolls being screwed 
 tighter as the surface gets thinner. This must 
 be subsequently hammered to reduce its thick- 
 ness and to receive the glance. A number of 
 these sheets having been again heated to a red 
 heat, have charcoal, pounded to as impalpable a 
 powder as possible, shaken between them 
 through the bottom of a linen bag. The pile, 
 then receiving a covering and a bottom in the 
 shape of a sheet of thicker iron, is placed under 
 a heavy hammer; the bundle, grasped with tongs 
 by two men, is poked backward and forward 
 by the gang, so that every part may be well 
 hammered. So soon as the redness goes off, 
 they are finished, so far as this part of the ope- 
 ration goes. So far they have received some of 
 the g/ance, or necessary polish; they are again 
 heated, and treated differently in this respect; 
 but instead of having the powdered charcoal 
 strewed between them, each two red-hot sheets 
 have a cold-finished sheet put between them ; 
 they are again hammered, and after this process 
 are finished, as far as thickness and glance goes. 
 
 Thrown down separately to cool, they are 
 taken to the shears, placed on a frame of the 
 regulation size, and trimmed. Each sheet is 
 then weighed, and after being thus assorted in 
 weights, are finally sorted into first, second, and 
 thirds, according to their glance and freedom 
 from flaws and spots. A first-class sheet must 
 be like a mirror, without a spot upon it. One 
 hundred puds of balvanky make seventy puds 
 of finished sheets; but this allowance for waste 
 is far too large, and might easily be reduced. 
 Four heats are required to finish. 
 
 The general weight per sheet is from six to 
 twelve pounds, the larger demand being from 
 ten to eleven pounds; but they are made weigh- 
 ing as much as thirty pounds, and may then al- 
 most be called thin boiler-plates, being used for 
 stoves, etc. Besides the finished sheets, a quan- 
 tity of what are called red sheets are made, which 
 are not polished, and do not undergo the last 
 operation. 
 
 SA WS, To Mend when Broken. — Pure silver 
 19 parts; pure copper i part; pure brass 2 parts; 
 all are to be filed into powder and intimately 
 mixed. Place the saw level upon the anvil, the 
 broken edges in close contact, and hold them so; 
 now put a small line of the mixture along the 
 seam, covering it with a large bulk of powdered 
 charcoal ; now, with a spirit-lamp and a jewel- 
 ers' blow-pipe, hold the coal-dust in place, and 
 blow sufficient to melt the solder mixture; then 
 with a hammer set the joint smooth, if not al- 
 ready so, and file away any superfluous solder; 
 and you will be surprised at its strength. 
 
 SAPVS, Tempering. — The usual method of 
 tempering saws is to heat and then dip them in 
 oil. This process is slow, costly, and laborious. 
 It is also disadvantageous, because the saws be- 
 come warped, and require to be hammered up 
 straight again by h.and. A late improvement 
 consists in tempering and straightening the saws 
 at one operation. This is done by heating the 
 saws to the proper degree, and then pressing 
 them with a sudden and powerful stroke between 
 
 two surfaces of cold iron. A drop press is em- 
 ployed for the purpose. The mechanism is quite 
 simple and inexpensive. Its use effects an im- 
 portant economy in the manufacture of nearly 
 all kinds of saws, and also improves their qual- 
 ity. 
 
 SAW TEETH, Shape 0/— The adaptation 
 of tools, in form and construction, to the nature 
 of the work required of them, is an important 
 item in every branch of mechanical industry, 
 and in none more vitally than in the sawing of 
 lumber. The distinction to be made according 
 to the direction in which the saw is to run, 
 whether across the grain or with the grain, is 
 sufficiently plain, and is familiar to every work- 
 man in a saw mill. As the fiber of the wood to 
 be severed in cross cutting presents a firm, al- 
 most unyielding resistance to the saw, the teeth 
 are of an acute or lancet-like shape, cutting the 
 wood rapidly asunder, as if with a succession of 
 knives, and producing a fine granular sawdust ; 
 while the teeth of the rip saw, cutting wuth or 
 rather separating the grain, are made compara- 
 tively large and coarse, encountering less resis- 
 tance from the wood, which they tear into small 
 chips or shavings. The experience of workmen 
 in soft and especially in gummy or resinous 
 woods, such as pitch pine, larch, etc., gives still 
 more striking proof of the necessity of adapting 
 the saw to the nature of the material in which it 
 is to operate. To prevent the choking of the 
 saw, and a resulting demand for additional pow- 
 er to maintain the motion, the points of the teeth 
 require to be made acute and to have consider- 
 able pitch, in order to overcome the obstruction 
 of damp sawdust accumulating in their path; 
 and in gummy wood, an application of grease is 
 often necessary, as a remedy for the heating and 
 friction caused by the tendency of the resin to 
 adhere to the saw. 
 
 It may be stated, in general terms, that for 
 soft or yielding woods, of the class of which the 
 willow and pine are common examples, the pitch 
 should be greater, and the teeth large and acute- 
 ly pointed. For mahogany, rosewood, and other 
 woods of tough and dense fiber, teeth of less 
 size and of perpendicular pitch are appropriate. 
 The principle which should govetn the shape of 
 saw teeth is indeed an extremely simple one, 
 and would seem to require no formal statement, 
 more especially as it is certain to make itself 
 manifest, if disregarded, upon a brief experiment. 
 In practice, however, it often fails to receive due 
 attention, and no small amount of inconvenience 
 and actual loss is occasioned by neglect of this 
 material point. 
 
 SAW, To Put in Order. —Tkst, the saw 
 should be set ; this may be done by laying the 
 blade flat upon a piece o'f heavy plank or scant- 
 ling, and bending the teeth with a hammer and 
 punch. The set, or punch, can be made of a 
 three-cornered saw file, broken off at each end, 
 and the smallest end ground square. Set the 
 punch square upon the tooth, but inclined from 
 you, so that it rests mainly upon the point of 
 the tooth, and hit it a light blow with the ham- 
 mer. Every other tooth should be bent in this 
 manner, then the saw turned over, and the ope- 
 ration repeated. The set already in tlie saw 
 will be the guide as to the direction tlie tooth is 
 to be bent. If the saw, previous to setting, is 
 inclined to catch and jump, one of three things 
 is the matter; the set is uneven, a few teeth are 
 
 28 
 
434 
 
 DICTIONARY OF E VERY-DAY WANTS. 
 
 longer than the rest, or the teeth have been filed 
 hooking. Either of these troubles can be easily 
 detected and renmedied. If by looking along the 
 teeth from end to end, an unevenness is seen, 
 lay the blade upon the head of an axe, or some- 
 thing of the kind, and strike gently upon the 
 sides of the teeth with a hammer until all of the 
 set is removed; then set the saw as above directed. 
 If after the saw is properly set, some of the teeth 
 should be longer than others, put the blade be- 
 tween two thin boards, three or four inches 
 wide, and as long as the saw; screw them firm- 
 ly in a vice, the same as for filing, and run a 
 fiat saw-mill file lengthwise along the teeth until 
 they are brought level. The saw is now ready 
 for filing. The file should be placed between 
 the teeth in a diagonal direction, but held level. 
 Every other space should be filed from the small 
 end to the handle ; then the remaining spaces 
 filed by holding the file at an opposite angle. 
 After this operation is completed, then look 
 across the teeth again, and if the channel be- 
 tween the rows of teeth terminates in the centre, 
 the filing is good; if it terminates at one side of 
 the centre, the full side needs more filing. If 
 the saw catches and jumps after jointing up, it 
 will be owing to the teeth having been filed too 
 hooking, or, in other words, the points inclined 
 too much towards the narrow end of the saw. 
 This can be remedied by refiling and taking off 
 from the lower side of the teeth enough to make 
 them stand upright on the blade. Always file 
 where there is suflScient light to enable you to 
 see points distinctly. Be exceedingly careful to 
 stop filing as soon as the tooth is filed to a per- 
 fect point. One thrust with the file after a tooth 
 has been brought to a complete edge, Avill short- 
 en it, put the saw out of order just in proportion 
 as the point is filed off. Let the points be set 
 uniformly, and only a little. Go over the teeth 
 with an old file, and give them a more perfect 
 cutting-edge. Then lay the blade flatly on a 
 smooth board, and pass a fine-gritted whetstone 
 along the sides of the points, to remove the wiry 
 edge, and to give the teeth as fine a cutting-edge 
 as practicable. 
 
 SAWS (Large), Sharpening the Teeth of. — 
 In extensive lumber districts, where large saws 
 of any description are employed, the mere cost 
 of the files necessary for filing the teeth is an 
 item of great expense during the year. The 
 teeth of a large circular saw for cutting logs into 
 lumber will frequently be equivalent to the cut- 
 ting edge of a straight saw twelve to sixteen feet 
 in length. When the points of only one or two 
 of the teeth happen to get dulled, the expense 
 for files alone, not including labor, will frequent- 
 ly exceed one dollar to put the saw in order, 
 especially if the length of the teeth be maintained 
 by filing into the blade at the base of each tooth 
 as much as the points are filed off. 
 
 In lieu of large files, foremen of many saw- 
 mills employ a narrow grindstone hung on a 
 journal having turned bearings neatly fitted to 
 metallic boxes, so that the stone must revolve 
 true. Any gi-indstone may be employed for 
 such a purpose by turning a small portion of the 
 periphery of the desired form to fit the spaces 
 ijetween the teeth. One side of the stone should 
 be dressed at a right angle with a line cutting 
 the centre of the journal, for grinding the face- 
 edge of the teeth; and the opposite side should be 
 beveled to correspond with the back of each ttjoth. 
 
 The most efficient tool for turning off the 
 grindstone may be made of a bar of Swede's 
 iron, by drawing out one end about as large as 
 a man's little finger, and turning up about half 
 an inch of the point. Such a tool, made of very 
 soft iron-, will be found much more efficient than 
 if it were steel. When turning the stone off, 
 let it revolve about one hundred times per 
 minute. 
 
 Now, make a table on which to place the saw 
 when grinding the teeth ; and dress both the 
 front and back of each tooth square across the 
 blade. Let the periphery of the stone hi- kept 
 wet, when in use ; as the grit will cut cleaner 
 than if the stone were dry. Water will also 
 prevent heating the teeth. After the teeth have 
 been ground properly, if it is desirable that the 
 cutting points should be flaring, for sawing 
 across the grain of timber, use a triangular file 
 for beveling the face of every tooth. The backa 
 of teeth do not need to be beveled in any saw, 
 as there is nothing gained by it. Furthermore, 
 it will always be found more expensive, both in 
 files and in labor, than to file square across the 
 teeth. For sawing with the grain, both the 
 face and back should be dressed square across 
 the blade. When a saw is put in order for cut- 
 ting across the grain, if only one-eighth of an 
 inch of the points be filed obliquely on the face- 
 edge, the saw will cut quite as rapidly as if the 
 teeth were beveled both on the face and back 
 edges. 
 
 A grindstone will often save from fifty to one 
 hundred dollars per annum in the value of large 
 files. 
 
 In many machine-shops and manufactories, 
 where a large number of small saws are em- 
 ployed, emery-wheels are used extensively for 
 sharpening. The emery-wheel is hung on a 
 neatly turned mandrel, and held betv.een iron 
 collars, like a circular saw. The periphery is 
 made of the requisite form to fit the teeth. In 
 some instances, when circular saws are being 
 sharpened by an emery-wheel, the saw is secur- 
 ed to a journal, as it rests flat on the table, so 
 that every tooth may be dressed with greater 
 precision than could otherwise be attained, ex- 
 cept by filers of long experience. 
 
 SILVER, To Alloy. — Copper is the only less 
 precious metal that alloys well with silver. Its 
 addition is a decided improvement on the ori- 
 ginal, rendering it harder, finer in appearance 
 and more sonorous; and it is astonishing to note 
 the quantity that may be added without other- 
 wise changing the first appearance of the metal. 
 An alloy of silver and copper in the proportion 
 of four-fifths silver to one of copper, is fully as 
 white as the silver would be entirely pure. 
 When the proportion of copper rises aliove one- 
 fifth, it begins to have an influence in the color. 
 American coin silver is one-tenth copper. 
 
 The baser white metals cannot be alloyed 
 with silver to any great extent, owing to the fact 
 that they impart to the compound too great a 
 degree of brittleness. A small proportion of 
 block tin virtually converts it into bell metal. 
 
 The following is, perhaps, the l)est known 
 composition for a cheap silver: Pure silver, say 
 one ounce; copper, one-sixth of an ounce; brass, 
 two-thirds of an ounce; bismuth, one-third of 
 an ounce; clean salt, two-thirds of an ounce; 
 white arsenic, one-third of an ounce ; and potash, 
 one-third of an ounce. Melt the silver, copper 
 
WORKERS IN- METALS, 
 
 435 
 
 and brass first, then add the other articles in the 
 order named. Sprinkle a very little borax into 
 the crucible while melting — too much will have 
 a tendency to render the metal unraalleable. 
 
 SILI&R, To CUan. — Never use a particle 
 of soap on your silver ware, as it dulls the luster, 
 giving the article more the appearance of pewter 
 than silver. When it wants cleaning rub it with 
 a piece of soft leather and prepared chalk, the 
 latter made into a kind of paste with pure water. 
 SIL VEF., Mixture for CUaning. — Common 
 prepared chalk, or whiting, % lb. ; gum cam- 
 phor, % oz. ; aqua ammonia and alcohol, of each 
 I oz. ; benzine, 3 oz. ; mix well together, and 
 apply with a soft sponge, and allow it to dry be- 
 fore polishing. 
 
 SILVER, To keep Bright.— For the pre- 
 servation of the luster of articles of silver or 
 plafed ware, when not needed for actual use for 
 a considerable time, a coating of collodion (to 
 be had at the drug stores), may be employed to 
 great advantage. The articles are to be heated, 
 and the collodion then carefully applied by means 
 of a brush, so as to cover the surface thoroughly 
 and uniformly. It is used most conveniently 
 when diluted with alcohol, as for photographic 
 purposes. Articles thus prepared exhibit no 
 trace whatever of their covering, and have stood 
 for more than a j-ear in shop windows and in 
 dwellings, retaining their white luster and color, 
 while other pieces not thus prepared became se- 
 riously tarnished. 
 
 SILVER, Frosted. — To produce a frosted 
 surface on polished silver, use cyanide of potas- 
 sium with a brush, but do not handle it more 
 than you can help. Get a piece of lance wood 
 or box, and make a pair of wood pliers. The 
 proportion should be an ounce dissolved in a half 
 pint of water. It is very poisonous. 
 
 SILVER, Counterfeit. — Combine by fusion 
 one part pure copper, twenty-four parts block 
 tin, one and a half parts pure antimony, one 
 fourth part pure bismuth and two parts clear 
 glass. The glass may be omitted save in cases 
 where it is an object to have the metal sonorous. 
 SILVER (Dead White in). To Restore.— 
 The process for producing or restoring the dead 
 white to silver is simple. Before attempting it, 
 the work must be carefully examined to discover 
 whether it has been previously repaired. Un- 
 skillful workmen often resort to "soft solder" 
 unnecessarily. If any "soft solder" (pewter) is 
 found about the work, the process must not be 
 attempted. If the article is all/right in that re- 
 spect, pound together three parts charcoal and 
 one of niter. Add sufficient water to form a 
 paste. With a camel's-hair brush give the ar- 
 ticle a thin coat of the mixture, put it in a small 
 annealing pan, and submit it to the fire until it 
 becomes just red hot; then wthdraw it from the 
 fire, let it stand a minute, and turn it out into a 
 weak solution of sulphuric acid (one part acid, 
 ten parts water) in the boiling pan. Boil, pour 
 off the acid, rinse; wash with warm water and 
 soap, using a soft brush ; dip in spirits of wine, 
 and dry in box-wood sawdust. If any spots 
 should still remain on the work, anneal it with- 
 out the mixture, boil out and wash as before. 
 Burnish the parts intended to be bright. Do not 
 use the common American saltpeter. The Eng- 
 lish refined niter, although it costs more, is re- 
 ally less expensive, as a smaller quantity goes 
 farther, and does the work more effectually. 
 
 Purchase at the wholesale druggists. Never 
 neglect to dip your work in spirits of wine, and 
 dry in box-wood sawdust. You cannot dry it 
 properly by wiping; a moisture will remain and 
 the gloss is lost; while by dipping in spirits, all 
 jewelry and silver ornaments may be taken im- 
 mediately, thoroughly dry, and retaining their 
 full luster. 
 
 SILVER, German. — The best German sil- 
 ver may be made by melting together twenty- 
 five parts copper, fifteen parts zinc and ten parts 
 nickel. 
 
 SILVERING //?6>A^.— Small wares of iron 
 may be effectually silvered without battery thus: 
 The articles are suspended in dilute sulphuric 
 acid until the iron shows a clean, bright surface. 
 After rinsing in pure water, they are placed in a 
 bath of a mixed solution of sulphate of zinc, 
 sulphate of copper and C3-anide of potassium, 
 and here remain until they receive a bright coat- 
 ing of brass. Lastly, they are transferred to a 
 bath of nitrate of silver, cyanide of potassium 
 and sulphate of soda, in which they quickly 
 receive a coating of silver. 
 
 SILVER IMITATIONS.— Co^^r, i lb.; 
 tin, ^ oz.; melt. This composition will roll and 
 ring very near to silver. Britannia Metal: cop- 
 per, I lb. ; tin, I lb. ; regulus of antimony, 2 
 lbs. ; melt together, with or without a little bis- 
 muth. Genuine German Silver: iron, 2^ parts; 
 nickel, 31^ parts; zinc, 25^ parts; copper, 
 40^ parts; melt. Fine White German Silver: 
 iron, I part; nickel, 10 parts; zinc, ID parts; 
 copper, 20 parts ; melt. Pinchbeck : copper, 5 
 parts ; zinc, I part ; melt the copper, then add 
 the zinc. Jewelers' Metal: copper, 30 parts ; 
 tin, 7 parts ; brass, 10 parts ; mix. 
 
 SIL VERING. — A Bavarian has patented aa 
 improved process for silvering copper, brass 
 and other alloys by means of a solution of silver 
 in cyanide of potassium. The difference from 
 the usual method consists in the use of zinc 
 filings, with which the objects are coated; when 
 the silvering solution is applied, an immediate 
 deposition of a much more durable character 
 takes place. The filings are easily removed by 
 rinsing in water, and may be used repeatedly 
 for the same purpose. Metallic iron may be 
 coated with copper in the same manner, by 
 substituting for the silver a solution of copper in 
 the cyanide; and over this copper deposit a 
 coating of silver may be applied. 
 
 SILVER PLATING, Solutiottsfor.—lu 
 making any of these solutions, perfectly fine sil- 
 ver must be employed ; or, if it be desired to use 
 standard or other impure silver, it will be better 
 to purify the silver by first dissolving it in nitric 
 acid; then add about one quart of cold water to 
 the acid solution obtained from dissohnng four 
 ounces of silver. Now throw in a few pieces of 
 sheet copper to precipitate the silver. In a few 
 moments the silver will begin to deposit itself 
 upon the copper, and by continuing the process 
 for some time, and adding a gentle heat, the 
 whole of the silver will eventually become pre- 
 cipitated in the form of minute crystals. Wnen 
 the pure silver is thus obtained, it is to be again 
 dissolved in two parts water and one part nitric 
 acid. 
 
 Solution 1 : Fine silver, i ounce ; nitric acid, 
 about I ounce; water, 5^ ounce. 
 
 Put the silver carefully into a Florence flask, 
 and then pour in the acid and water j place the 
 
436 
 
 DICTION A R Y OFE VER Y-DA Y WANTS. 
 
 flask oil a sand bath for a few minutes, taking 
 care not to apply too much heat; and, as soon as 
 chemical action becomes violent, remove the flask 
 to a cooler place, and allow the action to go on 
 until it nearly ceases ; when, if there be silver 
 still undissolved, the flask may be again placed 
 on the sand bath until the silver disappears. If, 
 however, the acid employed has been weak, it 
 may be necessary to add a little more. The red 
 fumes, formed when chemical action is going on, 
 disappear Avhen the silver is dissolved, or when 
 the acid has done its work. If a little black 
 powder be visible at the bottom of the flask, it 
 may be taken care of separately, as it is gold. 
 I have frequently found gold in the silver pur- 
 chased of a refiner ; in some instances more than 
 sufficient to pay the expense of the acid 
 employed. 
 
 The nitrate of silver formed during the above 
 operation should be carefully poured into a 
 porcelain or Wedgwood capsule, and heated 
 until a pellicle appears on the surface, when it 
 may be placed aside to crystallize. The un- 
 crystallized liquor should then be poured from 
 the crystals into another capsule, andheat applied 
 until it has evaporated sufficiently to crystallize. 
 When this is done, the crystals of nitrate of 
 silver are to be placed in a large jar or other 
 suitable vessel, and about three pints of cold 
 distilled water added, the whole being well 
 stirred with a glass rod until the crystals are 
 dissolved. 
 
 A quantity of carbonate of potassa is now to 
 be dissolved in distilled water, and some of the 
 solution added to the nitrate of silver, until no 
 further precipitation takes place. It is advis- 
 able occasionally to put a little of the clear 
 solution in a glass, or test tube, and to add a 
 few drops of the solution of potassa, in order to 
 ascertain whether all the silver is thro%vn down, 
 or otherwise ; as soon as the application of the 
 alkaline solution produces no effect upon the 
 solution of nitrate of silver, this operation is 
 complete. 
 
 The supernatant liquor (that is, the fluid 
 ■which remains above the precipitate) should next 
 be carefully poured off the precipitated silver, and 
 fresh water added; this is again allowed to settle, 
 and the water poured off as before, which ope- 
 ration should be repeated several times in order 
 to wash the precipitate thoroughly. 
 
 A quantity of cyanide of potassium is then to 
 be dissolved in hot or cold water, and rather 
 more than is sufficient to dissolve the precipitate 
 added. In a few minutes the carbonate of silver 
 ■will be dissolved by the cyanide, but in all pro- 
 bability there will be a trifling sediment at the 
 bottom of the vessel, which may be separated 
 from the solution by filtration, and preserved, 
 as in all probability it will contain a little silver. 
 
 Sufficient water is now to be added to make 
 one gallon of solution. Should the solution be 
 found to work rather slowly at first, a little of 
 the solution of cyanide may be added from time 
 to time, as it is required : but it is preferable, in 
 working a new solution, to have as small a pro- 
 portion of cyanide as possible, otherwise the 
 articles may strip, especially if they are composed 
 of German silver. 
 
 When a silver solution has been worked for 
 some lengtii of time, it acquires organic matter, 
 and is then capable of bearing, without injury, 
 a larger proportion of cyanide. 
 
 It is necessary that the nitric acid employed 
 for dissolving silver should be of good commer- 
 cial quality, if not chemically pure, for if it 
 contain hydrochloric acid C which is not an un- 
 frequent adulteration), a portion of the silver 
 dissolved will become precipitated in the form of 
 awhiteflocculent powder (chloride of silver), and 
 the success of the operation is thereby impaired. 
 Solution 2 : To one ounce of silver, dissolved 
 and crystallized as above directed, is to be added 
 three pints of distilled water. The silver is to be 
 precipitated from this by adding gradually a 
 strong solution of cyanide of potassium. This 
 must be done with caution, as an excess of 
 cyanide will redissolve the precipitate. Should 
 the operator, however, accidentally apply too 
 much cyanide, a little nitrate of silver in solution 
 may be added, the silver of which will be preci- 
 pitated by the surplus cyanide. A portion of 
 the solution should be placed in a wineglass 
 occasionally, and a drop of cyanide added, until 
 no further effect is produced by this substance. 
 
 As soon as the precipitate (which is white) has 
 subsided, the clear solution is to be poured off, 
 and fresh water added, this being done several 
 times, as before, to wash the precipitate. 
 
 Three pounds of ferrocyanide of potassium 
 (yellow prussiate of potassa) may now be dis- 
 solved in water, and added to the precipitate. 
 
 When the precipitate is dissolved, add suffi- 
 cient water to make one gallon of solution, which 
 should then be filtered before using. This 
 solution is not very profitable to the electro-plater, 
 as it requires fresh silver to be added frequently, 
 owing to the fact that the anode, or silver plate, 
 is not acted upon by the ferrocyanide, therefore 
 the solution soon becomes deprived of its silver. 
 It may be used, however, for experimental 
 purposes. 
 
 Solution 3: One ounce of fine silver, dissolved 
 and treated as before, to which add three pints 
 of distilled water. Precipitate the silver by 
 adding a strong solution of common salt — an 
 excess does no harm. A single drop of hydro- 
 chloric acid will show whether all the silver is 
 thrown down or not. The white precipitate 
 thus formed (which is chloride of silver) is to be 
 washed as before. 
 
 A quantity of hyposulphite of soda is next 
 dissolved in hot distilled water, and a sufficient 
 quantity added to dissolve the precipitate. Wa- 
 ter is then to be added to make one gallon. 
 This solution is decomposed by hght, and should 
 therefore be kept covered up, or in a dark place. 
 It is not much used by electro-platers. 
 
 Solution 4: One ounce of fine silver treated 
 as before, and dissolved in three pints of distilled 
 water. Precipitate with common salt, and wash, 
 as above directed. Dissolve the precipitate with 
 a strong solution of cyanide of potassium, tak- 
 ing care not to add much more than will dissolve 
 the chloride of silver. Filter carefully, at least 
 once through the same filtering paper, and once 
 through clean filtering paper, and then add 
 enough distilled water to make one gallon of 
 solution. 
 
 The above solution is very useful when it is 
 desired to plate an article delicately white, but 
 the silver is liable to strip when the burnisher is 
 applied to it. This solution, however, may be 
 employed with less fear of the work stripping, 
 if it be used weaker, with a small sur^ce of 
 anode and feeble battery power. 
 
WORKERS IN METALS. 
 
 437 
 
 Under all circumstances this solution is more 
 applicable to surfaces which only require to be 
 scratch-brushed, or which are to be left dead. 
 Chased figures, clock dials, cast metal work, 
 etc., may be admirably plated with this solu- 
 tion. 
 
 Solutions: One ounce of fine silver, as be- 
 fore, and the crystals dissolved in three pints of 
 tiistilled water. Add strong solution of cyanide 
 of potassium until no further precipitation takes 
 place. If too much cyanide be added, it will re- 
 tlissolve the precipitate. Pour off the super- 
 natant liquor and wash the silver as before. 
 Now add strong solution of cyanide to dissolve 
 the precipitate. Make one gallon with distilled 
 water. The solution should have a moderate 
 excess of cyahide, and it must be filtered before 
 using. 
 
 Solution 6 : A silver solution may be made 
 by dissolving one ounce of silver as before. 
 Dissolve the crystals in one pint of distilled wa- 
 ter. Next be prepared with a large vessel full 
 of lime water, made by addin<» recently slaked 
 lime to an ample quantity of water, which, it 
 must be remembered, dissolves but a very small 
 percentage of lime. To the clear lime water is 
 to be added the solution of nitrate of silver, 
 which will be converted into a dark brown pre- 
 cipitate (oxide of silver). When all the silver 
 is thrown down, the clear liquor is to be poured 
 off, and the precipitate washed as before. Now 
 add strong cyanide of potassium solution to dis- 
 solve the oxide of silver, and make one gallon 
 ■with distilled water. 
 
 This makes a very excellent solution, although 
 it is somewhat troublesome to prepare. 
 
 Solution 7". Dissolve in one gallon of water 
 one ounce and a quarter of cyanide of potassium, 
 in a stoneware or glass vessel. Fill a porous 
 cell with some of this solution, and place it in 
 the larger vessel; the solution should be the 
 same hight in both vessels. Then put a piece 
 of sheet copper or iron, connected with the wire 
 which proceeds from the zinc of the battery, into 
 the porous cell. Place in the stone vessel a 
 piece of stout sheet silver, which must be pre- 
 viously attached to the wire issuing from the 
 copper of the battery. It is well to employ 
 several cells alternated, for this purpose, when 
 a large quantity of solution has to be prepared; 
 that is to say, the zinc of one battery should be 
 united by a wire with the copper of the next, 
 and so on. In a few hours the solution in the 
 larger vessel will have acquired sufficient silver, 
 and the solution may be at once used. The 
 porous cell is to be removed, and its contents 
 may be thrown away. 
 
 In working this solution, at first it is neces- 
 sary to expose a rather large surface of anode, 
 and small quantities of cyanide must be added 
 occasionally until the solution is in brisk work- 
 ing order. 
 
 This is one of the best solutions, when care- 
 fully prepared, and is less liable to strip than 
 many others. 
 
 Solutions of silver may be prepared by preci- 
 pitating the silver from the solution of nitrate 
 with ammonia, soda, magnesia, etc., etc., but 
 for all practical purposes the solutions i, 4, 5, 6, 
 and 7, may, if carefully prepared, be depended 
 upon. 
 
 When it is desired that the articles should 
 come out of the bath having a bright appearance, 
 
 a little bisulphuret of carbon is added to the so- 
 lution. This is best done in the following man- 
 ner : Put an ounce of bisulphuret of carbon into 
 a pint bottle containing a strong silver solution 
 with cyanide in excess. The bottle should be 
 repeatedly shaken, and the mixture is ready for 
 use in a few days. A few drops of this solution 
 may be poured into the plating bath occasionally, 
 until the work appears sufficiently bright. The 
 bisulphuret solution, however, must be added 
 with care, for an excess is apt to spoil the solu- 
 tion. In plating surfaces which cannot easily 
 be scratch-brushed, this brightening process is 
 serviceable. The operator, however, must never 
 add too much at a time. 
 
 In making up any of the foregoing solutions, 
 the weights and measures employed are troy, or 
 apothecaries' weight, and imperial measure. 
 
 SILVER PLATING FLUID.— Dhiolvt 
 I ounce of nitrate of silver in crystal, in 12 oun- 
 ces of soft water, then dissolve in the water 2 
 ounces cyanuret of potash, shake the whole to- 
 gether, and let it stand till it becomes clear. 
 Have ready some half ounce vials, and fill half 
 full of Paris white, or fine whiting, and then fill 
 up the bottles with the liquor, and it is ready 
 for use. The whiting does not increase the 
 coating power, it only helps to clean the ar- 
 ticles, and to save the silver fluid, by half filling 
 the bottles. 
 
 SILVERING POWDER.— Yox silvering 
 copper, covering the worn parts of plated goods, 
 etc. — I, Nitrate of silver, common salt, each 30 
 grs. ; cream of tartar, 3^ drs. Mix. Moisten 
 with cold water and rub on the article to be sil- 
 vered. — 2, Pure silver (precipitated from the 
 nitrate by copper), 20 grs. ; cream of tartar, 2 
 drs. ; salt, 2 drs. — 3. Precipitated silver, ^l^ oz. ; 
 common salt, sal ammoniac, each 2 oz. ; corro- 
 sive sublimate, i dr. Make into a paste with 
 water. Copper utensils are previously boiled 
 with cream of tartar and aluni, rubbed with this 
 paste made red hot and afterwards polished. — 
 4. Nitrate of silver, I part ; cyanide of potas- 
 sium, 3 parts ; water enough to make a paste. 
 SIL VER, To Refine. — Dissolve in nitric acid 
 as in the case of the gold. When the silver has 
 entirely disappeared, add to the two and a half 
 ounces of solution nearly one quart of pure rain 
 water. Sink, then, a sheet of clean copper into 
 it — the silver will collect rapidly upon the cop>- 
 per, and you can scrape it off and melt into bulk 
 at pleasure. 
 
 In the event you were refining gold in accord- 
 ance with the foregoing formula, and the impu- 
 rity was silver, the only steps necessary to save 
 the latter would be to add the above named pro- 
 portion of water to the solution poured from the 
 gold, and then to proceed with your copper 
 plate as just directed. 
 
 SILVER Tarnished in Soldering^ To Clean. 
 — Some expose to a uniform heat, as in the case 
 of gold, and then boil in strong alum water. 
 Others immerse for a considerable length of 
 time in a liquid made of half an ounce of cyanu- 
 ret potassa to one pint rain water, and then 
 brush off with prepared chalk. 
 
 SILVER, To make Transparent.— Refined 
 silver, one ounce ; dissolve it in two ounces of 
 aqua fortis; precipitate it with a pugil (a quan- 
 tity that may be taken up between the thumb 
 and finger) of salt, then strain it through a 
 paper, and tlie remainder melt in a crucible for 
 
43S 
 
 DICTIONARY OF EVERY-DAY WANTS. 
 
 about half an hour, and pour it out, and it will 
 be transparent. 
 
 SILVER LEAF, To Varnish like Gold.— 
 Fix the leaf on the subject, similar to gold leaf, 
 by the interposition of proper glutinous matters; 
 spread the varnish upon the piece with a pencil. 
 When the first coat is dry wash the piece again 
 and again with the varnish till the color appears 
 sufficiently deep. What is called gilt-leather, 
 and many picture-frames, have no other than 
 this gilding; washing them with a little rectified 
 spirit of wine affords a proof of this, the spirit 
 dissolving the varnish, and lea\-ing the silver- 
 leaf of its own whiteness. For plain frames 
 thick tin-foil may be used instead of silver. 
 The tin-leaf, fixed on the piece with glue, is to 
 be burnished, then polished with emery and a 
 fine linen cloth, and afterwards with putty ap- 
 plied in the same manner ; being tlien lacquered 
 over with varnish 5 or 6 times, it looks very 
 nearly like burnished gold. The same varnish, 
 made with a less proportion of coloring ma- 
 terials, is applied also on works of brass, both 
 for heightening the color of the metal to a re- 
 semblance with that of gold, and for preserving 
 it from being tarnished by the air. 
 
 SILVER, To -write on -with a Black, that 
 ■will never go off. — ^Take burnt lead and pulverize 
 it. Incorporate it next with sulphur and vinegar, 
 to the consistency of a painting color, and 
 write with it on any silver plate. Let it dry, 
 then present it to the fire so as to heat the work 
 a little, and it is finished. 
 
 SPECULA, Polishing Powder for. — Prepare 
 peroxide of iron, by precipitation, from a diluted 
 solution of sulphate of iron ^vith water of am- 
 monia. Wash the precipitate, press it in a 
 screw press until nearly dry, and expose it to a 
 heat which in the dark appears a dull red. 
 
 SPRINGS ( Trap), To Temper.— For temp- 
 ering cast steel trap springs, all that is necessary 
 is to heat them in the dark just that you may see 
 it is red, then cool them in lukewarm water. 
 The reason why darkness is required to temper 
 springs is that a lower degree of heat can be 
 seen in the night than by day-light; and the low 
 heat and warm water give the desired temper. 
 SPRINGS of IRON IVIRE.-Aker wind- 
 ing the wire around the mandrel, take the latter 
 out and replace it with a rod of common rough 
 iron, large enough to quite fill the spring, as 
 after the spring has been cut off, it will unwind 
 enough to increase the diameter considerably. 
 Then take the rod with the spring on it, and 
 heat to a cherry red, after which sprinkle it with 
 prussiate of potash. Repeat this two or three 
 times. After putting on the salt for the last 
 time, heat again and plunge into cold water, and 
 you will have a spring as brittle as glass. Then 
 put oil on it, retaining the spring on the rod, 
 and heat till the oil burns off with a blaze. 
 
 SOLDER, To Make Adhere to Brass or Cop- 
 per. — Prepare a soldering solution in this way: 
 Pour a small quantity of muriatic acid on some 
 zinc filings, so as to completely cover the zinc. 
 Let it stand about an hour, and then pour off 
 the acid, to which add twice its amount of wa- 
 ter. By first wetting the brass or copper with 
 this preparation, the solder will readily adhere. 
 SOLDER, Common. — Put into a crucible 2 
 lbs. of lead, and when melted throw in I lb. of 
 tin. This alloy is that generally known by the 
 iiame of solder. When heated by a hot iron 
 
 and applied to tinned iron with powdered rosin, 
 it acts as a cement or solder ; it is also used to 
 join leaden pipes, etc. 
 
 SOLDER, Hard. — Melt together 2 lbs. cop- 
 per and I lb. tin. 
 
 SOLDER, Soft. — A strong, easily flowing 
 and white solder is composed of lead one part, 
 and tin 2 parts. When the lead is melted up 
 put in the tin, and then throw in a small piece 
 of resin as a flux. In soldering fine work, wet 
 the parts to be joined with muriatic acid in 
 which as much zinc has been dissolved as the 
 acid will take up. It is cleaner than the old 
 method of using Venetian turpentine or resin. 
 A method of making silver solder : Put into a 
 clean crucible pure silver two parts, clean brass 
 one part, with a small piece of borax ; melt and 
 pour into ingot. Formerly the solder was re- 
 turned to the crucible for a second melting, but 
 it is not necessary. The solder flows easily and 
 clean. Solder made from coin, as it frequently 
 is, often melts with difficulty, and remains lumpy 
 around the joints, requiring the use of the file 
 to remove it, while the addition of any of the 
 inferior metals to the solder causes it to eat into 
 the article joined by it. 
 
 SOLDER ( To Soft) Articles.— Mohten the 
 parts to be united with soldering fluid; then, 
 ha\-ing joined them together, lay a small piece 
 of solder upon the joint and hold over your 
 lamp, or direct the blaze upon it with your 
 blow-pipe until fusion is apparent. Withdraw 
 then from the blaze immediately, as too much 
 heat will render the solder brittle and unsatis- 
 factory. When the parts to be joined can be 
 made to spring or press against each other, it is 
 best to place a thin piece of solder between 
 them before exposing to the lamp. 
 
 Where two smooth surfaces are to be soldered 
 one upon the other, you may make an excellent 
 job by moistening them with the fluid, and then, 
 having placed a sheet of tin foil between them, 
 holding them pressed firmly together over your 
 lamp till the foil melts. If the surfaces fit nice- 
 ly a joint may be made in this way so close as 
 to be almost imperceptible. The brightest look- 
 ing lead which comes as a lining to tin boxes 
 works better in the same wav than tin foil. 
 
 SOLDER, Silver.— -i. Hardest. Silver, 4 
 parts, copper, I part ; fuse together. 2. Hard. 
 Sterling silver, 3 parts, melt, add brass wire, i 
 part* 3. Soft. Silver, 2 parts, melt, add brass 
 wire, I part. This is generally used ; some add 
 a little arsenic, to make it whiter and more fu- 
 sible, but it becomes less malleable, and more 
 injurious. 4. Pure tin, or tin solder, (2 lead to 
 I tin",) used for inferior works. 
 
 SOLDERING (Soft), Liquid for.— X liquid 
 for soldering tin, iron, or copper with soft sol- 
 der, is obtained when the solution of zinc in 
 muriatic acid is gradually heated, and then a 
 proportionate quantity of oxide or carbonate of 
 tin in powder is added to neutralize the liquid. 
 The same will not corrode the seams like that 
 made of zinc and acid alone. For a fine job on 
 tin, stearic acid obtained from the candle fac- 
 tories is much preferable to resin, etc., and will 
 not run off so easily from the soldering iron. 
 
 SOLDERING FERRULES for Tool-Han- 
 dles, etc. — Take your ferrule, lap round the join- 
 ing a small piece of brass wire, then just wet 
 the ferrule, scatter on the joining-ground, borax, 
 put it on. the end of a wire, hold it in the fire 
 
WORKERS IN METALS. 
 
 439 
 
 till the brass fuses. It will fill up the joining, 
 and form a perfect solder. It may afterwards 
 be turned in the lathe. 
 
 STEEL, To Distinguish from Iron.— The 
 principal characters by which steel may be dis- 
 tinguished from iron, are as follows : — 
 
 1. After being polished, steel appears of a 
 •whiter light gray hue, without the blue cast ex- 
 hibited by iron. It also takes a higher polish. 
 
 2. The hardest steel, when not annealed, ap- 
 pears granulated, but dull, and without shining 
 fibres. 
 
 3. ^Vhen steeped in acids the harder tlie steel 
 is, of a darker hue is its surface. 
 
 4. Steel is not so much inclined ro rust as 
 iron. 
 
 5. In general, steel has a greater specific 
 gravity. 
 
 6. By being hardened and wrought, it may be 
 rendered much more elastic than iron. 
 
 7. It is not attracted so strongly by the mag- 
 net, as soft iron. It likewise acquires magnetic 
 properties more slowly, but retains them longer ; 
 for which reason, steel is used in making needles 
 for compasses and artificial magnets. 
 
 8. Steel is ignited sooner, and fuses with less 
 degree of heat than malleable iron, which can 
 scarcely be made to fuse without the addition of 
 powdered charcoal; by which it is converted into 
 steel, and afterwards into crude iron. 
 
 9. Polished steel is sooner tinged by heat, 
 and that with higher colors than iron. 
 
 10. In a calcining heat, it suffers less loss by 
 burning than soft iron does in the same heat, 
 and the same time. In calcination a light blue 
 flame hovers over the steel, either with or with- 
 out a sulphureous odor. 
 
 11. The scales of steel are harder and sharper 
 than those of iron ; and consequently more fit 
 for polishing with. 
 
 12. In a white heat, when exposed to the 
 blast of the bellows among the coals, it begins 
 to sweat, wet, or melt, partly with light-colored 
 and bright, and partly with red sparkles, but 
 less crackling than those of iron. In a melting 
 heat, too, it consumes faster. 
 
 13. In the sulphuric, nitric, and other acids, 
 steel is violently attacked, but is longer in dis- 
 solvinfT than iron. After maceration, according 
 as it is softer or harder, it appears of a lighter 
 or darker gray color ; while iron on the other 
 hand is white. 
 
 STEEL, Bessemer Process of Making. — He- 
 matite pig-iron smelted with coke and hotblast 
 has chiefly been used. The metal is melted in 
 a reverberatory furnace, and is then run into a 
 founder's ladle, and from thence it is transferred 
 to the vessel in which its conversion into steel is 
 to be effected. It is made of stout plate iron and 
 lined with a powdered argillaceous stone found 
 in this neighborhood below the coal, and known 
 as ganister. The converting vessel is mounted 
 on axes, which rest on stout iron standards, and 
 by means of a wheel and handle it may be 
 turned into any required position. There is an 
 opening at the top for the inlet and pouring out 
 of the metal, and at the lowest part are inserted 
 7 fireclay tuyeres, each having five openings in 
 them; these openings communicate at one end 
 with the interior of the vessel, and at the other 
 end with a box called the tuyere-box, into which 
 a current of air from a suitable blast engine is 
 conveyed under a pressure of about 14 lbs. to 
 
 the square inch, a pressure more than sufficient 
 to prevent tlie fluid metal from entering the 
 tuyeres. Before commencing the first operation, 
 the interior of the vessel is heated by coke, a 
 blast through the tuyeres being used to urge the 
 fire. When sufficiently heated, the vessel is 
 turned upside down, and all the unburned coke 
 is shaken out The molten pig-iron is then run 
 in from the ladle before referred to ; the vessel, 
 during the pouring in of the iron, is kept in such 
 a position that the orifices of the tuyeres are at 
 a higher level than the surface of the metal. 
 WTien all the iron has run in the blast is turned 
 on, and the vessel quickly moved round. The 
 air then rushes upwards into fluid metal from 
 each of the 35 small orifices of the tuyeres, pro- 
 ducing a most violent agitation of the whole 
 mass. The silicium, always present in greater 
 or less quantities in pig-iron, is first attacked. 
 It unites readily with the oxygen of the air, 
 producing silicic acid; at the same time a small 
 portion of the iron undergoes oxidation, hence 
 a fluid silicate of the oxide of iron is formed, a 
 little carbon being simultaneously eliminated. 
 The heat is thus gradually increased until nearly 
 the whole of the silicium is oxidized ; this gene- 
 rally takes place in about 12 minutes from the 
 commencement of the process. The carbon 
 now begins to unite more freely with the oxygen 
 of the air, producing at first a small flame, which 
 rapidly increases, and in about three minutes 
 from its first appearance we have a most intense 
 combustion going on: the metal rises higher and 
 higher in the vessel, sometimes occupying more 
 than double its former space. The frothy liquid 
 now presents an enormous surface to the action 
 of the oxygen of the air, which unites rapidly 
 with the carbon contained in the crude iron, and 
 produces a most intense combustion, the whole, 
 •in fact, being a perfect mixture of metal and fire. 
 The carbon is now eliminated so rapidly as to 
 produce a series of harmless explosions, throw- 
 ing out the fluid slags in great quantities, while 
 the union of the gases is so perfect that a volum- 
 inous white flame rushes from the mouth of 
 the vessel, illuminating the whole building, and 
 indicating to the practiced eye the precise condi- 
 tion of the metal inside. The workman may 
 thus leave off whenever the number of minutes 
 he has been blowing and the appearance of the 
 flame indicate the required quality of the metal. 
 This is the mode preferred in working the pro- 
 cess in Sweden. But here we prefer to blow the 
 metal until the flame suddenly stops, which it 
 does just on the approach of the metal to the 
 condition of malleable iron : a small quantity of 
 charcoal pig-iron, containing a known quantity 
 of carbon, is then added, and steel is produced 
 of any desired degree of carburation, the process 
 ha^ng occupied about 28 minutes from the 
 commencement. The vessel is then turned, and 
 the fluid steel is run into the casting ladle, which 
 is provided with a plug rod covered with loam : 
 the rod passes over the top of the ladle, and 
 works in guides on the outside of it, so that, by 
 means of a lever handle, the workman may move 
 it up and down as desired. The lower part of 
 the plug, which occupies the interior of the ladle, 
 has fitted to its lower end a fire-clay cone, which 
 rests in a seating of the same material let into 
 the bottom of the ladle, thus forming a cone 
 valve, by means of which the fluid steel is run 
 into different-sized moulds, as may be requii'ed, 
 
440 
 
 DICTIOiVARY OF E VERY-DAY WANTS. 
 
 the stream of fluid steel being prevented by the^ 
 valve plug from flowing during the movement' 
 of the casting ladle from one mould to another. 
 By tapping the metal from below, no scoria or 
 other extraneous floating matters are allowed to 
 pass into the mould. 
 
 STEEL, Heaton Process of Making. --T)a:\% 
 is essentially a direct method of producing steel 
 chemically that bids fair to be of the very first 
 importance, and almost to revolutionize that 
 branch of industry. This, to express it in the 
 fewest words, consists in pouring melted iron 
 upon nitrate of soda in a cupola furnace, by 
 means of which the oxygen developed from the 
 nitrate combines with all the impurities — carbon, 
 silicon, phosphorus, sulphur, etc. — which disap- 
 pear, leaving the iron in the form of a crude 
 steel, to be used in that form, or to be converted 
 by a subsequent process into cast steel. The 
 details of the process are as follows: 
 
 Cast iron of any quality (and this constitutes 
 the chief advantage of the new process) is melt- 
 ""ed in a common iron cupola furnace, and a 
 known quantity — from half a ton to a ton — is 
 tapped out into an ordinary crane ladle, which 
 is swung round to the side of the converter. 
 This is a tall cylinder of boiler-plate iron, open 
 at the bottom, and with a space between it and 
 the floor. There is a fire-brick lining to the 
 converter, and a conical covering, out of which 
 an iron funnel opens into the atmosphere. In 
 the bottom are placed a number of short cylin- 
 drical pots, lined with brick and fire-clay. Into 
 the bottom of one of these pots is placed a given 
 weight of crude nitrate of soda, the surface of 
 which is leveled, and covered with a circular, 
 perforated plate of thick cast iron. At the side 
 of the cylinder is a hopper, covered by a loosely 
 hinged flap of boiler-plate. This is raised, and 
 the ladleful of cast iron is poured into the con- 
 verter, descending upon the top of the perfor- 
 ated plate, which becomes gradually heated, and 
 a reaction soon commences in the nitrate, result- 
 ing in the development of brown nitrous fumes, 
 followed by blackish-gray and whitish fumes 
 mixed with steam. In five or six minutes de- 
 flagration ensues, with a roaring noise, and the 
 escape of a brilliant yellow flame from the top 
 of the chimney, this lasting for a minute and a 
 half, and then subsiding. The converter is then 
 detached from the chimney, and the contents of 
 the pot emptied on the iron pavement of the 
 foundry, consisting of crude steel and of slag. 
 The steel is in a pasty state, and the slag fluid, 
 the cast iron plate melted up with the general 
 mass. 
 
 The crude steel thus made is then broken up, 
 and again heated on a balling furnace; after- 
 ward rolled or forged into suitable shapes. The 
 material in this form is called "steel iron," and 
 has qualities fully equal, for most purposes, to 
 the Lowmoor iron. It welds perfectly, is neither 
 "hot-short" nor "cold-short," and forges well 
 at both a low red and clear yellow heat. To 
 convert this again into cast steel, the cakes, after 
 squeezing in the shingling hammer, are broken 
 up and put into ordinary clay melting pots hold- 
 ing about 60 lbs. each. To lOO lbs. of the metal 
 are added 2>^ or 3 lbs. of spiegeleisen, or its 
 equivalent of oxide of manganese and charcoal, 
 and the whole fused and cast into ingots. It is 
 now cast steel, and from it bars can be produced 
 in the usual way, fit for any required purpose. 
 
 STEEL, Sictneti's. — The following is the 
 process by which this steel is produced : Good 
 hematite ore and spathic ore are mixed and 
 treated with carbonaceous materials, by which 
 their total or partial reduction into metallic iron 
 is effected. This metallic iron is then subjected 
 to very intense heat on the open hearth of a re- 
 generative gas furnace, and in certain given 
 quantities, or series of installments, is dropped 
 into a bath of cast-iron previously prepared in 
 the furnace. This operation is continued until 
 the requisite degree of decarbonization is ar- 
 rived at ; and manganese is added in the form 
 of ore or of spiegeleisen. The quantity of mol- 
 ten metal thus produced in one charge is about 
 four tons. One ton of steel ingots may be 
 produced with a ton and a half of cheap small 
 coal. The ordinary Sheffield process requires 
 from five to six tons of fuel for one ton of steel. 
 
 STEEL, Tempering. — Giving the proper 
 degree of hardness to tools is a subject of deep 
 interest to most of our readers, so that any light 
 that may be imparted on the subject must be of 
 more or less importance. For tempering many 
 kinds of tools, the steel is first hardened by 
 heating it to a cherry red, and plunging it into 
 cold water. Afterward the temper is drawn by 
 moderately heating the steel again. Different 
 degrees of hardness are required for different 
 purposes, and the degree of heat for each of 
 these, with the corresponding color, will be 
 found in the annexed table : 
 
 Very pale straw-color, 430° — the temper re- 
 quired for lancets. 
 
 A shade of darker yellow, 450" — for razors 
 and surgical instruments. 
 
 Darker straw-yellow, 470° — for penknives. 
 
 Still darker yellow, 490° — chisels for cutting 
 iron. 
 
 A brovra yellow, 500'* — axes and plane-irons. 
 
 Yellow, slightly tinged with purple, 520** — 
 table-knives and watch-springs. 
 
 STEEL, To Color Blue. — The steel must be 
 finely polished on its surface, and then exposed 
 to a uniform degree of heat. Accordingly, there 
 are three ways of coloring : First, by a flame 
 producing no soot, as spirit of wine; secondly, 
 by a hot plate of iron ; and thirdly, by wood- 
 ashes. As a very regular degree of heat is ne- 
 cessary, wood-ashes for fine work bears the pre- 
 ference. The work must be covered over with 
 them, and carefully watched ; when the color is 
 sufficiently heightened, the work is perfect. 
 This color is occasionally taken off" with a very 
 dilute muriatic acid. 
 
 STEEL, To Remove Bhmigfrom. — Immerse 
 in a pickle composed of equal parts muriatic acid 
 and elixir vitriol. Rinse in pure water and dry 
 in tissue paper. 
 
 STEEL, Scaling. — The scales on steel arti- 
 cles can be removed by pickling in \\ ater with a 
 little sulphuric acid in it, and when the scale is 
 loosened, brushing with sand and a stiff" brush. 
 
 STEEL (^Bunit), To Restore. — Borax, 3 oz.; 
 sal-ammoniac, 8 oz.; prussiate of potash, 3 oz.; 
 blue clay, 2 oz.; rosin, l^ lb.; water, i gill; 
 alcohol, I gill. Put all on a fire, and simmer 
 till it dries to a powder. The steel is to be 
 heated, and dipped into this powder, and after- 
 wards hammered. 
 
 STEEL, To Toughen. — Rosin 2 lbs.; tallow 
 2 lbs. ; black pitch I lb. ; melt together, and dip 
 the steel in when hot. 
 
IVOR KB RS IiV METALS. 
 
 441 
 
 STEEL GOODS, To Prcsetve. — Caout- 
 chouc, I part; turpentine, 16 parts. Dissolve 
 \rith a gentle heat, then add boiled oil, 8 parts. 
 Mix by bringing them to the heat of boiling 
 water; apply it to the steel with a brush, in the 
 way of varnish. It may be removed when dry 
 with turpentine. The oil may be wholly omitted. 
 STEAM BOILERS, To 7aork wilhout mak- 
 ing smoke. — Smoke can not be consumed when 
 once made, but it can be prevented by properly 
 proportioned fire-grates, with due admission of 
 air and careful firing, and without the need of 
 expensive or patent apparatus. The subject may 
 be clearly explained by a simple illustration. 
 Petroline or naphtha and such like compounds 
 form the most smoky fuel ; yet for a few pence 
 lamps can be purchased which are familiar to 
 all, which consume it without the least trace of 
 smoke. The most simple cottager knows that 
 his lamp never need smoke unless it is turned 
 up too high. It smokes in that case because it 
 is then worked beyond its power. Immediately 
 it is turned lower, the lamp gives better light at 
 a less cost and without waste. It is just the 
 same with boiler and other fire-grates. When 
 they smoke, it shows they are overworked. 
 Lessen the quantity of fuel burned in each grate 
 to the proper proportion, and keep the supply of 
 fuel regular, and the smoke will cease, and tlie 
 greatest economy will be received. 
 
 A bright and smokeless flame as well indicates 
 that a large furnace is doing its proper and high- 
 est duty, as the bright flame shows the lamp to 
 be in order. It is well that public bodies should 
 insist on smoke being prevented as much as pos- 
 sible ; but mischief and dissatisfaction result if 
 the only way to satisfy complaint is by adopting 
 some of the special apparatus. The true way 
 to prevent smoke is to have sufficient boiler-room 
 to generate the steam required sufficiently slowly 
 to allow the combustion to be complete. There 
 is greater economy in this than in futile efforts 
 to force too small a boiler to do the required 
 work with ruinous waste. 
 
 TEMPERING LIQUID.— \. To 6 quarts 
 soft water put in corrosive sublimate, I oz. ; com- 
 mon salt, 2 handfuls ; when dissolved it is ready 
 for use. The first gives toughness to the steel, 
 while the latter gives the hardness. Be careful 
 with this preparation, as it is a dangerous poison. 
 — 2. Salt, Yz tea-cup ; saltpetre, y^oz.; alum, 
 pulverized, i tea-spoon; soft water, I gallon; 
 never heat over a cherry red, nor draw any tem- 
 per. — 3. Saltpetre, sal-ammoniac, and alum, of 
 each 2 oz. ; salt, l>^ lbs. ; water, 3 gallons, and 
 draw no temper. — 4. Saltpetre and alum, each 
 2 oz. ; sal-ammoniac, Yz oz. ; salt, \Yz lbs. ; 
 soft water, 2 gallons. Heat to a cherry red, and 
 plunge in, drawing no temper, 
 
 TESTING by Means of the Blowpipe.— 
 Sulphuret of sodium is one of the best blowpipe 
 tests, if used in the following manner : First, 
 a bead is made with borax and the substance to 
 be tested, and this bead, having been made very 
 fluid within the reduction flame, there is added 
 to it some dry and pulveRzed polysulphuret of 
 s^ura, and the bead again heated in the reduc- 
 tion flame. If the substance under investigation 
 can form a sulpho-acid, there will be formed a 
 soluble sulpho-salt and a clear bead ; but when 
 no such salt can be formed, with lead, for in- 
 stance, an opaque bead will be formed. Iron, 
 lead, bismuth, nickel, cobalt, palladium, thalli- 
 
 um, silver, copper, uranium, etc., fused in a 
 bead of borax, to which, afterwards, sulphuret 
 of sodium is added, will yield a black or brown 
 colored opaque bead; zinc yields a white opaque 
 bead; cadmium, while yet hot, scarlet red, and 
 yellow after cooling; manganese, a dirty chest- 
 nut brown; gold and platinum, a clear, trans- 
 parent, mahogany brown bead; tin, a clear, 
 transparent, yellowish brown bead; chromium, 
 a green bead; arsenic and antimony, colorless 
 clear beads; vanadium and iridium, blood red 
 beads; a slight excess of the sulphuret of sodium 
 is required, and the bead should be heated care- 
 fully, but steadily, and with a good blast in the 
 reduction flame. 
 
 TIERS ARGENT. —This alloy, generally 
 supposed to consist of one-third silver and two- 
 thirds nickel, has been analyzed recently by Dr. 
 C. Winkler and found to be composed of silver, 
 27.56 parts; zinc, 9.57; nickel, 3.42; copper, 
 59.06; total, 99.61. 
 
 TINNING. — I. Plates or vessels of brass 
 or copper, boiled with a solution of stannate of 
 potassa, mixed with turnings of tin, become, in 
 the course of a few minutes, covered with a firm- 
 ly-attached layer of pure tin. — 2. A similar effect 
 is produced by boiUng the articles with tin filings 
 and caustic alkaU, or cream of tartar. In the above 
 way chemical vessels made of copper or brass may 
 be easily and perfectly tinned. 
 
 TINNING by the Moist VVay.—li is a well 
 known fact that, when it is desirable to cover 
 metals, especially brass or copper, with a strong- 
 ly adhering coaling of tin, this is usually effected 
 by boiling the articles to be thus coated with an 
 aqueous fluid, to which is added cream of tartar, 
 crystallized protochloride of tin, and some lumps 
 of pure metallic tin. The author states that, in- 
 stead of this mixture, he uses, with very good 
 success, a solution of one part of protochloride 
 of tin in ten parts of water, to which he next 
 adds a solution of two parts of caustic soda in 
 twenty parts of water; the mixture becomes 
 turbid, but this does not effect the tinning ope- 
 ration, which is effected by heating the objects 
 to be tinned in this fluid, care being taken, at 
 the same time, to place in the liquid a piece of 
 perforated block-tin plate, and to stir up the fluid 
 during the tinning with a rod of zinc. 
 
 TIN, To Crystallize. — Sulphuric acid, 4 oz.; 
 soft water, 2 to 3 oz., according to strength of 
 the acid; salt, i^ oz« Mix. Heat the tin hot 
 over a stove, then with a sponge apply the mix- 
 ture, then wash off directly with clean water. 
 Dry the tin, and varnish with demar varnish. 
 
 TIN PL A TE, Crystallized. —The figures are 
 more or less beautiful ana diversified, according 
 to the degree of heat, and relative dilution of 
 the acid. Place the tin-plate, slightly heated, 
 over a tub of water, and rub its surface with a 
 sponge dipped in a liquor composed of four parts 
 of aquafortis, and two of distilled water, holding 
 one part of common salt or sal ammoniac in 
 solution. Whenever the crystalline spangles 
 seem to be thoroughly brought out, the plate 
 must be immersed in water, washed either with 
 a feather or a httle cotton (taking care not to 
 rub off the film of tin that forms the feathering), 
 forthwith dried with a low heat, and coated with 
 a lacquer varnish, otherwise it loses its lustre in 
 the air. If the whole surface is not plunged at 
 once in cold water, but if it be partially cooled 
 by sprinkling water on it, the crystallization will 
 
442 
 
 DICTIONARY OF EVERY-DAY WANTS. 
 
 be finely variegated with large and small figures. 
 Similar results will be obtained by blowing cold 
 air through a pipe on the tinned surface, while 
 it is just passing from tlie fused to the solid state. 
 TIN CANS, Size of Sheet, for from \ to \Q0 
 Gallons: — 
 
 For I gallon, 7 by 20 inches. 
 2,y2 " 10 by 28 " 
 
 5 " 12 by 40 " 
 
 6 " 14 by 40 " 
 10 " 20 by 42 " 
 15 " 30 by 42 " 
 25 " 30 by 56 " 
 40 " 36 by 63 " 
 50 " 40 by 70 '* 
 75 •« 40 by 84 " 
 
 100 " 40 by 98 " 
 
 This includes all the laps, seams, etc., which 
 will be found sufficiently correct for all practical 
 purposes. 
 
 TIN, Muriate of. {Tin Liquor.)— Get at a 
 tinner's shop, block tin ; put it in a shovel, and 
 melt it. After it is melted, pour it from the 
 height of 4 or 5 feet into a pail of clear water. 
 The object of this is to have the tin in small 
 particles, so that the acid can dissolve it. Take 
 It out of the water and dry it; then put it into a 
 strong glass bottle ; pour over it muriatic acid, 
 12 oz.; "then slowly add sulphuric acid, 8 oz. 
 The acid should be added about a table-spoon at 
 a time, at intervals of 5 or 8 minutes ; for if you 
 add it too rapidly you run the risk of breaking 
 the bottle by heat. After you have all the acid 
 in, let the bottle stand until the ebullition sub- 
 sides; then stop it up with a beeswax or glass 
 stopper, and set it away ; and it will keep good for 
 a year or more, or will be fit for use in 24 hours. 
 
 TINWARE, To Mend.—Tske a vial two- 
 thirds full of muriatic acid, put into it all the 
 chippings of sheet zinc it will dissolve, then put 
 in a crumb of sal ammoniac, and fill up with 
 water. Wet the place to be mended with this 
 liquid, put a piece of zinc over the hole, and 
 apply a spirit lamp or candle below it, which 
 melts the solder on the tin, and causes the zinc 
 to adhere. 
 
 TINNING Cast-Iron.— The iron is first well 
 rubbed and cleaned in a bath of diluted sulphuric 
 acid, then dipped in a solution of one part of sal 
 ammoniac in seven parts of water. The tin used 
 is alloyed with three ounces of copper for one 
 hundred pounds of tin. The degree of tempera- 
 ture at which the melted tin will attach itself to 
 the cleaned cast-iron objects must be found by 
 experience. When too hot, it will not adhere 
 •well. The objects to be tinned must be very 
 smooth, otherwise the tinning will not succeed ; 
 and in order to make the alloy with copper, it is 
 best to melt the copper first with a few pounds 
 of the tin, so that the higher temperature re- 
 quired to make this alloy may be more easily 
 reached. When cast-iron objects have to be 
 covered with a thick coating of tin — for instance, 
 the inside of iron pots — they are first thoroughly 
 cleaned, if possible, by grinding or turning, then 
 heated to the melting point of the tin, then some 
 of this tin is poured in with sal ammoniac, and 
 this rubbed on the smooth surface with a piece 
 of cork, and the excess of tin poured out. When 
 covered with tin, in order to prevent this from 
 draining off from the iron surface, and giving a 
 coating of irregular thickness, before the pot is 
 cold and the tin solidified, the outside of the pot 
 
 is plunged in cold water, which must not be 
 allowed to get on the inside. In this way the 
 tin coating may be obtained of a more uniform 
 thickness. 
 
 TINNING {Cold) and Soldering.— T[\\i.\s 
 done by means of an amalgam of tin and mex- 
 cury. For tinning, it is made with so little 
 mercury as to be soft and friable. 1 he pieces to 
 be tinned, even if of cast-iron, steel, or vrought- 
 iron, are first thoroughly cleaned by filing, scrap- 
 ing, turning, rubbing with emery or sandpaper, 
 or otherwise, without using any oil or fat, and 
 theri rubbed with a heavy rag, moistened with 
 muriatic acid. A little of the ^malgam is then 
 rubbed on with the same rag, and if the clean- 
 ing was complete, the metal is found to be 
 thoroughly coated. 
 
 Such pieces may then be soldered in the usual 
 manner, with the common alloy of tin and lead; 
 but for cold soldering, an alloy of tin and mer- 
 cury is made, with more mercury than the above, 
 so as to form a soft, pasty mass, which is placed 
 between the tinned objects. The latter are 
 pressed together to remove superfluous metal, 
 and then set aside to harden. 
 
 In order to make a cold soldering joint be- 
 tween pieces of tin, lead, bismuth, or antimony, 
 all that is required is pure mercury. Clean and 
 amalgamate the surfaces to be joined, and place 
 a few drops of mercury between; press to- 
 gether; remove the drops of mercury squeezed 
 out ; and put in an airy, warm place, to harden. 
 The mercury will slowly disappear by eva- 
 poration, and leave the metal united. 
 
 TIN, Gold Lacquer for. — Alcohol in a flask 
 y^ pt. ; add gum shellac i oz. ; turmeric y^ oz.; 
 red-sanders ^ oz. Set the flask in a warm 
 place, shake frequently for 12 hours or more, 
 then strain off the liquor, rinse the bottle and 
 return it, corking tightly for use. 
 
 When this varnish is used, it must be applied 
 to the work freely and flowing, or, if the work 
 admits of it, it may be dipped into the varnish, 
 and laid on the top of the stove to dry, which it 
 will do veiy quickly; and they must not be 
 rubbed or brushed while drying ; or the article 
 may be hot when applied. One or more coats 
 may be laid on, as the color is required more or 
 less light or deep. This is applied to lanterns, 
 etc. If any of it should become thick from eva- 
 poration, at any time, thin it with alcohol. And 
 by proper modifications, all the various colors 
 are obtained. 
 
 TOMBAC, White. — When copper is com- 
 bined with arsenic, by melting them together in 
 a close crucible, and covering the surface with 
 common salt to prevent oxidation, a white brittle 
 alloy is formed. 
 
 TOMBAC, Red.—VvX into a crucible 5;^ 
 lbs. of copper; when fused add y^ Ih. of zinc; 
 these metals will combine, forming an alloy of a 
 reddish color, but possessing more lustre than 
 copper, and also greater durability. 
 
 TYPE METAL.— LeTsA 3 parts; antimony 
 I part; melted together. Small types are 
 usually made of a harder composition than large 
 ones. A good stereotype metal is said to be 
 made of lead 9 parts ; antimony 2 do. ; bismuth 
 I do. This alloy expands as it cools, and con- 
 sequently brings out a fine impression. 
 
 VARNISH for /;w?. — The following is a 
 method given by Mr. Weiszkopf of producing 
 upon iron a durable black shining varnish: 
 
WORKERS IN METALS. 
 
 443 
 
 '•Take oil of turpentine, add to it, drop by drop 
 and while stirring, strong sulphuric acid until a 
 syrupy precipitate is quite formed, and no more 
 of it is produced on further addition of a drop of 
 acid. The liquid is now repeatedly washed with 
 water, every time refreshed after a good stirring 
 until the water does not exhibit any more acid 
 reaction on being tested with blue litmus paper. 
 The precipitate is next brought upon a cloth fil- 
 ter, and, after all the water has run off, the syr- 
 upy mass is'fit for use. This thickish magma 
 is painted over the iron with a brush ; if it hap- 
 pens to be too stiff, it is previously diluted with 
 some oil of turpentine. Immediately after the 
 iron has been St) painted, the paint is burnt in 
 by a gentle heat, and, after cooling, the black 
 surface is rubbed over with a piece of woolen 
 stuff dipped in, and moistened with linseed oil. 
 Accordmg to the author, this varnish is not a 
 simple covering of the surface, but it is chemi- 
 cally combined with the metal, and does not, 
 therefore, wear off or peel off, as other paints 
 and varnishes do, from iron." 
 
 VARN'ISHfor Iron and Steel. — Dissolve lo 
 parts of clear grains of mastic, 5 parts of cam- 
 phor, 15 parts of sandarac, and 5 ofelemi, 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 re- 
 tain its transparency, and the metallic brilliancy 
 of the articles will not be obscured. 
 
 VARNISH {Anii-Riist), for Iron atid Steel. 
 — Resin, 120 parts ; sandarac, 180 parts; gum 
 lac, 60 parts; essence of turpentine, 120 parts ; 
 rectified alcohol, 180 parts. Pound the first three 
 ingredients, digest them by a regular heat until 
 they are melted, and add the turpentine very 
 gradually. After complete solution has taken 
 place, add the alcohol, and filter through fine 
 cloth or thick filtering-paper. The varnish should 
 be kept in welUstoppered bottles. 
 
 VARNISH for rw/j.— Take tallow, 2 oz.; 
 rosin, l oz.; and melt together. Strain while 
 hot to get rid of specks which are in the rosin ; 
 apply a slight coat on your tools with a brush, 
 and it will keep off rust for any length of time. 
 
 VARNISH, Gold. — ^Turmeric, i dram; gam- 
 boge, I dram; turpentine, 2 pints; shellac, 5 oz.; 
 sandarac, 5 oz.; dragon's blood, 8 drams; thin 
 mastic varnish, 8 oz. ; digest with occasional 
 agitation for 14 days; then set aside to fine, and 
 pour off the clear. 
 
 VARNISH {Black), for Coal Buckets.— As- 
 
 {)haltum, I lb. ; lamp-black, ]^ lb. ; rosin, \^ 
 b.; spirits of turpentine, i quart. Dissolve tne 
 asphaltum and rosin in the turpentine ; then rub 
 up the lampblack with linseed oil, only sufficient 
 to form a paste, and mix with the others. Apply 
 with a brush. 
 
 WATCHES, To Clean.— It is hardly neces- 
 sary to say that great caution must be observed 
 in taking the watch down — that is, in separating 
 its parts. If you are new at the business think 
 before you act, and then act slowly. Take off 
 the hands carefully so as not to bend the slender 
 pivots upon which they work ; this will be the 
 first step. Second — loosen and lift the movement 
 from the case. Third — remove the dial and dial 
 wheels. Fourth — let down the main-spring by 
 placing your bench key upon the arbor, or 
 "winding post," and turning as though you were 
 going to wind the watch until the click rests 
 lightly upon the ratchet ; then with your screw- 
 
 driver press the point of the click away from the 
 teeth, and ease down the springs. Fifth — draw 
 the screws (or pins) and remove the bridges of 
 the train, or the upper plate, as the case may be. 
 Sixth — take out the balance. Great care must 
 be observed in this or you will injure the hair- 
 spring. The stud or little square post into which 
 the hair-spring is fastened may be removed from 
 the bridge or plate of most modern watches, 
 without unkeymg the spring, by slipping a thin 
 instrument, as the edge of a knife blade, under 
 the corner of it and prying upward. This will 
 save you a considerable amount of trouble, as you 
 will not have the hair-spring to adjust when you 
 reset the balance. 
 
 If the watch upon which you propose to work 
 has an upper plate, as an American or English 
 lever for instance, loosen the lever before you 
 have entirely separated the plates, otherwise it 
 will hang and most likely be broken. 
 
 Having the machine now down, brush the 
 dust from its different parts and subject them to 
 a careful examination with your eye-glass. As- 
 sure yourself that the teeth of the wheels and 
 leaves of the pinions are all perfect and smooth; 
 that the pivots are all straight, round and highly 
 polished; that the holes through which they are 
 to work, are not too large, and have not become 
 oval in shape ; that every jewel is smooth and 
 perfectly sound ; and that none of them are loose 
 in their settings. See, also, that the escapement 
 is not too deep or too shallow; that the lever 
 or cylinder is perfect; that all the wheels have 
 sufficient play to avoid friction, but not enough 
 to derange their coming together properly; that 
 none of them work against the pillar-plate ; that 
 the balance turns horizontally and does not rub ; 
 that the hair-spring is not bent or wrongly set 
 so that the coils rub on each otlier, on the plate 
 or on the balance; in short, that everything 
 about the whole movement is just as reason 
 would teach you it should be. If you find it 
 otherwise, proceed to repair in accordance with 
 a carefully weighed judgment, and the processes 
 given elsewhere, after which clean — if not, 
 the watch only needs to be cleaned, and there- 
 fore you may go ahead vt'ith your work at once. 
 
 Many watchmakers wet the pillar plates and 
 bridges with saliva, and then dipping the brush 
 into pulverized chalk or Spanish whiting, rub 
 vigorously until they appear bright. This is not 
 a good plan, as it tends to remove the plating 
 and roughen the parts, and the chalk gets into 
 the holes and damages them, or sticks around 
 the edges of the wheel-beds. The best process 
 is to simply blow your breath upon the plate or 
 bridge to be cleaned, and then to use your brush 
 with a little prepared chalk — (See recipe for pre- 
 paring it. ) The wheels and bridges should be 
 held between the thumb and finger in a piece of 
 soft paper while undergoing the process ; other- 
 wise the oil from the skin will prevent their 
 becoming clean. The pinions may be cleaned 
 by sinking them several times into a piece of 
 pith, and the holes by turning a nicely shaped 
 piece of pivot wood into them, first dry and 
 afterwards oiled a very little with watch oil. 
 When the holes pass through jewels you must 
 work gently to avoid breaking them. 
 
 The oiling above named is all the watch will 
 need. A great fault with many watchmakers 
 lies in their use of too much oil. 
 
 Some watchmakers employ what they call the 
 
444 
 
 DICTIONARY OF EVERY-DAY WANTS. 
 
 •'Chemical Process" to clean and remove dis- 
 colorations from watch movements. It is as 
 follows: — 
 
 Remove the screws and other steel parts ; then 
 dampen with a solution of oxalic acid and water. 
 Let it remain a few moments, after wliich im- 
 merse in a solution made of one-fourth poimd 
 cyanuret potassa to one gallon rain water. Let 
 remain about five minutes, and then rinse well 
 with clean water, after which you may dry in 
 sawdust, or with a brush and prepared chalk, as 
 suits your convenience. This gives the work 
 an excellent appearance, but I cannot say that it 
 makes it any better than does the old process. 
 
 WA TCH, Care of. — Always have a key with 
 a good pipe or square, and one that fits properly 
 on the square of your watch, for if it does not fit 
 good and firm it will be apt to slip, often break- 
 ing either the chain, the ratchet, or the click. 
 If the square of your watch is too short, or worn 
 nearly round, get a watchmaker to repair it, or 
 make a new one. Be particular to wind your 
 watch the proper way. English watches, or 
 those with fuzee and chain, usually wind to the 
 left ; and almost all the Swiss ones, or those with 
 the going barrel, wind to the right. While being 
 wound, th^ watch should be held steadily in one 
 hand, so as to have no circular motion, which 
 always produces variation in the vibration of the 
 balance, and sometimes considerable derange- 
 ment in the escapement. It is better to keep a 
 watch continually going than to lay it by and 
 wind it occasionally. The going of the watch 
 keeps the oil in a limpid state, and the watch 
 keeps its regulation better. Many will (when 
 their watch is first wound up, after having lain by 
 for some time,) say, "I have not wound or used 
 it for so long." They do not consider that the 
 oil will thicken or evaporate, and cannot be in 
 the same state as if the watch was kept going 
 regularly. Always wind steadily and slowly, 
 holding on the key to hold the spring while the 
 click slips from one tooth to the other, otherwise 
 there is danger of breaking of chains, clicks, 
 ratchets, etc. The click, chain or spring is some- 
 times broken by winding a watch too fast. \Mien 
 a watch stops in winding it, if in one with a 
 chain, it is frequently by the going fuzee works 
 not being correct. In a watch without a chain, 
 it may also be by some defect in the escape- 
 ment, or by the stop works on the barrel being 
 out of order; in either case take it to a watchmaker. 
 
 Watches frequently stop by the springs break- 
 ing, owing to the changes of the atmosphere, 
 particularly in cold weather. This is one of the 
 accidents which cannot possibly be avoided by 
 the best workmen, and in the very best watches. 
 It is impossible to make a main spring which 
 will not be influenced by the sudden changes of 
 the weather. Therefore, if the spring of your 
 watch breaks, do not blame the watchmaker, as 
 they often break from the same cause while the 
 watch is in his care. 
 
 • Be not afraid that your watch will not go as 
 well after a new spring has been put in as be- 
 fore; if a good new spring has been properly 
 put in, your watch will go as well as ever. 
 
 English, or watches with chains, will usually 
 wind about four and a half (4^) turns to every 
 twenty-four hours, while those with a going bar- 
 rel about three and a half (3^) turns; this will 
 partly serve as a guide to ascertain if your watch 
 winds right. 
 
 If the springs or chains break frequently, be 
 sure there is some defect in the stop work, which 
 must be corrected by a watchmaker. 
 
 Many persons say, "I have over-wound my 
 watch; " it may be possible to do it in winding 
 very fast, and in a hurry. If the stop works of 
 a large and thick watch, or one with a chain, are 
 in order, it will take a strong key to resist the 
 strain that you can give to over- wind it. If not 
 in order, the chain will break. In a flat watch, 
 or one with a going barrel, if the stop works are 
 not in order, or there is only one, or perhaps 
 none, and you force it, you will break the spring, 
 or some of the teeth of the wheels, or pinions, 
 and sometimes both ; if, when the spring is bro- 
 ken, you keep winding, you are likely to break 
 or injure some other parts of the works. 
 
 Be particular never to trifle with a good watch, 
 or use it as a toy, but as a piece of delicate and 
 complicated mechanism, requiring great care ; 
 by so doing, you may preserve your watch, and 
 avoid a great deal of expense for repairs. 
 
 Before winding or setting your watch, it is 
 advisable to see that the key and the inside of 
 the pipe contains no dirt or dust that may get 
 on the winding or setting square, and from 
 thence to the wheels or escapement. 
 
 When a watch is hung up, it should be per- 
 fectly at rest. If hung on a round hook without 
 further support, the motion of the balance will 
 generate a pendulous motion of the watch, and 
 will cause much variation in the time. Power- 
 ful watches should never be laid horizontally, 
 unless placed on a soft substance; if placed on a 
 smooth flat surface, from the convexity of the 
 glass or case, the watch only rests on a point, 
 and the vibration of the balance alone is suffi- 
 cient to produce motion in the watch. 
 
 Should a watch stop, see if the hands rub on 
 the dial, and are free of each other ; if they are 
 caught together, you may free them yourself by 
 taking the point of a small knife blade, and dis- 
 engaging them ; your watch, if there is nothing 
 more the matter with it, will then start by giv- 
 ing it a slight shake. 
 
 Frequently, after a watch has had a new glass 
 put in, it will stop ; that is through the glass 
 being too flat, and touching either on the center 
 pinion, or by pressing on the hands ; in that 
 case, blame the person who put the glass in, and 
 let him put another in ; if there is not, as in very 
 flat watches, room enough for the hands to work 
 free of each other, it will often be advisable to 
 have the cover of the case raised a little ; in thin 
 watches, the case may have been pressed flat in 
 the center by wearing. 
 
 If anything is the matter with your watch, 
 which you cannot discover immediately, do not 
 try to put it in order yourself, and meddle with 
 the works, but show it at once to a good watch- 
 maker. I have had watches to repair in which 
 the wearer thought he could detect the defect 
 himself; in opening it, he would see the spiral 
 spring, and think that it was some hair which 
 had no business there, and in trying to remove 
 it, would spoil or break it. 
 
 Many watches are injured by the wearers 
 thinking that they can make them go by open- 
 ing, winding, and shaking them. 
 
 Watches should be opened as little as possible, 
 merely to wind, set, or regulate them. By 
 continually opening them, particularly in the in- 
 side cap, opportunity is offered to minute part- 
 
WORKERS IN METALS. 
 
 445 
 
 icles of dirt from the case, or otherwise, to in- 
 trude into the works. 
 
 Particular care should be taken to keep the 
 works of a watch clean ; even though perfectly 
 free from dust, they ought to be taken to pieces 
 and cleaned when the oil has become dry, as, 
 without this precaution, the best watches would 
 be spoiled. It is good watches that will continue 
 to go, until friction and wear prevent their going 
 any longer ; they are the most liable to be ne- 
 glected. 
 
 Watches, under ordinary circumstances, should 
 be cleaned every second or third year at farthest. 
 Those that are small and flat, or have complicat- 
 ed works, require cleaning more frequently. 
 Neglect in this particular is the reason why 
 many imported watches are injured by not being 
 attended to in time, and having the oil changed. 
 They may have been made some time previous 
 to being sent out ; then the journey here, then 
 from the importers to the dealers, where they 
 may lay for a long time before being sold ; so 
 that years may possibly elapse before the wearer 
 has it in his pocket. Therefore, is it to be ex- 
 pected that the watch can perform correctly? 
 If it does, all the time you keep it going, you 
 are only causing it more injury. 
 
 No good watchmaker will allow a watch to go 
 too long without changing the oil. 
 
 \VA TCH, Care of {Another Code of Direc- 
 tions). 
 
 1. Do not make a toy of it for yourself or the 
 children. Never open it e.\cept for necessary 
 purposes. 
 
 2. It should be regulated to about mean tem- 
 perature, and always kept as near the same tem- 
 perature as possible. 
 
 3. It should not be allowed to stop. Better 
 that it be kept running all the time. 
 
 4. Keep it in as uniform a position as pos- 
 sible. If in the pocket, better that the pendant 
 ring be upright. 
 
 5. Out of the pocket, if it hangs on the wall, 
 let it be upon some soft surface. Never allow 
 it to lie on bare marble or other hard surface. 
 If it lie on any surface, let it be with face up and 
 pendant ring turned under, so as to keep the 
 upper part most elevated. 
 
 6. Let your key fit exactly, and be kept per- 
 fectly clean. By the former you may save break- 
 ing chains, mainsprings, ratchets, clicks, &c. ; 
 by the latter, prevent introducing much dust. 
 
 7. Wind, if possible, at the same hour each 
 dav. 
 
 S. While winding, hold your watch steadily 
 in your left hand. Turn only your key, and that 
 firmly, evenly, avoiding all quick motions or 
 jerks. 
 
 9. Set your watch with a key ; never turn the 
 hands by any other way. You may turn the 
 hands either way without danger, if they do not 
 move very hard, 
 
 10. The hand of a pocket-chronometer or du- 
 plex watch should never be set backwards ; in 
 other watches this is a matter of no consequence 
 whatever. 
 
 11. The glass should never be opened in 
 watches that set and regulate at the back. 
 
 12. On regulating a watch, should it be going 
 too fast, move the regulator a trifle toward the 
 "slow", and if going slow, to the i^everse ; yoii 
 cannot move the regulator too gently at a time, 
 and the only inconvenience that can arise is. 
 
 that you may have to perform that duty more 
 than once. 
 
 13. Take notice that your watch, even if a 
 good one, will sometimes be guilty of "irregu- 
 larities" in consequence of change of tempera- 
 ture, from the effects of which none but a chro- 
 nometer is exempt; also from the jerks and jars 
 of travel. 
 
 14. If you find any difficulty which you do 
 not understand, go at once to a good watch- 
 maker. 
 
 WATCH WHEELS, To Put Teeth into.— 
 Most watchmakers solder or dovetail their teeth 
 in, but there is a new mode which I consider 
 far better, and I know it is easier : Make a hole 
 through the plate of the wheel immediately be- 
 low the point from which the tooth has been 
 broken. Let its diameter be a little greater than 
 the width of a tooth. Next, with your tooth- 
 saw cut down where the tooth should stand till 
 you come into the hole. You then dress out 
 with a head upon it, a piece of brass wire, till it 
 fits nicely into the cut of the saw, with its head 
 in the hole. With a fine graver you then cut a 
 crease into the wheel-plate above and below, on 
 either side of the newly-fitted wire ; after which, 
 with your hammer, you cautiously spread the 
 face of the wire until it fills the creases, and is 
 securely clinched or riveted into the wheel. This 
 makes a strong job, and one that dresses up to 
 look as well as any other. 
 
 WA TCH MO VEMENTS, To Frost.— "SmV. 
 that part of the article to be frosted for a short . 
 time in a compound of nitric acid, muriatic acid 
 and table salt — one ounce of each. On removing 
 from the acid, place it in a shallow vessel con- 
 taining enough sour beer to merely cover it, then 
 with a fine scratch brush scour thoroughly, let- 
 ting it remain under the beer during the opera- 
 tion. Next wash off", first in pure water and 
 then in alcohol. Gild or silver in accordance 
 with any recipe in the chapter on plating. 
 
 WELDING METALS, Philosophy of- 
 When two pieces of metal of any kind are to be 
 united by welding, the surfaces of conjunction 
 must be equally heated, and both surfaces must 
 be brought to such a temperature that the parti- 
 cles will form a perfect continuity between the 
 pieces united. This embraces the entire theory 
 of welding, soldering, or brazing metaUic sub- 
 stances ofany kind. A poor weld, or an imper- 
 fect piece of brazing or soldering may always be 
 attributed to the lack of skill on the part of the 
 workman. In addition, however, to the equal 
 and adequate heating of the surfaces to be united, 
 every particle of coal-dust, cinders, or scales of 
 oxide must be removed, so as to present two 
 perfectly clean surfaces at the very moment 
 when the union is to be effected. Furthermore, 
 the piece of metal that would fuse at the lower 
 temperature must be the guide, when bringing 
 the surfaces of conjunction up to the proper heat. 
 If, for example, two pieces of wrought-iron are 
 to be welded, the part that will melt at the lo\yer 
 temperature must be brought just to a welding 
 heat, and the surface of the other piece must be 
 heated quite as hot, or a trifle hotter than the 
 first piece. Then, if the surfaces be clean when 
 the parts are brought together, the union will 
 be satisfactorily complete. The degree of heat 
 aimed at must be — not to produce a fluid — but 
 simply to bring the metal into a condition be- 
 tween fluidity and plasticity. 
 
446 
 
 DICTIONARY OF EVERY~DAY WANTS. 
 
 When a soldering-iron, sufficiently hot to melt 
 solder readily, is applied to a piece of solder on 
 a sheet of clean tin, as the tin is so thin, the 
 surface will be heated almost instantly as hot as 
 the melted or half-fluid solder, and the resulting 
 union will be perfect. But let the same solder- 
 ing-iron and some of the same solder be em- 
 ployed in attempting to make solder adhere to a 
 thick piece of lead pipe, and it will be found that 
 it will not stick until the lead has been heated as 
 hot as the solder. It is no difficult task to make 
 solder adhere to a steel knife-blade, by simply 
 cleaning the surface and applying a black-hot 
 iron to a piece of solder laid on the clean metal, 
 provided a little resin be sprinkled over the steel 
 to prevent oxidation. But it is not possible to 
 make solder stick to a thick piece of steel until 
 the soldering-iron has been applied to the sur- 
 face a sufficient length of time to heat the entire 
 bar to a proper temperature. Solder will not 
 adhere to a cold surface ; neither can one piece 
 of iron be welded to another "that has not been 
 brought up to such a degree of temperature that 
 the particles of metal at the surface will unite. 
 
 WELDING by Pressure.— \X is claimed that 
 recent experiments by French machinists have 
 shown that continued, steady hydraulic pressure 
 in welding, causes complete union of two masses 
 of iron, while the junction is only superficial if 
 produced by the hammer. Among other experi- 
 ments, two iron bars, one and a half inches in 
 diameter, were heated to the welding point and 
 • brought under the hydraulic press. The weld- 
 ing was eflected with extraordinary quickness, 
 the fibres of the iron being thoroughly interca- 
 lated with each other, and the joined portion of 
 the bars was quite as strong as anywhere else, 
 a microscopic section of the joint showing a per- 
 fectly homogeneous texture. 
 
 WELDING {A New) /Wvr.— The follow- 
 ing composition, recently patented in Belgium, 
 is said to be very useful for welding iron and 
 steel together. It consists of one thousand parts 
 of iron filings, five hundred parts of borax, fifty 
 parts of balsam of copaiva or other resinous oil, 
 with seventy-five parts of sal-ammoniac. Those 
 ingi-edients are well mixed together, heated and 
 pulverized. The process of welding is much the 
 same as usual. The surfaces to be united are 
 powdered with the composition, and then brought 
 to a cherry-red heat, at which the powder melts, 
 when the portions to be welded are taken from 
 the fire and joined. If the pieces to be welded 
 are too large to be both introduced at the same 
 time into the forge, one can be first heated with 
 the welding powder to a cherry-red heat, and 
 the other afterwards to a white heat, after which 
 the welding may be effected. Another composi- 
 tion for the same object consists of fifteen parts 
 of borax, two parts of sal-ammoniac and two 
 parts of cyanide of potassium. These constitu- 
 ents are dissolved in water, and the water itself 
 afterwards evaporated at a low temperature. 
 
 WELDING CAST STEEL without Borax. 
 — Copperas 2 oz.; saltpetre I oz.; common salt 
 6 oz.; black oxide of manganese I oz.; prussiate 
 of potash I oz.; all pulverized and mixed with 
 nice welding sand 3 lbs.; and use it the same as 
 you would sand. 
 
 WELDING a small piece of Iron upon a large 
 one. — It is often desirable to weld a bit of iron 
 upon a large bar, when the large piece must be 
 heated equally hot as the small one. To save 
 
 this: Take borax i lb.; red oxide of iron i to 2 
 oz.; melt them together in a crucible; and when 
 cold, pulverize it and keep the powder dry for 
 use. 'VVhen you want to perform the operation, 
 just bring the large piece to a white heat, having 
 a good welding heat upon the small slip ; take 
 the large one from the fire, and sprinkle some cf 
 the powder upon the place, and bring the other 
 upon it, applying the hammer smartly, and the 
 weld will be as good as could be made with the 
 gi^eater heat without the powder. 
 
 WELDING COPPER.— In order to effect 
 the welding of copper, it is necessary to remove 
 the thin film of oxide of copper, formed in heat- 
 ing, from the surfaces which are intended to be 
 united. This is done in a way similar to that 
 employed in welding iron, by putting on a sub- 
 stance which is capable of dissolving the oxide 
 of copper, and forming a thin fluid slag with it, 
 the whole of which is squeezed out from be- 
 tween the two surfaces to be welded by the blows 
 of the hammer or other pressure. The selection 
 of the proper welding material was facilitated by 
 the knowledge, acquired from mineralog)', that 
 libethenite and phosphorocalcite, two phosphates 
 of copper, smelt easily before the blow-pipe. 
 It was to be inferred from this, that any salt 
 which contained free phosphoric acid, or which 
 would lose the same at high temperature, would 
 be a proper medium for welding copper. 
 
 Mr. Ph. Rust made experiments several years 
 ago for the ^purpose of determining the most 
 effective and economical method of turning this 
 knowledge to account. He employed first 
 microcosmic salt, (phosphate of soda and ammo- 
 nia,) which is so commonly used in blow-pipe 
 experiments. The welding succeeded at once, 
 and was very perfect. But as this salt has rather 
 a high price, he substituted subsequently a 
 mixture of 358 parts of phosphate of soda and 
 124 parts of boracic acid, which disengages, 
 when heated, also phosphoric acid. The weld- 
 ing succeeded also ; but in order to render the 
 formed slag sufficiently fluid, a somewhat higher 
 heat had to be given than in the first case. 
 
 The powder is put on to the surfaces to be 
 united after the copper has been brought to a 
 dull red heat; the metal is then heated a little 
 more until a cherry-red is reached, and then at 
 once brought under the hammer. As copper 
 becomes very soft in the heat required for wel- 
 ding, the blows must be given very lightly and 
 the ends to be welded must be previously con- 
 siderably knocked up, in order not to distort the 
 shape of the article beyond mending. A wooden 
 hammer is, for tliis reason, preferable to an 
 iron one. 
 
 Mr. Rust says, that it is especially important 
 to guard against any pieces of coal, even the 
 smallest spark, coming m contact with the liquid 
 slag enveloping the ends to be welded. If this 
 should happen, the phosphate of copper in the 
 welding medium would at once be reduced'lo 
 phosphide of copper, which would at once en- 
 velop the ends as a steel-gray film, and prevent 
 the welding effectually. Only after a long treat- 
 ment in an oxidizing flame, and repeated use of 
 the welding medium, the union of the ends can 
 be effected. For this reason it is prefer.ible to 
 use a gas-flame for the heating of the copper, if 
 the pieces are not too large. 
 
 WIRE of SOLDER.— Tak^ a ladl/- and bore 
 a few holes in the bottom in » line with one 
 
MISCELLANEOUS. 
 
 447 
 
 another, say six holes, about the size you want 
 your wire. When you get ready to pour, have 
 a strip of smooth iron or steel (a saw blade be- 
 ing very good), have your pierced ladle in your 
 left hand, having previously heated it in the 
 melted metal; then dip up some metal with an 
 ordinary ladle with your right hand, and pour it 
 tlirough the pierced ladle, at the same time mov- 
 ing the two along the strip of iron, and a few 
 inches above it. After you get the hang of it 
 you can make very pretty wire, smaller or larger 
 OS you move fast or slow. 
 
 WROUGHT. I RON, To Case- Harden.— 
 To case-harden wrought-iron, take the prussiate 
 of potash, finely pulverized, and roll the article 
 in It, if its shape admits of it, if not, sprinkle 
 the powder upon it freely, while the iron is hot. 
 
 This is applicable to iron axletrees, by heating 
 the axletree and rolling the bottom of it in the 
 powder, spread out for that purpose, turning it 
 up quickly and pouring cold water upon it, get- 
 ting it into the tub of cold water as quick as 
 possible. They will wear for years, without 
 showing wear. 
 
 MISCELLANEOUS. 
 
 AGUE, To Avoid. — ^The first suggestion, of 
 course, is to leave those districts where this 
 troublesome complaint prevails. Sometimes, 
 however, one's residence cannot well be changed. 
 To persons so circumstanced, there are preven- 
 tions by the use of which the majority might 
 generally escape it. They are as follows : — 
 I. Avoid exposing themselves to the malarial 
 air after sunset and before sunrise. 2. Occupy 
 rooms at night on the sunny side of the house 
 and up stairs. 3. Build a fire in the house as 
 soon as the dew begins to fall. The heat of the 
 fire will do much to kill the malaria. 4. Keep 
 the skin healthy and active by a thorough bath 
 every day on rising, in a warm room, with suffi- 
 cient friction to produce a healthy reaction. 
 5. Keep the bowels open by a proper diet. In 
 nine cases out of ten the cause of ague would be 
 easily overcome if the depurating organs were 
 not overtaxed and morbid matters allowed to ac- 
 cumulate in the svstem to oppress it. 
 
 ALABASTER, To Harden and Polish.— 
 I. Take a strong solution of alum, strain it, and 
 put it into a wooden trough sufficiently large to 
 contain the figure, which must be suspended in 
 it by means of a thread of silk ; let it rest until 
 a sufficient quantity of the salt is crystallized on 
 the cast, then withdraw it, and polish it with a 
 clean cloth and water. — 2. Take white wax ; 
 melt it in a convenient vessel, and dip the cast or 
 figure into it; withdraw and repeat the opera- 
 tion of dipping until the liquid wax rests upon 
 the surface of the cast ; then let it cool and dry, 
 when it must be polished with a clean brush. 
 
 ALASKA ICEBERGS.— \. Alaska ice- 
 bergs can be produced by making a saturated 
 solution of plumbum nitras, then adding small, 
 nice, white, and long pieces of ammonium chlo- 
 ride, and exposing undisturbed to the direct light 
 of the sun for several days. Upon examination 
 you will find formed beautifully white, opaque, 
 needle-shaped crystals of chloride of lead repre- 
 senting the Alaska icebergs. — 2. Over a con- 
 centrated solution of nitrate of lead, contained 
 in a globe, is poured a solution of chloride of 
 ammonium; this must be done carefully, so that 
 the two fluids do not mix, when the formation 
 of the Alaska iceberg w ill commence. 
 
 ANILLVE COLORS, To make Soluble in 
 Water. — The aniline colors insoluble in water 
 may, according to Dr. Zinsman, who publishes 
 
 the process, be made to dissolve in that men- 
 struum in the following way : A solution of ge- 
 latine in acetic acid of about the consistence of 
 syrup is first made, and the aniline color in fine 
 powder is gradually added, stirring all the time 
 so as to make a homogeneous paste. The mix- 
 ture is then to be heated over a water bath to 
 the temperature of boiling water, and kept at 
 that heat for some time. Colors in this state, if 
 a very clear gelatine is employed, will be appli- 
 cable to many decorative purposes. Bookbind- 
 ers, paper-stainers, and printers will find them 
 useful. They may also, we read, be used to 
 color confectionery and soaps. Before they are 
 used for confectionery, however, it will be well 
 to make sure that no arsenic is present. 
 
 A TMOSPHERE, To Test the purity of.— 
 1. A simple method of ascertaining the presence 
 of impurity (carbonic acid) in the atmosphere, 
 is to nearly fill a glass tumbler with limewater, 
 and to place it in any convenient position, as on 
 the mantel -piece of a room. The rapidity with 
 which a pellicle forms on its surface, or the water 
 becomes cloudy, corresponds to the amount of 
 the carbonic acid present in the atmosphere that 
 surrounds it. — 2. A little ^loist carbonate of lead 
 put on a plate or saucer, and exposed in the 
 same way, will turn black, should any sulphu- 
 reted hydrogen be contained in the air. This 
 is a very dehcate test for that destructive gas. 
 
 AWNINGS, Mildew Proof.— As mildew is 
 a parasitic plant, a fungus living at the expense 
 of^other organic matter, its prevention requires 
 something destructive to vegetable life, and a 
 kind of varnish to cl(jse the pores of the texture 
 of the linen awning, to protect it against the 
 chemical influences of the atmosphere and the 
 penetration of the fine root filaments of the 
 fungus, which has great vitality. Different varn- 
 ishes will answer the purpose ; we should prefer 
 first to moisten the linen with a solution of ar- 
 seniate of potash, which has the special property 
 of preventing organic changes. After drying, 
 put on a benzine varnish ; perhaps one made of 
 India rubber and benzole would be best. Car- 
 bolic acid is said to have the same effect, when 
 the cloth is steeped in it ; but it may discolor 
 the canvas, and, moreover, it may be washed 
 out by repeated rains, 
 
 AXLE-GREASE.— I. Water, i gal., soda, 
 yi lb., palm oil, 10 lbs.; mix by heat, and stir 
 
448 
 
 DICTIONARY OF E VERY-DAY WANTS. 
 
 till nearly cold. — 2. Water, rape oil, of each I 
 gal., soda, }4. lb., palm oil, % lb. — 3. Water, I 
 gal.; tallow, 3 lbs.; palm oil, 6 lbs.; soda, ^ 
 pound. Heat to 210° Fah., and stir until cool. 
 — 4. Tallow, 8 lbs., palm oil, 10 lbs,, plumbago, 
 I lb., make a good lubricator for watjon axles, 
 
 BALLOONS (Toy), Caj /;n '^ Procure a 
 glass jar with a tight fitting cover with a hole in 
 the center. Fill two-thirds full of strips of good 
 new zinc; put in enough water to cover this; 
 then pour in enough sulphuric acid to make the 
 water boil. Fasten the balloon tightly around 
 the top of the jar so the gas cannot escape while 
 gencratinc;. 
 
 BALLOON VARNISH.— Mt\l India rubber 
 in small pieces, with its weight of boiled linseed 
 oil, and thin it with oil of turpentine. 
 
 BAROMETER, Home Made. — \. Take a 
 thin glass tube, 12 inches long and ^-inch in 
 diameter, and fill three-fourths of it with two 
 drachms of camphor, a half drachm of pure salt- 
 petre, a half drachm of muriate of ammonia and 
 two ounces of proof spirits. The tube may 
 be tied over with bladder if required. As 
 a sign of fine weather, the sediment of white 
 flakes will settle near to the bottom of the 
 tube, while the liquid will be quite transparent 
 above. As a sign of rain, the matter will rise 
 to the surface of the solution. At the approach 
 of a stortn, the matter will float on the surface of 
 the solution in the form of white flakes, and the 
 fluid will appear in a state of fermentation. Dur- 
 ing frost, the solution will present a starry 
 appearance, and during summer or hot weather 
 the matter will fall to the bottom as a solid sub- 
 stance. — 2. Take a common phial, and cut off 
 the rim and part of the neck, by means of a piece 
 of cord passed round it, and moved rapidly to 
 ' and fro, in a sawing direction ; the one end being 
 held in the left hand and the other fastened to 
 any convenient object, while the right hand holds 
 and moves the phial; when heated dip it sudden- 
 ly into cold water, and the part will crack off; or 
 separate it with a file. Then nearly fill the 
 phial with clean water, place your finger on the 
 mouth and invert it ; withdraw your finger and 
 suspend it in this position with a piece of twine. 
 In dry weather the lyider surface of the water 
 will be level with the neck of the bottle, or even 
 concave ; in damp weather, on the contrary, a 
 drop will appear at the mouth and continue 
 until it falls, and is then followed by another in 
 the same way. — 3. Take a common glass pickle 
 bottle, wide mouthed, fill it within three inches 
 of the top with water; then take a Florence oil 
 flask, removing the straw covering and cleansing 
 the flask thoroughly; plunge the neck of the 
 flask into the other bottle as far as it will go, 
 and the barometer is complete. In fine weather 
 the water will rise into the neck of the flask, 
 even higher than the mouth of the bottle. Before 
 a heavy gale of wind the water has been seen to 
 leave the flask altogether, at least eight hours 
 before the gale came to its height. 
 
 BAROMETER,Animated.—\. Takean eight 
 ounce phial, and put in it three gills of water, 
 and place in it a healthy leech, changing the 
 water in summer once a week, and in winter once 
 in a fortnight, and it will most accurately prognos- 
 ticate the weather. If the weather is to be fine, 
 the leech lies motionless at the bottom of the 
 glass and coiled together in a spiral form; if rain 
 may be expected, it will creep up to the top of its 
 
 lodgings and remain there till the weather is set- 
 tled ; if we are to have wind, it will move through 
 its habitation with amazing swiftness, and seldom 
 goes to rest till it begins to blow hard; if a re- 
 markable storm of thunder and rain is to succeed, 
 it will lodge for some days before almost contin- 
 ually out of the water, and discover great uneasi- 
 ness in violent throes and convulsive-like motions; 
 in frost as in clear summer-like weather it lie^ 
 constantly at the bottom; and in snow as in rainy 
 weather it pitches its dwelling in the vfery mouth 
 of the phial. The top should be covered over 
 with a piece of muslin. — 2. There is a frog in 
 Wiscpnsin, who may fairly take his place among 
 the frogs of history. He lives in a glass jar filled 
 with water. A diminutive ladder I'uns from the 
 bottom of the vessel to the top, and just above 
 the waler-line is a platform, on which his frog- 
 ship is to be seen in fine weather sitting per- 
 fectly motionless as long as the dry season lasts. 
 On the slightest indication of a change in the at- 
 mosphere he quits his perch and takes to the 
 water, returning only at long intervals to feed 
 upon the flies which are thrown to him. As 
 he detects the approach of rain long before the 
 most experienced human observer, his first dive 
 is always the signal for taking in the clothes from 
 the lines, and for getting out the umbrellas and 
 goloeshoes. 
 
 BASE BALL, To make.—K good base ball 
 may be made by cutting an old boot or an old 
 gum (rubber) shoe into strips and wrap them 
 tightly around each other till it is about the size 
 of a walnut. Then wrap with yarn or any kind 
 of string very tightly, until it is the size you 
 want it; then sew the loose end to the ball. Now 
 lay the ball down on a piece of leather and gath- 
 er up the sides and press them close to the ball 
 and with a sharp knife trim off the corners, (be 
 sure to have them fit nicely. ) Now sew up all 
 the sides except one; then slip in the ball, and 
 sew up with a double thread. Now put some 
 oil on the seams and hammer them smooth ; for 
 if you are not careful in catching a ball with 
 rough seams, it will sometimes lake the skin 
 from the ends of the fingers. 
 
 BASKETS, To Crystallize.— Tak^ a small 
 basket, about the size of your hand, of iron wire 
 or split willow ; take some lamp cotton, untwist 
 it, and wind it round every portion of the bas- 
 ket; then mix alum in the proportion of one 
 pound to a quart of water, and boil till the alum 
 IS dissolved ; pour the solution into a deep pan, 
 and in the liquor suspend the basket without 
 allowing any part to touch the pan, or to be ex- 
 posed above the surface ; let the whole remain 
 properly at rest for twenty-four hours, when, if 
 you take out the basket, the alum will be found 
 prettily crystallized over all parts of the cottoned 
 frame. After this first experiment, it will be 
 easy to extend the crystallizmg process to larger 
 objects, and to adorn flowers with alum crystals 
 of various colors. 
 
 BATHING, Sea. — There are circumstances 
 necessarily connected with a visit to the sea-side, 
 which greatly tend to increase its beneficial ef- 
 fects. In almost all instances the used up man 
 of business or of pleasure, the man suffering 
 from general debility, occasioned by his mental 
 or physical powers having been overtaxed, or 
 from continued residence in close, unhealthy 
 towns, and persons suffering from general lan- 
 guor and lassitude, or undergoing difficult and 
 
MISCELLANEOUS. 
 
 449 
 
 tedious convalescence from the effects of severe 
 illness or accident, are benefited. To these peo- 
 ple it is not the sea air alone, nor yet change of 
 air; but it is change of scene and habit, with 
 freedom from the anxieties and cares of study or 
 business, the giddy rounds of pleasure, the mo- 
 notony of every day life, or of the sick room and 
 convalescent chamber, which produce such ex- 
 traordinary beneficial effects — a seemingly per- 
 fect renovation of wasted energies and renewal 
 of the powers of life — effects not to be obtained 
 by means of any purely medical treatment. 
 
 With bathing in the open sea, there is to be 
 considered, first, the shock experienced on en- 
 tering water at its natural temperature, when 
 shivering, convulsive respiration and oppression 
 of the chest are always experienced, although 
 but for a moment, and pass away on immersion 
 and free action in the water; secondly, the stim- 
 ulating effects of the saline substances; thirdly, 
 the mechanical action and pressure of the large 
 moving mass of water and the motion of the 
 waves acting as douches, which, combined, are 
 not in all cases well borne by delicate persons 
 and children. The direct effect of cold bathing 
 is sedative and benumbing, and causing the 
 blood to recede from the surface of the body into 
 the grand arterial trunks, congesting the brain 
 and internal organs, depressing the vital powers, 
 and as it were bringing on death. It is this di- 
 rect effect we have to guard against, and this we 
 can only do by encouraging sufficient and healthy 
 reaction, indicated by the genial glow, feeling of 
 general vigor, and increased appearance of blood 
 to the surface of the body, sometimes wearing 
 the aspect of a healthy skin, but at others ex- 
 hibited by small red patches like measles, dif- 
 fused redness as in scarlatina, or spots like flea 
 bites. It is, therefore, how to avoid the direct 
 evil effect, and how to encourage sufficient and 
 healthy reaction, that we have to consider. 
 
 First, the duration of a cold bath should not 
 be too prolonged, and it is to be laid down as an 
 unexceptional rule, that a certain degree of vigor 
 and power of reaction are essential in all by 
 whom cold sea bathing is to be attempted. Thus 
 it is not advisable that old people, the weak and 
 dehcate, including children, or such as are dis- 
 posed to internal congestion or hemorrhage, 
 should take a cold sea bath. General lassitude, 
 with tendency to sleep, headache, or toothache, 
 sensitiveness of the breast, increase of appetite, 
 and constipation, are frequent results of a cold bath 
 at the commencement of a course of sea bathing. 
 For bathing, therefore, in the open sea, it is 
 desirable to prepare the delicate and unaccus- 
 tomed by giving them a few preliminary tepid 
 baths, which produce a gently stimulating action 
 on the skin, acting at the same time as a sedative 
 to the nervous system ; and by gradually lower- 
 ing the temperature of these baths, the patient 
 becomes strengthened to undergo the shock of a 
 cold bath without risk, the severity of which 
 very rapidly becomes diminished by the force of 
 habit in bathing. The latter part of the month of 
 July is the most suitable time to commence a course 
 of cold sea bathing, the delicate and invalided 
 having been previously inured by tepid baths. 
 
 In the morning, before ten o'clock, the tem- 
 perature of the sea is at its lowest, and it is, 
 therefore, at this time unsuited to the uninured 
 and delicate, while it is most bracing and invig- 
 orating to the strong, and to such as can aid re- 
 
 action of the circulation by the exercise of swim- 
 ming. The sea reaches its maximum tempera- 
 ture at twelve o'clock, and continues the same 
 until five ; it is, therefore, during this time the 
 delicate should bathe, the earlier the better, but in 
 this, of course, persons must be guided by the tide. 
 BEDROOMS, Ventilation ^.— The impor- 
 tance of ventilating bedrooms is a fact in which 
 everybody is vitally interested, and which few 
 properly appreciate. If two men are to occupy 
 a bedroom during a night, let them step upon 
 weighing scales as they retire, and then again in 
 the morning, and they will find that their actual 
 weight is at least a pound less in the morning. 
 Frequently there will be a loss of two or more 
 pounds, and the average loss throughout the 
 year will be more than one pound; that is, 
 during the night there is a loss of a pound of 
 matter, which has gone off from their bodies, 
 partly from the lungs, and partly through the 
 pores of the skin. The escaped material is 
 carbonic acid and decayed animal matter, or 
 poisonous exhalations. 
 
 BELTS, To Oil. — A good way to oil belts 
 is to pour the oil on to the outside of the belt as 
 it runs, and let the pulleys work it in. It may 
 be put on freely if the l)elt be running idle, but 
 if at work it will take but a small quantity at a 
 time without slipping. Keep the leather just 
 oily enough to make it pliable. 
 
 BLA CKBOARDS, v4r//yfr/a/.— Blackboards 
 or large writing slates are conveniences or ne- 
 cessities in nearly all schools. A recipe for 
 preparing these, or a substitute, cheaply, is of 
 general interest, and we are indebted for the 
 following description to a gentleman of consider- 
 able experience. He says: I first have the place 
 of the wall intended to be covered, surrounded 
 by a narrow wooden molding, which may be 
 covered by paint. Japan or varnish is necessary 
 in the paint, as wth benzine alone the lampblack 
 rubs off; but as varnish makes the board too 
 smooth to write on, I mix a little fine emery in 
 it, to make it slightly gritty, like a slate ; too 
 much emery or a quality of too coarse a grade 
 makes the removal of the chalk marks difticult. 
 For the last purpose I take sheepskin with the 
 wool on, nailed on a small piece of board and 
 always used dry; it is much better than anything 
 else. From time to time, however, the whole 
 blackboard is cleaned with a wet sponge. The 
 best substance for fixing the common lampblack 
 and emery, is shellac dissolved in alcohol; the 
 quantities are regulated by the circumstances. 
 In warm weather it requires more alcohol. Too 
 much shellac makes the solution too thick; too 
 little causes it to come off. It is to be put on 
 with a flat brush as rapidly as possible, as it 
 dries at once. The blackboard may be used in 
 less than half an hour. 
 
 BLACKBOARD PAINT.— To make one 
 gallon of paint, take ten ounces pulverized 
 pumice-stone, six ounces pulverized rotten-stone, 
 three-quarters of a pound lampblack, and mix 
 them with alcohol enough to make a thick paste. 
 Grind the mixture very thoroughly in a paint- 
 mill; then dissolve about fourteen ounces of 
 shellac in the remainder of the gallon of alcohol. 
 Now stir the whole together, and the paint is 
 ready for use. The shellac prevents the paint 
 from rubbing off. If the shellac is of poor 
 quality, it will require a little more. When 
 using, stir often to prevent the pumice-stone from 
 29 
 
450 
 
 DICTIONARY OF EVERY-DAY WANTS. 
 
 settling. In putting on a second coat, be care- 
 ful not to rub off the first. One gallon will 
 furnish two coats for sixty or seventy square 
 yards of black-board, on walls not previously 
 painted. 
 
 The , surface of a plaster wall that is to be 
 painted for the first time, may be somewhat 
 improved by first putting on a coat of strong 
 glue-sizing, prepared by boiling one pound of 
 glue in a gallon of rain water. Stir in three or 
 four ounces of lampblack. Put on hot. 
 
 BLACK HEALING SALVE. —Take of 
 olive oil, 3 quarts; common resin, 3 oz.; bees- 
 wax, 3 oz. Melt these articles together, and 
 raise the oil almost to boiling heat; then gradu- 
 ally add of pulverized red lead two and a half 
 pounds, if in the summer; if in winter, one- 
 quarter of a pound less. In a short time after 
 the lead is taken up by the oil, and the mixture 
 becomes brown or a shining black; remove from 
 the fire, and when nearly cold add of pulverized 
 camphor half an ounce. 
 
 BLACK LUSTRE COLOR. — Dr. Kiel- 
 meyer gives a recipe which is adapted for either 
 paper, cloth, or porous wood. He states that it 
 stands well, is very supple, and has no tendency 
 to get stick)'. To prepare it he boils together 
 8 pounds of glue, previously dissolved in 16 lbs. 
 of water ; I pound potato starch, dissolved in 
 5^ pounds of water; 5^ pounds of campeachy, 
 extract oid^ Baum<j; I pound 2 ounces of green, 
 vitriol, and %% lbs. of brown glycerine. When 
 thoroughly mixed, he removes the pot from the 
 fire, and continues to stir until the liquid is cold. 
 If the paint be desired thicker or thinner, the 
 amount of starch and glue must be varied as 
 well as the other materials, or the lustre will 
 suffer. 
 
 BLADDERS, To Prepare. — Soak them for 
 twenty-four hours in water, to which a little 
 chloride of lime or potass has been added, then 
 remove the extraneous membranes, Avash them 
 well in clean water and dry them. 
 
 BONES, To Whiten.— YvX a handful of bran 
 and quick-lime together, in a new pipkin, with a 
 sufficient quantity of water, and boil it. In this 
 put the bones, and boil them also till perfectly 
 freed from greasy particles. 
 
 BONES, To Dye any Color. — Boil the bones 
 first for a good while; then in a lye of quick- 
 lime mixed with chamber-lye, put either verdi- 
 gris, or red or blue chalk, or any other ingredient 
 fit to procure the color you want to give to the 
 bones. Lay the bones in the liquor, and boil 
 them, they will be perfectly dyed. 
 
 BOOK -MA KING.— Title- Page. —HVq title- 
 page, that heralds all the inner pages of a book, 
 should be printed in a style of elegance severe 
 and unadorned; no fancy type, except a line of 
 Scribe Text or Old English — no Italics, unless 
 perchance a single line motto in Pearl caps, — 
 no bold-face type, nor Antique, nor Gothic, — 
 but plain, clear, light-faced letters. All experi- 
 e.iced printers incline to this simple style. Avoid 
 having two lines of equrd length to follow or 
 come in contact with each other. Catch- words 
 should be set on a very reduced scale, and pro- 
 portioned accordi'."^ to strengili of the preceding 
 and succeeding lines, for bold catch-words de- 
 tract from the general effect of the title. Authors 
 should endeavor to make their title-pages as 
 concise as possible, for a crowded title can never 
 be displayed with elegance or taste. — Preface.-r 
 
 Formerly, the preface was uniformly set in Ital- 
 ic; at present Roman is used, one size larger or 
 smaller than the body of the work. If the work 
 has been printed with folios only, then the pre- 
 face should be paged in like manner. — Contents. 
 — ^Tlie contents follow the preface or introduc- 
 tion, and may be set either in Roman or Italic, 
 generally two sizes smaller than the body of the 
 work. The first line of each summary full, and 
 the rest indented an em quadrat, with the refer- 
 ring figures justified at the ends of the respective 
 lines. — Dedication. — The dedication generally 
 follows the title, and seldom exceeds one page. 
 It should be set in capitals and small capitals, 
 neatly displayed. The name of the person to 
 whom the work is dedicated should always be 
 in capitals, and the terms, Your very humble 
 and obedient, etc., should be in smaller type, 
 and the signature or name of the author in capi- 
 tals of a smaller size than that in which the name 
 of the personage is printed to whom the book is 
 dedicated. — Index. — The index is generally 
 placed at the end of the volume, and set in type 2 
 sizes less than that of the work. It is always 
 begun on an uneven page. In setting an index, 
 the subject line should not be indented ; but, if 
 the article make more than one line, all but the 
 first should be indented an em. — Errata. — The 
 errata are put immediately before the body of 
 the work, or at the end of it. They should consist 
 only of such corrections as are indispensably 
 necessary, without noticing any defects in the 
 punctuation, unless where the sense is perverted. 
 
 BOOKS (School), To Presoue the Binding 
 of. — ^The best way to preserve the binding of 
 school books is to take the book and open it out 
 flat, and mark the size exactly on the inner side 
 of a piece of muslin, then cut it out ; and then 
 cut two pieces for the inner sides of the book a 
 little less than the width; bind all three pieces 
 separately all round with ribbon. Then sew the 
 pieces together on three sides at each end of the 
 long piece, leaving a space in the centre; turn 
 the covers of the book back, and slip them into 
 the muslin cover ; and, if cut out well, it will fit 
 as well as'the original binding. Books so cov- 
 ered can be used for some years, and the binding 
 will be found to be nearly perfect. It answers 
 especially for children's school books, and the 
 muslin is very easy to work, and looks well for 
 a considerable length of time. 
 
 BOOK-COVERS {Leather), Marble for. -> 
 Wash the cover and glaire it, take a sponge 
 charged with water, having the book between 
 wands, and drop the water from the sponge on 
 the different parts of the cover, sprinkle very 
 fine with vinegar black, then with brown, and 
 lastly with vitriol water. Observe to sprinkle 
 on the colors immediately after each other, and 
 to wash the cover over with a clean sponge and 
 water. 
 
 BOOK-COVERS (Leather), Chinese Marble 
 for. — Color the cover of the book dark brown, 
 and when dry, put it into the cutting-press with 
 the boards perfectly flat ; mix whiting and water 
 of a thick consisteix:e and throw it on, in spots 
 or streaks, some large and some small, which 
 must remain till dry. Spot, or sprinkle the cover 
 with liquid blue, and lastly, throw on large spots 
 of liquid red. The colors must be dry before 
 washmg off the whiting. 
 
 BOOK-COVERS {Leather), Green Marble 
 for, — The edge must be marbled with a good 
 
MISCELLANEOUS. 
 
 451 
 
 bright green only. When the color is prepared 
 with the ox-gall, and ready for use, a few drops 
 of sweet oil must be mixed therein, the color 
 thrown on with a brush, in large spots, till the 
 gum is perfectly covered. The oil will make a 
 light edge round each spot, and have a good effect. 
 
 Blue, green, and brown may be also used se- 
 parately in like manner. 
 
 Sheets of paper may be done, having a trough 
 large enough, and the sheets damped as for print- 
 ing, before marbling. 
 
 Spirits of turpentine may be sprinkled on the 
 colors, which will make white spots. 
 
 BOOA'-COVERS{Leather), Japan Coloring 
 for. — After the book is covered and dry, color 
 the cover with potash- water mixed with a little 
 paste, give it two good coats of Brazil wash, and 
 glaire it. Put the book between wands, allow- 
 ing the boards to slope a little. Dash on copper- 
 as-water, then with a sponge full of red liquid, 
 f)ress out on the back and on different parts, 
 arge drops, which will run down each board 
 and make a fine shaded red. When the cover 
 is dry, wash it over two or three times with 
 Brazil wash to give it a brighter color. 
 
 BOOK-COyERS{Leather), Wax Marble for. 
 — ^This marbling must be done on the fore-edge, 
 before the back of the book is rounded, or be- 
 comes round, when in boards, and finished on 
 the head and foot. Take beeswax and dissolve 
 it over the fire in an earthen vessel; take quills 
 stripped of their feathers, and tie them together; 
 dip the quill-tops in the wax, and spot the edge, 
 with large and small spots; take a sponge 
 charged with blue, green, or red, and smear over 
 the edge ; when done, dash off the wax, and it 
 will be marbled. This will be useful for station- 
 ery work, or for folios and quartos. 
 
 BOOKS, Chinese Edge for.—i. Color the 
 edge with light liquid blue and dry; then take a 
 sponge charged with vermilion, and dab on spots 
 according to fancy: next throw on rice, and 
 finish the edge with dark liquid blue. — 2. Color 
 light blue on different parts of the edge with a 
 sponge; do the same where there are vacancies 
 with yellow and Brazil red; dry and dab on a 
 little vermilion in spots ; then throw on rice and 
 finish with a bold sprinkle of dark blue. Burnish. 
 
 BOOKS, To Marble.— Thxs is performed by 
 laying the color on the covers or edges with a 
 brush, or by means of a wooden trough and gum 
 water as follows : — Provide a wooden trough, 2 
 inches deep, 6 inches wide, and the length of a 
 super-royal sheet ; boil in a brass or copper pan 
 any quantity of linseed and water until a thick 
 mucilage is formed; strain itinto the trough, and 
 let it cool; then grind on a marble slab any of 
 the following colors in small beer. For blue, 
 Prussian blue or indigo; — red, rose-pink, ver- 
 milion, or drop lake; — yellow, king's yellow, 
 yellow ochre, etc.; — white, flake white; — black, 
 burnt ivory or lampblack; — brown, umber, burnt 
 do., terra di sienna, burnt do.; black, mixed 
 with yellow or red, also makes brown ; — green, 
 blue and yellow mixed ; — orange, red and yellow 
 mixed; — purple, red and blue mixed. For each 
 color you must have two cups, one for the color 
 after grinding, the other to mix it with ox-gall, 
 which must be used to thin the colors at dis- 
 cretion. If too much gall is used, the colors 
 will spread; when they keep their place on the 
 surface of the trough, when moved with a quill, 
 they are fit for use. All things being in readi- 
 
 ness, the colors are successively sprinkled on the 
 surface of the mucilage in the trough with a 
 brush, and are waved or drawn about with a 
 
 3uill or stick, according to taste. When the 
 esign is thus formed, the book, tied tightly 
 between cutting boards of the same size, is lightly 
 pressed with its edge on the surface of the liquid 
 pattern, and then withdrawn and dried. The 
 covers may be marbled in the same way, only 
 letting the liquid colors run over them. The 
 film of color in the trough may ba as thin as 
 possible, and if any remams after the marbling 
 it may be taken off by applying paper to it before 
 you prepare for marbling again. This process 
 has been called French Marbling. 
 
 To diversify the effect, colors are often mixed 
 with a little sweet oil before sprinkling them on, 
 by which means a light halo or circle appears 
 round each spot. In like manner, spirits of tur- 
 pentine, sprinkled on the surface of the trough, 
 will make white spots. By staining the book 
 covers with any of the liquid dyes, and then 
 dropping on them, or running over them, drops 
 of liquid mordants, a very pleasing effect may be 
 produced. Thus vinegar black, or a solution of 
 green copperas, let fall or run over common 
 leather, produces black spots or streaks, and 
 gives a similar effect with most of the light dyes. 
 A solution of alum or tin in like manner produ- 
 ces bright spots or streaks, and soda and potash 
 water dark ones. This style has been called 
 Egyptian marble. — Soap marbling is done by 
 throwing on the colors, ground with a little white 
 soap to a pliable consistence, by means of a 
 brush. It is much used for book edges, station- 
 ery, sheets of paper, ladies' fancy work, etc. — 
 Thread marble is given by first covering the edge 
 uniformly of one color, then laying pieces of 
 thick thread irregularly on different parts of it, 
 and giving it a fine dark sprinkle. When well 
 managed the effect is very pleasing. — Rice marble 
 is given in a similar way to the last by using rice. 
 — Tree marble is done on leather, book covers, 
 etc., by bending the board a Utile in the centre, 
 and running the marbling liquid over it in the 
 form of vegetation. The knots are given by rub- 
 bing the end of a candle on those parts of the 
 cover. — Wax marble is given in a similar way 
 to thread marble, but using melted wax, which 
 is removed after the book is sprinkled and dried, 
 or a sponge charged with blue, green, or red, 
 may be passed over. This is much used for 
 stationery work, especially folios and quartos. 
 The vinegar black of the bookbinders is merely 
 a solution of acetate of iron, made by steeping 
 rusty nails or iron filings in vinegar. All the 
 ordinary liquid colors that do not contain strong 
 acids or alkalis may be used, either alone or 
 thickened with a httle gum, for marbling or 
 sprinkling books. 
 
 BOOKS, To Gild the Edges ^.— The edges 
 of the leaves of books and letter paper are gilded 
 whilst in a horizontal position in the bookbind- 
 er's press, by first applying a composition formed 
 of four parts of Armenian bole, and one of can- 
 died sugar, ground together with water to a pro- 
 per consistence, and laid on by a brush, v/iih the 
 white of an egg. This coating, when nearly dry, 
 is smoothed by the burnisher, which is generally 
 a crooked piece of agate, very smooth, and fixed 
 in a handle. It is then slightly moistened by a 
 sponge dipped in clean water, and squeezed in 
 tlie hand. The gold-leaf is now taken upon a 
 
452 
 
 DICTIONARY OF EVERY-DAY WANTS. 
 
 piece of cotton from the leathern cushion, &nd 
 apphed on the moistened surface. When dry it 
 is to be burnished by rubbing the agate over it 
 repeatedly from end to end, taking care not to 
 ■wound the surface by the point of the burnisher. 
 A piece of silk or India-paper is usually inter- 
 posed between the gold and the burnisher. 
 
 Cotton-wool is generally used by bookbinders 
 to take the leaf up from the cushion, being the 
 best adapted for the purpose on account of its 
 pliability, smoothness, softness, and sliglit moist- 
 ness. 
 
 BOOKS, Gilt Lettering cm the Backs of.— 
 The place on those parts of the book which is to 
 receive the letters is moistened with a little al- 
 bumen. The letters or type are then pressed 
 on a piece of gold leaf, when the adhering gold 
 is transferred to the back of the book by press- 
 ing the type on the moistened spot. Superflu- 
 ous particles of gold are removed by blowing or 
 by means of a soft brush. After the lettering is 
 finished, the book must dry for a day before it 
 is used. 
 
 BOOK-MOTHS. — Literary people are occa- 
 sionally annoyed by the depredations of minute 
 insects, which feed luxuriously on their fine 
 books, manuscripts and pamphlets. They are 
 popularly known as book-moths. They appear 
 to be in search of the paste, glue, and sizing 
 which are used by the binders. However old 
 and dry the books may be, if the room in which 
 they are kept, or the cases in which they are ar- 
 ranged, are slightly damp, it softens the old glue 
 or size by imbibition, just the condition required 
 by the invaders. In gnawing it from the paper 
 surface into which it originally penetrated, they 
 also destroy the texture of the leaves, so that 
 costly works are quite ruined. There is no bet- 
 f ter remedy than placing the books at once in a 
 dry room where the moisture evaporates; and if 
 the sunlight acts upon the windows daily, so 
 much the better. The moths disappear when 
 the paste becomes too hard for them. Or rather 
 their activity is suspended, to be revived on 
 again removing the books into a damp apart- 
 ment. Russian binding is so offensive to them 
 that they cannot attack books in Russia leather 
 binding. It is not, perhaps, so generally known 
 as it deserves to be, that a few drops of any kind 
 of perfumed oil will secure books and manu- 
 scripts from the deteriorating effects of mould 
 and'damp. 
 
 BOOKS, To Sprinkle the Edges of. —The 
 brushes used for book-edges must be made of 
 Russia hogs' bristles, of good thickness, tied 
 round with cord, glued at the thick end, and 
 half covered wiUi a piece of leather ; when dry 
 tie the brush again with waxed cord, within half 
 an inch of the soft part of it, and cut it very 
 smooth and even. Brushes made after this 
 manner are preferable to those with a handle. 
 
 Prepare the color in a cup ; dip in the brush 
 till it is charged, and then press it out till it will 
 drop no longer. The book must be screwed 
 tight in the cutting press ; hojd the brush in the 
 left hand, and, with a folding-stick in the right, 
 rub it over the brush, which will cause the color 
 to sprinkle finely on the edges. The brush must 
 be moved up and down over the edge, as you 
 sprinkle, to have it regular on every part. After 
 the s]irinkling is done, the brushes should be 
 carefully washed in water, particularly after 
 sprinkling blue, which will otherwise soon de- 
 
 stroy the brush. — Green. — i. Yellow the edge, 
 then sprinkle with dark blue. — 2. French ber- 
 ries, I part ; soft water, 8 parts. Boil and add 
 a little powdered alum ; then bring it to the re- 
 quired shade of green, by adding liquid blue. — 
 Gold. — Put into a marble mortar half an ounce 
 of pure honey and one book of gold leaf, ruo 
 them well together until they are very fine, add 
 half a pint of clear water, and mix them well to- 
 gether; when the water clears, pour it off, and 
 put in more, till the honey is all extracted, and 
 nothing remains but the gold. Mix one grain 
 of corrosive sublimate in a teaspoonful of spirits 
 of wine, and when dissolved, put the same, to- 
 gether with a little gum-water, to the gold, and 
 bottle it close for use. The edges of the book 
 may be sprinkled or colored very dark, with 
 green, blue, or purple, and lastly, with the gold 
 liquid, in small or large spots, very regular, 
 shaking the bottle before using. Burnish the 
 edges when dry, and cover them with paper to 
 prevent the dust falling thereon. This sprinkle 
 will have a most beautiful appearance on extra 
 work; ladies may use it for ornamenting their 
 fancy work, by putting it on with a pen or cam- 
 el's-hair brush, and when dry burnish it with a 
 dog's tooth, — Purple. — I. Logwood chips, 4 
 parts; powdered alum, i part; soft water, 24 
 parts. Boil until reduced to 16 parts, and bottle 
 for use. — 2. Brazil dust (fine), and mix it with 
 potash water for use. — Red. — Brazil-wood 
 (ground), 4 parts; alum, i part; vinegar, 4 
 parts; water, 4 parts. Boil until reduced to 7 
 parts, then add a small quantity of loaf-sugar 
 and gum. Bottle for use. 
 
 BOOKBINDERS' VARNISfl.—s ounces 
 of shellac are to be dissolved in one quart of 
 rectified spirits of wine; add 10 oz, of burned 
 and recently heated animal charcoal, boil a few 
 minutes, substract a little of the liquid, and see 
 if it is colorless ; if not, add a little more char- 
 coal. When colorless, strain through silk, and 
 afterward filter through blotting paper ; if want- 
 ed perfectly pure, strain when cold. 
 
 BRASS, To Clean. — Take one tablespoonful 
 of oxalic acid, and one half pint soft water, and 
 then add a small package of tripoli (such as you 
 buy for ten or twenty cents), or, say two good 
 tablespoonfuls. This will bring a beautiful pol- 
 ish. Allow the mixture to remain on a few 
 minutes, and wipe off with dry waste or woolen 
 rag, 
 
 BUILDING, Fallacies in. — To suppose that 
 timber, growing in the woods or floating in wa- 
 ter to-day, can be placed in a building next week, 
 and stay wheio it is put. 
 
 That if such timber be used, the walls will 
 not crack. 
 
 That the base, window panels, casings, etc., 
 made of such timber will not part company with 
 the floors from one-fourth to three-fourths of an 
 inch in less than a year, and that the builder put 
 unseasoned lumber in the latter. 
 
 That kiln-dried lumber is as good as lumber 
 thoroughly air-seasoned, or that the atmosphere 
 has no influence upon it. 
 
 That a joint once tight will always remain so. 
 That if trimmings be put up before plaster- 
 ing, or trimmed on green walls, that putty will 
 not be in great demand when they dry. 
 
 That hot air from a furnace will not st.art and 
 open every piece of wood work with which it 
 comes in contact, nine times out of ten. 
 
MISCELLANEOUS, 
 
 453 
 
 That if partitions be not properly braced, 
 bridged, and secured at angles, that plastering 
 will not crack. 
 
 That ceilings are less likely to crack if cross 
 furred. 
 
 That a pailful of lime to a cartload of sand will 
 make mortar of any practical use, either for 
 plastering or brick work. 
 
 That it injures mortar by mixing it some time 
 before using it, or that if mixed one day and ap- 
 plied the next, it won't blister and crack. 
 
 That a cement roof, so soft that it fills the 
 leaders in summer, or so hard it cracks in win- 
 ter, will not occasion the want of new ceilings 
 in a little time. 
 
 That a "botch" can build as good a building 
 as a thorough mechanic. 
 
 That in all cases money is saved by contract- 
 ing with the lowest bidder. 
 
 That all knowledge in relation to building is 
 embodied in every one who signs "Architect" 
 after his name. 
 
 That architects and builders never "lay in to- 
 gether", and owners never get "shorn" through 
 that little arrangement. 
 
 That architects, as a rule, get no other com- 
 missions on buildings except the traditional 
 "five per cent, on the cost." 
 
 That builders always carry out plans and spec- 
 ifications to the letter. 
 
 That there are no high minded, conscientious, 
 competent architects, and no honest, reliable 
 builders ; and that either class does not bear a 
 reputation equal to that of any other business 
 men. 
 
 That a builder does not require an extended 
 theoretical, nor an architect as extended a prac- 
 tical knowledge, to be successful. 
 
 That no builder can be a successful architect, 
 or that a practical architect cannot be a success- 
 ful builder. 
 
 BUILDING MATERIAL, Strength of.— 
 Experiments are sometimes made in regard to 
 the power of stones of different kinds to resist 
 compression, by cutting one cubic inch off each, 
 placing it between two steel plates, and charging 
 it with increasing weight till crushed. For con- 
 venience' sake, this weight is applied by means 
 of a lever, so as to obviate the necessity of actu- 
 ally handling the hundreds and thousands of 
 Eounds — one or more sliding weights on a strong 
 earn being sufficient for these experiments. 
 The results are indicated in the following table, 
 in which the number of pounds is that of which 
 the substance could bear the pressure, while it 
 was crushed by the addition of more : 
 Table of resistance of a cubic inch of divers build- 
 ins; stones against crushing pressure 
 
 Name of Stone. 
 
 Inferior pale brick 
 
 Common good brick . . . 
 
 Hard briclc 
 
 Pressed Phila. brick . . . 
 
 Sandstone from Acquia 
 Creek, strata laid ver- 
 tical 
 
 Marble, Baltimore, ) 
 (large crystal) .....) 
 
 Sandstone, Acquia Cr'k, 
 (strata laid horizontal) 
 
 Marble, Montgomery 
 Co., Pa 
 
 Where used or 
 wherefore. 
 
 For filling walls 
 
 " partition walls 
 
 " floors — --. 
 
 " fronts of houses . . . . 
 
 Many public buildings, 
 Washington 
 
 House trimmings, Balti- 
 more 
 
 Public buildings, Wash- 
 ington 
 
 House-fronts, door-sills, 
 etc., Philadelphia..., 
 
 Name of Stone. 
 
 Marble, Lyraington, 
 (strata vertical) 
 
 Marble, same, (strata 
 horizontal) 
 
 Marble, Stockbridge . . . 
 
 Sandstone, Seneca 
 
 Marble, Lymington, 
 (large crystal) 
 
 Granite, Patapsco 
 
 Marble, I talian 
 
 Marble, Baltimore, 
 (small crystal) 
 
 Marble, Lymington, 
 (small crystal) 
 
 Marble, Hastings, N.Y. 
 
 Gneiss, Palisades, near ) 
 New- York ) 
 
 Marble, Lee, Mass . . . . 
 " East-Chester.. 
 
 Granite, Dry Island, 
 Maine 
 
 Where used or 
 wherefore. 
 
 National Washington 
 
 Monument , 
 
 National Washington 
 
 Monument 
 
 CityHall, NewYorkCity 
 f Smithsonian Insti- 
 ( tute, Washington 
 National Washington 
 Monument 
 
 Statuary. 
 
 Washington Monument 
 
 {University Build' g, 1 
 New- York J 
 
 Weight 
 applied 
 
 in 
 Pounds 
 
 9,100 
 
 10,100 
 10,400 
 
 10,800 
 
 11,100 
 11,200 
 12,600 
 
 18,000 
 18,200 
 
 Pavements 
 
 Housefronts, Boston etc. 22, 700 
 Post-Office, Washington 23,900 
 f New Post-Office, "1 
 
 ] N.Y ! 
 
 j Extension of Treas- f 
 (_ ury, Washington j 
 
 BURNING LENS, Cheap and Simple.— 
 Take two circular discs of plate glass, of the re- 
 quisite dimensions, and place one at each end of 
 a shallow tube; an inch long will be quite 
 sufficient for any size; they are kept in their 
 position very firmly by means of screw clamps, 
 in an analogous manner to the two lenses for 
 showing Newton's concentric colored rings. To 
 the tube is fitted a short tube with a stop-cock 
 attached; to the end of this tube a condensing 
 syringe is fixed, and the cavity between the 
 glasses filled with turpentine, varnish, bleached 
 oil, or any other suitable substance of a high 
 refractive power. When the glasses have at- 
 tained the requisite degree of curvature, the 
 stopcock may be shut, the syringe screwed off, 
 and the fluid lens (for such in reality it is) mount- 
 ed for use. 
 
 BUTTER, To Restore when Rancid. — Pack 
 the rancid butter in a firkin ; and then take a 
 barrel, put in about one bushel of charcoal, set 
 the firkin of butter inside the barrel, and cover 
 with good brine, letting it stand three or four 
 weeks. This will restore it unless it be very 
 bad. See also page 124. 
 
 BUTTERFLIES, To Prepare for Collections. 
 — The first thing to be procured is the butterfly- 
 net, which is a bag made out of two pieces of 
 musquito-netting — blue is the best — about two 
 feet deep, tapering towards the bottom, and 
 fastened to a piece of stout wire bent into a circle 
 of about a foot in diameter, the two ends of which 
 are fastened into a light but strong stick three or 
 four feet in length. 
 
 The next requisite is something to kill them 
 with. Chloroform is best, but in default of that 
 ether will do. It should be applied to the head 
 of the butterfly with a small camel's hair brush. 
 
 Then come the pins. They should be long 
 and slender; real butterfly pins are best, but very 
 fine common ones will do. Then you must have 
 a pasteboard box to put the butterflies in when 
 you catch them to bring them home. 
 
 The cases are the last thing to be thought of. 
 The frame of the case should be very much like 
 a picture frame, deep enough for the pins to go 
 in, with the back, on which the butterflies are 
 fastened, so arranged as to come out, being held 
 in place by little cleats, and a plate of glass fixed 
 
454 
 
 DICTIONARY OF EVERY-DAY WANTS. 
 
 securely on the front. It should be made of soft 
 wood, so that the pins can stick in easily. The 
 size of the _case depends upon the taste of the 
 collector. 
 
 "Stretching" a butterfly is the process of keep- 
 ing its wings in the natural position when at 
 rest. You should have a board with grooves in 
 it wide enough to admit the body of the butterfly 
 or moth, with little pieces of cork fastened on it 
 to stick the pins into. Then take some narrow 
 strips of soft paper, press the wings of the 
 butterfly down with them as nearly in the natural 
 position as possible, and fasten them with pins. 
 In a few days the butterfly will be dry enough 
 so you can take the papers off and put it in the 
 case. 
 
 CANVAS, To Make Water /'nw/I— White 
 lead 4 pounds, spirits of turpentine i fourth part, 
 white vitriol half ounce, sugar of lead half ounce, 
 and boiled oil to make it thin, apply with a paint 
 brush to the canvas or linen, which must be 
 well washed to take out the stiffening; well 
 dried and stretched tight on a frame while being 
 painted. 
 
 CA O UTCHO UC for Printing-ink Rollers.— 
 In order to give to vulcanized caoutchouc all that 
 softness which is requisite, for instance, for print- 
 ing-ink rollers, M. Mouton reduces ordinary 
 vulcanized caoutchouc to powder, places it in 
 suitably shaped vessels, and submits it a second 
 time to the temperature required for vulcaniza- 
 tion. By this means it is rendered soft and 
 smooth, has entirely lost its usual harshness, 
 and is fit for various uses — among these the 
 making of durable printing-ink rollers. 
 
 CARBONIC ACID, To Make.—Vo^xx mu- 
 riatic acid npon fragments of chalk or marble. 
 The gas being heavy may be collected without 
 the use of water, by simply allowing the deliv- 
 ery tube to pass to the bottom of the receiving 
 
 CASTOR OIL, Mechanical uses of.— Jt is 
 not as universally known as it deserves to be, 
 that castor oil is as useful in the trades as it is in 
 medicine. It is much better to soften and re- 
 deem old leather than any other oil known. 
 When boots and shoes are greased with it, the 
 oil will not at all interfere with the polishing 
 afterwards, as in the case with lard, olive, or 
 any other kind of oil. In Harrisburg, the old 
 leather hose of some of the fire companies were 
 greased with it, and found to become almost as 
 soft and flexible as new leather. Leather belts 
 for transmitting motion in machinery will usually 
 last three to five years, according to the wear 
 and tear they are exposed to; when greased with 
 castor oil they will last ten years or more, as 
 they always remain flexible and do not crack. 
 Besides this advantage, castor oil prevents slip- 
 ping, so that a belt three inches wide, impreg- 
 nated with it, will be equal to a belt four and a 
 half inches wide without castor oil. It is neces- 
 sary, however, to wait twenty-four hours till the 
 oil has disappeared from the surface and pene- 
 trated the leather, otherwise the freshly greased 
 surface will cause slipping. Another advantage 
 of castor oil is that rats and other vermin detest 
 anything impregnated with castor oil, and will 
 not touch it. 
 
 CASTING in Plaster. — Obtain some fine 
 
 })laster of good color, and pass it through amus- 
 in sieve, to remove any coarser particles which 
 may be present. By mixing gum-arabic with 
 
 the water intended to be used in the plaster, no 
 only will the plaster be rendered very hard when 
 it sets, but a beautiful gloss will be given to the 
 surface. Care must be taken to drop the plaster 
 powder gradually into the water, and to permit 
 the bubbles to rise before the mixture is stirred; 
 otherwise it will become lumpy. The plaster 
 should be of the consistence of the yelk of an 
 egg, and of course used immediately. If the 
 medal intended to be copied is a valuable one, 
 with a smooth surface, it will be advisable not to 
 oil it, as, in cleaning the oil off, the polish may 
 be injured ; but if the surface be rough, there 
 will be no remedy, and the oil must afterwards 
 be removed by dabbing the surface of the metal 
 gently -with a soft cloth. A rim of thin lead, 
 brass, copper, or even oiled paper, is then tied 
 around the medal, and some liquid plaster, in 
 the first place, stippled over its surface with a 
 soft brush, to prevent the formation of air-bub- 
 bles, as well as to insure its insertion into the 
 most minute crevices ; after which the plaster is 
 poured upon the surface to the thickness of half 
 an inch, or an inch if a large medal. To cause 
 the separation of the mold from the metal, all 
 we have to do is to immerse it in water, when it 
 is readily removed ; otherwise the mold is sure 
 to be broken. To obtain a plaster cast from this 
 mold, we must oil it with warm boiled linseed 
 oil, and allow it several days to dry. Whenever 
 the mold is used, it must be well oiled, other- 
 wise the surface of the castings v.ill be destroyed. 
 The best olive oil must be used, or the color of 
 the plaster will be injured. 
 
 CASTING in Wax. — The mold is first mad« 
 in plaster ; but before being used is placed in 
 warm water, of which it is allowed to absorb as 
 much as it will take — oil not being used in this 
 process. The surface must then be allowed to 
 dry, or the wax would not adhere closely. Pure 
 wax is too greasy for the purpose, and bladder 
 flake-white is therefore mixed with it. The 
 quantity can not be stated, but the addition of 
 too much gives wax the appearance of plaster, 
 by taking away its richness. If the wax is often 
 remelted, its color is injured. In order to obtain 
 a gray marble color, a marble powder, procura- 
 ble of any statuary, is mixed with the wax, which 
 not only gives a beautiful appearance to it, but 
 renders it more durable. The wax is poured 
 into the mold, and allowed to flow over its sur- 
 face, and by moistening the plaster mold in wa- 
 ter when the wax has become hard, the cast is 
 easily removed. Wax models may be fastened 
 by means of boiled linseed oil and flake-white, 
 and also by a combination of beeswax and resin. 
 
 CASTING in Sulphur. — This is a very per- 
 manent mode ; but as a mold it can only be used 
 for plaster, for hot wax or sulphur would injure 
 its surface. When sulphur is heated to the tem- 
 perature suitable for forming casts it becomes 
 nearly black, and has, therefore, to be covered 
 with vermilion in the proportion of one ounce of 
 vermilion to three of sulphur. The surface of 
 the mold, however, need only be coated with . 
 this expensive mixture, and common sulphur ^ 
 added in any quantity. You must use wood to 
 stir the sulphur, as iron will take away its color. 
 The sulphur will take fire in melting unless it is 
 properly stirred, and at first will become thick 
 and viscid ; but by continuing the application 
 of heat it will again assume a perfectly liquid 
 form. 
 
MISCELLANEO US. 
 
 455 
 
 CASTING in Glue. — If a medal is so much 
 sunk and engraved that you can not get a plaster 
 cast off, a mold may be obtained by pouring glue 
 upon it. In this manner a bunch of grapes can 
 be taken in the natural state, and by cutting the 
 glue down the center, the grapes can be extract-, 
 ed, and the molds used to produce a representa- 
 tion of the original in plaster. Isinglass may be 
 similarly used, but it is first mixed with flake- 
 white in the state of powder. 
 
 CASTING in Bread Paste.— Take the inside 
 of a penny roll and work it well up with vermil- 
 ion, the longer the better, until it becomes vis- 
 cid and tough ; it is then to be worked well into 
 the mold. After having obtained the mold, it 
 must be fastened down upon a piece of wood by 
 wetting it, so as to prevent it from warping as 
 it dries. After it has been thoroughly dried, 
 you may oil it, and then obtain as many casts as 
 you please from it in plaster, wax, or sulphur. 
 By means of bread paste, a traveler may al- 
 ways take a mold of any small object of interest 
 he meets with on his journey, and thus a proper 
 knowledge of its mode of use becomes invalu- 
 able. 
 
 CEMENTS, Colored.— \ writer in Comptes 
 Rendus states that colored cements which harden 
 rapidly may be made as follows : He takes a 
 solution of silicate of soda (sp. gr., 1.298) and 
 adds to it, while stirring, first pulverized and 
 previously washed, lixiviated chalk, so as to 
 form a thick mass, like butter, to which are add- 
 ed, for coloring purposes, the following sub- 
 stances: Finely pulverized sulphuret of antimony 
 for black, iron filings for gray, zinc dust for 
 whitish gray, carbonate of copper for bright 
 green, oxide of chromium for deep green, cobalt 
 blue for blue, red lead for orange, vermilion for 
 bright red, and carmine for a violet hue. This 
 cement hardens within from six to eight hours, 
 and may afterward be polished, becoming like 
 marble. 
 
 CEMENT far either Leather or Rubber Straps. 
 — Guttapercha, 16 oz.; India rubber, 40Z.; pitch, 
 2oz.; linseed oil, 2 oz. Cut the rubberin shreds 
 and add the oil, which in a few days will have 
 softened the former. Melt carefully the gutta 
 percha and pitch together, and stir in the rubber 
 solution, or paste, apply hot, and press joints. 
 
 CHAIRS. — An eminent physician, speaking 
 of chairs, remarks that they are too high and too 
 nearly horizontal. We slide forward, and our 
 spines ache. The seats should be fifteen or six- 
 teen inches high in the front for men, and from 
 eight to fourteen inches for children and women. 
 The back part of the seat should be from one to 
 three inches lower than the front part. This 
 last is very important. The depth of the seat 
 from front to back should be the same as the 
 hight. The chair back is likewise unphilosoph- 
 ical. The part which meets the small of the 
 back should project furthest forward. Instead 
 of this, at that point there is generally a hollow; 
 this is the cause of so much pain and weakness 
 in the small of the back. The present seats 
 j>roduce discomfort, round shoulders and other 
 distortions. 
 
 CHALK, Prepared. — Take a solution of mu- 
 riate of lime, and add a solution of carbonate of 
 soda as long as it causes precipitation ; wash the 
 sediment, and dry it. 
 
 CHARCOAL MAKING.— <Z\^2xcot\ made 
 from wood is a form of carbon containing the 
 
 ashes, or incombustible portions of the wood 
 from which it is prepared, and some of its vola- 
 tile ingredients. The principal object of its pre- 
 paration is its superior heat-making properties 
 as compared with wood. The greater portion 
 of the charcoal offered for sale is burned in kilns, 
 but in thickly wooded regions much is made in 
 the primitive manner which is known as "Char- 
 ring in pits." The most ancient method of pre- 
 paring charcoal was to throw the wood in pits 
 dug in the ground, and to keep it partially cov- 
 ered with earth while consuming, and although 
 the wood is now charred on the surface and not 
 in excavations, the process is still called "Pit 
 charring." When it is proposed to malie a 
 quantity of wood charcoal, a level place is pre- 
 pared for the foundation of the pit as it is called, 
 although it is in reality a mound. A chimney 
 is then made by driving stakes of the desired 
 hight arranged in a circle about eighteen inches 
 in diameter. The wood for coaling is cut four 
 feet long and hauled to the pit, the large sticks 
 being first split. It is not absolutely necessary that 
 the wood be dry, though the more complete the 
 seasoning the better the results of the charring, 
 since the more water there is present the more 
 heat is abstracted, and more fuel is necessary to 
 expel it. The first sticks are set up against the 
 chimney, the next against these, then others on 
 top of these, and so on, all leaning a little to- 
 ward the center, until the pile has attained the 
 required size, say twenty-five cords for a thou- 
 sand-bushel pit. 
 
 When the arrangement of the pile is finished, 
 the outer surface is filled in with chips and sticks, 
 and the whole is covered with branches, twigs, 
 leaves, straw or moss, upon which sods or moist- 
 ened earth are laid together with fine charcoal 
 waste of previous burnings, the depth of the 
 covering varying from six to eight inches, and 
 the whole l)eing smoothed and firmly spatted 
 down. Draught holes two or three inches in 
 diameter and four feet apart, are made in the 
 covering at the bottom. A fire is kindled in the 
 bottom of the chimney from the top, and when 
 well a-burning the chimney is filled with wood 
 and covered like the rest of the pit. Constant 
 watch must now be kept that the wood does not 
 burn too rapidly. Evidence of its doing so is 
 given by the appearance of blue smoke, as only 
 a steam-like vapor rises from the vents when the 
 process of charring is going on properly. When 
 this smoke is seen the fire is smothered by pack- 
 ing in green wood at the threatened point, and 
 covering it again closely with straw and earth. 
 If all goes well, a thousand-bushel pit will be 
 burned in ten or fifteen days. As the process 
 proceeds, it is necessary to fill up some of the 
 holes and open others according as the burning 
 progresses from one portion of the pile to the 
 other, or needs accelerating or retarding. Chan- 
 nels are made under the heap for the tarry mat- 
 ters which run out from the wood towards the 
 close of the process. 
 
 W^hen the operation is complet«d the coal is 
 raked out with long-toothed iron rakes. It is 
 best to do this work at night, as then any re- 
 maining spark of fire can be detected and prompt- 
 ly extinguished by throwing coal dust or moist- 
 ened earth on it. After the uncharred brands 
 are removed the coal is ready for market. The 
 coal is hauled away in wagons divided into deep, 
 wide-topped boxes holding 100 bushels or more. 
 
4S6 
 
 DICTIONARY OF EVERY-DAY WANTS. 
 
 To dump the coal, the horses are hitched to a 
 staple in the hinder part of the wagon bottom, 
 which is made to shde out, the team is started 
 and the coal falls out underneath. Log pits are 
 made by arranging twelve-foot logs in layers. 
 The interstices between the logs are packed with 
 poles and small wood, the pile being boarded 
 up at the ends of the logs, leaving a space of 
 several inches between the boarding and the 
 logs, to be filled with earth, after which the ends 
 and top of the pile are covered with straw and 
 earth, as in the circular pit.' The fire is kindled 
 in a trench dug under one end, two feet wide 
 and two feet deep. Vent or draught holes are 
 made under the boarding. These log pits are 
 sometimes ten rods long, and it is not unusual 
 to draw coal from one end, while the other end 
 is yet burning. 
 
 Oak and alder make the best charcoal, next to 
 them birch of all kinds, pine, basswood, poplar, 
 and spruce. Hemlock is the least desirable wood 
 for this purpose, as it makes snapping coal. 
 
 CHIMNEYS, To Build. — \m^ the bed be 
 laid of brick and mortar, iron or stone ; then the 
 workman should take a brick in his left hand, 
 and with the trowel, draw the mortar upon the 
 and of the brick, from the under side, and not 
 from the outside edge, as is usual. Then, by 
 pressing the brick against the next one, the 
 whole space between the two bricks will be filled 
 with mortar; and so he should point up the inside 
 as perfectly as the outside, as he proceeds. 
 
 By drawing the mortar on the edge of the 
 brick, the space between the ends will not always 
 be entirely filled, and will make (where the 
 inside pointing is not attended to) a leaky and 
 unsafe chimney, which, if not kept clear of soot, 
 will, in burning out, stand a good chance of 
 setting the building on fire. 
 
 CHIMNEYS, Salt in Btdlding.— In hmld- 
 ing a chimney, put a quantity of salt into the 
 mortar with which the intercourses of brick are 
 laid. The effect will be that there will never be 
 any accumulation of soot in that chimney. The 
 philosophy is thus stated : The salt in the portion 
 of mortar which is exposed, absorbs moisture 
 every damp day. The soot thus becoming 
 damp falls down into the fireplace. 
 
 CHIMNEYS, To Cure when Smoky.— The: 
 common causes of smoky chimneys are either 
 that the wind is too much let in above at the 
 mouth of the shaft, or else that the smoke is 
 stifled below. They may also proceed from 
 there being too little room in the vent, particu- 
 larly where several open into the same funnel. 
 The situation of the house may likewise affect 
 them, especially if backed by higher ground or 
 higher buildings. 
 
 The best method of cure is to carry from the 
 air a pipe under the floor and opening under the 
 fire ; or, when higher objects are the cause, to 
 fix a movable cowl at the top of the chimney. 
 
 In regard to smoky chimneys, a few facts and 
 cautions may be useful ; and a very simple rem- 
 edy may often render the calling in of masons 
 and bricklayers unnecessary. 
 
 Observe that a northern aspect often produces 
 a smoky chimney. 
 
 A single chimney is apter to smoke than when 
 it forms part of a stack. 
 
 Straight funnels seldom draw well. 
 
 Large fire-places are apt to smoke, particularly 
 when the aperture of the funnel does not corres- 
 
 pond in size. For this a temporary remedy may 
 be found in opening a door or window — a per- 
 manent cure by diminishing the lower aperture. 
 
 When a smoky chimney is so incorrigible as to 
 require a constant admission of fresh air into the 
 room, the best mode is to introduce a pipe, one 
 of whose apertures shall be in the open air and 
 the other under the grate; or openings may be 
 made near the top of the apartment, if lofty, with- 
 out any inconvenience even to persons sitting 
 close by the fire. 
 
 This species of artificial ventilation will always 
 be found necessary for comfort where gas is used 
 internally, whether a fire is lighted cr not. 
 
 Where a chimney only smokes when a fire is 
 first lighted, this may be guarded ngainst by al- 
 lowing the fire to kindle gradually; or more 
 promptly by laying any inflammable substance, 
 such as shavings, on the top of llie grate, the 
 rapid combustion of which will warm the air in 
 the chimney, and give it a tendency upwards, 
 before any smoke is produced from the fire itself. 
 If old stove-grates are apt to smoke, they may 
 be improved by setting the stove further back. 
 If that fails, contract the lower orifice. 
 
 In cottages, the shortness of the funnel or 
 chimney may produce smoke ; in which case the 
 lower orifice must be contracted as small as pos- 
 sible by means of an upright register. 
 
 If a kitchen chimney overpowers that of the 
 parlor, as is often the case in small houses, ap- 
 ply to each chimney a free admission of air, until 
 the evil ceases. 
 
 When a chimney is filled with smoke, not of 
 its own formation, but from the funnel next to it, 
 an easy remedy offers, in covering each funnel 
 with a conical top, or earthen crock, not cylind- 
 rical, but a frustum of a cone, by means of which 
 the two openings are separated a few inches, and 
 the cold air or the gust of wind no longer forces 
 the smoke down with them. 
 
 If these remedies fail it will be generally found 
 that the chimney only smokes when the wind is 
 in a particular quarter, connected with the posi- 
 tion of some higher building, or a hill, or a grove 
 of trees. In such cases the common turncap, as 
 made by tinmen and ironmongers, will generally 
 be found fully adequate to the end proposed. A 
 case has occurred of curing a smoky chimney ex- 
 posed to the northwest wind, and commanded 
 by a lofty building on the southeast, by the fol- 
 lowing contrivance. 
 
 A painted tin cap, of a conical form, was sus- 
 pended by a ring and swivel, so as to swing over 
 the mouth of the chimney-pot by means of an 
 arched strap or bar of iron nailed on each side of 
 the chimney. When a gust of wind laid this cap 
 (which, from its resemblance in form and use to 
 an umbrella, is called a paravent or wind-guard) 
 close to the pot on one side, it opened a wider 
 passage for the escape of the smoke on the op- 
 posite side, whichever way the wind came, while 
 rain, hail, etc., were effectually prevented from 
 descending the flue. 
 
 CHINA WARE, To Make.— The composi- 
 tion of the eastern or proper chinaware, accord- 
 ing to accounts that have great marks of authen- 
 ticity, is from two earths ; one of which is, as 
 was before mentioned, called petunse; the other 
 a refractory earth, called kaolin. 
 
 The preparation of the petunse, or aluminous 
 earth, is by pounding the stone till it is reduced 
 to a very fine powder, and then wasliing it over 
 
MISCELLANEO US. 
 
 4S7 
 
 to bring it to the most impalpable state, which 
 is thus performed : After the stone is rendered 
 as fine as it can be by pounding or grinding, the 
 powder must be put into a large tub full of water, 
 and, being stirred about, the upper part of the 
 water must be laded out into another tub, by 
 which means the finest particles of the powder 
 will be carried into it. The water in the second 
 tub must be then suffered to stand at rest till the 
 
 Eowder be subsided, and as much as can be 
 ided off clear must be put back into the first tub 
 and there being again stirred about, and loaded 
 with a fresh quantity of the most subtle part of 
 the powder, must be laded again into the second 
 tub as before, and this must be repeated till none 
 be left in the first tub but the grosser part of the 
 stone, which, not being of a due fineness, must 
 be again pounded, and treated as at first. The 
 fine powder obtained in the second tub, must be 
 then freed from the water, by lading off the clear 
 part, and suffering what remains to exhale, till 
 the matter becomes of the consistence of soft 
 clay, when it will be fit to be commixed with the 
 kaolin for use. 
 The kaolin is prepared in the same manner by 
 . washing over ; but some specimens are so fine, 
 that there is no occasion for this or any other 
 purification. 
 
 From these two mixed together, the clay or 
 paste is formed ; but it is said that the propor- 
 tion of the respective quantities is made to vary 
 according to the intended goodness of the ware, 
 the best being made from equal quantities, and 
 the worst from two of the kaolin to one of the 
 petunse. 
 
 CHINA {English), Composition of. — The 
 following composition will produce wares, which 
 will possess the properties of the true china, if 
 judiciously managed. 
 
 Mix the best white sand, or calcined flints, 
 finely powdered, 20 lbs.; of very white pearlash, 
 5 lbs.; of white calcined bones, 2 lbs. Temper 
 the whole with the gum Arabic or Senegal, dis- 
 solved in water. 
 
 This requires a considerable force and continu- 
 ance of heat to bring it to perfection, but it will 
 be very white and good when it is properly 
 treated. Where mica can be obtained, it is 
 preferable to calcined bones, and as it will form 
 a kind of paste for working, a weaker gum-water 
 will answer the purpose. 
 
 CHINA {Saxon or Dresden), To Make. — The 
 Saxon composition, of which the chinaware is 
 formed, is greatly similar to that of the eastern. 
 In the place of the petunse, a stone is used, which 
 is improperly called in the German language, 
 bleyspatt, or spar of lead. It is a stone of a very 
 opposite nature, as spars are calcareous, and will, 
 on calcining, become lime ; on the other hand, 
 this stone is of a vitreous nature. This spar is 
 of a very hard texture, and of a light flesh-color, 
 or pale whitish red. It is prepared by pounding 
 and washing over, which may be done as above 
 directed, and it is then ready for compounding 
 with the mica. The mica is employed in the 
 Saxon composition for the other ingredients; 
 and is likewise prepared by grinding and washing 
 over, when it is not in a perfect and pure state; 
 but when it is entirely clean, it maybe tempered 
 with the texture, thoroughly broken, and it will 
 be of the consistence of soft clay. 
 
 The two kinds of earth being prepared in the 
 state of a soft paste, they are to be incorporated 
 
 and blended into one mass, which is done by 
 rolling and stirring them well after they are in 
 the same vessel, and then kneading them with 
 the feet till they are thoroughly united. When 
 the compound mass is formed, it is made into 
 cakes, or square pieces, and put by layers into 
 cases of wood or stone, which must be placed in 
 a moist situation, and left for 2 or 3 months ; 
 during which time a kind of ferment enters into 
 the mixture, by which the parts of the different 
 matter combine and form a substance with new 
 qualities, unknown while separate. This change 
 shows itself upon the whole mass by a fetid 
 smell, and a greenish or bluish color, and a 
 tenacity like that of clay, or the argillaceous 
 moistened earths. If the time of keeping the 
 paste in this condition be prolonged to a year 
 or more, it will further improve its qualities, but 
 great care must be taken to prevent its becoming 
 dry ; to prevent which, there may be occasion 
 to water it. When, however, the described 
 qualities are found in the matter, it is fit for use, 
 and vessels, etc., may be wrought of it without 
 any other preparation. 
 
 CHLORINE, To Make.—HftaX gently a mix- 
 ture of muriatic acid and black oxide of manga- 
 nese. It may be collected like carbonic acid. 
 Care must be taken not to inhale it. 
 
 CHROMOS, To C/ean.— Whan you clean 
 them use a soft feather brush, or wipe them with 
 soft chamois skin (a drop of oil may restore 
 clearness), or with a fine linen rag very slightly 
 dampened. Always tenderly. 
 
 Next, whenever the original varnish coating is 
 dulled, bruised, or rubbed, revarnish it with thin 
 mastic varnish. 
 
 Chromos, like oil paintings, should not be 
 hung in a dark room, but in one with diffused 
 light; and never exposed to the direct rays of 
 the sun. 
 
 The chromos after water-colors keep and dis- 
 play better when placed under glass, as they lack 
 the protecting cover of the varnish. The larger 
 chromos, after oil paintings, display, as a general 
 rule, best when framed like original paintings. 
 It is not necessary to put any of these under 
 glass; it is a matter of taste, — preserving them, 
 at the same time, from dust and rough handling. 
 CISTERN, Filtering.— To obtain the best 
 water at all times, it is not enough that the water 
 be well filtered. To illustrate: — A cistern of 
 2,000 gallons is filled. After some weeks of con- 
 tinued dry weather, the amount is reduced to, 
 say, 1,000 gallons, at which time the quality of 
 the water will have sensibly improved. A shower 
 occurs, pouring into the cistern, say, 300 gals. 
 The 1,000 gallons is violently mixed with the 
 newly fallen rain, and the result is, the quality 
 of the water is injured for a time, or until suffi- 
 cient time has elapsed to allow it to settle again. 
 Again, the process of filtration cannot proper- 
 ly be accomplished in the short time allowed by 
 some devices. Water should be filtered very 
 slowly. 
 
 Then, every filtering apparatus should be 
 cleaned out, and all the materials employed 
 thoroughly washed or renewed regularly and 
 somewhat frequently, as required by the charac- 
 ter of the roof^and the situation of the house, as 
 regards smoke, cinders, dust, etc. 
 
 To accomplish the best results, I would con- 
 struct a cistern of requisite capacity, above the 
 bottom of the cellar, into which all the water 
 
4S8 
 
 DICTIONARY OF EVERY.DAY WANTS. 
 
 from the roof should be turned. Another cistern 
 of equal capacity, of what is known as the "jug" 
 pattern, should be built below the cellar bottom, 
 having a neck of proper size extending slightly 
 above, and kept closed by a tight cover. Be- 
 tween the two cisterns, construct a box of wood 
 or bricks, say six to ten feet long, and twelve to 
 sixteen inches square, with partitions alternately 
 extending nearly to the top and bottom. Fill 
 this box with the proper filtering materials : 
 broken stone, well washed coarse and fine grav- 
 el and sand, charcoal, and, finally, at the outlet, 
 fine sponge. 
 
 The stream of water from the receiving cistern 
 should be very small, say one-quarter inch in 
 diameter, which, entering the box at one end, 
 would gently percolate through the mass of fil- 
 tering materials, and by a small block tin pipe, 
 be conveyed to the bottom of the lower cistern, 
 from which it would be pumped as wanted. The 
 flow would be constant, or until the upper cis- 
 tern was emptied. This box should also be kept 
 closed by a tight cover, which, when lifted, 
 would allow ready access to remove all the fil- 
 tering materials, to be washed and returned, or, 
 what is better, to be replaced by clean, fresh 
 materials. 
 
 The bottom of the upper cistern should be 
 concave, connecting by a pipe and stop-cock 
 with the drain. Occasionally, when nearly ex- 
 hausted, it could be easily and thoroughly cleaned 
 and rinsed out, the sediment and dirty water es- 
 caping by the drain. The bottom of the lower 
 cistern should also be concave, and at intervals 
 the pipe between the two cisterns should be 
 closed, to allow the lower one to become ex- 
 hausted in order to cleanse that also. 
 
 The upper cistern should be covered by a brick 
 arch, or by matched pine plank, mrade perfectly 
 tight. Othetwise the evaporation from such a 
 body of water will be injurious to both structure 
 and inmates. 
 
 The device of making a filter by a brick parti- 
 tion, or wall in the cistern, drawing the water 
 from the side opposite the ingress pipe, is quite 
 effectual for a time. A little reflection, however, 
 will show that the sediment taken from the wa- 
 ter remains ; either in the pores of the brick, or 
 in the form of a coating on the surface ; and 
 that, after a time, it will vitiate its purpose, 
 and become comparatively inoperative and use- 
 less. 
 
 The objection to my filtering system is the in- 
 creased expense ; and those parties obliged to 
 depend upon a rain water supply, and who, from 
 necessity or choice, prefer the cheapest article, 
 when first cost alone is considered, will not adopt 
 it; but in many places in the country, where 
 persons want permanently pure water, even if 
 obtained at a greater expense, I think no better 
 arrangement has been devised. 
 
 The principal value of a filter depends upon 
 keeping it clean ; and to continue to use water, 
 month after month, after the filtering materials 
 have become foul, is not consistent with our 
 ideas of cleanliness, and is positively injurious. 
 The cistern from which the water is used be- 
 ing at a distance below the cellar bottom, the 
 water is kept sufficiently cool, even in hot weath- 
 er, to be very palatable. 
 
 Some persons, not using a filter, adopt the 
 expedient of having two cisterns on the same 
 
 each alternately as the other becomes exhausted. 
 This arrangement is a great improvement upon 
 a single cistern, but will not compare with two, 
 arranged as described above. 
 
 The cost of two first class cisterns, of 2,000 
 gallons capacity each, with filter constructed in 
 the most thorough manner, would, in most lo- 
 calities, be less than the cost of a properly con- 
 structed well forty feet in depth. 
 
 CLARET, Ta Distinguish Genuine from 
 Imitation. — It is well known that by far the ma- 
 jority of claret consumed in this country has 
 never seen France, but is made artificially on 
 this side of the Atlantic. It is also no secret 
 that many of these imitations are highly delete- 
 rious to health. Every lover of the genuine 
 article will therefore feel indebted to Messrs. 
 Cottini & Fantogini for their simple method of 
 distinguishing iSe two. They mix fifty cubic 
 centimeters of ther suspected claret with 6 cubic 
 centimeters of nitric acid of 42° Baumd, (1.40 
 spec, gravity,) and heat the mixture, to 9CH95'' 
 Celsius, or nearly the boihng point of water. 
 If the claret is genuine, it will not change its 
 appearance even if treated for an hour, while the 
 imitated article loses its color in about five min- 
 utes. 
 
 CLOCK, To Make for 25 Cents.— Y\x%\. you 
 get a sheet of stout mill-board, such as is used 
 by bookbinders. This will cost you from six to 
 ten cents. Get size twenty-seven by twenty-two 
 inches. Draw two lines the longest way equally 
 distant from the edge and each other. This di- 
 vides it into- three parts of the same size. Now 
 from the top measure off ten inches for the face, 
 and then Avith your knife partly cut the board 
 through the rest of the lines below the face, and 
 bend them back and glue together by putting a 
 strip of cloth over the edges where they meet. 
 Mark out the £ice of your clock, and make a 
 hole for the hands. Go to your tinman, and he 
 will make you a funnel-shaped spout, which you 
 must glue on the bottom. Then make a spool 
 like a cone — running to a point on one end — 
 and eight inches across on the other. Wind a 
 string on this cone, commencing at the large 
 end, and winding down just as you would a top. 
 Tie to the end a conical ink bottle filled with 
 sand. Make some wooden hands, and put them 
 on the face. Then fill your box, now made, with 
 sand, and when it is hung up the sand will run 
 out slowly at the bottom, and as the sand goes 
 out the weights lower, and turn the wheel, 
 which makes the hands go around. It will de- 
 pend upon the size of the hole at the bottom 
 as to how fast it runs. You can paint it, and 
 make it quite an ornament and curiosity in your 
 house. 
 
 CLOTH {^Black), To Clean. — Dissolve one 
 ounce of bicarbonate of ammonia in one quart of 
 warm water. With this liquid rub the cloth, 
 using a piece of flannel or black cloth for the 
 purpose. After the application of this solution, 
 clean the cloth well with clear water, dry and 
 iron it, brushing the cloth from time to time in 
 the direction of the fiber. 
 
 CLOTH {Enameled), To Make.— The found- 
 ation of the article is cotton cloth of the best 
 quality, made expressly for this manufacture. 
 It varies in texture and width according to the 
 kind of goods for which it is intended. The cloth 
 is taken from the bale and wound upon a large 
 
 level, both connected with the pump, using from I iron cylinder, and looks in that position ver]^ 
 
MISCELLANEO US. 
 
 459 
 
 much like the huge rolls of home-made cloth. 
 It is now ready to receive its first coat; so it is 
 slowly passed through the machine, across and 
 between the huge iron cylinders, from the smaller 
 of which, at the top, it receives its first coating 
 of composition — a black, disagreeable-looking 
 substance, composed of oil, lamp-black, resin, 
 and other ingredients, boiled together, till about 
 the consistency of melted tar. From between 
 the cylinders, dressed in its black coat, the cloth 
 is carried to and wound upon a huge wooden- 
 frame, resembling in shape the old-fashioned 
 reel. By an arrangement of spokes upon the 
 arms of this huge wheel, each layer of cloth is 
 kept separate, so that no two portions of the 
 cloth will come in contact. The frame, with its 
 contents when filled, is passed into what is 
 called the heater, an apartment kept at a high 
 temperature, for the purpose of drying in the 
 coating or composition. After remaining in the 
 heater a sufficient length of time to complete the 
 drying process, it is removed and passed through 
 the hands of workmen who make all the rough 
 places smooth. It is laid on long tables, and 
 the workmen alternately sprinkle with water and 
 rub with pumice-stone, till the whole surface is 
 made perfectly smooth. The cloth is then wound 
 upon the cylinder again, as at first, and passed 
 through the machine to the huge reels, and again 
 under the pumice-stone. The cloth is passed 
 through the machine five times, or till the re- 
 quired thickness has been laid on. After the 
 last scrubbing down, the fabric is taken to 
 another department, thoroughly varnished, and 
 again passed through the heater. It is now 
 represented as a piece of cotton-cloth, with a 
 thick, shining coat of black, very much resem- 
 bling patent leather. But it has not yet received 
 its leather finish; so in another apartment it is 
 passed through the enamel-machine, which con- 
 sists of another set of huge rollers, one of which 
 covers its surface with regular indentations re- 
 sembling the grain of a feather. The cloth is 
 now carefully measured, and rolled up in pack- 
 ages of suitable size, put up in boxes, and is ready 
 for the market. 
 
 CO A CHMAKERS, iTiw/j-/^.— A correspond- 
 ent of the Coachmakers' Journal says: In plug- 
 ging screw holes we glue the edge of the 
 plug ; put no glue in the hole. By this means, 
 the surplus glue is left on the surface, and if the 
 plug does not hit the screw it will seldom show. 
 vVe set the heads of brads well in, then pass a 
 sponge of hot water over them, filling the holes 
 ■with hot water. This brings the wood more to its 
 natural position, and closes, by degrees, over the 
 head of the brad. When dry, sandpaper off and 
 paint, and the putty will not hit the head of the 
 brad ; if it does, it will surely show bad. The 
 brad must have a chance to expand when exposed 
 to the heat of the sun, and not hit the putty; if it 
 does it will force the putty out. We have had 
 no trouble with brad heads or plugs since we 
 adopted this practice. 
 
 COAL, Effect of Exposure on. — Coal deteri- 
 orates rapidly from exposure to the weather. Ac- 
 cording to scientific experiments, coal exposed 
 to the weather in heaps during a period of nine 
 months loses fifty per cent, of its value as fuel. 
 It undergoes a process of slow combustion, taking 
 up oxygen and giving off the volatile products of 
 oxidation — air and moisture playing the principal 
 part, and warmth promoting it; the valuable 
 
 combustible ingredients are lost, and the injurious 
 ones, as sulphur, oxygen and ash, are relatively 
 increased. Neither wood nor coal can bear long 
 exposure to the elements without losing a large 
 share of its value for fuel. 
 
 COAL FLRE, To Maie.— The art of mak- 
 ing and mamtaining a coal fire properly is pos- 
 sessed by but few. We believe that there would 
 be a sensible diminution in the number of do- 
 mestic quarrels and soured tempers, if a knowl- 
 edge of it were more general. Husbands would 
 not have to growl and scold over so many late 
 dinners, nor wives fret themselves to skin and 
 bone over obstinate fires that will neither bake, 
 roast nor boil. 
 
 There are many faults in the usual construction 
 of a coal fire. A common fault is to use too 
 coarse wood for kindling, and too much of it. 
 This, while it' generally succeeds in lighting the 
 coal, leaves a bed of ashes below the coal which 
 interferes with the draft, unless raked out. The 
 wood should be of some rapidly burning variety, 
 which gives a quick and high heat, and should 
 be split fine. It should be so placed that the 
 coal will remain on the top of it, and not fall 
 through to the grate, leaving the kindling on the 
 top of any part of the coal. 
 
 A common mistake is to use too large sized 
 coal. A good rule, where stoves or furnaces 
 have a good draft, is to use coal as small as can 
 be used without inconvenience from its sifting 
 too freely through the grate. 
 
 Grates should have their bars closely set, for 
 stoves that are cleaned out daily, and have fires 
 lighted in them each morning, while those which 
 are intended to have fire kept in them continu- ; 
 ously for days and weeks will not admit of fine 
 grates, on account of the accumulation of ashes 
 and small clinkers. 
 
 There is much difference in coal in regard to 
 the formation of clinkers. These are nothing 
 but vitrified or partially vitrified earthy matters, 
 and only can form when a high heat is maintain- 
 ed ; they are apt to be troublesome when there 
 is too great draft. A coal-stove or furnace 
 should, therefore, be so constructed that its 
 draft can be perfectly controlled. The bottom 
 draft should admit of being closed air-tight, as 
 nearly as is possible to make it, and there ought 
 always to be provision made for a top draft. 
 
 If, however, the draft of a chimney should be 
 so strong that air in too great quantities is drawn 
 in at the bottom when the dampers are closed, 
 a damper in the pipe, which will close it partially, 
 must be employed, though in sluggish chimneys 
 such a damper is apt to force the gases of com- 
 bustion into the room, and' therefore it ought al- 
 ways to be avoided when possible. 
 
 The practice of putting ashes on the top of a 
 fire to keep it, is very productive of clinkers, 
 although it answers very well in other respects. 
 Damp coal screenings are better, and may be 
 economically burned in this manner. If a coal 
 fire gets very low, the quickest way to extinguish 
 it is to rake it at the bottom. To preserve a fire 
 under such circumstances, a little coal should ^ 
 be placed on the fire, and when it has caught 
 more may be added, and the raking deferred 
 until it has got well ignited. 
 
 When the fire-bricks have become burdened 
 with clinkers which have fused and adhered, they 
 may be cleaned by throwing oyster or clam 
 shells into the fire-box when the fire is very hot. 
 
460 
 
 DICTIONARY OF EVERY-DAY WANTS. 
 
 and allowing the fire to go out. The clinkers 
 will generally cleave off without the use of much 
 force the next morning. From two quarts to 
 half a peck will be sufficient for most stoves, and 
 the operation can be repeated if some of the 
 clinkers still adhere. 
 
 COPYRIGHT (law of), with Directions 
 for Securing Copyrights Under the Revised Act 
 of Congress Approved July 8M, 1870.— i. A 
 printed copy of the title of the book, map, chart, 
 dramatic or musical composition, engraving, cut, 
 print, photograph, chromo, or a description of 
 any design for a work of the fine arts for which 
 copyright is desired, must be sent by mail, ad- 
 dressed 
 
 LIBRARIAN OF CONGRESS, 
 
 COPYRIGHT MATTER. WASHINGTON, D. C. 
 
 This must be done before publication of the 
 book or other article. 
 
 2. A fee of 50 cents, for recording the title of 
 each book or other article, must be inclosed 
 with the title as above, and 50 cents in addition 
 (or $1 in all) for each certificate of copyright 
 under seal of the Librarian of Congress, which 
 will be transmitted by return mail. 
 
 3. Within ten days after pubhcation of each 
 book or other article, two complete copies of the 
 best edition issued must be mailed to perfect the 
 copyright, with the address 
 
 LIBRARIAN OF CONGRESS, 
 
 COPYRIGHT MATTER. WASHINGTON, D. C. 
 
 If the above direction is complied with, both 
 books and titles will come «free of postage, and 
 postmasters will give receipt for the same if re- 
 quested. Without the deposit of copies above 
 required, the copyright is void, and a penalty of 
 $25 is incurred. No copy is required to be de- 
 posited elsewhere. 
 
 4. Copyrights recorded at a date prior to July 
 8, 1870, in any district clerk's office, do not re- 
 quire re-entry at Washington. But one copy 
 of each book or other article published since the 
 act of March 4, 1865, is required to be deposited 
 in the Library of Congress, if not already done. 
 Without such deposit the copyright is void. 
 
 5. No copyright hereafter issued is valid un- 
 less notice is given by inserting in every copy 
 published, on the title page or the page follow- 
 ing, if it be a book, or if a map, chart, musical 
 composition, print, cut, engraving, photograph, 
 painting, drawing, chromo, statue, statuary, or 
 model or design intended to be perfected and 
 completed as a work of the fine arts, by inscrib- 
 ing upon some portion of the face or front 
 thereof, or on the face of the substance on which 
 the same is mounted, the following words, viz. : 
 Entered according to act of Congress, in the 
 
 year , by , in the office of the Librarian 
 
 of Congress at Washington. 
 
 The law imposes a penalty of $100 upon any 
 person who has not obtained copyright, who 
 shall insert the notice "entered according to act 
 of Congress," etc., or words of the same import, 
 in or upon any book or other article. 
 
 6. Any author may reserve the right to trans- 
 late or to dramatize his own work. In this 
 case notice should be given by printing the 
 words. Right of translation reserved, or All 
 rights reserved, below the notice of copyright 
 entry, and notifying the Librarian of Congress 
 of such reservation, to be entered upon the record. 
 
 7. Each copyright secures the exclusive right 
 of publishing the book or article copyrighted for 
 
 the term of twenty-eight years. At the end of 
 that time, the author or designer may secure a 
 renewal for the further term of fourteen years, 
 making forty-two years in all. Applications for 
 renewal must be accompanied by explicit state- 
 ment of ownership, in the case of the author, or 
 of relationship, in the case of his heirs, and must 
 state definitely the date and place of entry of the 
 original copyright. 
 
 8. The time within which any vork copy- 
 righted may be issued from the press is not lim- 
 ited by any law or regulation, but depends upon 
 the discretion of the proprietor. A copyright 
 may be secured for a projected work, as well as 
 for a completed one. 
 
 9. Any copyright is assignable in law by any 
 instrument of writing; but such assignment 
 must be recorded in the office of the Librarian 
 of Congress within sixty days from its date. 
 The fee for this record is fifteen cents for every 
 100 words, and ten cents for every loo words 
 for a copy of the record of assignment. 
 
 10. In the case of books published in more 
 than one volume, if issued or sold separately, or 
 of periodicals published in numbers, or of en- 
 gravings, photographs, or other articles pub- 
 lished with variations, a copyright is to be taken 
 out of each volume of a book, or number of a 
 periodical, or variety, as to size or inscription, 
 of any other article. 
 
 11. To secure a copyright for a pairrting, 
 statue, or model or design intended to be per- 
 fected as a work of the fine arts, so as to prevent 
 infringement by copying, engraving, or vending 
 such design, a definite description must accom- 
 pany the application for copyright, and a photo- 
 graph of the same, at least as large as "cabinet 
 size," should be mailed to the Librarian of Con- 
 gress within ten days from the completion of the 
 work. 
 
 12. Every applicant for a copyright must state 
 distinctly in whose name the copyright is to be 
 entered, and whether the right is claimed as 
 author, designer, or proprietor. No affidavit or 
 formal application is required. 
 
 CORAL, Artificial. — Yellow resin, 4 parts; 
 vermilion, i part. Melt. This gives a very 
 pretty effect to glass, twigs, cinders, stones, etc., 
 dipped into it. It is also useful for a cement for 
 ladies' fancy work, such as grottoes, etc. 
 
 CORAL BASKETS, To Itnitate. — M&Va 
 the basket of pasteboard in any shape you please; 
 dissolve three sticks of sealing-wax in a pint of 
 alcohol ; wet the basket with this mixture, and 
 sprinkle on rice which has been about half 
 ground ; let it dry, and repeat the process until 
 the pasteboard is covered, after which paint it 
 with the mixture until it is red enough. A brush 
 of hair or feathers should be used. 
 
 COTTON, To Detect in Linen Fabrics. — 
 A German Professor has discovered the means, 
 by the aid of chemistry, of recognizing the pres- 
 ence of cotton in linen fabrics. He takes a piece 
 of the suspected cloth, about two inches by three- 
 fourths of an inch, and, after having unraveled 
 both weft and warp, plunges it in an alcoholic 
 solution of aniline and fuchsine. The superflu- 
 ous coloring matter is removed by washing th** 
 cloth thus dyed several times in water. If, whiie. 
 it is still wet, it be placed in a saucer containing^ 
 ammonia, the cotton fibres will immediately be- 
 come discolored, while those of linen will pre- 
 serve a fine red color. 
 
3IISCELLANE0 US. 
 
 461 
 
 COUGH, Lemon/or. — Roast the lemon very 
 carefully without burning it; when it is thor- 
 oughly hot, cut and squeeze into a cup upon 3 
 ounces of sugar, finely powdered. Take a spoon- 
 ful whenever your cough troubles you. It is 
 good and agreeable to the taste. Rarely has it 
 been known to fail of giving relief. 
 
 COUNTERFEIT MONEY, Rules for 
 Detecting. — I. Examine the form and features 
 of all human figures on the notes. If the forms 
 are graceful and features distinct, examine the 
 drapery — see if the folds lie natural; and the 
 hair of the head should be observed, and see if 
 the fine strands can be seen, 
 
 2. — Examine the lettering, the title of the 
 bank, or the round handwriting on the face of 
 the note. On all genuine bills, the work is done 
 with great skill and perfectness, and there has 
 never been a counterfeit but was defective in the 
 lettering. .: 
 
 3. — The imprint, or engraver's name. By 
 observing the great perfection of the different 
 company names — in the evenness and shape of 
 the fine letters, counterfeiters never get the im- 
 print perfect. This rule alone, if strictly observ- 
 ed, will detect every counterfeit note in exist- 
 ence. 
 
 4. — ^The shading in the back- ground of the 
 vignette, or over or around the letters forming 
 the name of the bank, on a good bill is even 
 and perfect, on a counterfeit is irregular and 
 imperfect. 
 
 5. — Examine well the figures on the other 
 parts of the note, containing the denomination, 
 also the letters. Examine well the die work 
 around the figufes which stand for the denomin- 
 ation, to see if it is of the same character as that 
 which forms the ornamental work surround- 
 ing it. 
 
 6. — Never take a bill that is deficient in any 
 of the above points, and if your impression is 
 bad when you first see it, you had better be 
 careful how you become convinced to change 
 your mind — whether your opinion is not altered 
 as you become confused in looking into the 
 texture of the workmanship of the bill. 
 
 7- — Examine the name of the State, name of 
 the bank, and name of the town where it is 
 located. If it has been altered from a broken 
 bank, the defects can plainly be seen, as the 
 alteration will show that it has been stamped on. 
 
 COURT PLASTER, Substitute for.— Take 
 half a dozen pigs' feet, well cleaned for cooking, 
 and boil to a jelly of say about half a pint or 
 less — then spread with a brush on any waste 
 scraps of silk, and we find it equal to any ad- 
 hesive plaster we have ever used. Any fatty 
 substance in the boiling of the feet rises to the 
 surface, and when cold can easily be removed. 
 One of its chief excellencies is, that it costs 
 nothing but the trouble of preparing. 
 
 CRAYONS.— I. Shell lac, 6 parts; spirit, 4 
 parts; turpentine, 2 parts; color, 12 parts; 
 pale clay, 12 parts. Mix. — 2, Pipe-clay, color 
 as required, water to mix. Form into a stiff 
 paste and roll it into crayons, 
 
 CRA YON^S, Lithographic— 1. Take white 
 wax, 4 parts; gum lac, 2 parts. Melt over a 
 gentle fire, then add dry tallow soap in shavings, 
 2 parts. Stir until dissolved. Next add white 
 tallow, 2 parts; copal varnish, I part; lamp- 
 black, I part. Mix well, and continue the heat 
 and stirring until, on trial by cooling a little, it 
 
 appears of a proper quality, which should be 
 that it will bear cutting to a fine point, and trace 
 delicate lines without breaking. — 2. Take dry 
 white tallow soap, 6 parts; white wax, 6 parts; 
 lampblack, I part. Fuse in a covered vessel. — 
 3. Take lampblack, l part; tallow soap, 2 parts ; 
 shell lac, 2 parts ; wax, 4 parts. Mix, with heat, 
 and mold, — ^4. Take dried tallow soap, 5 parts; 
 wax, 4 parts ; lampblack, i part. Mix as before. 
 
 CRA YON COLORS, To Fix.— Taste your 
 paper on canvas, in a frame, in the usual way, 
 then brush over the back two or three times 
 with the following mixture, and when the last 
 coat is dry give the face of the picture one or two 
 coats in the same way. This will make it re- 
 semble an oil painting. Spirits of turpentine, 
 10 parts; boiled oil, 6 parts. Mix, 
 
 CRUCIBLES. — The best crucibles are made 
 from a pure fire-clay, mixed with finely ground 
 cement of old crucibles, and a portion of black 
 lead, or graphite ; some pounded coke may be 
 mixed with the plumbago. The clay should be 
 prepared in a similar way as for making pottery 
 ware ; the vessels, after being formed, must be 
 slowly dried, and then properly baked in the 
 kiln. Black-lead crucibles are made of 2 parts 
 graphite, and i of fire-clay, mixed with water 
 into a paste, pressed in molds, and well dried, 
 but not baked hard in the kiln. This compound 
 forms excellent small or portable furnaces. 
 
 DARM PLACE, To Illuminate. — '^y the 
 use of a mirror to throw a reflection of the sun's 
 rays down a deep, dark well, the bottom is 
 clearly seen, and a lost bucket or other object 
 hooked tip. The same means may be applied 
 to light a dark garret, cellar or closet. If there 
 are obstacles preventing success with one glass, 
 fake two glasses, one to receive the direct rays 
 of the sun and the other the reflected rays from 
 the mirror. 
 
 DEAD ANIMALS, To Preserve in Water 
 Containing Creosote. — In order to preserve dead 
 animals, nothing is necessary but to put them 
 in creosote water prepared by shaking coal-tar 
 creosote with water. According to the size of 
 the animal the immersion should continue one 
 to several weeks. In very large animals it is 
 better to open the skin by a cut, which is not 
 necessary in birds, fishes, or reptiles ; they are 
 then dried in the open air, and a position given 
 to them, such as they are wanted to assume. 
 As the bodies remain elastic after drying, they 
 may be packed without much precaution. This 
 process is especially applicable to the above 
 named three classes of animals, as the feathers 
 of birds retain their color, fishes and reptiles 
 their shape and color also. This is a valuable 
 hint to travelers and naturalists, as the creosote 
 water may be prepared when and wherever 
 wanted, and the animals after drying may be 
 packed in boxes like minerals, 
 
 DOG SKIN, To Tan 7uith Hair ^«.— Pro- 
 cure a cask, or barrel, holding from fifteen to 
 eighteen gallons, in which make a liquor of six 
 gallons of water, one and a half pounds of alum, 
 five pounds of salt ; in this, soak the skin about 
 ten hours, or until it is in its original condition. 
 Then place the skin on a board and carefully 
 remove all the flesh and grease, finishing by 
 scraping with a dull knife and rubbing with sand 
 paper, or better, pumice stone. Add to the 
 alum and salt liquor six gallons of sour oak or 
 hemlock liquor, which can be procured of any 
 
462 
 
 DICTIONARY OF EVERY-DAY WANTS. 
 
 tanner (or leached from pulverized bark), in 
 which again place the skin. It will tan in 
 about two weeks, becoming as soft and pliable 
 as cloth. 
 
 DOOR PLATES {Silver), To Clean.— To 
 
 ■ clean silver door plates, use a weak solution of 
 
 ammonia in water, applied with a wet rag. This 
 
 wash is equally useful for silver plate and jewelry. 
 
 DROWNED PERSON, To Raise the Body 
 of. — In a recent failure to recover a body drown- 
 ed in a river in New-Jersey, a French Canadian 
 undertook the job, and is reported to have pro- 
 ceeded after the following scientific manner. 
 Having supplied himself with some glass gallon 
 jars and a quantity of unslaked lime, he went in 
 a boat to the place where the man was seen to 
 go down. One of the jars was filled half full of 
 lime, then filled up with water and tightly corked. 
 It was then dropped into the water, and soon 
 after exploded at the bottom of the river with a 
 loud report. After the third trial, each time in a 
 different place, the body arose to the surface 
 and was secured, 
 
 DWELLINGS, Damp.— li is obvious that, 
 as all external walls are exposed to more or less 
 wet weather, our efforts will be most usefully 
 directed to preventing the moisture from entering 
 at the outer face of the wall ; or, if we can not 
 prevent its penetrating the surface, then we must 
 apply ourselves to hindering its passage quite 
 through the wall. 
 
 The use of materials which have a very hard 
 face, such as the best sorts of building- stones 
 and bricks, especially machine-made bricks, will, 
 if the joints of^the work are well "pointed," that 
 is, filled with mortar, keep out moisture effectu- 
 ally; but when bricks of a porous quality are of 
 necessity used, it is often the best safeguard to 
 "render" the walls with Portland cement. It is 
 important to notice that not only the face but the 
 top of every wall must be protected. It is to 
 keep the wet from soaking into the body of the 
 wall, that every window has a sill of hard stone 
 or some other impervious material, and that all 
 parapets or other unprotected w&lls require a 
 coping. 
 
 With materials that are not naturally imper- 
 vious, many attempts have been made to arrive 
 at some mode of rendering them so. Perhaps oil, 
 when applied thoroughly and in dry weather, 
 may be said to be as yet the only application 
 which extensive experience has pronounced suc- 
 cessful, though a wash of soap and alum has been 
 frequently found useful. 
 
 If the surface is once passed, the thicker the 
 wall, the longer it is in being thoroughly soaked, 
 and the less wet will penetrate it from short 
 rains; but almost the thickest solid wall will 
 sooner or later give passage to continuous moist- 
 ure if its outer face be once penetrated; and 
 experience has constantly shown that a hollow 
 wall is drier than a solid wall of the same thick- 
 ness. When building in stone, it is especially 
 desirable to have an inner lining of brick, with 
 a clear space of from two to four inches between 
 it and the wall, and as few solid points of contact 
 between the two as possible. 
 
 In some cases, contact between the outer and 
 inner wall can be almost entirely prevented by 
 connecting them together with iron cramps. 
 WHien this is not done, the greatest care must 
 be taken to reduce the points of connection to 
 a minimum, to employ hard materials at those 
 
 points, and even to break the continuity of the 
 communication by leaving those bricks which 
 are used as ties clear at both ends. It is almost 
 needless to add that the cavity must be kept 
 clear of mortar and rubbish. A less perfect mode 
 of preventing annoyance from damp than by 
 building hollow walls, but a favorite expedient, 
 is to "batten" the inner face of the wall; that is 
 to say, to place strips of wood against it, cover 
 them with laths, and plaster on the lathing. By 
 this means, the inner face next the room is usu- 
 ally preserved from the actual appearance of moist- 
 ure ; but as it is possible that the whole wall 
 behind the battening, if solid, may be moist all 
 the time, this is an inferior method to the hollow 
 wall. For very exposed situations, or very po- 
 rous materials, a combination of the two, that is, 
 a hollow wall, battened in addition, is to be re- 
 commended. 
 
 Where moisture is at all likely to enter from 
 the ground on which a house stands, it is most 
 desirable to cut off the foot of the wall from all 
 communication with the upper part by a "damp 
 course," composed either of slate laid in cement, 
 or of some sort of asphalt or coal-tar, or of vitri- 
 fied tiles made for the purpose ; and this should 
 go quite through the external walls, (in damp 
 soils it should be used also in internal walls, ) 
 below the level of the lowest floor. Where earth 
 comes against the walls to any extent, it is de- 
 sirable to have either an open area, or what is 
 called a "dry area," to prevent its actually 
 touching the walls ; and in wet soils an inter- 
 cepting drain outside that area will also be of 
 service. 
 
 In good buildings, it is often customary to 
 cover the whole surface of the earth under all 
 floors with a layer of concrete or asphalt, or some 
 other hard body ; and this, no doubt, promotes 
 the dryness of the building to a great extent. 
 Solid floors, that is, floors of stone, tile, or brick, 
 should always be laid on a pretty thick layer of 
 concrete or dry rubbish, not direct on the earth. 
 
 Forming a dry area around the walls is fre- 
 quently a serviceable remedy where the lower 
 part of a house is damp, and draining the site is 
 often of very great service. So, in many cases, 
 is the taking up the lowest floor, removing a foot 
 or two of earth, covering the fresh surface with 
 concrete, and relaying the floor, leaving good 
 ventilating channels for the air space so formed. 
 
 A very fertile source of dampness is "drip." 
 Even the small amount of rain-water falling on 
 a window, and which, after draining down, final- 
 ly drips from the window-sill, has a great ten- 
 dency to render the wall immediately below that 
 sill damp; for whenever the wind blo%vs toward 
 the wall, every drop is likely to be blown against 
 its surface. This, by the by, shows the folly of 
 our making the wall immediately under window- 
 sills thinner than elsewhere, which it is custom- 
 ary to do for convenience' sake. 
 
 The drip from a roof not furnished with a gut- 
 ter, or from a veranda that is too shallow, or, 
 worst of all, from a defective rain-water pipe, is, 
 however, larger in quantity, and more exposed 
 to wind than that from a simple window-sill ; 
 and this source of dampness often remains for a 
 long time undetected, as the place where the 
 water falls against the wall will often be distant 
 from that where it escapes. 
 
 As a general rule, it may be laid down that 
 there is no auxiliary so powerful in diminishing 
 
MISCELLANEO US. 
 
 463 
 
 the amount of such moisture as can not be actu- 
 ally shut out from any part of a building, as a 
 free circulation of air. Let, therefore, openings 
 communicating with the cavities and vacant spa- 
 ces of a house be freely provided. The hollow 
 space in a roof, the space between floor and ceil- 
 ing, and the hollow under a floor, should all en- 
 joy a free circulation of air. It is even desirable, 
 in building hollow walls, to attempt to promote 
 a circulation of air in the cavity, and in all these 
 cases it should be remembered that two openings 
 are requisite to each hollow, in order to give 
 much hope of a current or change of air. Where 
 there is no ventilation under the lowest floor of 
 a house, the joists and timbers will soon begin 
 to decay. This may be accelerated by covering 
 the floor with oil-cloth, or kamptulicon, or simi- 
 lar non-porous coverings. Ivy or creepers against 
 external walls, and even trees growing close to 
 them, tend to promote moisture by cutting off 
 the circulation of air. 
 
 The failure of any portion of the arrangements 
 for water supply or drainage will be pretty sure 
 to lead to damp. As general rules, no drain 
 should ever be permitted to pass under any part 
 of a dwelling house ; and when this can not be 
 prevented, the drain should be so laid, without 
 being covered up with earth, that every part of 
 it which is under the floor of the house can be 
 reached at once. The water pipes, on the other 
 hand, should be kept well within the house for 
 •warmth's sake, and where they leave it, should 
 be at a level of not less than three feet, at the 
 least, below the surface, for protection against 
 frost. When practicable, water pipes should be 
 left where they can be seen and got at. Iron 
 is preferable to lead for their material, and the 
 arrangements should always include the means of 
 shutting off water supphes in very frosty weather. 
 
 It is wise to try to select a wet day for looking 
 over a house, for if the day be fine, and the 
 weather dry, damp spots as well as many other 
 defects may be easily overlooked. Let the in- 
 tending tenant look for the existence of damp 
 courses, dry areas, and ventilation under floors ; 
 let him avoid a ground floor that is not a little 
 raised above the earth outside, unless he is sure 
 there is a good cavity under it well ventilated. 
 
 In one word, in choosing a house in which a 
 man intends himself and his family to live, and 
 particularly on first moving into a new built 
 residence, he should look out for the indications 
 of damp as pointing out the presence of one of 
 the most serious enemies to the comfort, if not 
 to the continuance, of their life, which he can 
 have to encounter. 
 
 EARTH CLOSET, 77^^.— The earth closet 
 is the invention of the Rev. Henry Moule, of 
 Fordington Vicarage, Dorsetshire, England. 
 
 It is based on the power of clay and the de- 
 composed organic matter found in the soil to 
 absorb and retain all offensive odors and all fer- 
 tilizing matters ; and it consists, essentially, of 
 a mechanical contrivance (attached to the or- 
 dinary seat) for measuring out and discharging 
 into the vault or pan below a sufficient quantity 
 of sifted dry earth to entirely cover the solid 
 ordure and to absorb the urine. 
 
 The discharge of earth is effected by an or- 
 dinary pull-up similar to that used in the water 
 closet, or (in the self-acting apparatus) by the 
 rising of the seat when the weight of the person 
 is removed. 
 
 The vault or pan under the seat is so arranged 
 that the accumulation may be removed at pleas- 
 ure. 
 
 From the moment when the earth is discharged 
 and the evacuation is covered, all offensive ex- 
 halation entirely ceases. Under certain circum- 
 stances there may be at times a slight odor as of 
 guano mixed with earth ; but this is so trifling 
 and so local that a commode arranged on this 
 plan may, without the least annoyance, be kept 
 in use in any room. 
 
 In the making of an earth closet all that is 
 necessary is to have a supply of coarsely sifted- • 
 sun-dried earth with which to cover the bottom 
 of the vessel to be used, and after use to cover 
 the deposit. A small box of earth and a tin 
 scoop are sufficient to prevent the gravest annoy- 
 ance of the sick-room. But, of course, for con- 
 stant use it is desirable to have a more convenient 
 apparatus, — something which requires less care, 
 and is less troublesome in many ways. 
 
 To this end the patented invention of Mr. 
 Moule is applicable. This comprises a tight 
 receptacle under the seat, a reservoir for storing 
 dry earth, and an apparatus to measure out 
 the requisite quantity and throw it upon the 
 deposit. 
 
 Earth alone is proved to be the best deodorizer, 
 and far superior to any disinfectants; but where 
 it is difficult to obtain earth abundantly, sifted 
 ashes may be mixed with it in proportion of two 
 of earth to one of ashes. 
 
 As the first requirement is dry earth sifted, and 
 as this is usually thought to be a great difficulty 
 in the way of the adoption of the dry earth system, 
 the following remarks will at once remove such 
 an impression : — 
 
 The earth commode and closet, if used by six 
 persons daily, will require on an average about 
 one hundred-weight of earth per week. This 
 may be dried for family use in a drawer made to 
 fit under the kitchen range, and which may be 
 filled with earth one morning and left until the 
 next. The drawer should reach to within two 
 inches of the bottom bar of the grate. A frame 
 with a handle, covered with fine wire netting, 
 forming a kind of shovel, should be placed on 
 this drawer ; the finer ashes will fall through, 
 mixing with the earth, whilst the cinders will 
 remain on the top, to be from time to time 
 thrown on the fire. 
 
 The earth used in the earth closet must be dry 
 — as dry as it is possible to keep it by protection 
 from rain, dew, and mist. However dry it may 
 be made by artificial means, it will absorb the 
 hygrometric moisture of the atmosphere, which 
 could be excluded only by hermetical sealing. 
 This amount of moisture, which is not perceptible 
 to the sight or touch, in no way interferes with 
 its efficiency. But it must be air-dry, or it will 
 not fully accomplish its purpose. 
 
 The best and cheapest drying apparatus is the 
 sun and wind of a summer day. During a 
 drought the parched surface of naked land is in 
 precisely the condition needed for use, and a 
 year's supply may then be taken into a close 
 out-building or a dry cellar, and stored until 
 wanted. 
 
 Those who have not made, or cannot make, 
 this pro%-ision, may store damp earth in a well- 
 ventilated place, from which mists can be ex- 
 cluded, and in a longer qf shorter time, according 
 to the climate, it wiU become dry— just as bread 
 
464 
 
 DICTIONARY OF EVERY-DAY WANTS. 
 
 so kept would do. The writer has had a com- 
 mode in constant use for nine months, and nearly 
 all of his winter's supply of earth has been dried 
 and re-dried in a hogshead lying on its side, its 
 open end — facing the south — being protected 
 from rain and mist by a close screen of rough 
 boards leaning against it. The sun had very 
 little chance at it, but the wind had, and the 
 drying has been sufficiently rapid for such a limi- 
 ted supply as is needed for one commode. 
 
 At the experimental station of the United 
 States Engineers (at Fort Adams) there is in use 
 a sort of hot-bed, raised a little from the ground 
 with a board floor, and provided with movable 
 sashes battened at the joints. The earth is 
 thrown loosely in to a depth of about six inches, 
 and whenever a drying wind blows, the sashes 
 are raised at both ends. In damp weather they 
 are kept close, and when the sun shines, without 
 there being much wind, they are raised at the 
 back only enough to allow the escape of the 
 moisture evaporated. This plan is cheap, simple, 
 and perfectly effective. 
 
 To dry the earth in a more systematic way, 
 especially for the supply of towns or large fac- 
 tories, it will be necessary, particularly in win- 
 ter, to employ the aid of fire heat. The scale 
 on which this is to be done must determine the 
 extent of the appliances for the purpose. Earth 
 enough for the use of a family may be dried in 
 a shallow box near the furnace, or the kitchen 
 stove or range. For the supply of larger estab- 
 lishments or for towns, when the requisite quan- 
 tity of earth has not been stored in the summer, 
 it will be well to use a drying apparatus similar 
 to one erected for the supply of a number of 
 closets in New Haven. 
 
 This is a plate yi inch boiler iron — condemned 
 f for other use — set on brick walls high enough to 
 ' allow a small stove to be placed under it, the 
 pipe or flue running from the stove, which is in 
 the front of the space, to an opening at the rear. 
 The earth is spread upon the plate a few inches 
 deep, and is very rapidly made ready for use. 
 
 In the country, where earth is plenty, and 
 where there is use on the farm or in the garden 
 for the manure, it will be best to compost the 
 accumulation of the closet until required for use, 
 and to supply the closet with fresh earth; not 
 ■ because it is more effective than that which has 
 been several times used, but because it is better 
 to have the manure as bulky as possible for ease 
 of even distribution. But in towns, and in all 
 cases in which the manure has to be transported 
 to a distance, making it desirable that it be as 
 concentrated as possible, the same earth should 
 be used over and over again. It has been dem- 
 onstrated that the same earth may be used six 
 or seven times over, until it becomes equal to 
 Peruvian guano in richness, w^ithout losmg its 
 efficiency as a deodorizer. 
 
 Earth owes its deodorizing power to both its 
 clay and its decomposed organic matter, and — 
 as in the case of the soil of an old garden which 
 has been heavily manured for many years — the 
 manure itself, when thoroughly decomposed, 
 only adds to the disinfecting strength of the 
 earth, by adding to its humus. In fact, instances 
 are cited in which the same earth has passed ten 
 times through the closet, receiving at each use 
 an addition to its manurial value. Of course in 
 time the limit will be passed, and the prepon- 
 derance of organic matter will tell on the effect, 
 
 so that it is found in most cases that more than 
 six or seven uses are enough to reduce the de- 
 odorizing effect. 
 
 When the earth is removed from the closet or 
 the commode, it should be emptied into a barrel, 
 a cask, or a bin, in a sheltered but well venti- 
 lated place. Here it will soon so far decompose 
 that all traces of paper and of solid fieces will 
 disappear, and it will be to a considerable extent 
 dried. It should now be worked over with a 
 shovel or a rake until its parts are perfectly 
 mixed, and it may then be dried by natural or 
 artificial means, as circumstances suggest, and 
 prep.ired for another use. Until the decomposi- 
 tion of the foreign matters has become complete, 
 it is better that the mass be kept in a compact 
 body ; after that, the more it can be spread the 
 more rapidly will it dry, though it will in time 
 become dry in the barrel or bin. 
 
 In the case of fixed closets holding a three 
 months' supply, it is hardly necessary to resort 
 to any artificial means of drying, nor even to any 
 manipulation. The accumulation in the vault 
 or box must be leveled off" with a rake from time 
 to time, and this will sufficiently mix the earth 
 and fiaeces. 
 
 In such cases it would be the best arrange- 
 ment to have two bins, equal in size to the ca- 
 pacity of the reservoir and of the vault of the 
 closet ; these may be in a shed connected with 
 a privy. One of the bins and the reservoir above 
 the hopper being filled with sifted dry earth, 
 and the other bin with freshly collected earth, 
 we go on and use out the supply in the reser- 
 voir. In three months it has all passed into the 
 vault and is mixed with faeces. We now fill the 
 reservoir with contents of the first bin, and put ^ 
 the contents of the vavdt in its place. When the 
 reservoir is again empty, the earth that was 
 freshly collected and moist six months before is 
 dry and fit to be sifted into the reservoir, the 
 bin from which it is taken being filled from the 
 vault. When the reservoir has been again emp- 
 tied, the first clearing of the vault will have had 
 six months to become dry, and may be sifted 
 and used. If the same earth is used six times 
 over, the original supply will last four years and 
 a half, at the end of which time it will be worth 
 fully fifty dollars per ton as manure. 
 
 The quantity of earth that it is necessary to 
 supply will depend on the frequency with which 
 the closet is used, and on the quantity of earth 
 that it is made to contain. The writer has, 
 without other facilities for drying than those 
 described above, found four barrels to be sufficient 
 for a commode constantly used by three persons. 
 
 Under the arrangement discussed above, with 
 a reservoir and two bins, each holding a three 
 months' supply for a family of ten persons, 
 each receptacle would require a capacity equal 
 to that of a cube of three and a half feet, which 
 would give an abundant supply for all emergen- 
 cies. These receptacles once being filled, no 
 more earth would be needed for from four to five 
 years. All that would be required would be 
 that four times a year the earth be sifted, and 
 that occasionally the contents of the vault be 
 leveled off. 
 
 By Professor S. W. Johnson's estimate of the 
 value of night-soil as manure, this earth, after it 
 had passed six times through the closet, would 
 be worth from $200 to $250. Other estimates 
 would give it a much higher value. 
 
MISCELLANEO US. 
 
 465 
 
 The earth for the closet must not only be dry; 
 it must be sifted. Up to a certain point, the 
 finer it is the more effective it is. That is, while 
 it will answer the purpose if it is passed through 
 a common coal sifter, it will much better envelop 
 the deposit, will distribute itself more widely, 
 and will make more dust in every part of the 
 vault (a desirable thing, on account of the ex- 
 halations from the uncovered fresh faeces), if it 
 has been passed through a sieve having six 
 meshes to the inch. The finer the sieve the 
 more will small pebbles be excluded. These are 
 objectionable, not only on account of the space 
 they occupy, but they dilute the earth proper 
 and do no good. 
 
 The best earth is that used for making bricks 
 or earthenware — that is, a strong clay ; but any 
 soil or subsoil that contains enough clay or 
 vegetable matter to make it arable will answer 
 a satisfactory purpose. A very sterile gravel 
 and a nearly pure sandy soil should be rejected. 
 The "mould" of an old garden or field is ex- 
 cellent, and the "yellow dirt" below it is still 
 better. Either of these treated as above de- 
 scribed will be found to entirely absorb and 
 destroy the odor of the most offensive faeces 
 from the moment when it envelops it until, 
 years afterwards, if necessary, it is removed to 
 the field ; so that the earth-closet may be in the 
 house or out of the house, as is most convenient, 
 without considering the question of foul odors or 
 of ventilation. 
 
 Wood ashes must under no circumstances be 
 used, as the potash that they contain has the 
 effect of driving off the volatile parts of the 
 deposit. Anthracite coal ashes can be used with 
 perfect success in winter, and probably in sum- 
 mer as well, but we cannot say this positively. 
 We can see no reason why the ashes of bitumin- 
 ous coal may not be equally effective, but Mr. 
 Moule recommends that they be mixed with 
 one-half their bulk of earth. 
 
 All ashes are objectionable for use in com- 
 modes in the house, from the dust that flies when 
 they are put into the hopper ; but in the case of 
 fixed closets this difficulty would not be noticed. 
 On shipboard, especially on steam-ships, where 
 water-closets are always a nuisance, the use of 
 ashes would be entirely successful. 
 
 The earth-closet, like all other human contriv- 
 ances, needs attention. The earth in the vault 
 will not deodorize the fouling of the seat; wet 
 earth will not deodorize the faeces that it covers ; 
 and if the accumulation is not occasionally leveled, 
 the earth will not be so thrown as to entirely 
 cover recent deposits. These things must be 
 looked to, but they require no more attention 
 than does the care of the water-closet; and, if the 
 needed attention is given, the depressing odor 
 that so often accompanies even the best-arranged 
 water-closets will be entirely unknown, while the 
 full convenience of having accommodations in the 
 house, and even in the sick-room, may be better 
 and much more cheaply attained by the aid of the 
 earth-closet than by that of the water-closet. 
 
 EBONY, To Imitate. — Ebony can be imi- 
 tated by using a dye of logwood, galls, and 
 sulphate or acetate of iron ; but it will always 
 look dull and unnatural unless rightly polished, 
 when it will come out a most brilliant, shiny 
 black. It is done in this way: Put the dyed or 
 finished article in the lathe, turn a great speed, 
 wid while in revolution, firmly and evenly press 
 
 the siliceous rind of bamboo or a hard wood 
 burnisher against the article, and continue the 
 operation till all the grain is reduced into a 
 smooth glossy surface. The bamboo is best, it 
 is so unyielding and hard in texture. Smooth 
 flat work, not adapted to a lathe, must be rubbed 
 till a polish is obtained. 
 
 EGGS, To Color. — Eggs are colored variously, 
 thus : A dark rosewood color by pouring half a 
 gallon of boiling water upon from one quarter to 
 one eighth of a pound of logwood chips. This 
 makes the dye; put the eggs therein and let them 
 boil for one hour. You will have a hard boiled 
 egg, but the color will be beautiful. To vary the 
 color or to write a name on the egg, drop melted 
 beeswax on the shell of the egg in the pattern 
 you want it ; then put the egg into the dye and 
 leave it as above. When you take it out scrape 
 off the wax and beneath it the shell will be all 
 white, the rest of it will be dyed. For a faint 
 yellow color onion skins will do, used like the 
 logwood. To increase the color wTap some of 
 the onion skins around the egg and leave it in 
 the dye. The skins must be fastened of course. 
 By onion skins we mean the dry, yellow outside 
 skin of the onion. A good effect is also got by 
 taking a piece of nicely figured calico, putting it 
 neatly around the egg and then allowing it to 
 remain either in the onion skin or logwood dye 
 pot. The figure in the calico generally comes 
 out and fixes itself in the egg shell. Variations 
 of color may be had by using any of the vegetable 
 dyes. 
 
 EGGS ( White of). To Preserve. — There are 
 several ways of preserving albumen ; one is by 
 drying it at alow temperature (otherwise it coa- 
 gulates) and then powdering it, when it is al- 
 ways ready for solution. The second is a preserv- 
 ative Uke carbolic acid, (phenylic alcohol, ) when 
 there are no objections to its odor. Otherwise, 
 5 per cent, of sulphite of soda (not sulphate) will 
 accomplish the same purpose, and give an odor- 
 less and almost tasteless preparation. 
 
 EGGS OF PHARAOH'S SERPEN'TS, To 
 Make. — Take mercury and dissolve it in moder- 
 ately dilute nitric acid by means of heat, taking 
 care, however, that there be always an excess of 
 metallic mercury remaining; decant the solution 
 and pour it into a solution of sulpho-cyanide of 
 ammonium or potassium, which may be bought 
 at a good drug store, or of a dealer in chemicals. 
 Equal weights of both will answer. A precipitate 
 will fall to the bottom of the beaker or jar, which 
 is to be collected on a filter and washed two or 
 three times witli water, when it is put in a warm 
 place to dry. Take for every pound of this 
 material one ounce of gum tragacanth which has 
 been soaked in hot water. When the gum is 
 completely softened it is to be'transferred to a 
 mortar, and the pulverized and dried precipitate 
 gradually mixed with it by means of a little water, 
 so as to present a somewhat dry pill mass, from 
 which by hand pellets of the desired size are 
 formed, put on a piece of glass, and dried again; 
 they are then ready for use. 
 
 EMBALMING, Frenck Method.— 'Wvq fol- 
 lowing is M. Gannal's mixture for injecting the 
 carotid artery, whereby all the purposes of em- 
 balming are attained : — Take dry sulphate of 
 alumine, i kilogramme, (equal 2 lbs. 3 oz. 5 drs. 
 avoirdupois,) dissolved in half a litre (a little less 
 than a pint) of warm water, and marking 32* of 
 the aerometer. Three or four htres of this mix- 
 
 30 
 
466 
 
 DICTIONARY OF E VERY-DAY WANTS. 
 
 ture will be sufficient to inject all the vessels of 
 the human body, and •will preserve it in the 
 summer ; in the winter, from one to two litres 
 will be enough. But to keep away insects, there 
 should be added to the above chlorure of copper, 
 at the rate of lOO grammes to a kilogramme of 
 the sulphate of alumine ; or else 50 grammes of 
 arsenious acid. This applies to all kinds of ani- 
 mals, birds, fishes, etc., as well as to the human 
 subject. The above process has been introdu- 
 ced into the great anatomical schools in Paris ; 
 and in nearly all the recent interments of dis- 
 tinguished individuals, the old and revolting 
 mode of embalming has been superseded by this 
 new and simple method. 
 
 ENAMELS. — Transparent or opaque sub- 
 stances, usually formed of glass colored with 
 metallic oxides, and applied in a thin stratum to 
 brightly polished metallic surfaces, (copper or 
 gold,) on which they are fused by the flame of a 
 lamp urged by the blow-pipe, or by the heat of 
 a small furnace, and in cooling form a sort of 
 vitreous varnish. The art of enameling acquired 
 the greatest perfection in ancient times, and very 
 beautiful specimens are still preserved, which 
 the moderns are unable to equal, and with the 
 materials of which they are totally unacquainted. 
 At the present day, this pleasing and useful ap- 
 plication of human industry is carried on with 
 the greatest success by the Venetians, and, after 
 them, by the French. The limits of this work 
 will not permit a description of the various ope- 
 rations of enameling, which essentially depend 
 on skillful manipulation; a knowledge of which 
 can only be obtained by long practice. The pre- 
 paration of enamels being, however, entirely de- 
 pendent on chemistry, I deem it proper to pre- 
 sent the following formulae to the reader. It is 
 nevertheless right to remark, that almost every 
 artist has his own receipts. 
 
 The basis of all enamels is a highly transpa- 
 rent and fusible glass, which readily receives a 
 color on the addition of metallic oxides. As this 
 is required in the preparation of many of those 
 that follow, it is placed first. 
 
 ENAMELS, Base or Flux for.— i. Red lead 
 16 parts ; calcined borax 3 parts ; powdered flint 
 glass 12 parts ; powdered flints 4 parts ; fuse in 
 a Hessian crucible for 12 hours, then pour it out 
 into water, and reduce it to a powder in a biscuit- 
 ware mortar. 
 
 2. Powdered flints 10 parts ; nitre and white 
 arsenic, of each i part ; as last. 
 
 3. Flint glass 3 oz. ; red lead I oz. ; as last. 
 
 4. Red lead 18 parts ; borax (not calcined) 
 II parts ; flint glass 16 parts ; as last. 
 
 5. Flint glass 6 parts; flux No. 2 (above) 4 
 parts ; red lead 8 parts ; as last. 
 
 6. Tin 2 to 5 parts ; lead 10 parts ; calcine in 
 an iron pot at a dull cherry-red heat, and scrape 
 off the oxide as it forms, observing to obtain it 
 quite free from undecomposed metal ; when 
 enough of the dross is obtamed, reduce it to fine 
 ]>owder by grinding and elutriation, then mix 4 
 parts of this powder with an equal weight of 
 pure sand or ]->owdered flints, and I of sea salt, 
 or other alkaline matter, fuse the mixture in a 
 Hessian crucible, and proceed as before. The 
 best proportions of the tin and lead, for all or- 
 dinary purposes, are about 3 of the former to 10 
 of the latter. The calcined mixed oxides are 
 commonly called "calcine." 
 
 7. Lead and tin, equal parts ; calcine as above; 
 
 and take of the mixed oxides, or calcine and 
 ground flints, of each I part ; pure subcarbonate 
 of potash 2 parts ; as before. 
 
 8. Lead 30 parts ; tin 33 parts ; calcine as be- 
 fore, then mix 50 parts of the calcine with an 
 equal weight of flints, in powder, and i lb. of 
 salts of tartar ; as before. A fine dead white 
 enamel. 
 
 Remarks. The ptecise qualities of the pro- 
 ducts of the above processes depend greatly upon 
 the duration and degree of heat employed. By 
 increasing the quantity of sand, glass, or flux, 
 the enamel is rendered more fusible, and the 
 opacity and whiteness is increased by the addi- 
 tion of oxide of tin. The use of borax should 
 be avoided, or used very sparingly, as it is apt 
 to make the enamel effloresce and lose color. 
 
 ENAMELS, Black.— I. Pure clay 3 parts; 
 
 Erotoxidd of iron I part ; mix and fuse. A fine 
 lack. 
 
 2. Calcined iron (protoxide) 12 parts ; oxide 
 of cobalt I part ; mix and add an equal weight 
 of white flux. 
 
 3. Peroxide of manganese 3 parts ; zaffre I 
 part; mix and add it as required to white flux. 
 
 ENAMELS, Blue.— I. Either of the fluxes 
 colored with oxide of cobalt. 
 
 2. Sand, red lead, and nitre, of each 10 parts; 
 flint glass or ground flints 20 parts ; oxide of 
 cobalt I part, more or less, the quantity wholly 
 depending on the depth of color required. 
 
 ENAMELS, Brcrwn.—i. Red lead and 
 calcined iron, of each 1 part ; antimony, litharge, 
 and sand, of each 2 parts; mix and add it in any 
 required proportion to a flux, according to the 
 color desired. A little oxide of cobalt or zaffre is 
 frequently added, and alters the shade of brown. 
 
 2. Manganese 5 parts ; red lead 16 parts; flint 
 powder 8 parts ; mix. 
 
 3. Manganese 9 parts; red lead 34 parts; flint 
 powder 16 parts. 
 
 ENAMELS, Green.— \. Flux 2 lbs. ; black 
 oxide of copper I oz. ; red oxide of iron yi dr. ; 
 mix. 
 
 2. As above, but use the red oxide of copper. 
 Less decisive. 
 
 3. Copper dust and litharge, of each 2 oz. ; 
 nitre I oz. ; sand 4 oz. ; flux as much as 
 required. 
 
 4. Add oxide of chrome to a sufficient quantity 
 of flux to produce the desired shade ; when well 
 managed, the color is superb, and will stand a 
 very great heat ; but in common hands, it fre- 
 quently turns on the dead-leaf tinge. 
 
 5. Transparent flux 5 oz. ; black oxide of cop- 
 
 Eer 2 scruples ; oxide of chrome 2 grs. Resem- 
 les the emerald. 
 
 6. Mix blue and yellow enamel in the requir- 
 ed proportions. 
 
 ENAMELS, Olive. — Good blue enamel 2 
 parts; black and yellow do., of each i part; 
 mix. (See also Brown Enamels.) 
 
 ENAMELS, Orange.— 1. Red lead 12 parts; 
 red sulphate of iron and oxide of antimony, of 
 each I part ; flint powder 3 parts ; calcine, pow- 
 der, and melt with flux, 50 parts. 
 
 2. Red lead 12 parts; oxide of antimony 4 
 parts ; flint powder 3 parts ; red sulphate of iron 
 I part ; calcine, then add flux 5 parts to every 2 
 parts of this mixture. 
 
 ENAMELS, Purple.— I. Flux colored with 
 oxide of gold, purple precipitate of cassius, or 
 peroxide of manganese. 
 
MISCELLANEOUS. 
 
 467 
 
 2. Sulphur, nitre, vitriol, antimony, and oxide 
 of tin, of each I lb. ; red lead 60 lbs. ; mix and 
 fuse, cool and powder; add rose copper 19 oz. ; 
 zaffre l oz. ; crocus martis l^ oz. ; borax 3 oz.; 
 and I lb. of a compound formed of gold, silver, 
 and mercury; fuse, stirring the melted mass 
 with a copper rod all the time, then place it in 
 crucibles, and submit them to the action of a 
 reverberator^ furnace for 24 hours. 
 
 This is said to be the purple enamel used in 
 the mosaic pictures of St. Peter's at Rome. 
 
 ENAMELS, Red.— I. Sulphate of iron 
 (calcined dark) I part; a mixture of 6 parts of 
 flux (4) and i of colcothar, 3 parts ; dark red. 
 
 2. Red sulphate of iron 2 parts; flux (No. l) 
 6 parts ; white lead 3 parts ; light red, 
 
 3. Paste or flux colored with the red or pro- 
 toxide of copper. Should the color, pass into 
 the green or brown, from the partial peroxidize- 
 ment of the copper, from the heat being raised 
 too high, the red color may be restored by the 
 addition of any carbonaceous matter, as tallow, 
 or charcoal. 
 
 4. The most beautiful and costly red, inclin- 
 ing to the purple tinge, is produced by tinging 
 glass or flux with the oxide or salts of gold, or 
 ■with the purple precipitate of cassius, which 
 consists of gold and tin. In the hands of the 
 skillful artist, any of these substances produce 
 shades of red of the most exquisite hue : when 
 most perfect, the enamel comes from the fire 
 quite colorless, and afterwards receives its rich 
 hue from the flame of a candle or lamp, urged 
 by the blowpipe. 
 
 ENAMELS, Rose-Colored.— V^w^Q enamel, 
 or its elements, 3 parts ; flux 90 parts ; mix and 
 add silver-leaf, or oxide of silver, I part or less. 
 
 ENAMELS, Transparent. — Either of the 
 fluxes, except the last three. 
 
 ENAMELS, Tw/^/.— Saline or alkaline frits 
 or fluxes colored with small quantities of per- 
 oxide of manganese. As the color depends on 
 the metal being at the maximum of oxidation, con- 
 tact with all substances that would abstract any 
 of its oxygen should be avoided. The same 
 remarks apply to other metallic oxides. 
 
 ENAMELS, White.— \. Calcine (from two 
 parts of tin and i part of lead calcined together) 
 I part ; fine crystal or frit 2 parts ; a very trifling 
 quantity of manganese; powder, mix, melt, and 
 pour the fused mass into clean water; dry, pow- 
 der, and again fuse, and repeat the whole process 
 3 or 4 times, observing to avoid contamination 
 with smoke, dirt, or oxide of iron. A fine dead 
 white. 
 
 2. Washed diaphoretic antimony I part ; fine 
 glass (perfectly free from lead) 3 parts; mix, and 
 proceed as before. Very fine. 
 
 For white enamel, the articles must be per- 
 fectly free from foreign admixture, as this would 
 impart a color. When well managed, either of 
 the above forms will produce a paste that will 
 rival the opal. 
 
 ENAMELS, K-Z/cnc;.— RedleadSoz.; o.xide 
 of antimony and tin, calcined together, of each 
 I oz. ; mix and add flux (No. 4) 15 oz. ; mix 
 and fuse. By varying the proportion of the in- 
 gredients, various shades may be produced. 
 
 ammoniac, of each I part ; pure carbonate of 
 lead I to 3 parts, as required; all in powder; 
 mix, and expose to a heat sufficiently high to 
 decompose the sal ammoniac. Very bright. 
 
 4. Flux fused with oxide of lead, and a little 
 red oxide of iron. 
 
 5. Pure oxide of silver added to the metallic 
 fluxes. The salts of silver are also used, but are 
 difficult to manage. If a thin film of oxide of 
 silver be spread over the surface of the enamel 
 to be colored, exposed to a moderate heat, then 
 withdrawn, and the film of reduced silver on the 
 surface removed, the part under will be found 
 tinged of a fine yellow. 
 
 Superior yellow enamels are less easily pro- 
 duced than most other colors ; they require but 
 little flux, and that mostly of a metallic nature. 
 
 ENAMELING WOOD WORK.—^Nq have 
 very considerable doubts as to whether polished 
 
 S)aint may be considered in good taste when used 
 or the interiors of drawing rooms, or, in fact, of 
 any room. There is a want of repose, and a 
 garishness about gloss colors, which are scarcely 
 compatible with that quietness and repose so 
 necessary to the perfect satisfaction of the edu- 
 cated eye. Polished glass is beautiful, and never 
 out of place ; the same may be said of marble, of 
 gems, and of all steel work or instruments. With 
 all these, polish is the one thing needful to de- 
 velop their beauty and finish, and, in fact, is a 
 necessity of the material. This is so self-evident 
 that we never for a moment doubt its propriety 
 or imagine it would be better otherwise. Fitness, 
 beauty, and utility are a consequence of the 
 polish in all these cases, and therefore proper and 
 right from every point of view ; but the same 
 reasoning will not apply to polished paint, that 
 is to say, plain tints of colors. Of course, imita- 
 tions of woods and marbles may be polished with 
 propriety and without offense to good taste, 
 .simply because we expect to see them so, and 
 they would not be finished if left unvarnished 
 and unpolished. But it is otherwise with plain 
 colors, which, when glossy, have too much the 
 look of the japanner's shop or the tea tray busi- 
 ness. These remarks apply principally to that 
 so-called enamel work which is produced by 
 merely painting the work and finishing it with 
 varnish, when, as a matter of course, it very 
 soon becomes discolored ; and even when first 
 done it is a mistake in name and execution, and 
 a gross offense against good taste. The best 
 enamel work — of which there is but little done 
 in consequence of its great cost— is free, in some 
 measure, from the objections urged against the 
 common work. Its manipulation requires so 
 much patience and care that it is a very difficult 
 matter to find men who have the qualifications 
 requisite for preparing such fine work, and there- 
 fore it is very rare to see a really good job. _ In 
 getting up enamel work, much care is requisite 
 in the selection and use of the material required. 
 The filling-up color, which forms the body of the 
 enamel, is of the greatest importance to the 
 ultimate success of the work. Of this material 
 there are several kinds manufactured — black, 
 brown, and yellow, for coach painters, japanners, 
 and others ; but for use in interior decoration we 
 
 2. Lead, tin ashes, litharge, antimony, and prefer to use the white lead filling, as we can, by 
 sand, of each I oz. ; nitre 4 oz. ; mix, fuse, and adding the necessary staining colors (which do 
 powder ; and add the product to any quantity of 1 not affect the properties of the enamel), form a 
 flux according to the color required. | solid body of color of the same tint, or nearly so, 
 
 3. White oxide of antimony, alum, and sal ' as that with which the work is required to be 
 
468 
 
 DICTIONARY OF EVERY-DAY WANTS. 
 
 finished, and thus do away with the objections 
 which may be urged against the black or dark- 
 colored filling. For it will be evident to the 
 plainest comprehension that if work which has 
 to be finished white, or with very light tints of 
 color, be filled up with dark -colored filling, that 
 the number of coats of paint which will be re- 
 quired to obscure or kill the dark color will be so 
 many that there will be danger of the work be- 
 coming rough and uneven in parts — at all events 
 there can be no question that work which is left 
 with a smooth, even surface, produced by rubbing 
 alone, must be much finer in texture than any 
 that can possibly be left by the brush. The 
 white lead should be ground stiff in turpen- 
 tine, and about one fourth part of the ordinary 
 ■white lead, ground in oil, added to it, in order 
 to prevent the enamel cracking, which it has 
 a tendency to do, except there be some little 
 oil mixed with it. A sufficient quantity of 
 polishing copal or best carriage varnish should 
 now be added to bind it so that it will rub do\vn 
 easily, which fact cannot be properly ascertained 
 except by actual trial, inasmuch as the drying 
 properties of varnishes vary, and other causes 
 influence the matter. If there be too much 
 varnish in the stuff the work will be exceedingly 
 difificult to cut down, and if too little, it is apt to 
 break up in rubbing, so that it is always the 
 safest plan to try the enamel color before com- 
 mencing anything important. The color, being 
 properly mixed, should be laid on the work in 
 the ordinary manner, using it rather freely. It 
 may be as well to state here that no filling should 
 be put upon new work without the same having 
 had two or three coats of ordinary oil paint, nor 
 on old work without its having one coat. This 
 gives a key for the filling to bind to. Successive 
 f coats of the filling should now be laid on the 
 work until there is a sufficient thickness to cut 
 down to a level surface, filling up the whole of 
 the indentations and undulations of the panel. 
 One day should intervene between each coat, in 
 order to allow it to harden in some degree. 
 When a sufficient number of coats is put on 
 (which number will, of course, depend upon the 
 state of the work to be filled up), it should stand 
 for a fortnight or three weeks, until it is thor- 
 oughly hard ; it will then be ready for cutting 
 down, which is to be done with felt, ground 
 
 Eumice-stone, and water. The felt used should 
 e such as the marble masons use for polishing 
 marble, which varies in thickness from one 
 eighth to half an inch, and about three inches 
 square. This should be fastened by the aid of 
 patent knotting or other resinous gum, to square 
 pieces of wood of the same size, but one inch 
 thick, so as to give a good hold for the hand in 
 using. These pieces of wood, covered with felt, 
 may be made of any size or shape, to fit molded 
 surfaces or other inequalities. The pumice-stone 
 to be used should be of different degrees of fine- 
 ness, and should be carefully selected, so as to 
 be sure that it is free from any foreign substance. 
 It is sold ready ground, but in situations where 
 it cannot be conveniently got, it may be pre- 
 pared from the lump, by grinding or crushing 
 with a stone and muUer, and then passed through 
 fine sieves or muslin; by using these of different 
 degrees of texture the ground pumice may be 
 produced of different degrees of fineness. Ex- 
 cept great care be exercised in this matter, it 
 •will l^ found that particles of grit will be mixed 
 
 with it, which in using, get on to the work, and 
 make deep scratches, thus causing endless trouble 
 and annoyance, besides spoiling the work. The 
 greatest care is also required in keeping the felt 
 clean and free from grit. Many workmen are 
 careless in this matter, and when working set 
 down the felt on the step-ladder or floor, and 
 thus particles of sand or grit get upon it, and so 
 mischief is done. 
 
 In cutting down, it is best to use a piece of 
 soft lump pumice-stone to take off the rough 
 
 Earts. The felt and ground pumice should now 
 e used with water, the work should be wet 
 with a sponge, and the felt so.iked in water, and 
 then into the powdered pumice, and the work 
 rubbed with it, keeping it moderately wet, and 
 rubbing with a circular motion, and not straight 
 up and down and across, with a light touch, 
 using only just as much pressure as will cause 
 the pumice to bite, which will be very clearly 
 felt while the hand is in motion. Much care and 
 patience is required to do this properly, for if 
 the pressure be too great it forces the pumice 
 into the body of the filhng color, and scratches 
 it instead of cutting or grinding it fairly down. 
 No hurry will avail in doing this work; it must 
 have its time; hurry only defeats the end in 
 view, and often causes much unnecessary labor. 
 A scratch, caused by w^ant of care and too much 
 haste, will often throw the work back for days, 
 and involve the cost and labor of refilling. We 
 find in practice that the purpose is best answered 
 by using the pumice-stone, the coarser kind first, 
 then the medium, and finishing with the finest 
 last. It will be found advantageous to let a day 
 elapse between the rubbing, for when the sur- 
 face is cut down the filling will in all cases be 
 softer underneath, and if it be allowed to stand 
 for a day, the newly exposed surface gets harder, 
 and of course rubs down better in consequence. 
 The pumice-stone should be well washed off the 
 work occasionally, in order that we may see 
 what progress is being made, and if it require 
 more rubbing or not. If, while in progress, it 
 be found not to be sufficiently filled up, it may 
 have one or more coats of filling after it has 
 been roughly cut down, and before much labor 
 has been spent upon it. 
 
 When sufficiently rubbed down with the pum- 
 ice-stone — that is to say, when it has been cut 
 down to a fine, level, and uniform surface, the 
 work should stand for a day or two to harden. 
 It will now depend entirely upon tjie work, as 
 to whether it must be polished upon the filling, 
 or whether it will have to be varnished and pol- 
 ished. If the filling be of the right color, and 
 has rubbed down ofone uniform tint, we prefer 
 it to be finished in this state, because, in the first 
 place, it will have a surface and texture which 
 cannot be got by any other means. Finished in 
 this state, there is an absence of that glare-polish 
 — if we may use the term — which is inseparable 
 from varnish polish. After it has stood a day 
 or two, the work, if it be intended to be left in 
 the state we have been speaking about, must be 
 polished in this wise : Take a clean felt and rot- 
 ten stone, either in oil or water, and with this 
 rub the work as before, until the polish begins 
 to appear; then take a boss (»'. e. a ball of cotton 
 wool inclosed in fine silk), put the rotten stone 
 upon this and keep rubbing with the circular 
 motion until the polish is uniform and equal all 
 over. The rotten stone must now be carefully 
 
MISCELLANEO US. 
 
 .469 
 
 cleaned off; if it be in oil, clean off with fine 
 flour ; if in water, with sponge and wash leather 
 and water, taking care not to scratch. A clean 
 damp chamois or wash leather will now be re- 
 quired, which must be held in the left hand, 
 leaving the right perfectly clear. Now use the 
 ballot the right hand, press gently upon the 
 panel, and draw it forwards or towards you. If 
 this be done properly, it will bring up a dear 
 polish upon the work. The hand should be kept 
 slightly damp by drawing it across the leather 
 almost every time the hand is drawn forward. 
 If this be done effectually, a rustling sound will 
 he produced while the hand is in motion ; if this 
 be so, the polish will be sure to follow. The 
 polish thus produced on the filling alone will be 
 of the kind we have spoken of above, and will 
 not be at all objectionable to even the most fasti- 
 dious taste ; but if the w ork has to be finished 
 with a brilHant luster and to a high degree of 
 polish, it will, after being cut down with the 
 pumice and felt, have to be coated with two or 
 more coats of the best polishing copal varnish, 
 ha\nng a quantity of the best flake white from the 
 tube ; this should be mixed with the varnish in 
 sufficient quantity to form a creamy mixture, 
 with which the work must be coated — one, two, 
 or three coats, as may be desirable. This should 
 stand for three or four weeks, until it becomes 
 hard, for the harder it is, the better it will polish. 
 It must then be cut down with felt and the finest 
 ground pumice stone in water, and poUshed with 
 the rotten stone, as before described. By this 
 means a bright and brilliant polish may be ob- 
 tained, of a very enduring nature. The same 
 process will of course answer for all varnished 
 imitations of wood and marbles, and all work 
 which will admit of the application of oil var- 
 nishes. 
 
 ENGRA VINGin Alto-Relievo.— In the com- 
 mon operation of engraving, the desired effect is 
 produced by making incisions upon the copper- 
 plate with a steel instrument of an angular shape, 
 which incisions are filled with printing-ink, and 
 transferred to the paper by means of a roller, 
 which is passed over its surface. There is an- 
 other mode of producing these lines or incisions, 
 by means of diluted nitrous acid, in which the 
 impression is taken in the same way. Another 
 method of engraving is done upon a principle 
 exactly the reverse, for instead of the subject be- 
 ing cut into the copper, it is the interstice be- 
 tween the lines which is removed by diluted aqua- 
 fortis, and the lines are left as the surface, from 
 which the impression is taken by means of a 
 common type-printing press, instead of a copper- 
 plate press. 
 
 This is effected by drawing with common turpen- 
 tine varnish, covered with lampblack, whatever 
 is required upon the plate ; and when the var- 
 nish is thoroughly dry, the acid is poured upon 
 it, and the interstice of course removed by its 
 Action upon the uncovered part of the copper. 
 If the subject is very full of dark shadows, this 
 operation will be performed with little risk of 
 riccident, and with the removal of very little of 
 the interstice between the lines ; but if the dis- 
 tance between the lines is great, the risk and 
 difficulty is very much increased, and it will be 
 requisite to cut away the parts which surround 
 the lines with a graver, in order to prevent the 
 dabber with the printing-ink from reaching the 
 bottom, and thus producing a blurred impres- 
 
 sion. It is obvious, therefore, that the more the 
 plate is covered with work, the less risk there 
 will be in the preparation of it with the acid, 
 after the subject is drawn, and the less trouble 
 will there be in removing the interstice, if any, 
 from those places where there is little shading. 
 
 ENGRAVINGS, To Clean. — It has l)een 
 found that ozone bleaches paper without injuring 
 the fiber in theleasL It can be used for removing 
 mildew and other stains from engravings that 
 have beeninjuredby hanging on the wallsofdamp 
 rooms. The engravings should be carefully 
 moistened and suspended in a large vessel par- 
 tially filled with ozone. The ozone may be gen- 
 erated by putting pieces of clean phosphorus in 
 the bottom of the vessel, partially filled with 
 water, or by passing electric sparks through the 
 air in the vessel. 
 
 ETHER, To Wash.—\. This operation is for 
 the removal of alcohol, and may be done by 
 agitating with twice the bulk of water, which will 
 unite with the alcohol, forming a heavier stratum 
 from which the ether may be poured off. The 
 ether will absorb ten percent, of the water, which 
 can be removed by agitation with freshly burnt 
 lime and subsequent distillation. — 2. Turn the 
 ether and water into a glass funnel, while you 
 hold a finger to the end to prevent anything from 
 running out- The ether rises to the top, the 
 water and residue fall to the bottom. Take away 
 your finger from the funnel and let the water out; 
 then save your ether. It is almost as simple as 
 saving washed oil. 
 
 EYES (Sore), To Cure. — Take a potato, and 
 after quartering it, grate the heart as fine as 
 possible, and place the gratings between pieces 
 of cambric muslin. Place the poultice over the 
 eyes inflamed, and keep it there fifteen minutes. 
 Continue the operation three successive nights 
 and a perfect cure ensues. 
 
 TEA THER PILLOWS.— U a person sleeps 
 on his back, no pillow is needed. If one sleeps 
 upon the side, a pillow should be used thick 
 enough to support the head in a direct line with 
 the body. No more. Curled hair is one of the 
 best materials for pillows. Feathers should 
 never be allowed about a bed in any form. For 
 pillows they are especially injurious, as they 
 partly surround the head and keep it overheated, 
 which weakens the scalp and produces a tendency 
 to falling out of the hair, congestion of the head 
 and headache. Then again, the effete emanations 
 that are always being thrown off from the feathers 
 are taken direct into the lungs with the inspired 
 air. 
 
 FERNS, To Raise from. A-a/.— Procure some 
 bricks or stones — bricks would be best, as they 
 have an even surface, and are also porous, ren- 
 dering them capable of holding water. These 
 would be best if found covered with moss which 
 has naturally grown on them. Knot thus covered, 
 it can be very easily done. The moss must not 
 be thick ; it can be clipped with a pair of scissors 
 if thick, and well washed before using, to get rid 
 of any seeds that may have fallen into it. These 
 bricks should be placed into the pot or pan, so 
 that their upper surface may come level with the 
 soil used to steady thera and fill up the pot. 
 Sow the spores in the moss, and with a pepper 
 dredge dust over the moss very lightly with 
 burnt soil, and then with a very fine rose water- 
 ing-can, wash down the soil and spores into the 
 moss. Place the pot into a saucer of wateri 
 
470 
 
 DICTIONARY OF E VERY-DAY WANTS. 
 
 which must be kept full. Place a bell-glass 
 over ; those which have a hole in them near the 
 top I prefer, as they prevent damping, affording 
 an escape to the great evaporation which takes 
 place; they can be left alone for a week without 
 disturbance. There will be no necessity for 
 surface watering until the seedlings appear; even 
 then it is not advisable, if soaking the pot up to 
 the rim can be quickly done. I should before 
 have said that the bottom of the pot should be 
 filled one-third of its depth with broken crocks. 
 The pot should not see the sun until the seed- 
 lings are well up ; even then shade is necessary. 
 The soil used should be previously burnt, other- 
 wise numberless seedlings will appear, which will 
 choke those wanted, and be a cause of mischief 
 in the operation of weeding. This plan I have 
 proved, and can recommend it. 
 
 FEVER and AGUE, To Cure. — A new and 
 simple remedy is common salt. A teaspoonful 
 taken in water and a teaspoonful deposited in- 
 side the stocking next the foot as the chill is 
 coming on. That's all there is of it; but, know- 
 ing that it has been efficacious in "breaking" 
 the chill and perfecting a cure, we here insert it. 
 
 FIRE ANNIHILA TOR, (Philips').— This. 
 consists of a mixture of twenty parts charcoal, 
 sixty nitre, and five gypsum, boiled together in 
 water, and subsequently moulded into a cylin- 
 drical brick. Down the axis of this there is a 
 cavity for the reception pf a phial containing a 
 mixture of chlorate of potash and sugar, sur- 
 rounded by a globule of sulphuric acid. By 
 pushing down a rod the glass containing the acid 
 is broken and the mixture inflamed. The com- 
 position is placed in an iron perforated vessel, 
 and gives out a volume of gases wliich extinguish 
 the fire. 
 
 FIRE iriNDLERS.—Take a quart of tar 
 and 3 pounds of resin, melt them, bring to a 
 cooling temperature, mix with as much sawdust, 
 with a little charcoal added, as can be worked 
 in; spread out while hot upon a board, when 
 cold break up into lumps of the size of a large 
 hickory nut, and you have, at a small expense, 
 kindling material enough for a household for one 
 year. They will easily ignite from a match and 
 burn with a strong blaze, long enough to start 
 any wood that is fit to burn. 
 
 FIRES, Colored.— I. White light: 8 parts 
 saltpetre, 2 parts sulphur, 2 parts antimony. 
 
 2. Red light : 20 parts nitrate of strontia, 5 
 parts chlorate of potash, dyi parts sulphur, i 
 part charcoal. 
 
 3. Blue light : 9 parts chlorate of potash, 3 
 parts sulphur, 3 parts carbonate of copper. 
 
 4. Yellow light : 24 parts nitrate of soda, 8 
 parts antimony, 6 parts sulphur, i part charcoal. 
 
 5. Green light : 26 parts nitrate of baryta, 18 
 parts chlorate of potash, 10 parts sulphur. 
 
 6. Violet light : 4 parts nitrate of strontia, 9 
 parts chlorate of potash, 5 parts sulphur, I part 
 carbonate of copper, i part calomel. 
 
 FIREWORKS, Sulphide of Cadmium in.— 
 In the following composition it is said that sul- 
 phide of cadmium gives a white flame, which is 
 surrounded by a magnificent blue margin : Salt- 
 petre, 20 parts; sulphur, 5; sulphide of cad- 
 mium, 4; powdered charcoal, I. 
 
 FIREWORKS, Iron 5««c/ <«.— Used to give 
 corruscations in fireworks ; is far better than iron 
 or steel-filings. It is made by beating cast steel 
 or iron into small pieces ou an anviL These are 
 
 sifted into 4 sizes, the smallest for the smallest 
 pieces ; and vice versa. The corruscations pro- 
 duced by these are exceedingly brilliant. The 
 sand should be kept in a dry place in a well- 
 closed bottle, as any rust damages it. Fireworks 
 containing it should not be made very long be- 
 fore using. 
 
 FIREWORKS, To Represent Cordage in.— 
 Antimony, I part ; juniper resin, I part ; nitre, 
 2 parts; sulphur, 16 parts. Mix, and imbue soft 
 ropes with the composition. 
 
 FIREWORKS, Touch^Paperfor.-^ozV un- 
 gkized paper in a solution of nitre in ^^negar or 
 water. The stronger the solution, the faster 
 will it burn. A good plan is to dip it in a weak 
 solution, dry it, try it, and if it bums too slowly, 
 make the solution stronger and dip it again. 
 
 FIREWORKS, Quick Match for.— Is razAfi 
 by immersing lamp-wick in a solution of salt- 
 petre with meal powder, winding it on a frame, 
 and afterwards dusting with meal powder. To 
 
 1 lb. 12 oz. of cotton, take saltpetre, i lb.; alco- 
 hol, 2 quarts ; water, 3 quarts ; solution of isin- 
 glass (i oz. to the pint), 3 gals.; mealed powder, 
 10 pounds. 
 
 FIREWORKS.— Port Fires.— Tske of sul- 
 phur, 2 parts ; saltpetre, 6 parts ; mealed pow- 
 der, I part. This is rammed into cases of from 
 6 inches to 2 feet long, and yi inch internal di- 
 ameter. They should be lightly rammed. To 
 give a brilliant flame, add i part of iron sand ; 
 for a dark flame, i part of powdered charcoal. — 
 Stars. — {Common.^ — Saltpetre, lib.; sulphur, 
 4^ oz.; antimony, 4 oz.; isinglass, ^ oz.; cam- 
 phor, % oz.; alcohol, % oz. — ( White. ) — Mealed 
 powder, 4 oz.; saltpetre, 12 oz.; sulphur, 6^ 
 oz.; oil of spike, 2 oz.; camphor, 5 oz. The 
 above are to be made into balls, rolled in grained 
 powder and dried in the sun. Used in Roman 
 candles, rockets, etc. — Trailed .S'/rtrj.-'— Saltpe- 
 tre, 4 oz.; sulphur, 6 oz.; sulphate of aiitimony, 
 
 2 oz.; rosin, 4 oz. — (With Sparks.) — Mealed 
 powder, i oz.; saltpetre, I oz.; camphor, 2 02. 
 — Colored Stars. — May be made by using any 
 of the receipts for colored fires, with a solution 
 of isinglass, ^ oz.; camphor, }4 oz.; alcohol, 
 % oz. Make into balls of the requisite size, 
 roll in gunpowder, dry in the sun. — Roman 
 Caftdles. — Meal-powder, ^ lb.; saltpetre, 2% 
 lbs.; sulphur, glass dust, each, }i lb. This is 
 rammed in cases as follows : Put at the bottom 
 of the case a small quantity of clay, then some 
 gunpowder, then a wad of paper, then ]/(, of the 
 height of the case of the composition, then a 
 wad and powder and a star or ball, then more 
 composition, and so on till the case is filled. 
 The wads must be loose (only to prevent the 
 mixing of the composition and gunpowder), and 
 the ramming should not be begun until the case 
 is Yi filled, and then should be gentle lest the 
 stars be broken. — Chinese Fire. — {Red.) — Salt- 
 petre, I lb.; sulphur, 3 oz.; charcoal, 4 oz.; iron 
 sand, 7 oz. — {White.) — Saltpetre, I 11).; mealed 
 powder, 12 oz.; charcoal, 7^ oz.; iron sand, 
 fine, II oz. — Golden Rain. — Mealed powder, 4 
 oz.; saltpetre, I lb.; sulphur, 4 oz.; brass fil- 
 ings, I oz.; s.iwdust, 2^ oz.; glass powder, 6 
 drs. — Silver Rain. — Mealed powder, 2 oz.; salt- 
 petre, 4 oz.; sulphur, i oz.; steel-dust, ^ oz. 
 — Wheel Cases. — Mealed powder, 2 lbs.; salt- 
 petre, 4 oz.; steel filings, 6 oz. — For Rockets. — 
 {Four-Ounce.) — Mealed powder, i lb.; charcoal, 
 I oz.; saltpetre, 4 oz. — {Eight-Ounce.) — Mealed 
 
MISCELLANEO US. 
 
 471 
 
 powder, i lb. i oz.; saltpetre, 4 oz.; sulphur, 
 3^ oz.; charcoal, I oz. — {One-Pound.) — Mealed 
 powder, i lb.; charcoal, 3 oz.; sulphur, I oz. 
 
 FLOUR, PATENT, To il/a/v. — Patent 
 Flour for bread making has enjoyed a certain 
 degree of popularity for obtaining bread without 
 the necessary delay of fermentation. Some of 
 the many devices for this purpose, it is alleged, 
 produce very satisfactory results both in point 
 of economy and for the quality of the food when 
 served up on the table. In England there is a 
 flour known as Jones' Patent Flour, which is 
 highly approved for the excellence of the bread 
 it yields, and the readiness with which it can be 
 employed. The directions for proceeding with 
 it are after the following fashion : — 
 
 Take Kiln-dried Flour I cwt. 
 
 Tartaric acid 10^ ounces. 
 
 Mix well, and after a few days add of 
 
 Bicarbonate of soda 12 ounces. 
 
 Lump sugar % pound. 
 
 Common salt i^ " 
 
 Unite the whole by passing through a sieve. It 
 is important that all of the ingredients be per- 
 fectly dry, and reduced, separately, to a very 
 fine powder. Simply mixing this flour with cold 
 water, and baking at once, you will have a light, 
 porous, and a fine-flavored biscuit or loaf. The 
 chief advantage, however, is the extemporaneous 
 facility with which bread may be prepared from 
 it without the loss of time caused by "setting a 
 sponge," and the final uncertainty of having it 
 free from heaviness or acidity. Though it may 
 be slightly irrelevant to the question about flour, 
 wewillju=t subjoin to the foregoing remarks, 
 that in breid-making a pound of best thoroughly 
 dried flour will need about nine fluid ounces of 
 water to n ake it into good dough fit for baking. 
 In using fresh baker's bread we eat more water 
 than is usually suspected. The bread may have 
 indeed full weight, but then too much of it comes 
 from the •veil. A great fault of the bread of this 
 city is that it never is more than half enough 
 cooked. It is like a sponge soaked with water. 
 As food it is detestable. There is frequently, 
 we are sure, in the bread on the breakfast table 
 which has but just been hurried from the baker's 
 oven, at east one-fourth of its weight of water. 
 It is litenlly water-logged, and is in such a state 
 that it can be quickly formed into a bolus in the 
 mouth vithout the aid of saliva. Thus it falls 
 like a stone into the stomach, and this much- 
 abused organ is needlessly worried for many 
 hours before the food is reduced to a fit condition 
 for the last change into blood. All starchy food 
 should undergo preparation in the mouth, by 
 !)eing mixed with saliva in the process of masti- 
 cation, for its ready and perfect transformation 
 when it shall come under the influence of the 
 gastric fluid. Water-soaked bread or half-dis- 
 solved rice is therefore in most unsuitable condi- 
 tion for making wholesome and easily digested 
 aliment. The rule for cooking starchy food 
 should be to have it subject to the fire until most 
 of the water is driven away, so that the fluid of 
 the mouth will be necessary to incorporate the 
 mass into a proper ball which can be swallowed 
 without the danger of choking. 
 
 FLOWERS, To Obiain from Bulbous Poots 
 in Three Weeks. — Put quicklime into a flower- 
 pot till it is rather more than half full ; fill up 
 ■with good earth ; plant your bulbs in the usual 
 
 manner; keep the earth slightly damp. The heat 
 given out by the lime will rise through the earth, 
 which will temper its fierceness ; and in this 
 manner beautiful flowers may be obtained at any 
 season. 
 
 FLOWERS, To Obtain Fresh- Blown in 
 Winter. — Choose some of the most perfect buds 
 of the flowers you would preserve, such as are 
 latest in blowing and reacly to open; cut them 
 off with a pair of scissors, leaving to each, if pos- 
 sible, a piece of stem about three inches long ; 
 cover the end of the stem immediately with seal- 
 ing wax, and when the buds are a little shrunk 
 and wrinkled, wrap each of them up separately 
 in a piece of paper, perfectly clean and dry, and 
 lock them up in a dry box or drawer ; and they 
 will keep without corrupting. In winter, or at 
 any time when you would have the flowers blow, 
 take the buds at night and cut off the end of the 
 stem sealed with wax, and put the buds into 
 water wherein a little nitre or salt has been dif- 
 fused, and the next day you will have the pleas- 
 ure of seeing the buds open and expanding them- 
 selves, and the flowers display their most hvely 
 colors and breathe their agreeable odors. 
 
 FOSSILS, To Preserve the Form of. — Fossils 
 are often so friable that they fall to pieces on the 
 slightest handling. To make such remains 
 coherent saturate them in a solution of silicate 
 of potash. 
 
 FURNA CES, Prevention of Smoke <«.— The 
 theory of the prevention of smoke is very simple; 
 it is only necessary to secure the burning of the 
 gases, instead of letting them escape, unconsumed, 
 up the chimney; and in every invention which has 
 yet been brought forward, the object sought to be 
 achieved is the passage of the products of the 
 newly supplied coal over that which is already a 
 bright red. One class of inventors has endeav- 
 ored to accomplish this by turning the gases 
 back with a deflector placed behind the fire ; an- 
 other has employed two furnaces, and fed them 
 alternately; and the third has supplied additional 
 fresh air so as to mix with the deleterious gases, 
 and facilitate their burning to an incandescent 
 mass. Now, all these automatic arrangements 
 are rendered unnecessary if the stoker exercises 
 ordinary care. All he has to do is to well push 
 back the red hot coals in the furnace, and feed 
 the fresh coal near the mouth ; and, consequently, 
 manufacturing companies have found that they 
 only had to give the men two shillings extra upon 
 their week's pay if they avoided making smoke, 
 and fine them one shilling if they made smoke, 
 to insure an entire absence of the nuisance, and 
 increased economy in the use of coal — an import- 
 ant consideration, especially in cases where large 
 quantities are used. 
 
 FURNITURE, Varnished.— Th\s may be 
 finished so as to look equal to the best French 
 polished wood, in the following manner : Take 
 two ounces of tripoli, powdered ; put it into an 
 earthen pot, with just enough water to cover it; 
 then take a piece of white flannel, lay it over a 
 piece of cork or rubber, and proceed to polish 
 the varnish, always wetting it with the tripoli 
 water. It will be known when the process is 
 finished by wiping a part of the work with a 
 sponge, and observing whether there is a fair, 
 even gloss. When this is the case, take a bit 
 of mutton suet and fine flour, and clean the work. 
 The above process is suitable to other varnished 
 surfaces. 
 
472 
 
 DICTIONARY OP EVERY-DAY WANTS. 
 
 |00-THOUS4j(,Q lO.THOUSAfjjj (.fHOUSAM) 
 
 10.000 
 
 GAS METER, r^yP^-^^.— The figures on the 
 index at the right han<i denote even hundreds. 
 When the hand completes the entire circle it 
 denotes ten hundred, and is registered by the 
 hand in the centre circle, pointing to one — each 
 figure in the centre circle being a thousand — this 
 entire circle being ten thousand; and is registered 
 on the index of the left hand circle by the hand, 
 there denoting by each figure, ten thousand. 
 
 The quantity of gas which passes through the 
 meter, is ascertained by reading from the index 
 at the time the amount is required to be known, 
 and deducting therefrom the quantity shown by 
 the index at a previous observation. 
 If the whole is registered by the hands on 
 
 the three circles above, it indicates. . . .49,900 
 Amount at previous observation, as shown 
 
 by the dotted lines 42,500 
 
 Shows amount which passed through since 
 
 last taken off 7)40o 
 
 The register at all times shows the quantity 
 that has passed through since the meter was first 
 set, by deducting from which the amount that 
 has been paid for (without any regard to the 
 time when), shows that the difference remains 
 unpaid. 
 
 GAS-BURNERS.— 1\\&io\\o^fi\ng are those 
 in common use: 
 
 Batswing. — This has a single slit at the top of 
 the burner. It is very steady ; does not change 
 its form under any pressure. It is, therefore, 
 used in street lamps. It is not, however, econo- 
 mical. 
 
 Fish-tail. — This form is generally used in 
 houses ; it has two openings in the top, from 
 which the jets of gas issue and form a flat flame, 
 the plane of which is at right angles to that of 
 the openings. When the pressure is too great 
 the flame elongates and sings, thus calling atten- 
 tion to the waste. It is an economical burner, 
 but flickers. This unsteadiness is trying to the 
 eyes, and the fish-tail should never be used to 
 read or write by. 
 
 Argand. — These are the steadiest and most 
 economical burners, but require a chimney. The 
 gas is allowed to escape by a ring of holes, and 
 me air is admitted both inside and outside of 
 this ring. In the patent Argand the outer ring 
 of air passes through a series of small openings, 
 and the inner ring is deflected into the flame by 
 a button; it requires a swelled chimney. By 
 cutting off the button a steadier light is obtained, 
 and the economy is nearly the same ; straight 
 chimneys are more easily obtained than the 
 others. The best flint-glass chimneys are in the 
 end the cheapest ; great loss of light ensues if 
 they are not kept clean. But putting a chimney 
 into hydrant-water, and gradually heating it, it 
 may be cleaned safely; paper gives the best 
 finish. The larger the burner the greater the 
 relative economy. 
 
 GAS, To Avoid Waste ^.— Turn the gas 
 
 partly off at the meter ; much gas is burned to 
 waste by too great pressure in certain localities. 
 In buildings of any size a good regulator will 
 soon pay for itself. 
 
 GAS, Tests for Impurities in. — Sitlphnretcd 
 Hydrogen. Dissolve a small quantity of acetate 
 of^ lead, commonly called sugar of lead, in distill- 
 ed or rain water, until the mixture is about the 
 consistency of cream ; dip into it a piece of 
 writing paper, which hold a minute or two over 
 a jet of gas (unlighted); if the pnper be not 
 discolored, the gas may be considered ])ure; but 
 if a brown stain be imparted to il, the lime in 
 the purifiers should be renewed. Tliis test will 
 detect the presence of sulphureted hydrogen in 
 gas, if it contain one part in 20,000. As this 
 preparation of lead is an active poison, it should 
 be used with caution, and labeled. A solution 
 of nitrate of silver and distilled wnter is a more 
 delicate test than the above. — Avtiiionia. Apply 
 either litmus paper or yellow turmeric paper 
 reddened by vinegar, or any other weak acid, to 
 a jet of gas, as above ; if the blue color of the 
 litmus paper return, or the color of the turmeric 
 paper deepen to a brown, the gas contains a 
 proportionate amount of ammonia. — Carbonic 
 Acid. This may be detected by adding to water 
 impregnated with the gas a lew drops of sul- 
 phuric acid, when minute air bubbles of carbonic 
 acid gas will be rapidly disengaged Another 
 test is to pass the gas through a solution of pure 
 barytes in the blue tincture of litmus, when, if 
 carbonic acid be present, carbonate of barytes 
 will be precipitated. — Atmospheric Air. The 
 presence of atmospheric air in gas can be readily 
 detected by collecting a portion of t!ie gas over 
 mercury, and then passing up, first a few drops 
 of caustic potassa, and afterwards a Aop or two 
 of a solution of pyrogallic acid. If the liquid 
 assume a blood red hue, oxygen, indcating the 
 presence of atmospheric air, is mixed with the 
 gas. — Bisulphide of Carbon. By farcing, by 
 means of an ordinary blowpipe, the flame of 
 coal gas, for about a minute, on to distilled water 
 containing a little acid chloride of barium, sul- 
 phate of baryta is formed, and the presence of 
 sulphur in the gas thus proved. 
 
 GAS {Laughing), To Make. — Heat gently 
 in a flask or retort, nitrate of ammonia (made by 
 adding carbonate of ammonia to nitric acid until 
 no more gas comes off). It should bs allowed 
 to stand some time over water before being 
 breathed. 
 
 GAS- TAPS, To Stop the Leakage of.— 
 Many people are annoyed by the slight leakage 
 of taps, causing offensive odor deleterious to 
 health in the apartments where they are placed, 
 and also increasing their bills. In many cases 
 they may easily remedy the evil without sending 
 for a plumber or gas-fitter. To do this thej 
 should turn off the gas back of the meter ; then 
 take out (a screw driver is all the tool required} 
 the plug. Next light a wax, sperm, or paraffine 
 candle, and drop the melted wax, sperm, or pa- 
 rafiine upon the surface of the plug, till it is co- 
 vered with a thin layer. Next, screw in the tap, 
 and in nine cases out of ten the leak will be stop- 
 ped, and remain stopped. ' 
 
 GALLEIN, {A New Dye).— Tht crystals oi 
 gallein are first produced, and these are convert- 
 ed into galliri by means of zinc and dilute sul- 
 Shuric acid. On subsequently treating the gal- 
 n with concentrated sulphuric acid at 200® C, 
 
MISCELLANEO US. 
 
 473 
 
 a substance named corulein is obtained. This 
 dissolved in aniline forms a rich indigo blue, and 
 with alkalies it gives a fine green, while, if mor- 
 danted with iron compounds, a fine brown is 
 imparted to the goods. These colors are readily 
 imparted to cloth, and are of considerable per- 
 manence, resisting the action of soap. 
 
 GEARING and PULLEYS, Tq Compute 
 the Speed ^.— The following siiA rule for 
 calculating the speed of gearing ?R ^ Meys is, 
 doubtless, in familiar use by many iin^chanics. 
 We give it, however, for the convenience of those 
 of our readers who may not happen to be ac- 
 quainted with it, and who have found the need, 
 in practice, of a uniform rule, applying to all 
 cases. To find the speed of a driven wheel, when 
 the number of teeth of both wheels and the num- 
 ber of revolutions of the driving-wheel are given: 
 Multiply the number of teeth of the driving- 
 wheel by the number of its revolutions ; divide 
 its product by the number of teeth of the driven 
 wheel, and the quotient will be the number of 
 revolutions of the driven wheel. For example : 
 an 8o-cog spur-wheel on a water-wheel shaft 
 making 85 revolutions per minute, and driving 
 a 34-cog pinion ; to find the speed of the pinion, 
 multiply 80, the number of cogs of the driving- 
 wheel, by 85, the number of revolutions, and the 
 product is 6800. Divide this product by 34, the 
 number of cogs in the pinion or driven wheel, 
 and the quotient is 200, the number of revolu- 
 tions of the pinion per minute. To reverse the 
 rule : The number of teeth and number of revo- 
 lutions of the driving-wheel and the number of 
 revolutions of the driven wheel being given, to 
 find the number of teeth of the driven wheel. 
 In the case above supposed, multiply 80 (number 
 of cogs of spur-wheel) by 85, (number of its re- 
 volutions) and divide the product, 6800, by 200, 
 the number of revolutions of the pinion per min- 
 ute ; the quotient, 34, is the number of teeth of 
 the pinion or driven wheel. In calculating the 
 speed of pulleys, the same rule is adopted, ex- 
 cept that the diameter of the wheel or pulley is 
 used in place of the number of teeth. The speed 
 of the driving-wheel being multiplied by its dia- 
 meter, the product is divided by the diameter of 
 the driven pulley, and the quotient is the num- 
 ber of revolutions of the pulley ; or if the same 
 product be divided by the number of revolutions 
 of the pulley, the quotient will be the diameter 
 of the pulley. 
 
 GERANIUMS, To Preserve During Win- 
 ter. — Take the plants to be preserved out of 
 their pots, trim off the leaves and outer branches, 
 and then take off all the soil from the roots, tie 
 them up in bunches, and hang them, roots up- 
 ward, in a dark, dry cupboard, loft, or cellar, 
 where no frost can touch them. In the spring 
 brin<T them out, and having well cleaned your 
 potslnside and out, re-pot them in some good 
 
 compost. , ^ , , . 
 
 GINGER, Tincture of.—Tsks of ginger, m 
 coarse powder, 2 ounces ; proof spirits, 2 pints. 
 Digest in a gentle heat for 7 days, and strain. 
 This tincture is cordial and stimulant, and is 
 generally employed as a corrective to purgative 
 
 draughts. „ , , . , . 
 
 GILDERS' GLUE. — Rabbit-skms are cut 
 into thin strips like vermicelli, and subjected in 
 a vessel to a bath of boiling water. They are 
 then poured into a kind of basket, pierced at the 
 bottom like a cuUender; the skin remains at the 
 
 bottom, and the juice flows into a reservoir 
 placed underneath. A solution of sulphate of 
 zinc with alum, in pure water in ebullition, is 
 then made separately, consisting of about 100 
 grammes of the sulphate to 25 of the alum. This 
 solution is poured on the yet warm juice of the 
 skin in the reservoir, and well mixed together. 
 The juice is then passed through a strainer, and 
 from thence into a rectangular box, of the form 
 of soap-bars. In this box the juice coagulates 
 in about 24 hours in winter and 48 hours in 
 summer. Then with a sharp instrument the 
 coagulated bar is detached from the box, cut 
 transversely in two lengths, and each half bar is 
 placed in a receptacle where it is submitted to 
 the action of several cutters, which form it into 
 thin sheets. These sheets are extended on 
 strings to dry in the open air, or in an oven, ac- 
 cording to the season. The size of these sheets 
 of skin glue is about two inches, and their color 
 very light chestnut, the traces of the strings and 
 knots appearing lozenge-shaped upon them. 
 
 GLASS or CHINA, To Pack.— ?roc\xre some 
 soft straw or hay to pack them in, and if they 
 are to be sent a long way, and are heavy, the 
 hay or straw should be a little damp, which will 
 prevent them slipping about. Let the largest 
 and heaviest things be always put undermost, 
 in the box or hamper. Let there be plenty of 
 straw, and pack the articles tight ; but never at- 
 tempt to pack up glass or china which is of much 
 consequence, till it has been seen done by some 
 one used to the job. The expense will be but 
 trifling to have a person to do it who under- 
 stands it, and the loss may be great if articles 
 of such value are packed up in an improper 
 manner. 
 
 GLASS {Ground) Stopple, To Loosen. — Hold 
 the hand around the neck of the bottle, 10 or 15 
 seconds, until its warmth expands the glass of 
 the bottle — when the stopple will move easily. 
 If it does not, try a higher heat by the aid of a 
 rag dipped in hot water and wrapped around the 
 neck of the bottle for a minute or so. Another 
 way is to hold the neck of the bottle, cautiously 
 turning it, so as not to expose any part to much 
 or too sudden a heat, near or over a gas jet or 
 heat from a lamp. 
 
 GLASS, To Platinize. — Pour rosemary oil 
 upon the dry chloride of platinum in a porcelain 
 dish, and knead it well until all parts are moist- 
 ened; then rub this up with five times its weight 
 of lavender oil, and leave the liquid a short time 
 to clarify. The objects to be platinized are to 
 be thinly coated with the above preparation and 
 afterwards heated for a few minutes in a muffle 
 or over a Bunsen burner. 
 
 GLASS, To Write or Draw on. — The process 
 of writing or drawing on glass can be done by 
 procuring some French chalk ; place the glass 
 on a table, and while breathing on it, write with 
 the chalk, after that wipe it with a damp cloth ; 
 when dry the drawing will disappear; breathe 
 on it again and it will return. 
 
 GLA ZING ( Common), Eor Earthenware. — 
 Take of white sand, 40 lbs.; red lead, 20 lbs.; 
 pearlash, 20 lbs.; common salt, 12 lbs. Powder 
 this sand by grinding before it be mixed w-ith 
 the other ingredients, and then grind them 
 together, after which, calcine them for some 
 time with a moderate heat, which must be less 
 than will make them melt and run to glass ; and 
 when the nuxture is cold, grind it to powder 
 
474 
 
 DICTIONARY OF E VERY-DAY WANTS. 
 
 again, and, when wanted, temper it with water 
 and it will then be fit for use. 
 
 The proportions of these ingredients may be 
 varied occasionally, for, where the glazing can 
 be fluxed conveniently with a very strong fire, 
 the quantity of sand may be increased to 60 or 70 
 lbs., which not only renders the glazing stronger, 
 but makes a saving in the expense. The pro- 
 portion of pearlashes may likewise be dimimshed, 
 or they may be wholly omitted where the ware 
 is designed for very coarse purposes, and not 
 for domestic uses, where the lead is very im- 
 proper, being extremely apt to be corroded by 
 acids, and to produce a very unwholesome sub- 
 stance. On this account, where good manufactories 
 are established, the lead ought to be excluded 
 from the composition of the glazings, and other 
 fluxes used in its stead, as in the iollowing: 
 
 GLAZING ( Transparent), For Earthen'duate. 
 — Take of white sand, 40 lbs.; of pearlash, 21 
 lbs.; and of common salt, 15 lbs. Calcine, and 
 proceed as above. 
 
 Where the expense is no object, this glazing 
 may be improved by adding I or 2 lbs. of borax, 
 and diminishing the pearlash in the proportion of 
 6 lbs. for I lb. of borax added, or 10 lbs. for 2 ; 
 in the latter case, 2 lbs. of salt may be also kept 
 out of the composition. The reason for this 
 change is, that if the composition contain so large 
 a proportion of salt, and the glazing be not 
 fluxed for a long time after it is laid on the ware, 
 it will be apt to be dissolved by boihng water, 
 and peel off, if it be exposed to the action of it 
 for any long time. 
 
 Another. — Takeof sand, 40 lbs.; of wood-ashes, 
 perfectly burnt, 50 lbs.; of pearlash, 10 lbs.; of 
 common salt, 12 lbs. 
 
 This will make an admirable glazing, where 
 the ashes are pure, and a strong fire can be given 
 to flux it when laid on the ware. It will be 
 perfectly free from the imperfection of the above, 
 and will be very hard and glossy, and where the 
 expense ccn be afforded, it may be made more 
 yielding to the fire by the addition of borax, in 
 which case no alteration need be made in the 
 proportion of the other ingredients. 
 
 GLAZING, Fine B/ue.— Take of red lead, i 
 lb.; powdered flints, 2 lbs.; common salt, 2 lbs.; 
 tartar, I lb. Calcine till it is almost white. 
 White flint-glass, }4 lb., and zaffre, ^ lb. Fuse 
 the whole mixture, and quench the melted mass 
 in water. Repeat the same operation several 
 times. The same proceeding must be adhered 
 to in all the compositions where the tartar enters, 
 otherwise they would be too much charged with 
 salt, and the color would not prove fine. It is 
 proper, moreover, to calcine the mixture gently day 
 and night, for 48 hours, in a glass-house furnace. 
 
 Another. — Take I lb. of tartar, % lb. of red 
 lead, y^ oz. of zaffre, and % lb, of powdered 
 flints. Fuse the whole, and proceed in the 
 manner stated above. 
 
 GLAZING, Green {To be Laid on a White 
 Ground. ) — Take of calcined copper i part, and 
 2 parts of any of the common yellow glazings. 
 Fuse them twice, but when the composition is 
 used it must not be laid on too thick, for that 
 would render the color too deep. 
 
 GLAZING, Levton-Colored.—Take of red 
 lead, 3 parts; of powdered bricks, very red, T^yz 
 parts ; and of antimony, i part. Calcine the 
 mixture day and night, for the space of 4 days, 
 in the ash-hole of a glass-house furnace. Urge 
 
 it at last to fusion, and it will produce a very 
 fine lemon-colored glazing. 
 
 The success of this operation depends greatly 
 on the fineness of the color of the bricks that .ire 
 powdered. Those which are of a fine red and 
 very brittle, are the best ; but such as are gray 
 will not at all answer the end. The same atten- 
 tion should be paid to this matter wherever 
 bricks are used in this kind of preparations. 
 
 GLAZING, Light Yellow.— lake of red lead, 
 4 parts; of antimony, 3 parts; of the mixture of 
 the calxes of lead and tin, before mentioned in 
 the masticot for white enamel, 8 parts j and of 
 glass, 3 parts. 
 
 When the red lead and calx of tin are used, 
 the proportion of the ingredients will be of red 
 lead, 10 parts ; of antimony and glass, each, 3 
 parts ; and of calcined tin, 2 parts. 
 
 GLAZING, Violet-Blue.— lake 12 parts of 
 tartar and an equal quantity of flints and zafifre. 
 Proceed as with the above. — Another. — Take 4 
 oz. of tartar, 2 oz. of red lead, 5 oz. of powdered 
 flints, and ^ dr. of magnesia. Proceed as with 
 the above. 
 
 GOLDBEATERS' SKIN.—l?, prepared by 
 extending the peritoneal membranes of the cae- 
 cum, and washing them, first with plain water, 
 and then with a solution of alum, and afterwards 
 with a solution of isinglass and spices. 
 
 GRASS, To Crystallize. — Having secured 
 the grass during the summer and fall months, 
 and dried it in a dark room, procure one-half 
 pint of white spirit varnish, and I oz. of white 
 frosting; dip the blades of grass into the varnish 
 separately; and immediately sprinkle on the 
 powdered frosting; then put it away carefully to 
 dry. 
 
 GRASS, To Prevent Growing in a Paved 
 Yard. — Pour boiling water over the stones 
 whenever the grass shows itself. 
 
 GREEN-HOUSE, or Conservatory, To Make. 
 — The depth of green-houses should never be 
 greater than their height in the clear; which, in 
 small or middling houses may be sixteen or 
 eighteen feet, but in large ones from twenty to 
 twenty-four feet; and the length of the windows 
 should reach from about one foot and a half 
 above the pavement, and within the same dis- 
 tance of the Ceiling. 
 
 The floor of the green-house, which should be 
 laid either with Bremen squares, Purbeck stone, 
 or flat tiles, must be raised two feet above the 
 surface of the adjoining ground, or, if the situa- 
 tion be damp, at least three feet ; and if the 
 whole is arched with low brick arches under the 
 floor, they will be of great service in preventing 
 damp ; and under the floor, about two feet from 
 the front, it will be very advisable to make a 
 flue of ten inches wide, and two feet deep ; this 
 should be carried the whole length of the house, 
 and then returned back along the hinder part, 
 and there be carried up into funnels adjoining to 
 the tool-house, by which the smoke may be 
 carried off. The fire-place may be contrived at 
 one end of the house, and the door at which the 
 fuel is put in, as also the ash-grate, may be con- 
 trived to open into the tool-house. 
 
 Whilst the front of the green-house is exactly 
 south, one of the wings may be made to face the 
 southeast, and the other the southwest. By this 
 disposition the heat of the sun is reflected from 
 one part of the building to the other all day, and 
 the front of the main green-house is guarded 
 
MISCELLANEOUS. 
 
 475 
 
 from the cold winds. These two wings may be 
 so contrived as to maintain plants of different | 
 degrees of hardiness, which may be easily effect- 
 ed by the situation and extent of the fire-place, 
 and the manner of conducting the flues. 
 
 The sloping glasses of these houses should be 
 made to slide and take off, so that they may be 
 drawn down more or less in warm weather to 
 admit air to the plants; and the upright glasses 
 in the front may be so contrived as that every 
 other may open as a door upon hinges, and the 
 alternate glasses may be divided into two ; the 
 upper part of each should be so contrived as to 
 be drawn down like a sash, so that either of 
 them may be used to admit air in a greater or 
 less quantity, as there may be occasion. As to 
 the management of plants in a green-house, 
 open the mould about them from time to time, 
 and sprinkle a little fresh mould in them, and a 
 litde warm dung on that ; also water them when 
 the leaves begin to wither and curl, and not 
 cftener, which would make them fade and be 
 sickly ; and take off such leaves as wither and 
 grow dry. 
 
 GRINDSTONES, Arti/ictaL—\\3.shsd. silice- 
 ous sand 3 parts ; shellac i part ; melt, and form 
 it into the proper shape while warm. The fine- 
 ness of the sand must depend on the work the 
 stone is intended for. Powdered emery may be 
 substituted for sand. The same composition is 
 formed upon pieces of wood, for the purpose of 
 sharpening knives, and cutting stones, shells, etc. 
 
 GRnVDSTONES, Use ./.—The periphery 
 of every grindstone on which edge-tools are 
 gi'ound should run as true as the dressed surface 
 of a millstone, as it is impracticable to grind a 
 tool correctly on a stone that revolves with an 
 uneven motion. If the periphery of a stone varies 
 half an inch in each revolution, the most ex- 
 peditious way to put it in order is to loosen the 
 ■wedges with which it is keyed to the journal, 
 and rehang it. Then secure the bearings of the 
 journal, so that they cannot be easily lifted out 
 of the boxes, and turn the periphery off true and 
 smooth. Let a firm rest be fixed close to the 
 periphery before attempting to turn off the 
 prominent portions. The rest must be solid 
 with the surface close to the stone, so that when 
 the turning instrument comes in corttact with the 
 stone, it will remove a thin chip without spring- 
 ing away from the stone. Stone-turners always 
 employ for a turning-tool the end of a bar of 
 very soft iron, drawn out to a point, and turned 
 up at the end for gouging. A piece of soft iron 
 is far more effective than steel. 
 
 It is recommended to tar the center of grind- 
 stones, in order to compel those who grind upon 
 them, to grind on the edges, forming a raised 
 center, which gives a better opportunity to put 
 a good edge on a tool, than a level surface does. 
 The ring of tar should be quite narrow, ancTall 
 who grind are compelled to use the edges of the 
 stone, as they cannot grind where the tar is. 
 . This remedy should be tried where farm hands 
 will not heed your request to wear the stone off 
 the edges. 
 
 ; GUN COTTON.— Tslix three parts of sul- 
 phuric acid, spec, grav., 1.85, with one part of 
 nitric acid, spec, grav., 1.45 to 1.50; and when 
 the mixture cools down to between 50° and 60" 
 Fahr., clean rough cotton, in an open state, is 
 dipped in it ; let soak, then pour off the excess 
 of acid, and press the cotton tightlv to remove 
 
 as much as possible of what remains. Then 
 cover the cotton and let stand for half an hour; 
 press again, and thoroughly wash in running 
 water. Partially dry it by pressure, then wash 
 in a solution made by dissolving one ounce of 
 carbonate of potash in a gallon of water. Press 
 again, so that the cotton will be nearly dry; 
 then wash in a solution of pure nitrate of potash, 
 one ounce to the gallon of water, and again 
 press, after which dry at a temperature of from 
 150° to lyo**. Its projectile force is equal to 
 about twice its weight of the best gunpowder, 
 and on account of its quickness of action, can 
 hardly be used with safety. 
 
 GUNROH^DER. — GunpovrdeT is made by 
 carefully grinding and mixing 75 parts willow or 
 birch charcoal, 15 parts saltpetre and 10 parts 
 brimstone. 
 
 A cheap gunpowder in which charcoal is re- 
 placed by common glue is thus prepared : The 
 glue or gelatin is first soaked in cold water, and 
 then heated in diluted nitric acid until it dis- 
 solves. It is next evaporated to dryness, re-dis- 
 solved in water, and then carbonate of baryta is 
 added to neutralize the acid. The solution is 
 again evaporated, one part of sulphur and six 
 parts of nitrate of potash for every two parts of 
 glue being incorporated as the evaporation pro- 
 ceeds. This gives a slow burning powder which 
 may be rendered more energetic by replacing 
 nitrate by chlorate of potash. 
 
 GUTTA-PERCHA {Pure White), Prepara- 
 tion of. — This substance is now much used in 
 dentistry and for other purposes ; and as differ- 
 ent qualities, some of them very inferior, are in 
 the market, many of our professional readers ' 
 may thank us for the details of a simple process 
 for manufacturing it. Four ounces of the purest 
 gutta-percha that can be selected are to be di- 
 gested for several days with five pounds methyl 
 chloroform until a solution is obtained thin en- 
 ough to pass through filtering paper, care being 
 taken during the operation to prevent any loss 
 of the chloroform by using the apparatus con- 
 structed for that purpose. The solution is then 
 to be filtered (an additional pound of chloroform 
 will facilitate this), and should then be clear 
 and nearly colorless. Alcohol is now to be add- 
 ed in sufficient quantity to precipitate the gutta- 
 percha in a voluminous white mass, which then 
 is to be washed with alcohol, pressed in a cloth, 
 and dried in the air. It must finally be boiled 
 in water in a porcelain vessel for half an hour, 
 and while still hot rolled into sticks. The 
 chloroform can be separated from the alcohol 
 by adding water, and the alcohol recovered by 
 distillation. 
 
 GUTTA-PERCHAandRUBBER,ToUtilize 
 the Waste 0/.— The waste is cut into small pieces, 
 and 100 pounds of the same are placed in a well- 
 closed boiler, with 10 pounds of bisulphide of 
 carbon and 4 ounces absolute alcohol, well 
 stirred; then the boiler is closed, and left a few 
 hours to soak. After this time it is found to be 
 changed into a soft, dough-like mass, which, 
 after being ground or kneaded, is fit to be formed 
 into any shape, when the solvent will evaporate. 
 If too much of the latter has been used, a thick, 
 unmanageable liquid is obtained. This process 
 was patented in England some sixteen years ago. 
 
 HARN'ESS, Varnish for. — Half a pound 
 India rubber, one gallon of spirits of turpentine; 
 dissolve by a little heat to make it into a jelly. 
 
476 
 
 DICTIONARY OF EVERY-DAY WANTS. 
 
 then take equal quantities of hot linseed oil and 
 above mixture, and incorporate them well on a 
 slow fire. 
 
 HA TS {Panama), How Made, — The process 
 of making Panama hats is as follows: — The 
 leaves of the pandamus, or Seren pine, from 
 which these hats are made, are gathered before 
 they unfold, the ribs and coarser veins are re- 
 moved, and the rest, without being separated 
 from the base of the leaf, is reduced to shreds. 
 After having been put in the sun for a day and 
 tied into a knot, the straw is immersed in boiling 
 water until it becomes white. It is then hung 
 up in a shady place, and subsequently bleached 
 for two or three days, after which the straw is 
 ready for use. The plaiting of the straw com- 
 mences at the crown and finishes at the brim, 
 and is a very troublesome operation. The hats 
 are made on a block placed on the knees, and 
 require to be constantly pressed with the breast. 
 The coarser hat may be finished in two or three 
 days, but the finest may require as many months. 
 
 HARP {yEolian), To Make.—Oi very thin 
 cedar, pine, or other soft wood make a box 5 or 
 6 inches deep, 7 or 8 inches wide, and of a length 
 just equal to the width of the window in which 
 it is to be placed. Across the top, near each end, 
 glue a strip of wood half an inch high and a 
 <juarter of an inch thick, for bridges. Into the 
 ends of the box insert wooden pins, like those of 
 a violin, to wind the strings around, two pins in 
 each end. Make a sound-hole in the middle of 
 the top, and string the box with small catgut, 
 or blue first-fiddle strings. Fastening one end 
 of each string to a metallic pin in one end of 
 the box, and carrying it over the bridges, wind it 
 around the turning-pin in the opposite end of the 
 box. The ends of the box should be increased in 
 thickness where the wooden pins enter, by a piece 
 of wood glued upon the inside. Tune the strings 
 in unison and place the box in the window. It is 
 better to have four strings, as described, but a 
 harp with a single string produces an exceedingly 
 sweet melody of notes, which vary with the force 
 of the wind. 
 
 HANGING BASKET, A^ovel.— Vvocure a 
 large-sized turnip and scrape out the inside, 
 leaving a pretty thick wall all around; fill the 
 cavity with earth, and plant in it some clinging 
 vine or morning-glory. Suspend the turnip with 
 cords, and in a little time the vines will twine 
 around the strings, and the turnip sprouting from 
 below will put forth leaves and stems that will 
 turn upwards and curl gracefully around the 
 base. 
 
 HONEY {Artificial), To Make.—i. Take 
 5 pounds good common sugar, 2 pounds of wa- 
 ter, gradually bring to a boil, skimming well ; 
 when cool add i pound bees' honey and 4 drops 
 of peppermint. If you desire a better article use 
 W'hite sugar and ^ pound less water, and one- 
 half pound more honey. — 2. Good brown sugar 
 ID lbs.; water i qt.; old bee bread honey in the 
 comb 2 lbs.; cream of tartar i tea-spoon; gum 
 arabic I oz.; oil of peppermint 3 drops; oil of 
 rose 2 drops. Mix and boil 2 or 3 minutes and 
 have ready I qt. more of water in which an egg 
 is put well beat up ; pour it in, and as it l^egins 
 to boil, skim well, remove from the fire, and 
 when a little cool, add 2 lbs. of nice bees' honey, 
 and strain. — 3. Coffee sugar 10 lbs.; water 3 lbs.; 
 cream of tartar 2 oz.; strong vinegar 2 table- 
 spoons ; the white of i egg well beaten ; bees' 
 
 honey J^ lb.; Lubin's extract of honeysuckle 10 
 drops. First put the sugar and water into a 
 suitable kettle and place upon the fire; and when 
 luke-warm stir in the cream of tartar, and vine- 
 gar ; then continue to add the egg ; and when 
 the sugar is nearly melted put in the honey and 
 stir until it comes to a boil, take it off, let it 
 stand a few minutes, then strain, adding the ex- 
 tract of honeysuckle last, let stand over night, 
 and it is ready for use. — 4. Take 10 pounds of 
 Havana sugar, 4 pounds of water, 40 grains of 
 cream tartar, 10 drops essence peppermint, and 
 3 pounds of honey ; first, dissolve the sugar in 
 the water over a slow fire, and take off the scum 
 arising therefrom. Then dissolve the cream tar- 
 tar in a little warm water, and add, with some 
 stirring ; then add the honey, heated to a boiling 
 point ; then add the essence of peppermint ; stir 
 for a few minutes, and let it stand until cold, 
 when it will be ready for use. — 5. Dissolve 20 
 lbs. of coarse sugar in 3 quarts of warm water ; 
 stir into it one-fifth of an ounce of cream of tar- 
 tar dissolved in a little water, and also five or 
 six pounds of good honey, and half a teaspoon- 
 ful of essence of peppermint. Boil the whole 
 slowly, twelve minutes, stirring constantly. 
 
 HONEY, Liquid. — Put two pounds of the 
 purest white sugar in as much hot water as will 
 dissolve it ; take one pound of strained white 
 clover honey — any honey of good flavor will an- 
 swer — and add it warm to the syrup, thoroughly 
 stirring together. As refined loaf sugar is a pure 
 and inodorous sweet, one pound of honey will 
 give its flavor to two pounds of sugar, and the 
 compound will be free from that smarting taste 
 that pure honey often has, and will usually 
 agree with those who cannot eat the latter with 
 impunity. Any desired flavor can be added 
 to it. 
 
 HORN AND TORTOISE-SHELL, Man- 
 ufacture of. — Almost the only kinds of horn that 
 are the subject of manufacture are those of the 
 bull and cow, and the hoofs of these animals ; 
 the horns of the bullock being thin, an(j of a 
 very coarse texture, are used only for the most 
 ordinary purposes. Our domestic supply is by 
 no means equal to the demand, so that great 
 quantities are imported from Russia, the Cape 
 of Good Hope, and South America. 
 
 The first process is the separation of the true 
 horn from the bony core on which it is formed ; 
 for this purpose the entire horns are macerated 
 in water for a month or six weeks, according to 
 the temperature ; during this time, the mem- 
 brane which lies between the core and the horn 
 is destroyed by putrefaction, so that the core be- 
 comes loose and can easily be extracted. The 
 cores are not thrown away, but are burnt to 
 ashes, and in this state form the best material 
 for those small tests or cupels employed by the 
 assayers of gold and silver. 
 
 The next process is to cut off with a saw the 
 tip of the horn — that is, the whole «f its solid 
 part — which is used by the cutlers for knife- 
 handles, is turned into buttons, and applied to 
 sundry other purposes. The remainder of the 
 horn is left entire or is sawn across into lengths, 
 according to the use to which it is destined.,' 
 Next, it is immersed in boiling water for haif 
 an hour, by which it is softened; and, while hot, 
 is held in the flame of a coal or wood fire, taking 
 care to bring the inside as well as the outside 
 of the horn, if from aa old animal, in contact 
 
MISCELLANEO US. 
 
 477 
 
 •with the blaze. It is kept here till it acquires 
 the temperature of melting lead or thereabouts, 
 and in consequence becomes very soft. In this 
 state it is slit lengthwise by a strong pointed 
 knife, like a pruning-knife, and by means of two 
 pairs of pincers, applied one to each edge of the 
 sht, the cylinder is opened nearly flat. These 
 flats are now placed on their edges between 
 alternate plates of iron, half an inch thick and 
 eight inches square, previously heated and greas- 
 ed, in a strong horizontal iron trough, and 
 powerfully compressed by means of wedges 
 driven in at the ends. 
 
 The plates thus obtained are laid one by one 
 on a board covered with bull's hide, are fastened 
 down by a wedge, and are then scraped with a 
 draw-knife having a wire edge turned by means 
 of a steel rubber; when reduced to a proper 
 thickness and smoothed, they are polished by a 
 woolen rag dipped in charcoal dust, adding a little 
 water from time to time, then rubbed with rotten- 
 storife, and finished with horn shavings. The 
 longest and thinnest of the films cut off by the 
 draw-knife, when dyed and cut into various 
 figures, are sold imder the name of sensitive 
 Chinese leaves, (being originally brought from 
 China,) which, after exposure to a damp air, 
 will curl up as if they were alive when laid on a 
 warm hand or before the fire. • 
 
 For combs, the plates of horn should be pres- 
 sed as little as possible, otherwise the teeth of 
 the comb will split at the points. They are 
 shaped chiefly by means of rasps and scrapers of 
 various forms, after having been roughed out by 
 a hatchet or saw ; the teeth are cut by a double 
 saw fixed in a back, the two blades being set to 
 different depths, so that the first cuts the tooth 
 only half way down, and is followed by the other 
 which cuts to the full depth; the teeth are then 
 finished and pointed by triangular rasps. If a 
 comb or other article is too large to be made out 
 of one plate of horn, two or more may be joined 
 together by the dexterous application of a degree 
 of heat sufficient to melt but not to decompose 
 the horn, assisted by a due degree of pressure; 
 and when well managed, the place of juncture 
 can not be perceived. The Chinese are remark- 
 ably skillful in this kind of work. 
 
 If a work in horn, such as one of the large 
 combs worn by women, is required to be of a 
 curved or wavy figure, it is finished flat, and is 
 then put into boiling water till it becomes soft, 
 and is immediately transferred to a die of hard 
 wood, in which it i? cautiously pressed, and 
 remains there till cold. 
 
 Horn combs ornamented with open-work are 
 not made in this country, because the expense of 
 cutting them would be more than the price of the 
 article would repay ; but great numbers of them 
 are imported from France. These, however, are 
 not cut, but pressed in steel dies made in London 
 for the French manufacturers ; and from an ex- 
 amination ■ of these combs, it is evident that the 
 material must have been in a soft state, ap- 
 proaching to fusion, when put into the die. 
 
 Horn steeped for a week in liquor, the active 
 ingredient of which is caustic fixed alkali, be- 
 comes so soft that it may easily be molded into 
 any required shape ; and shavings subjected to 
 the same process become semi-gelatinous, and 
 may be pressed in a mold into the form of snuff- 
 boxes and other articles. Horn, however, so 
 treated, becomes hard and very brittle, probably 
 
 in consequence of its laminated texture being 
 obliterated by the joint action of the alkaU and 
 strong pressure. 
 
 Drinking-cups of horn are thus made: The 
 horn being sawn to the required length, is scald- 
 ed and roasted over the fire, as already described ; 
 but instead of being slit and opened, is placed 
 while hot in a conical mold of wood ; a corre- 
 sponding plug of wood is then driven hard in, 
 to bring the horn to shape. Here it remains till 
 cold, and is then taken out and fixed by the large 
 end on the mandrel of a lathe, where it is turned 
 and polished both inside and outside, and a 
 groove, or chine, as the coopers call it, is cut by 
 a gauge tool within the small end for receiving 
 the bottom. The horn is then taken off the lathe 
 and laid before the fire, where it expands and 
 becomes somewhat flexible ; a round, flat piece 
 of horn, of the proper size, (cut out of a plate 
 by means of a kind of crown saw, ) is dropped in 
 and forced down till it reaches the chine, and 
 becomes perfectly fixed in this situation, and 
 water-tight by the subsequent contraction of the 
 horn as it cools. 
 
 Horn is easily dyed by boiling it in infusions 
 of various coloring ingredients, as we see in the 
 horn lanterns, made in China. In Europe it is 
 chiefly colored of a rich red-brown, to imitate 
 tortoise-shell, for combs and inlaid work. The 
 usual mode of effecting this is to mix together 
 pearlash, quicklime, and litharge, with a suffi- 
 cient quantity of water and a little pounded 
 dragon s blood, and boil them together for half 
 an hour. The compound is then to be applied 
 hot on the parts that are required to be colored, 
 and is to remain on the surface till the color has 
 struck ; on those parts where a deeper tinge is 
 required, the composition is to be applied a sec- 
 ond time. 
 
 The Chinese also make bows partly of wood 
 and partly of buffalo's horn ; but the best Indian 
 bows, those, namely, of Lahore, are made of 
 horn combined with wood, and strapped round 
 with sinew. 
 
 Horn was also used as we now employ glass 
 in windows, for which, however, it is not very 
 well adapted, as plates thin enough to be trans- 
 parent would soon warp, and be corroded by 
 exposure to the weather. 
 
 Horns are also of very ancient use as musical 
 instruments ; the true bugle-horn was made of 
 the horns of the urus, or wild bull, tipped with 
 silver, and slung in a chain of the same mate- 
 rial. 
 
 Another use to which horn has been applied 
 is as a material for defense, complete suits of 
 armor having been made from it. 
 
 The general mode of manufacturing tortoise- 
 shell is the same as already described when 
 treating of horn. It is softened by boiling in 
 water, but mere water takes away much of the 
 color ; an addition of common salt prevents this 
 injury; but if too strong a brine is used, the 
 shell will be very brittle. Two or more pieces 
 of tortoise-shell may be joined by laying their 
 scraped or thin edges together, and then press- 
 ing them between hot irons. If, however, the 
 heat is too great, the colors are much deepened, 
 so as to become almost black, as in the case with 
 molded snuff boxes; for tortoise-shell, being 
 less fusible than horn, can not be made soft 
 enough to be molded without some injury to the 
 color. Accordingly the manufacturers never 
 
478 
 
 DICTIONARY OF EVERY.DAY WANTS. 
 
 attempt to produce tortoise-shell combs with or- 
 namental open-work by means of dies, but in 
 the following manner : 
 
 A paper being pasted over the tortoise-shell, 
 the pattern is drawn on the paper, and is then 
 cut out by means of drills and fine saws ; the 
 paper is then removed by steeping in water, 
 and the surface of the pattern is finished by the 
 graver. 
 
 In making small side combs, it is found worth 
 while, in order to save a costly material, to em- 
 ploy a machine consisting of a cutter working 
 straight up and down, and of a bed (on 
 which the shell is laid) to which is given a mo- 
 tion advancing by alternate inclination, first to 
 one side and then to the other. By this means 
 the teeth of the two combs are cut at the same 
 time, those of the one occupying the intervals of 
 the other. Such combs are called parted, the 
 saw not being used upon thern, and are often 
 made of fine stained horn instead cf tortoise- 
 shell. Tortoise-shell is also used for inlaying 
 tables, cabinets, and other ornamental articles, 
 a metalUc foil being placed below it to give 
 lustre and color. 
 
 For modern uses, thick tortoise-shell is more 
 valuable in proportion than thin ; but among the 
 Romans, where it was used only for inlaying, 
 veneers were cut out of it. 
 
 HORN', To Color Black. — A process recent- 
 ly announced for imparting a black color to horn, 
 without the aid of heat, consists in taking the 
 articles, finished and ready for polish, and im- 
 mersing them in a lye of caustic potash or soda, 
 until the outer surface of the horn is somewhat 
 dissolved, as shown by a greasy feel. With care, 
 fine tooth combs can be treated in this way 
 without any injury. They are then washed off 
 and dipped in aniline black, slowly dried, and 
 then again washed off. By transmitted light the 
 horn is of a dark brown color, but by reflected 
 light it is of a deep black. 
 
 HORN, in Imitation of Tortoise-Shell. — 
 First steam and then press the horn into proper 
 shapes, and afterwards lay the following mixture 
 on with a small brush, in imitation of the mottle 
 of tortoise-shell : Take equal parts of quicklime 
 and litharge, and mix with strong soap-lees ; let 
 this remain until it is thoroughly dry; brush off, 
 and repeat two or three times if necessary. 
 Such parts as are required to be of a reddish- 
 brown should be covered with a mixture of whi- 
 ting and the stain. 
 
 HORSE, To Break of Pawing.— '^^\S. iron 
 strips across the horse's stall — say strips one 
 inch wide and one-half inch thick, six inches 
 apart, securely nailed crossways his stall — and 
 they will soon make him sick of pawing, when 
 he will no doubt find some other way of passing 
 away the time. If he takes to kicking, fasten 
 the trace chain around his fetlock ; if to cribbing, 
 trade him off and let some one else cure him of 
 that detestable habit. 
 
 HORSE-COLLARS, and SADDLES, etc.. 
 Wooden. — Galled shoulders and backs are to no 
 small extent due to the soft pads and cushions 
 which are pressed upon the tender skin under 
 which the muscles play, and upon which great 
 weight or draught is borne. The skin thickens 
 and gets tough to some extent, but the softer or 
 more padded the collar or saddle, the more liable 
 is the skin to blister and gall. This is because 
 the perspiration is retained, the skin softened 
 
 and made to rub and move more upon the flesh 
 and bone beneath. Horses whose backs galled 
 under padded saddles would get well when used 
 with well-fitting army-saddles, which were sim- 
 ply hard wooden trees covered with rawhide, 
 dry and hard, almost like iron. Why the hint 
 has not been before taken we cannot imagine, 
 but only recently have we seen wooden horse- 
 collars introduced. Th«jr have been used for 
 some time at the South — more, we fancy, from 
 necessity than from choice, but with the best re- 
 sults. Now, two companies are manufacturing 
 them in this city, and other hard materials not 
 liable to absorb water are being introduced. Some 
 are made to be used with hames ; others have 
 hooks or other attachment places for traces upon 
 the collar itself. One patented material called 
 "Flaxhorn" is very tough, capable of being 
 worked into very light strong collars, saddle- 
 trees, harness, saddles, and pads. 
 
 A wooden collar for ordinary work can be 
 made which opens like ordinary hames, at the 
 top, but the two parts are fastened together at 
 the bottom by a strong iron hinge. Others 
 open to go over the head of the horse at two 
 points a little below the trace-hooks on each side; 
 others still chiefly in use for mules, we believe, 
 do not open at all, but are made in one piece, 
 with two spots cut out on each side, so that the 
 collar will go over the head, and not hurt the 
 bony projections over the eyes. As we see it, 
 there is a great future for hard horse-collars, etc., 
 and we fully believe they will be not only lighter, 
 but far easier for horses than the heavy costly 
 padded things they are now tortured with. 
 
 HOUSES, To Keep Cool in Hot Weather.^ 
 In very hot days a cool apartment is a real 
 luxury to be had far oftener than most people 
 suppose possible. The secret consists, not in 
 letting in cool air, for naturally all do that 
 whenever they have the chance ; but in kcepmg 
 out the hot air. If the air outside a room or 
 house be cooler than the air inside, let it in by 
 all means ; but if it be hotter, carefully keep it 
 out. 
 
 A stair-case window left open during the night 
 will often cool the passages of a house, and the 
 rooms, too, if their doors be not shut ; but it 
 must be closed at 8 or 9 o'clock in the morning, 
 or, if on the sunny side, at 4 or 5 o'clock, and the 
 blind drawn down. The mistake people gener- 
 ally make is to throw open their windows at all 
 hours of the day, no matter whether the atmos- 
 phere outside be cool or scorching. 
 
 Let us have some air, they say, and in comes 
 the treacherous breeze — for even hot air is pleas- 
 ant while it is gently blowing, taking away per- 
 spiration, and thereby cooling the skin ; but the 
 apartment is made warmer, instead of cooler, 
 and as soon as they move out of the draught they 
 find their room to be more uncomfortable than 
 before. 
 
 Let in cool air — keep out hot — that is the only 
 formula to insure the minimum of discomfort. 
 Sitting-rooms may generally be kept cool during 
 the whole day if the doors be only opened for 
 ingress and egress, and the windows kept closed 
 and shielded from direct sunshine by a blind. 
 If the atmosphere of a room be impure from any 
 cause, let it be renewed; hot air is less injurious 
 than bad air. If a room be small in comparison 
 with the number of persons engaged in it, free 
 ventilation becomes indispensable. 
 
MISCELLANEOUS. 
 
 479 
 
 In a cooking apartment the temperature will 
 probably be higher than outside, hence the free 
 admission even of hot air will be desirable. If 
 persons do not object to sit in a direct draught 
 of air, windows and doors may be opened, a 
 breeze being more refreshing, even though sev- 
 eral degrees warmer than still air; but under 
 nearly all other circumstances rooms should be 
 kept closed as much as possible until after sun- 
 down, or till the air outside is cooler than that 
 inside. Let in cool air; keep out hot. 
 
 ICE CHEST, To J/a/f^.— Take two dry 
 goods boxes, one of which is enough smaller 
 than the other to leave a space of about three 
 inches all around when it is placed inside. Fill 
 the space between the two with, sawdust packed 
 closely, and cover with heavy lid made to fit 
 neatly inside the larger box. Insert a small 
 pipe in the bottom of the chest to carry off the 
 water from the melting ice. For family use this 
 has proved quite as serviceable and as econo- 
 mical as more costly "refrigerators." 
 
 ICE, To Gather. — Ice should be cut early, as 
 the first ice keeps best, and is easier procured. 
 Snow has to be removed from the surface of the 
 ice before cutting, and it also injures the quality. 
 It should be gathered in December; select a 
 clear, cold day, and, with ice tools — which should 
 consist of a cross cut saw, an axe, a pike pole, 
 and an ice ladder — go to the scene of your 
 operations. Cut three feet wide with the saw, 
 and split off with the axe, by chipping out a V,- 
 or wedge-shAped hole, at each edge ; then strike 
 a few light blows in each hole until the block 
 separates from the mass. In this manner you 
 can get your blocks out nearly as true as with 
 the saw. 
 
 A convenient size to handle and pack is about 
 two by three feet. Twelve cakes will pack one 
 layer eight by nine feet square, which laid up 
 eight or nine feet high, is sufficient to last a 
 large family. 
 
 The ice ladder is used to draw the floating 
 cakes of ice upon the surface, and to load them 
 upon the sled or stone-boat, for removal to the 
 ice-house. The ladder is about twelve feet long 
 and twenty inches wide. The upright pins 
 must be strong, and the round at one end ex- 
 tend through both sides, to make handles. Tlie 
 ladder is lowered into the water, and the cake 
 of ice floated over it. Then draw out the ladder, 
 and at the same time lower the handles. The 
 pins will hold the cakes upon the ladder ; when 
 upon the surface, it can be quickly unloaded, by 
 raising one side of the ladder. The ice should 
 be taken to the house, and packed at once. Use 
 a plank to move the cakes, where needed, when 
 packing. 
 
 Look to your drainage; also see that your 
 house is tight at the bottom ; for a current of air 
 passing through the ice, causes it to melt rapidly. 
 Leave a space of six inches between the ice and 
 walls, and fill in with straw, packed close, or 
 sawdust, tanbark or swamp moss. The latter is 
 to be preferred. Cover with a thick layer, and fill 
 to the roof with straw. Use double doors, with 
 a cooling room. 
 
 ICE-HOUSE, To Build.— k family ice-house 
 need not be an expensive structure. It may be 
 built cheaply, subserve its object excellently, 
 and add to the attractions of a homestead by 
 being a sightly object. A building of twelve feet 
 square and eight or nine feet high, is sufficient 
 
 for the wants of the most exacting family. It 
 may be a frame building, entirely above the sur- 
 face of the ground, and better if supported on 
 posts elevated a few inches, to be certain of good 
 drainage. Built of joists two by three inches, 
 with an outer boarding, having inside another 
 series of uprights, also boarded, from six to ten 
 inches removed from the outer shell, with a solid 
 floor of plank, the space between the two walls 
 filled with tan, sawdust, straw, or chaff, and a 
 roof of good pitch, the ice-house is complete. 
 A drain for water should be made from the floor, 
 and the pitch of the roof filled with straw, hay, ^ 
 or some similar dry, porous material. On the 
 roof should be a ventilator, the top defended 
 from the rain or snow. The ice should be pack- 
 ed in one solid mass, the sides not reaching the 
 inner walls of the building, but allowing a space 
 of from six to twelve inches all around. The 
 top of the ice should be covered with straw and 
 the doors should be like the sides of the build- 
 ing, or double doors should be made, one in the 
 outer and the other in the inner wall. Plant 
 morning glories or any climbing plant around 
 the building and induce them to creep up the 
 walls and over the roof as an additional defense 
 against the fervid sun of summer. Two work- 
 men, if not practical carpenters, can put up such 
 a building in one, or at most, two days, which 
 if taste and judgment is used, will prove to be a 
 sightly addition to the attractions of a country 
 home, and a useful adjunct to the farm, its con- 
 tents being invaluable in sickness. Such an 
 ice-house would prove also convenient as a re- 
 frigerator on a large scale, preserving food of 
 various kinds and the products of a dairy. 
 
 It costs but little to build an ice-house, that 
 will keep ice the year round, where practical 
 utility only is aimed at, and not elegance of 
 structure. A writer on this subject says: Last 
 January I drew one large load of sawdust and 
 spread on the ground on the north side of my 
 horse barn, then drew the ice (sawed in square 
 cakes) and built up a square pile some eight 
 by ten feet and seven or eight feet high, filling 
 up the spaces between the cakes with pounded 
 ice. I then set up scanthng and built a board 
 house around it two feet larger each way than 
 the ice ; then filled in sawdust around and two 
 to three feet on top, and covered with boards 
 and slabs. We have used freely through the 
 season, sold to pic-nic parties, given away to 
 sick neighbors, and have plenty of ice yet. 
 
 Another writer thus tells how he constructed 
 an ice-house : I set posts in the ground, so as 
 to make a house twelve feet square, (three posts 
 on each side,) then board or plank it up eight 
 feet high, on the inside. The surface earth is 
 now dug out six inches deep, and sawdust filled 
 in one foot deep, making it six inches above the 
 level of the earth. The ice is carefully packed, 
 nine feet square and six feet high, leaving a 
 space of eighteen inches between ice and boards, 
 closely packed with sawdust, and the same thick- 
 ness of sawdust placed on top, I have an old- 
 fashioned board roof over this ice-house. The 
 space above the sawdust is left open, so that the 
 air can circulate through, and the sun shine in. 
 The result is that we have used ice daily and 
 have a plenty yet. As to the cost, four men 
 with one team, cut, hauled and packed the ice, 
 and filled in the sawdust in less than two days, 
 notwithstanding we had to haul the ice ^ mile. 
 
48o 
 
 DICTIONARY OF EVERY-DAY WANTS. 
 
 INDIA RUBBER, Artificial.— ?roi. Son- 
 nenschein has discovered that an elastic mass 
 resembling caoutchouc may be obtained by com- 
 bining tungstate of soda with certain organic 
 substances. If tungstic acid or tungstate of 
 soda be added to glue, and afterward muriatic 
 acid, a compound of tungstic acid glue is precip- 
 itated which is so elastic at 85-105° F., that it 
 can be drawn out into very thin fibres. On 
 cooling, the mass becomes very solid and brittle. 
 It is proposed to employ this substance in place 
 of the costly albumen for mordanting cotton, 
 especially for aniline colors. The same material 
 has been used in tanning leather ; but this be- 
 came hard as stone, and consequently unsuitable 
 for ordinary purposes. By adding tungstate of 
 soda and muriatic acid to a solution of gelatine, 
 and heating the ;precipitate, a substance is ob- 
 tained which may be used as a putty or cement 
 in many cases. 
 
 INK, Black.— The fault with most black ink 
 is too much iron, turning the writing brown 
 from oxidation. To remedy this, acid (generally 
 vinegar or an acid salt, as alum) is added, which 
 corrodes the pens. The iron should only be in 
 sufficient quantity to strike a black color. The 
 following will be found a convenient and ex- 
 cellent formula : — Boil I part of granular pow- 
 dered galls with 20 parts of distilled water in a 
 glass flask for fifteen or twenty minutes ; then 
 add I part sulphate of iron, dissolved in 2 parts 
 of distilled water, and i part of mucilage of 
 acacia ; shake all together. It is ready for im- 
 mediate use, but improves by keeping. It is 
 better not strained, but poured off as wanted. 
 A few drops of carbolic acid may be added to 
 preserve it, if required to be kept long. 
 
 INK {Copying), that does not Reqtiire Damp- 
 fing. — Use the same ingredients as for ordinary 
 copying ink, except that the quantity of water 
 used be decreased by from twenty to thirty per 
 cent., and the same quantity of glycerine be 
 added. This ink will, when written on, set off 
 upon any dry sheet of paper by simply rub- 
 bmg it. 
 
 INK, Solid. — Set 250 grammes of powdered 
 nutgalls in half a litre of alcohol of eighty-two 
 degrees, and warm by gentle heat for twenty- 
 four hours; then mix ninety-eight gr, of sul- 
 phate of iron in a litre and a half of pure water; 
 strain the two liquids through a cloth separately, 
 then mix them, let them stand for eight days, 
 and strain them again. This ink leaves no de- 
 posit, nor does it get mouldy, and is more solid 
 than any employed. 
 
 INK {India), To Remwe the Mark of on the 
 Flesh. — Blister the part with a plaster a little 
 larger than the mark ; then keep the place open 
 with an ointment for a week; finally, dress it 
 to get well. As the new skin grows, the tattoo 
 will disappear. 
 
 INK, Indelible Printing. — This is made by 
 mixing l pound varnish (such as is used for 
 ordinary printing ink), i pound black sulphuret 
 of mercury, I ounce nitrate of silver, i ounce 
 ' sulphate of iron, 2 tablespoonfuls lampblack. 
 Thoroughly grind together, adding enough tur- 
 pentine to reduce to the requisite consistency. 
 
 INTEREST, Nnu Rule for Computing.— 
 This rule is so simple and so correct, that every 
 banker, merchant or clerk should post it up for 
 reference : 
 
 Six per Cent. — Multiply any given number of 
 
 dollars by the number of days of interest desired, 
 separate the right hand figure and divide by six ; 
 the result is the true interest on such number of 
 days at six per cent. 
 
 Eight per Cent. — Multiply any given amount 
 by the number of days upon which it is desired 
 to ascertain the interest, and divide by 45, and 
 the result will be the true interest for the time 
 required. 
 
 Ten per Cent. — Multiply the same as above, 
 and divide by 36, and the result will show the 
 interest at ten per cent. 
 
 IRON and COFFER, Delicate 7estfor.—T\y& 
 alcoholic tincture of logwood will produce a blue 
 or bluish-black tint in water which has been run 
 through iron or copper pipes, when neither tinc- 
 ture of galls, sulphocyanide, nor the ferrid and 
 ferrocyanides of potassium show any reaction. 
 
 ISINGLASS GLUE, To Make.— This is 
 made by dissolving beaten isinglass in water by 
 boiling, and having strained it through a coarse 
 linen cloth, evaporating it again to such a con- 
 sistence, that, being cold, the glue will be per- 
 fectly hard and dry. 
 
 A great improvement is made in this glue by 
 adding spirit of wine or brandy after it is strained, 
 and then renewing the evaporation till it gains 
 the due consistence. 
 
 IVORY, Artificial.— The inventor, Mr. Mar- 
 quardt, dissolves two pounds of pure rubber in 
 thirty-two pounds of chloroform, and hereupon 
 saturates the solution with a current of ammonia 
 gas. When the rubber has been completely 
 bleached, the admission of the gas is interrupted, 
 and the mass is transferred into a vessel, pro- 
 vided with a stirrer, in which it is washed with 
 hot water until the bleaching agent has been 
 entirely removed. During this operation, the 
 temperature may be increased to 185" Fahr,, in 
 order to evaporate the chloroform, which, by 
 conducting it into an apparatus of condensation, 
 may again be made use of. The remaining 
 product forms a kind of froth, which, being 
 pressed out, dried, and again treated with a 
 small quantity of chloroform, is finally obtained 
 as a consistent paste. The paste is now mixed 
 with a sufficient quantity of finely pulverized 
 phosphate of lime, or carbonate of zinc, until it 
 assumes the appearance of moist flour. In this 
 condition it is pressed in hot moulds, which it 
 leaves sufficiently hard to be turned, planed, 
 filed, and bored. In order to imitate corals, 
 pearls, enamels, hard woods, etc., it is only 
 necessary to mix the paste with the desirei 
 colors previously to its being compressed. 
 
 IVORY, To Bleach. — A new process for 
 bleaching ivory when it has assumed a dirty 
 yellow color, consists in first soaking the pieces 
 for two days in a solution of one-half pound 
 carbonate of^soda and two pounds of water ; then, 
 after rinsing in cold water, transferring the 
 pieces to a solution of three-quarters of a pound 
 sulphate of soda in two pounds of water, and 
 leaving them for five or six hours. While soak- 
 ing in this solution, one ounce of hydrochloric 
 acid in four ounces of water is added and tho- 
 roughly mixed, the pieces usually, two days 
 after, resuming their whiteness ; repetition of the 
 process being sometimes, however, necessary. 
 
 IVORY, Dyes for.— Black.— Immerse the 
 ivory in a boiling solution of logwood, take it 
 out and wash it in a solution of copperas. — Blue. 
 — Immerse the ivory in a mixture of sulphate of 
 
MISCELLANEO US. 
 
 481 
 
 indigo Jind water, partly neutralized with potash. 
 — Green. — Steep blued ivory in a solution of 
 nitromuriate of tin, and then in a decoction of 
 fustic; or it may be at once dyed green by steep- 
 ing it in a solution of acetate of copper. — Yelloxu. 
 — Steep the ivory in a bath of neutral chromate 
 of potash, and afterwards in a boiling solution of 
 acetate of lead. — lied. — Steep the ivory for a 
 short time in a solution of tin, then in a decoction 
 of Brazil or cochineal." — Violet. — Moisten the 
 ivory with a solution of tin, as before, then im- 
 merse it in a decoction of log\vood. 
 
 IVORY, BONE and HORN, To Impart 
 ' a Beautiful Red Color to. — Take four parts of 
 picric acid and dissolve in two hundred and fifty 
 parts of boiling water ; when cold add eight parts 
 of liq. ammonise. Dissolve also two parts of 
 magenta (crystals) in forty-five parts of alcohol, 
 dilute with three hundred and seventy-five parts 
 of hot water, and add fifty parts of ammoni.i. 
 As soon as the red color of the magenta solution 
 has disappeared, the two solutions are mixed 
 together, making a bulk of liquid amounting to 
 about half a litre. Ivory and bone should be 
 placed in very weak nitric or hydrochloric acid 
 first, before being immersed in the ammoniacal 
 liquid; wood cannot be dyed in this liquid unless 
 it has been previously painted over with paste 
 made from flour. If to the ammoniacal liquid 
 some gelatine solution is added, it may serre as 
 a red ink which does not attack steel pens. By 
 varying the proportions of the magenta and pic- 
 ric acid, the tints obtained may be varied from a 
 bluish red to-a bright orange red. The desired 
 colors do not appear till the ammonia is evapor- 
 ated. 
 
 IVORY, To Soften. — In three ounces of spir- 
 its of nitre, and 15 of spring-water, mixed to- 
 gether, put your ivory a soaking. And in 3 or 
 4 days it will be soft so as to obey your fingers. 
 
 IVORY, To Silver. — Immerse a small slip of 
 ivory in a weak solution of nitrate of silver, and 
 let it remain till the solution has given it a deep 
 yellow color; then take it out and immerse it in 
 a tumbler of clear water, and expose it in the 
 water to the rays of the sun. In about 3 hours 
 the ivory acquires a black color; but the black 
 surface on being rubbed soon becomes changed 
 to a brilliant silver. 
 
 IVOR Y, Transparent. — The process for mak- 
 ing ivory transparent and flexible is simply im- 
 mersion in liquid phosphoric acid, and the change 
 which it undergoes is owing to a partial neu- 
 tralization of the basic phosphate of lime, of 
 which it principally consists. The ivory is cut 
 in pieces not thicker than the twentieth part of 
 an inch, and placed in phosphoric acid of a spe- 
 cific gra\'ity of 1. 131, until it has become trans- 
 parent, when it is taken from the bath, washed 
 m water, and dried with a clean linen cloth. It 
 becomes dry in the air without the application 
 of heat, and softens again under warm water. 
 
 IVORY, To ^f7//?;-«.— Slake some lime in 
 water ; put your ivory in that water, after being 
 decanted from the grounds, and boil it till it 
 looks quite white. To polish it afterwards, set 
 it in the turner's wheel ; and, after having work- 
 ed, take rushes and pumice-stones, subtile pow- 
 der, with water, and rub it till it looks perfectly 
 smooth. Next to that, heat it by turning it 
 against a piece of linen or sheepskin leather; and, 
 when hot, rub it over with a little whitening di- 
 luted in oil of olive; then, with a little dry 
 
 whitening alone; finally with a piece of soft white 
 rag. When all this is performed as directed, the 
 ivory will look very white. 
 
 Dr. Artus has recently published a process for 
 whitening ivory, which he specially recommends 
 for the finger pieces of pianos ; but it is also ap- 
 plicable t6 all articles made of this material, 
 which is so apt to change its color. After lying 
 some days in a solution of carbonate of soda, the 
 pieces must be thoroughly washed in clear water 
 and again placed in a bath composed of three- 
 quarters of a pound of sulphite of soda dissolved 
 in two gallons of water, in which they must re- 
 main five or six hours. Then, without taking 
 them from the bath, a mixture of one ounce of 
 chlorhydric acid and four ounces of water must 
 be added to it. In this, after shaking it well and 
 recovering the vessel, they must remain thirty- 
 six hours. The solution is then thrown off and 
 the ivory washed as before in clean water. If 
 not as white as desired the operation must be 
 repeated. The quantity of the solution that has 
 been indicated is sufficient to whiten a pound of 
 ivory. 
 
 JET, To Clean. — Use the softest brush that 
 can be procured, to remove the dust in the most 
 gentle manner from the carving, and then touch 
 the jet with a little good oil on a bit of cotton 
 wool, and polish with wash-leather. The pro- 
 cess requires the ^eatest care, as the carving 
 makes the jet so brittle. 
 
 KITE, Ho^v to Make. — Among the various 
 kinds the "three-stick kite" is probably the sur- 
 est for the beginner. Get three light, thin, 
 straight sticks, of cedar, pine, or similar wood ; 
 smooth them, and let them be about half an inch 
 wide by an eighth thick; perhaps a little more. 
 Make two of them 30 inches long, and the third 
 20 inches. Mark a point 10 inches from the end 
 of each of the long sticks, and in the middle of 
 the short one ; cross the three sticks at these 
 points, and tie them firmly with twine. Cut 
 notches lengthwise across the ends of the sticks, 
 and tie a strong twine from end to end, making 
 the outline of an irregular six-sided figure, of 
 which the bottom may be 16 inches long; the 
 sides about 18^; the shoulders II, and the top 
 8 inches. These numbers may vary ; it is nec- 
 essary only that the corresponding sides should 
 be exactly alike or the kite will not be well bal- 
 anced. This finishes the frame. 
 
 Now lay down a sheet of strong, light paper, 
 place the frame upon it, and cut the paper about 
 two inches larger than the frame, all round. 
 Fold the outside over the strings, and paste 
 down with good boiled flour paste, cutting out 
 the corners where they overlap. 
 
 The next thi»g is to hang the kite. Measure 
 from each lower corner five inches along the 
 sticks ; make a small hole on each side of the 
 stick through the paper, and tie in the ends of a 
 string, which shall measure, when tied, about 
 14 inches from stick to stick. This is the lower 
 loop. In like manner tie an upper loop, about 
 8 inches long, to points about 3 inches from the 
 upper end of the same stick. Remember to have 
 the loops on the face side of the kite ; that is, 
 the side on which the sticks are not seen. Join 
 the middles of the two loops by a string about 
 20 inches long ; this is the belly-band. Hang 
 the kite by the belly-band over your finger, and 
 hold it so that when one end of the kite touches 
 the floor, the other may be about a foot above 
 
 31 
 
4S2 
 
 DICTIONARY OF EVERY-DAY WANTS. 
 
 it ; there is the place to tie the line, making it 
 fast so that it will not slip. When the kite floats 
 in the air, it should lie at an angle of about 45 
 degrees; if it stands too straight, the string is 
 fastened too low on the belly-band; if too flat, 
 the string is not low enough. 
 
 The kite must have a tail to balance it. If the 
 tail is too heavy, the kite will not raise it ; if too 
 light, or if too short, the kite will not "stand" 
 steadily, but will dive from side to side. When- 
 ever it does that, it should be taken in, and more 
 weight added to the tail. Cut pieces of writing 
 pajier, 4 inches wide and 6 or 8 long; fold back 
 and forth fan-like, and tie 3 inches apart on a 
 string, until you have made 3 or 4 yards. Then 
 cut a quantity of strips half an inch wide, and 12 
 or 14 inches long ; tie the bunch of them by the 
 middle, fold the ends together and tie again, 
 making a tassel, which you may tie to the end 
 of the tail. If the strips are of colored tissue 
 paper, all the gayer. Tie a string about twenty 
 inches long to the two lower corners of the kite, 
 and fasten the tail to the middle of it. Choose 
 a smooth, close, well spun string, linen is best 
 — and costs most — not too large, or its weight 
 will make it "sag," nor too small, or the kite 
 will fly away with it. Finally, don't try to fly 
 a kite when the wind don't blow. 
 
 Now, just as each of your good mothers thinks 
 she has a recipe for making cookies which she 
 thinks is a little better than any other, so every 
 boy who has experience in kite-making thinks 
 his way is rather the best, and quite likely he 
 may find fault with some of our proportions. 
 If so, he has perfect liberty to change them to 
 his liking. The important items are: the kite 
 must be truly made, so that one side may just 
 balance the other; it must hang at the proper 
 angle to the wind; and the tail must be rightly 
 proportioned in weight and length to the size of 
 the kite. 
 
 If the kite don't behave well at first, think 
 which of these items has not been carefully 
 attended to, and correct. Don't give up at the 
 first trial. 
 
 LAMP WICKS, Home-Made.—h. lamp wick, 
 equally good with those we buy, may be made 
 out of canton flannel. Take a strip three times 
 as wide as you wish the wick to be, and as long 
 as you like. Fold it with the fleecy side in, so 
 that it will have three thicknesses, and baste or 
 overcast it up the side. Almost every house- 
 keeper has bits of canton flannel which would be 
 used for nothing else, and it saves quite a little 
 item of expense, to say nothing of the convenience 
 of being able to make a new lamp wick, when- 
 ever it is needed. 
 
 LAAD, To Drain. — A strong metal pipe, 
 about 20 feet in length and 6 inches in diameter, 
 is adjusted in a slanting position over the lot to 
 be drained. To an opening in the bottom of this 
 pipe, another is firmly jointed, inchning back- 
 wards at an angle sufficient to allow of its end 
 resting on the ground lot. Connected with the 
 principal pipe, is a strong canvas hose, down 
 which a current of water descends, and issues at 
 the mouth of the pipe. In its course, it forms a 
 vacuum in the second pipe, and the water is thus 
 sucked up and discliarged with the current flow- 
 ing through the principal pipe. This device is 
 in use, for the purpose described, in Australia, 
 but is known to most men practically acquainted 
 with hydraulics. 
 
 LEAD {White'), To Test. — ^Take a pine sliver, 
 put some of the lead on the end of it, set it on 
 fire; if pure, you will see the small shots of lead 
 drop from it; if a white incrustation, you may 
 know it is not pure. Rub this on a clean white 
 paper; if any lead is present it will black the 
 paper ; if no lead is present it will be a pale, 
 sulphur color. 
 
 LEA VES (^Aututnn), ToPreseri'e. — The beau- 
 tiful colors of the leaves at this season are indi- 
 cative of the first stage of decay. If rapidly dried, 
 the process may be arrested and the fine colors 
 preserved. Dry as quickly as possible, by putting 
 the leaves between folds of any very absorbent 
 paper, and change frequently — as often as once 
 a day. A warm flat-iron judiciously used will 
 help the drying, but overheating will spoil all. 
 When the leaves are quickly and thoroughly 
 dried, they will retain their colors for some months. 
 In making up ornamental work, the leaves 
 should have a light coat of boiled linseed oil. 
 This brings out the color and gives a more natural 
 appearance than varnish of any kind. For fast- 
 ening them to card-board or any other support, 
 glue is best. Do not oil the under sides of the 
 leaves, as this will prevent the glue from adhering. 
 
 LEA THER, Bronzing for. — A small amount 
 of so-called insoluble (in water) aniline violet is 
 dissolved in a little water, and the solution is 
 brushed over the articles ; it will dry quickly, 
 and perhaps may have to be repeated. 
 
 LEA THER, To Gild. — In order to impress 
 gilt figures, letters, and other marks upon leath- 
 er, as on the covers of books, edgings for doors, 
 etc.,< the leather must first be dusted over with 
 very finely powdered yellow resin or mastic gum. 
 The iron tools or stamps are now arranged on a 
 rack before a clear fire, so as to be well heated, 
 without becoming red hot. If the tools are let- 
 ters, they have an alphabetical arrangement on 
 the rack. Each letter or stamp must be tried, 
 as to its heat, by imprinting its mark on the raw 
 side of a piece of waste leather. A little practice 
 will enable the workman to judge of the heat. 
 The tool is now to be pressed downwards on the 
 gold-leaf, which will of course be indented, and 
 show the figure imprinted on it. The next letter 
 or stamp is now to be taken and stamped in like 
 manner, and so on with the others, taking care 
 to keep the letters in an even line with each 
 other, like those in a book. By this operation 
 the resin is melted, consequently the gold ad- 
 heres to the leather. The superfluous gold may 
 then be rubbed off" by a cloth, the gilded impres- 
 sions remaining on the leather. In this, as in 
 every other operation, adroitness is acquired by 
 practice. 
 
 The cloth alluded to should be slightly greasy, 
 to retain the gold wiped off" (otherwise there will 
 be great waste in a few months); the cloth will 
 thus be soon completely saturated or loaded with 
 the gold. When this is the case, these cloths are 
 generally sold to the refiners, who burn them and 
 recover the gold. Some of these afford so much 
 gold by burning as to be worth from seven to ten 
 dollars. 
 
 LEATHER (PATENT) GOODS, Polish 
 for. — Take half a pound of molasses or sugar, 
 one ounce of gum-arabic, and two pounds of ivo- 
 ry black; boil them well together, then let the 
 vessel stand until quite cooled, and the contents 
 are settled; after which bottle off". Tliis is an ex- 
 cellent reviver, and may be used as a blacking in 
 
MISCELLANEO US. 
 
 483 
 
 the ordinary way, no brushes for polishing being 
 required. 
 
 LIGHTS, Bengal.— Tske of nitrate of pot- 
 assa (sahpetre), 8 parts; sublimed sulphur 4 
 parts, and antimony i part, and let them be well 
 mixed in powder and beat firmly into a stout 
 iron cup, and set on fire; and if a little camphor 
 be added it is still more brilliant. Such lights 
 are made use of for communicating at a great 
 distance bv sea at night. 
 
 LIGHt PHIAL.— Dry phosphorus, i part; 
 olive oil, 6 parts. Put them into a phial, cork 
 it, and place it in warm water for two or three 
 hours. For use, pull out the cork, and sufficient 
 light will be emitted to enable you to see the 
 time by a watch. One bottle will last for years 
 if well corked as soon as used. Ether may be 
 employed instead of olive oil. 
 
 LOGS and PLANKS, T^ Prevent the Split- 
 ting of . — Logs and planks split at the ends be- 
 cause the exposed surface dries faster than the 
 inside. Saturate muriatic acid with lime, and 
 apply like whitewash to the ends. The chloride 
 of calcium formed attracts moisture from the air, 
 and prevents the splitting. 
 
 LOVAGE. — Lovage root (fresh), I pound; 
 valerian, % pound; celery, ^ pound; sweet 
 fennel, % pound; caraway seeds, i ounce; 
 cassia, I ounce; proof-spirit, 12 gallons. Ma- 
 cerate for a week, then add loaf-sugar, 20 pounds, 
 dissolved in water, 10 gallons. Mix and fine. 
 
 L UMBER, Pacts about. — That drying lumber 
 does not season it, and seasoning lumber is not 
 drying it. That any amount of common air 
 drying does not necessarily (if ever) produce a 
 thorough shrinkage, even though the time be a 
 hundred years. That time has nothing to do 
 with either seasoning, shrinking or drying, but 
 is alone the result of condition and heat. That 
 lumber may be thoroughly seasoned without be- 
 ing either dried or shrunk. 
 
 That lumber may be made as dry as desired, 
 and yet not be seasoned at all, and with only a 
 partial or very slight shrinkage. That common 
 air never seasons lumber (though it dries it), 
 and can never more than partially shrink the 
 wood. That seasoning, shrinking and drying 
 are each separate and distinct operations, and in 
 most cases do not depend at all upon each other. 
 That they are all necessary, though not in the 
 same degree. That the order of their value to 
 the wood is in the order named ; the seasoning 
 being of the greatest, and the drying of the least 
 value. 
 
 MAGIC COPYING PAPER.— To make 
 black paper, lampblack mixed with cold lard; 
 Red paper, Venetian Red mixed with lard; 
 Green paper. Chrome Green mixed with lard ; 
 Blue paper, Prussian Blue mixed with lard. The 
 above ingredients to be mixed to the consistency 
 of thick paste, and to be applied to the paper 
 with a rag. Then take a flannel rag and rub till 
 all color ceases coming off. Cut your sheets 
 four inches wide, and six inches long, put four 
 sheets together, one of each color, and sell for 
 twenty-five cents per package. The first cost 
 will not be over three cents. Directions for 
 writing: — Lay down your paper upon which you 
 wish to write ; then lay on the copying paper, and 
 over this lay any scrap of paper you choose; 
 then' take any hard pointed substance ^nd write 
 as vou would with pen. 
 
 MANUSCRIPT, Preparation of. — i. See 
 
 thafthe manuscript is perfect before it is placed 
 in the hands of the compositor. Time is charged- 
 on all corrections, alterations, and additions 
 made in the proof, which are not in the original 
 copy. A very little change takes up more time 
 than is generally supposed. The insertion or 
 removal of a word or two may require the over- 
 running of every line in a long paragraph ; the 
 adding or taking out of a sentence, the overrun- 
 ning of every page set up, which follows it. All 
 this can be avoided by having the manuscript 
 carefully prepared. 
 
 2. It is desirable that the manuscript should 
 be written in a plain distinct hand, in order to 
 insure correctness and avoid delay. The time 
 work charged on a badly-prepared manuscript 
 will often exceed the cost of having it fairly 
 copied by a clerk. 
 
 3. Write on one side of the paper only, and 
 page the whole. Leave a wide margin, on which 
 can be ^v^itten directions for the compositor and 
 minor corrections. Marginal corrections are 
 
 f)referable to interhneations. When they are too 
 ong to go in the margin, write them on a sepa- 
 rate piece of paper, marking it with the page, 
 and indicating on the page the place where it is 
 to be inserted. Write on the margin the amount 
 of space, if any, desired between paragraphs or 
 divisions, for the insertion of additional authori- 
 ties, etc. 
 
 4. Attend to your own punctuation, marking 
 each point distinctly. Remember the old craft 
 pun, that "compositors are setters, not pointers" 
 — their duty is to "follow copy." The whole 
 force of a paragraph may be destroyed by care- 
 less punctuation. 
 
 5. Write on a separate page exactly what you 
 want on the cover, the number of copies wanted, 
 and the style selected. 
 
 6. Make a final careful revision of the manu- 
 script before handing it in. 
 
 7. Authors should always make the beginning 
 of a new paragraph conspicuous to the composi- 
 tor, by indenting the first line of it far enough 
 to distinguish it from the preceding line in case 
 it should be quite full. 
 
 8. When copy is put into the hands of the 
 compositor he should receive directions respect- 
 ing the width and length of the page ; whether 
 it is to be leaded, and with white lines between 
 the. breaks ; and whether any particular method 
 is to be followed in the punctuation and in the 
 adoption of capitals. 
 
 MANUSCRIPT, Estimate of.—K tolerably 
 close estimate of the words contained in even 
 bad manuscript may be made by counting the 
 lines of say twelve of its varying pages, then 
 getting an average per line of the words in sev- 
 eral lines taken from each page, and multiplying 
 the number of the former by that of the latter. 
 Next add the average allowance for chapter lines, 
 sub-heads, and other than break lines, counting 
 them as full lines. Reduce the break lines to 
 full lines, adding them to the whole, and you 
 have the contents of twelve pages. Divide by 
 twelve to find the contents of a single (average) 
 page. 
 
 Example. — A work of 400 pages in manuscript 
 is submitted. Twelve averaged pages, taken at 
 intervals, give an average of 30 lines to a folio. 
 Three lines taken at various places from each of 
 these twelve pages indicate an average of eleven 
 words to a line. This will give about 330 words 
 
484 
 
 DICTIONARY OF E VERY-DAY WANTS. 
 
 to a page, exclusive of breaks, chapter, and* oth- 
 - er lines, for which an allowance is made of four 
 lines, or 44 words, for each page of manuscript, 
 which, added to 330, makes 374. Multiply the 
 374 words per page by the 400 pages in the ma- 
 nuscript, and you have a result of 149,600 words 
 in all. 
 
 To know how many pages of printed matter 
 this will make, it is now necessary to have the 
 size of type and page to be used. An exact 
 printed page, containing the one and representing 
 the other, is always a good guide in completing 
 the calculation, which is done by dividing the 
 number of words contained in the manuscript, 
 by that of the printed page. This will give the 
 desired cast-off for the work in printed pages. 
 
 Thus, the estimate of the manuscript gives 
 149,600 words; that of the printed page, of the 
 size required, — set ixp in leaded long-primer, we 
 will say, for example, — gives 480 words; conse- 
 quently 149,600 divided by 480 gives 312 pages, 
 or 20 signatures, if printed in octavo. 
 
 When extra, or more than single, "leading" 
 of matter is required, count the extra leads (six- 
 to-pica being the size most used in book compo- 
 sition) in the following proportions : three for a 
 nonpareil line ; four for brevier and bourgeois ; 
 five for long-primer and small-pica; six for pica; 
 and so on, increasing or diminishing in the 
 necessary ratio for larger or lesser sizes. 
 
 For works under 144 pages, the cast-off of 
 Avhich does not reach a number of folios divisible 
 by 4, there should be added the number that will 
 make it so. Thus, 1 10 will be counted as 112; 
 133 as 136; and so on. A sufficient allowance 
 of pages, added in the same way, should be macje 
 in cast-offs for larger works, adopting 8 or 12 as 
 the even dividing number. This rule applies 
 f more particularly to works where the copy is 
 very irregular or much crowded with abbre- 
 viations and closely written notes, alterations, 
 interlines, etc. 
 
 MAP COLORS.— Blue. A weak mixture of 
 sulphate of indigo and water, to which add a 
 little gum. — Green. \. Dissolve crystals of ver- 
 digris in water, and add a little gum. — 2. Dis- 
 solve sap green in water and add gum. — Red. I. 
 Make a decoction of Brazil dust in vinegar, and 
 add a little gum and alum, — 2. Make an infusion 
 of cochineal and add a little gum. — Yellow, i. 
 Dissolve gamboge in water. — 2. Make a decoc- 
 tion of French berries, strain, and add a little 
 gum arable. 
 
 MAP VARNISHES.— K very good varnish 
 for covering over architectural drawings, maps, 
 etc., can be made by dissolving one pound of 
 white shellac, a quarter of a pound of camphor 
 and two ounces of Canada balsam in one gallon 
 of alcohol. 
 
 The following method affords also a good, 
 quick-drying varnish. Thin down Canada balsam 
 with turpentine, and add one-fourth of the bulk 
 of quick-drying, pale copal varnish; lay on 
 smoothly with a flat camel's hair brush, and let 
 the map lie flat for a few hours. 
 
 MARBLE AND GLASS, To Polish.— 
 Marble of any kind, alabaster, and hard stone, 
 or glass, may be repolished by rubbing it with a 
 linen cloih dressed with oxide of tin (sold under 
 the name of putty powder). For this purpose, a 
 couple or more folds of linen should be fastened 
 tight over a piece of wood, flat or otherwise, 
 according to the form of the stone. To repolish 
 
 a mantelpiece, it should be first perfectly cleaned. 
 This is best done by making a paste of lime, 
 soda, and water, wetting well the marble, and 
 applying the paste. Then let it remain for a day 
 or so, keeping it moist during the interval. 
 When this paste has been removed, the polishing 
 may begin. Chips in the marble should be 
 inibbed out first with emery and water. At every 
 stage of polishing, the linen and putty powder 
 must be kept constantly wet. Glass, such as 
 jewelers' show counter-cases, which becomes 
 scratched, may be polished in the same way. 
 
 MARBLE, To Clean.— i. Brush the dust 
 off the piece to be cleaned, then apply with a 
 brush a good coat of gum arabic, about the con- 
 sistency of a thick office mucilage, expose it to 
 the sun or dry wind, or both. In a snort time 
 it will crack and peel off. If all the gum should 
 not peel off, wash it with clean water and a clean 
 cloth. Of course, if the first application does 
 not have the desired effect, it should be applied 
 again. — 2. Make a paste with soft soap and whi- 
 ting. Wash the marble first with it, and then 
 leave a coat of the paste upon it for two or three 
 days. Afterwards wash off with warm (not hot) 
 water and soap. — 3. Chalk (in fine powder), i 
 part ; pumice, I part ; common soda, 2 parts. 
 Mix. Wash the spots with this powder, mixed 
 with a little water, then clean the whole of the 
 stone, and wash off with soap and water. 
 
 MARBLE (Artificial), for Paper Weights.- 
 Soak plaster of Paris in a solution of alum ; bake 
 it in an oven, and then grind it to a powder. 
 In using, mix it with water, and to produce the 
 clouds and veins, stir in any dry color you wish; 
 this will become very hard and is susceptible of 
 a very high polish. 
 
 MARBLE, To Cut and Polish. — The marble 
 saw is a thin plate of soft iron, continually sup- 
 plied, during its sawing motion, with water and 
 the sharpest sand. The sawing of moderate 
 pieces is performed by hand ; but that of large 
 slabs is most economically done by a proper 
 mill. The first substance used in the polishing 
 process is the sharpest sand, which must be 
 worked with till the surface becomes perfectly 
 flat. Then a second, and even a third sand, of 
 increasing fineness, is to be applied. The next 
 substance is emery, of progressive degrees of 
 fineness; after which, tripoli is employed: and 
 the last polish is given with tin putty. The body 
 with which the sand is rubbed upon the marble 
 is usually a plate of iron ; but, for the subsequent 
 process, a plate of lead is used, with fine sand 
 and emery. The polishing-rubbers are coarse 
 linen cloths, or bagging, wedged tight into an 
 iron planing-tool. In every step of the opera- 
 tion, a constant trickling supply of water is re- 
 quired. 
 
 MARBLE, Colors for Staining. — It is neces- 
 sary to heat the marble hot, but not so hot as to 
 injure it, the ])roper heat being that at which the 
 colors nearly boil. Blue; alkaline indigo dye, 
 or turnsole with alkali. Red; dragon's blood" 
 in spirits of wine. Yellow ; g.imboge in spirits 
 of wine. Cold Color; sal-ammoniac, sulphate 
 of zinc, and verdigris, equal parts. Green ; sap 
 green, in spirits of potash. Brown ; tincture of 
 logwood. Crimson; alkanet root in turpentine. 
 Marble may be veined according to taste. To 
 stain marble well is a difficult operation. 
 
 MATCHES, To Make.— \. Chlorate of pot- 
 ash and flowers of sulphur, each 10 parts j ver- 
 
MISCELLANEOUS. 
 
 485 
 
 tnilion, 2 parts. Oil of turpentine to mix. Dip 
 the ends of the matches previously sulphured 
 and steeped in turpentine into this paste and 
 dry. — 2. Chlorate of potash, 10 parts; sugar and 
 sulphur, each 3 parts; wheat flour and vermilion, 
 each I part. Spirit to mix. For use, dip them 
 into the instantaneous light bottles. — 3. Dip the 
 end of the wood in hot melted sulphur and let it 
 dry. To 4 parts of melted glue, add while hot 
 I part of phosphorus and stir in whiting to the 
 desired thickness, color with lampblack ; dipping 
 in this mixture, which is to be kept hot by being 
 suspended over a fire or lamp. — 4. About the 
 best known preparation for friction matches con- 
 sists of gum arable, 16 parts by weight ; phos- 
 phorus, 9 parts ; nitre, 14 parts ; peroxide of 
 manganese, in powder, 16 parts. The gum is 
 first made into a mucilage with water, then the 
 manganese, then the phosphorus, and the whole 
 is heated to about 130 deg. Fab. When the 
 phosphorus is melted the nitre is added, and the 
 whole is thoroughly stirred. 
 
 MA TTING and OILCLOTH, To Brighten. 
 — Wash it twice during the summer with salt 
 and water, say about a pint of salt, dissolved in 
 half a pailful of warm, soft water, drying the 
 matting quickly with a soft cloth. The salt will 
 prevent it from turning yellow. Another plan 
 is, after the oilcloth is scrubbed and dried, to 
 rub it all over with a cloth dipped in milk. This 
 will bring the colors out very bright. 
 
 MEASURES, Table o/.—A. barrel contains 
 40 gallons, of 231 cubic inches each, or 9240 
 cubic inches. 
 
 The United States standard bushel is the 
 Winchester ; its regular dimensions are a cylin- 
 der of 18.5 inches, interior diameter, and 8 
 inches deep ; its cubic contents are, therefore, 
 9.25 X 9-25 X 3.1416x8, or nearly 2150.5 cubic 
 inches. 
 
 The United States standard gallon measures 
 231 cubic inches; consequently a box, 24 inches 
 by 24 inches square, and 16 inches deep, will 
 contain 9232 cubic inches, or nearly a barrel. 
 
 A box, 173^ by 15 inches, and 8 inches deep, 
 will contain 2130 cubic inches, or nearly a busheL 
 
 A box, 14^ by 10 inches, and 7^ inches 
 deep, will contain 1075 cubic inches, or half a 
 bushel. 
 
 A box, 8 by 8 inches square, and 8*/i2 inches 
 deep, will contain 538 cubic inches, or a peck, 
 very near. 
 
 A box, 7 by 8 inches, and 4^ inches deep, 
 will contain 231 cubic inches, or a gallon exactly. 
 
 A box, 6 by 6 inches square, and t,% inches 
 deep, will contain 117 cubic inches, or nearly 
 half a gallon, (of 115^ cubic inches.) 
 
 A box, 4 by 4 inches square, and 3^ inches 
 deep, will contain 56 cubic inches, or nearly a 
 pint, (of 57^ cubic inches.) 
 
 MICE, To Get Rid o/.—To get rid of mice, 
 use tartar emetic, mingled with any favorite food; 
 thev take it, get sick, and take their leave. 
 
 MICROSCOPE, Home-Made.—X simple mi- 
 croscope may be made out of a common pill- 
 box for a few cents. Take out the bottom and 
 put in a piece of window-glass; then paint the 
 inside black, and make a small eye-hole in the 
 lid. In this hole place a single drop of Ca- 
 nadian balsam, and allow it to cool. This drop 
 of the transparent resin assumes, when cooling, 
 the proper form of the glass lens, with consider- 
 able magnifying power. 
 
 MICROSCOPICAL OBJECTS, Mounting 
 Fluid for. — Best gelatine, l oz., honey, 5 oz., 
 distilled water, 5 oz., rectified spirit, j| oz., 
 creosote, 6 drops. Dissolve the gelatine in the 
 water by heat, and add to it the honey, previously 
 made boiling hot. When cooled a little, add the 
 creosote dissolved in the spirit, and, while still 
 hot, filter through coarse filtering paper, or fine 
 flannel. For use, the bottle in which it is con- 
 tained may be set in a vessel of hot water. 
 
 MILK (Good), Composition of. — Milk is a 
 fluid of white, yellowish-white, or -bluish-white 
 color, consisting largely of water, and holding 
 in solution or suspension butter, sugar of milk, 
 caseine, and certain salts. These substances 
 are found generally in all unadulterated milk in 
 constant proportions, except in cases of milk of 
 cows diseased. The sum of the solid con- 
 stituents, however, varies with the feed, stock, 
 and condition of the animal: it should never 
 fall below 12 per cent, ranging generally be- 
 tween 12 and 15 per cent., the rest being water. 
 The composition may be assumed as follows :— 
 
 Butter 3.60 to 4.8 per cent. 
 
 Caseine 3.80 " 4.2 " 
 
 Sugar of milk. . .4.2 " 4.5 " 
 Salts 0.6 " 0.8 " 
 
 12.2 14.3 
 There are cases, as in the Alderney breed, where 
 the solids will rise as high as 16 and 17 per cent. ; 
 the butter as high as 9 per cent. ; but such milk 
 is never found in the market, being consumed 
 altogether by the owners of the animals. On 
 the other hand, there may be found milk, as in 
 fresh milch cows, where the solids will go down 
 to 10 per cent., the butter to 3; these are the 
 Extreme minimum limits, below which we should 
 pronounce milk adulterated. 
 
 MILK, To Detect when Adulterated. — The 
 cheapest and easiest method of adulterating milk 
 is by adding water, and we may readily ascertain 
 the exact extent of adulteration bjf the following 
 plan. If a glass tube, divide<l mto 100 parts, 
 be filled with milk and left standing for 24 hours, 
 the cream will rise to the upper part of the tube, 
 and occupy from n to 13 divisions, if the milk 
 is genuine. 
 
 MILDEW. — ^This term is generally applied 
 to a particular moldy appearance on the leaves 
 of plants, which is produced by innumerable 
 minute fungi, which, if not checked in their 
 growth, will occasion the decay and death of 
 the parts on which they grow, and sometimes 
 of the entire plant. In agriculture this appear- 
 ance is frequently termed rust, and sometimes 
 blight It is common on wheat and on the hops; 
 and in gardens on the leaves of the peach, the 
 nectarine, and other fruit trees. The causes 
 favorable to the production of mildew, are a rich 
 soil and a moist atmosphere, without a free cir- 
 culation of air or sunshine. In agriculture this 
 parasitical disease is generally considered with- 
 out remedy; but in gardening it may be checked 
 by the application of powdered sulphur to the 
 leaves covered by the fungi, which is found to 
 destroy them without greatly injuring the leaf. 
 Dry rot is only mildew of a more formidable 
 kind. 
 
 MIRRORS, Platinized.— ^Mc\\ interest has 
 been excited by the new method of constructing 
 mirrors, invented by Dod»5, of France, in which 
 the chloride of platinum is used as a basis. For 
 
486 
 
 DICTIONARY OF E VERY-DAY WANTS. 
 
 this purpose the glass plate, after being cleaned, 
 is set upright, and the metallizing liquid applied 
 with a brush, first from above downward, then 
 from right to left, and so on alternately until a 
 perfectly uniform coating is laid on. The pla- 
 tinizing liquid is prepared by dissolving 1550 
 grains of very thin rolled platinum in aqua regia, 
 and carefully evaporating the solution obtained 
 in a sand-bath, and drying, so as to prevent the 
 chloride of platinum from becoming decomposed. 
 It is then spread out upon a glass muUer, and 
 rectified oil of lavender added, little by little, 
 •with continued rubbing. Care must be taken 
 not to add the oil too quickly, as otherwise loo 
 great an increase of temperature may result, and 
 thus destroy the preparation. After the addition 
 of about fourteen times as much oil of lavender 
 as of the platinum used, the mixture is to be 
 placed in a porcelain dish, and allowed to remain 
 perfectly quiet for 14 days, after which the liquid 
 is to be poured off and filtered. After six days 
 more of rest the liquid is to be decanted, and 
 should then show five degrees upon the acid 
 gauge of Baum^. To the quantity of platinum 
 just mentioned about 400 grains of litharge and 
 as much of borate of lead are to be added, the 
 two substances being first rubbed up with 120 
 to 150 grains of oil of lavender, and then united 
 as speedily as possible with the platinum liquid, 
 after which it is ready for use, as mentioned. 
 The coating of oil mixture thus applied is allow- 
 ed to dry gradually, and the glass plate thus 
 prepared is then to be introduced into a muffle 
 of peculiar construction, in which the resinous 
 substances are decomposed and converted into 
 carbon, without melting or developing any bub- 
 bles, the remainder constituting a perfect plati- 
 num surface. Mirrors thus prepared have a high 
 degree of lustre ; and as the reflection is from 
 the anterior face, it is immaterial what the char- 
 acter of the glass is, provided the surface be 
 perfectly smooth and free from striae, or, indeed, 
 whether it be transparent at all. This constitutes 
 a great advantage over the ordinary method, 
 where the transparency of the glass is an object 
 of prime importance. Glass mirrors of this kind 
 are translucent when held against the light, and 
 may consequently be used to advantage in form- 
 ing screens for windows of rooms, and inclosed 
 spaces in offices and stores w^here it is desirable 
 to be able to look out without difficulty, while 
 at the same time concealed from the view of 
 those on the other side. For this, however, it 
 will be necessary that there be no window or 
 other free opening opposite the plate-glass in 
 question. It is said that the cost of platinum 
 sufficient to prepare ten square feet of glass does 
 not exceed twenty cents. 
 
 MOLDY SUBSTANCES in Roams. — It 
 has long been known that the presence of molds 
 in rooms is highly injurious to human health; 
 under certain conditions of dampness and bad 
 ventilation, it is no uncommon thing to see 
 mildew run all over a large expanse of white- 
 washed wall or ceiling. If this mold occur in a 
 living room, and it be not destroyed, it frequently 
 brings on a complication of painful symptoms in 
 the human patient, or, in other words, the mem- 
 branes and tissues of the body are known to offer 
 a fitting habitat for the plant, and it is transferred 
 from the original objects to the human frame. 
 A weak solution of hypo-chlorite of lime (bleach- 
 ing powder) has recently been recommended as 
 
 a destroyer of molds in rooms, and as their 
 growth is both common and rapid in this country 
 in damp and ill-ventilated situations, the remedy 
 is worth a trial. 
 
 MOLDING Figures in Paste.— 'Yzke: the 
 crumbs of a new-drawn white loaf, mold it until 
 it becomes as close as wax, and very pliable ; 
 then beat it and roll it with a rolling-pin, as fine 
 and as far as it wUl go; then point it on molds, and, 
 when it has taken the suitable figure you desire, 
 dry it in a stove, and it will be very hard; and 
 to preserve it from vermin, you may mix a little 
 powder of aloes with it. 
 
 MOLDING Small Figures in "jfasfer Color. 
 — Oil your molds with a fine pencil, and diver- 
 sify them with such colors as you please with 
 gum tragacanth ; if they spread or run, put a little 
 of the gall of an ox, for the thicker it is the 
 harder it will be; then mold your paste of the 
 color of jasper, or the like, put it in to fill the 
 mold, tie it with a wire, bake it, or take it out, 
 repair and varnish it, and set it by to harden. 
 
 MOLDING Figures of Clay or Wax.—T\.\tXG 
 is no need of many tools in this sort of work ; the 
 clay is placed upon an easel or table, and you 
 begin and finish the v.'ork with your hands. 
 Those who are used to it never make use of 
 anything but their fingers, except three or four 
 pieces of wood, which are roundish at one end, 
 at the other flat, with a sort of claws and teeth, 
 called by the French, ebauchoir — that is, a sort 
 of hatchet; they are about seven or eight inches 
 in length; those with claws are to smooth the 
 stuff; the others, which have teeth, to scratch it. 
 
 They are made of wax thus : Take a pound of 
 wax, half a pound of ocher, some add turpentine, 
 and melt it together with oil of olives; put more 
 or less, according as you would have the matter 
 harder or softer; a little vermilion also should be 
 mixed with it to give it a softer color. When 
 you have made the composition, the figure is 
 worked up with the hand, and those ebauchoirs 
 made use of in making up the earthen figures. 
 Practice is the principal mistress in this sort of 
 work, which, at first, is not so easy as that in 
 clay. 
 
 MOLDING the Face of a Person in Wax.— 
 Take a pound of new wax, a third of colophony, 
 melt them at a slow fire, let them cool so long 
 as that you may endure some of it on your hand 
 without burning it; then having oiled the face 
 with olive oil, cover the hair of the eye-lids and 
 eyebrows with paste; then with a brush nimbly 
 cover the face about the thickness of a quarter 
 of a dollar, being careful not to stop the nos- 
 trils, and that the person squeeze not his eyes 
 together, because that will render the face de- 
 formed. 
 
 Thus, having the face of wax, take it off gently 
 and strengthen it with clay on the back side, 
 that it may not give way. After this manner 
 you may cast all sorts of faces; laughing, weeping, 
 grimaces, or wry faces ; also fruits or anything 
 else, dividing the mold into two pieces with a 
 warm knife ; then fortify them with day and join 
 them together. 
 
 There is no way of casting neater than this 
 with wax, and after a very little practice you 
 can become very expert at the business, 
 
 MOLD in SAFES, To Prevent.— V>y the pla- 
 cing of a small lump of camphor in the safe, the 
 accumulation of mold upon money, papers, 
 books, etc., will be prevented. 
 
MISCELLANEO US. 
 
 487 
 
 MUCILAGE for Labels, Damp Proof. — 
 Macerate five parts of good glue in eighteen to 
 twenty parts of water for a day, and to the liquid 
 add nine parts of rock candy and three parts of 
 gum arabic. Che mixture can be brushed upon 
 paper while lukewarm ; it keeps well, does not 
 stick together, and when moistened, adheres 
 firmly to bottles. For the labels of soda or selt- 
 zer water bottles, it is well to prepare a paste of 
 good rye flour and glue, to which linseed oil, 
 varnish and turpentine have been added, in the 
 
 £roportion of half an ounce each to the pound, 
 .abels prepared in the latter way do not fall off 
 in damp cellars. 
 
 MUCILAGE, Mold in, — Solutions of gum 
 arabic are very liable to become moldy; and 
 while the introduction of creosote, corrosive sub- 
 limate, etc., frequently used to remedy this evil, 
 is objectionable on account of the danger of pois- 
 oning, according to the Industrie Blatter sul- 
 phate of quinine is a complete protection against 
 mold, a very small quantity of it being sufficient 
 to prevent gum mucilage from sjwiling. It is 
 quite possible that writing ink might be protect- 
 ed by the same application from a like difficulty. 
 The use of ammonia for the same purpose is also 
 recommended. 
 
 MUSTARD, Aromatic, — I. To l quart pure 
 cider vinegar, add 2 tablespoonfuls each of ground 
 allspice and cinnamon, i do. of cloves, 3 do. 
 brown sugar, 4 do. salt, and 3 large onions cut 
 fine. Boil until the strength is well extracted, 
 say %, or 3^ of an hour; then strain the vinegar, 
 boiling, on to i lb. best English mustard, and 
 stir until it is perfectly smooth. If not thin 
 enough, put more vinegar to the same spices, 
 boil and mix. This keeps well in a fruit jar, 
 and improves by age. Boiling the vinegar for 
 the length of time directed above would weaken 
 it very much. The flavor of the spices would 
 be extracted equally well by keeping the mixture 
 nearly boiling not in a covered vessel. — 2. Take 
 4 tablespoonfuls of ground mustard, I do. flour, 
 I do. sugar, i teaspoonful salt, I do. black pep- 
 
 f)er, I do. cinnamon, I do. cloves. Mix smooth- 
 y with boiling vinegar and let stand several 
 hours before using. It may be thinned with 
 cold vinegar. Will keep any length of time. 
 
 MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS, To Stain.— 
 Crimson, — Boil I lb. of ground Brazil-wood in 
 3 quarts of water for an hour; strain it, and add 
 half an ounce of cochineal ; boil it again for half 
 an hour gently, and it will be fit for use.— /•«;•- 
 pit- — Boil a pound of chip logwood in 3 quarts 
 of water for an hour; then add four ounces of alum. 
 
 NAMES, Signification of— 
 Aaron, Hebrew, a mountain. 
 Abel, Hebrew, vanity. 
 Abraham, Hebrew, the father of many. 
 Adam, Hebrru), red earth. 
 Adolphus, Saxon, happiness and help. 
 Albert, Saxon, all bright. 
 Alexander, Greek, a helper of men. 
 Alfred, Saxon, all peace. 
 Ambrose, Greek, immortal. 
 Amos, Hebrew, a burden. 
 Andrew, Greek, courageous. 
 Anthony, Latin, flourishing. 
 Archibald, German, a bold observer. 
 Arnold, German, a maintainer of honor. 
 Arthur, British, a strong man. 
 
 ASIuJtTn,' \ ^'"'' venerable, grand. 
 
 Baldwin, Gertnan, a bold winner. 
 
 Bardulph, German, a famous helper. 
 
 Barnaby, Hebrnu, a prophet's son. 
 
 Bartholomew, Hebrew, the son of him wTio made 
 the waters to rise. 
 
 Beaumont, French, a pretty mount. 
 
 Bede, Saxon, prayer. 
 
 Benjamin, Hebrew, the son of a right hand. 
 
 Bennet, Latin, blessed. 
 
 Bernard, German, bear's heart. 
 
 Bertram, Gerrnan, fair, illustrious. 
 
 Boniface, Latin, a well-doer. 
 
 Brian, French, having a thundering voice. 
 
 Cadwallader, British, valiant in war. 
 
 Caesar, Latin, adorned with hair. 
 
 Caleb, Hebrew, a dog. 
 
 Cecil, Latin, dim-sighted. 
 
 Charles, German, noble-spirited. 
 
 Christopher, Greek, bearing Christ. 
 
 Clement, Latin, mild-tempered. 
 
 Conrad, German, able counsel. 
 
 Constantine, Latin, resolution. 
 
 Crispin, Latin, having curled locks, 
 
 Cuthbert, Saxon, known famously. 
 
 Daniel, Hebrew, God is judge. 
 
 David, Hebre7u, well-beloved. 
 
 Denis, Greek, belonging to the god of wine. 
 
 Dunstan, Saxon, most high. 
 
 Edgar, Saxon, happy honor. 
 
 Edmund, Saxon, happy peace. 
 
 Edward, Saxon, happy keeper. 
 
 Edwin, Saxon, happy conqueror. 
 
 Egbert, Saxon, ever bright. 
 
 Elij.ih, Hebrew, God, the Lord. 
 
 Elisha, Hebrew, the salvation of God. 
 
 Ephraim, Hebrew, fruitful. 
 
 Erasmus, Greek, lovely, worthy to be loved. 
 
 Ernest, Greek, earnest, serious. 
 
 Evan or Ivon, British, the same as John. 
 
 Everard, German, well reported. 
 
 Eugene, Greek, nobly descended. 
 
 Eustace, Greek, standing firm. 
 
 Ezekiel, Hebrro), the strength of God. 
 
 Felix, Latin, happy. 
 
 Ferdinand, German, pure peace. 
 
 Francis, German, free. 
 
 Frederic, German, rich peace. 
 
 Gabriel, Hebrew, the strength of God. 
 
 Geoffery, Get man, joyful. 
 
 George, Greek, a husbandman. 
 
 Gerard, Saxon, all towardliness. 
 
 Gideon, Hebrew, a breaker. 
 
 Gilbert, Saxon, bright as gold. 
 
 Giles, Greek, a little goat. 
 
 Godard, German, a godly disposition. 
 
 Godfrey, German, God's peace. 
 
 Godwin, German, victorious in God. 
 
 Griffith, British, having great faith. 
 
 Guy, French, the mistletoe shrub. 
 
 Hannibal, Puttie, a gracious lord. 
 
 Harold, Saxon, a champion. 
 
 Hector, Greek, a stout defender. 
 
 Henry, German, a rich lord. 
 
 Herbert, German, a bright lord. 
 
 Hercules, Greek, the glory of Hera or Junow 
 
 Hezekiah, Hebrew, cleaving to the Lord. 
 
 Horatio, Italian, worthy to be beheld. 
 
 Howel, British, sound or whole. 
 
 Hubert, German, a bright color. 
 
 Hugh, Dutch, high, lofty. 
 
 Humphrey, German, domestic peace. 
 
 Jacob, Hebrew, a supplanter. 
 
 James or Jacques, beguihng. v 
 
488 
 
 DICTIONARY OF EVERY-DAY WANTS. 
 
 Ingram, German, of angelic purity. 
 Joab, Hebrew, fatherhood. 
 Job, Hebrew, sorrowing. 
 Joel, Hebrew, acquiescing. 
 John, Hebrew, the grace of the Lord. 
 Jonah, Hebrew, a dove. 
 Jonathan, Hebrew, the gift of the Lord. 
 Joscelin, German, just. 
 Joseph, Hebrrd), addition. 
 Josias, Hebrew, the fire of the Lord. 
 Joshua, Hebrew, a Saviour. 
 Isaac, Hebrew, laughter. 
 Lambert, Saxon, a fair lamb. 
 Lancelot, Spanish, a little lance. 
 Laurence, Latin, crowned with laurels. 
 Lazarus, Hebrew, destitute of help. 
 Leonard, German, like a lion. 
 Leopold, German, defending the people. 
 Lewellin, British, like a lion- 
 Lewis, French, the defender of the people. 
 Lionel, Latin, a little lion. 
 Lucius, Latin, shining. 
 Luke, Greek, a wood or grove. 
 Mark, Latin, a hammer. 
 Martin, Latin, martial. 
 Mathew, Hebrew, a gift or present. 
 Maurice, Latin, sprung of a Moor. 
 Meredith, British, the roaring of the sea. 
 Michael, Hebrew, who is like God ? 
 Morgan, British, a mariner. 
 Moses, HebrrjD, drawn out. 
 Nathaniel, Hebrew, the gift of God. 
 Neal, French, somewhat black. 
 Nicolas, Greek, victorious over the people. 
 Noel, French, belonging to one's nativity. 
 Norman, French, one born in Normandy. 
 Obadiah, Hebrew, the servant of the Lord. 
 Oliver, Latin, an olive. 
 Orlando, Italian, counsel for the land. 
 Osmund, Saxon, house peace. 
 Oswald, Saxon, ruler of a house. 
 Owen, British, well descended. 
 Patrick, Latin, a nobleman. 
 Paul, Latin, small, little. 
 Percival, French, a place in France. 
 Peregrine, Latin, outlandish. 
 Peter, Greek, a rock or stone. 
 Philip, Greek, a lover of horses. 
 Phineas, Hebrew, of bold countenance. 
 Ralph, contracted from Radolph, or Randal, or 
 
 Ranulph, Saxon, pure help. 
 Raymund, German, quiet peace. 
 Reuben, Hebrew, the son of vision. 
 Reynold, German, a lover of purity. 
 Richard, Saxon, powerful. 
 Robert, German, famous in counsel. 
 Roger, German, strong counsel. 
 Rowland, German, counsel for the land. 
 Rufus, iMtin, reddish. ^ 
 
 Solomon, Hebrew, peaceable. 
 Samson, Hebrew, a little son. 
 Samuel, Hebrew, heard by God. 
 Saul, Hebrew, desired. 
 Sebastian, Greek, to be reverenced. 
 Simeon, Hebrew, hearing. 
 Simon, Hebrew, obedient. 
 Stephen, G^r^^/^, a crown or garland. 
 Theobald, Saxon, bold over the people. 
 Theodore, Greek, the gift of God. 
 Theodosius, Greek, given of God. 
 Theophilus, Greek, a lover of God. 
 Thomas, Hebrew, a twin. 
 Timothy, Greek, a fearer of God. 
 
 Toby or Tobias, Hebrew, the .goodness of the 
 
 Lord. 
 Valentine, Latin, powerful. 
 Vincent, iMtin, conquering. 
 Vivian, Latin, living. ♦ 
 
 Walter, German, a wood master. 
 VValwin, German, a conqueror. 
 William, German, defending many. 
 Zaccheus, Syriac, innocent. 
 Zachary, Hebrew, remembering the Lord. 
 Zebedee, Syriac, having an inheritance. 
 Zedekiah, Hebrew, the justice of the Lord. 
 
 Adeline, German, a princess. 
 
 Agatha, Greek, good. 
 
 Agnes, German, chaste. 
 
 Alethea, Greek, the truth. 
 
 Althea, Greek, hunting. 
 
 Alice, Alicia, German, noble. 
 
 Amy, Amelia, French, a beloved. 
 
 Anna, Anne, or Hailnah, Hebrew, gracious. 
 
 Arabella, Latin, a fair altar. ' 
 
 Aureola, Latin, like gold. 
 
 Barbara, Latin, foreign or strange. 
 
 Beatrice, Latin, making happy. 
 
 Benedicta, Latin, blessed. 
 
 Bernice, Greek, bringing victory. 
 
 Bertha, Greek, bright or famous. 
 
 Blanche, French, lair. 
 
 Bona, Latin, good. 
 
 Bridget, Irish, shining bright. 
 
 Cassandra, Greek, a reformer of men. 
 
 Catharine, Greek, pure or clean. 
 
 Charity, Greek, love, bounty. 
 
 Charlotte, French, all noble. 
 
 Caroline, feminine of Carolus, the Latin of 
 
 Charles, noble-spirited. 
 Chloe, Greek, a green herb. 
 Christiana, Greek, belonging to Christ. 
 Cecilia, Latin, from Cecil. 
 Cicely, a corruption of Cecilia. 
 Clara, Latin, clear or bright. 
 Constance, Latin, constant. 
 Deborah, Hebrew, a bee. 
 Diana, Greek, Jupiter's daughter. 
 Dorcas, Greek, a wild roe. 
 Dorothy, Greek, the gift of God. 
 Edith, Saxon, happiness. 
 Eleanor, Saxon, all fruitful. 
 Eliza, Elizabeth, Hebrew, the oath of God. 
 Emily, corrupted from Amelia. 
 Emma, German, a nurse. 
 Esther, Hester, Hebrrw, secret. 
 Eve, Hebrew, causing life. 
 Eunice, Greek, fair victory. 
 Eudoia, Greek, prospering in the way, 
 Frances, German, free. 
 Gertrude, German, all truth. 
 Grace, Latin, favor. 
 Hagar, Hebrew, a stranger. 
 Helena, Greek, alluring. 
 Jane, softened from Joan; or, 
 Janne, the feminine of John. 
 Janet, Jeannette, little Jane. 
 Joyce, French, pleasant, 
 Isabella, Spanish, fair Eliza. 
 Judith, Hebrew, praising. 
 Julia, Juliana, feminine of Julius, 
 Letitia, Latin, joy or gladness. 
 Lois, Greek, better. 
 Lucretia, Latin, a chaste Roman lady. 
 Lucy, Latin, feminine of Lucius, 
 Lydia, Greek, descended from Lud. 
 
MISCELLANEO US. 
 
 489 
 
 Mabel, Latin, lovely. 
 
 Magdalene, Maudlin, Syriac, magnificent. 
 
 Margaret, German, a pearl. 
 
 Martha, Hebrroj, bitterness. 
 
 Mary, Hebrew, bitter. 
 
 Maud, Matilda, Greek, a lady of honor. 
 
 Mercy, English, compassion. 
 
 Mildred, Saxon, speaking mild. 
 
 Nest, British, the same as Agnes. 
 
 Nicola, Greek, feminine of Nicolas, 
 
 Olympia, Greek, heavenly. 
 
 Orabilis, Latin, to be entreated. 
 
 Parnell, or Petronilla, little Peter. 
 
 Patience, Latin, bearing patiently. 
 
 Paulina, Latin, feminine of Paulinus, 
 
 Penelope, Greek, a turkey. 
 
 Persis, Greek, destroying. 
 
 Philadelphia, Greek, brotherly love. 
 
 Philippa, Greek, feminine of Philip. 
 
 Phcebe, Greek, the light of life. 
 
 Phyllis, Greek, a green bough. 
 
 Priscilla, Latin, somewhat old. 
 
 Prudence, Latin, discretion. 
 
 Psyche, Greek, the soul. 
 
 Rachel, Hebrro), a lamb. 
 
 Rebecca, Hebrew, fat or plump. , 
 
 Rhoda, Greek, a rose. 
 
 Rosamund, Saxon, a rose of peace. 
 
 Rosa, Latin, a rose. . 
 
 Rosecleer, English, a fair rose. 
 
 Rosabella, Italian, a fair rose. 
 
 Ruth, Hebrew, trembling. 
 
 Sabina, Latin, sprung from the Sabine. 
 
 Salome, Hebrew, perfect. 
 
 Sapphira, Greek, like a sapphire stoue. 
 
 Sarah, Hebrew, a princess. 
 
 Sibylla, Greek, the counsel of God. 
 
 Sophia, Greek, wisdom. 
 
 Sophronia, Greek, of a sound mind. 
 
 Susan, Susanna, Hebi'ew, a lily. 
 
 Tabitha, Syriac, a roe. 
 
 Temperance, Latin, moderation. 
 
 Theodosia, Greek, given by God. 
 
 Tryphosa, Greek, delicious. 
 
 Tryphena, Greek, delicate. 
 
 Vida, Erse, feminine of David, 
 
 Ursula, Latin, a female bear. 
 
 Winifred, Saxon, wanning peace. 
 
 Zenobia, Greek, the life of Jupiter. 
 
 NITRO-GLYC ERIN.— When glycerin is 
 allowed slowly to trickle into a mixture of equal 
 measures of nitric acid and oil of vitriol, at a 
 'low temperature, two atoms of its hydrogen are 
 replaced by two atoms of protoxide of nitrogen, 
 and there results a heavy oily liquid known as 
 nitro-glycerin, a body which has more than ten 
 times the explosive power of gunpowder. It 
 has come into extensive use for blasting, and 
 the number of terrible accidents that have hap- 
 pened from it, by explosion from mere friction, 
 illustrates not only the tremendous forces that 
 can be stored up in the shape of atomic tensions, 
 but how exquisite is the balance by which such 
 terrible agencies are kept in equilibrium. 
 
 This terrible explosive seems little to respect 
 its company and surroundings. Dr. Gorup 
 Besamez reports the account of an explosion of 
 ten drops of the substance in his laboratory, 
 and the astonishing effects he records as result- 
 ing from this explosion are well calculated to 
 give a most respectable and respectful notion of 
 the properties of nitro-glycerin. One of the 
 doctor's pupils, in the course of an investigation, 
 
 placed the above mentioned quantity of the 
 substance in question in a small cast iron dish 
 heater over the small Bunsen gas burner in 
 common use in laboratories. Result: forty-six 
 panes of glass in the windows of the laboratory 
 demolished, the iron dish hurled through a brick 
 wall, the iron stand upon which it was supported 
 partly split and "partly twisted out of shape, and 
 the tube of the Bunsen burner split and flattened. 
 Those in the laboratory, fortunately, escaped 
 without injury. This circumstance confirms the 
 results of Dr. E. Kopp's observations upon the 
 conditions upon which nitro-glycerin explodes 
 or quietly burns. When caused to fall drop by 
 drop on an iron plate at a full red heat, it burns 
 off like gunpowder ; but should the iron plate 
 not be thoroughly red, but still sufficiently heat- 
 ed to make the nitro-glycerin boil suddenly, an 
 explosion invariably occurs. The latter must 
 have been the conditions under which the nitro- 
 glycerin was heated in the case above cited. 
 Nobel claims that nitro-glycerin can be rendered 
 perfectly harmless and safe for transportation by 
 mixing it with ten per cent, of wood spirit or 
 methylic alcohol. When required for use this 
 added substance must be removed, its removal 
 bringing the explosive back to its original dan- 
 gerous state. An admixture with twenty-five 
 per cent, of its weight of sand will, it is said, 
 allow it to bum quietly without explosion, but if 
 struck with a sudden and violent blow, it takes 
 fire, but only the portion struck burns. Such a 
 mixture, now known as dynamite, may be ex- 
 ploded by means of fulminate of mercury, itself 
 fired by the electric spark or by a slow match. 
 
 OIL {Lamp"), To Purify. — Take chloride of 
 lime, I lb.; water, 12 lbs. Triturate the chloride 
 of lime in a large mortar, gradually adding the 
 water so as to form a smooth and soap paste, 
 and then add the remainder of the water, which 
 will give the whole the consistence of cream. 
 Now mix this thoroughly with the oil by fre- 
 quent and careful stirring, in the proportion of 
 I quart of the paste for loo lbs. of oil, or a little 
 more, if the oil be very putrid. Let it remain a 
 few hours, when add I lb. of sulphuric acid, 
 previously diluted with 20 or 30 parts of water, 
 and boil, with a gentle heat, constantly stirring 
 during the process, until the oil drops clear 
 from the end of a piece to be dipped into it. 
 After the boiling has been finished, allow the oil 
 to settle for a few hours ; then draw it off from 
 the acidulated water. The boiler should be lined 
 with lead, and the mortar for the trituration of 
 the chloride of lime should neither be iron nor 
 copper. 
 
 OIL, Neafs-Foot. — In the manufacture of this 
 oil the bones of the foot only are used after re- 
 jecting the hoofs. In the hind feet of the animals 
 the foot goes up to the first point, which bends 
 inside, presenting a very large bone. These 
 bones, as fresh and as clean as possible, are 
 boiled for half an hour in a suitable vessel, and 
 the oil after cooling is poured or syphoned ofT. 
 It is then filtered through a piece of flannel and 
 is ready for use. If the bones are not fresh the 
 oil may have a disagreeable odor, and it has 
 then to he purified, which can be done by shak- 
 ing it with a weak solution of bleaching powder, 
 to which a little hydrochloric acid has been added, 
 washing it with water and filtering. The solid 
 fats are removed, melted again, poured through 
 muslin, and constitute when odorless an excel- 
 
490 
 
 DICTIONARY OF EVERY-DAY WANTS. 
 
 lent material for pomatums. If they are rancid 
 they may be sold to the soap makers. 
 
 OILS of Orange and Lemon, To Preserve. — 
 To every pound of oil I oz. of alcohol is to be 
 added, and well mixed ; then i oz. of water is 
 put with it, which again withdraws the alcohol 
 from the oil, and collects at the bottom of the 
 bottle as dilute alcohol. 
 
 OIL-PARCHMENT— KccorAmg to Dr. J. 
 C. Hofmann's directions for the preparation of 
 what he calls oil- parchment, the basis may be 
 either linen or cotton-cloth, or even strong pa- 
 per. The material, whichever is chosen, is to 
 ne stretched out, and then covered with the fol- 
 lowing preparation : One part of fine white lead, 
 two-thirds of a part of well burnt ground and 
 sifted plaster of Paris, and one-fourth of a part 
 of fine slaked lime are intimately mixed and 
 ground with water until a perfectly smooth, 
 doughy mass is obtained. Then two-thirds of a 
 part of best clear glue, dissolved in sufficient 
 water, is gradually added until the mass is of 
 such a consistence that it can be easily spread 
 with a brush. Three or four layers of this are 
 to be put upon the cloth, one being allowed to 
 get thoroughly dry before another is put on. 
 The last, when dry, is to be rubbed down smooth 
 with pumice stone. The ground is now ready 
 for the surface of oil or paint. If a white surface 
 is desired, a mixture of one part of best linseed 
 oil and one-third of well-bleached lead-varnish 
 alone is used; but this mixture, if wished, may 
 be colored yellow with ochre, red with cinnabar, 
 blue with Prussian blue, or black with Frankfort 
 black. Three or four thin layers of the paint 
 may be applied, care being again taken that each 
 coat is well dried before another is laid on. The 
 oil, we are told, unites to the other surface so 
 as to form a solid material, which is quite im- 
 
 ?ervious to water, and cannot be rubbed off. 
 'he material so prepared may be written upon 
 with a lead or colored pencil, and the writing or 
 drawing can be washed off again any number of 
 times. It might be expected that the mixture 
 with plaster of Paris, which forms the ground- 
 work, would set into a solid mass too quickly 
 to allow of three or four coats of the same mix- 
 ture being applied, but the author gives no inti- 
 mation of such a danger. 
 
 OIL, for Raihvay Cars and Machinery. — 
 Soda, 56 lbs., thoroughly dissolved in 3 gals, 
 water in a small boiler ; then to be poured into 
 a large cooler containing 30 to 36 gals, water, 
 and well mixed : melt i cwt. 2 qrs. of tallow in 
 a large boiler, then add i cwt. 3 qrs. of palm- 
 oil; boil together; as soon as it boils, the mix- 
 ture is to b* gradually cooled down to blood heat, 
 stirring all the time. It is then to be run off 
 through a sieve into the cooler containing the 
 soda and water ; and must be stirred all the time 
 it is running off, in order to mix properly. 
 
 OIL {Rape), To Purify. — Rape oil, 100 gal- 
 lons; strong oil of vitriol, 2 gallons. Put them 
 into a cask and agitate for one hour, decant the 
 clear oil in three days, and then divide the oil 
 into two portions and put each into separate 
 casks, add forty or fifty gallons of hot water to 
 each, and agitate for one hour more ; in three 
 days or more, decant the clear for use. 
 
 OLEOGRAPHS: Marbled Paper.— A. so- 
 called novelty has been advertised in England 
 lately, under this name. It is simply paper, on 
 which peculiar accidental figures are formed by 
 
 the following process : Oil is dropped on water ; 
 paper is laid on the surface ; this is allowed to 
 float an instant, and then drawn through ink, 
 and washed with water. It appears to us that 
 the main principle of this so-called novel method 
 is identical with the manner in which thus far 
 all marbled papers have been manufactured, 
 namely, a shallow bath of water mixed with 
 some ox-gall is prepared and sprinkled with 
 water- colors mixed with gum, etc., on the sur- 
 face, so that they float and form all kinds of ac- 
 cidental figures. Then a sheet of white paper 
 is laid on the water for an instant, and taken up 
 directly ; after which it is dried. 
 
 PACKING, Hints on. — In packing iip a 
 parcel of books, be careful, in order to preserve 
 them from rubbing, to place a sheet of white 
 paper over the cover of each, and pack the books 
 together in such a way that one will bind the 
 other, and thus form a secure parcel. Use abun- 
 dance of wrapping-paper and strong cord. If 
 the parcel exceeds twelve inches in breadth, 
 draw a cord tightly, but not too much so, round 
 the sides, which will materially aid in keeping it 
 secure and compact. As a rule, furniture and 
 earthenware should be packed by those who are 
 accustomed to it. The packing of flowers and 
 fruit may be left in the hands of the gardener. 
 Every packer should be very careful in driving 
 nails into packed boxes ; screws are much to be 
 preferred. In packing articles which are liable 
 to break, place the heaviest articles at the bottom, 
 and see that plenty of straw, soft paper, and 
 paper shavings are provided, wherewith to wrap 
 up and separate each particular article. Pack- 
 ages of glass and other fragile materials ought 
 to be marked "Brittle (or fragile), with care," 
 in plain and conspicuous letters on the parcel, 
 or packing case. 
 
 PAINT, To Remove from Stone. — A writer 
 having to clean a pulpit and sedilia in which the 
 carving and tracery were almost filled up with 
 successive coats of paint, was informed that 
 common washing-soda, dissolved in boiling wa- 
 ter, and applied hot, would remove it. He says, 
 "I found that 3 lbs. of soda, (cost 2^d.) to a 
 gallon of water, laid on with a common paint- 
 brush, answered the purpose admirably, soften- 
 ing the paint in a short time, so that it was easily 
 removed with a stiff scrubbing-brush ; afterward, 
 on adding a few ounces of potasb to the solution, 
 it softened more readily than with soda only. 
 The stone in both cases wa& a fine &eestone." 
 
 PAPER, Copying. — Mix. lard and lampblack 
 to a paste, rub this over paper, wipe off the waste 
 with a rag, aaid dry the paper. A clean sheet 
 placed undeiT this white written on with a lead 
 pencil, etc.,. receives a copy, 
 
 PAPER, Leather. — One of the most interest- 
 ing and peculiar productions of paper is that 
 which is made to imitate leather. The surface 
 has every appearance of a finished skin, with 
 extraordinary firmness and elasticity, and it can 
 be subjected to washing without any injury from 
 the water. These peculiarities are not so much- 
 due to the superior quality of the material as to 
 the mode of manufacture, the surfaces remaining 
 intact even when the paper is very thick, while 
 with us paper of this kind soon loses its firmness, 
 and the grain is impaired. 
 
 Japanese "leather" paper is made extensively 
 at Flangawa, near Yeddo. It is made in sheets 
 of; 60 centimetres in length and 42 centimetres in 
 
MISCELLANEOUS. 
 
 491 
 
 width. The paper out of which it is prepared is 
 not dissimilar to our packing-paper, and is made 
 in Southern Japan, near Nagasaki, and thence 
 taken toother provinces, where it is manufactured 
 into the different forms, for various uses. The 
 leather paper is made in the following manner: — 
 It is dampened and laid in pairs between two 
 peculiarly prepared forms, made of paper also, 
 only more highly varnished than ordinary leather 
 
 Eaper ; they have a very strong surface coating, 
 ut running only in one direction. 
 
 Before putting the paper in these forms, the 
 sheets are stretched a little in the direction of 
 their width. If there are several sheets they are 
 rolled on a cylindrical piece of wood, the grain 
 of the paper running in an opposite direction 
 from that of the wood ; they are then unrolled 
 from this on a cloth to keep them in shape, and 
 put into a' form, with a hole in the top large 
 enough to admit the end of the wooden cylinder. 
 The roll of the paper is then subjected to a pres- 
 sure of 200 or 300 pounds. After the roll has 
 been reduced to three-quarters of its original 
 length by this pressure, it is taken out of the 
 press and turned, the folds flattened out, and 
 again pressed to remove the deep marks. 
 
 After passing the paper through rollers several 
 times, the upper surface acquires the appearance 
 of leather ; it is then colored, oiled with a kind 
 of rape-seed oil, varnished, put once more in the 
 press, which completes it, with the exception of 
 drying. By means of parallel or cross lines on 
 the rollers, the upper surface of the paper is made 
 to resemble leather exactly in all its varieties. 
 The paper being pressed to one-third, or even 
 to one-half, its original thickness, and the passage 
 through the rollers giving it a fine-grained ap- 
 pearance, makes it valuable to picture-printers, 
 as the surface has the appearance of crepe silk. 
 
 There is another variety of leather paper which 
 is smooth and transparent, resembling hog-skin 
 very much. This is manufactured by a process of 
 hammering, and is the highest priced, costing 27 
 cents per sheet,while the other ranges from 8 to 14 
 cents, some very fine selling at 8 cents per sheet. 
 
 PAPER from Oat Refuse. — Paper is manu- 
 factured from oat refuse by first immersing the 
 oat husks in water in a tank in order to float off" 
 mustard and other seeds, with which they are 
 frequently more or less mixed, and which, if not 
 separated, materially deteriorate the quality of 
 the paper. It is of advantage to have the water 
 ■well stirred, as it facilitates the separation of the 
 foreign seeds, and allows them to float to the 
 surface. The oat husks are then allowed to 
 settle, and the surface scum and floating seeds 
 are drawn off by an overflow pipe at the top of 
 the tank, or skimmed off by a rake or other tool, 
 or otherwise removed ; after which the water is 
 drained from the oat husks by a waste-water pipe 
 at the bottom of the tank, and beneath a perfor- 
 ated false bottom, or fitted with a strainer which 
 retains the oat husks. The oat husks may be 
 left to steep in the water for from five to ten 
 hours after or during the removal of the scum, 
 as this steeping, by softening them and helping 
 to loosen the silica from the fibre, facilitates the 
 subsequent boiling process. 
 
 PAPER, Oiled, — Brush sheets of paper over 
 with boiled oil, and suspend them on a line until 
 dry. This paper is water-proof, and is employed 
 to tie over preserve pots and jars, and to wrap 
 up paste blacking, etc. 
 
 PAPER, Parchment. — To coavert paper into 
 vegetable parchment, immerse it for a few sec- 
 onds in a cold mixture of one volume water and 
 two volumes sulphuric acid. Wash out rapidly 
 by plunging into a large quantity of cold water ; 
 and finally remove all traces of the acid by fur 
 ther immersion in water, to which a small quan- 
 tity of ammonia has been added. On drying, 
 the parchment has a tendency to contract un- 
 equally. This can be prevented by attaching it 
 to a frame while still wet, or by allowing it to 
 dry under a press. 
 
 Paper prepared in this way is very transpa- 
 rent, and can be used for copying by tracing. 
 It is also extensively employed as a substitute 
 for parchment made from sheepskin in diplomas, 
 certificates, patents, and for letter envelopes. 
 
 The precautions to be observed in its manu- 
 facture are, not to keep it too long in the bath, 
 and afterward to be sure to remove every trace 
 of the acid. 
 
 The applications of parchment paper are daily 
 extending. A recent number of a Breslau paper 
 gives an account of some specimens prepared by 
 Albert Eckstein, of Vienna, which are capable 
 of a great variety of uses. One variety can be 
 employed as a substitute for cloth in binding, 
 and a thicker variety for imitation of half-calf 
 bindings. One of the most important applica- 
 tions is to prepare ice-sacks for medical use. 
 These bags are a great improvement on the In- 
 dia rubber or beef-bladder bags usually employ- 
 ed for this purpose. The parchment bag, in 
 consequence of the slow escape of the water 
 through the membrane, is kept constantly cold, 
 and no change of its contents becomes neces- 
 sary. The evaporation of the water from the 
 surface keeps down the temperature of the con- 
 tents of the bag. Parchment paper is also re- 
 commended for wrappers for goods which may 
 be injured by dust or moisture, and is prepared 
 for this purpose. 
 
 The principal use, however, of the parchment 
 paper at present is as a porous membrane in the 
 refining of sugar. This paper will separate dif- 
 ferent impurities, and finally the crystallizable 
 sugar from molasses, if placed between the latter 
 substance and water. This peculiar action of the 
 pores of the paper is called osmose, and the 
 whole operation diffusion, Dubrunfaut some 
 three or four years ago introduced this system 
 for the refining of sugar into Germany and 
 France. Extensive pieces of apparatus have 
 been constructed for this purpose, called osmo- 
 meters and osmogenes. 
 
 PAPER, or Parchment, To Stain.— Yellow. 
 — Paper may be stained a beautiful yellow by the 
 tincture of turmeric formed by infusing an oz. or 
 more of the root, powdered, in a pint of spirit of 
 wine. This may be made to give any tint of 
 yellow, from the lightest straw to the full color, 
 called French yellow, and will be equal in bright- 
 ness even to the best dyed silks. If yellow be 
 wanted of a warmer or redder cast, annotto or 
 dragon's blood must be added. The best man- 
 ner of using these, and the following tinctures, ' 
 is to spread them even on the paper or parch- 
 ment, by means of a broad brush, in the manner 
 of varnish. Crimson, — A very fine crimson stain 
 may be given to paper by a tmcture of the Indi- 
 an lake, which may be made by infusing the lake 
 some days in spirit of wine, and then pouring 
 off the tincture from the dregs. It may be stained 
 
492 
 
 DICTIONARY OF EVERY-DAY WANTS. 
 
 red by red ink. It may also be stained of a scar- 
 let hue by the tincture of dragon's blood in spirit 
 of wine, but this will not be bright. Green. — 
 Paper or parchment may be stained green by the 
 solution of verdigris in vinegar, or by the crys- 
 tals of verdigris dissolved in water. Orange. — 
 Stain the paper or parchment first of a full yel- 
 low by means of the tincture of turmeric, then 
 brush it over with a solution of fixed alkaline 
 salt, made by dissolving % an oz. of pearlash, 
 or salt of tartar, in a quart of water, and filter- 
 ing the solution. Purple. — Paper or parchment 
 may be stained purple by archil, or by the tinc- 
 ture of logwood. The juice of ripe privet-berries 
 expressed will also give a purple dye. 
 
 The coal-tar colors are especially adapted to 
 coloring paper. 
 
 PAPER, Tracing. — In order to prepare a 
 beautiful transparent, colorless paper, it is best 
 to employ the varnish formed with Deraarara 
 resin in the following way : The sheets intended 
 for this purpose are laid flat on each other, and 
 the varnish spread over the uppermost sheet by 
 means of a brush, until the paper appears per- 
 fectly colorless, without, however, the liquid 
 therein being visible. The first sheet is then re- 
 moved, hung up for drying, and the second 
 treated in the same manner. After being dried, 
 this paper is capable of being written on, either 
 with chalk, or pencil, or steel pens. It preserves 
 its colorless transparency without becoming yel- 
 low, as is frequently the case with that prepared 
 in any other way. 
 
 PAPER, To Make Transparent. — Any paper 
 is capable of the transfer of a drawing in ordin- 
 ary ink, pencil, or water color, and even a 
 stout drawing paper can be made as transparent 
 as the thin yellowish paper at present used for 
 tracing purposes. The liquid used is benzine. 
 If the paper is dampened with pure and fresh 
 distilled benzine, it at once assumes transparen- 
 cy, and permits of tracing being made, and of 
 ink or water colors being used on its surface 
 without any "running." The paper resumes its 
 opacity as the benzine evaporates, and if the 
 drawing is not then completed, the requisite por- 
 tion of the paper must again be dampened with 
 the benzine. This new discovery of the proper- 
 ties of benzine will prove of service to the art 
 profession, in allowing the use of stiff paper 
 where formerly only a slight tissue could be used. 
 
 PAPER, Test for Wood in, — A weak solution 
 of sulphate of anihne is now used for detecting 
 the presence of wood fiber in paper. One drop 
 of the liquid on a pointed glass rod applied to 
 paper containing such fiber, even in minute 
 quantities, if prepared in a mechanical way, will 
 produce an intense yellow color. This reaction 
 does not take place when the wood fiber has 
 been chemically prepared. 
 
 PAPER, Waxed. — Place a sheet of stout pa- 
 per on a heated iron plate, and over this place 
 the sheets of tissue paper to be waxed. Inclose 
 wax or stearine in a piece of muslin, and as it 
 melts spread over the tissue paper equally ; pro- 
 ceed with others similarly until enough are pre- 
 pared. Used to cover gallipots, ointments, etc. 
 
 PASTE, Resembling the Diamond. — Take 
 white sand, 1800 parts ; red lead, 1200 parts ; 
 pearlash, 900 parts ; nitre, 600 parts ; arsenic, 
 100 parts ; manganese, I part. To render this 
 paste still harder, use less lead, and if it should 
 incline to yellow, add a little more manganese. 
 
 PASTE {Improved), for Walls. — A new 
 form of paste for attaching paper hangings to . 
 walls, and one which, besides possessing the 
 merit of cheapness, has the advantage of pre- 
 venting the paper from separating or peeling off, 
 is prepared by first softening 18 lbs. of finely 
 powdered bole (fatty clay) in water, and then 
 draining off the surplus water from the mass'. 
 One and a quarter pounds of glue are next to be 
 boiled into glue water, and the bole and 2 lbs. 
 of gypsum are then stirred in, and the whole 
 mass forced through a sieve by means of a brush. 
 This is afterward diluted with water to the con- 
 dition of a thin paste or dressing, when it is 
 ready for use. The paste is not only much 
 cheaper than the ordinary flour paste, but it has 
 the advantage of adhering better to whitewashed 
 surfaces, especially to walls that have been coat- 
 ed over several times, and from which the coat- 
 ing has not been carefully removed. In some 
 cases it is advisable, when putting fine paper on 
 old walls, to coat them by means of this paste 
 with a ground paper, and to apply the paper 
 hanging itself to this with the ordinary paste. 
 
 PASTE, for Labeling on Tin. — Any paste, 
 such as you buy in commerce, or make yourself 
 from gum-arabic or gum-tragacanth, with the 
 addition of a little -wintergreen oil, will do for 
 this purpose. It is only necessary to remove 
 from the tin a thin film of grease which prevents 
 perfect adhesion, causing it to blister off on 
 drying. This is accomplished by dipping a rag 
 in a dilute solution of caustic soda or potash — 
 ten of water to one of potash — rubbing the spot 
 on which to fix the label, and drying it with 
 another rag. No label put on in this way will 
 come off again. 
 
 PASTILLES, Fflw/V/a.— Pastilles which give 
 out the scent of vanilla may be thus prepared: 
 Galbanum, twenty-four parts; cloves, sixteen 
 parts; vanilla, thirty-two parts ; essence of cloves, 
 one part; and essence of vanilla, sixteen parts; 
 all the ingredients being well powdered and 
 mixed into a mass of mucilage of gum arable. 
 Liquid compositions of a similar nature may also 
 be prepared, and of which a small quantity may 
 be poured into a saucer and ignited, A fluid of 
 this kind may be formed of gum benzoin, thirty- 
 two parts; gum galbanum, twenty-four parts; 
 and Druised cloves, seventeen parts. The ma- 
 terials are to be well broken up into fragments 
 and put into a stoppered bottle, with a sufficient 
 quantity of rectified spirits of wine to dissolve 
 the gums. The vessel must be kept in a warm 
 place for some time, until the benzoin and gal- 
 banum are dissolved, and then the clear liquor 
 should be decanted into another bottle, and pre- 
 served for use. 
 
 PA TENT MEDICINES, Composition of— 
 Coca Pills, by Sampson, New York. According 
 to Hagar and Jacobsen, composed of powdered 
 coca and extract of coca in about equal quantities; 
 value about one-fourth of price. 
 
 Eazi de Cythtre, a hair color restorer, consists 
 of 4 chloride of lead, 8 hyposulphite of soda, 
 88 water. A similar composition was Eau de 
 fees, which, a couple of years ago, was introduced 
 here. The writer found in a sample also som^' 
 alkalies, earths, and traces of nitric acid, origi- 
 nating probably in the spring or pump water 
 used. Hagar and Jacobsen give the following 
 formula: Hyposulphite of lead \%, hyposulphite 
 of soda 3, glycerine 7, water 88 parts. 
 
MISCELLANEOUS. 
 
 493 
 
 Granular Effervescent Citrate of Magnesia, 
 by Bishop, of London, consists merely of bicar- 
 bonate of soda, and tartaric acid. 
 
 Pommade des Chatelaines, a hair invigorator, 
 consists of benzoinated lard and some volatile oils. 
 
 Hamburg Tea, by Frese & Co., of Hamburg: 
 Senna 8, manna 3, coriander i. 
 
 Magnesian Aperient, by Moxon, of England, 
 is, according to Siller, anhydrous sulphate of 
 magnesia 31, carbonate of magnesia 14, bicar- 
 bonate of soda 30, tartaric acid 25 parts. 
 
 Lait de Perles, according to Dragendorff, i 
 white lead, 7 rose water. 
 
 Swedish Essence of Life is made also in this 
 country, under various names. As usually made 
 by apothecaries, it is a tincture prepared from 4 
 aloes, I agaric, I rhubarb, I zedoary, i gentian, 
 I myrrh, I theriac, with 1 00 to 120 dilute alco- 
 hol. The secret medicine manufacturers usually 
 substitute cheaper articles for the high-priced 
 saffron and rhubarb. 
 
 Syrup of Horseradish, by Grimault. Hagar 
 gives the following directions: 50 p. each of 
 fresh scurvygrass, buckbean, and watercress, 60 
 of horseradish, 40 of fresh orange berries, are 
 infused with 3 cinnamon in 50 p. white wine, 
 and after a day expressed; 250 p. sugar are dis- 
 solved in the filtrate. 
 
 lodinized Syrup of Horseradish, by Grimault, 
 contains 10 iodine and 5 potassium iodide in 
 8,000 of the former. 
 
 Syrup de Lait lodique, by Bouyer, of Paris. 
 200 cow's milk, 60 cane sugar, alittle soda, and 1-6 
 of potassium iodide, are evaporated to 100 parts. 
 
 Myrrhine, by J. B. George, of Paris, for the 
 preservation of'^the teeth : Glycerine 38, myrrh 
 7, arrowroots, chalk 54, oil of cinnamon i part. 
 
 Ne-iV York Pills, by Sampson, of New York. 
 The i^ grain pills consist of powdered coca 25, 
 extract of coca 30, powdered iron 35 parts. 
 
 Opiate pour les Dents, by Pinaud. Syrup 70, 
 chalk 21, gypsum 7^, magnesia ij/z, colored 
 with aniline red, containing arsenic, and flavor- 
 ed with oil of cloves, and of spearmint. 
 
 Prandreih's Pills contain resin of podophyl- 
 lum, inspissated juice of poke berries, saffron, 
 cloves, oil of peppermint. 
 
 Holloway^s Pills are composed of aloe, myrrh, 
 and saffron. 
 
 Morrison's Pills, 2}^ grains each, consist of 
 aloe, cream of tartar and colocynth ; another 
 kind contains the same ingredients, besides gam- 
 boge. 
 
 Radwafs Ready Relief according to Peckolt, 
 is an ethereal tincture of capsicum, with alco- 
 hol and camphor. 
 
 Radioay's Renovating Resolvent, a vinous tinc- 
 ture of ginger and cardamom sweetened with 
 sugar. (Hagar and Jacobsen. ) 
 
 Poudre Htmostatique Vigetal, by Bonnatour, 
 consists of 4 resin, I gum arabic, i wood charcoal. 
 
 Poudre Unique, by Godernaux, of Paris, 
 lauded as a specific against epilepsy, is impure 
 calomel, leaving when heated a slight reddish 
 residue. 
 
 Oil of Horse Chestnuts, by E. Genevoix, of 
 Paris, is not the oil of the horse chestnuts, but 
 another non-drying oil, altered by heat so that 
 it has acquired a darker color, a pungent odor 
 and acrid taste. 
 
 PA VEMENT, Street.— \ new mode of lay- 
 ing granite pavement has been tried in London, 
 in a part of the city in which it will be subjected 
 
 to the severest test of heavy traffic. The plan 
 consists of laying down granite blocks of 6 by 4 
 inches on a simple bed and filling in the inter- 
 stices with a very coarse gravel, and then pour- 
 ing on a very hot coal tar. This liquid runs 
 down between the blocks to the bottom, and 
 firmly cements the whole pavement into one 
 mass, which is thus rendered impervious to 
 water from above or from below, consequently 
 the rain at once runs off, and the bed always 
 remaining dry, no pumping up of mud can occur 
 from between the blocks of granite, so that the 
 pavement always remains clean, and neither mud 
 in wet weather, nor dust in dry weather, can 
 arise where this mode is adopted. This pave- 
 ment has already proved a success in Manchester, 
 and great hopes are entertained of the experi- 
 mental section laid down in London. As much 
 intei'est is aroused in several of our own cities, 
 and many experiments made to find a good pave- 
 ment, perhaps the above may prove useful. 
 Thus far none of the pavements laid down in 
 this country seem entirely satisfactory. The 
 wood, of which high expectations were enter- 
 tained, is too expensive, inconvenient to repair, 
 besides having disadvantages. Stone in some 
 form seems destined to maintain its ground. 
 
 PEARL INLA KM^(7.— Mother of pearl is 
 the inner coat or layer of several kinds of oyster- 
 shells. Its beautiful tints are dependent upon 
 its structure, the surface being covered with 
 minute grooves so small that upward of three 
 thousand are contained in an inch, which decom- 
 pose and reflect the light. 
 
 The kinds of pearl used are three : mother of 
 pearl or the pearl oyster, or white pearl, as it is 
 called by the artist, and is known by its clear 
 white surface; aurora shell, which can readily 
 be told by its wrinkled appearance and its various 
 prismatic colors, made from the shell of the 
 genus of mollusca known as the sea-ear or ear- 
 shell, and known to the conchologist as haliotis; 
 the green snail shell, which can be told by its 
 glistening colors of light and dark green, a soft 
 yellow, and a bright and beautiful pink, blended 
 together. 
 
 The lamellar structure of the pearl shell readily 
 admits of its being split into lamina;; but as 
 splitting is liable to spoil the shell, the pieces 
 are generally made to take the required shape by 
 the use of the saw, file, or grindstone. In pre- 
 paring the rough shell, if square or angular 
 pieces are required, the circular saw or the 
 ordinary back-saw is used; while if a circular 
 form is wanted, it is cut by an annular or crown- 
 saw fixed on a mandrel. 
 
 After being cut out, the pieses are ground to 
 the necessary thinness on a grindstone, plenty 
 of water being used to avoid the great friction 
 wiiich always ensues; after which, they are 
 ready for operation in the lathe for inlaying, etc. 
 
 After the shell is ground or turned to the 
 proper form, it is rubbed with pumice-stone and 
 water, following by an application of ground 
 pumice-stone, which has been carefully sifted to 
 extract all except the minutely powdered portion, 
 and applied with a piece of cork or damp cloth. 
 The polishing is accomplished with rotten-stone 
 moistened with dilute sulphuric acid, the latter 
 tending to develop the striated structure of the 
 shell. In some cases emery paper may be used, 
 followed with rotten-stone moistened with acid 
 or some limpid oil instead. 
 
'494 
 
 DICTIONARY OF EVERY-DAY WANTS. 
 
 The pearl handles used for razors or knives 
 are first roughed out, then drilled where the 
 rivets are to l)e inserted, and then lightly riveted 
 together in pairs. They are then ground to the 
 proper size and thickness, and finished by the 
 means mentioned. 
 
 One process of working pearl is similar to that 
 of engraving in metals in relief, by the aid of 
 corrosive acids and the etching point. The shell 
 is first divided as may be necessary, and the 
 design or patterns drawn upon it with an opaque 
 varnish; strong nitric acid is then brushed over 
 the plates repeatedly, until the parts untouched 
 or undefended by the varnish are sufficiently 
 corroded or eaten away by the acid. The varnish 
 now being washed off, the device, which the 
 acid has not touched, is found to be nicely exe- 
 cuted. If the design is to be after the manner of 
 common etching on copper, the process upon the 
 shell is precisely the same as that process upon 
 metal. 
 
 When a considerable number of pieces of thin 
 shell are required to be of the same size and 
 pattern, the requisite number of plates are ce- 
 mented together with glue, and the device or 
 figure drawn upon the outer plate. They may 
 then be held in a vise or clamp, and cut out as 
 one plate with a fine saw, or wrought into the 
 desired form with files; drilling tools may be 
 employed to assist in the operation. To sepa- 
 rate the pieces, the cemented shells are thrown 
 into warm water, Avhich softens the glue and 
 separates the pieces. 
 
 Cast and sheet-iron and papier-mach^ are the 
 materials upon which pearl is generally inlaid. 
 The process is as follows : If the article be of 
 cast-iron, it is well cleaned from the sand which 
 usually adheres to the casting, and is blackened 
 with a coat of varnish and lamp-black. When 
 this is thoroughly dried, a coat of japan or black 
 varnish is spread evenly upon it. Before the 
 varnish becomes too dry, pieces of pearl cut in 
 the form of leaves, roses, or such flowers as the 
 fancy of the artist may dictate, or the character 
 of the article may require, are laid upon it, and 
 pressed down with the finger, and they imme- 
 diately adhere to the varnished surface. The 
 work is then placed in a heated oven and kept 
 there for several hours, or until the varnish is 
 perfectly dried. It is then taken from the oven 
 and another coat of varnish applied indiscrimin- 
 ately on the surface of the pearl and the previous 
 coating, and again placed in the oven till dry. 
 This process is repeated several times. The 
 varnish is then scraped off the pearl with a knife, 
 and the surface of pearl and the varnish around 
 it is found to be quite even. The pearl is then 
 polished with a piece of pumice-stone and water, 
 and the surface of the varnish is rubbed smooth 
 with powdered pumice-stone, moistened with 
 water. 
 
 It is in this unfinished state that the pearl has 
 the appearance of being inlaid, and from which 
 it derives its name. Its final beauty and finish 
 depend altogether on the skill of the artist who 
 now receives it. 
 
 The artist traces the stems and leaves of the 
 flowers with a camel's-hair pencil, dipped in a 
 size made of varnish and turpentine ; upon this 
 he lays gold leaf, which adheres where there is 
 size, and the superfluous gold is carefully brush- 
 ed off with a piece of silk. The flowers and 
 leaves are then painted in colors, and when dry, 
 
 the picture and surface of the article is covered 
 with a coat of refined white varnish. For inlay- 
 ing, the thin pieces of pearl are cut by the artist 
 into the required shapes by ordinary scissors, or 
 by means of punches or dies worked by the foot 
 of the operator* 
 
 A varnished surface can be ornamented by 
 transferring drawings or engravings to it, and 
 the process is quite simple. A thin coat of copal 
 varnish is spread upon the surface of the article, 
 and when nearly dry, the engraving is applied 
 with its face downward and carefully pressed to 
 exclude all air-bubbles. When the varnish is 
 sufficiently dry, the paper is thoroughly moist- 
 ened with a sponge dipped in warm water, and 
 can be rubbed off, leaving all the lines of the 
 print upon the varnished surface. 
 
 PEA'CILS, Black Lead. — The easiest way 
 of producing, not only black lead, but all sorts 
 of pencils, is by the following process, which at 
 once combines simplicity, cheapness, and the 
 finest quality : 
 
 Take white or pipe clay; put it into a tub of 
 clean water, to soak for 12 hours, then agitate 
 the whole, imtil it resembles milk, let it rest two 
 or three minutes and pour off the supernatant 
 milky liquor into a second vessel, allow it to 
 settle, pour off the clear and dry the residue on 
 a filter. Then add black lead, any quantity. 
 Powder it and calcine it at a white heat in a 
 loosely covered crucible, cool and carefully re- 
 pulverize, then add prepared clay, prepared 
 plumbago, equal parts. Water to mix. Make 
 them into a paste and put it into oiled molds of 
 the size required, dry very gradually, and apply 
 sufficient heat to give the required degree of 
 hardness; lastly, the pieces should be taken 
 carefully from the molds and placed in the grooves 
 of the cedar. The more clay and heat employed, 
 the harder the crayon; less clay and heat oi 
 course produce a contrary effect. The shade of 
 black may also be varied in the same way. Each 
 mold must be made of four pieces of wood nice- 
 ly fitted together. 
 
 PENCIL WRITING, Tb/^/x.— Pencil writ- 
 ing may be fixed almost as indelibly as ink, by 
 passing the moistened tongue over it. Even 
 breathing slowly over the lines, after writing, 
 renders them much less liable to erasure than 
 when not subjected to that process. This fact 
 may be of importance to persons who may wish 
 to carry a memorandum book for a long time. 
 In ordinary use the pages of such a book often 
 become very much defaced by the erasure and 
 diffusion of the pencil marks over the entire sur- 
 face of the paper. A trial of the experiment will 
 readily satisfy any person of the utility of the idea. 
 PENCILS, Indelible. — An agriculturist 
 writes : In relation to indelible pencils for mark- 
 ing wood labels for garden and out door use, I 
 will give my plan, which I think is a good one. 
 I buy a genuine Faber No. i, which usually 
 costs ten cents ; then I prepare my labels (cedar 
 is the best material), and where I wish to write 
 I rub on a little common linseed oil and write 
 before it gets dry. I then have a writing that 
 will remain indelible for many years, at a much 
 less cost than a fifty cent pencil. If a little 
 Japan varnish or dryer is added to the oil, it is 
 better. A little white lead might be used in the 
 oil, but it is not absolutely necessary. It is best 
 to have a soft black pencil. 
 PERCUSSION CAPS, Priming Pmuder for. 
 
MISCELLANEOUS. 
 
 495 
 
 — ^Take gunpowder, 40 parts. Reduce it to a 
 fine powder, then mix it to a thin paste with 
 water, next add chlorate of potass, 21 parts, pre- 
 viously reduced to a very tine powder. Make 
 the paste rather thin, and deposit a small drop 
 at the bottom of the cap. Care must be taken 
 not to handle the mixture in quantity, when dry, 
 lest it should explode. 
 
 PETROLEUM (Refined), To Decolorize.— 
 Any of the Bleaching Agents known may be 
 employed for this purpose ; it is simply a question 
 of dollars and cents and manipulation. Bleach- 
 ing powder, the cheapest material, is to be 
 stirred into the oil in sufficient quantity, which 
 depends, of course, on the amount of color to be 
 destroyed, and a little hydrochloric acid mixed 
 W'ith it afterwards. With occasional stirring the 
 mixture is allowed to rest for twenty-four hours, 
 when the clear liquid is drawn into another tank, 
 washed with water until no longer acid, and 
 distilled. This will yield a colorless, limpid oil. 
 
 PETROLEUM, Improved Method of Treat- 
 ing. — In London petroleum is used in the pro- 
 cess of vulcanizing rubber. The petroleum 
 serves simply as a solvent for chloride of sulphur. 
 The commercial petroleum has for this purpose 
 to be freed of all traces of water; for which 
 purpose 10 per cent, of concentrated sulphuric 
 acid is added, and the mixture actively and con- 
 tinually stirred. Then the acid, which now is 
 very black, is allowed to settle, and the super- 
 natant petroleum drawn off into a dry receiving 
 vessel. To every barrel of petroleum one pound 
 of quicklime is added, with some black oxide of 
 manganese, and then the mass is distilled. Pe- 
 troleum treated in this way is cheaper, and less 
 injurious to the health of the laborer, than the 
 bi-sulphide of carbon, which in some places is 
 used for dissolving the chloride of sulphur and 
 the rubber. 
 
 PICTURE FRAMES.— -In the framing of 
 prints or water-color drawings, with a margin 
 between the subject and the frame, we have seen 
 the most unsymmetrical widths taken by caprice 
 both for margin and frame. You can frame 
 prints with harmonic proportions by the following 
 rule: i. Find a harmonic third to the length 
 and breadth of the print, and take it for the 
 collective widths of the margin and frame. 2. 
 Divide this space harmonically, so that the whole 
 space, and the greater and smaller part of it, are 
 three successive harmonic terms, and you have 
 then taken the less part for the margin, and the 
 greater part for the frame. A practical rule for 
 dividing the collective width of the margin and 
 frame into two harmonic parts is to multiply the 
 whole width by the decimal .5858 and the product 
 will be the width of the frame, and the rest the 
 width of the margin, or vice versa. In case, 
 however, one will insist on a very wide margin, 
 he may take twice instead of once the harmonic 
 third for the width of the margin nnd frame. 
 
 PICTURES for Magic Lanterns. — {New 
 Style. ) — A sheet of gelatine, he says, such as is 
 used for tracing, is securely fixed over an en- 
 graNdng, and with a sharp steel point (made by 
 grinding down the end of a small round file) the 
 Unes of the original are traced pretty deeply on 
 the transparent substance. Lead-pencil or cray- 
 on-dust is then lightly rubbed in with the finger, 
 and the picture is at once ready for use. The 
 effect of these drawings in the lantern is said to 
 be excellent. 
 
 PIGMENTS for Stained Glass.— Red lead, 
 I oz.; red enamel (Venetian glass enamel, from 
 alum and copperas calcined together) ; grind 
 them to a fine powder, and work this up with 
 alcohol upon a hard stone. When slightly baked, 
 this produces a fine flesh-color. No. 2. BUick 
 color. — Take 14^^ oz. of smithy scales of iron ; 
 mix them with 2 oz. of white glass ; antimony, 
 I oz.; manganese, % oz.; pound and grind these 
 ingredients together, with strong vinegar. No. 3. 
 Brown color. — White glass or enamel, l oz.; 
 good manganese, ^ oz.; grind together. No. 4. 
 Red, Rose, and Brown colors are made from •* 
 peroxide of iron, prepared by nitric acid. The 
 flux consists of borax, sand, and minium, in 
 small quantities. Red color may likewise be ob- 
 tained from I oz. of red chalk, pounded, mixed 
 with 2 oz. of white, hard enamel, and a little 
 peroxide of copper. A Red may also be com- 
 posed of rust of iron, glass of antimony, yellow 
 glass of lead, such as is used by potters (or lith- 
 arge), each in equal quantities; to which a little 
 sulphuret of silver is added. This composition, 
 well ground, produces a very fine red color on 
 glass. No 5. Green. — 2 o^ of brass, calcined 
 into an oxide ; 2 oz. of minium, and 8 oz. of 
 white sand ; reduce them to a fine powder, which 
 is to be inclosed in a well luted crucible, and 
 heated strongly in an air furnace for an hour. 
 When the mixture is cold, grind it in a brass 
 mortar. Green may, however, be advantageously 
 produced, by a yellow on one side, and a blue 
 on the other. Oxide of chrome has been also 
 employed to stain glass green. No. 6. A fine 
 Vellazv stain. — Take fine silver, laminated thin, 
 dissolve in nitric acid, dilute with abundance of 
 water, and precipitate with solution of sea-salt ; 
 mix this chloride of silver in a dry powder, with 
 three times its weight of pipe-clay, well burnt 
 .ind pounded. The back of the glass pane is to 
 be painted with this powder; for, when painted on 
 the face, it is apt to run into the other colors. 
 A pale yellow can be made by mixing sulphuret 
 of silver with glass of antimony and yellow ochre, 
 previously calcined to a red-brown tint. Work 
 all these powders together, and paint on the back 
 of the glass. Or silver lamince, melted with 
 sulphur, and glass of antimony, thrown into cold 
 water, and afterwards ground to powder, afford 
 a yellow. A pale yellow may be made with the 
 powder resulting from brass, sulphur, and glass 
 of antimony, calcined together in a crucible till 
 they cease to smoke, and then mixed with a little 
 burnt yellow ochre. The fine yellow of M. 
 Meraudis prepared from chloride of silver, oxide 
 of zinc, and rust of iron. This mixture, simply 
 ground, is applied on the glass. Orange color. 
 Take l part of silver-powder, as precipitated 
 from the nitrate of that metal, by plates of cop- 
 per, and washed ; mix with I part of red ochre, 
 and I of yellow, by careful trituration ; grind 
 into a thin pap, with oil of turpentine or laven- 
 der ; apply this with a brush, and burn in. 
 
 PHO TO - LITHOGRA PHIC PROCESS, 
 Improved. — In the first place, a solution is pre- 
 pared of bichromate of potash (chemicillypure), 
 one part, watei, twenty parts; and upon this a 
 carbon tissue is allowed to swim for a couple of 
 minutes. It is dried in an airtight box, contain- 
 ing fused chloride of calcium, within the space 
 of twenty-four hours, and may be preserved 
 many weeks without losing its sensitiveness. 
 
 The negative should be absolutely clear and 
 
496 
 
 DICTIONARY OF E VERY-DAY n^ANTS. 
 
 transparent in the lines, and otherwise as opaque 
 as possible. The development is conducted, 
 after brief exposure, with an ordinary iron deve- 
 loper, and the negative subsequently intensified 
 with bichloride of mercury and sulphide of am- 
 monium in the usual manner. The margin of 
 the negative is covered with Indian ink, or with 
 a paper mask fastened upon the reverse side of 
 the plate. In this way the development of the 
 picture is much improved, the pigment paper 
 extending well beyond the unsolarized margin. 
 The exposure varies from three quarters to one 
 minute in the sun, and from four to ten minutes 
 in diffused light. 
 
 For the development of the picture, an exceed- 
 ingly smooth lithographic stone is employed, 
 together with a sheet of fine filter paper, a 
 squeegee, a dish of rain water, and a supply of 
 hot water. 
 
 The print is first dipped into cold water, the 
 air bubbles dissipated, and then placed face 
 downwards on the stone. Without losing time, 
 the filter paper is at once placed upon the tissue, 
 and rubbed over well with the squeegee, a new 
 supply of paper being subsequently applied in 
 the same way, until the tissue is half dry. After 
 waiting two or three minutes, the stone is put in 
 a sloping position into a dish, and warm water 
 allowed to flow over the whole surface; and 
 under this treatment the unsolarized portions of 
 the pigment paper begin to swell visibly under 
 the paper in a very short time. The application 
 of warm water is continued until the paper back- 
 ing begins to leave the stone, and as soon as 
 there is not much resistance to the operation one 
 may proceed to draw it off. Upon the stone is 
 seen a dark mass of gelatine, which disappears 
 as the washing goes on, until a sharply defined 
 '' image is the result. Upon the picture itself the 
 water must never be poured, but only allowed 
 to stream over the surface, as the lines are easily 
 injured, and for this reason the warm water is 
 applied from the edge of the stone. 
 
 When the image stands out clear and free, the 
 stone is immersed in cold water until it has 
 become cool, which necessitates an interval of 
 some minutes. It is then leaned against a wall, 
 and allowed to dry spontaneously, when lines 
 which, in a moist state, were soft and hazy, 
 become sharp and defined. " 
 
 The dry picture is now covered with a solution 
 of gum, as in the case of an ordinary hthographic 
 impression, and, after drying, again moistened, 
 and the lithographic ink repeatedly applied. The 
 stone may then be rolled up and printed from in 
 the ordinary press. 
 
 PLASTER, Adhesive. — Take of common, or 
 litharge plaster, 5 parts, white resin, I part. 
 Melt them together, and spread the liquid com- 
 pound thin on strips of linen by means of a spa- 
 tula or table knife. This plaster is very adhe- 
 sive, and is used for keeping on other dressings, 
 etc. 
 
 PLASTER of PARIS.— Vlaster of Paris is 
 composed of anhydrous (without water) sulphate 
 of lime ; it is chiefly used for taking models and 
 casts, uniting slabs of marble and alabaster. It 
 should be mixed with water to the consistence 
 of thick cream, and then applied; it hardens 
 rapidly. Piaster of Paris may be considerably 
 strengthened by being mixed with thin glue, or 
 a solution of size and gum instead of water. 
 When mixed with iron filings to the proportion 
 
 of one-fifth the whole weight, plaster of Paris 
 may be used in uniting iron. 
 
 PLASTER cf PARIS, Workittg ^/.— When 
 two to four per cent, of finely pulverized althea 
 root (marsh mallow) is mixed with plaster of 
 Paris, it retards the hardening, which begins 
 only after an hour's time. When dry, it may be 
 filed, cut, or turned, and thus becomes of use in 
 making domino-stones, dies, brooches, snuff- 
 boxes, etc. Eight per cent, retards the harden- 
 ing for a longer time, but increases the tenacity 
 of the mass. The latter may be rolled out on 
 window glass into thin sheets, which never crack 
 in drying, may be easily detached from the glass, 
 and take on a polish readily by rubbing them. 
 This material, if incorporated with mineral or 
 other paints, and properly kneaded, gives very 
 fine imitations of marble, and can be colored 
 when dry, and can be made waterproof by po- 
 hshing and varnishing. The chemist and che- 
 mical manufacturer vf\\\ find it an excellent luting 
 for vessels ofevery kind. 
 
 PLASTER CASTS, To 7>//&a— The mate- 
 rial employed is the "plaster of Paris" of com- 
 merce, which is bought and sold by the barrel, 
 in the form of a white impalpable powder. 
 When a quantity of this dry powder is rendered 
 half fluid by thorough mixing with water until 
 the whole mass is about the consistency of thick 
 batter, the plastic material will become solid in 
 a few minutes; and, in the course of a few hours, 
 every part will be nearly as hard as white chalk. 
 This peculiar quality of plaster of Paris, of so- 
 lidifying so quickly after it has been mingled 
 with water, enables artists to take impressions of 
 forms, with admirable precision, which could not 
 be taken in any other way. Previous to taking 
 a cast, a mold must be made, having the exact 
 form and shape of the original delicately im- 
 pressed on the interior surface. Then the mold 
 IS filled with plaster in a semi-fluid state. After 
 it has become hard, the mold is taken apart, and 
 the cast removed. 
 
 If, for example, it is desired to take a plaster 
 cast of a pear, the first step is to put about a 
 pint of the dry plaster into a bowl, after having 
 oiled the bowl with lard oil on the inside, to 
 prevent the material from adhering to it. Water 
 IS then mixed with the plaster until it is so soft 
 that it might be poured out. Now oil the sur- 
 face of the pear thoroughly, and press the calyx 
 end down into the plaster, until the largest part 
 of the fruit is on a plane with the surface of the 
 plaster. Hold the fruit quite still, until the 
 plaster has become hard. Let it dry for a few 
 minutes, and then gently lift the pear from its 
 place. In case the plaster has been allowed to 
 rise above the bulge of the fruit, the surface 
 must be shaved away down to the largest diame- 
 ter of the pear, before the latter can be extract- 
 ed. Replace the pear, and dress the surface of 
 the mold with a sharp knife to a perfect level; 
 make four counter-sinks, half an inch deep, and 
 as large as the end of a man's thumb, in the 
 surface of the mold, while it remains in the 
 bowl. Then oil the stem end of the fruit and 
 the upper surface of the mold, and with a case- 
 knife lay on a coat of plaster of Paris all around 
 the fruit, until it is covered to the thickness of 
 an inch. The stem of the fruit must be first re- 
 moved, as it can not be drawn out of the mold. 
 Tlie plastic material must be applied gradually, 
 as fast as it will solidify. Continue to lay on 
 
MISCELLANEOUS. 
 
 497 
 
 the semi-fluid material until the outside has been 
 brought up to the desired form, nearly square, 
 and Hat on the top. After this part of the mold 
 has become hard, lift it carefully from the lower 
 portion, and take out the pear. If the inside of 
 the mold is not sufficiently smooth, let the rough 
 places be dressed off, and the depressions filled 
 with plaster. Then oil the interior surface with 
 linseed oil, and allow it to dry. The mold is 
 now ready for use. To take a cast from it, bind 
 the two parts together, cut out a small hole on 
 one side, say an inch in diameter, and fill the 
 mold through this hole with the prepared plas- 
 ter. After it has had sufficient time to become 
 hard, take the mold apart, and remove the cast, 
 which will appear, in every respect, like the 
 original, except in color. A small hole may be 
 bored for the stem, and a genuine stem may be 
 inserted, and fastened with a little plaster ; or 
 an artificial stem may be made, and introduced 
 to a sufficient depth to enable it to sustain the 
 weight of the cast. 
 
 When a cast of a person's face, either alive or 
 after death, is desired, let the hair and whiskers 
 be modeled with potter's clay, brushed back 
 smoothly, and oiled. Then prepare a quantity 
 of plaster in a shallow dish, and lay the head 
 back in it, to the desired depth, until it has be- 
 come hard. After the plaster has set, dress off 
 the edge of the mold and oil it. Now proceed 
 to make another section of the mold over the 
 face, by oiling the surface, and applying the 
 plaster, as described above with reference to the 
 cast of a pear. During the operation upon a 
 living person, he must breathe through his nos- 
 trils. As soon as the material has hardened, 
 lift it carefully, and remove the remaining sec- 
 tion of the mold. Depressions must be counter- 
 sunk always, in the edges of every section, to 
 receive the dowel-points of the corresponding 
 part of the mold. If the eyes are to be repre- 
 sented as open, depressions must be carved in 
 the mold corresponding to the eyelids and brows. 
 Now smooth and oil the inner surface of the 
 mold with linseed oil; let it become dry ; turn 
 in plaster through the orifice left by the neck, 
 roll the mold over and over, until every depres- 
 sion has been filled. After the material has be- 
 come dry, remove the sections of the mold. If 
 there be wrinkles or depressions with overhang- 
 ing edges, which will hold the mold, they must 
 be first filled, so that every section of the mold 
 may be lifted off, without fracturing the corners. 
 The depressions around and in the ears, for in- 
 stance, must be first filled out, and smoothed 
 off, before the mold is made. Otherwise the 
 sections could not be lifted off. A beginner may 
 exercise his skill in taking casts of a hand, or of 
 any otlier simple object which will require a 
 mold of only two parts. 
 
 PLASTER CASTS of Natural Objects, To 
 Take. — The material of the mold is artists' 
 mobeling-wax, which is a composition akin to 
 that used by dentists ; and, as it becomes soft 
 and plastic by the application of heat, though in 
 a cold state it is perfectly rigid, it maybe applied 
 to the most delicate object without injury. As 
 it takes the most minute markings and striations 
 of the original to which it is applied, the micro- 
 scopic structure of the surface of the original is 
 faithfully reproduced in the cast. This method is 
 briefly this: i. Cover the object to be cast with 
 a thin powder of steatite or French chalk, which 
 
 prevents the adhesion of the wax. 2. After the 
 wax has become soft, either from immersion ia 
 warm water, or from exposure to the direct heat 
 of the fire, apply it to the original, being careful 
 to press it into the little cavities. Then carefully 
 cut off the edges of the wax all round, if the 
 undercutting of the object necessitates the mold 
 being in two or more pieces, and let the wax 
 cool with the object in it, until it is sufficiently 
 hard to bear the repetition of the operation on the 
 uncovered portion of the object. The steatite 
 prevents the one piece of the mold sticking to 
 the other. The original ought to be taken out 
 of the mold before the latter becomes perfectly 
 cold and rigid, as in that case it is very difficult 
 to extract. 3. Then pour in plaster of Paris, 
 after having wetted the moulds to prevent bub- 
 bles of air lurking in the small interstices; and, 
 if the mold be in two pieces, it is generally 
 convenient to fill them with plaster separately 
 before putting them together. 4. Then dry the 
 plastercasts either wholly or partially. 5. Paintthe 
 casts in water-colors, which must be fainter than 
 those of the original, because the next process 
 adds to their intensity. The delicate shades of 
 color in the original will be marked in the cast 
 by the different quantity of the same color, which 
 is taken up by the different textures of the cast. 
 
 6. After drying the cast, steep it in hard paraffme. 
 The ordinary paraffine candles, which can be 
 obtained from any grocer, will serve the purpose. 
 
 7. Cool, and polish the cast by hand with stea- 
 tite. The result of this process is said to be far 
 better than that obtained by any other. 
 
 PLA STEP CA STS,from UnburnedGypsum, 
 — This is simply to use in place of water a solution 
 of potash or soda; or to mix the dry pulverized 
 gypsum (sulphate of lime) with about an equal 
 amount of sulphate of potash, and then add the 
 water. As the relative quantities of gypsum, 
 potash, or soda and water to be used depend 
 greatly on the quality of the gypsum and alkalies, 
 it is best to experiment in order to find what 
 proportions will give the desired hardness. 
 
 PLASTER CASTS, To Give an Alabaster 
 Effect to. — Plaster of Paris figures may be made 
 to look like alabaster by dipping them in a strong 
 solution of alum water. 
 
 PLASTER CASTS, To Harden.— Taks two 
 parts of stearine, two parts of Venetian soap, 
 one part of pearlash, and twenty-four to thirty 
 parts of a solution of caustic potash. The stearine 
 and soap are cut into slices, mixed with the cold 
 lye, and boiled for about half an hour, being con- 
 stantly stirred. Whenever the mass rises, a httle 
 cold lye is added. The pearlash, previously 
 moistened with a little rain water, is then added, 
 and the whole boiled for a few minutes. The 
 mass is then stirred until cold, when it is mixed 
 with so much lye that it becomes perfectly liquid, 
 and runs off the spoon without coagulating and 
 contracting. Before using this composition, it 
 should be kept for several days well covered. It 
 may be preserved for years. Before applying it 
 to the objects, they should be well dusted, the 
 stains scraped away, and then coated, by means 
 of a thick brush, with the wash, as long as the 
 plaster of Paris absorbs it, and left to dry. The 
 coating is then dusted with leather, or a soft 
 brush. If the surface has not become shining, 
 the operation must be repeated. 
 
 PLASTER CASTS, To Toughen.— A New 
 England chemist says that he has succeeded in 
 32 
 
498 
 
 DICTIONARY OF E VERY-DAY WANTS. 
 
 making plaster casts so tough that they will bear 
 the driving of a nail into them without cracking, 
 by immersing them for a sufficient time in a hot 
 solution of glue, to permit its permeating the 
 entire mass. 
 
 PLASTER FIGURES, Amalgam for Far- 
 nishing. — Take tin, mercury, and bismuth, equal 
 parts ; fuse and cool, then make the amalgam into 
 a varnish with white of egg. 
 
 PLUMB RULE, To i^/aZv.— Plane the face 
 straight and out of wind. Plane one edge 
 straight and square with the face. Run a gage 
 mark to the proper width; plane to the mark ex- 
 actly ; gage to a thickness on each edge ; plane 
 to the marks. Run a gage mark through the 
 center for the plumb or cord line. Saw a hole 
 in the bottom for the bob. Cut a saw cut in the 
 top of the line for the cord ; and a slanting saw 
 cut each side of the center one, to fasten the 
 cord into. Geometrically it is correct to "strike 
 a circle at each end, and to plane so as to touch 
 the sides of the circle;" practically, it is next to 
 impossible to touch the circle exactly and have 
 the rule exactly straight between them. 
 
 PLUMBAGO, To 71-j/.— The value of plum- 
 bago or graphite depends on its amount of car- 
 bon. In order to ascertain this, the latest, 
 simplest, and best method is to dry the pulver- 
 ized graphite at a temperature of some 350" 
 Fahr., and then place it in a tube, four or five 
 inches long and half an inch wide, made of hard 
 glass, and closed at one end. To this is added 
 about twenty times as much well-dried oxide of 
 lead, and the whole is well mixed. The tube is 
 then first weighed, and afterwards heated before 
 the blow-pipe till the contents are completely 
 fused and no longer evolve gases. After this 
 operation, which does not last longer than ten 
 minutes (if the quantity is not too large), the 
 tube is allowed to cool, and its weight is then 
 ascertained. The loss in weight is carbonic acid, 
 the oxygen of which has been taken from the 
 lead oxide ; while the carbon is al that there was 
 in the plumbago. For every twenty-eight parts 
 of loss there must have been twelve of carbon. 
 In general, it is sufficient to take from one to two 
 grammes of plumbago and from twenty to forty 
 of oxide of lead. 
 
 POLISH (French), For Boots, Shoes and 
 Harness. — ^Take two pints of the best vinegar 
 and one pint of soft water ; stir into the mixture 
 a quarter of a pound of glue broken fine, half a 
 pound of logwood chips, a quarter of an ounce 
 of finely-powdered indigo, a quarter of an ounce 
 of the best soft soap, and a quarter of an ounce 
 of isinglass. Boil for ten minutes or longer; 
 then strain the liquid, bottle, and cork. When 
 cold, it is fit for use. 
 
 Remove the dirt from the boots, etc., with a 
 sponge and water. Then lay on the polish with 
 a clean sponge. Should it prove too thick, hold 
 it near the fire to warm a little, and the heat will 
 liquefy it sufficiently. 
 
 POTTERY, Earth and Alkalies Used in. ~ 
 Terra di sienna : deep brown or coffee color, 
 fine, compact, very light, very smooth and glossy, 
 does not color the hands ; when wetted, marks 
 a fine yellow upcn paper ; burns to a pale 
 brownish red color, but does not harden ; comes 
 from Italy, and an inferior sort from Wycombe. 
 Burnt terra di sienna is used as a paint. 
 London blue clay : dark bluish ; used for 
 luting Tessels in distilling acids, but requires 
 
 another luting over it to keep it moist and to 
 prevent its cracking ; it is also used for pottery, 
 for lining ponds, and for modeling. 
 
 Devonshire blue clay is fat, tough, makes 
 white solid pottery, but is expensive. 
 
 Devonshire black clay makes cream ware. 
 Devonshire cracking clay is gray, burns to a 
 beautiful white, but is apt to crack in the firing. 
 Common clay, used for artificial stones, as bricks, 
 etc., and common pottery. 
 
 Fuller's earth is grayish brown, but varies 
 greatly ; hard, very compact, rough, but scrap- 
 ing glossy, does not color, burns hard and yel- 
 lowish brown, being very fine, and absorbs 
 grease very readily ; used to full woolens. 
 
 Rotten stone is ash brown, very light, mode- 
 rately hard, dry, coloring, burns to a deep ash 
 color, but not harder ; used as a color, and to 
 give a polishing powder for metals; is to be 
 found in Derbyshire. 
 
 Umber is fine, pale brown, close, very light, 
 dry, coloring, burns deep reddish brown, but 
 no harder ; used as a color, and to give porce- 
 lain the shining ground called ^caille; comes 
 from Turkey. 
 
 Burnt umber is used for paint, makes a good 
 shade for gold ; both these umbers are excellent 
 shades or dead colors, having a good body. 
 
 Windsor loam, Hedgerly loam, is yellowish 
 brown, very hard, heavy, harsh, coloring slight- 
 ly, burns very hard, and to a fine deep red ; 
 used for setting bricks of wind furnaces, glass- 
 house furnaces, also for luting, and coating 
 glass and earthen vessels to be exposed to a 
 strong fire. 
 
 Bath bricks from Windsor loam made into 
 bricks ; used for a coarse polishing powder. 
 
 Founder's clay or penny earth is dusky brown, 
 very hard, heavy, harsh, not coloring ; found at 
 Woolwich and in Northamptonshire ; used for 
 molds in large foundries. 
 
 Cheam clay is of light ash color,nearly white and 
 very hard; used for the body of glazed gallipots. 
 Bohemian tripoli is of light ash qolor, heavy, 
 moderately hard, open, harsh, dusty, but not 
 coloring, not altered by burning ; used for pol- 
 ishing and plate powder. 
 
 Terre verte is deep bluish green, very heavy, 
 hard, smooth, glossy, not coloring, but marking 
 a green line, taste coppery, bums very hard and 
 to a dusky brown ; found near Rome, also near 
 Woolwich; used as a lasting, but not bright, 
 green paint. 
 
 Argile de Saveigneis blue, very tough, sandy; 
 used to make the French pottery degrts or stone- 
 ware. 
 
 Argile des Forges-les-eaux is blue; used to 
 make glass-house pots and stoneware. 
 
 Welsh clay : used to make Welsh fire clumps 
 for building fire rooms of steam engine furnaces. 
 French chalk is greenish, semi-transparent, 
 compact, smooth, unctuous, glossy, not color- 
 ing, scrapes white, marks an unctuous silvery 
 line, burns very hard and white ; used to mark 
 cloth, to take out grease, and cause boots to slip 
 on easily ; it is frequently confounded with 
 Spanish chalk. 
 
 Myrsen meerschaum is pale grayish green, re- 
 sembling tallow dropped upon brass, close, 
 heavy, smooth, unctuous, glossy, not colorings 
 burning extremely hard and pale white ; used 
 as soap, and to make the large German tobacco 
 pipes, or rather the bowls of them. 
 
MISCELLANEOUS. 
 
 499 
 
 White American bolus is bright, white, com- 
 pact, very smooth and soft, not coloring, burns 
 very hard, and at last forms a whitish glass. 
 
 Pearl white : light, smooth, not unctuous 
 nor coloring; burns to a very pale yellowish 
 white. 
 
 Tobacco-pipe clay : smooth, unctuous, slight- 
 ly coloring, but is rather hard and very white ; 
 used principally to make tobacco pipes and white 
 stonewares. 
 
 White lumber stone is used to take stains of 
 grease out of woolen cloth. 
 
 Soap rock or Spanish chalk is white, firm, 
 compact, weighty, hard, smooth, unctuous, not 
 coloring ; writes upon glass, and, if rubbed off, 
 the marks become again visible by breathing 
 upon the place, and, therefore, very useful in 
 painting on glass, the engraving being after- 
 wards harde«ed by fire, and, therefore, prefer- 
 able for staining by fluoric acid. 
 
 Kaolin or porcelain clay is dry, friable, un fu- 
 sible ; that of Cornwall is used to make English 
 china and fine pottery; that of Limoges, to make 
 Sevres china, and is exported to most all coun- 
 tries of the globe. In earlier and the present 
 times, similarly famous for their beautiful gild- 
 ing and paintings, these articles are made in the 
 manufactures of Meissen, and at Berlin and 
 Passau, to make china for Saxony, Prussia, and 
 Austria. 
 
 WTiite chalk is white, soft, will mark linen 
 when newly burned; it grows hot with water, 
 and falls into powder, and is then made into 
 crayons for painters. 
 
 Terra cimolia is white, compact, smooth, co- 
 loring, burning rather harder, found in the island 
 Argentiere ; it is used to wash clothes. 
 
 Hard chalk is coarse, 
 
 Spanish white, blanc d''espagne. Mane da troyes, 
 are made from soft chalks by washing and making 
 into large balls for cheap W'hite painting, and 
 covering papers, cards, etc 
 
 Prepared chalk is made by precipitation from 
 a solution of muriate of lime, by a solution of 
 sub-carbonate of soda in water, and washing the 
 sediment. 
 
 Magnesia is white, and is obtained by preci- 
 pitating the bittern or liquor left in the boiling 
 of sea water, after the common salt has been 
 separated, by a lye of wood ashes or sub-carbonate 
 of potash. 
 
 Sub-carbonate of magnesia is made up while 
 drying into large cubes, the edges beveled; is 
 powdered by being rubbed through a sieve. 
 
 Gelatinous alumine, hydrate of aluraine, or 
 pure alumine, not dried, but in a moist state, is 
 used to mix cobalt in an oxidized condition, and 
 other oxides, as a basis for the color. 
 
 Baum's white of alum: Roman alum, one 
 pound, honey, one half pound, calcined in a 
 shallow dish to whiteness. 
 
 Blanc de Bougiva I or gera earth is silvery, 
 silky, white, very fine and glossy if rolled with a 
 glass roller ; used to make enamel surfaces on 
 paper or cardboard ; is effervescent with acids, 
 and used as well as fine whiting. 
 
 PORCELAIN OR CHINA, To Make.— 
 Porcelain, or china, is a semi-vitrified earthen- 
 ware of an intermediate nature between common- 
 ware and glass. Chinese porcelain is composed 
 of two ingredients, one of which is hard-stone, 
 called petunse.which is carefully ground to a very 
 fine powder, and the other, called kaolin, is a white 
 
 earthy substance, which is intimately mixed with 
 the ground stone. 
 
 Several compositions of mingled earth may 
 yield a true porcelain by being burnt, and the 
 porcelains of various countries differ in their mix- 
 tures. But the principal basis of any true porce- 
 lain is that kind of clay which becomes white by 
 baking, and which, either by intermingled hete- 
 rogeneous earth,or by particular additions, under- 
 goes in the fire an incipient vitrification, in which 
 the true nature of porcelain consists. Feldspar 
 and gypsum, if added, may give that property to 
 infusible clay. 
 
 When porcelain is to be made, the clay is 
 properly selected, carefully washed from impuri- 
 ties, and again dried. It is then finely sifted, and 
 most accurately mingled with quartz, ground very 
 fine, to which then is added some burnt and 
 finely pulverized gypsum. This mass is worked 
 with water to a paste and duly kneaded ; it is 
 usually suffered to lie in this state for years. The 
 vessels and other goods formed of this mass are 
 first moderately burnt in earthen pots, to receive 
 a certain degree of compactness and to be ready 
 for glazing. The glazing consists of an easily- 
 melted mixture of some species of earths, as the 
 petrosilex or chert, fragments of porcelain and 
 gypsum, which, when fused together, produce a 
 crystalline or vitreous mass, which, after cooling, 
 is very finely ground, and suspended in a sufficient 
 quantity of water. Into this fluid the rough ware 
 is dipped, by which the glazing matter is depo- 
 sited uniformlyon every part of its surface. After 
 drying, each article is thoroughly baked or burned 
 in the violent heat of the porcelain furnace. .It 
 is usual to decorate porcelain by paintings, for 
 which purpose enamels or pastes, colored by 
 metallic oxides, are used, so easy of fusion as to 
 run in a heat less intense than that in which the 
 glazing of the ware melts. 
 
 PORCELAIN {English), To Make.— The 
 iron-stone, which contains a portion of argil and 
 silex, is first roasted in a common biscuit-kiln, 
 to facilitate its trituration, and to expel sulphur 
 and other volatile ingredients which it may con- 
 tain. A large earthen crucible is constructed 
 after the exact model of an iron forge, a part of 
 the bottom of which is filled with charcoal or 
 cokes ; these having been previously strewed with 
 ore and about ^ part of lime, are raised to an 
 intense heat by a strong blast of air, introduced 
 under the cokes at the bottom. By this heat 
 the ore is fused, and the fluid iron drops through 
 the fuel to the bottom; then follows the scoria, 
 which flpats upon the top of the fluid iron. 
 This latter scoria, or, as the workmen call it, 
 slag, is the material used in the manufacture of 
 china, and is much impregnated with iron, and 
 of a compact and dense structure. The slag is 
 next let off, by a hole through the forge, into a 
 clean earthen vessel, where it cools. This last 
 vessel is tlien broken, in order to detach the 
 slag from it, with hammers. The scoria is next 
 pounded into small pieces and ground in water 
 to the consistence of a fine paste, at the flint- 
 mills of the country. This paste is then evapor- 
 ated to dryness on a slip-kiln, well known 
 amongst potters. Thus evaporated to dryness, 
 it is used with the other ingredients in the follow- 
 ing proportions, viz.: 
 
 Prepared iron-stone, 3 cwt.; ground flint, 4 
 cwt.; ground Cornwall stone, 4 cwt.; Cornwall 
 clay, 4 cwt.; blue oxide of cobalt, I lb. . 
 
50O 
 
 DICTIONARY OP EVERY-DAY WANTS. 
 
 These having been mixed together with water 
 by the sHp-maker, are again evaporated on the 
 sh'p-kiln to the proper consistency for use. The 
 clay, thus prepared, is of course used in the usual 
 manner in the fabrication of the several kinds of 
 vessels. 
 
 POTASSIUM, Sidphocyanide ^/— Mix to- 
 gether 46 parts of anhydrous ferrocyanide of 
 potassium, 17 parts of carbonate of potassa, and 
 32 parts of sulphur ; introduce the mixture into 
 an iron pan provided with a lid, and fuse at a 
 gentle heat; maintain the same temperature un- 
 til the swelling of the mass which ensues at first 
 has completely subsided and given place to a 
 state of tranquil and clear fusion ; increase the 
 temperature now, towards the end of the opera- 
 tion to dull redness, in order to decompose the 
 hyposulphite of potassa which has been formed 
 in this process. Remove the half refrigerated 
 and still soft mass from the pan, pulverize it, 
 and boil with alcohol. Let the alcoholic solution 
 cool, when part of the sulphocyanide of potas- 
 sium will separate in colorless crystals ; to ob- 
 tain the remainder, distill the alcohol from the 
 mother liquor. Dissolve I part of the salt in 10 
 parts of water for use. 
 
 PRINTS and PRINTED BOOKS, To 
 Bleach. — Simple immersion in chlorine gas, let- 
 ting the article remain in it a longer or shorter 
 .space of time, according to the strength of the 
 liquor, will be sufficient to whiten an engraving. 
 If it is required to whiten the paper of a bound 
 book, as it is neceSsary that all the leaves should 
 be ftcted on by the gas, care must be taken to 
 open the book well, and to make the boards rest 
 on the edge of the vessel, in such a manner that 
 the paper alone shall be dipped in the gas. The 
 leaves must be separated from each other, in 
 f order that they may be equally acted on on both 
 sides. Chlorine water, freshly made, will an- 
 swer instead of the gas. 
 
 PRINTED SHEETS, To Clean.— h me- 
 ■ thod recommended by a foreign contemporary 
 for cleaning printed matter and engravings con- 
 sists in fastening the sheet to a board by broad- 
 headed tacks, and washing it with clean water, 
 to which a slight percentage of carbonate of am- 
 monia has been added. This process must be 
 conducted very carefully with a soft brush. The 
 paper is then to be rinsed off with water, and 
 the operation repeated on the back side as soon 
 as it is dried. It is then to be moistened with 
 water acidulated with pure wine vinegar, and 
 again washed with water, to which a little chlor- 
 ide of lime has been added. Finally, it js washed 
 off again and dried in the air by sunlight. In 
 this way it becomes extremely white without any 
 injury to the impression. Some valuable engrav- 
 ings have, it is said, been completely restored 
 by this method. 
 
 PRINTING. ROLLERS.— Tht^e are made 
 of treacle and glue, with sometimes a little Paris 
 white, etc. The proportions are about ^ lb. of 
 glue to 1)4 lb. of treacle ; the glue is broken to 
 pieces, soaked for 24 hours in sufficient water, 
 then melted with the treacle, and cast into a 
 mold previously oiled. On removing the com- 
 position it forms a cylinder without a seam, elas- 
 tic, like India rubber, yet sufficiently soft to ink 
 the type without injunng them. When it gets 
 hard, \\ hich happens in 2 to 4 months, accord- 
 ing to the weather, etc., it is necessary to re-melt 
 it, adding a little more treacle. Used to ink the 
 
 type for letter press. If the composition is too 
 hard, the ink does not spread evenly; if too soft, 
 pieces are torn away from the roller. When the 
 printing is finished, the roller is rubbed over a 
 sink stone with cold water, which dissolves a 
 little of the external coat, and so leaves it clear 
 of ink. 
 
 PUMP {NatiticaT), Self-Acting. — Qz.^X.'xm. 
 Leslie, in a voyage from North America to 
 Stockholm, adopted an excellent mode of emp- 
 tying water from his ship's hold, when the crew 
 were insufficient to perform that duty. About 
 ten or twelve feet above the pump he rigged out 
 a spar, one end of which projected overboard, 
 while the other was fastened as a lever to the 
 machinery of the pump. To the end which pro- 
 jected overboard was suspended a water-butt, 
 half full, but corked down, so that when the 
 coming wave raised the butt-end, the other end 
 depressed the piston of the pump ; but at the 
 retiring of the wave, this was reversed, for, by 
 the weight of the butt, the piston came up again, 
 and with it the water. Thus, without the aid of 
 the crew, the ship's hold was cleared of the wa- 
 ter in a few hours. 
 
 A very useful hint may be taken from this 
 plan ; when a vessel has much water, and there 
 are not hands enough to work the pumps, one 
 pump might be arranged on this plan, and the 
 other fully manned in the usual way. 
 
 QUEENSWARE, To Make.—TV\% is made 
 of the same materials as the ilintware, but the 
 proportion in which the materials are mixed is 
 not the same, nor is the ware glazed in the same 
 way. The flintware is generally made of four 
 measures of liquid flint, and 18 of liquid clay; 
 the yellow ware has a greater proportion of clay 
 in it. In some manufactories they mix 20, and 
 in others 24 measures of clay with 4 of flint. 
 The proportion for both sorts of ware depends 
 very much upon the nature of the clay, which is 
 very variable even in the same pit. Hence a 
 previous trial must be made of the quality of the 
 clay, by burning a kiln of the ware. If there 
 be too much flint mixed with the clay, the ware, 
 when exposed to the air after burning, is apt to 
 crack, and if there be too little, the ware will 
 not receive the proper glaze from the circulation 
 of the salt vapor. 
 
 QUILLS, German Method of Preparing. — 
 Suspend the quills in a copper over water, suffi- 
 ciently high to touch the nibs ; then close it 
 steam-tight, and apply four hours' hard boiling; 
 next withdraw and dry them, and in 24 hours 
 cut the nibs and draw out the pith ; lastly, rub 
 them with a piece of cloth and expose them to a 
 moderate heat. The quills prepared in this way 
 are as hard as bone, without being brittle, and 
 as transparent as glass. 
 
 RAG CARPETS.— These indispensable ar- 
 ticles of the house are made and highly prized, 
 in nearly all families in the country. The sug- 
 gestions of the experienced may lessen the labor 
 of making them to the inexperienced, besides 
 making a better looking carpet. 
 
 First, the rags or old garments ought to be 
 washed clean; then rip them to pieces, rejecting 
 the parts too worn to be used ; if not ready to 
 color them, tie in bundles all that are to 
 be colored each color, and any that do not 
 need coloring may be cut and sewed, or tied 
 up by themselves, if not ready to commence 
 the work. All woolen ones ought to be 
 
MISCELLANEO US. 
 
 50J 
 
 kept in linen sacks, to exclude the moths from 
 them. 
 
 Any light, mixed, or plaided woolens may be 
 improved in color by dipping in a good red dye. 
 Clean white rags can be colored yellow, orange, 
 blue, or green. Dingy white rags will look well, 
 colored hemlock color and set with lime. This 
 is a cheap, pretty and durable color for some of 
 the rags and the warp. Bits of bark may be 
 gathered around saw mills, when one cannot get 
 it elsewhere; boil enough bark to make a strong 
 dye, and add to it a little clear lime water, after 
 removing all bits of bark or straining the dye. 
 If dregs remain in any dye, it will spot the cloth 
 or yarn. 
 
 If a smooth parlor carpet is wanted, the rags 
 must be cotton, and other rags that are made of 
 fine yarn. Coarse-threaded woolen rags make 
 • a carpet look rough, and though it may do well 
 enough for a kitchen, it is not so nice for a 
 parlor. 
 
 Unless the rags are light, it will take a pound 
 and a half, and sometimes more, for each yard 
 of carpet. To know when sufficient rags are 
 prepared for the number of yards wanted, the 
 prepared rags must be weighed. If the rags are 
 light, it will not take quite a pound and a half; 
 but if they are coarse-threaded or woolen rags, 
 it will take some more than a pound and a half, 
 if the carpet is well beaten up. 
 
 If a striped carpet is wanted, tear each color 
 separately, and mix together the different shades 
 of the same color when sewing; this will make 
 the carpet more uniform in color and prettier 
 than if some stripes contained ail the brightest 
 colors, and others paler ones, which they will, 
 if the shades of the same color are not mixed in 
 sewing. A carpet always looks much better if 
 all tlie breadths are uniform in color, and by 
 mixing the shades of the same color in sewing 
 them it will be so. 
 
 For a hap-hazard carpet, all difi'erent colors 
 may be mixed in sewing. This will use up all 
 short rags, of any color or shade, and often 
 makes a very pretty carpet, which may be woven 
 easier and cheaper than a striped carpet. Short 
 pieces, or those not more than three or four yards 
 long, alternated with shorter ones, look the best 
 in this kind of carpet. 
 
 For warp, good strong prepared yarn is the 
 best, and saves much labor. It may be reeled 
 into skeins of five knots before coloring, allowing 
 one skein to a yard, and about three knots over 
 to be woven in at the end of each breadth, for 
 binding. 
 
 Measure the inside of the room, and let the 
 weaver know how long to make each breadth. 
 Carpets will shrink a little in length from the 
 weaver's measure after they come out of the loom, 
 but will often stretch a littie in width. The 
 stripes will match the best, if the edges on the 
 same side of the loom are sewed together, as the 
 different sides of the loom sometimes vary a little. 
 
 RAILROAD SIG.VALS.—ThQ varieties of 
 the "toot" of the locomotive, and gjTations of 
 the arms of the conductors by d.ay, or lanterns 
 by night, are about as intelligent to most people 
 as first-class Choctaw. The following will give 
 the reader a correct idea of their signification : 
 
 One whistle — "Down brakes." 
 
 Two whistles— "Off brakes." 
 
 Three whistles — "Backup." 
 
 Continuous whistles — "Danger." 
 
 A rapid succession of short whistles is the 
 cattle alarm, at which the brakes will always be 
 put down. 
 
 A sweeping parting of hands on level of eyes, 
 is a signal to "go ahead." 
 
 A downward motion of the hand, with extended 
 arms, "to stop." 
 
 A beckoning motion of one hand, "to back." 
 
 A lantern raised and lowered vertically, is a 
 signal for "starting;" swung at right angles or 
 crossways the track, "tostop;" swung in a circle, 
 "to back the train." 
 
 A red flag waved upon the track must be re- 
 garded as a signal of danger. So of other signals , 
 given with energy. 
 
 Hoisted at a station is a-signal for a train "to 
 stop." 
 
 Stuck up by the roadside, it is a sign.1l of 
 danger on the train ahead. 
 
 Carried unfurled upon an engine, is a warning 
 that another engine or train is on its way. 
 
 RAZOR, To Hone and Strop. — Let the hone 
 be seldom and but sparingly resorted to, and 
 never, unless by frequent and repeated stropping 
 the edge of the razor is entirely destroyed; use 
 the best oil, and be careful to preserve the hone 
 clean and free from dust. Previously to the 
 operation of shaving, it will be found of service, 
 particularly to those who have a strong beard 
 and a tender skin, to wash the face well with 
 soap and water, and the more time is spent in 
 lathering and moistening the beard, the easier 
 will the process of shaving become. Dip the 
 razor in hot water before applying it to the face ; 
 use the blade nearly flat, always taking care to 
 give it a cutting instead of a scraping ' direction. 
 Strop the razor immediately after using it, for 
 the purpose of effectually removing any moisture 
 that may remain upon the edge, and be careful 
 not to employ a common strop, as the composition 
 with which they are covered is invariably of a 
 very inferior quality, and injurious to a razor. 
 The strop should always be of the best manufac- 
 ture, and when the composition is worn oflf«it 
 will be found particularly useful to rub it over, 
 lightly, with a little clean tallow, and then put 
 upon it the top part of the snuff of a candle, 
 which being a fine powder, will admirably supply 
 the place of the best composition ever used for 
 the purpose. Another excellent mode of reno\'a- 
 ting a razor-strop is by rubbing it well with 
 pewter, and impregnating the leather with the 
 finest metallic particles. 
 
 RAZOR-STROP PASTE.— \. Levigated 
 oxide of tin (prepared putty powder) i oz.; 
 powdered oxalic acid % oz.; powdered gum 20 
 grs.; make it into a stiff paste with water, and 
 evenly and thinly spread it over the strop. 
 With very litde friction this paste gives a fine 
 edge to the razor, and its efficiency is still fur- 
 ther increased by moistening it. — 2. Emery re- 
 duced to an impalpable powder 2 parts ; sper- 
 maceti ointment I part ; mix together, and rub 
 it over the strop. — 3. Jewelers' rouge, black 
 lead, and suet, equal parts ; mix. 
 
 RAZOR PAPER.— This article supersedes 
 the use of the ordinary strop; by merely wiping 
 the razor on the paper, to remove the lather 
 after shaving, a keen edge is always maintained 
 without further trouble ; only one caution is ne- 
 cessary — that is, to begin with a sharp razor, 
 and then "the paper" will keep it in that state 
 for years. It may be prepared thus : First, 
 
502 
 
 DICTIONARY OF E VERY-DAY WANTS. 
 
 procure oxide of iron (by the addition of carbon- 
 ate of soda to a solution of persulphate of iron), 
 well wash the precipitate, and finally leave it of 
 the consistency of cream. Secondly, procure a 
 good paper, soft and thin, then with a soft brush 
 spread over the paper (on one side only) very 
 thinly the moist oxide of iron — dry, and cut into 
 two inch square pieces. It is then fit for use. 
 
 RAZOR STROP, To Renovate.— \. Rub a 
 little clean tallow over the surface, and then put 
 on it the light top part of the snufTof a candle ; 
 rub it smooth. Excellent. — 2. Rub the strop 
 well with a piece of soft pewter or lead. 
 
 REFRIGERATOR, Home Made. — Set 
 "Ice Chest." 
 
 RELATIVE HEIGHT and WEIGHT.— 
 The late Dr. John Hutchinson, after obtaining 
 the height and weight of over five thousand 
 persons, prepared the following tabular state- 
 ment, showing the relative height and weight 
 of persons in health: 
 
 5 feet I inch, 1 20 pounds. 
 
 5 feet 2 inches, 125 pounds. 
 
 5 feet 3 inches, 133 pounds. 
 
 5 feet 4 inches, 139 pounds. 
 
 5 feet 5 inches, 142 pounds. 
 
 5 feet 6 inches, 145 pounds. 
 
 5 feet 7 inches, 148 pounds. 
 
 5 feet 8 inches, 155 pounds. 
 
 5 feet 9 inches, 162 pounds. 
 
 5 feet 10 inches, 169 pounds. 
 
 5 feet 1 1 inches, 1 74 pounds. 
 
 6 feet, 178 pounds. 
 The above is the average ; of course tliere are 
 
 many cases of variation. 
 
 RHEUMATISM {Inflammatory), Pump, 
 kins for. — At a recent meeting of the New York 
 Farmers' Club, a correspondent wrote of the 
 virtues of the pumpkin, giving the following in- 
 stance of its value for inflammatory rheumatism: 
 A woman's arm was swelled to an enormous size 
 and painfully inflamed. A poultice was made 
 of stewed pumpkins, which was renewed every 
 fifteen minutes, and in a short time produced a 
 perfect cure. The fever drawn out by the poul- 
 tices made them extremely offensive, as they 
 were taken off. I knew a man cured of severe 
 inflammation of the bowels by the same kind of 
 application. 
 
 RHEUMATISM in HORSES, To Cure.— 
 Crude coal oil, l pint ; strong vinegar, ^ pint ; 
 turpentine, ^ pmt, mixed, and well shaken. 
 To be rubbed on mornings and nights. 
 
 RHUBARB, Compound Tincture of.— T^kt 
 of rhubarb, sliced, 2 ounces; liquorice root, 
 bruised, ^ ounce ; ginger, powdered, saffron, 
 each 2 drachms; distilled water, i pint; proof 
 spirits of wine, I2 ounces by measure. Digest 
 for 14 days, and strain. Dose, yi ounce as an 
 aperient, or i ounce in violent diarrhoea. 
 
 RHUBARB, Sweet Tincture o/.—TakQ of 
 rhubarb, bruised, 2 ounces ; liquorice root, 
 bruised, 2 ounces ; aniseed, bruised, i ounce ; 
 sugar, 1 ounce; diluted alcohol, 2 pints. Ma- 
 cerate for fourteen days, express and filter. 
 
 ROADS, Repairing. — This is an operation 
 which is or should be performed immediately 
 after the settling of the ground in the spring. 
 In agricultural districts it is often deferred till 
 later in the season. In this case the labor of 
 
 futting a road in good condition is often doubled. 
 t is as true of roads as of raiment that "a stitch 
 in time saves nine," and if for the word stitch 
 
 we substitute ditch, the old saw will be even 
 more forcible in its meaning. 
 
 Winter makes sad havoc in the earth roads 
 which intersect the country in all directions. 
 His frosts upheave, and the springs wash out 
 deep guUeys and ruts, and when at last the reign 
 of frost is over, that which was straight is all 
 crooked ; level places are changed into alternate 
 rises and depressions, stones are left on the top, 
 and, in short, these roads become sloughs of 
 despond in which loaded teams wallow in de- 
 spair, and where wagons are left standing for 
 weeks up to the hubs in mud, simply because 
 it is beyond the power of horse ilesh to extricate 
 them. 
 
 If, when the mud has dried, the ruts were 
 filled at once, and the ditches at the wayside 
 opened, much would be gained, but as this is 
 generally neglected, the June thunderstorms have 
 things all their own way. Sluices are filled, 
 bridges undermined and washed away, and, fin- 
 ally, when the "road master" summons the in- 
 habitants to turn out and work on the road, they 
 find plenty to do. The road is at last put info 
 passable condition, and remains so till the fall 
 rains and the marketing wagons again cut them 
 all up, and the snow following hides them from 
 view till the ensuing spring. 
 
 An old farmer once remarked to us that there 
 is no other work done by farmers that pays so 
 well as road making ; but there are few of them 
 that are far sighted enough to see that the sav- 
 ing effected by good roads in the current ex- 
 penses of repairs in wagons and harnesses, and 
 the increase of loads which can be carried, pay 
 liberally for the work, which they do grudgingly, 
 when at last it is performed. 
 
 ROCA' BIAS TING. —Sawdust of soft wood, 
 mixed with gunpowder in equal parts, is said to 
 have thrice the strength of gunpowder alone, 
 when used in blasting. 
 
 ROCKWORK, Artificial Coral for.— Toks 
 four parts of yellow resin and one part of ver- 
 milion, and melt them together ; dip twigs, 
 cinders or stones in this mixture, and it will give 
 them the appearance of coral; and is applicable 
 to rockwork, grotto, or any fancy work, as a 
 substitute for tnat costly article. 
 
 ROPES, Rules for Computing the Strength 
 of. — To find what size rope you require, when 
 roven as a tackle, to lift a given weight. Divide 
 the weight to be raised by the number of parts 
 at the movable block, to obtain the strain on a 
 single part ; add one third of this for the in- 
 creased strain brought by friction, and reeve the 
 rope of corresponding strength. 
 
 One sixth of 40 tons is 6% tons, which, with 
 one third added, is 9 tons nearly, for which you 
 should reeve a six inch or six and a half inch 
 rope. 
 
 Conversely : — To find what weight a given 
 rope will lift when rove as a tackle : Multiply 
 the weight that the rope is capable of suspend- 
 ing by the number of parts at the movable 
 block, and subtract one fourth of this for re- 
 sistance. 
 
 Thus: 8.9 tons, the strength of the rope, mul- 
 tiplied by 6, the number of parts at the movable 
 block, minus 13.3 or one fourth, gives 40.1 tons 
 as the weight required. 
 
 Wire rope is more than twice the strength 
 of hemp rope of the same circumference; splicing 
 a rope is supposed to weaken it one eighth. 
 
MISCELLANEOUS. 
 
 503 
 
 The strongest description of hemp rope is un- 
 tarred, white, three stranded rope ; and the next 
 in the scale of strength is the common three 
 strand, hawser laid rope, tarred. 
 
 ROPE, To Make Flexible— ^t\v, stiflF rope 
 may be made flexible by simply boiling it two 
 hours in water, and then hanging it in a warm 
 room to dry thoroughly. 
 
 ROOFS, Fireproof iVash y&n— Slake lime in 
 a close box to prevent the escape of steam, and 
 when slaked pass it through a sieve. To every 
 six quarts of this lime add one quart of rock salt 
 and one gallon of water. After this boil and 
 skim clean. To every five gallons of this add, 
 by slow degrees, three quarters of a pound of 
 potash and four quarts of fine sand. Coloring 
 matter may be added if desired. Apply with a 
 paint or whitewash brush. This wash looks as 
 well as paint and is almost as durable as slate. 
 It will stop small leaks in a roof, prevent the 
 moss from growing over it, and render it incom- 
 bustible from sparks falling on it. When applied 
 to brick work, it renders the bsick utterly im- 
 pervious to rain ; it endures as long as paint, and 
 the expense is a mere trifle. 
 
 ROOFS, Moss on. — Don't let the moss gather 
 on the roofs of your buildings. It may be orna- 
 mental to some eyes, but not very beneficial to 
 the shingles. They will rot fast enough by the 
 moisture it retains; so sprinkle some fine lime 
 upon them just before a rain, and you will be 
 surprised to see how clean it will be taken off". 
 
 RUBBER HOSE, To Mend.— Cnt the hose 
 apart where it is defective; obtain, from any gas- 
 fitter, a piece of iron pipe two or three inches 
 long ; twist the hose over it until the ends meet, 
 ■wrap with strong twine, well waxed, and it will 
 last a long time. 
 
 SALT 0/ LEMOIVS.—i:ake of cream of 
 tartar, 2 ounces ; salt of sorrel (quadroxalate 
 of potassa), 4 ounces. Reduce both to fine 
 powder and mix. To remove fruit stains and 
 such like fiom linen, by rubbing a little of it on 
 tlie part, moistened with warm water. 
 
 SANDAL WOOD, Spirit of.— lake of oil of 
 sandal wood l oz., alcohol 2 oz., oil of cinnamon 
 25 minims. Mix. Dose one or two drachms 
 three times a day. 
 
 SANDPAPER {Superior), To Make.-ltlkQ 
 a quantity of broken window glass, (that which 
 has rather a green appearance on the edge is 
 best;) pound it in an iron mortar; then have two 
 or three sieves, of different degrees of fineness, 
 ready for use when wanted. Take any good 
 tough paper, (fine cartridge is the best,) level 
 the knobs and lumps on both sides with pumice- 
 stone , tack it at each corner on a board, and, 
 with good clear glue, diluted with about one third 
 more water than is used generally for wood-work, 
 go quickly over the paper, taking care to spread 
 it even with your brush ; then, having your sieve 
 ready, sift the pounded glass over it lightly, yet 
 so as to cover it in every f>art ; let it remain till 
 the glue is set, take it from the board, shake off 
 the superfluous glass into the sieve, and hang it 
 in the shade to dry. In two or three days, it 
 will be fit for use. 
 
 The paper will be much better than any you 
 can buy, sand being frequently mixed with the 
 glass and colored to deceive the purchaser. 
 
 SCRE WS and NUTS, To Loosen.— -^Xxtn you 
 find screws and nuts have become fast from rust, 
 pour on them a little kerosene or coal oil, and 
 
 wait a few moments till they become soaked with 
 the liquid. When this is done, they can be easily 
 started, and the bolt saved. 
 
 SEED, Quantity Required for a Given Num- 
 ber 0/ Hills, or Length of Drill, — Asparagus, I 
 oz. to 60 ft. drill; beet, I oz. to 50 ft, drill; 
 carrot, I oz. to 180 ft. drill; endive, i oz. to 150 
 ft. drill ; onion, i oz. to 100 ft. drill ; parsley, 
 I oz. to 150 ft. drill; pafsnip, i oz. to 200 ft. 
 drill ; radish, I oz. to 100 ft. drill ; spinach, i 
 oz. to 100 ft. drill; turnip, I oz. to 150 ft. drill; 
 peas, I qt. to 100 ft. drill; dwarf beans, i qt. to 
 150 hills ; corn, i qt. to 200 hills ; cucumber, i 
 oz. to 50 hills ; watermelon, i oz. to 30 hills ; 
 muskmelon, I oz. to 60 hills; pumpkin, i oz. to 
 40 hills; early squash, I oz. to 50 hills; marrow 
 squash, i oz, to i6 hills ; cabbage, I oz. to 3000 
 plants ; cauliflower,' I oz. to 3000 plants ; celery, 
 I oz. to 4000 plants ; egg plant, i oz. to 2000 
 plants ; lettuce, i oz. to 4000 plants ; pepper, i 
 oz. to 2000 plants; tomato, I oz. to 2000 plants. 
 
 SEED, Quantity Required for the Acre, and 
 Actual Weight of Each to the Bushel. — 
 
 To the Lbs. 
 acre. to bush. 
 Wheat, broadcast bushels... i^ tos 60 
 
 " drilled " ... ij^ 60 
 
 Rye, broadcast " ... i?.< 56 
 
 " drilled " ...i%"i%i(> 
 
 Oats, broadcast " . , , 2 33 
 
 Timothy, " gallons... 3 45 
 
 Red Clover, broadcast " ... 3 "4 60 
 
 White Clover, •' pounds... 8 50 
 
 Lucerne, broadcast " ...10 54 
 
 Herd or Red Top, broadcast. bushels... i " \% 14 
 
 Blue Grass, broadcast " .,.1 " ij^ 14 
 
 Millet, " " ... ?i " I 45 
 
 Hungarian, " " ... J^ " i 50 
 
 Com in hills gallons... i " i^ 56 
 
 Turnip and Ruta-baga pounds... x 50 
 
 Onion Sets "... 28 
 
 SEWING MACHINES, Hints on Using. 
 — It is a fact known to all who use sewing ma- 
 chines that the prevailing difficulty is" the break- 
 mg of the thread. Nearly all other disarrange- 
 ments that occur, can usually be overcome by 
 any person of ordinary ingenuity ; even though 
 they have had but a few weeks, or perhaps, days 
 experience in the use of a sewing machine. 
 
 This breaking, which is mostly with the upper 
 thread, may occur from an imperfect adjustment 
 of the tension. With new machines this is in- 
 variably the cause; but with those that have 
 been in use several months, the breaking (when 
 the tension is right) is produced by the threads 
 wearing into the guides, so that when a swelled 
 place in the thread reaches the narrow groove 
 which is worn to the exact width of the regular 
 size of the thread, not being allowed to pass 
 through, the thread breaks. 
 
 Of course this break may take place anywhere 
 from the point of the needle back to the grooved 
 guide which caught it. As it is usually at or 
 near the end of the needle, the real cause is very 
 generally overlooked. Many have been so 
 troubled with this continual breaking that it has 
 been necessary for them to lay aside their ma- 
 chines, when if this cause had been known to 
 them, by simply smoothing the guide holes with 
 a small round file, their trouble would have 
 ended. 
 
 S HA. MPOC^ LIQUID.— Tht simplest shan- 
 pooing liquid is the Vst — .md this is made by 
 dropping borax, lump or powdered — into water 
 until no more borax will dissolve. There is no 
 danger of its getting too strong. This being 
 applied to the hair makes a very good lather; 
 
504 
 
 DICTIONARY OF EVERY-DAY WANTS. 
 
 wash out with clean water, and when the hair has 
 dried — if harsh, use a very little oil or sweet oil 
 and cologne water mixed. A more elaborate 
 wash or shampooing liquid is used by barbers. 
 It is as follows: carbonate of ammonia ^ oz,, 
 carbonate of potash I oz., water i pint. Dissolve. 
 Then add tincture of cantharides 5 fluid ounces, 
 best alcohol i pint, rum three quarts, shake up 
 well and let it stand a week before using; make 
 a good lather and stimulate the skin; healthy 
 skinned persons should not use it — their skin 
 does not want stimulating — they only want 
 cleansing. 
 
 SHAVING LIQUID.— \. White soap, 3 
 ounces; proof spirit, 8 ounces; distilled water, 
 4 ounces ; carbonate of potash, i drachm; scented 
 with essence of lemon. Dissolve the soap with- 
 out heat, and add the potash and essence. — 2. 
 White soft soap, 16 ounces; oil of olives, ^ oz.; 
 gum benzoin, i drachm; rectified spirit, 24 oz.; 
 digest. Rub a few drops on the beard, followed 
 by warm water. 
 
 SHAVING TASTE— Me\t together one 
 drachm each of spermaceti, white wax, and al- 
 mond oil ; beat it up with 2 ounces of the best 
 white soap, and add a little lavender or cologne 
 water. 
 
 SATA TING, Hints o«.— Thi? delightful art 
 affords the most appropriate outdoor exercise and 
 amusement that can well be conceived for a winter 
 day; like some other practical arts, however — 
 swimming, for example — no amount of mere 
 theoretical instruction will enable a person who 
 knows nothing about jt, so much as to stand with 
 skates on upon the ice, much less to glide along 
 its surface with the ease and grace of a skillful 
 performer. What is required is really very 
 simple, and is entirely of a practical kind. See 
 that your skates are neither too large nor too 
 small, that they fit your boot so tightfy as to be 
 immovable, and that the blades are sharp. Put 
 them on and endeavor to stand on them on the 
 ice. It is wonderful how speedily, and, as it 
 were, instinctively, you will acquire the power of 
 balancing yourself, and moving on the slippery 
 surface. A fall or two may be unavoidable, but, 
 like some of the evils of human life, they will be 
 but a temporary inconvenience, bringing with 
 them greater security as experience increases. 
 
 We have no intention of presenting our read- 
 ers with an elaborate essay on the art of skating, 
 but shall confine ourselves to a few useful hmts. 
 Without any minute descriptions of the instru- 
 ment, a remark or two as to the "iron" or blade 
 on which the skater stands may be made. Some- 
 times it is made plane at the bottom, and some- 
 times it is fluted. In our opinion the plane 
 surface is the better form. The height of this 
 "iron" ought to be an inch at the back and three- 
 fourths of an inch in front, and the curve in th« 
 front should not project too far, but merely so 
 as to clear the toe well. As already hinted, the 
 skate ought to fit tightly and accurately, and to 
 this end it ought to be furnished with a screw, 
 to be screwed into the heel of the boot ; these 
 will go far to render the skate perfectly steady 
 when properly strapped to the boot. 
 
 Presuming the skate securely fixed, and the 
 boot also tightly laced, the learner's first attempt 
 must be to place himself in a perpendicular 
 attitude on the ice. It may be said that his first 
 step is to stand. The back of a chair placed be- 
 fore him, a stick shod with an iron spike, or the 
 
 friendly hand of an experienced acquaintance, wil 
 be found in this primary effort of great use. When 
 some tolerable degree of steadiness is acquired, 
 some attempt at locomotion may be made, and 
 in so adventurous an effort, especially if made by 
 any of our fair readers, a vigorous arm to lean 
 upon on each side, will be found a great comfort, 
 till some degree of confidence is acquired, and 
 will act the part which cork floats or bladders do 
 toward the timid swimmer who suddenly finds 
 himself "out of his depth." 
 
 If the learner intend' to begin with his right 
 foot, he ought to keep the left knee straight and 
 firm, bending it only a little at the instant of 
 striking out, and vice versa so acting with the 
 left foot and right knee. The body ought to be 
 slightly inclined forwards, of course, so as — in 
 scientific language — to "keep the centre of grav- 
 ity over the base," the learner taking advantage 
 of the friendly support on each side as he strikes 
 out, and if such support is unattauiable, making 
 the best use he can of his stick, and submitting 
 with his-best grace to the inevitable necessity of 
 a sudden obedience to the law of gravitation in 
 the shape of a fall. The skater ought never to 
 look at his feet, nor at the ice near him, as by 
 doing so, he is very apt to increase the number 
 of his exploits in the way of tumbling, for it is 
 unquestionable that he can keep his balance 
 better by looking straight forwards than by 
 fixing his attention on the movement of his feet; 
 this, however, he will soon find by experience. 
 It is remarkable that this rule is exemplified in 
 intellectual and moral affairs; we are more likely 
 to attain a successful result by giving our atten- 
 tion rather to the ultimate object in view, although 
 it be remote, than by connaing our prospect to 
 each minute and, perhaps, difficult step which 
 leads to it. The learner, while keeping his head 
 up, ought to advance his body a little forwards. 
 By this means he will avoid a backward fall, 
 which is often a serious mischance. The learner's 
 face ought always to be turned in the direction 
 to be followed. All movements in skating ought 
 to be smooth and graceful, and quite free from 
 jerking and awkward gestures. The act of stop- 
 ping is performed by slightly bending the knees, 
 bringing the heels together and bearing upon 
 them ; it may also be accomplished by turning 
 short to the right or left. 
 
 It is only requisite further to add that the 
 method of skating in certain figures is not difficult 
 to acquire when proficiency in the art is attained; 
 to furnish learners with precepts for those per- 
 formances on the ice, which imply a large amount 
 of experience, is hardly requisite, for the art of 
 moving over the ice in figures is itself learnt in 
 the act of learning to skate. 
 
 SIZING for BOOTS and SHOES in Tree 
 ing out. — Take water I qt., and dissolve in it, 
 by heat, isinglass I oz.; adding more water Xq 
 make up for evaporation ; when dissolved, add 
 starch 6 oz.; extract of logwood, beeswax, and 
 tallow, of -each 2 oz.; and continue the heat until 
 all is melted and well mixed. Rub the starch 
 up first, by pouring on sufficient boiling water 
 for that purpose. 
 
 SILK, Gilding en. — Silks, satins, woolens, 
 ivory, bone, etc., may be readily gilded by im- 
 mersing them in a solution of nitro-muriate (ter- 
 chloride) of gold, (l of the salt to 3 or 4 of wa- 
 ter,) and then exposing them to the action of 
 hydrogen gas. The latter part of the process 
 
MISCELLANEOUS. 
 
 50s 
 
 may readily be performed by pouring some di- 
 luted sulphuric acid on zinc or iron hlings, in a 
 bottle, and placing it under a jar or similar ves- 
 sel, inverted, at the top of which the articles to 
 be gilded are to be suspended. 
 
 The foregoing experiment may be very prettily 
 and advantageously varied as follows : — Paint 
 flowers or other ornaments with a very fine camel- 
 hair pencil, dipped in the above mentioned solu- 
 tion of gold, on pieces of silk, satin, etc., and 
 hold them over a Florence flask, from which 
 hydrogen gas is evolved, during the decomposi- 
 tion of the water by sulphuric acid and iron fil- 
 ings. The ]3ainted flowers, etc., in a few min- 
 utes will shine with all the splendor of the 
 purest gold. A coating of this kind will not 
 tarnish on exposure to the air, or in washing. 
 
 SILK (^Varnished), To Prepare. — Varnished 
 silk, for making umbrellas, capots, coverings 
 for hats, etc., is prepared in the same manner as 
 the varnished and polished cloths already de- 
 scribed, but with some variation in the liquid 
 paste or varnish. If the surface of the silk be 
 pretty large, it is made fast to a wooden frame 
 furnished with hooks and movable pegs, such 
 as that used in the manufacture of common var- 
 nished cloths. A soft paste, composed of linseed- 
 oil boiled with a fourth part of litharge; tobacco- 
 pipe clay, dried and sifted through a silk sieve, 
 16 parts; litharge, ground on porphyry with 
 water, dried and sifted in the same manner, 3 
 parts, and lampblack, i part. This paste is then 
 spread in a uniform manner over the surface of 
 the silk by means of a long knife, having a 
 handle at each extremity. In summer, 24 hours 
 are sufficient for its desiccation. When dry, the 
 knots produced by the inequalities of the silk 
 are smoothed with pumice-stone. This opera- 
 tion is performed with water, and, when finished, 
 the surface of the silk is washed. It is then 
 suffered to dry, and fat copal varnish is applied. 
 If it be intended to polish this varnish, apply a 
 second stratum, after which polish it with a ball 
 of cloth and very fine tripoli. The varnished 
 «ilk thus made is very black, exceedingly pli- 
 able, and has a fine polish. It may be rumpled 
 a thousand ways without retaining any fold, or 
 even the mark of one. It is light, and therefore 
 proper for coverings to hats, and for making 
 cloaks and caps so useful to travelers in wet 
 weather. 
 
 SIGNATURES, To take Facsimiles of.— 
 Write your name on a piece of paper, and while 
 the ink is wet sprinkle over it some finely-pow- 
 dered gum arable, then make a rim round it and 
 ?our on it some fusible alloy, in a liquid state, 
 mpressions may be taken from the plates formed 
 in this way, by mea.ns of printing-ink and the 
 copperplate-press. 
 
 SHIPS, To Ventilate. — ^^Air-pipes are used 
 for drawing foul air out of ships, or other close 
 places, by means of fire. One extremity is 
 placed in a hole in the side of a furnace, (closed 
 in every part excepting the outlet for the smoke ; ) 
 the other in the place which it is designed to 
 purify. The rarefaction produced by the fire 
 causes a curr mt of air to be determined to it, 
 and the only li^eans by which the air can arrive 
 at the fire ? .ting through the pipe, a quick cir- 
 culation, in the place where the extremity of 
 the pipe may be situated, is consequently pro- 
 duced. ' 
 SHELLAC, 7I> ^/^d:<:/5.— The bleaching ofi 
 
 shellac is generally effected on- a large scale by 
 chlorine or some of its compounds, or by sul- 
 phuric acid; the bleached article costs more than 
 twice as much as the unbleached. The bleached 
 shellac is frequently dissolved in spirits of wine 
 for use as a varnish by cabinet makers. This 
 varnish is apt to stain any inlaid metallic orna- 
 ment upon the furniture, or any metal attached 
 to it, in consequence of the varnish retaining a 
 small proportion of the bleaching compound in 
 solution. Another process of bleaching may be 
 adopted which renders the varnish free from this 
 objection, and very much reduces the cost of the 
 bleached shellac or seed lac. This process con- 
 sists in the use of animal charcoal as a bleaching 
 powder. It is prepared in the following man- 
 ner: — Any quantity of yellow shellac, previously 
 broken in small pieces, is conveyed into a flask, 
 alcohol of 0.83 sp. gr. poured upon it, and the 
 whole heated on the hob, or, in the summer, in 
 the sun, until the shellac is dissolved; upon this 
 so rnuch coarsely powdered animal charcoal is 
 added to the solution that the whole forms a thin 
 paste ; the flask is closed, not quite air tight, and 
 left so for some time, exposed to the sun ; and 
 in eight to fourteen days a small sample is filter- 
 ed, sufficient to ascertain whether it has acquired 
 a light yellowish brown color, and whether it 
 yields a clear, pure polish on light colored 
 woods. If this be the case, it is filtered through 
 coarse blotting paper, for which purpose it is 
 best to employ a tin funnel with double sides, 
 similar to those employed in filtering spirituous 
 solutions of soaps, opodeldoc, etc. The portion 
 which first passes through the filter may be pre- 
 served separately, and used as a ground or first 
 polish. Then some more spirit is poured over 
 the charcoal upon the filter, and the solution 
 used as a last coating. The solution of shellac 
 purified by animal charcoal has a brown yellow 
 color, but it is perfectly clear and transparent ; 
 when diluted with alcohol, the color is so slight 
 that it may be used in this state for polishing 
 perfectly white wood, such as maple, pine, etc., 
 without the wood acquiring the least tint of 
 yellow. 
 
 SLA TES, Artificial. — Elastic slates have 
 come to be almost an article of necessity on ac- 
 count of being light, and as easily carried in the 
 pocket as a memorandum book, having the ad- 
 vantage over the other kind in the fact that the 
 notes and writing can be easily effaced, leaving 
 the surface clean and ready for further use. The 
 following is the composition from which they 
 are made : Sand in very fine powder, 82 parts ; 
 lampblack, 8 parts ; boiled linseed or cottonseed 
 oil, 10 parts. This mixture is to be thoroughly 
 mixed together and spirits of turpentine added 
 in order that the kind of paint thus obtained 
 may be applied on a thin sheet of pasteboard. 
 As soon as the first coat is dry another coat is 
 applied, and even a third application is some- 
 times required. The last coat is smoothed by 
 being rubbed with a piece of cotton waste, satu- 
 rated with spirits of turpentine. 
 
 The artificial slates thus obtained are light, 
 easily transported, not liable to be broken, and 
 a slate pencil is used to write upon them. 
 
 SMALL-POX, Darkness in Treating.— It is 
 stated that if a patient, in the beginning of the 
 attack, be put in a room from which absolutely 
 all light is excluded save that of a candle, the 
 effect is to arrest the disease in the papular or 
 
5o6 
 
 DICTION AR Y OF E VER Y DA Y- WANTS. 
 
 vesicular stage ; it never becomes purulent, and 
 the skin between the vesicles is never inflamed 
 or swollen ; the liquor sanguinis is prevented 
 from becoming pus ; the large scabs of matter 
 never form over the face ; there is no intense 
 pain, and only trifling itching, and the smell is 
 either very slight or altogether wanting. 
 
 SOAP-BUBBLES, Large and Lottg-Last- 
 ing. — For the production of unusually large 
 soap-bubbles that will last for hours, and exhibit 
 splendidly the beautiful colors of the rainbow, a 
 fluid may be employed that can easily be pre- 
 pared in the following way : Fine shavings of 
 palm-oil soap are shaken in a large bottle with 
 distilled water, until a concentrated solution of 
 the soap is obtained; this is filtered through 
 gray filtering paper, and mixed then with about 
 one-third of pure glycerine. The fluid is to be 
 shaken up before use. By means of a small 
 glass funnel, of two inches diameter, connected 
 with a tube of India rubber, soap-bubbles may 
 be prepared with this fluid that will vie in the 
 beauty of the display of color with the rainbow 
 itself, and which may be kept for a long while 
 by putting them carefully upon an iron ring 
 which is slightly rusty and thoroughly wet with 
 the soap solution. Bubbles of one foot and more 
 in diameter will keep from five to ten minutes ; 
 those of two to three inches in diameter, for 
 hours — often for ten to twelve. 
 
 SOUP TABLETS, Prussian.— Tak^ eleven 
 parts by weight of good suet, melt it in an iron 
 pan, and make it very hot, so as to become 
 brown; add, while keeping the fat stirred, eight- 
 een parts of rye meal, and continue heating and 
 stirring so as to make the mass brown; add 
 then four parts of dried salt and two parts of 
 coarsely pulverized caraway seed. The mixture 
 is then poured into tin pans somewhat like those 
 used for making chocolate into cakes. The cakes 
 have the appearance of chocolate, and are chiefly 
 intended for the use of soldiers while in the field. 
 A quantity of about one ounce of this prepara- 
 tion is sufficient to yield, when boiled with some 
 water, a ration of good soup, and in case of need 
 the cakes, being agreeable to the taste, may be 
 eaten raw. 
 
 SPONGE PAPER.— For the fabrication of 
 an article called sponge paper, lately patented 
 in France, evenly and finely divided sponge is 
 added to ordinary paper pulp, and this is worked 
 as in the common paper making apparatus, into 
 sheets of different thicknesses. It is said to have 
 all the peculiarities of sponge, absorbing water 
 readily, and remaining moist a long time. It 
 has been used as dressing for wounds with con- 
 siderable advantage and is capable of several 
 important technical applications. 
 
 STAMMERING, To Cnre.—'So stammer- 
 ing person ever found any difficulty in sinking. 
 The reason of this is that by observing the 
 measure of the music — by keeping time — the or- 
 gans of speech are kept in such position that 
 enunciation is easy. Apply the same rule to 
 reading or speech, and the same result will fol- 
 low. Let the stammerer take a sentence, say 
 this one — 'Leander swam the Hellespont' — and 
 pronounce it by syllables, scan it, keeping time 
 with his finger if necessary, letting each syllable 
 occupy the same time, thus, Le — an — der — swam 
 — the — Hel — les — pont, and he will not stam- 
 mer. Let him pronounce slowly at first, then 
 faster, but still keeping time, keeping time with 
 
 words instead of syllables, and he will be sur- 
 prised to find that, by very little practice, he will 
 read without stammering, and nearly as rapidly 
 as persons ordinarily talk or read. Then prac- 
 tice this in reading and conversation until the 
 habit is broken up. Perseverance and atten- 
 tion is all that is necessary to perform a perfect 
 cure. 
 
 STARCH from Frosted Potatoes. — Potatoes 
 much frosted will make very good starch, though 
 it is a shade darker in color. All coarse clothes 
 requiring to be stiffened, where whiteness is no 
 object, may be done with starch made from po- 
 tatoes greatly penetrated with frost. The best 
 method of making potatoes into starch is to grate 
 them down into water, then to take out all the 
 refuse with the hand, and next to strain the 
 whole of the water in which the potatoes have 
 been grated through a thin cloth, rather coarse, 
 or fine sieve, and afterwards frequently putting 
 on and pouring off water until it comes clear 
 from the starch, which is always allowed to set- 
 tle or fall to the bottom of the vessel in which 
 the operation is performed. An experiment was 
 tried with a few potatoes that were put out to 
 frost. They were grated down and made into 
 starch powder. The produce of the fresh potato 
 weighed 876 grains, while that of the frosted 
 was only 412, being less than half the quantity. 
 The refuse of the potato, when taken from the 
 sieve, possesses the property of cleansing woolen 
 cloths without hurting their colors, and the wa- 
 ter decanted from the starch powder is excellent 
 for cleansing silks without the smallest injury to 
 their color. In making hair-powder it has long 
 been used, and is therefore well known. 
 
 STEAM-ENGINES, To Take Care of when 
 Ne-ioly-set. — After a newly-set steam-boiler has 
 been fitted out with all the requisite parts, it is 
 to be filled with water one or two inches above 
 the normal level. There being no pressure of 
 steam, the fact that the boiler is filled to the 
 desired height, can only be ascertained by blow- 
 ing air through the open gauge-cocks. From the 
 bubbling of the air, ascending through the water, 
 it is easily ascertained whether there is sufficient 
 water or not. The float on the glass gauge in- 
 dicates the water-level directly, but the former is 
 often less accurate on account of the coldness of 
 the stuffing-box. If the man-hole is still open, 
 the level may more readily be ascertained by 
 means of a rod. The charging generally takes 
 place by means of an efficient hand-pump, since 
 the cases are exceptional where there is a higher 
 situated reservoir, from which the boiler may be 
 fed. This convenience is only met with where 
 steam-engines are situated near water-wheels, 
 (whether for the increase of force, or for the 
 substitution of water-power during repairs, etc.,) 
 or where there is an upper pond, or the estab- 
 lishments are near a steep mountain, abounding 
 in rivulets; or in iron-works, which, for the 
 hoisting of the furnace-charges, require high 
 reservoirs and hydraulic lifts. In order to fill 
 the boiler, a canvas hose is attached to the dis- 
 charging-mouth of a hand-pump or to the con- 
 duction-pipes, and introduced into the man-hole. 
 If there are several boilers for only one machine, 
 and in case oneof them has been cleaned as reserve 
 boiler, which it is desired shall now be rapidly 
 filled, it is necessary to fasten a mouthpiece to 
 the delivery-pipeof the cold pump, so that a hos© 
 can be attached. It is less expensive to use 
 
MISCELLANEOUS. 
 
 507 
 
 ho5e than solid pipes; they are more simple and 
 less easily damaged. After being used, they 
 must be well dried, and not kept in moist places. 
 In many establishments, as in cotton-mills, iron- 
 works, and calico printing-works, the pumps aie 
 so constructed that they can also be employed as 
 fire-engines. 
 
 After the charging of the boiler, the fire is 
 made, for which purpose brushwood and shav- 
 ings are best. The fire is regulated by means of 
 a damper or the fire-door, in such a manner that 
 during the first day the temperature of the water 
 •will not attain the boiling-point. It is advisable 
 to keep the door open, smce the drying of the 
 masonry will be accelerated by the current of 
 entering air. But, as the drying proceeds, the 
 opening must be more and more closed, and 
 finally it ought to be kept shut, except during 
 the poking of the fire. 
 
 If the walling is very moist, steam-clouds are 
 seen issuing from the chimney. The author of 
 this was once compelled to put up a boiler in 
 very cold weather, and with frozen stones. Yet, 
 by constructing proper flues in the brick-work, 
 and by firing with care, steam could be produced 
 on the evening of the second day. The brick- 
 work was dry, without having been injured in 
 the least. 
 
 On the second day the fire was increased, the 
 door was kept nearly closed, the damper open a 
 little more. With new boilers and chimneys, it 
 often happens that at first there is no draught, 
 especially where it is carried long distances 
 around the boiler. This is expbined by the fact 
 that the hot air meets too great a resistance from 
 the dense, cold air in the draught-holes and 
 chimney. This evil can be remedied by kindling 
 a straw fire at the foot of the chimney. In set- 
 ting a new boiler, the cleaning-hole of the 
 chimney should, therefore, be left open. But if 
 once the walling is warmed through, the firing 
 may be interrupted for several days, and even 
 for a longer time, without any appreciable evil 
 effects, since bricks retain their heat for a long 
 while. As soon as the least current is created, 
 the fire at once becomes active, the flame 
 attains <iirection, and having once reached the 
 chimney, its activity is still more increased. 
 
 Although the greatest attention must be paid 
 to the firing, all the parts connected with the 
 generation of steam ought not on that account to 
 be neglected. It is, for instance, well to examine 
 whether the float plays well after the box has 
 become hot, and the engineer should satisfy 
 himself of the right position and the reliability of 
 its movements. If the beam on the side of the 
 float-stone is pressed down, the latter should 
 immediately sink into the water; but if relieved 
 by the pressure, it should be lifted by the counter- 
 weight into the position corresponding to the 
 existent water-level. The points to which most 
 attention must be paid are the steel edges upon 
 which the beam turns, and the stuffing-box. ITie 
 edges ought not to be pressed too much into the 
 nut of the lever. When steam is generating, the 
 efficiency and mobility of the gauge-cocks are to 
 be tried. In high-pressure boilers, the cock of 
 the manometer must be opened, while in low- 
 
 ?ressure boilers, the air-valve is to be inspected, 
 'he safety-valves must also be examined, opened, 
 and lifted from their seats and turned, in order 
 to prevent their sticking by the adhesion of the 
 oil. The author has seen valves thus stuck 
 
 suddenly thrown up by the steam, causing de- 
 rangements and fractures. The valves with a 
 directly applied weight play less readily; if one 
 corresponds, for instance, to a pressure of four 
 atmospheres, by waiting until the steam has 
 reached a tension of two or three atmospheres, 
 it may easily be lifted. 
 
 Moreover, in low-pressure boilers, inspection 
 should be made of the induction-pipe before the 
 tension has attained the desired height; the fire- 
 man must examine whether the float is movable, 
 and whether the feeding-pipe is in order; he 
 must inspect the manometer, withdrawing the 
 float from the mercury, and letting it slide again 
 into it. It will now be seen where there are 
 untight joints and screws. Although the former 
 may have been drawn on very tight, they gene- 
 rally get loose again by getting warm, so that 
 they have to be screwed on anew. If the leaks are 
 so great that they can not be done away with in 
 this manner, and by driving in small wooden 
 wedges which have been put in putty, the spots 
 must be well marked, so that the evil may be 
 remedied at the first stand-still. Steam should 
 be turned on slowly; for if allowed to pass 
 suddenly into the pipes, the thereby condensing 
 water has a tendency to open the joints, the 
 water often running from them. 
 
 The fire must be regulated according to the 
 generation of steam, the tension of which, de- 
 pendent on the speed of the machine, is indicated 
 by the manometer. To use as little fuel as 
 possible is here the first principle. Whether 
 wood, peat, coal, coke, or brown coal are to be 
 burned should be decided upon beforehand, so 
 that the boiler as well as the walling maybe con- 
 structed accordingly. It remains then only to 
 decide upon the different varieties of these com- 
 bustibles, as with regard to hard coal between 
 baking coal, open and close burning coal and 
 anthracite. In order to try a kind of fuel, it 
 ought to be used for at least four or six days ; 
 other kinds must be employed for the same 
 quantity of steam under like conditions, (cleaned 
 flues, etc. ) When different kinds of fuel admit 
 of being used together, the mixtures should be 
 tried in various proportions. From the mechan- 
 ical effect produced, it may at once be determined 
 which kind of fuel is best adapted for permanent 
 use. 
 
 W'hen several sorts of hard coals are to be had, 
 those mixtures are to be tried, which in most 
 cases range cheaper than the pure coals. In 
 running a steam-engine of twenty-two horse- 
 power, we have daily saved one thaler, (nearly 
 70 cents gold,) when, instead of using either 
 baking or cherry coal alone, we burned a mixture 
 of equal parts of each. 
 
 STONE, Artificial.— WhiU.—WvLm, I lb.; 
 water,- 1 gal. Dissolve, then steep in this liquor 
 calcined gypsum, ^ cwt. Next dry for eight 
 days in the open air, and cilcine at a dull, red 
 heat; grind and sift and form into a paste with 
 water; when hard apply a thin layer of the above 
 paste over the surface with a brush ; when quite 
 hard, polish with pumice, etc., in the usual way. 
 — Crea7H Color. — Alum, I pound ; copperas, % 
 pound ; water, 9 pints. Dissolve, and proceed 
 as before. 
 
 STONE FACADES, To Clean. — It hz% 
 been ascertained that the jet of water thrown 
 from a steam fire-engine has the power of re- 
 moving the discoloration produced by the smoke. 
 
5o8 
 
 DICTIONARY OF EVERY-DAY WANTS, 
 
 without injuring the face of the stone. The work 
 is done from the ground, the force of the stream 
 thrown by the steam fire-engine being sufficient 
 to effect the necessary cleansing. 
 
 STONE WARE {English), To Manufacture. 
 — Tobacco-pipe clay from Dorsetshire is beaten 
 much in water ; by this process the finer parts 
 of the clay remain suspended in the water, while 
 the coarser sand and other impurities fall to the 
 bottom. The thick liquid, consisting of water 
 and the finer parts of clay, is further purified by 
 passing it through hair and lawn sieves of differ- 
 ent degrees of fineness. After this the liquor is 
 mixed (in various proportions for various ware) 
 with another liquid of the same density, and 
 consisting of flints calcined, ground and sus- 
 pended in water. The mixture is then dried in 
 a kiln, and being afterwards beaten to a proper 
 temper, it becomes fit for being formed at the 
 wheel into dishes, plates, bowls, etc. When 
 this ware is to be put into the furnace to be 
 baked, the several pieces of it are placed in the 
 cases made of clay, called seggars, which are 
 piled one upon another, in the dome of the fur- 
 nace ; a fire is then lighted, when the ware is 
 brought to a proper temper, which happens in 
 about 48 hours, it is glazed by common salt. 
 The salt is thrown into the furnace through holes 
 in the upper part of it, by the heat of which it is 
 instantly converted into a thick vapor, which, 
 circulating through Jhe furnace, enters the seg- 
 gar through holes made in its side (the top being 
 covered to prevent the salt from falling on the 
 ware), and attaching itself to the surface of the 
 ware, it forms that vitreous coat upon the surface 
 which is called its glaze. 
 
 SUGAR REFINING.— K German paper 
 mentions a new process of refining sugar in 
 which the saccharine juice, after being clarified 
 in the usual way by means of lime and carbonic 
 acid, is precipitated at boiling temperature with 
 caustic baryta (60 parts of the latter for every 
 100 of sugar), the precipitate suspended in water 
 and decomposed with carbonic acid. A pure 
 solution of sugar is obtained, which only requires 
 to be evaporated. 
 
 STOVES, To Mend Cracks in. — Take equal 
 parts of wood ashes and common salt, and mix 
 them to a proper consistence with water ; with 
 this fill the cracks. 
 
 STOVES, To Keep from Rust. — Kerosene 
 applied with a cloth to stoves will keep them 
 from rusting during the summer. It is also an 
 excellent material to apply to all iron utensils 
 used about a farm. 
 
 SULPHUR, Flexible.— "By adding to pure 
 sulphur a four hundredth part of chlorine or 
 iodine it becomes very soft, so that it may be 
 spread in thin leaves as flexible as leaves of wax, 
 ■ SULPHUROUS ACID, To Make.— To 12 
 oz. of sulphuric acid, m a glass retort, add 2 oz. 
 of sulphur and apply a gentle heat. This is a 
 cheap and easy process. 
 
 SULPHURETED HYDROGEN— Tour 
 dilute sulphuric acid on sulphuret of n-on. This 
 is made by applying a roll of sulphur to a bar of 
 iron heated white hot, or by heating in a crucible 
 a mixture of 2 parts, by weight, of iron filings 
 and I of flowers of sulphur. 
 
 SWIMMIA'G, Art of .—IthAs been observed 
 that men are drowned by raising their arms 
 above water, the unbuoyed weight of which de- 
 presses the head ; all other animals have neither 
 
 motion nor ability to act in a similar manner, 
 and therefore swim naturally. When a man 
 therefore falls into deep water, he will rise to 
 the surface and continue there if he does not 
 elevate his hands. If he move his hands under 
 the water in any manner he pleases his head will 
 rise so high as to allow him liberty to breathe,* 
 and if he move his legs as in the act of walking 
 (or rather of walking upstairs), his shoulders 
 will rise above the water, so that he may use 
 less exertion with his hands, or apply them to 
 other purposes. These plain directions are re- 
 commended to the attention of those who have 
 not, learned to swim in their youth, and they will^, 
 if attended to, be found highly advantageous in 
 preserving life. 
 
 If a person falls into the water or gets out of 
 his depth and cannot swim, and if he wishes to 
 drown himself, let him kick and splash as vio- 
 lently as possible, and he will soon sink. On 
 the contrary, if impressed with the idea that he 
 is lighter than the water, he avoids all violent 
 action and calmly but steadily strives to refrain 
 from drawing his breath while under the water, 
 and keeps his head raised as much as possible, 
 and gently but constantly moves his hands and 
 feet in a proper direction, there will be a great 
 probability of his keeping afloat until some aid 
 arrives. 
 
 SYRUP of the Phosphate of Iron .—Taks: of 
 phosphate of iron 96 grs.; water 9 fl. drs.; sy- 
 rupy phosphoric acid (Sp. gr. 1.5) 7 fl. drs.; 
 syrup 10 fl, oz. Rub the phosphate of iron with 
 the water in a glass mortar, add the phosphoric 
 acid, and filter the mixture into the syrup. 
 
 SYRUP of Phosphate of Iron and Lime. — 
 Take of phosphate of iron 96 grs,; phosphate of 
 lime 192 grs.; water 8 fl. drs.; syrupy phos- 
 phoric acid 8 fl, drs.; syrup 10 fl. oz. Mi.x 
 the powders with the water in a glass mortar, 
 add the acid, and filter into the syrup. Each 
 fluid drachm contains I grain iron, 2 gr. lime, 
 and equivalent to 30 minims dilute phosphoric 
 acid. 
 
 The phosphate of lime is made by precipita- 
 tion from solutions of chloride of calcium and 
 phosphate of soda, dried at lOo" F., and used 
 whilst fresh. That made from bone-ash is much 
 less soluble. ^ 
 
 SYRUP of Phosphate of Iron and Quinine. — 
 Take of phosphate of iron 192 grs.; phosphate 
 of quinia 96 grs. ; water 7 fl. drs. ; syrupy 
 phosphoric acid 9 fl. drs.; syrup 10 fl. oz. 
 Rub the powders with water, add the acid, and 
 filter into syrup. Each fluid drachm contains 
 2 gr, iron and i gr, quinine. 
 
 SYRUP of Phosphate of Manganese.— Take 
 of phosphate of manganese 96 grs.; water 9 fl. 
 drs.; syrupy phosphoric acid 7fl, drs,; syrup 
 ID fl. oz. To be made as last. Strength, i gr. 
 manganese salt and 25 minims of acid to fluid 
 drachm. 
 
 TANNING in VACUO.— This invention 
 consists in an improved mode of operation by 
 means of an oscillating rack m an air tight tan- 
 ning box having a pump for withdrawing the 
 air, a vat for supplying the liquid on the top by 
 opening a valve, and a liquid distributing ap« 
 paratus inside. Tlie box is also provided with 
 openings, closed air tight by glass, for watching 
 the progress, and a vacuum gauge for indicating 
 the vacuum. 
 
 The. air being pumped out of the box opens 
 
MISCELLANEOUS. 
 
 509 
 
 the pores of the skins, whereby they are pre- 
 
 f)ared to be most thoroughly saturated with the 
 iquid, which, being let in upon the hides in this 
 condition in a distributed M-ay, is, together with 
 the agitation of the hides in the liquid by the 
 oscillating frame, calculated to greatly accelerate 
 the work. This the inventor claims to have de- 
 monstrated by practical tests, in which sheep 
 skins were completely tanned in six hours ; calf 
 skins in twenty-four hours ; cow hides in thirty- 
 six, and ox hides in sixty hours. Moreover, the 
 quick saturation of the hides with the liquid, is 
 claimed to make the Itather more even in quality 
 inside and out. The quality is also improved ; 
 for the fibers on the outside are not damaged by 
 the too great action of the tanning liquid, as in 
 the old and slow process, in which it is neces- 
 sary to expose the outside too long in order that 
 the liquid may penetrate to the interior. 
 
 TAR, Syrtip of. — Tar (strained) I ounce 
 (troy); pulverized sugar (refined) 12 ounces 
 (troy) ; carbonate of magnesia 3 ounces (troy) ; 
 rubbed to powder on a sieve. Alcohol 2 fl, 
 ounces; water a sufficient quantity. Mix the 
 alcohol with six fl. ounces of water, rub the tar 
 in a mortar of sufficient capacity with one ounce 
 of the sugar, and then with the carbonate of 
 magnesia, gradually added, until the whole is 
 reduced to a uniform, puh^rulent mixture. To 
 this gradually add with constant trituration, 
 which should be continued for fifteen or twenty 
 minutes, four fl. ounces of the mixture of alcohol 
 and water ; then strain with strong expression. 
 Return the residue to the mortar, and again tritu- 
 rate, first with one ounce of the sugar, and then 
 with the remaining four fl. ounces of the mixture 
 of alcohol and water, gradually added, as before; 
 finally strain and strongly express, and then re- 
 duce the dregs by trituration to a smooth and 
 uniform condition, and pack firmly in a glass 
 funnel prepared for percolation, and adjusted to 
 the neck of a graduated bottle containing the re- 
 mainder of the sugar, and pour upon this the ex- 
 pressed liquid ; and when it has all disappeared 
 from the surface, continue the percolation with 
 water until the whole measures one pint. Agi- 
 tate occasionally, until tlie sugar is dissolved, 
 and strain if necessary. Dose from a dessert to 
 a tablespoonful. 
 
 The strained tar, such as is usually sold in 
 gallon cans, answers well for this purpose, but 
 when it is not at hand the crude tar may be dis- 
 solved in a small quantity of ether and strained, 
 and the ether allowed to evaporate spontaneously. 
 TEST PAPER, A'^rt'.— Professor Bottger 
 announces the discovery of a new re-agent, which, 
 he asserts, is highly sensitive to the alkalies. It 
 is a coloring extract of the colens vershaffelti, and is 
 produced by digestion, for 24 hours, in pure 
 alcohol, to which a few drops of sulphuric acid 
 have been added. The hue is a brilliant red, 
 which turns green on contact with any alkali. It 
 is not affected by carbonic acid, and will detect 
 the slightest trace of ammonia in illuminating 
 gas, if moistened and placed against an open jet. 
 The presence of the minutest quantity of a car- 
 bonate of any of the alkalies is detected by it. 
 
 TEETH, Cements for. — i. Mix 12 parts of 
 dry phosphoric acid with 13 parts of pure and 
 pulverized quicklime. It becomes moist in mix- 
 ing, in which state it is introduced into the 
 cavity of the tooth, where it quickly becomes 
 hard. — 2. Digest 9 parts of powdered mastic 
 
 with 4 parts of ether, and add enough powdered 
 alum to form a stiff paste. — 3. Gutta-percha, 
 softened by heat, is recommended. Dr. Rollfs 
 advises melting a piece of caoutchouc at the end 
 of a wire, and introducing it while warm. — 4. 
 {Metallic.) — Amalgams for the teeth are made 
 with gold or silver, and quicksilver, the excess 
 of the latter being squeezed out, and the stiff 
 amalgam used warm. Inferior kinds are made 
 with quicksilver and tin, or zinc. A popular 
 nostrum of this kind consists of 40 grains of 
 quicksilver and 20 of fine zinc filings, mixed at 
 the time of using. The following is said to be 
 the most lasting and least objectionable amalgam: 
 Melt 2 parts of tin with I of cadmium, run it into 
 an ingot, and reduce it to filings. Form these 
 into a fluid amalgam with mercury, and squeeze 
 out the excess of mercury through leather. 
 Work up the solid residue in the hand, and press 
 it into the tooth. Another cement consists of 
 about 73 parts of silver, 21 of tin, and 6 of zinc, 
 amalgamated with quicksilver. 
 
 TOBACCO, To Flavor. — ^This is done by 
 means of a mixture of one part each of lemon 
 peel, orange peel, figs, coriander seed, and sassa- 
 fras; one half part each of elderflowers, elder- 
 berries, and cinnamon; two parts of saltpeter, 
 three of salt, and four of sugar. This mixture 
 must be digested in fifty parts of water, and, 
 before applying it, flavored with an alcoholic 
 solution of gum benzoes, mastic, and myrrh. 
 It is said that this decoction gives a flavor to 
 common leaves resembling closely the Porto Rico; 
 but to this end the leaves must be well dried, 
 about a year old, well permeated with the pre- 
 paration, kept in a pile for eight days, turned 
 daily, and finally dried. 
 
 TORTOISE SHELL, To Imitate.— In order 
 to do this well, your foundation or ground work 
 must be perfectly smooth and white, or nearly 
 so; you then gild it with silver leaf with slow 
 size, so as to have it perfectly smooth, with no 
 ragged edges, cleaning the loose leaf off. Then 
 grmd Cologne eaith very fine, and mix it with 
 gum water and common size; and with this, 
 having added more gum water than it was 
 ground with, spot or cloud the ground work, 
 ha\'ing a fine shell to imitate ; and when this is 
 done, you will perceive several reds, lighter and 
 darker, appear on the edges of the black, and 
 many time^ lie in streaks on the transparent 
 part of the shell. To imitate this finely, grind 
 sanguis draconis with gum water, and with a 
 fine pencil draw those warm reds, flushing it in 
 about the dark places more thickly; but fainter 
 and fainter and thinner, with less color towards 
 the lighter parts, so sweetening it that it may in 
 a manner lose the red, being sunk in the silver 
 or more transparent parts. WTien it is dry, give 
 it a coat of varnish, let it stand a few days, then 
 rub it down with pumice stone and water. Then 
 grind gamboge very fine, and mix with varnish, 
 giving of this as many coats as will cause the 
 silver to have a golden color, then finish with a 
 clean coat of varnish. 
 
 TOYS, Varnish for. — Copal, 7 parts; mastic, 
 I part; Venice turpentine, % part; strongest 
 alcohol, II parts. Dissolve the copal first, with 
 the aid of a little camphor, then add the mastic, 
 etc., and thin with alcohol as required. 
 
 TRA CINGS, To Photograph without a Cam- 
 era. — Lay out several thicknesses of cloth, on a 
 smooth drawing board, on top of which place a 
 
510 
 
 DICTIONARY OF EVERY-DAY WANTS. 
 
 sheet of sensitized paper, superimpose the same 
 with the drawing, right side up, and press the 
 whole down perfectly smooth with a piece of 
 glass which is to be kept in place by clothes pins 
 and weights, and expose it under the skylight 
 until the edges of the paper show a sufficiently 
 dark impression, when it is to be removed, toned, 
 and fixed. In this manner an exact copy of a 
 drawing can be made, the only difference, as a 
 matter of course, will be, the lines will be white 
 and the body of the paper dark, which is of no 
 disadvantage whatever. 
 
 TREES, Average Growth of. — Three or four 
 years ago the Illinois Horticultural Society 
 appointed a committee to prepare a report on the 
 cultivation and growth of forest trees. The 
 committee concluded an able report by saying : 
 As the results of our observations and from the 
 testimony of reliable men, we regard the following 
 as about the average growth in twelve years, of 
 the leading desirable varieties, when planted in 
 belts or groves and cultivated as directed : — White 
 Maple, I foot in diameter and 30 feet high. 
 Ash-leaf Maple, l foot in diameter and 20 feet 
 high. White Willow, I % feet in diameter and 
 40 feet high. Yellow Willow, \% feet in dia- 
 meter and 35 feet high. Lombardy Poplar, 10 
 inches in diameter and 40 feet high. Blue and 
 White Ash, 10 inches in diameter and 20 feet 
 high. Chestnut, 10 inches in diameter and 20 feet 
 high. Black Walnut and Butternut, 10 inches 
 in diameter and 20 feet high. Elm, 10 inches 
 in diameter and 20 feet high. Birch, (varieties), 
 10 inches in diameter and 25 feet high. Larch, 
 8 inches in diameter and 24 feet high. As before 
 intimated, the different varieties of evergreens 
 will make an average growth of eighteen to 
 twenty inches in hight annually. 
 
 From these and other data which the intelli- 
 gent farmer can collect, he may readily approxi- 
 mate estimate of the cost of fence posts, rails, 
 fire-wood, hewing timber, lumber, etc. 
 
 TUBA ROOT.—TYie roots of a plant known 
 in Borneo by the name tuba or tooba are much 
 valued in that country for destroying vermin on 
 plants and animals. They are thrown into 
 water and allowed to stand a short time, after 
 which the animals or plants are washed with the 
 water. It is said that the infusion is very deadly 
 to the vermin, but innocuous to the plant and 
 animals. The roots are used whilst fresh, and 
 are believed to lose their properties in drying. 
 They are also used constantly for poisoning fish 
 and pools. The plant is one of the Leguminosae. 
 
 URINE, Incontinence of. — The continued 
 use of tincture of iodine (one to six drops a day) 
 is said to be a permanent cure. 
 
 VARNISH, Green. — ^There is a most beauti- 
 ful transparent green varnish employed to give 
 a fine glittering color to gilt or other decorated 
 works. As the preparation of this varnish is 
 very little known, an account of it may in all 
 probability prove of interest to many of our 
 readers. Tlie process is as follows: Grind a 
 small quantity of a peculiar pigment, called 
 •'Chinese blue," along with about double the 
 quantity of finely powdered chromate of potash, 
 and a sufficient quantity of copal varnish thinned 
 with turpentine. The mixture requires the most 
 elaborate grinding or incorporating of its ingre- 
 dients, otherwise it will not be transparent, and 
 therefore useless for the purpose for which it is 
 intended. The "tone" of^the color may be vari- 
 
 ed by an alteration in the proportion of the in- 
 gredients; a preponderance of chromate of pot- 
 ash causes a yellowish shade in the green, as 
 might have been expected, and vice versa with 
 the blue under the same circumstances. This 
 colored varnish will produce a very striking ef- 
 fect in japanned goods, paper-hangings, etc., 
 and can be made at a very cheap rate. 
 
 VARNISHING 0/ Paper.— Co\oxeA designs 
 would be more simply and satisfactorily var- 
 nished by first giving a coat of good gum-arabic 
 and then of varnish of about equal parts of tur- 
 pentine and Canada balsam. Colors mixed with 
 gum may be used over Indian ink, even on tra- 
 cing-cloth, without smearing. I may add that 
 for maps or lithographs I found that good white 
 starch (two coats or more) answered better, ""at 
 less cost than the common isinglass recommen- 
 ded in receipt-books, followed by the above var- 
 nish. A lithographed picture well done with 
 thick varnish looks almost as if glazed, or, in 
 other cases (with borders cut off), like an oil- 
 painting. 
 
 VARNISH for Prints, etc.— This is made 
 by eight parts of gelatine glue being mixed with 
 one part alum, and half part Marseilles soap, in 
 boiling water. The glue being first well dissolved, 
 the alum and soap are added ; all is then well 
 boiled, and afterwards strained and filtered. 
 This varnish will protect the objects from damp, 
 and is perfectly water-proof. 
 
 VARNISH for Violins, etc. — Rectified spirits 
 of wine, ^ gal.; add 6 oz. gum sandarac, 3 oz. 
 gum mastic, and % pt. turpentine-varnish ; put 
 the above in a tin can by the stove, frequently 
 shaking till well dissolved; strain, and keep for 
 use. If you find it harder than you wish, thin 
 with more turpentine-varnish. 
 
 VARNISH for Shoes.— li is a bad plan to 
 grease the upper leather of shoes for the purpose 
 of keeping them soft ; it rots the leather, and 
 admits dampness more readily. It is better to 
 make a varnish thus : Put half a pound of gum 
 shellac broken up in small pieces, in a quart 
 bottle or jug; cover it with alcohol, cork it tight, 
 and put it on a shelf in a warm place ; shake it 
 well several times a day, then add a piece of 
 gum camphor as large as a hen's egg; shake it 
 well, and in a few hours shake it again, and add 
 one ounce of lamp-black ; if the alcohol is good, 
 it will be dissolved in three days ; then shake 
 and use. If it gets too thick, add alcohol — pour 
 out two or three teaspoonfuls in a saucer, and 
 apply it with a small paint brush. If the mate- 
 rials are all good, it will dry in about five min- 
 utes, and will be removed only by wearing it off, 
 giving a gloss almost equal to patent leather. 
 The advantage of this preparation above others 
 is, it does not strike into the leather and make 
 it hard, but remains on the surface, and yet ex- 
 cludes the water almost perfectly. This same 
 preparation is admirable for harness, and this 
 does not soil when touched, as lamp-black pro- 
 portions do. 
 
 VARNISHING WALNUTFURNITURE. 
 — In dressing over old furniture, the first thing 
 to be done is to wash it over with lime or soda 
 water, to remove all effects of grease from sweaty 
 hands which will prevent varnish from flowing 
 freely or hardening well. If the work requires 
 refilling, rye flour, wheat flour, corn starch, or 
 Paris white, ground fine in oil and turpentine, 
 will do ; but one or two coats of shellac should 
 
MISCELLANEO US. 
 
 5x« 
 
 be laid on and rubbed smooth before applying 
 the varnish. Work finished in oil, without var- 
 nish, should be filled with a harder substance 
 than starch. Some use white wax reduced in 
 turpentine ; but what is better is a compound of 
 equal parts, by weight, of whiting, plaster of 
 Paris, pumice-stone, and litharge, to which may 
 be added a little French yellow, asphaltum, 
 Vandyke brown, and tetra di sienna. Alix with 
 one part japan, two of boiled oil, and four of 
 turpentine. Grind fine in a mill. Lay the filling 
 on with a brush, rub it in well, let it set twenty 
 minutes, then rub oflf clean. Let it harden two 
 or three days, then rub smooth, and, if required, 
 repeat the process. When the filling is satis- 
 factory, finish with linseed oil, put on with a 
 brush ; wipe off, and rub to a polish with fine 
 cotton ; finish with a silk handkerchief, or any 
 fine fabric. 
 
 VEiVEERING.— The softest woods should 
 he chosen for veneering upon — such as common 
 cedar or yellow pine ; perhaps the best of all 
 for the purpose is "arrow board," twelve foot 
 lengths of which can be had of perfectly straight 
 grain, and without a knot; of course no one 
 ever veneers over a knot. Hard wood can be 
 veneered, boxwood with ivory, for instance ; but 
 wood that will warp and twist, such as nasty 
 cross grained mahogany, must be avoided. 
 
 The veneer, and the wood on which it is to be 
 laid, must both be carefully prepared, the former 
 by taking out all marks of the saw on both sides 
 with a fine toothing plane, the latter with a 
 coarser toothing plane. If the veneer happen 
 to be broken in doing this, it may be repaired 
 at once with a bit of stiff paper glued upon it on 
 the upper side. The veneer should be cut rather 
 larger than the surface to be covered ; if much 
 twisted, it may be damped and placed under a 
 board and weight over night. This saves much 
 trouble ; but veneers are so cheap, about id. a 
 foot, that it is not worth while taking much 
 trouble about refractory pieces. The wood to 
 be veneered must now be sized with thin glue ; 
 the ordinary glue pot will supply this by dipping 
 the brush first into the glue, then into the boil- 
 ing water in the outer vessel. The size must be 
 allowed to dry before the veneer is laid. 
 
 We will suppose now that the veneering pro- 
 cess is about to commence. The glue in good 
 condition, and boiling hot, the bench cleared, a 
 basin of hot water with the veneering hammer 
 and a sponge in it, a cloth or two, and every- 
 thing in such position that one will not interfere 
 with, or be in the way of another. 
 
 First, damp with hot water that side of the 
 veneer which is not to be glued, then glue the 
 other side. Second, glue over as quick as pos- 
 sible the wood itself, previously toothed and 
 sized. Third, bring the veneer rapidly to it, 
 pressing it down with the outspread hands, and 
 taking care that the edges of the veneer overlap 
 a little all round. Fourth, grasp the veneering 
 hammer close to the pane (shaking off the hot 
 water from it) and the handle pointing away 
 from you ; wriggle it about, pressing down stout- 
 ly, and squeezing the glue from the center out 
 at the edges. If it is a large piece of stuff which 
 is to be veneered, the assistance of a hot flat 
 iron from the kitchen will be wanted to make 
 the glue liquid again after it has set ; but don't 
 let it dry the wood underneath it, or it will burn 
 the glue and scorch the veneer, and ruin the 
 
 work. Fifth, having got out all the glue possi- 
 ble, search the surface for blisters, which will 
 at once be betrayed by the sound they give when 
 tapped with the handle of the hammer ; tlie hot 
 iron, (or the inner vessel of the glue pot itself, 
 which often answers the purpose) must be ap- 
 plied, and the process with the hammer re- 
 peated. 
 
 When the hammer is not in the hand, it should 
 be in the hot water. 
 
 The whole may now be sponged over with hot 
 water, and wiped as dry as can be. And observe 
 throughout the above process, never have any.< 
 slop and wet about the work that you can avoid. 
 Whenever you use the sponge, squeeze it well 
 first. Damp and heat are wanted, not wet and 
 heat. It is a good thing to have the sponge in 
 the left hand nearly all the time, ready to take 
 up any moisture or squeezed out glue from the 
 front of the hammer. 
 
 So much for laying veneers with the hammer, 
 which though a valuable tool for the amateur, is 
 not much used in the best cabinet maker's shops; 
 cauls are adopted instead. They are made of 
 wood the shape and size of the surface to be 
 veneered, or, better still, of rolled zinc plate, and 
 being made very hot before a good blaze of 
 shavings, they are clamped down on the work 
 when the veneer is got into its place; they must 
 be previously soaped, to prevent them sticking 
 to the veneer. The whole is then left to dry 
 together. The hammer is quite sufficient for 
 most amateurs, I have laid veneers with it 5ft. 
 long by i8in. wide, without assistance, and with- 
 out leaving a blister. Cauls, however, are very 
 necessary if a double curve has to be veneered, 
 or a concave surface; they need not be used for 
 a simple convex surface. By wetting well one 
 side of the veneer it will curl up, and can easily 
 be laid on such a surface; but it will be well to 
 bind the whole round with some soft string to 
 assist it in keeping down while drying, 
 
 VENEERED WORK, To /'<7//j//.— No at- 
 tempt at scraping, sandpapering, or poHshing 
 veneered work must be made till the glue is 
 perfectly dry and hard. It should be left twenty- 
 four hours at least, in a warm room, and is better 
 still if left two or three times as long. 
 
 The processes for French polishing vary some- 
 what, according to the nature of the wood. For 
 common work in deal, the wood may be well 
 sized first, then papered with fine glass paper, 
 and polished. 
 
 For mahogany, walnut, and similar porous 
 woods, the pores must be filled by rubbing in, on 
 a roller of old carpet, a mixture of Russian tallow 
 (that is, tallow free from salt) and plaster of 
 Paris, well amalgamated, before the fire in cold 
 weather. Russian tallow may be had, at most 
 oil shops, generally pure enough ; but if the 
 presence of salt be suspected, refine it by boiling 
 It in plenty of water, stirring it well and skim- 
 ming it. Set it by to cool, and use the cake of 
 tallow which will be at the top. 
 
 The more this filling up process is persevered 
 in, the less will be the subsequent labor in pol- • 
 ishing; quite a bright surface should be got up 
 by this alone. The mixture of tallow and plaster 
 maybe darkened with red lead for mahogany, or 
 with other coloring matter according to fancy. 
 
 This filling is not necessary for boxwood, 
 ebony, or other of the hard woods. 
 
 To polish a surface thus prepared, not being 
 
512 
 
 DICTIONARY OF EVERY-DAY WANTS. 
 
 hard wood, and not in the lathe, take a ball of 
 cotton wool saturated with methylated French 
 
 f)olish; cover it with a fold of linen cloth; on the 
 inen cover put, with the tip of the finger, a drop 
 or two of raw refined linseed oil (not "boiled 
 oil"); get on a good body of varnish by rubbing 
 always one way with circular strokes; be very 
 careful to go over all the ground each time you 
 work round the surface; and do not go over the 
 same spot twice before you have gone'over all. 
 The longer this is done the better. Never mind 
 the smears, which, though they look queer, are 
 the very appearance you want at this stage. 
 Having got on a good body, leave your work 
 and take to another piece. It is good to leave 
 it, if convenient, even for a day or two. By the 
 way, shut all doors and windows before you 
 begin. You can't do French polishing in a draft 
 or in a very cold room. 
 
 When you resume work, use a mixture of half 
 methylated French polish and half methylated 
 spirit, or less than half of the spirit when you 
 commence, and put now as little as possible on 
 the wool, covering with more than one fold of 
 fine linen or cambric. Very little oil as before 
 — only just enough to prevent the rubber from 
 sticking to the work ; go over it lightly, with an 
 easy gentle touch, in circular strokes, all one 
 way. Never mind the smears. When it comes 
 to look something like a good result, which it 
 soon will, you may take out the smears by rub- 
 bing up and down with a mere trace of spirit on 
 wool well covered with the linen, but avoid 
 going over the same place twice, and be very 
 light and gentle, or you will remove your polish. 
 Finally rub it well with a clean wash leather 
 (carefully folded, so as to leave no hard crease 
 which will scratch), or an old silk handkerchief, 
 f| breathing on the work occasionally. 
 ' Boxwood, ebony, cocus, etc., may be rapidly 
 polished in the lathe. At first get a body of 
 polish on, and this can be done without using 
 any oil. The work must not be turned around 
 rapidly, but the pulley of the lathe moved slowly 
 by hand ; then use your rubber with a drop of 
 oil, and finally, the polish thinned with spirit. 
 
 If either on flat or turned work you require a 
 very superior polish, you may remove nearly all 
 the first coat with fine glass paper, and put it on 
 again which will not take long, the pores being 
 all filled. Remember that throughout the oil is 
 only used to prevent the rubber from sticking, 
 and it has to be got out afterwards with the 
 spirit ; so never use more than necessary. 
 
 In the lathe, when you come to the wash 
 leathers, the work may be driven rapidly. A bit 
 of ebony can be polished in 5 or o minutes to 
 such a surface that small print can be easily read 
 in it as in a mirror. Don't use your rubbers 
 when they get hard and dry, but, nevertheless, 
 stick to an old one as long as you can, and, if 
 you have to put them by, keep them in a tin box 
 tightly covered. 
 
 VENTILA riON, Simpie Means of. — A 
 piece of wood an inch or more in thickness, 
 three inches wide, and exactly as long as the- 
 breadth of the window through which ventilation 
 is to be established, is to be prepared. Let the 
 sash be now raised, and let the slip of wood be 
 placed upon the side of the window ; the sash is 
 then to be drawn down closely upon the slip of 
 wood. If the slip has been well fitted — and the 
 fitting may be made more complete by adapting 
 
 it to the grooves in the sash and its frame, if any 
 exist — no draught will be experienced in conse- 
 quence of the displacement of the sash at this 
 part. The effect of such an arrangement is, 
 however, to cause a separation between the bars 
 of the sashes at the center. By this means a 
 perpendicular current of air will be projected in- 
 to the room between the glass in the upper and 
 lower sashes and their respective bars, or else 
 the current will pass outwards in the reverse 
 direction, in a manner by which all inconvenience 
 from draught will be avoided. 
 
 Supposing that two or more windows at oppo- 
 site sides of a room are fitted in this manner, a 
 very satisfactory ventilation will be secured. 
 Owing to a difference in its equilibrium, the air 
 will rush in on one side, and rush out on the 
 other side of the apartment. If the slips of wood 
 are painted of the same color as the windows 
 themselves, they will attract little notice. 
 
 VENTRILOQUISM.— P^ common mistake 
 is to suppose ventriloquism to be "throwing the 
 voice" into some place. This is of course im- 
 possible. Others, misled by the derivation of 
 the word, which comes from two Latin ones, 
 venter, the belly, and loquor, to speak, think it 
 means speaking from the stomach or with the 
 muscles in that region. Now the whole art of 
 ventriloquism consists in making sounds that 
 shall imitate those naturally and usually proceed- 
 ing from a designated place. The ventriloquist 
 speaks without moving his lips for the purpose 
 of deceiving the spectator, as the eye has always 
 much to do in leading the imagination. To speak 
 without moving the lips makes it necessary to 
 do it with the muscles of the throat, and hence 
 the whole mystery is thus to cultivate the ear so 
 as to know exactly what sound would proceed 
 from a certain locality, and then to train the 
 throat so that you can make them without mov- 
 ing the lips. There are many persons ventrilo- 
 quists without knowing it, and there are many 
 who find great difficulty in acquiring it because 
 they imagine it an intricate or mysterious art. 
 To become skillful of course requires practice, 
 and there are many sounds which cannot be imi- 
 tated by voice merely, such as the singing of 
 birds, the strident noise of a saw, the whistling 
 of a plane, etc. Such and similar unmusical 
 sounds are imitated by means of the teeth, the 
 lips or the soft parts of the mouth. Thus the 
 noise of a saw is like that produced by hawk- 
 ing, only much prolonged, and modified by the 
 cheeks ; singing of birds may be imitated by 
 whistling through the teeth. The foaming of 
 soda water by breathing with open lips into a 
 tumbler, etc. 
 
 WAGONS, To Grease.— Tevr people fully 
 appreciate the importance of thoroughly lubri- 
 cating the axles, etc., of wagons and carriages, 
 and still fewer know what are the best materials 
 and the best methods of applying them. A well 
 made wheel will endure common wear from ten 
 to twenty-five years, if care is taken to use the 
 right kind and proper amount of grease ; but if 
 this matter is not attended to, they will be used 
 up in five or six years. Lard should never be 
 used on a wagon, for it will penetrate the hub, 
 and work its way out around the tenons of the 
 spokes, and spoil the wheel. Tallow is the best 
 lubricator for wooden axle-trees, and castor-oil 
 for iron. Just grease enough should be applied 
 to the spindle of a wagon to give it a light coat- 
 
MISCELLANEO US. 
 
 513 
 
 ing ; this is better than more, for the surplus 
 put on will work out at the ends, and be forced 
 by the shoulder-bands and nut-washers into the 
 hub around the outside of the boxes. To oil an 
 axle-tree, first wipe the spindle clean with a 
 cloth wet with spirits of turpentine, and then 
 apply a few drops of castor oil near the shoulders 
 and end. One teaspoonful is sufficient for the 
 whole. 
 
 WAGON HUBS, To Prevent the Cracking 
 of in Seasoning. — Take a common "try pot," 
 such as is used by whalers, or a farmer's large 
 boiling kettle ; fit to it a wooden cover, to fasten 
 with small screw bolts or clamps to the rim to 
 be vapor tight. A piece of one inch gas pipe 
 screwed into the cover serves to convey the va- 
 por of the coal tar from this extemporized still 
 to a large cask, which may be set upon one head, 
 as a receptacle for the hubs. The still pipe is 
 led to the bottom of the cask, which is then filled 
 with hubs, and a cover fitted over all, to be va- 
 por tight, with a small safety valve arrangement 
 to regulate the pressure. The kettle is then 
 filled with refuse matter from the gas works or 
 crude coal tar, the cover secured, a fire lighted 
 under the kettle, and shortly the lighter vapors 
 penetrate the mass of hubs at a temperature of 
 about two hundred to two hundred and twenty 
 degrees Fah. The hubs are effectually and grad- 
 ually heated, so that all the watery particles are 
 expelled from the wood in steam and replaced 
 by the light vapors of the hydrocarbon oil. 
 Subsequently the heavier oils are distilled over 
 and fill the pores of the wood. The process is 
 finished in about twelve hours, and you have a 
 hub that will stand anywhere short of a fire. A 
 few experiments will satisfy any one of the effi- 
 cacy of this treatment. One of the products of 
 this distillation is carbolic acid — the best known 
 antiseptic — and the hubs will be found strongly 
 impregnated with the peculiar smell of this well 
 known agent. 
 
 WAGON TIRES, To Keep on the Wheel.— 
 A practical mechanic suggests a method of so 
 
 fmtting tires on wagons that they will not get 
 oose and require resetting. He says he ironed 
 a wagon some years ago for his own use ; and, 
 before putting on the tires, he filled the felloes 
 with linseed oil, and the tires have worn out 
 and were never loose. His method is as fol- 
 lows : He used a long cast iron heater made for 
 the purpose; the oil is brought to a boiling heat, 
 the wheel is placed on a stick, so as to hang in 
 the oil, each felloe an hour. The timber should 
 be dry, as green timber will not take oil. Care 
 should be taken that the oil is not made hotter 
 than a boiling heat, or the timber will be burned. 
 Timber filled with oil is not susceptible of injury 
 by water, and is rendered much more durable 
 by this process. 
 
 WALKS (Gravel), To Make.— The bottom 
 should be laid with lime-rubbish, large flint 
 stones, or any other hard matter, for eight or ten 
 inches, to keep weeds from growing through, 
 and over this the gravel is to be laid six or eight 
 inches thick. This should be lain rounding up 
 in the middle, by which means the larger stones 
 will run off to the sides, and may be raked away; 
 for the gravel should never be screened before it 
 is laid on. It is a common mistake to lay these 
 walks too round, which not only makes them 
 uneasy to walk upon, but takes ofiF from their 
 apparent breadth. One inch in five feet is a 
 
 sufficient proportion for the rise in the middle; 
 so that a walk twenty feet wide should be four 
 inches higher at the middle, than at the edges, 
 and so in proportion. As soon as the gravel is 
 laid, it should be raked, and the large stones 
 thrown back again; then the whole should be 
 rolled both lengthwise and crosswise ; and the 
 person who draws the roller should wear shoes 
 with flat heels that he may make no holes, be- 
 cause holes made in a new walk are not easily 
 remedied. The walks should always be rolled 
 three or four times after very hard showers, from 
 which they will bind more firmly than otherwise 
 they could ever be made to. 
 
 WALKS, To Keep Weeds under on. — Weeds 
 on walks may be kept under by watering the 
 gravel with the following solution : Dissolve two 
 pounds of blue vitriol in an old pan, and then 
 dilute it with six or seven gallons of water ; apply 
 this through the fine nose of a watering pot, and 
 it will destroy every sign of vegetation. 
 
 WASHING (Chemical) Preparation.— TskQ 
 a X of a pound of soap, a ^ of a pound of soda, 
 and a ^ of a pound of quickhme. Cut up the 
 soap, and dissolve it in l quart of boiling water ; 
 pour I quart of boiling water over the soda, and 
 3 quarts of boiling water upon the quicklime. 
 The lime must be quick and fresh; if it is good, 
 it will bubble up on pouring the hot water upon 
 it. Each must be prepared in separate vessels. 
 The lime must settle so as to leave the water on 
 the top perfectly clear; then strain it carefully 
 (not disturbing the settlings) into the washboiler 
 with the soda and soap ; let it scald long enough 
 to dissolve the soap ; then add 6 gallons of soap 
 water. The clothes must be put in soak over 
 night, after rubbing soap upon the dirtiest parts 
 of them. After having the above in readiness, 
 wring out the clothes which have been put in 
 soak, put them on to boil, and let each lot boil 
 half an hour; the same water will answer for the 
 whole washing. After boiling each lot half an 
 hour, drain them from the boiUng water, put 
 them in a tub, and pour upon them two or three 
 pailfuls of clear, hot water ; after this they will 
 want but very little rubbing; then rinse through 
 two waters, bluing the last. When dried, they 
 will be a beautiful white. After washing the 
 cleanest part of the white clothes, take 2 pails of 
 the suds in which they have been washed, put it 
 over the fire and scald, and this will wash all 
 the flannels and colored clothes, without any 
 extra soap. The white flannels, after being well 
 washed in the suds, will require to be scalded by 
 turning on a teakettle of boiling water. 
 
 WA TER, To Find.— la. the early part of 
 the year, if the grass assumes a brighter color 
 in one particular part of a field than in the re- 
 mainder, or, when the latter is ploughed, if a 
 part be darker than the rest, it may be suspected 
 that water will be found beneath it. 
 
 In summer, the gnats hover in a column, and 
 remain always at a certain hight above the 
 ground, over the spots where springs are con- 
 cealed. 
 
 In all seasons of the year, more dense vapors 
 arise from those portions of the surface from 
 which, owing to the existence of subterranean 
 springs, a greater degree of humidity gives rise 
 to more copious exhalations, especially in the 
 morning or the evening. It is for this reason 
 that the well-sinkers of northern Italy go in the 
 morning to the places near which it is desired 
 
 33 
 
5^4 
 
 DICTIOh^ARY OF EVERY-DAY WANTS. 
 
 to sink a well ; they lie down upon the ground 
 and look toward the sun to endeavor to dis- 
 cover the places in the neighborhood from which 
 denser vapors may arise than from the rest of 
 the field. 
 
 The springs to which these rules apply are 
 such only as are near the surface ; when the 
 source is lower they are rarely sufficient, and the 
 only safe guide is a boring; but to execute such 
 operations with any chance of success, a certain 
 knowledge of elementary geology is absolutely 
 necessary. Provided the sources do not descend 
 to any very great depth, the principle that sub- 
 terranean waters follow precisely similar laws 
 to those upon the surface holds good; but when 
 they are deep-seated, many disturbing causes, 
 to be noticed hereafter, modify their action. If, 
 in a valley formed in a diluvial or alluvial de- 
 posit lying upon a more retentive stratum, the 
 two sides are of the same hight, the water must 
 be sought in the middle ; and if on the contrary, 
 one side be steeper than the other, the stream 
 would pass nearer the steeper side ; in both cases 
 supposing that the materials of the upper stra- 
 tum are equally permeable throughout, and that 
 the depression of the lower stratum presents a 
 tolerably regular basin-like depression. Springs 
 are often not to be met with at the head of val- 
 leys, but they are much more frequently to be 
 found at the intersection of the secondary valleys 
 with the principal one ; and the most favorable 
 point for finding water is usually that which is 
 furthest from the intersection of these valleys, 
 and in the lower parts of the plain succeeding 
 them, at precisely those positions where there is 
 the least water upon the surface. 
 
 When the transverse valleys, giving forth 
 streams to a river in the bottom of a longitudinal 
 valley, are nearly at right angles to the direction 
 of the latter, the quantity of water they yield is 
 less than when they form an angle with it. This 
 law holds equally good with subterranean and 
 with surface waters, and it may therefore be laid 
 down as a maxim that the most favorable point 
 for seeking a supply by a well would be at the 
 mouth of long transverse valleys inclined to the 
 principal one. 
 
 If the structure of the earth consists of stone 
 with many veins, such as red shale, water is 
 found almost anywhere except on the tops or 
 near the tops of hills. Boring, of course, is a 
 perfect test, and where there is great doubt and 
 wells must be dug very deep (judging by others 
 in the neighborhood), this ought to be resorted 
 to. Much can be guessed at in this way. In a 
 neighborhood lying between a tolerably regular 
 series ^f elevations, the subterranean water will 
 probably be at a regular level. If there are any 
 wells already in existence with a steady supply 
 of water, you have only to ascertain how much 
 higher or lower the surface at the selected spot 
 is than at the well already made. If you are ten 
 feet higher, your well must be ten feet deeper 
 than the one made, and vice versa. This differ- 
 ence in level can be ascertained wit^ a leveling 
 instrument, or with a shrewd man by guess. 
 
 WATER, To Deteiitiine whether it be Hard 
 or Soft. — To ascer'iin whether or not water be 
 fit for domestic purposes, to a glassful of the 
 water add a few drops of the solution of soap in 
 alcohol. If the water be pure, it will continue 
 limpid; if hard, white flakes will be formed. 
 WATER [Hard), To Improve.— U noihxng 
 
 but lime is the trouble, this can be easily dimin- 
 ished to one fifth or one sixth by means of quick- 
 lime. Notwithstanding it appears paradoxical 
 how an addition of lime can improve water hav- 
 ing already an excess of lime, it is nevertheless 
 a fact. The lime dissolved in water is always 
 the carbonate of lime, which is the chemical name 
 for the different kinds of so-called limestone, 
 marble, chalk, Iceland spar, etc.; this carbonate 
 of lime is almost insoluble in pure water. When, 
 however, the water contains carbonic acid it 
 dissolves large quantities of the same, as may 
 be seen at druggists who from fountains draw 
 carbonic acid water (so-called soda-water) over 
 marble counters, these counters becoming even- 
 tually almost honey-combed at their surface by 
 its action. All that is necessary in your case is 
 to dispose of this free carbonic acid, which is the 
 cause of the solvent power of the water for lime- 
 stone. If, now, quicklime is mixed with a small 
 quantity of water, and left to settle until clear, a 
 solution of lime in water will be obtained. As 
 quicklime is soluble in the same, you must cover 
 up your vessel, as otherwise this lime-water will 
 attract carbonic acid from the air and become 
 turgid. This clarified lime-water poured in your 
 hard spring-water, will at once cause its free 
 carbonic acid to combine with the lime, and form 
 chalk, which will precipitate with it the chalk or 
 limestone naturally in solution in the water, as 
 the cause of the solubility, the free carbonic acid, 
 is removed. The quantity of hme-water to be 
 used depends, of course, on the amount of lime- 
 stone in solution in your spring-water, and has 
 to be determined by experiment, in order to 
 avoid an excess of lime-water. Take, for in- 
 stance, a gallon of spring-water, pour in a few 
 ounces of clear lime-water, it will become milky; 
 let it settle, then pour in more lime-water ; if it 
 again becomes milky, it wants still more ; there- 
 fore repeat the addition of lime-water till you 
 find what quantity produces milkiness, while a 
 further addition has no effect; this is then the 
 quantity needed. Say, for instance, that you 
 find it to be eight ounces, then you know that 
 your water requires eight ounces of lime-water 
 to the gallon to remove most of the dissolved 
 limestone in the same, which will separate by 
 settling while you draw off the clear water over 
 it; the sediment is very fine chalk; and if obtained 
 in sufficient quantity, may be used for whitening. 
 It is evident that you will have to construct a 
 cistern or reservoir to conduct this operation in. 
 If you are able to obtain very pure quicklime, 
 you may, to simplify operations, make a milk of 
 lime, using, for instance, for every ton of hard 
 spring-water to be treated, one pound of quick- 
 lime mixed with half a gallon of water. Pour it 
 in the cistern, stir it up for a few minutes and 
 let it settle. The use of quicklime to purify 
 lime-water has quite recently been successfully 
 introduced in the chalk districts of England by 
 Professor Tyndall, who has found that by care- 
 ful treatment as much as eighty-two per cent, of 
 the lime has been removed from hard waters. 
 
 WATER, To Prevent Becoming Putrid.— 
 This is founded on the principle that iron be- 
 comes rusty only in water that contains air. It is 
 the oxygen of the air, contained in the water, that 
 unites with the iron and produces rust. 
 
 So, also, the rusting of iron in water removes 
 the oxygen of the air from the water. Eut water 
 in which there is no oxygen or atmospheric air 
 
MISCELLANEO US. 
 
 5«S 
 
 can not become putrid. To prevent water from 
 becoming putrid, we have, therefore, only to put 
 in it some bits of iron. Some pieces of sheet- 
 iron (not rusty) or iron turnings are the best. 
 Cast-iron is not so good. 
 
 The practical applications of this are numerous. 
 Drinking-water on ships may be kept sweet by 
 putting it in sheet-iron tanks, or by putting bits 
 of iron into the water-casks. Water in which 
 leeches are kept will remain sweet without 
 changing it, by putting a few scraps of iron in 
 the vessel. The offensive smell from the water 
 in the vases of flowers will be prevented by a 
 few small nails, or bits of sheet-iron in the bottom 
 of the vases. The putrefaction of water, so 
 common in the bottom of rain-water cisterns, 
 would be prevented by scraps of iron or iron- 
 turnings. In this case, it would be well to put 
 the iron where it would not be disturbed. Per- 
 haps if inclosed in a loose bag or net, it would 
 be well. 
 
 WATER, To Purify when Putrid.— I. Wa- 
 ter, I lb.; sulphuric acid, 8 drops. Mix, and 
 filter through charcoal. — 2. Water, 8 gallons; 
 powdered alum, I ounce. Dissolve with agita- 
 tion, then allow it to rest for 24 hours, decant 
 into another vessel, and add a solution of car- 
 bonate of soda, until it ceases to produce a pre- 
 cipitate. — 3. Instead of alum add seven or eight 
 grains of red sulphate of iron, then proceed as 
 before. — 4. Add a little aqueous chlorine to the 
 foul water. — 5. Arrange a suitable pipe to the 
 end of a pair of bellows, (double bellows are 
 best,) and continue driving the atmospheric air 
 through the water for some time, then allow it 
 to settle for use. 
 
 WA TERf To Clear when Muddy, — It is a 
 peculiar property of alum that, when in solution. 
 It will combine with the most foreign particles 
 in suspension, or even in solution. In fact, on 
 this property is founded the manufacture of the 
 lakes used in painting, the dissolved coloring 
 matter being precipitated by alum. In the same 
 manner, all dirty coloring matter in a pailful of 
 water may be precipitated by dissolving in it a 
 piece of alum as small as a hickory nut, or even 
 smaller, according to the degree of impurity of 
 the water. Simply dissolve the alum, stir up, 
 and let it settle. Along the Missouri and Mis- 
 sissippi rivers this method is frequently em- 
 ployed. When no excess of alum is used, this 
 also is mostly carried down in the deposits. 
 
 WA TER, To Keep Cool without Re. — Water 
 can be kept cool for drinking in warm weather 
 by the following method : Get fresh water, let 
 it be kept in an unglazed earthen ware pitcher, 
 wrapt around with two or three folds of coarse 
 cotton cloth kept constantly wet. The theory 
 of cooling water in this manner is the absorption 
 of heat from it by the evaporation of the moist- 
 ure in the cotton cloth — expansion produces 
 cold, compression heat. 
 
 WA TER FIL Ti^i?.— Vcelcker calls attention 
 to the use of spongy iron as a deodorizing ma- 
 terial of greater potency than animal charcoal. 
 Sewage water passed through a filter of spongy 
 iron is completely purified, and this water, after 
 ha\'ingbeen kept six'months protected from the 
 air, was perfectly sweet and free from fungus 
 growth. The spongy iron was obtained by cal- 
 cining a finely divided iron ore and charcoal. 
 
 WA TER TA.YKS. — Wooden tanks and 
 barrels are totally unfit to keep water in; the 
 
 wood continually gives organic extractive matter 
 to the water, which in warm weather originates 
 microscopic fungoid growth, which in its turn 
 hastens the decay of the wood. All who have 
 ever made a long sea- voyage on board of a ves- 
 sel where water was kept in wooden barrels, 
 will never forget the nauseous taste, lasting un- 
 til the settling of the particles, or the exhaustion 
 of the organic action producing the fungoid 
 growth. In regard to zinc in comparison with 
 lead, it is also poisonous ; but lead is by far the 
 worst. Workmen in zinc-white factories and 
 painters using zinc white are apt to get the zinc 
 colic, which is similar to the lead colic, but more 
 mild in its forms, and yields more easily to the 
 same remedies. Galvanized iron being iron 
 covered with a zinc coating, is in this respect 
 identical with zinc, and we should prefer either 
 to lead, which, for some kinds of water — rain 
 water, for instance — is decidedly dangerous, as 
 it dissolves the lead easier than the zinc. The 
 best method, however, is to employ plain iron 
 tanks, as used on ship-board. Oxidation of the 
 iron goes on, it is true ; but this is exceedingly 
 slow — slower than is the case with any steam-, 
 boiler ; and if any of the iron oxide dissolves in 
 the water, it will in any case be very little, and 
 even if considerable, it would give the water 
 tonic properties, as iron is healthy. It gives the 
 red color to our blood, and is, in fact, needed in 
 the system ; therefore, we are taking it all the 
 time in minute doses with our food. All fertile 
 soils contain iron. Its healthy properties have 
 caused the justly-earned reputation of chalybeate 
 springs ; and ip preserving our water in iron 
 tanks the loss of iron by oxidation is fully com- 
 pensated by the improved healthfulness of the 
 water. Therefore we say, away with zinc or 
 galvanized tanks and tubes, and above all, away 
 with lead-lined tanks and tubes, and substitute 
 tanks of boiler-iron and iron tubes ; let them 
 rust; and if they give out in 30 years or there- 
 about, your children may substitute new ones, 
 and in the mean time you will prolong your own 
 life many years, or at least spare yourself sick- 
 ness and suffering. 
 
 WA TER PIPES, To Manage in Winter.— 
 When the frost begins to set in, cover the water 
 pipes with hay or straw bands, twisted tight 
 round them. Let the cisterns and water-butts 
 be washed out occasionally ; this will keep the 
 water pure and fresh. 
 
 In pumping up water into the cistern for the 
 water-closet, be very particular, in winter time. 
 Let all the water be let out of the pipe when 
 done ; but if this is forgotten, and it should be 
 frozen, take a small gimblet and bore a hole in 
 the pipe, a little distance from the place where 
 it is let off, which will prevent its bursting. 
 Put a peg into the hole when the water is let 
 off. ^^ 
 
 WATER PIPES, To Mend.—\ British 
 scientific publication gives the following letter : 
 "Many of your readers have doubtless had more 
 or less trouble, at some period of their lives, in 
 repairing water pipes where the water could not 
 be shut off conveniently at the fountain head or 
 some intermediate point. In going to my office, 
 a few days since, my way led past a place where 
 a man was repairing a lead pipe, which had 
 been cut off accidentally in maknig an excava- 
 tion. There was a pressure of water of more 
 than fifty feet head» His plan seemed to me to 
 
5i6 
 
 DICTIONARY OF EVERY-DAY WANTS. 
 
 be novel and ingenious. The two ends of the 
 
 Eipe were plugged, and then a small pile of 
 roken ice and salt was placed around them ; in 
 five minutes the water in the pipe was frozen, 
 the plugs removed, a short piece of pipe inserted 
 and ])erfectly soldered, and in five minutes the 
 ice in the pipes was thawed and the water flow- 
 ing freely through." • 
 
 IVA TER PIPES, To Unite.— An excellent 
 material for uniting water pipes is prepared by 
 combining four parts of good Portland cement 
 and one part of unslaked lime mixed together 
 in small portions in a stout mortar, adding 
 enough water to permit it to be reduced to a soft 
 paste. 
 
 WATERING STREETS, Chemical Solu- 
 tion for. — For several years experiments with 
 chemical solutions for watering streets have been 
 employed in various English cities with consid- 
 erable success. A mixed solution of common 
 salt and chloride of lime has been used to a 
 large extent. These salts attract moisture suf- 
 ficient to keep the street dust from becoming 
 absolutely dry unless neglected. A very small 
 quantity is said to answer the purpose, and not 
 only to keep the dust well -laid, but also to act 
 as an antiseptic, cleaning the streets of foul 
 odors. 
 
 WATER-TIGHT CELLAR FLOORS.— 
 When floors are not subjected to a great pres- 
 sure of water, a good hydraulic cement or water 
 lime will form a tight cellar bottom and sides ; 
 but when the whole soil is full, and the cellar is 
 like a basin in it, the pressure of the water up- 
 ward will surely find crevices where it will ooze 
 up. The cure for this state of things is to get 
 drainage, if possible, and if this cannot be had 
 and repeated patching will not stop« the leaks, 
 in a very dry time take up the top of the floor, 
 and after covering the whole with a layer of 
 gravel, pour into it melted asphaltum, which 
 should be rolled and pounded down while warm, 
 and one or two more layers applied, topping 
 %vith sand. If the gravel can be hot also, it will 
 make a much better floor ; but if it can not be, 
 some coal tar may be mingled with the asphalt- 
 um, and the gravel coated slightly with it before 
 the hot asphaltum is applied. 
 
 WA TER-PROOF PAPER.— The solution 
 of oxide of copper in ammonia acts, as is well 
 known, as an energetic solvent upon cellulose: 
 This property is made use of to water-proof paper 
 in the following manner : A tank is made to con- 
 tain the solution just alluded to, and the paper 
 is rapidly passed just over and in contact witfi 
 the surface of the liquid, by means of properly 
 placed rollers moving with speed. The paper, 
 on leaving, is pressed between two cylinders, 
 and next dried by means of so-called drying 
 cylinders similar to those in use in our paper 
 mills. The short contact of the felty Jiaper 
 tissue with the liquid gives rjse to just sufficient 
 solution of cellulose to form an impermeable 
 varnish. 
 
 WATER-PROOF PACKING-PAPER.— 
 Water-proof packing-paper is thus made by some 
 manufacturers : The paper is covered with a 
 resinous liquid, then painted over with a solution 
 of glue and soot, as without this the paper will 
 later show blotches. After this is dried, the 
 actual water-proof coat is applied. This is pre- 
 pared with two and a half ounces of powdered 
 shellac, dissolved in two pints of water, which 
 
 is gradually brought to boil, and stirred until the 
 substance is perfectly dissolved and softened, 
 when gradually one third ounce of powdered 
 borax is added, until an intimate union of the 
 substances takes place. The liquid is then left 
 to cool, and while still hot any mineral color may 
 be added, such as lampblack, yellow ochre, red 
 ochre, iron blue, or burnt umber, whereupon it 
 is left to get entirely cold. It is then ready for 
 use. The operation can be so quickly performed 
 with a brush that two women can prepare three 
 thousand feet in ten hours. 
 
 WATER.PROOF for Porous Cloth.— Dh- 
 solve 2^ lbs. alum in 4 gal. water; dissolve also, 
 in a separate vessel, the same weight of acetate 
 of lead in the same quantity of water. When 
 both are well dissolved, mix the solutions to- 
 gether; and, when the sulphate of lead resulting 
 from this mixture has been precipitated to the 
 bottom of the vessel in the form of a powder, 
 pour off the solution, and plunge into it the 
 fabric to be rendered water-proof. Wash and 
 rub it well during a few minutes, and hang it in 
 the air to dry. 
 
 WATER.PROOF for Tweeds.— Take two 
 pounds four ounces of alum and dissolve it in 
 ten gallons of water. In like manner dissolve 
 the same quantity of sugar of lead in a similar 
 quantity of water, and mix the two together. 
 They form a precipitate of the sulphate of lead. 
 The clear liquor is now withdrawn, and the cloth 
 immersed for one hour in the solution, when it 
 is taken out, dried in the shade, washed in clean 
 water, and dried again. This preparation enables 
 the cloth to repel water like the feathers of a 
 duck's back, and yet allows the perspiration to 
 pass freely through it. 
 
 WA TER-PROOF Composition for Wood.— 
 Dr. Scherzer, an Austrian official at Pekin, has 
 just sent to his government some specimens of 
 aQiinese composition called "Schioicao," which 
 has the property of making wood and other sub- 
 stances perfectly water-tight. He says that he 
 has seen in Pekin wooden chests which had 
 been to St. Petersburg, and had come back 
 uninjured, and that the Chinese use the compo- 
 sition also for covering straw baskets, which are 
 afterwards employed in carrying oil for long 
 distances. Cardboard, when covered with the 
 composition, becomes as hard as wood; and 
 most wooden buildings in Pekin have a coating 
 of it. It consists of three parts of blood de- 
 prived of its fibrine, four of lime, and a little 
 alum. 
 
 WE A THER SIGNS.— kmm^itd. bodies re- 
 ceive peculiar impressions that precede and an- 
 nounce change of weather. Thus we hear dis- 
 tant sounds better when there is going to be 
 rain ; we also then see remote objects more dis- 
 tinctly, and bad odors are more offensive than 
 usual. 
 
 Swallows skim the ground in their flight ; is 
 it that they may feed on the worms that then 
 come out on the surface? Lizards hide, cats 
 make their toilet, birds oil their feathers, flies 
 bite more sharply, chickens scratch themselves 
 and roll in the dust, fish leap out of the water, 
 and aquatic birds flap their wings and dabble in 
 the ponds and brooks. 
 
 Nearly all the signs indicated announce damp- 
 ness in the air, rather than the approach of rain, 
 for they are not seen when a storm occurs in 
 dry weather. Thus the swelling of wood-work. 
 
MISCELLANEO US. 
 
 5*7 
 
 which renders it difficult to close doors made of 
 soft timber, and the contraction and tension of 
 cordage made of vegetable fibres, are counted 
 among the signs of atmospheric humidity. Rude 
 hygrometers have even been constructed of these 
 fibres. 
 
 Certain flowers do not open at all in rainy 
 weather ; others, the Siberian thistle particular- 
 ly, remain open or shut according as tlie weather 
 is going to be rainy or dry. 
 
 Pallor of the sun announces rain; it is seen, 
 at such times only, through an atmosphere la- 
 den with vapors. If the heat be stifling, that 
 too is a sign of rain; for one is then surrounded 
 by an atmosphere saturated with vapor, and 
 more readily heated, owing to its lack of trans- 
 parency. If the vapors be collected in clouds, 
 the sun's rays that pass through the latter height- 
 en the temperature more than they would have 
 done in perfectly clear weather. If the sun be 
 clear and brilliant, it foretells a fine day; but 
 when the sun is at its rising preceded by red- 
 ness, and this redness passes off the moment it 
 does appear, the sign is of rain. 
 
 Two winds of opposite qualities succeeding 
 each other often bring rain. Thus a cold wind, 
 entering an atmosphere impregnated with moist- 
 ure by the warm wind that preceded it, will 
 bring about a precipitation of water ; and the 
 same will be the case where a damp, warm wind 
 enters air that had been chilled by the wind that 
 had preceded it. 
 
 Generally, an approaching rain can be better 
 foreseen when the sky presents several banks or 
 layers of clouds resting one above the other. 
 The winds that carry with them detached masses 
 of clouds yield but light rains. 
 
 Motionless clouds, lying in the quarter whence 
 the wind blows, bring only a continuance of that 
 wind ; but if they appear in the opposite quarter, 
 they announce its termination. 
 
 Clouds coming up simultaneously, yet impelled 
 by different winds, announce an early storm. 
 
 Clouds accumulating on the sides of mountains 
 foretell rain- 
 
 The following are the signs most familiar to 
 navigators and farmers : 
 
 A rosy sky at sunset, fine weather. A red 
 sky in the morning, bad weather, or a great deal 
 of wind. 
 
 A gray sky in the morning, fine weather. If 
 the first light of dawn appears over a bed of 
 clouds, wind may be looked for. If on the hori- 
 zon, fine weather. 
 
 Light clouds with imperfectly defined edges 
 announce fine weather and moderate breezes. 
 Thick clouds with well-marked edges, wind. A 
 deep, dark blue sky of sombre tinge indicates 
 wind. A clear and brilliant -blue sky indicates 
 fine weather. The lighter the clouds look, the 
 less reason is there to anticipate wind. The 
 more dense, the more rolled together, twisted, 
 and tattered they are, the stronger the wind will 
 be. A brilliant yellow sky at sunset announces 
 wind; a pale yellow one, rain. According to the 
 predominance of red, yellow, or grayish tints, 
 we can foretell the condition of the weather with 
 a very close approximation to accuracy. 
 
 Small clouds of an inky color portend rain. 
 Light clouds moving rapidly in the direction 
 opposite to dense masses, announce wind and 
 rain. 
 
 High clouds passing before the sun, the moon, 
 
 or the stars, in a direction opposite to that pur- 
 sued by the lower beds of clouds, or of the wind 
 felt at the surface of the soil, indicate a change 
 of wind- 
 After fine weather, the first signs of a change 
 are ordinarily high white clouds in belts, or in 
 light dappled tufts or locks, which grow larger 
 and soon form dense and sombre masses. Gen- 
 erally, the more remote and higher up these 
 clouds appear, the less abrupt the change of 
 weather will be, but it will be considerable. 
 
 Soft, light, delicate tints, with clouds of de- 
 cided shade, indicate or accompany fine weather. 
 Extraordinary tints and dense clouds, with hard 
 outlines, indicate rain, and probably a gale of 
 wind. 
 
 Remark the clouds that form on hills and 
 other elevated places, and cling there. If they 
 continue there, augment, or descend, they indi- 
 cate rain. If they, however, ascend and disperse, 
 they portend good weather. When sea-birds fly 
 out away from land in the morning, there will 
 be fine weather. 
 
 WEATHER TABLE, Dr. Adam Clark's. 
 — The table and the accompanying remarks are 
 the result of many years' actual observation, the 
 whole being constructed on a due consideration 
 of the attraction of the sun and moon, in the 
 several positions respecting the earth, and will 
 by a simple inspection show the observer what 
 kind of weather will most probably follow the 
 entrance of the moon into any of its quarters, 
 and that so near the truth as to be seldom or 
 never found to faiL 
 
 MOON. 
 
 TIME OF CHANGE. 
 
 IN SU.MMER. 
 
 If, S? 
 
 Between midnight and 2 
 
 
 
 in the morning. 
 
 Fair. 
 
 f-'cS 
 
 Between 2 and 4, morning. 
 
 Cold, with showers. 
 
 .c o a 
 
 " 4and6, " 
 
 Rain. 
 
 "Sg* 
 
 " 6 and 8, " 
 
 Wind and rain. 
 
 § = -^ 
 
 " 8 and 10, " 
 
 Changeable. 
 
 O 3 C 
 
 " 10 and 12, " 
 
 Frequtnt showers. 
 
 At 12 o'clock, at noon. 
 
 
 t£^ 
 
 and 2 p. M. 
 
 Very rainy. 
 
 ^ "^ 
 
 Bet. 2 and 4, afternoon. 
 
 Changeable. 
 
 V '^lA 
 
 " 4 and 6, " 
 
 Fair. 
 
 
 " 6 and 8, " 
 
 Fair, if wind N. W. 
 
 " 8 and 10, " 
 
 Rainy, if wind S. W. 
 
 &-B 
 
 " 10 and midnight 
 
 " " '■ 
 
 
 " 12 and 2 A.M. 
 
 Fair. 
 
 Obsetvations. — I. The nearer the time of the 
 moon's change. First Quarter, Full, and Last 
 Quarter, are to midnight, the fairer will the 
 weather be during the seven days following. 
 2. The space for this calculation occupies from 
 10 at night till 2 next morning. 3. The nearer 
 to midday or noon the phases of the moon hap- 
 pen, the more foul or wet weather may be ex- 
 pected during the next seven days. 4. The 
 space for this calculation occupies from 10 in the 
 forenoon to 2 in the afternoon. These obser- 
 vations refer principally to the summer, though 
 they affect spring and autumn nearly in the 
 same ratio. 5. The moon's change. First 
 Quarter, Full, and Last Quarter, happening 
 during six of the afternoon hours, i. e. from 4 
 to 10, may be followed by fair weather ; but this 
 is mostly dependent on the wind, as noted in 
 the table. 6. Though the weather, from a va- 
 riety of irregular causes, is more uncertain in 
 the latter part of autumn, the whole winter, and 
 the beginning of spring, yet in the main, the 
 
5i8 
 
 DICTIONARY OF EVERY-DAY WANTS. 
 
 above observations will apply to those periods 
 also. 7. To prognosticate correctly, especially 
 in those cases where the wind is concerned, the 
 observer should be within sight of a good vane, 
 where the four cardinal points of the heavens 
 are correctly placed. Within this precaution, he 
 will scarcely ever be deceived in depending on 
 the table. 
 
 WEA THER TABLE, Dr. HerschelVs. — 
 The following table was constructed by the cele- 
 brated Dr. Herschell, upon a philosophic con- 
 sideration of the attraction of the sun and moon. 
 It is confirmed by the experience of many years' 
 observation, and will suggest to the observer 
 what kind of weather will probably follow the 
 moon's entrance into any of her quarters. 
 Though calculated for England it will be found 
 applicable to other localities. 
 
 If the moon changes at 12 o'clock noon, the 
 weather immediately afterward will be very 
 rainy, if in summer, and there will be snow and 
 rain in winter. 
 
 If between 2 and 4 o'clock P. M.; changeable 
 in summer — fair and mild in winter. 
 
 Between 4 and 6 o'clock P. M.; fair in both 
 summer and winter. 
 
 Between 6 and 10 o'clock P. M.; in summer, 
 fair, if the wind is northwest ; rainy, if south or 
 southwest. In winter, fair and frosty, if the 
 wind is north or northwest ; rainy, if south or 
 southwest. 
 
 Between 10 and 12 o'clock P. M.j fair in sum- 
 mer and frosty in winter. 
 
 Between 12 at night and 2 o'clock A. M.; fair 
 in summer and frosty in winter, unless the wind 
 is from the south or southwesL 
 
 Between 2 and 4 o'clock A. M. ; cold and 
 showery in the summer and snow and storm in 
 the winter. 
 
 Between 4 and 6 o'clock A. M.; rainy both in 
 winter and summer. 
 
 Between 6 and 8 o'clock A. M.; wind and 
 rain in the summer and stormy in the winter. 
 
 Between 8 and 10 o'clock A. M.; changeable 
 in summer, rain with a westerly and snow with 
 an easterly wind in winter. 
 
 Between 10 and 12 o'clock A. M.; showery in 
 summer, and cold and windy in winter. 
 
 WELLS, To Remove Foul Air from, — It is 
 well known that many accidents occur to per- 
 sons going down into wells to clean them, owing 
 to the noxious gas in such places. To remove 
 the gas before descent is made into any well, a 
 quantity of burned but unslaked lime should be 
 thrown down. This, when it comes in contact 
 with whatever water is below, sets free a great 
 quantity of heat in the water and lime, which 
 rushes upward, carrying all the deleterious gas 
 with it ; after which, the descent may be made 
 with perfect safety. The lime also absorbs car- 
 bonic acid in the well. Always lower a light 
 before descending; if it is extinguished, there is 
 still danger of suffocation. 
 
 Another simple method is to let an umbrella 
 down and rapidly hauled up a number of times 
 in succession. The effect is to remove the 
 gas in a few minutes from a well so foul as to 
 instantly extinguish a candle previous to the use 
 of the umbrella. 
 
 WINDOW BLINDS, AVw.— This consists 
 in a number of glass rods arranged either verti- 
 cally or horizontally, and secured together by 
 appropriate frames, forming a series of cylin- 
 
 drical lenses which break up the light and throw 
 it into every part of the room, thus producing a 
 soft and diffused glow which is very beautiful 
 and pleasant. The glass rods may be of any 
 color, and by an arrangement of the colors very 
 beautiful effects can be produced. 
 
 WINE OF WILD CHERRY BARK.— PA- 
 coholic extract (from 24 ounces) of wild cherry 
 bark, 5J!^ ounces; sweet almonds, 3 ounces; 
 water, i pint ; sherry wine, 2 pints. Beat the 
 almonds with the water to a paste, rub down the 
 extract with half a pint of the wine, and mix the 
 two liquids in a bottle of the capacity of three 
 pints, stop it closely, and permit it to stand for 
 three days, with occasional agitation; then add 
 the remainder of the wine, allow it to stand a 
 week and filter. By this mode of proceeding, 
 opportunity is afforded for the development of 
 the hydrocyanic acid before the menstruum is 
 made so alcoholic as to retard the reaction which 
 favors its formation. Thus made, wine of wild 
 cherry bark is a transparent, wine-red liquid, 
 having an astringent bitter-almond taste and 
 odor, much less agreeable than the syrup, and 
 of about the same strength. The dose of this 
 preparation as a tonic and sedative is a teaspoon- 
 ful. 
 
 WOOD, To Prevent Decay in. — A process 
 has been discovered for the prevention of the 
 decay of wood. As the result of a five years' 
 experience, a paint is recommended, which at 
 the same time possesses the advantages of being 
 impervious to water. It is composed of fifty 
 parts of tar, five hundred parts of fine white sand, 
 four parts of linseed oil, one part of the red 
 oxide of copper in its native state, and finally, 
 one part of sulphuric acid. In order to manu- 
 facture the paint from this multiplicity of materi- 
 als, the tar, sand, and oil, are first heated in 
 an iron kettle; the oxide and acid are then 
 added with a great deal of caution. The mass is 
 very carefully mixed and applied while hot. 
 When thoroughly dry, this paint is as hard as 
 stone. 
 
 WOOD, Presetvntion of. — ^The use of creosote, 
 or sulphate of copper or iron, for preserving 
 wood, is open to objections which unfit their 
 employment for floorings or ornamental wood 
 work, the first-named leaving a permanent, 
 disagreeable smell, the latter discoloring the 
 wood. Borax is now found to be admirably 
 adapted for keeping such from decay. The pre- 
 paration is simple, and consists in immersing the 
 wood in a saturated solution of borax, which is 
 then heated to two hundred and twelve degrees 
 Fahrenheit. The wood is left for ten or twelve 
 hours, the time depending upon the density and 
 size of the planks. When taken out, the boards 
 are stacked until dry, then re-immersed in a 
 weaker solution of the salt for a brief time, dried 
 again, and are then ready for use. Boards thus 
 prepared are practically indestructible from rot, 
 and are nearly incombustible. Another pre- 
 servative is said to be a compound of one part 
 silicate of potassa and three of pure water — the 
 wood to remain in the solution twenty-four 
 hours, then dried for several days, then soaked 
 and dried a second time, and subsequently painted 
 twice over with a mixture of one part water-ce- 
 ment and four of the first-mentioned mixture. 
 Thus prepared, it will not decay in the ground, 
 and will be incombustible out of it. 
 
 WOOD, To Feirify.— Gem salt, rock alum. 
 
MISCELLANEO US. 
 
 519 
 
 white vinegar, chalk and peebles powder, of 
 each an equal quantity. Mix well together. If, 
 after the ebullition is over, you throw into this 
 any wood or porous substance, it will petrify it. 
 
 WOOD, To Season. — Small pieces of non-re- 
 sinous wood can be seasoned perfectly by boiling 
 four or five hours — the process taking the sap 
 out of the wood, which shrinks nearly one-tenth 
 in the operation. The same writer states that 
 trees felled in full leaf in June or July, and allowed 
 to lie until every leaf has fallen, will then be 
 nearly dry, as the leaves will not drop of them- 
 selves until they have drawn up and exhausted 
 all the sa'p of the tree. The time required is 
 from a month to six weeks, according to the 
 dryness or wetness of the weather. The floor 
 of a mill laid with poplar so treated, and cut up 
 and put in place in less than a month after the 
 leaves fell, has never shown any shrinkage. 
 
 WOOD, To Split. — In splitting the saw pieces 
 it is much easier to split by slabs than to try and 
 cleave them through the centre. This means to 
 spht off pieces at a time, but a little from the 
 edge; and we may add, that wood splits much 
 more readily in the direction up from the root of 
 the tree, than when the blow of the axe is down- 
 ward. In other words, to split a chunk place 
 it upside down — contrary to the direction in 
 which it grew — before striking at it. 
 
 WOOD PULP, To Bleach.— \. process of 
 bleaching wood puip has been made known by 
 M. Orioli. He has recognized that chloride of 
 lime, however little in excess, has a tendency to 
 produce a yellow tint; that all the strong acids 
 turn the paste red under the action of the sun, 
 or in some time without sunlight, in the presence 
 of moisture; that the slightest trace of iron is 
 sufficient to blacken the paste in a very short 
 time. These objectionable results are obviated 
 by the following mixture: For 100 kilogrammes 
 (200 lbs. ) of wood pulp 800 grammes of oxalic 
 acid are employed, this serving the double pur- 
 pose of bleaching the coloring matter already 
 oxidized and of neutralizing the alkaline princi- 
 
 f)les favorable to oxidation ; 2 kilogrammes (2^ 
 bs. ) of sulphate of alumina, perfectly free from 
 iron, are added. The principal agent in this 
 new process is the oxalic acid, the energetic 
 action of which on vegetable matters is well 
 known. The sulphate of alumina added does 
 not bleach of itself, but it forms with the coloring 
 matter of the wood a nearly colorless lake, 
 which hightens the brilliancy of the product. 
 
 WRITING, To Prevent Alterations in.— If 
 you should desire at any time to write a document 
 in such a manner as to render attempts at altering 
 or falsifying your manuscript impossible, bear in 
 mind a hint given in a French paper-makers' 
 journal, that by steeping paper in a very weak 
 solution of gallic acid, you obtain a writing sur- 
 face upon which ordinary ink makes a mark that 
 defies deceitful erasure or alteration, by rendering 
 any attempt at such easily detectable. 
 
 WRITINGS, To Restore when Decayed.— 
 Cover the letters with solution of ferrocyanide 
 of potassium, with the addition of a diluted min- 
 eral acid; upon the application of which, the 
 letters change very speedily to a deep blue color, 
 of great beauty and intensity. To prevent the 
 spreading of the color, which, by blotting the ' 
 parchment, detracts greatly from the legibility, 
 the ferrocyanide should be put on first, and the 
 diluted acid added upon it. The method found 
 
 to answer best has been to spread the ferrocya- 
 nide thin with a feather or a bit of stick cut to a 
 blunt point. Though the ferrocyanide should 
 occasion no sensible change of color, yet the 
 moment the acid comes upon it, every trace of a 
 letter turns at once to a fine blue, winch soon 
 acquires its full intensity, and is beyond compar- 
 ison stronger than the color of the original trace. 
 If, then, the corner of a bit of blotting-paper be 
 carefully and dexterously applied near the letters, 
 so as to imbibe the superfluous liquor, the stain- 
 ing of the parchment may be in a great measure 
 avoided ; ior it is this superfluous liquor which, 
 absorbing part of the coloring matters from the 
 letters, becomes a dye to whatever it touches. 
 Care must be taken not to bring the blotting- 
 paper in contact with the letters, because the 
 coloring matter is soft whilst wet, and may 
 easily be rubbed off. The acid chiefly employed 
 is the muriatic ; but both the sulphuric and nit- 
 ric succeed very well. They should be so far 
 diluted as not to be liable to corrode the parch- 
 ment, after which the degree of strength does 
 not seem to be a matter of much nicety. 
 
 WRITING, To Make Indelible.— T\iQ fol- 
 lowing simple process will make lead-pencil 
 writing or drawing as indelible as if done with 
 ink. Lay the writing in a shallow dish, and 
 pour skimmed milk upon it. Any spots not wet 
 at first may have the milk placed upon them 
 lightly with a feather. When the paper is all 
 wet over with the milk take it up and let the 
 milk drain off, and whip off with the feather the 
 drops which collect on the lower edge. Dry it 
 carefully, and it will be found to be perfectly 
 indelible. It cannot be removed even with 
 India rubber. It is an old and a good recipe. 
 WRITE {How to) Busi7iess Letters. — Use 
 the fewest words which will clearly convey your 
 meaning ; superfluous words waste time and are 
 apt to confuse. 
 
 Write plainly. Elegant writing is often un- 
 readable, and it is better to write legibly even if 
 you think plain letters not so handsome. Be par- 
 ticular to make all proper names and figures es- 
 pecially plain. Flourishes are out of place in a 
 business letter. 
 
 When ordering goods state carefully what you 
 want and the amount you inclose. 
 
 In replying to a letter it is well to begin by 
 stating in brief the substance of that letter's 
 contents, so your correspondent will see that 
 you have got his meaning, as well as to refresh 
 his memory about the matter you are writing on. 
 Always sign your name and address in full to 
 each letter you write, even though you have writ- 
 ten to the same person before. Be careful to 
 give post office, county and state very plainly, as 
 different names are often very similar. It is well 
 to spell the name of your state in full. 
 
 Always read your letter over before inclosing 
 in the envelope, to make sure you have not for- 
 gotten anything. If money is to be inclosed, be 
 sure it is. Seal securely and direct plainly. 
 
 It is well to make a little memorandum, at the 
 time of wridng, of what you have written, time, 
 etc. This is handy to refer to in case of mistake. 
 If a dealer does not in due time respond to 
 an order intrusted to him, in justice to yourself 
 and him you should write for an explanation. 
 State when you wrote to him, what you wrote 
 for, amount, if any, inclosed, how you directed 
 the goods to be sent, and any other information 
 
520 
 
 DICTIONARY OF EVERY-DAY WANTS. 
 
 you think important. If you do not remember 
 the exact date, give the nearest guess you can 
 to it. If you merely write, — " I sent you an 
 order some time ago, and you havn't filled it," 
 it is almost impossible to investigate the matter 
 in an establishment of any size. It is unneces- 
 sary to call people swindlers, when you write 
 to them, even if you think so. If they are honest, 
 they will not be inclined to do more than they 
 are bound to; if dishonest, they expect that kind 
 of thing, and take it as a matter of course. 
 When you know a person to be a cheat, don't 
 waste your time and postage, telling him you 
 will expose him, but go to work and do it. 
 
 WRITING, (New), To Make Look Old.— 
 Take I dr. of saffron, and infuse it in y^ pt. 
 of ink, and warm it over a gentle fire, and it 
 will cause Avhatever is written with it to turn 
 yellow, and appear as if of many years' standing. 
 
 WRITING {Old),To Copy.—\. Press copies 
 of old letters or manuscript can be taken, it is 
 said, by pressing the pages on the dampened 
 paper in the usual way, and then applying the 
 vapor of ammonia. Although no result may 
 appear to follow the first operation, we are as- 
 sured that after the second the letters will appear 
 distinctly on the dampened blotting-paper. An- 
 other method consists in dampening the manu- 
 script with a solution of sugar, honey, or muci- 
 laginous matter, and then applying as heretofore. 
 In this case the sugar is put on the paper, 
 instead of being mixed previously in the ink, as 
 is done in one form or other with ordinary 
 copying inks. — 2. (^Carri's Method.) This is 
 
 To give to friends who prize it for the giver's 
 sake. 2. It makes passable kindlings. 3. It 
 will bring about three cents a pound at the paper 
 mill, to work up with old rags. Write prose; — 
 poetic prose is far better than prosaic poetry. 
 
 3. Do not write long articles, or long sentences. 
 Write as you would a telegram, where each word 
 costs a dime, or an advertisement, which costs a 
 dollar a line. 
 
 4. Do not ask an editor to return your manu- 
 script. Keep a copy. With a hundred letters 
 a day to read, he has something to do besides 
 hunting up last year's manuscripts, received, 
 rejected, and buried, or burned, long ago. 
 
 5. Do not get angry because your first article 
 is rejected. Quite likely if it is printed, you will 
 live to wish it had been burned, or sent to the 
 paper mill. The first pair of shoes a cobbler 
 makes are not likely to sell very readily; and 
 it takes more skill and longer practice to write 
 good articles than to make good shoes. 
 
 6. Keep trying and sending on; the practice 
 will do you good ; and if writing is in you it will 
 come out. But if you cannot stand criticism, and 
 rejection, and fault finding, you will makeapoor 
 author, and may as well know it at once. The 
 writer's first article was rejected; he kept it 
 awhile, sent it to the same paper again, and it 
 was printed. 
 
 7. Remember an editor may have a peck of 
 better articles than yours is, which he wrote 
 himself, and yet does not think them worth 
 publishing. He will do the best he can, consist- 
 ently, by you. He is more anxious to encourage 
 
 accomplished by wetting unsized copying paper I good writers than you are to write, 
 
 with a solution of one part of hydrochloric, or ° ^~ ""'■ '■ ' "'"" 
 
 muriatic acid, and twelve of water, instead of 
 plain water; and, after laying this on the manu- 
 script, subjecting the whole to pressure with the 
 ordinary copying press. This method has also 
 lately been used to test the antiquity of certain 
 writing, since, when the manuscript is thirty 
 years old, only an illegible copy can be made. 
 On the other hand, writing less than ten years 
 old disappears entirely after immersion of some 
 hours or days in the same solution, while that 
 thirty years old and more continues legible after 
 fifteen days' maceration. In taking a press copy 
 of writing by Carr<;'s method any acid absorbed 
 by the paper can be neutralized by exposing it 
 for a few seconds above a dish containing aqua 
 ammonia. 
 
 WRITING, To Take out.— Vfashhy mt&ns 
 of camel's hair pencils dipped alternately in 
 solutions of cyanide of potassium and oxalic acid. 
 
 WRITING forihe Press.— 1. Do not say, 
 "I write in a hurry, please correct all mistakes." 
 You have ten times the opportunity to do this 
 that the editor has. His time is worth from fifty 
 cents to ten dollars an hour, and he will be likely 
 to correct your errors by fire, and then they will 
 never trouble any one any more. You must do 
 your own work if you want it done. It is said 
 that Newton wrote his chronology over fifteen 
 times before he was satisfied with it, and Gibbon 
 wrote out his memoir nine times before sending 
 it to the press. No beginners can expect better 
 success or less labor than such learned men. 
 Do not write poetry. Most who try, do 
 
 not know what poetry is, and they cannot be 
 told till they have learned a great deal more than 
 they know now. Ninety-nine one hundredths 
 of Uie rhyme written is good for three things: i. 
 
 Do not expect a poor editor to set up a 
 reading school, spelling school, grammar school 
 and writing school for the benefit of those who 
 have not improved their opportunities at home. 
 You can study these matters anywhere; do not 
 impose your ignorance on an editor, and then 
 wonder that he has not time to fool over such 
 nonsense. Some poor printer has to set up the 
 type for your article. Every cent you save by 
 using pale ink, poor paper, and writing care- 
 lessly because you are in a hurry,or writing finely, 
 or crosswise, to save three cents postage, will 
 cost the printer in toil, delay, and eye-sight, at 
 least fifty times as much money as you will save, 
 besides causing him to commit blunders for you 
 to scold about. Do you wonder such articles are 
 rejected? 
 
 9. Do not get angry. Do not write slang, or 
 personalities, or abuse, or slander. 
 
 10. Finally. I. Write with black ink, on 
 white paper, wide ruled. 2. Make the pages 
 small, one-fourth that of a foolscap sheet. 3. 
 Leave the second page of each leaf blank. 4. 
 Give to the written page an ample margin all 
 round. 5. Number the pages in the order of 
 their succession. 6. Write in a plain bold hand, 
 with less respect to beauty. 7. Use no abbre- 
 viations which are not to appear in print. 8. 
 Punctuate the manuscript as it should be printed. 
 9. For Italics underscore one line; for small 
 capitals, two; capitals, three. 10. Never inter- 
 line without the caret to show its place. II. 
 Take special pains with every letter in proper 
 names. 12. Review every word, to be sure that 
 none is illegible. 13. Put directions to the 
 printer, at the head of the first page. 14. Never 
 write a private letter to the editor on the printer's 
 copy, but always on a separate sheet. 
 
INDEX. 
 
 Abortion, 207 
 — — in cows, 8p 
 Accidents, to avoid, ir 
 -^— — to prevent, 11 
 
 ■ (lamp), to prevent, 158 
 Accounts, keeping, 118 
 Acetic ether, 71 
 
 Acid, citric, 63 
 
 soap, 312 
 
 stomach, 238 
 
 -^-^— strawberry, 362 
 Acquafortis, antidote for, 15 
 Acquariam cement, 32 
 Adhesive cloth, 63 
 Adulterated bread, 45 
 Adulteration of soap, 312 
 
 ■ ■ ■■' of wines and liquors, 362 
 Age of cattle, 87 
 ' of dogs, 170 
 
 ■ of horses, 103 
 Ague, 207, 222, 470 
 to avoid, 447 
 
 ■'- bitters, 65 
 
 ■ pills, 78 
 
 ■ ■ powder, 81 
 Alabaster, to clean, 151 
 
 - cement, 32 
 
 ■ to harden, 447 
 
 ■ to polish, 447 
 Alaska icebergs, 447 
 Albertjrpe process, 272 
 Albumen, substitute for, 27a 
 Alcohol, 362 
 
 Alcoholic poison, antidote for, 15 
 Ale, to brew, 363 
 
 - burton, 363 
 
 — — — for private families, 363 
 Alkanet root, 82 
 Alloy, incorrosive, 397 
 
 I for journal boxes, 397 
 
 for soldering iron to steel, 397 
 
 Almond bloom, 66 
 
 cakes, 46 
 
 meal, 312 
 
 paste, 312 
 
 ^— — paste for birds, 168 
 
 soap, 312 
 
 Almonds, milk of, 75 
 Aloes, pills of, 78 
 
 with myrrh pill, 78 
 
 with soap pill, 78 
 
 Alterative, 64 
 
 rheumatic, 64 
 
 Aluminum, 397 
 
 bronze, 404 
 
 Amalgam for electrical machines, 398 
 of gold, 398 
 
 for mirrors, 398 
 
 Amandine, 312 
 Amber varnish, 267 
 Ammonia, antidotes for, 15 
 AnsBsthesia, to prolong, 67 
 Anchovy butter, 40 
 Anchovies, English, 293 
 Anglo-Japanese work, 242 
 
 Aniline colors, to make soluble in wa- 
 ter, 447 
 
 blue dye, 339 
 
 Animals (dead), to convert into ma- 
 nure, 137 
 ■ ■ (dead), to preserve, 461 
 - preserving, 190 
 
 jumping fences, 94 
 
 — — — effect of kindness on, 87 
 Anisette, cordial, 373 
 Ankle, sprained, 208 
 Annealing steel, 398 
 Annotto, choice of, 120 
 ^—— dyes, 338 
 Anodyne, Hofi&nan's, 64 
 
 Anti-bilious pills, 78 " ■ 
 
 Antidotes for every poi<on, 15 to 18 
 Antimoniod, 39S 
 Antique painting, 243 
 Ants, to destroy, 173 
 
 in greenhouses, 120 
 
 Aphorisms for bathers, 208 
 Aperient, magnesian effervescing, 64 
 Apiary, 20 
 
 to establish, 21 
 
 Apoplexy, 208 
 Appetite, loss of, 208 
 Apple bread, 41, 45 
 
 butter, 293 
 
 cake, 41 
 
 cream, 41 
 
 custard, 41 
 
 floating island of, 41 
 
 fritters, 41 
 
 jani, 293, 294 
 
 jelly, 54, 293, 303 
 
 marmalade, 294 
 
 puddings, 41 
 
 sauce, 41 
 
 slum, 41 
 
 short cake, 46 
 
 snow, 41 
 
 souffle, 41 
 
 tree borer, 118 
 
 trees, lice on, ji8 
 
 to plant, 119 
 
 to keep rabbits from bark- 
 ing, 1 1-8 
 
 to renovate, 118 
 
 suckers, 119 
 
 treatment o^ 118 
 
 trifle, 41 
 wine, 383 
 
 Apples, to color while growing, 118 
 
 to dry, 293 
 
 preserving, 294 
 
 (pine), to preserve, 294 
 
 Applying manure, 137 
 Apricot, dried, 294 
 
 jam, 294, 303 
 
 jelly, 294 
 
 marmalade, 304 
 
 wine, 383 
 
 Aquarium, principles of, 165 
 
 home made, 165 
 
 fresh water, 165 
 
 marine, i66 
 
 management of, 166 
 
 Architectural cement, 32 
 Argand gas-burner, 473 
 Arnica liniment, 74 
 Arrack punch, 363 
 Batavia, 363 
 
 Arrowroot, blanc-mange, 41 
 
 jelly, 54 
 
 pudding, 59 
 
 Arsenic, antidotes for, 15 
 
 ; test for, 63 
 
 Arsenical soap, 193, 313 
 Artichokes, 41 
 
 boihd, 41 
 
 Jerusalem, 119 
 
 Artificial skin, 63 
 
 stone, 30 
 
 Ashberrium, 398 
 Asiatic inks, 200 
 Asparagus, 42 
 
 to cultivate, inj 
 
 •soup, 42 
 
 Asthma, 208, 223 
 
 in birds, 166 
 
 Assay ^f soap, 312 
 Athol brosc, 46 
 Atmosphere, purity of, 447 
 Atrophy, 208 
 
 Atrophy in birds, 167 
 Automatic blacking, 198 
 Awnings, mildew proof, 447 
 Axle-grease, 447 
 Ayer's cherry pectoral, 67 
 
 Babies, food for, 225 
 Back, weak, 208 
 Backs of horses, galled, 106 
 Bacon, 295 
 Baiting traps, 197 
 Baits for fishing, 182 
 Baking powder, 42 
 Bakers' itch, 228 
 Baldness, treatment of, 323 
 remedies for, 323 
 
 Ball, cough, 96 
 
 diuretic, 96 
 
 physic, 96 
 
 purgative, 96 
 
 worm, 96 
 
 Balls, heel, 199 
 camphor, 65 
 
 for scouring cloth, 333 
 
 for removing grease and 
 
 paint, 64 
 Balloon varnish, 448 
 Balloons, gas for, 448 . 
 Balm of beauty, 64 
 
 of Gilead, 64 
 
 imitation, 64 
 
 salve, 82 
 
 of a thousand flowers, 64 
 
 Balsam, glycerine, 64 
 
 of honey, 64 
 
 Indian, 64 
 
 Mitchell's, 64 
 
 of Tolu, 64 
 
 Balmony herb, 65 
 Banbury cakes, 46 
 Bandoline, 65 
 rose, 65 
 
 Banks (steep), to cover with g):ass, 120 
 Barberry hedge, 134 
 Barbers' itch, 228 
 Bark, American poplar, 65 
 wild cherry, 65 
 
 Barking apple trees, 118 
 Barks, to preserve, 65 
 Barley, to cultivate, 120 
 
 to harvest, 120 
 
 seed, 145 
 
 Barns, paint for, 260 
 Barrels, to sweeten, 363 
 Bairomeler, home made, 448 
 animated, 448 
 
 Baseball, to make, 448 
 Basement floors, 27 
 Baskets, to crj'stallize, 448 
 hanging, 476 
 
 Bath, cold, 208 
 
 fixing, 273 
 
 hot, 209 
 
 negative, 273 
 
 to restore, 273 
 
 Russian, 209 
 
 sensitizing, 273 
 
 shower, 209 
 
 tepid, 209 
 
 toning, 273 
 
 Turkish, 209 
 
 vapor, 209 
 
 warm, 209 
 
 Bathers, aphorisms for, 208 
 Bathing, sea, 448 
 Eatswing gas burner, 472 
 Battery, copper solution for, 408 
 
 electrical, 398 
 
 galvanic, 398 
 
 521 
 
522 
 
 INDEX. 
 
 Battery, mercurial, 398 
 to plate with, 398 
 
 liquid for, 400 
 
 Baulky horses, 96 
 Bay rum, 65 
 Bayberry soap, 313 
 Beach nuts, use of, 121 
 Bead for liquors, 363 
 Beans, to cook, 42 
 
 castor-oil, 121 
 
 to cultivate, 120 
 
 to keep fresh for winter, 295 
 
 green, 42 
 
 Lima, 121 
 
 Bears grease, 65 
 Beauty, to acquire, 323 
 Beaver skins, to dress, 176 
 Bed-bugs, to exterminate, 173 
 Bed for dogs, 170 
 
 Beds, care of, 151 
 Bed-rooms, ventilation of, 449 
 Bee feeder, 22 
 
 hive, to make, 21 
 
 position of, 21 
 
 ——— queen, 20 
 
 — — stings, 19 
 
 Bees, drone, 20 
 
 • going to the woods, 21 
 
 history of, 20 
 
 enemies of, 23 
 
 Italian, 23 
 
 pasturage for, 22 
 
 (queen), to rear, 23 
 
 sunshine and shadow for, 33 
 
 water for, 23 
 
 working, 20 
 
 wintering, 23 
 
 wax, to bleach, 23 
 
 Beef broth, 43 
 
 to cure, 29s 
 
 coUops, 42 
 
 (corned), to boil, 43 
 
 curried, 43 
 
 cutlets, 43 
 
 dry, 295 
 
 hash, 43 
 
 fillet oi, 42 
 
 to judge of its quality, 42 
 
 (leg of), to bake, 42 
 
 pickled, 29s 
 
 potted, 43 
 
 rissoles, 43 
 
 — '■ to roast, 42 
 
 (rump of), to bake, 42 
 
 with mushrooms, 43 
 
 stewed with onions, 43 
 
 tea, 43, 61 
 
 Beefsteak, to cook, 43 
 
 and onions, 43 
 
 rolls, 44 
 
 Beer, to give the appearance of age 
 to, 364 
 
 bouquet, 364 
 
 cheap, 364 
 
 — ^ cup, 364 
 
 to enliven and restore when 
 
 dead, 364 
 
 fining, 364 
 
 ginger, 364 
 
 (ginger), powders, 364 
 
 hop, 365 
 
 to improve flavor of, 364 
 
 lemon, 365 
 
 maple, 365 
 
 molasses, 365 
 
 musty, 365 
 
 Philadelphia, 365 
 
 root, 365 
 
 ropy, 36s 
 
 sassafras, 365 
 
 solid, 365 
 
 sour, 366 
 
 spruce, 366 
 
 strong, 365 
 
 tomatoe, 366 
 
 Beets, boiled, 96 
 Beetles, to destroy, 174" 
 Belladonna ointment, 77 
 Bell metal, 400 
 
 Belts, to oil, 449 
 Bengal chutney, 297 
 Bichiomatism, 273, ^ 
 
 Big leg in horses, 96 
 
 head in horses, 96 
 
 shoulder in horses, 96 
 
 Bilious colic, 214 
 fever, 223 
 
 Biliousness, 209 
 Bird lime, 176 
 Birds, asthma in, 166 
 
 atrophy' or wasting in, 167 
 
 almond paste for, 168 
 
 bloody flux in, 167 
 
 catchmg, 176 
 
 consumption in, 167 
 
 costiveness in, 167 
 
 decline in, 167 
 
 diarrhoea in, 167 
 
 disorders of, 166 
 
 German paste for, 168 
 
 moulting of, 167 
 
 to mount, 176 
 
 paste for, 168 
 
 the pip in, i66' 
 
 to preserve, 176 
 
 rheum in, 166 
 
 rump gland obstruction in, 167 
 
 (singing), food for, 167 
 
 to skin, 176 
 
 to stuff, 176 
 
 Birds-nest pudding, 59 
 Biscuit, ginger, 53 
 
 — milk, 55 
 
 seed, 46 
 
 wine, 46 
 
 Bites of the cobra, 12 
 
 harvest bug, iz 
 
 insect, ii 
 
 mad dog, 11 
 
 snake, 12 
 
 Biting the nails; 330 
 Bitters, ague, 65 
 blackberry, 65 
 
 brandy, 336 
 
 cathartic, 65 
 
 stomach, 336 
 
 tonic, 65 
 
 Blackberry brandy, 367 
 bitters, 65 
 
 cordial, 373 
 
 jam, 295 
 
 syrup, 295, 377 
 
 wine, 389 
 
 to cultivate, 121 
 
 Blackbird, the, 168 
 Blackboard, artificial, 449 
 paint, 449 
 
 Black cloth, to clean, 458, 349 
 
 enamel, 466 
 
 eye, 221 
 
 healing salve, 450 
 
 Blacking, to make, 197 
 
 German, 199 
 
 harness, 199 
 
 — India rubber liquid, 199 
 paste, 199 
 
 — for leather seats, 200 
 
 — liquid, 200 
 
 — for Morrocco shoes, 199 
 
 — paste, 200 
 
 — stove, 163 
 water proof, 200 
 
 Black dye, 338 
 
 for cotton, 339 
 
 for chip bonnets, 339 
 
 for straw bonnets, 339 
 
 for wool, 339 
 
 copal varnish, 266 
 
 ivory, 250 
 
 Japan varnish, 266 
 
 - lamp, 250 
 
 - leg m cattle, 88 
 
 lead, to remove, 151 
 
 luster color, 450 
 
 paint, 250 
 
 silk, to choose, 338 
 
 - silk, to do up, 338 
 
 - soap, 313 
 
 stain, 263 
 
 varnish, 266 
 
 walnut graining, 255 
 
 Bladders, to prepare, 65, 450 
 Blanc-mange, arrowroot, 41 
 chocolate, 49 
 
 Blanc-mange, corn starch, 50 
 Blankets, to clean, 151 
 Blanketting horses, 105 
 Bleaching cotton, 342 
 
 linen, 342 
 
 silk, 342 
 
 soap, 313 
 
 wool, 342 
 
 wool on tanned pelts, 179 
 
 Bleeding, cotton for staunching, 68 
 
 from the lungs, 12 
 
 at the nose, 12 
 
 of wounds, 12 
 
 Blight in fruit trees, 121 
 Blind staggers in pigs, 93 
 Blistered feet, 222 
 Blistering tissue, 65 
 Blister for horses, 96 
 Bloat in cattle, 89 
 Blond, to wash, 351 
 Blood, alterative for, 64 
 
 fulness of in horses, 97 
 
 spitting of, 209 
 
 tests for, 65 
 
 transfusion of, 209 
 
 Bloody milk in cows, 90 
 Bloom, almond, 66 
 of roses, 65 
 
 Blotched face, 324 
 Blue black ink, 201 
 for ceilings, 239 
 
 chrome, 339 
 
 dye, 339, 340 
 
 enamel, 466 
 
 flag, 66 
 
 ink, 201 
 
 liquid, 74, 340 
 
 paint, 250 
 
 Prussian, 250, 340, 341 
 
 (purple), dye, 341 
 
 (Saxon), dye, 341 
 
 (sky), dye, 342 
 
 stain, 263 
 
 for steel ploughs, 404 
 
 ultramarine, 250 
 
 vitriol, antidote for, 16 
 
 writing fluid, 202 
 
 Bluing steel articles, 404 
 Boards, to take ink out of, 151 " 
 to take oil out of, 151 . 
 
 Boiled goose, 57 
 
 onions, 53 
 
 Boiler explosions, 400 
 
 incrustations, 400 
 
 lime deposits in, 401 
 
 Boils, 210 
 
 Bones, to dye and color, 450 
 
 to convert into manure, 137 
 
 to pulverize for fowls, 113 
 
 to whiten, 450 
 
 Bonnets, to prevent injuring the hair, 
 
 151 
 (straw), to clean, 359 
 
 (straw), to dj'C, 359 
 
 Book-binders' varnish, 452 
 
 covers, marbling for, 4SO to 452 
 
 making, 450 
 
 Books, Chinese edge for, 451 
 to gild edge of, 451 
 
 to gild leather backs of, 4S3 
 
 ink stains on, 158 
 
 mould in, 158 
 
 to remove stains from, 15X 
 
 Boot leather, pres'^r\'ation of, 152 
 Boots and shoes, care of, 151 
 
 to restore color of, 152 
 
 (rubber),tomend, 152 
 
 to soften, 152 
 
 (soles of), to make 
 
 water-proof, 152 
 squeaking, to pre- 
 vent, 152 
 (summer), to pre- 
 serve through the 
 winter, 152 
 water - proof compo- 
 sition for, 152 
 Boots (kid), to clean, 112 
 India rubber water proof for, 
 
 (patent leather), care of, 152 
 
 (pogged),topreventripping,i3» 
 
Boots (white jean), to clean, iia 
 Borax for the blow-pipe, 401 
 
 ■ substitute for, 401 
 
 virtues of, 343 
 
 Boring holes in glass, 389 
 Borer, apple tree, ir6 
 
 ■ peach, 14a 
 
 Botanical specimens, to dry, 24J 
 Bottles (musty), to sweeten, 360 
 — ^— sealing, 366 
 
 ■ wax for, 40, 366 i 
 Bottling, corks for, 367 
 
 malt liquors, 367 
 
 Botts, 97 
 
 Bouquets of colored grass, 543 
 
 ^— - to keep bright and fresh, 396 
 
 Boulders, to remove, 122 
 
 Bowels, accute inflammation of, 210 
 
 -^— chronic inflammation of, 210 
 
 (loose), in horses, 97 
 
 Boxes for starting plants, 143 
 Boys, to attach to farm life, i2x 
 Brain, inflammation of, 210 
 
 enlargement of, 210 
 
 —— softening of, 2H 
 Brande's ink, 201 
 Brandreth's pills, 78 
 Brandy, 367 
 
 British, 367 
 
 blackberry, 367 
 
 cherry, 367 
 
 cognac, 367 
 
 to decolorize, 367 
 
 — — French, 367 
 
 pale, 367 
 
 Brass, 401, 402 
 
 ^^^— to bronze, 402 
 
 ■ ■ burnishing, 402 
 ^— — to clean, 151, 402, 404, 409, 
 - <52. 
 
 coating, 402 
 
 to coat with tin, 402, 409 
 
 ■ to coat with zinc, 409 
 
 — ^— to deposit on zinc or other 
 metals, 402 
 ■ dipping, 401 
 
 inlaid work, to polish, 403 
 
 to lacquer, 403 
 
 ornaments, to clean, 151 
 
 to preserve, 404 
 
 ■ to temper, 404 
 — ^— to tin, 408, 409 
 
 for wire, 404 
 
 Bread, adulterated, 43 
 
 apple. 41, 45 
 
 brown, 45 
 
 cake, 47 
 
 com, 45 
 
 • French, 44 
 
 graham, 44 
 
 to keep moist, 45 
 
 to make without flour, 44 
 
 oxygenated, 44 
 
 panada, 58 
 
 potatoe, 4S 
 
 pudding, 46 
 
 rice, 45 
 
 rye, 45 
 
 sago, 45 
 
 to serve at table, 45 
 
 unfermented, 44 
 
 willow, 45 
 
 yeast for, 44 
 
 Breachy catde, 87 
 Breakfast cake, 47 
 Breaking down in horses, 97 
 Breasts, caked, 211 
 
 (sore), in horses, 07 
 
 Breath (bad), see charcoal, 67 
 
 foetid, 211 
 
 offensive, 324 
 
 pastilles for perfuming, 77 
 
 Breeding trout, 197 
 Breweries, 367 
 
 Brewing, 368 
 
 Brick buildings, to paint, as 
 
 — — making, 24 
 
 ovens, to make, 25 
 
 ■ walls, coating for, 25 
 
 — — to wet, 25 
 Bright's disease, 2ir 
 Britannia metal, 404 
 
 INDEX. 
 
 Britannia metal, to clean, 153 
 
 British oil, 76 
 
 Broadcloth, stains on, 343 
 
 Brocoli, to boil, 46 
 
 Bromide of potassium, 66 
 
 Bronchial troches, 66 
 
 Bronchitis, 211 
 
 Bronchocele, 211 
 
 Broom corn, 128 
 
 Broome's ink, 201 
 
 Brooms, use and management of, 153 
 
 Brose, athol, 46 
 
 Scotch, 46 
 
 Broth, beef, 43 
 
 calves foot, 48 
 
 chicken, 49 
 
 523 
 
 of fragments, 46 
 
 mutton, 56 
 
 veal, 62 
 
 Bronze, aluminum, 404 
 
 for brass, 405 
 
 for cutting instruments, 404 
 
 gold, 404 
 
 green, 405 
 
 (to), plaster figures, 433 
 
 for mortars, 405 
 
 powder, 405 
 
 for statuary, 405 
 
 Bronzing gun barrels, 404 
 
 fluid, 405 
 
 for iron or wood, 405 
 
 leather, 482 
 
 of ornaments, 405 
 
 size, 263 
 
 surface, 405 
 
 Brown bread, 45 
 
 dye, 342, 343 
 
 enamel, 466 
 
 freestone, to imitate, 250 
 
 ink, 201 
 
 Brown's bronchial troches, 66 
 Bruises, balsam for, 64 
 
 in furniture, 156 
 
 Brushes, care of, 250 
 
 hair, 327 
 
 varnish, 266 
 
 Brushing the hair, 327 
 cloths, 333 
 
 JBuchu, extract, of, 71 
 
 infusion of, 73 
 
 Buckskin, to dye, 180 
 Buff dye, 343 
 Buffalo skin, to tan, 179 
 Bugs, to destroy, 122 
 Building cement, 32 
 
 chimneys, 26 
 
 house, hints on, 24 
 
 material, strength of, 453 
 
 Buildings, composition for covering, 26 
 
 Bull rings, to insert, 93 
 
 Bunion, 211 
 
 Buns, 46 
 
 Burdock, 66 
 
 Burning lens, 453 
 
 Bums and bruises, artificial skin for, 63 
 
 and scalds, 12 
 
 Bursting of guns, 185 
 Burj-ing alive, 212 
 Butcher knives, 405 
 Butter, apple, 293 
 
 churning cream for, 123 
 
 to clarify, 46 
 
 coloring, 123 
 
 to keep in summer, 296 
 
 to keep sweet, 296 
 
 improved coloring for, 123 
 
 to make, 122 
 
 marketing, 124 
 
 packing, J24 
 
 to preserve fresh, 124 
 
 rancid, 46 
 
 to restore when rancid, 124, 453 
 
 salting and working, 123 
 
 winter treatment of, 123 
 
 Butterflies, to prepare, 433 
 
 Cabbage, the cut- worm on, 124 
 
 to grow, 124 
 
 to pickle, 296 
 
 plants, salting, 124 
 
 to preserve in winter, 296 
 
 Cabbage salad, 46 
 to stew, 46 
 
 Cabinet makers' varnish, 266 
 Cadaver, preservation of, 66 
 Cages for parrots, 17a 
 Caked breasts, 211 
 Cake, almond, 46 
 apple, 41 
 
 apple short cake, 46 
 
 banbury, 46 
 
 bath, 47 
 
 breakfast, 47 
 
 bread, 47 
 
 chocolate paste, 47 
 
 cinnamon, 47 
 
 com, 47 
 
 fruit, 52 
 
 green com, 53 
 
 ginger, 47 
 
 gnddle, 47 
 
 icing for, 47 
 
 Johnny, 47 
 
 Indian meal, 54 
 
 lemon, 47, 55 
 
 sandwich, 47 
 
 soda, 60 
 
 sponge, 60 
 
 weddmg, 47 
 
 yeast, 48 
 
 Calico, 153 
 
 quilt, to wash, 346 
 
 Calicoes, to wash, 343 
 Calisaya bark and iron, 70 
 Calf s foot broth, 481 
 
 feet jelly, 54, 296, 303 
 
 Calves, care of, 92 
 
 chalk for, 91 
 
 lice on, 92 
 
 — ^ vermin on, 92 
 
 scours in, 92 
 
 Cameo-medallion, carte-de-visit, 273 
 Camera, to adjust, 273 
 Camphorated dentrifice, 69 
 soap, 315 
 
 Camphor balls, 65 
 
 cerate, 67 
 
 ice, 66, 73* 
 
 liniment, 74 
 
 to pulverize, 74 
 
 varnish, 266 , 
 
 Canada thistle, 147 
 Canaries, care of, i63 
 
 to distinguish sex of, t68 
 
 hints on choosing, 168 
 
 insects on, 169 
 
 (young), to tame, 169 
 
 Cancer, 212 
 
 Candied citron, 297 
 
 orange, 306 
 
 Candles, 313 to 315 
 
 to make bum all night, 153 
 
 Candle stick, to clean, 153 
 Candies, chocolate cream, 48 
 
 to clarify sugar for, 48 
 
 Everton taffee candy, 48 
 
 fmit, 48 
 
 ginger, 48 
 
 Candy, cough, 63 
 
 common twist, 48 
 
 fig, 48 
 
 lemon, 48 
 
 molasses, 48 
 
 Scotch butter, 48 
 
 Candying fruit, 301 
 
 Cane bottom chairs, to clean, 154 
 Canker, 212 
 
 in fowls, 113 
 
 Canned grapes, 302 
 
 peaches, 303 
 
 Canning fruit, 296 
 Cantharadies, antidote for, 16 
 cerate of, 67 
 
 tincture of, 85 
 
 Canvas, to prepare for oil painting, 374 
 
 water-proof, 454 
 
 Caoutchouc blacking, 199 
 
 for printers' rollers, 454 
 
 varnish, 266 
 
 Capons, 113 
 
 Caramel, chocolate, 49 
 Carat, 406 
 Caraway, cordial, 373 
 
524 
 
 Carbolic acid, i6 
 
 ' for laundrying, 337 
 
 soap, 31 s 
 
 Carbonic acid, 454 
 Carbonate of magnesia, 66 
 Carbonated drink, 370 
 Carbon ink, 201 
 Carbuncle, 212 
 Carlsbad water, 86 ' 
 
 Carmine, 66, 250 
 
 ink, 201 
 
 Carminative, Dalby's, 66 
 Carnation lip salve, 74 
 Carpeting, cheap, 113 
 Carpets, to choose, 153 
 to clean, 154 
 
 to lay, 153 
 
 moths in, 17s 
 
 to prevent moths in, 154 
 
 to remove grease from, 154 
 
 (stair), to make last, 153 
 
 to sweep, 153 
 
 Carpet warp, coloring for, 343 
 Carrots, to cook, 48 
 
 to cultivate, 125 
 
 Cart horse, to select, 103 
 Case hardening, 407 
 
 Case springs for watches, 407 
 Cashmere shawls, to clean the white 
 
 middle of, 356 
 Casks (water), to clean, 154 
 Cassia, oil of, 76 
 Cast-iron cement, 36 
 
 . to softea for drilling, 407 
 
 to weld, 407 
 
 Casting delicate objects, 406 
 
 . - metals, 406 
 
 ■ in bread paste, 435 
 
 in glue, 4S5 
 
 ■ in plaster, 454 
 — ^ in sulphur, 454 
 —~— in wax, 455 
 Castings, soldering, 407 
 Castration, 98 
 
 Castor oil bean, to grow, 121 
 — — mechanical uses oi^ 454 
 
 ■ pomade, 80 
 Cast-steel, burnt, 407 
 —— English, 407 
 
 II to harden, 424 
 — — and iron, edge tools from, 407 
 Cat, care of, 167 
 
 Cats catching chickens, to cure, 124 
 Cataplasm, Pradier's, 66 
 Cataract in horses, 97 
 Catarrh, 213 
 
 in cattle, 87 
 
 in fowls, 113 
 
 — — in horses, 97 
 
 in sheep, 94 
 
 snuff, 83 
 
 Caterpillars, to destroy, 174 
 Cathartic bitters, 6s 
 
 pill, 78 
 
 syrup, 66 
 
 Catsup, currant, 298 
 
 mushroom, 56 
 
 oyster, 306 
 
 —^ tomatoe, 61, 311 
 Cattle, age of, 87 
 
 — — breachy, 87 
 
 black leg in, 88 
 
 catarrh in, 87 
 
 care of, 88 
 
 choked, 88 
 
 feeding, 88 
 
 film on eyes of, 88 
 
 foot and mouth disease in, 88 
 
 hoof rot in, 89 
 
 hoven or bloat in, 89 
 
 lice on, 89 
 
 mange in, 89 
 
 plague, 89 
 
 snake bitten, 89 
 
 sore mouth in, 89 
 
 warts on, 89 
 
 wens on, 89 
 
 Cattle's horns, sawing off, 89 
 Cauliflower, to boil, 49 
 
 in milk, 49 
 
 Cauliflowers, to keep, 297 
 
 ■ to grow, 124 
 
 INDEX. 
 
 (Caustic for corns, 325 
 
 mode of using, 213 
 
 paste, 66 
 
 Velpeau's black, 67 
 
 Cedar hedge, 135 
 Celery, to cultivate, 125 
 to keep, 297 
 
 Cellar floors, 27 
 
 vegetable, 126 
 
 Cellars, to keep from freezing, 26, 125 
 Cement for acquaria, 32 
 
 alabaster, 32 
 
 applying, 32 
 
 architectural, 32 
 
 for attaching metal to glass, 33 
 
 for attaching brass work to 
 
 lamps, ^3 
 
 for brick walls, 33 
 
 for broken marble, 33 
 
 Botany Bay, 32 
 
 building, 32 
 
 cast-iron, 36 
 
 for chimneys, 35 
 
 Chinese, 36 
 
 for china and gla;s, 33 
 
 for chemical glasses, 33 
 
 for cisterns, 34 
 
 colored, 36, 455 
 
 for covering the fronts of 
 
 houses, 33 
 
 copper smiths, 34 
 
 for cloth or belting, 34 
 
 for crockery, metals and wood, 
 
 33 
 
 cutlers, 34 
 
 curd, 36 
 
 diamond, 36 
 
 egg, 37 , . 
 
 elastic collodion, 36 
 
 electrical and chemicali 37 
 
 engineers, 34 
 
 English Roman, 36 
 
 entomologists, 36 
 
 forfastening chamois and other 
 
 leather to iron or steel, 34 
 
 for fastening to metals, 34 
 
 for fastening rubber to wood 
 
 and metals, 34 
 
 fire-proof, 38 
 
 for floors, 34 
 
 French, 37 
 
 for gas fitters, 34 
 
 for gas retorts, 34 
 
 German, 37 
 
 glass grinders, 37 
 
 glycerine, 37 
 
 for gutters and leaky places, 34 
 
 hard, 37 
 
 hydraulic, 37 
 
 Hamelin's, 37 
 
 India rubber, 37 
 
 iron, 34, 37 
 
 iron rust, 37 
 
 Japanese, 37 
 
 Kourie, 38 
 
 for leather, 35 
 
 for leather lielting, 35 
 
 for leather and cloth, 35 
 
 for leather straps, 455 
 
 liquid, 38 
 
 microscopic, 38 
 
 for mother of pearl, 35 
 
 opticians, 38 
 
 parabolic, 38 
 
 for patent fuel, 35 
 
 plumbers, 38 
 
 preventing leaks about chim- 
 neys, 35 
 
 red, 38 
 
 rice flour, 38 
 
 Roman, 38 
 
 rubber, 455 
 
 schroicao, 38 
 
 seal engravers, 38 
 
 for steam pipes, 35 
 
 for stone, 36 
 
 for stoves, 36 
 
 for stopping cracks in jars, 35 
 
 — for tile roofs, 36 
 
 water, 32. 38 
 
 water-proof, 38 
 
 Cephalic snuff, 68, 83 
 
 Cerate of acetate of lead, 67 
 
 camphor, 67 
 
 of cantharidies, 67 
 
 of lead, 67 
 
 Chaffinches, 177 
 Chafing, remedy for, 213 
 Chairs, 455 
 
 (cane bottom), to clean. 154 
 
 Chalk, prepared, 455 
 
 for calves, 91 
 
 Chamomile, 67, 79 
 Champagne, American, 370 
 
 British, 370 
 
 Burgandy, 370 
 
 cider, 370 
 
 . cup, 370 
 
 sham, 370 
 
 Chapped hands, 330 
 lips, 330 
 
 Charcoal dentrifice, 69 
 in the dairy, 129 
 
 making, 45s 
 
 in milk room, 140 
 
 prepared, 67 
 
 poultice, 81 
 
 for turkeys, X17 
 
 of wood, 67 
 
 Charlotte de Russe, 49 
 Charms, fish, 183 
 Cheese, Dutch, 127 
 
 French, 126 
 
 to make, 126 
 
 Neufchatel, 127 
 
 plum, 309 
 
 Chemical soap, 315 
 Chemistry of tanning, 194. 
 Cherry brandy, 367 
 
 bounce, 371 
 
 cheese, 297 
 
 jam, 297 
 
 marmalade, 297 
 
 pectoral, Ayer's, 6j 
 
 — stain, 263 
 
 Cherries, to cultivate, 127, 
 to preserve, 297 
 
 Chestnut color, 250 
 Chicken, boneless, 49 
 
 broth, 49 
 
 cholera, 113 
 
 to fricassee, 49 
 
 to fry, 49 
 
 jelly, .';4 
 
 panada, 58 
 
 pot pie, 49 
 
 pox, 233 
 
 scratching, 113 
 
 Chickens, management of, 113 
 
 cat catching, 125 
 
 Chilblains, 213 
 
 liniment, 74 
 
 lotion for, 75 
 
 Children, care of, 213 
 
 to protect from burning, 15! 
 
 Children's diseases, 218 
 Chimneys, to build, 26, 456 
 
 cement to prevent leaks, 35 
 
 on fire, 14 
 
 (glass), cracking, 156 
 
 leaks around, 154 
 
 salt in, 456 
 
 ■ smoking, 26 
 
 — — (lamp), to clean, 159 
 
 (lamp), to prevent breaking, 
 
 159 
 China cement, 33 
 
 composition of, 457 
 
 to mend, 154 
 
 to pack, 473 
 
 Chinaware, to make, 456, 499 
 Chinese cement, 36 
 
 depilatory, 69 
 
 gongs, 423 
 
 ink, 2or 
 
 jam, 150 
 
 Chintz, to wash, 343 
 Chloral, hydrate of, 67 
 Chlorine, 457 
 Chloroform, 67 
 
 death from, 214 
 
 Chlorodyne, 1". Coll is Brown's, tf 
 Chlorinated soap, 316 
 Chocolate blanc-mange, 49 
 
Chocolate caramels, 49 
 
 cream candy, 48 
 
 creams, 49 
 
 paste cake, 47 
 
 Choked cattle, to relieve, 83 
 Cholagogue, Indian, 67 
 Cholera, 214 
 
 chicken, 11 J 
 
 morbus, 214 
 
 tincture, 85 
 
 Chowder, fish, 52 
 
 Websters', 49 
 
 Chrome orange dye, 343 
 Chromos, to clean, 457 
 Chutney, Bengal, 397 
 
 sauce, 60 
 
 Cider, boiling, 371 j 
 
 to can, 372 
 
 champagne, 373 
 
 cherry, 372 
 
 ——— to clear, 371 
 
 Devonshire, 372 
 
 French, 372 
 
 — ^— to make, 371 
 
 to preserve and keep sweet, 37a 
 
 (sour), to sweeten, 373 
 
 vinegar, 380 
 
 Western, 373 
 
 wine, 385 
 
 Cmnamon brown dye, 344 
 cake, 47 
 
 cordial, 373 
 
 soap, 316 
 
 Circassian cream, 68 
 Cistern, filtering, 457 
 Cisterns, cement for, 34 
 Citric acid, 63 
 Citron, candied, 297 
 
 cordial, 374 
 
 -^—^ to preserve, 297 
 
 soap, 316 
 
 Claret, British, 373 
 
 cup, 373 
 
 to judge of, 458 
 
 Clap, 225 
 
 Clay, modelling in, 247 i 
 Cleaning floors, 155 
 
 guns, 186 
 
 horses, 104, 156 
 
 Clicking in horses, 98 
 Clinkers, 154 
 Clocks, to clean, 407 
 
 ' to repair, 417 
 
 for 254, 458 
 
 Cloth, to clean and scour, 345 
 
 • Fuller's purifier for, 345 
 
 to raise the nap on, 345 
 
 Clothes (black), to clean, 345, 458 
 
 (black), to renovate when fad- 
 ed, 345 
 
 to brush, 333 
 
 grease in, 346 
 
 to renovate, 333 
 
 to make water-proof, 333 
 
 Clothing, 15 
 
 hints about, 333 
 
 moth in, 175 
 
 water-tight, 334 
 
 Clove, cordial, 374 
 Clover, to cure, 127 
 
 management of, 134 
 
 Coachmakers, hints to, 459 
 
 varnish, 267 
 
 Coal, effect of exposure on, 459 
 
 fire, to make, 459 
 
 gas, sulphur in, 67 
 
 oil for baldness, 324 
 
 Coat, to clean, 346 
 
 collars, to clean, 346 
 
 Coating for brick walls, 25 
 Cobalt, antidote for, 16 
 Coca pills, 492 
 Cockroaches, to destroy, 174 
 Cocoa, to make, 49 
 
 shells, 49 
 
 Cocoanut pie, 49 
 
 Codfish balls, 50 
 
 picked up, 50 
 
 Codling moths, to trap, 140 
 Cognac brandy, 367 
 Coffee, essence of, 298 
 
 — — to make, 50 
 
 INDEX. 
 
 Coffee, substitutes for, 50 
 brown dye, 344 
 
 525 
 
 Coins, to take impression from, 408 
 Cold, to avoid catching, 214 
 
 bath, 208 
 
 cream, 324 
 
 to cure, 214 
 
 feet, 222 
 
 in fowls, 113 
 
 in the head, 215 
 
 to put back, 214 
 
 slaw, 46 
 
 soap, ;ii6 
 
 Colds, 216 
 Colic, bilious, 214 
 
 in horses, 97 
 
 lead, 215 
 
 wind, 215 
 
 Collar, to fit, 93 
 Collodion cement, 36 
 
 to iodize, 275 
 
 — : photographic, 275 
 
 process, 274 
 
 Collodlo-albuinen process, 375 
 Collops, minced, 50 
 Cologne water, 86 
 Coloring butter, 123 
 
 furs, 1192 
 
 for liquors, 373 
 
 for metals, 430 
 
 photographs, 286 
 
 skins, 192 
 
 for soup, 60 
 
 Colorless varnish, 267 
 Color, to restore, 154 
 Colors, druggists', 63 
 
 to mix, 251 
 
 for painting on glass, 389' 
 
 for staining glass, 396 
 
 to use, 251 
 
 Colts, callus on, 99 
 
 care and management of, 98 
 
 to prevent jumping, 99 
 
 Comfrey, 68 
 
 Complexion and colors, 324 
 
 kalydor for, 73 
 
 to improve, 324 
 
 to preserve, 324 
 
 wash for, 324 
 
 Composition for roofs, 29 
 Concrete for door steps, 26 
 
 (gravel) for houses, 27 
 
 Condensed milk, 303 
 Condimental food, 92 
 Condition powders, 81, 107 
 Cone work, 243 
 Congestive fever, 223 | 
 Congress water, 86 
 Conservatory, to make, 474 '' 
 Constipation, 215 
 
 see charcoal of wood, 67 
 
 Consumption, 215 
 
 in birds, 167 
 
 syrup for, 84 
 
 Cookies, 50 
 
 Cooking, average loss by, 50 
 
 food for stock, 92 
 
 utensils, 50 
 
 Cooling drinks, 373 
 Copaiba mixture, 75. 
 Copal, to dissolve, 251, 252 
 
 lacquer, 252 
 
 varnish, 267 
 
 Copper, to clean, 409 
 
 to coat with zinc, 409 
 
 to deposit upon cast-iron, 408 
 
 in pickles, 307 
 
 plate printers' ink, 2or 
 
 powder, 408 
 
 to silver, 408 
 
 solution for battery, 408 
 
 test for, 480 
 
 ■ to tin, 408, 409 
 
 to weld, 446 
 
 to whiten, 408 
 
 Coppersmiths' cement, 34 
 Copying ink, 201 
 
 paper, 490 
 
 Copyright, law of, 460 
 Coral, artificial, 460 
 
 baskets, 460 
 
 Cordial, anisette, 373 
 
 Cordial, blackberry, 373 
 
 caraway, 373 
 
 cinnamon, 373 
 
 citron, 374 
 
 clove, 374 
 
 coriander, 374 
 
 curacoa, 374 
 
 ginger, 374 
 
 Godfrey'^s, 63 
 
 gout, 68 
 
 strawberry, 374 
 
 Corks for bottling, 367 
 Com bread, 45 
 
 broom, laS 
 
 cake, 47 
 
 cobs as fuel, 128 
 
 cribs, rat-proof, 128 
 
 to cultivate, 127 
 
 (green), to dry, 298 
 
 — — — to have green die year round, 
 298 
 
 new planted, 128 
 
 to pickle, 298 
 
 plaster, 79, 325 
 
 ^—^— seed, 145 
 
 stacks, mice in, 128 
 
 starch blanc-tnange, 50 
 
 ■ solvent, 325 
 Corns, to cure, 215, 324, 325 ' 
 ——^ in horses, 98 ' 
 
 soft, 215 
 
 Corned beef, 43 
 
 Coriander seed, 374 
 
 Corrosive sublimate, antidote for, 16 
 
 Court plaster, 68, 79 
 
 substitute for, 461 
 
 Cosmetic soap, 316 
 Costiveness, 215 
 
 in birds, 167 
 
 Cotton, to bleach, 34I 
 ^—— to cultivate, 128 
 
 in linen, 4613 
 
 -^— to remove mildew from, 346 
 ——^—' seed for stock, 92 
 
 for staunching nemorage, 68 
 
 Cough ball for horses, 96 
 candy, 68 
 
 compound, 68 
 
 — — in horses, 99 
 
 lemon for, 461 
 
 lozenge, 75 
 
 mixture, 73 . 
 
 — ; pills, 79 
 
 — '- syrup, 84 
 
 Coughs, 216 
 
 and colds, see horehound, 73 
 
 Counterfeit money, to detect, 461 
 Counterpains, to wash, 346 
 Cow pox, 233 
 Cows, abortion in, 89 
 
 bloody milk in, 90 
 
 care of, 89 
 
 (dairy), to select, 90 
 
 farrow, go/.« 
 
 garget in, 90 
 
 hard milking, go 
 
 to increase nulk in, gi^ 
 
 kicking, 90 
 
 (old), when to kill, 91 
 
 rheumatism in, 90 
 
 milking, 91 
 
 milk fever in, 91 
 
 self-sucking, 91 
 
 swelled bags m, gt 
 
 teats, warts on, 91 
 
 Cowslip vinegar, 380 
 Cracked hoof-quarter, 102 
 Crackers, wheat flour, 50 
 Cracking in wood, 31 
 Cramp, 13 
 
 Cranberry sauce, 50 
 Cranberries, to cultivate, 129 
 Crape, stain on, 346 
 
 to renew when old, 346 
 
 Crayon colors, to fix, 461 
 drawing, 276 
 
 Crayons, to make, 274, 461 
 Creaking doors, 115 
 Cream, apple, 41 
 
 churning, 123 
 
 chocolate, 49 
 
 Circassian, 63 
 
526 
 
 INDEX. 
 
 Cream, clotted, 127 
 cold, 68, 324 
 
 crystalline, 68 
 
 furniture, 254 
 
 ice, 50 
 
 Italian, 54 
 
 nectar, 374 
 
 pie, s8 
 
 pomade, 80 
 
 raspberry ice, 54 
 
 of roses, 68 
 
 shaving, 68 
 
 soda, 374 
 
 strawberry ice, 54 
 
 Cribbing, 99 
 
 Crickets, to destroy, 174 
 Crimson dye, 346 
 Crockery cement, 33 
 
 ware, to mend, 154 
 
 Croup in fowls, 113 
 Crown window glass, 389 
 Crucibles, 461 
 Crullers, 51 
 Crystal varnish, 267 
 Cucumber salad, 51 
 Cucumbers, to gre^n, 298 
 to grow, .129, 139 
 
 to pickle, 298, 307 
 
 Curacoa, cordial, 374 
 Curculio, 129 
 
 Curd cement, 36 
 Curing green hides, 186 
 
 skins, 193 
 
 Curling the hair, 327 
 Curls, £alse, 325 
 Currant catchup, 298 
 
 to dry with sugar, 298 
 
 —^— ice water, 374 
 jam, 303 
 
 jelly, 208 
 
 ■ marmalade, 304 
 ——— syrup, 298 
 
 — — — vinegar, 380 
 
 ■ wine, 385 
 
 worm, 150 
 
 Currants, to preserve, 298 
 Curried beef, 43 
 Curriers size, 195 
 
 paste, 195 
 
 skirting, 195 
 
 Curtains, to clean, 346 
 
 window, 155 
 
 Custard, apple, 41 
 
 baked, 51 
 
 boiled, 51 
 
 fritters, 51 
 
 Cutlers cement, 34 
 
 Cuts, 13 
 
 Cutting glass, 390 
 
 timber, 147 
 
 Cuttle fish dentifrice, 69 
 Cut- worm, to destroy, 150 
 
 Dairy, charcoal in, 69 
 
 cows, to select, 69 
 
 Damp walls, 163 
 Damson wine, 385 
 Dandelion, 68 
 Dandruff, 325 
 
 Dark place, to illuminate, 461 
 
 woods, to imitate, 253 
 
 Dead animals, to convert into manure, 
 
 animals, to preserve, 461 
 
 fall trap, 107 
 
 Deadly night shade, antidote for, x6 
 Deafness, 216 
 
 temporary, 217 
 
 Death, signs of, 217 
 Debility, see poplar bark, 65 
 Decalcomanie, 243 
 
 Decay in wood, 31 
 Decline in birds, 167 
 Deer skins, to dress, 179 
 
 oil dressing, 179 
 
 to prepare for gloves, 180 
 
 Delerium tremens, 217 
 Depilatorj', Chinese, 69 
 
 paste, 60 
 
 Kaynor s, 69 
 
 Depilatories, 69 
 
 Dentifrice, 68 
 
 camphorated, 69 
 
 Cartwright's, 69 
 
 charcoal, 69 
 
 myrrh, 69 
 
 Developers, 275 
 
 concentrated iron, 276 
 
 pyrogallic acid, 276 
 
 Diabetes, 217 
 Diamond cement, 36 
 
 paste resembling, 492 
 
 imitation, 409 
 
 Diaphanie, 244 
 Diarrhea, 217 
 
 in birds, 167 
 
 tincture, 85 
 
 Digestive pills, 79 
 Dinner pill, 79 
 Dm of shops, 409 
 Dirt in eye, 14 
 Diseases of children, 218 
 Dishes, how to wash, 155 
 Dish for dishwashing, 155 
 Disinfectant, 217 
 Distemper, 99 <« 
 
 in dogs, 171 
 
 Diptheria, 218 
 Diuretic balls for horses, f6 
 drops, 69 
 
 Dizziness, 219 
 Docks, to eradicate, 130 
 Dog skins, to tan, 461 
 Dogs, best bed for, 170 
 
 distemper in, 171 
 
 eating eggs, 170 
 
 feeding, 169 
 
 fleas on, 171 
 
 hydrophobia in, 170 
 
 to keep healthy, 169 
 
 killing sheep, 94 
 
 management of, 169 
 
 mange in, 171 
 
 pointer, iSo 
 
 (puppy), to choose, 170 
 
 (teaching), to go errands, 170 
 
 to tell the age of, 170 
 
 to wash, 170 
 
 worms in, 171 
 
 Drab dye, 347 
 Draining, 130 
 
 land, 482 
 
 Drawing, crayon, 276 
 
 on glass, 390, 473 
 
 ink, 201 
 
 monochromatic, 247 
 
 (pencil), to preserve, 276 
 
 Drawings, to copy, 277 
 
 Dress goods, to remove ink from, 158 
 
 Dresses, to preserve color of, 346 
 
 to restore when faded, 346 
 
 uninflammable, 334 
 
 Dressing beaver skins, 176 
 
 deer skins, 179 
 
 furs, 192 
 
 the hair, 327 
 
 leather, 187 
 
 for photographs, 286 
 
 skins, 192 
 
 Drinking in summer, 219 
 Drooping wings of chickens, 114 
 Drops, diuretic, 69 
 
 Dutch, 69 
 
 imperial, 69 
 
 of life, Welford's, 69 
 
 pectoral, 69 
 
 Drowned persons, to raise, 462 
 Drowning (the), to afford help to, 14 
 
 (the), to restore, 13 
 
 Druggists window colors, 83 
 Drunkards, to reform, 219 
 Drunkenness, 219 
 apparent death from, 14 
 
 remedy for, £2 
 
 Dryer, Japan, 252 
 
 for painting, 252 
 
 Drying fruit, 301 
 
 herbs, 302 
 
 oil, 252, 258 
 
 (quick), paint. 253 
 
 Ducks, to fatten, 114 
 
 (wild), to roast, 63 
 
 Dumx^Iings, suet, 61 
 
 Dutch cheese, 127 
 Dwellings, damp, 463 
 Dj-eing, art of, 347 
 
 buckskin, 180 
 
 furs, 192 
 
 Morrocco, 180 
 
 sheep leather, 180 
 
 skins, 192 
 
 Dyes, all colors, 338 to 362 
 
 for the hair, 72, 328 
 
 fixing, 347 
 
 for ivory, 480 
 
 Dysentery, 219 
 
 see comfrey, 63 
 
 specific for, 83 
 
 see wild cherry barks, 65 
 
 Dyspepsia, 220 
 
 see golden seal root, 82 
 
 Ear-ache, 220 
 
 insects in, 220 
 
 foreign bodies in, 220 
 
 Elarth closet, 463 
 Earthenware, to temper, 155 
 Earthing up potatoes, 143 
 Eau de botot, 6q 
 
 de bouquet, 69 
 
 de cypre, 69 
 
 de cythere, 492 
 
 -- pour le dent, 69 
 
 — de millfleur, 69 
 
 — de rosiers, 69 
 de violette, 70 
 
 Ebony, to imitate, 465 
 stain, 263 
 
 Edge varnish, 200 
 Effervescing fruit drinks, 374 
 Egg cement, 37 
 
 eating dogs, 170 
 
 eating hens, 114 
 
 ^— mulled, 56 
 
 omelette, 51 
 
 ^—~ producers, best, 114 
 EggSi broiled, 51 
 
 to color, 465 
 
 to dry, 299 
 
 hard boiled, 51 
 
 ' of Pharaoh's serpents. ■<6i 
 — — pickling, 299 
 
 to poach, 51 
 
 portable, 299 
 
 to preserve, 299, 4£C 
 
 sex of, 114 
 
 soft boiled, 51 
 
 to test, 51 
 
 Elaine, 409 
 Elder, 70 
 
 wine, 385 
 
 Elderberry ink, 201 
 wine, 385 
 
 Elderflowers, extract of, 71 
 Electrical cement, 37 
 battery, 398 
 
 Electro-gilding, 409 
 
 magnetic liniment, 74 
 
 silvering, 409 
 
 plating, 411 
 
 gold solution for, 412 
 
 silver solution for, 412 
 
 plated goods, tarnish on, 413 
 
 Electrotyping, 412, 413 
 
 baths for, 414 
 
 moulds for, 414, 415 
 
 plaster casts, 416 
 
 solders for, 416 
 
 Electrotype plates, tj coat with iron, 
 
 416 
 Elixer for the teeth; 70 
 
 odontaligic, 70 
 
 of roses, 70 
 
 of pyrophosphate </ iron anu 
 
 bark, 70 
 
 Embalming, 465 
 Embroidery, 248 
 
 to clean, 347 
 
 Emery wheels, 416 
 Emetic, see chamomile, 67 
 Emissions, involuntary, 22c 
 Emmenagogue pills, 79 
 Emulsin au jasmin, 316 
 a la violette, 316 
 
Enameling photographs, sS6 
 
 wood work, 467 
 
 Enameled doth, 45S 
 
 writing surl'aces, 418 
 
 Enamels, 416 to 418, 466, 467 
 English bar soap, 316 
 Engineers cement, 3^ 
 Engraving in alto-rehevo, 469 
 
 by photography, 277 
 
 Engravings, to clean, 277, 469 
 ^—^— to preserve, 277 
 —^— to transfer on glass, 390 
 Enlargement of brain, 210 
 Entomologists' cement, 36 
 Epilepsy, 220 
 
 Erasive soap, 316 
 Ergot, 73 
 
 to preserve, 70 
 
 tincture of, 70 
 
 Eruptions on the face, 325 
 Erysipelas, 220 
 
 Esprit de bouquet, 71 
 Essence of bitter almonds, 70 
 
 lavender, 70 
 
 musk, 70 
 
 neroli, 70 
 
 peppermint, 70 
 
 ■ rondelette, 70 
 
 roses, 70 
 
 • ■■' for smelling bottles, 71 
 
 violets, 70 
 
 -^-^— verbena, 71 
 Etchmg, 278, 419 
 
 on glass, 390 
 
 on ivory, 419 
 
 shells, 248 
 
 varnish, 292 
 
 Ether, acetic, 71 
 
 amylo-acetic, 375 
 
 amlitic, 374 
 
 butric, 374 
 
 pelagonic, 375 
 
 to wash, 469 
 
 Everton tafee, 48 
 Exchequer ink, 201 
 Excoriation, 221 
 Explosion, boiler, 400 
 Extract of buchu, 71 
 
 elderflowers, 71 
 
 opium, 71 
 
 poppy, 71 
 
 sarsaparilla, 71 
 
 senna, 71 
 
 vanilla, 71 
 
 Extracts, to make, 71 
 Eye (black >, to treat, 221 
 
 cinders in, 14 
 
 dirt in, 14 
 
 of horse, inflammation of, 99 
 
 (moon), in horses, 106 
 
 sight, to preserve, 22; 
 
 stye in, 221 
 
 water, 86 
 
 weak or sore,'22i 
 
 Eyes of horses, to test, 103 
 
 (sore), to cure, 469 
 
 Eyelashes, to blacken, 326 
 
 to lengthen, 325 
 
 Face, blotched, 324 
 
 eruptions on, 325 
 
 Faded ink, to restore, 202 
 
 photographs, 278 
 
 Fading of calicoes, 153 
 Fainting, 14, 222 
 Farcy, 99 
 
 Farmers, sl-.ep for, 130 
 
 trap, 197 
 
 Farm impliments, care of, 135 
 
 life, to attach boys to, I2X 
 
 to make attractive, 130 
 
 Farming, rules for success in, J30 
 Farrow cows, go 
 
 Fat for soap making, 316 
 Fattening poor horses, los 
 
 poultry, 114 
 
 Feathers, to clean, 155, 348 
 
 to dye, 347 
 
 pillows, 469 
 
 Febrifuge for fevers, 71 
 
 tea, 71 
 
 INDEX. 
 
 Febrifuge, wine, 71 
 
 Feeding and care of cattle, &8 
 
 dogs, 169 
 
 horses on the road, 104 
 
 527 
 
 Feet, blistered, 222 
 
 care of, 222 
 
 cold, 222 
 
 at bed time, 222 
 
 frosted, 222 
 
 tender, 222 
 
 (horses), brittle, 100 
 
 care of, 100 
 
 contracted, 100 
 
 to prevent snow balling. 
 
 100 
 Felon, cures for, 222 
 
 salve for, 83 
 
 Fence posts, preservation ofi 131 
 Ferns, to raise from seed, 469 
 Fever and ague, 222, 470 
 
 balls for horses, 96 
 
 bilious remittent, 223 
 
 congestive, 223 
 
 febrifuge for, 71 
 
 hay, 223 
 
 scarlet, 224 
 
 typhoid, 224 
 
 yellow, 224 
 
 Fig candy, 48 
 Figure four trap, 197 
 Files, 419 
 
 to clean, 420 
 
 to recut, 419 
 
 Film on eyes of cattle, 88 
 Filter, water. 164 
 Filtering powder, 8i 
 
 cistern, 457 
 
 Fining powder, 375 
 
 Fireboard of paj>er flowers, 155 
 
 Fire annihilator, 470 
 
 in a chimney, 14 
 
 clothing on, 15 
 
 to escape from, 15 
 
 kindlings, 158, 470 
 
 proof linen, 160 
 
 wash for shingles, 30 
 
 paint, 253 
 
 Fireworks, 470 
 Fires, colored, 470 
 
 of kerosine, to extinguish, 155 
 
 Fish, to boil, 52 
 
 to choose, 52 
 
 chowder, 52 
 
 charms, 183 
 
 culture, 180 
 
 (gold), to breed, 171 
 
 care of, 171 
 
 (»alt), to freshen, 52 
 
 sauce, 52 
 
 skinning and mounting, 183 
 
 tail gas burner, 472 
 
 Fishing with artificial fly, 185 
 
 baits for, 182 
 
 Chinese art of, 182 
 
 floats for, iSi 
 
 hooks for, 181 
 
 lines for, 181 
 
 with natural fly, 185 
 
 without nets, lines, spears, etc. 
 
 183 
 
 reels for, 182 
 
 rods for,i8i. 
 
 Fistula loi 
 
 ill horses, 107 
 
 Fitts, 225 
 Fixing bath, 273 
 
 Flannel, to whiten when yellow, 348 
 (new), to wash, 348 
 
 Flatulancy, see carminative lozenges, 
 
 75 
 Fleas, to get rid of, 174 
 Fleshworms, 326 
 Flexible varnish, 267 
 Flies on horses, loi 
 for fishing, 183 
 
 injuring picture fhimes, 161 
 
 Flint glass, 390 
 Floating soap, 316 
 Floats for fishing, 181 
 Floors, basement, 27 
 
 cellar, 27 
 
 — ^— cement for, 34 
 
 Floors, mopping and cleaning, 155 
 
 to oil, 26 
 
 to remove stains from, 155 
 
 to scour, 155 
 
 soluble glass for, 27 
 
 stain for, 264 
 
 Florida water, 86 
 
 Flour (musty), to restore, 52 
 
 patent, 471 
 
 to test, 52 
 
 Flowers from bulbous roots, 471 
 
 essential oil of, 75 
 
 odor of, 75, 78 
 
 painting, 284 
 
 paper, 247 
 
 to preserve, 299, 300 
 
 to restore, 299 
 
 in winter, 471 
 
 Fluid, blue writing, 202 
 
 Bogle's hyperion, 72 
 
 extract of vanilla, 71 
 
 German rheumatic, 71 
 
 writing, 202 
 
 Flux for enamels, 466 
 
 Fly (house), to destroy, 174 
 
 nature and habits of, 174 
 
 paper, 174 
 
 on turnips, 131 
 
 Foetid breath, 211 
 Food for babies, 225 
 
 for horses, 104 
 
 for mocking birds, 171 
 
 (or parrots, 172 
 
 for stock, 91 
 
 Fool's parsley, antidote for, 16 
 Foot disease in cattle, 88 
 
 (horses), canker of, loi 
 
 pumice, loi 
 
 ;• sand crack in, lox . 
 
 rot in sheep, 94 
 
 Fossils, to preserve, 471 
 Founder, loi 
 
 Fowls, to boil, 52 
 
 choice of, 52 
 
 to cook when old, 52 
 
 old, J 15 
 
 to roast, 52 
 
 sauce for, 53 
 
 stewed with onions, 53 
 
 Foxes, to trap, 184 
 Foxglove, antidote for, 16 
 Fracture in horses, loi 
 Frames (gilt), to enovate, 156 
 
 to prevent flies soiling, 156 
 
 Frangipannie soap, 326 
 
 Freckle lotion, 74 
 Freckles, 236, 326 
 Freezing in celFars, 26, 125 
 
 preparation, 372 
 
 French cement, 37 
 
 polish, 261 
 
 white, 71 
 
 Fresco painting, 253 
 Fresh water acquarium, 166 
 Frit, to make, 390 
 Fritters, apple, 41 
 tomatoe, 61 
 
 Frost-bite, 14 
 Frost in fruit, 52 
 
 m vegetables, 52 
 
 Frosted feet, 222 
 Frosting glass, 253 
 Fruit, candying, 301 
 
 candy, 48 
 
 cake, 52 
 
 drj-ing, 301 
 
 (dried), to keep from worms, 
 
 301 
 
 keeping, 300, 301 
 
 sun printing on, 131 
 
 to take frost out of^ 52 
 
 trees, blight in, 121 
 
 overbearing, 131 
 
 to protect Irom rabbits,i3Z 
 
 Frying, 52 
 Fuller's earth soap, 316 
 Fumigating paper, 77 
 Fungi, to preserve, 243 
 Furnaces, smoke in, 471 
 Furnishing a house, 157 
 Furniture, care of, 156 
 cream, 254 
 
528 
 
 INDEX. 
 
 Furniture, to take bruises out of, 156 
 -^— oil, 254 
 
 paste, 254 
 
 varnish, 471 
 
 Furs, to clean, 184 
 
 coloring and dyeing, 192 
 
 dressing, 192 
 
 home made, 185 
 
 moths in, 175 
 
 to preserve from moths, 185 
 
 to select, 184 
 
 — — to tan, iga 
 
 Gad fly on sheep, 94 
 Galled back, loi 
 Gallein, 472 
 Gall soap, 317 
 Galvanic battery, 399 
 Galvanizing iron, 420, 436 
 Gapei in chickens, 115 
 Gardening, window, 13a 
 Garden refuse as manure, 138 
 
 spiders, to destroy, 13a 
 
 Garget in cows, 90 
 
 Gargle for domestic use, 72 
 
 mucilaginous, 72 
 
 to promote supperation, 72 
 
 for throat, 72' 
 
 Garlic, 132 
 
 Garments, to cut and make, 334 
 
 to renew, 336 
 
 Gas burners, 472 
 fitters' cement, 34 
 
 (hydrogen), \.o produce, 73 
 
 laughing, 472 
 
 light pictures, 244 
 
 meter, to read, 472 
 
 -^— — retorts, cement for, 34 
 —— taps, leakage of, 472 
 — ^— tests for impurities, 472 
 
 waste of, 472 
 
 Gearing, speed of, 473 
 Geese, to choose, 53 
 
 to manage, 115 
 
 Geizzler's black ink, 302 
 Gems, 53 
 
 Geraniums in winter, 473 
 German cement, 37 
 
 ■ blacking, 199 
 
 paste, 77 
 
 ' for birds, 168 
 
 Gherkins, pickled, 303 
 Gilding, 234, 420 
 
 " burnished, 254 
 — ^— Grecian, 420 
 
 glass, 254, 390 
 
 ■ to improve, 254 
 
 ■ leather, 187, 48a 
 
 liquid, 254 
 
 out doors, 234 
 
 picture frames, 420 
 
 polished metals, 420 
 
 porcelain, 390 
 
 sizing for, 254 
 
 to test, 420 
 
 without a battery, 432 
 
 Gilders' glue, 254, 473 
 Gilt frames, to revive, 136 
 
 ornaments, to clean, 420 
 
 Gin. 375 . . 
 
 cordial, 375 
 
 English, 37S 
 
 Holland, 375 
 
 Ginger bread, 53 
 
 biscuit, 53 
 
 —— beer, 364 , 
 
 cake, 47 
 
 candy, 48 
 
 cordial, 374 
 
 lozenge, 48, 75 
 
 pop, 375 
 
 snaps, S3 ' 
 
 spice, 53 
 
 tincture of, 473 
 
 wine, 385 
 
 Glanders, 102 
 
 Glass, boreing holes in, 389 
 
 to break in any required way, 
 
 389 
 I cement, 33 
 chimneys, 156 
 
 Glass or china, to pack, 393, 473 
 
 cleaning, 156 
 
 for photographs, 278 
 
 colors for painting upon, 3S9 
 
 to cut, 390 
 
 drawing on, 390 
 
 etching on, 278, 390 
 
 to frost, 253 
 
 gilding on, 254 
 
 globes, to clean, 156 
 
 to marble, 392 
 
 to silver, 420 
 
 green phial, 391 
 
 to grind, 393 
 
 ■ grinders' cement, 37 
 
 for looking-glass platesj 391 
 
 manufacture of, 391 
 
 to platinize, 473 
 
 pigments for staining, 495 
 
 to polish, 484 
 
 or porcelain, to paint, 393 
 
 to stain, 393 
 
 silvering, 394 
 
 soluble, 304, 396 
 
 ^—^ for floors, 27 
 
 to stain, 396 
 
 stopple, to loosen, 163, 473 
 
 window, 391, 397 
 
 to write or draw on, 473 
 
 Glassware, to mend, 154 
 
 (new), to season, 156 
 
 Glaze varnish, 267 
 Glazing, 254 
 
 for earthenware, 473, 474 
 
 Gleet, 223 
 
 Gloves, to color, 337 
 
 to dye, 348 
 
 (kid), to clean, 348 
 
 (leather), to clean, 349 
 
 perfume for, 78 
 
 Glue cement, 38 
 
 flexible, 38 
 
 gilders, 254, 473 
 
 now to use it, 38 
 
 isinglass, 480 
 
 liquid, 39 
 
 to manufacture, 38 
 
 marine, 39 
 
 mouth, 39 
 
 parchment, 39 
 
 portable, 39 
 
 Spaulding's, 39 
 
 water-proof, 39 
 
 Glycerine balsam, 64 
 
 cement, 37 
 
 nature and use of, 72 
 
 ointment, 76 
 
 Glyconine for broken surfaces, 72 
 Godfrey's cordial, 68 
 Gold amalgam, 421 
 
 articles, polishing powder for, 
 
 421 
 
 bronze, 40^ 
 
 beaters' skin, 474 
 
 4 carats, 421 
 
 12 " 421 
 
 16 " 421 
 
 18 " 421 
 
 ■ to clean, 421 
 
 ■' coin, to make, 421 
 
 coloring, 421 
 
 counterfeit, 421 
 
 Dutch, 422 
 
 to enamel, 422 
 
 fish, to breed, 171 
 
 care of, 171 
 
 — — French, 422 
 
 to gild upon silver, 433 
 
 — — green, 422 
 
 —— to heighten color of, 423 
 
 — — imitation, 423 
 
 ink, 202 
 
 — ^ lacq'Jer, 422 
 for tin. 442 
 
 leaf, to prevent adhesion of, 
 
 25s . 
 
 —— mosaic, 422 
 
 oreide, 422 
 
 plating solution, 423 
 
 powder, 422 
 
 for bronzing, 439 
 
 to refine, 433 
 
 Gold, to separate from gjk copper or 
 silver, 422 
 
 and silver, to separate, 423 
 
 size, 263 
 
 solder, 423 
 
 thread root, 82 
 
 test for, 423 
 
 varnish, 267, 443 
 
 Golden hair, 328 
 
 seal root, 82 
 
 Gongs, Chinese, 433 
 Gonorrhoea, 225 
 Goose, boiled, 53 
 roast, 53 
 
 Goosberry bushes, mildew on. 134 
 jam, 303 
 
 marmalade, 304 
 
 vinegar, 381 
 
 wine, 385 
 
 Gopher trap, 185 
 Gophers, to trap, 185 
 Goulard water, 86 
 Goulards poultice, 81 
 Gout, 225 
 
 cordial, 68 
 
 mixture, 73 
 
 remedy for, 83 
 
 tincture, 85 
 
 Guinea fowl, 116 
 Gun cotton, 475 
 
 powder, 475 
 
 Guttapercha, 475 
 Grafting, 133 
 
 grapes, 133 
 
 India rubber 133 
 
 (root), apple trees, 133 : 
 
 wax, 132 
 
 Graham bread, 44 
 Graining, 253 
 
 black walnut, 233 
 
 mahogany, 255 
 
 maple, 255 
 
 oak, 255 
 
 rose wood, 236 
 
 to wash, 156 
 
 Grain side blacking, 199 
 Grape catsup, 302 
 jelly, 302 
 
 wine, 383 
 
 Grapes, canned, 302 
 
 to cultivate, 133 
 
 (green), to preserve, 301 
 
 to keep, 301 
 
 Grasses, to crystallize, 244 
 Grass in paved yards, 474 
 on steep banks, 120 
 
 Gravel, 223 
 
 in horses, io3 
 
 pills for, ^^ 
 
 see imperial drops, 69 
 
 Gravers, to temper, 409, 
 Gravy, brown, 53 
 Gray hair, 328 
 Grease on Sooks, 131 
 
 in horses, 103 
 
 ——— killing, 257 
 in marble, 160 
 
 to preserve, 317 
 
 to remove, 349 
 
 from carpets, 134 
 
 from stone, 156 
 
 spots, balls for, 64 
 
 on linen, 337 
 
 to remove, 163 
 
 in silk, 163 
 
 Greasing wagons, 149 
 Grecian painting, 245 
 Gregory's ink, 302 
 Green bottle glass, 391 
 
 bronze, 403 
 
 chrome, 256 
 
 com cakes, 53 
 
 dye, 349 
 
 enamel, 466 
 
 houses, ants in, 120 
 
 to make, 475 
 
 ink, 302 
 ointment, 76 
 peas, to stew, 33 
 phial glass, 391 
 Paris, 256 
 paints, 336 
 
Green pudding, 53 
 
 Schcele's, 356 
 
 for walls, 257 
 
 window glass, 391 
 
 Griddle cakes, 47 
 Grinding tools, 31 
 
 — : glass, 393 
 
 Grindstones, artificial, 475 
 
 use of, 475 
 
 Ground moles, to destroy, 189 
 Grub, remedy for, 134 
 Gruel water, 53 
 Guinea pig, 171 
 Gumbo soup, 60 
 Gum, chewing, ji 
 
 elastic varnish, 367 
 
 Gums, wash for, 326, 33a 
 Gun barrels, browning for, 43 
 
 bursting, 185 
 
 to choose, 186 
 
 to clean, 1S6 
 
 to use effectively, 186 
 
 metal, 424 
 
 scattering, 186 
 
 Haddock, to fry, 53 
 Hair, art of brushing, 327 
 
 bandoline for, 327 
 
 brushes, to clean, 327 
 
 — ^— of children, 327 
 
 to clean, 327 
 
 to curl, 327 
 
 dressing for, 328 
 
 dye pomade, 80 
 
 dyes, 72, 328 
 
 lead in, 72 
 
 gray, 328, 329 
 
 ■ golden, 328 
 
 on horses, loss of, io3 
 
 injuring bonnets, 151 
 
 invigorator, 72 
 
 katharion for, 73 
 
 • loss of, 329 
 
 ■ to manage, 326 
 
 to restore, 329 
 
 — — restorative, 72 
 
 saponaceous wash for, 73 
 
 — — — spring, of watches, 424 
 
 ■ to stiffen, 65 
 ^—^ superfluous, 329 
 
 . wash, rosemary, 73 
 
 washes, 329 
 
 Halter pulling, 102 
 Haraelin's cement, 37 
 Hams, to cure, 30a 
 — — — to keep, 302 
 
 mutton, 302 
 
 Handles (knife), to fasten, 158 
 Hands, to beautify, 330 
 
 — ^— blistering of, 329 
 -—^— care of, 329 
 
 ■ ■ chapped, 65, 330 
 — — redness of, 330 
 
 to remove stains from, 330 
 
 to soften, 330 
 
 ^—^— to whiten, 330 
 Hinging baskets, 476 
 Hard soap, 317 
 
 ■ . water, to soften, 63 
 Hardening cast-steel, 424 
 Harlem oil, 76 
 Harness blacking, 199 
 —^—' care of, 102 
 —— varnish, 475 
 Harps, eolian, 476 
 Harrowing, 144 
 Hartshorn jelly, 303 
 Harvesting barley, 120 
 Hats, care of, 337 
 
 to dye, 349 
 
 Panama, 476 
 
 Hawk trap, 186 
 
 Hay (clover), to manage, 134 
 -—^— to cook for stock, 92 
 
 cutting and curing, 134 
 
 —~^ fever, 225 
 
 racks for sheep, 94 
 
 stacks, to ventilate, 134 
 
 Headache, 226 
 
 pills, 79 
 
 Head, scurf in, 330 
 
 INDEX. 
 
 Heart-bum, 226 
 
 see carminative lozenges, 
 
 75 . 
 Heart, palpitation of, 226 
 Health, rules for preserving, 225 
 Heaves, 13 
 Hedges, barbary, 134 
 cedar, 135 
 
 to plant, 134 
 
 Heighth, relative, 503 
 Hellebore, antidote for, 16 
 Hemlock, antidote for, 16 
 poultice, 81 
 
 Hemorrhage, see cotton for staunch- 
 ing, 68 
 
 uterine, 227 
 
 Henbane, antidote for, 16 
 Herbs, to dry, 302 
 
 Hen manure, 138 
 
 roosts, to destroy vermin on, 
 
 116 
 
 Hens, to make lay, n6 
 
 to prevent setting, u6 
 
 to set, 116 
 
 Hiccough, 227 
 Hide-bound horses. T02 
 Hides (green), to cure, i86 
 to take off, 186 
 
 Hive for bees, to make, ai 
 
 syrup, 84 
 
 Hives, changing, 23 
 
 position of, 23 
 
 Hoarseness, 216, 227 
 Hoffman's anodyne, 64 
 Holes in iron, to mend, 425 
 HoUoway's ointment, 76 
 
 pills, 79 
 
 Hollow horn, 92 
 Honey, artificial, 476 
 
 balsam, 64 
 
 liquid, 476 
 
 preservation of, 303 
 
 soap, 317 
 
 vinegar, 380 
 
 water, "' 
 
 Hoof-bound horses, 102 
 
 of horses, to dress, 99 
 
 ointment, 107 
 
 quarter, cracked, 102 
 
 rot in cattle, 89 
 
 Hooks, fishing, 182 
 Hop beer, 365 
 
 Hops, to choose, 54, 375 
 Horehound, 73 
 Horn, to color, 478 
 
 in imitation of tortoise shell, 478 
 
 manufacture of, 476 
 
 ail in cattle, 92 
 
 Horns of cattle, 89 
 Horse, big head in, 96 
 
 big leg in, 96 
 
 big shoulder in, 96 
 
 botts in, 97 
 
 breaking down, 97 
 
 to break of pawing, 478 
 
 castration of, 98 
 
 cataract in, 97 
 
 catarrh in, 97 
 
 colic in, 98 
 
 corns in, 98 
 
 cough in, 96, 99 
 
 collars, to fit, 98 
 
 wooden, 478 
 
 dealers, tricks of, iis 
 feeding on road, 104 
 fever in, q6 
 fulness of^blood in, 97 
 (good), points of, 103 
 (good cart), points of, 103 
 how to ride, 108 
 inflammation of eye, 99 
 loose bowels in, 97 
 power, to ascertain, 425 
 radish, 73 
 
 to grow, 135 
 
 to keep, 303 
 
 vinegar. 
 
 sore breasts in, 97 
 
 stables, to purify, X05 
 
 worms in, 96 
 
 Horses, age of by the teeth» 103 
 — — baulky, gd 
 
 34 
 
 529 
 
 Horses, blanketing, 105 
 
 care of, 103 
 
 cleaning, 104 
 
 eyes, to test, 103 
 
 feet, brittleness of, 100 
 
 -^-^— care of, 100 
 
 contracted, 100 
 
 ^^ to prevent snow balling, 
 
 100 
 
 flies on, 101 
 
 food for, 104 
 
 foot, canker of, 101 
 
 sand crack in, lot 
 
 founder in, loi 
 
 — — ^— fracture in, loi 
 
 galled back in, TOi 
 
 to judge and select, 103 
 
 (poor), to fatten, 105 
 
 pumice foot in, 101 
 
 runaway, io3 
 
 to shoe, 108 
 
 stables for, los 
 
 in stables on fire, 15 
 
 to tame and train, no 
 
 water for, 104 
 
 when unsound, 104 
 
 Hose (woolen), to wash, 349 
 Hot-bed, 135, 209 
 Hotch-potch, S3 
 
 Household weights and measures, 164 
 House, to choose in purchasing, 157 
 
 renting, 15/ 
 
 cleaning, 156 
 
 (ice), extemporaneous, 157 
 
 plants, 143 
 
 to keep without fire, 157 
 
 Houses, cements for covering fronts 
 
 , of. 33, 
 fjr roofs of, 35 
 
 choice of color for, 27 
 
 gravel concrete for, 27 
 
 hints on building, 24 
 
 to keep cool in hot weather, 478 
 
 when to paint, 27 
 
 Hungary water, 86 
 
 Hyacinth culture, 135 
 Hydrate of chloral, 67 
 Hydraulic cement, 37 ' 
 Hydrogen gas, to produce, 73 
 Hydrophobia, see bites, 16 
 in dogs, 170 
 
 Ice, camphor, 73 
 
 chest, 479 
 
 cream, 50 
 
 raspberry, 54 
 
 strawberry, 54 
 
 house, to build, 479 
 
 extemporaneous, 157 
 
 to gather, 479 
 lemon water, 54 
 to preserve, 479 
 
 Iceing for cake, 47 
 Impliments, care of, 135 
 Impermeable varnish, 267 
 Incense, 73 
 Incorrodible ink, 203 
 Indelible ink, 203 
 
 for type, S03 
 
 pencils, 494 
 
 Indestructible ink, 203 
 India chologogue, 67 
 
 ink, 203 
 
 to select, 203 
 
 substitute for, 203 
 
 for ordinary writing, 203 
 
 rubber, artificial, 4S0 
 
 cement, 37 
 
 grafting, 133 
 
 liquid blacking, 199 
 
 paste blacking, 300 
 
 varnish, 367 
 
 water-proof for boots and 
 
 shoes, 152 
 Indian balsam, 64 
 
 meal cakes, S4 
 
 pudding, 54 
 
 poke, antidote for, 16 
 
 1 — pone, 54 
 
 Indigestion, 227 
 Indigo, extract of, 349. 
 
530 
 
 INDEX. 
 
 Inflammation'of bowels, 210 
 
 ■ of brain, 210 
 ^-^— of legs of horses, 106 
 Influenza, 227 
 
 Infusion of buchu, 73 
 
 Ink, black, 480 
 
 ^— — copjring, 480 
 
 ^— (India), to remove from the 
 
 flesh, 480 
 ——— indelible printing, 480 
 — — (marking), to remove, 158 
 —— mould in, 160 
 — — to restore when faded, 202 
 — — rollers for printers, 454 
 — — ^ solid, 480 
 — — ^ stains on boards, 151 
 
 books, 158 
 
 dreis goods, 158 
 
 ^—^ linen, 158 
 
 ■ mahogany, 158 
 
 Inks, all kinds, 200 to 207 
 Insect bites, it 
 Insects on canaries, 169 
 
 ■ to exterminate, 136 
 
 to preserve, 186 
 
 Interests, rules for computing, 480 
 Interfering in horses, 105 
 Intoxication, 228 
 Invigorator, hair, 72 
 Involuntary emissions, 220 
 Iodine, stains for, 73 
 
 soap, 317 
 
 Iron and bark, pyrophosphate of, 70 
 
 bitter wine of, 73 
 
 boiler, cement for, 35 
 
 and calisaya bark, 70 
 
 castings, to ornament, 427 
 
 cement for, 34 
 
 — — cement, 37 
 
 to color copper, 427 
 
 developer, 276 
 
 — — — to galvanize, 426 
 ——— to improve, 427 
 
 mould, to remove, 158 
 
 oxydization of, 427 
 
 pills of, 79 
 
 —— to plate, 432 
 
 pots, to mend, 162 
 
 to prevent welding, 428 
 
 railings, decay of, 427 
 
 rust cement, 37 
 
 — ^-^ rust, to remove, 158 
 
 Russian sheet, 432 
 
 to silver, 435 
 
 —~— slag cement, 428 
 
 and steel, to distinguish, 439 
 
 — — - to tin, 409, 428 
 
 test for, 480 
 
 — — to test quality of, 42S 
 
 • varnish for, 442 
 
 —^ ware (new), to temper, 161 
 
 work, to paint, 427 
 
 Ironing, 350 
 
 Isinglass glue, 480 
 
 size, 257 
 
 Italian cream, 54 
 
 varnish, 268 
 
 Itch, 228 
 
 bakers, 228 
 
 -^— barbers, 228 
 
 in horses, 105 
 
 ointment, 76 
 
 —— yellow dock root for, 82 
 Itching chilblains, lotion for, 75 
 Ivory, artificial, 480 
 — — to bleach, 480 
 
 dyes for, 480, 481 
 
 knife handles, to prevent being 
 
 cracked, 158 
 
 to silver, 481, 428 
 
 to soften, 481 
 
 to take stains out of, 158 
 
 transparent, 481 
 
 —— to whiten, 158, 481 
 
 Jamaica rum, 376 
 Jam, apple, 293 
 apncot, 294, 303 
 
 blackberry, 295 
 
 cherry, 297 
 
 — — currant, 303 
 
 Jam, gooseberry, 303 
 peach, 303 
 
 plum, 303 
 
 raspberry, 303 
 
 strawberry, 303 
 
 Jahn's black ink, 204 
 Japan black ink, 204 
 
 dryer, 252 
 
 varnish, 268 
 
 Japanese cement, 37 
 Japanning on metal, 428 
 
 on paper, 428 
 
 on wood, 428 
 
 Jars, cement for cracks in, 35 
 Jaundice, 228 
 
 see wild cherry bark, 65 
 
 see dandelion, 68 
 
 Jelly, apple, 54, 293, 303 
 
 apricot, 294 
 
 arrowroot, 54 
 
 calves feet, 54, 296, 303 
 
 chicken, 54 
 
 ^— — hartshorn, 303 
 
 sago, 54, 303 
 
 shank, 60 
 
 Jerusalem artichoke, 119 
 Jet, to clean, 481 
 Jewelers' cement, 37 
 rouge, 429 
 
 Jewelry, to clean, 429 
 Johnny cake, 47 
 Juniper tar soap, 317 
 
 Kalsomining, 257 
 Kalydor for the complexion, 73 
 Kath.irion for the hair, 73 
 Keeping accounts, 118 
 
 lawns, 136 
 
 Kerosene fires, to extinguish, 153 
 lamp wicks, 159 
 
 Ketchup, camp, 303 
 
 mushroom, 303 
 
 walnut, 303 
 
 Kicking cows, 90 
 
 (horse) in stable, 105 
 
 Kid boots, to clean, 152 
 
 to restore color of, 152 
 
 to soften, 152 
 
 gloves, to clean, 348 
 
 to color, 337 
 
 Kidney complaint, see imperial drops, 
 69 
 
 inflammation of, 228 
 
 (of horses), inflammation of, 105 
 
 Killing and dressing poultry, 116 
 
 grease, 257 
 
 knots, 257 
 
 Kindlings, fire, 158 
 Kissingen water, 86 
 Kite, to make, 481 
 
 Knee-pan displaced in horses, 103 
 sprung horses, 105 
 
 Knife-handle (loose), to fasten, 158 
 Knives, to clean, 158 
 
 to preserve from rust, 138 
 
 Knots, killing. 257 
 Kourie cement, 38 
 
 Labels for plants, 143 
 
 for poisonous drugs, 18 
 
 Lace (black), to clean, 351 
 
 (gold), to clean, 347, 331 
 
 to renovate, 351 
 
 (silver), to clean, 351 
 
 to wash and iron, 350 
 
 (white silk), to wash, 351 
 
 Lac red dye, 350 
 
 Lacquers, 257 
 
 colored, 257 
 
 Lacquered articles, to clean, 158 
 Lac varnish, 268 
 
 Lama dress, to wash, 351 
 Lamb, to keep fresh, 304 
 
 to judge its quality, 54 
 
 (leg of), to boil, 55 
 
 to roast, 54 
 
 Lambs, care of, 93 
 
 Lamb-skins, to prepare for ladies over- 
 coats, 186 
 Lampas in horses, 106 
 
 Lamp accidents, to prevent, 158 
 
 chimneys, to clean, 159 
 
 to prevent breaking, 159 
 
 black, 267 
 
 oil, to purify, 489 
 
 wicks, home made, 159, 482 
 
 Lamp>s, to clean, 159 
 
 (kerosene), turning down the 
 
 wicks of, 159 
 
 to prevent smoking, 159 
 
 Land, to drain, 482 
 Lard, candles from, 314 
 
 to keep from moulding, 304 
 
 to prepare pure, 73 
 
 Larks, trolling for, 176 
 Laudanum, 73 
 Laughing gas, 472 
 Laundrying, 337 
 Lavender, essence of, 70 
 
 water, 86 
 
 Law of copyright, 460 
 Lawns, keeping, 136 
 
 to wash, 351 
 
 Laxitive (female), pills, 79 
 Laying soft shelled eggs, 136 
 Lead, cerate of, 67 
 
 colic, 215 
 
 poisoning, 229 
 
 white, 269 
 
 to test, 482 
 
 Leaf in copper, 245, 279 
 
 printing, 278 
 
 to take impressions of, 278 
 
 Leak, to stop, 159 
 
 Leaks around chimneys, 154 
 
 Leather belting, cement for, 33 
 
 bronzing for, 482 
 
 cement for, 35 
 
 and cloth, cement for, 35 
 
 dressing for, 187 
 
 French patent, 187 
 
 polish for, 1S7 
 
 to gild or silver, 187, 482 
 
 of old furniture, to restore, 159 
 
 oiling, 187 
 
 paper, 490 
 
 (patent), p>olish for, 482 
 
 scraps, 187 
 
 seats, blacking for, 200 
 
 to tan, 187 
 
 work, 246 
 
 Leaves as manure, 138 
 
 to preserve, 482 
 
 skeleton, 245 
 
 to take impressions of, 245 
 
 Leeches, 73 
 
 to apply, 229 
 
 Legs of horses, broken, 106 
 
 inflammation of, io4 
 
 swelling of, 106 
 
 Lemonade, 375 
 
 effervescing, 376 
 
 milk, 37S 
 
 portable, 375 
 
 powder, 81 
 
 Lemon acid, 304 
 
 beer, 365 
 
 cake, 47, 55 
 
 candy, 48 
 
 for cough, 46 r 
 
 pie. 55. 58 
 
 sauce, 55 
 
 sherbet, 377 
 
 s>Tup, 377 
 
 water, 55 
 
 ice, 34 
 
 wine, 387 
 
 Lens, burning, 453 
 Lettuce, to grow, 124 
 
 in winter, 136 
 
 Lcucorrhea, 229 
 
 pills for, 79 
 
 Lice on apple trees, 118 
 
 calves, 92 
 
 cattle, 89 
 
 fowl, 116 
 
 house plants, 143 
 
 pigs. 93 
 
 Light phial, 483 
 
 Lighten (to), dark rooms, 26 
 Lightening rods, 429 
 to erect, 38 
 
lights, bengal, 4S3 
 Lilac dye, 352 
 Lima beans, i2t 
 Lime, antidote for, 17 
 
 to bum, 28 
 
 deposit in boilers, ,401 
 
 juice and glycerine, 74 
 
 water, 86 
 
 for painters, 257 
 
 Linen, to bleach, 342 
 care of, 159 
 
 to detect cotton in, 460 
 
 grease spots on, 337 
 
 mk stains on, 158 
 
 to remove fruit stains from, 159 
 
 — mould from, 159 
 
 stains from, 159, 351 
 
 to make fire-proof, 160 
 
 sizing of, 352 
 
 (scorched), to restore, 160 
 
 to take ink out of, 159 
 
 (table), to wash, 351 
 
 whitening, 35a 
 
 Lines, fishing, 181 
 Liniment, arnica, 74 
 
 (blistering), for horses, 106 
 
 for bruises in horses, 106 
 
 camphor, 74 
 
 electro-magnetic, 74 
 
 good Samaritan, 74 
 
 nerve and bone, 106 
 
 rheumatic, 74 
 
 ■ ■ sore throat, 74 
 
 for sprains in horses, 106 
 
 Liniments, 74 
 
 Linnets, 171 
 
 Linseed oil, to bleach, 25S 
 Lips, chapped, 330 
 Lip salve, 83 
 
 carnation, 74 
 
 red, 74 
 
 — — white, 74 
 Liquid blacking, 200 
 
 blue, to prepare, 74 
 
 cement, 39 
 
 dye colors, 35a 
 
 glue, 39 
 
 soap, 317 
 
 Liquors, colonng for, 373 
 Lithographers ink, 200, 204 
 Lithographic paper, 279 
 Lithography, 279 
 
 Liver, inflammation of, 229 
 
 - — — pills, 79 
 
 Lock-jaw, 19, 229 
 
 Logs, to prevent splitting, 483 
 
 Looking-glasses, to clean, 160 
 
 Lotion of chlorinated soda, 75 
 
 for corns, 325 
 
 freckle, 74 
 
 Gonlaud's, 74 
 
 for itching chilblains, 75 
 
 Lovage, 483 
 
 Lozenge, carminative, 75 
 cough, 75 
 
 ginger, 75 
 
 Keating' s, 75 
 
 santonine, 75 
 
 steel, 75 
 
 Lumber, facts about, 483 
 Luminous ink, 204 
 
 Lunar caustic, antidote for, 17 
 Lungs, bleeding from, 12 
 
 inflammation of, 230 
 
 state of, 230 
 
 to strengthen, 230 
 
 of sheep, inflammation of, 95 
 
 Lye, to make, 317 
 
 Macaroni, bailed, 55 
 Macassar oil, 76 
 Machinery oil, 490 
 Mackerel^to fry, 55 
 Madder lake, 258 
 
 red dye, 352 
 
 Maderia wine, 387 
 Magic copying paper, 4S3 
 
 lantern, pictures for, 495 
 
 — — photographs, 279 
 Magnesia, carbonate of, 66 
 Magnesium, 429 
 
 INDEX, 
 
 Magnesian, effervescing aperient, 64 
 Mahogany, cement for, 35 
 
 furniture, to give a good color 
 
 to, 160 
 
 graining, 225 
 
 to imitate, 258 
 
 ink stains, 158 
 
 varnish, 268 
 
 Malt-liquors, to bottle, 367 
 Mandrake or may apple, 75 
 Mange in cattle, 89 
 
 in dogs, 171 
 
 531 
 
 Manure, converting bones into, 137 
 dead animals into, 
 
 137 
 
 garden refuse as, 138 
 
 heap, management of, 137 
 
 hen, 138 
 
 leaves as, 138 
 
 liquid, 138 
 
 night-soil, 138 
 
 sawdust and chips as, 13S 
 
 stable, 136 
 
 Manuscript, estimate of, 483 
 
 preparation of, 483 
 
 Map colors, 484 
 
 varnish, 484 
 
 Maple beer, 365 
 
 graining, 235 
 
 ^— sugar making, 138 
 trees, to tap, 138 
 
 Marble, artificial, 484 
 
 to clean, 160, 484 
 
 to cut and polish, 484 
 
 to remove grease or oil from, 
 
 160 
 — — smoke stains frxjm, 160 
 
 staining^, 484 
 
 Marbled soap balls, 318 
 Marbling for books, 451 
 
 glass globes, 392 
 
 Marbles, gray and white, 258 
 
 to imitate, 258 
 
 Italian, 258 
 
 Marking ink, 204 
 
 — to take out, 158, 204 
 
 for parcels, 204 
 
 Marketing, hints on, 160 
 Marine glue, 39 
 Marmalade, apple, 294 
 
 apricot, 304 
 
 cherry, 297 
 
 gooseberry, 304 
 
 mixed, 304 ' 
 
 orange, 304 
 
 red currant, 304 
 
 ^— -^ tomatoe, 61 
 
 transparent, 304 
 
 Marrow pomade, 80 
 Marshmallow ointment, 77 
 Mastic varnish, 268 
 Matches, to make, 484 
 Mats, sheepskins for, igi 
 Matting, to brighten, 485 
 Mead, 376 
 
 ■ sarsaparilla, 376 
 Meadow saffron, antidote for, 17 
 Meadows, worn out, 139 
 Measels, 230 
 
 false, 230 
 
 Measures, table of, 483 
 Meat (fresh), to keep, 305 
 
 (frozen), to keep. 305 
 
 to cure, 305 
 
 panada, 55 
 
 to preserve, 305 
 
 stewed, 53 
 
 Strasbourg potted, SS 
 
 test for bad, 55 
 
 Medals, molds for, 429 
 Medicine, table for administering, 
 Melon mangoes, 305 
 
 Melons, to grow, 139 
 
 barrel culture for, 139 
 
 Menses, pills to promote, 79 
 Menstruation, 230 
 
 (obstructed), pills for, 79 
 
 painful, 231 
 
 retained, 231 
 
 Merinos, to wash, 352 
 Mercurial battery, 399 
 Metal, bell, 400 
 
 Metal, to clean, 439 
 
 sheathing lor ships, 430 
 
 for telescopes, 430 
 
 for type, 430 
 
 white, 430 
 
 Metals, cement for, 33 
 fancy coloring for, 430 
 
 inks for writing on, 204 
 
 paste for deaauig, 430 
 
 welding, 445 
 
 writing on, 430 
 
 Metheglin, 376 
 
 Mice girded trees, to save, 140 
 to drive away, 175, 485 
 
 Microscope, home made, 485 
 Microscopic cement, 38 
 
 photography, 280 
 
 Microscopical objects, 485 
 Mildew, 485 
 
 on cotton cloth, 346 
 
 to remove, 160, 35a 
 
 on roses, 140 
 
 sulphur for, 140 . 
 
 in wheat, 150 , 
 
 Milk of almonds, 75 
 
 (bloody), in cows, go 
 
 biscuit, 55 
 
 composition of, 485 
 
 condensed, 305 
 
 — — — of cows, to increase, 91 
 ^— ^ to deodorize, 140 
 
 to detect when adulterated, 485 
 
 fever in cows, 91 
 
 management of, 122 
 
 of roses. 75 
 
 room, charcoal in, 140 
 
 sickness, 231 
 
 to test richness o^ 140 
 
 to preserve, 305 
 
 punch, 376 
 
 of wax, 73 
 
 whey, 55 
 
 Milking cows, 91 
 
 (hard), cows, go 
 
 in silence. 140 
 
 Mill picks, to harden, 424 
 Mince pie, 58 
 Mineral candles, 314 
 
 water syrups, 84 
 
 Mink breeding, 187, 18S 
 to trap, 18 
 
 Mirrors, amalgam for, 389 
 
 to platinize, 485 
 
 Mistura spiritus vini gallici, 75 
 Mitchel's balsam, 64 
 Mixing paints, 259 
 Mixture, cough, 75 
 
 copaiba, 73 
 
 gout, 75 
 
 Mocking birds, food for, 171 
 
 to trap, 171 
 
 Modeling in clay, 247, 
 Moiree metallique, 43a 
 Molasses, 56, 365 
 
 candy, 48 
 
 Moles, 236 
 
 (ground), to destroy, 189 
 
 Money, counterfeit, 461 
 Monk s hood, antidote for, 17 
 Monochromatic drawing, 247 
 Moon-eye in horses, 106 
 Mopping floors, 155 
 Morrocco, to dye, 180 
 Mortar, 28 
 
 hydraulic, 28 
 
 Mosquitoes, to banish, 175 
 bites, solution for, 175 
 
 to prevent biting, 173 
 
 Moss work, 247 
 
 on roofs, 303 
 
 Mother of pearl, cement for, 33 
 Moth patches, 330 
 Hoths in carpets, 73, 154 
 
 in clothing, 175 
 
 (codling), to trap, 140 
 
 in furs, 173 
 
 to keep from fur, 175 
 
 Mould in books, to prevent, 160 
 
 ink, to prevent,. i6o» 304 
 
 Moulding figures in clay, 486 
 
 jasper color, 486 
 
 ^— — — paste, 486 
 
532 
 
 INDEX. 
 
 Moulding figures in wax, 486 
 
 the face of a person, 486 
 
 Mould in mucilage, 487 
 
 in safes, to prevent, 486 
 
 Mouldy substance m rooms, 486 
 Moulting of birds, 167, 178 
 Mountain laurel, antidote for, 17 
 Mourning dresses, 346 
 Mouth disease in catde, 88 
 
 glue, 39 
 
 pastilles, 77 
 
 (sore), in norses, 106 
 
 unceleration of, 231 
 
 Mucilage, jg 
 
 for labels, 487 
 
 salep, 39 
 
 mould in, 487 
 
 Muddy water, to dear, 163 
 MufSns, 56 
 
 Mulberry wine, 387 
 Mule, the, 106 
 
 splint on, 106 
 
 Mulled egg, 56 
 Mumps, 231 
 
 Muriate of barytes, antidote for, 17 
 
 of tin, antidote for, 17 
 
 of tin, 442 
 
 Muriatic acid, antidote for, 17 
 Mush for stock, 92 
 Mushroom catsup, 56 
 
 beds, artificial, 141 
 
 jelly, 303 
 
 Mushrooms, boiled, 56 
 
 to distinguish from poisonous 
 
 fungi, 56 
 
 (poisonous), antidote for, 16 
 
 — — to pickle, 305 
 
 to preserve, 306 
 
 — — to stew, 56 
 
 Musical instruments, to stain, 487 
 Musk, essence of, 70 
 — — ^ soap, 318 
 
 tincture o^ 85 
 
 Muskrat, to skin, 189 
 
 skin, to tan with fur on, 189 
 
 ■^— — to trap, i8p 
 
 Muslin, to make fire-proof, 160 
 
 to wash and iron, 350, 353 
 
 Mustard, aromatic, 487 
 
 French, 56 
 
 plaster, 80 
 
 ^— ^ table, 56 
 Mutton broth, 56 
 
 to judge its quality, 56 . 
 
 to roast, 56 
 
 to stew, 56 
 
 Myrrh dentifrice, 69 
 Myrtle soap, 313 
 
 Nails, biting the, 330 
 
 (finger), care of, 330 
 
 to whiten, 331 
 
 Names, signification of, 487 
 Nankeen dye, 352 
 
 Nasal gleet in horses, 106 
 Nature printing, 281 
 Navicular disease, 106 
 Neat's foot oil, 489 
 Neck, enlarged, 211 
 Nectar, cream, 376 
 Negative, an auxiliary, sSx 
 ■•^— bath, 273 
 preservation of, s8l 
 
 fixing, 281 
 
 ■ preservers, 282 
 
 Neroli, essence of, 70 
 Nerve and bone liniment, xo6 
 Nervous pill, 79 
 Nervousness, 231 
 Neufchatel cheese, 127 
 Neuralgia, 231 
 
 see Dr. Peabody's cure, 69 
 
 Nickel plating, 430 
 Night-mare, 232 
 
 soil manure, 38 
 
 Nipple;, sore, 232 
 Nitre, antidote for, 17 
 Nitrate of silver, 75 
 
 — — antidote for, 17 
 
 — — stains, 163 
 
 Nitric acid, antidote for, 15 
 
 Nitro-glycerine, 489 
 
 Nose-bleed, 12, 232 
 
 Noses (large), to make small, 331 
 
 Nursing sick children, 232 
 
 Nutmegs, to select, 57 
 
 Nux vomica, antidote for, 17 
 
 Oak graining, 255 
 ^—^— trees, 148 
 
 varnish, 268 
 
 Oat cakes, Scotch, 57 
 Oats, to cultivate, 141 
 ——— seed, 14s 
 Odor of flowers, to obtain, 75 
 
 of paint, to remove, 161 
 
 Oil, British, 76 
 
 of cassia, 76 
 
 of cedar, antidote for, 17 
 
 cloth, to brighten, 485 
 
 in cloth, 161 
 
 cream, cod liver, 76 
 
 drying, 252, 258 
 
 (essential), to extract from 
 
 flowers, 76 
 
 to extract from boards, 151 
 
 furniture, 254, 258 
 
 hair, 76 
 
 Harlam, 76 
 
 (kerosene), to test, x6i 
 
 king of, 76 
 
 (lamp), to purify, 489 
 
 ^^— of lemons, to preserve, 490 
 
 linseed, 258 
 
 for machinery, 490 
 
 in marble, i6o 
 
 neat's foot, 489 
 
 of orange flowers, 76 
 
 of orange, to preserve, 490 
 
 painting, to prepare canvass 
 
 for, 274 
 
 parchment, 490 
 
 prepared, 258 
 
 (rape), to purify, 490 
 
 of rhodium, 76 
 
 of roses, 76 
 
 Rowland's macasser, 76 
 
 rue, antidote for, 17 
 
 of savin, antidote for, 17 
 
 for sewiril; machines, 431 
 
 of spike, 76 
 
 oftansey, antidote for, 17 
 
 of tar, antidote for, 17 
 
 turpentine, 76 
 
 varnish, 268 
 
 of vitrol, antidote for, 17 
 
 for watches, 431 
 
 Oiled floors, 26 
 
 paper, 491 
 
 Oiliness in ink, 204 
 Oiling leather, 187 
 Ointment of belladonna, 77 
 
 cream, 76 
 
 green, 76 
 
 — glycerine, 76 
 
 Holloway's, 76 
 
 ■ hoof, 107 
 
 itch, 76 
 
 marshmallow, 77 
 
 pile, 77 
 
 Sisson s, 77 
 
 Sloan's, 107 
 
 stramonium, 77 
 
 Oleographs, 490 
 Olive enamels, 466 
 Omelette, 57 
 Onions, boiled, 57 
 — — to cultivate, 57 
 to keep, 306 
 
 to pickle, 306 
 
 — roasted, 57 
 
 Opium, antidote for, 17 
 
 culture, 142 
 
 extract of, 71 
 
 Powell's, 77 
 
 of, 8s 
 
 Opodeldoc, liquid, 77 
 Opticans' cement, 38 
 Orange dye, 353 
 
 enamels, 466 
 
 flowers, oil of, 76 
 
 ■ flower soap, 318 
 
 Orange Jelly, S4 
 
 marmalade, 304 
 
 peel, candied, 306 
 
 pie, 58 
 
 sherbet, 377 
 
 Orangeade, 376 
 Orchards, to manage, 143 
 Orgeat, 376 
 Oriental painting, 247 
 rusma, 69 
 
 Ornaments (brass), to clean, 151 
 Ostrich feathers, to clean, 348 
 Otters, to skin, 190 
 to trap, 189 
 
 Otto of roses, 77 
 
 Ovens (new), to temper, 161 
 
 Over-reaching, 107 
 
 Owl trap, 186, j^ 
 
 Oxalic acid, antidote for, 18 
 
 Oxygen, to prepare, 77 
 
 Oysters, are they healthy, 57 
 
 artificial, 57 
 
 to bake, 57 
 
 catsup, 306 
 
 to fry, 57 
 
 patties, 57 
 
 pickled, 306 
 
 to roast, 57 
 
 soup, 57 
 
 stew, 57 
 
 vegetable, 63 
 
 Packing china or glass, 373, 393 
 hints on, 490 
 
 Paint, black, 250 
 
 blue, 250 
 
 brown, 250 
 
 cheap, 259 
 
 chestnut, 250 
 
 to clean, 161 
 
 fire-proof, 253 
 
 flexible, 259 
 
 green, 256 
 
 milk, 260 
 
 (oil), to reduce with water, 260 
 
 petrolium, 26 
 
 Prussian blue, 262 
 
 quick drying, 253 
 
 red, 262 
 
 to remove odor of, 161 
 
 from stone, 490 
 
 skins, 260 
 
 spots, balls for, 64 
 
 watet -proof, 269 
 
 white, 269 
 
 yellow, 271 
 
 zinc, 271 
 
 Painting, 258 
 
 antique, 243 
 
 brick buildings, 25 
 
 fresco, 253 
 
 flower, 284 
 
 Grecian, 245 
 
 glass or porcelain, 393 
 
 houses, 25 
 
 iron work, 427 
 
 oil, 282 
 
 Oriental, 247 
 
 outside houses, 259 
 
 rules for, 259 
 
 ; theorem, 248 
 
 white washed walls, 270 
 
 water color, 283 
 
 Paintings, to preserve, 283 
 to restore, 283 
 
 Painters, rules for, 263 
 Paints, to mix, 259 
 Pain extractor, 77 
 
 killer. Perry Davis', 77 
 
 Palm soap, 318 
 Palpitation of the heart, 226 
 Palsey in horses, 107 
 Panada, bread, 58 
 chicken, 58 
 
 Panama hats, 476 
 
 Paper, copying, 490 s^ 
 
 flowers, 247 
 
 — from oat refuse, 49X 
 
 fumigating, 77 
 
 hangmg, 260 
 
 hangings, to clean. x6x 
 
Paper, paste for, a6i 
 
 (poisonous) test for, i6i 
 
 leather, 490 
 
 lithographic, 279 
 
 mache, to clean, 161 
 
 oiled, 491 
 
 parchment, 491 
 
 to prepare for photographs, 285 
 
 to remove stains from, i6i 
 
 sensitising, 284 
 
 to stain, 491 
 
 to take writing out of, 161 
 
 — — test for wood in, 492 
 
 tracing, 284, 492 
 
 transfer, 284, 492, 
 
 transparent, 492 
 
 waxed, 492 
 
 Papulous seal!, 232 
 Parabolic cement, 38 
 Parchment glue, 39 
 to make, 190 
 
 paper, 491 
 
 to stain, 491 
 
 Paregoric, 77 
 
 Parrots, cages for, 172 
 
 food for, 172 
 
 plucking its feathers, 172 
 
 to teach, 172 
 
 Parsley, to dry, 306 
 Parsnips, to boil, 58 
 
 preserving, 306 
 
 to raise, 142 
 
 Parsnip wine, 387 
 Partitions, 28 
 Partridges, to boil, 57 
 
 pie, 57 
 
 to roast, 57 
 
 Paste for birds, 168 
 
 blacking, 200 
 
 — — German, 77 
 
 to keep a year, 59 
 
 for labeling on tm, 492 
 
 for paper hanging, 261 
 
 phosphorous, 77 
 
 for pies, 57 
 
 potatoe, 58 
 
 resembling the diamond, 492 
 
 rich and light, 58 
 
 for scrap books, 40 
 
 for walls, 492 
 
 Pastiles, fumigating, 77 
 
 mouth, 77 
 
 vanilla, 492 
 
 Patent medicines, composition of, 492 
 Pavement, street, 493 
 Peach, borer, 142 
 jam, 303 
 
 pie, 58 
 
 trees, 142 
 
 potash for, 142 
 
 worm, 150 
 
 Peaches, to can, 306 
 to dry, 306 
 
 to peal, 58 
 
 to preserve, 307 
 
 to stew, 58 
 
 Peanut culture, 143 
 Pearls, to hold, 431 
 Pearl inlaying, 493 
 
 • work, imitation, 493 
 
 Pears, to bake, 58 
 
 to grow, 142! ""~"" 
 
 Peas, (green) to preserve, 30- 
 Peasley cement, 38 
 
 Peau D'Espagne, 78 
 
 Pectoral drops, 69 
 
 Pegged boots, to prevent ripping, 152 
 
 Pencil drawings, 276 
 
 writing, to fix, 494 
 
 Pencils, black lead, 494 
 
 indelible, 404 
 
 Peppermint cordial, 374 
 
 essence of, 70 
 
 Percussion caps, priming powder for, 
 
 494 
 Perfume of flowers, to extract, 78 
 ■ for gloves, 78 
 
 powder, 78 
 
 for sachets, 78 
 
 Permanent ink, 204 
 Perpetual ink, 204 
 Petroleum paint, 260 
 
 INDEX. 
 
 Petroleum, (refined) to decolorize, 495 
 
 improved method of threat- 
 
 ment, 495 
 
 Pew's composition for covering build- 
 ings, 26 
 
 Pewter, 431 
 
 to clean, 161 
 
 Phalon's hair oil, 76 
 
 Phenyl paper for preserving meat, 305 
 
 Phial glass, 393 
 
 Philocome, 80 
 
 Phosphorous paste, 77 
 
 Photograph coloring, 286 
 
 Photographic collodion, 275, 286, 
 
 light, 287 
 
 printing, 287, 289 
 
 process, 288 
 
 seals, 290 
 
 Photographing on wood, 290 
 
 tracings without a camera, 509 
 
 Photographs, to clean glass for, 278 
 
 to dress for, 286 
 
 enameling, 286 
 
 magic, 279 
 
 to reproduce when faded, 278 
 
 to tint, 292 
 
 533 
 
 Pills, for gravel, 79 
 
 Holloway's, 79 
 
 of iron, 79 
 
 liver, 79 
 
 for obstructed menstruation, 79 
 
 — — to promote menstrual secretion, 
 
 79 
 — nervous, 79 
 
 rhubarb, 79 
 
 for sick headache, 75 
 
 to sugar coat, 79 
 
 Pimples, to cure, 331 
 
 dry, 232 
 
 Pinchbeck, 431 
 Pine apple rum, 376 , 
 Pink saucers, 79 
 dye. 353 
 
 Pip in birds, 166 
 Pistachio nut meal, 318 
 Pitch plaster, 80 
 
 to remove, 163 
 
 Photographers, new light for, 287 
 Photography, microscopic, 280 
 Photo-galvanography, 287 
 Photo-lithography, 272 
 Photo-lithographic process, 288, 495 
 Physic Balls for horses, 96, 107 
 Piccalilli, 307 
 Pickled beef, 29s 
 
 tomatoes, 311 
 
 tripe, 311 
 
 walnuts, 311 
 
 Pickling cabbage, 296 
 
 corn, 298 
 
 cucumbers, 298 
 
 Eggs, 299 
 
 hints on, 357 
 
 mushrooms, 305 
 
 onions, 306 
 
 oysters, jo6 
 
 Pickles, copper in, 307 
 
 cucumber, 307 
 
 — ^— French, 307 
 
 India, 308 
 
 mixed, 308 
 
 of sweet citron, 307, 
 
 Picture frames, 495 
 
 — — to gild, 420 
 
 to prevent flies from in- 
 juring, 161 
 
 to print from the print itself, 
 
 28s 
 Pictures to hang, i6t 
 
 for magic lanterns, 495 
 
 on porcelain, 285 
 
 steroscopic, 291 
 
 Pigeons, to test freshness of, 58 
 
 to stew, 59 
 
 Pigments for stained glass, 495 
 Pigs, blind staggers in, 93 
 
 lice on, 93 
 
 mangy, 93 
 
 to select, 93 \ 
 
 Pie, cocoanut, 49 
 
 cream, 58 
 
 lemon, 55, 58 
 
 mince, 58 
 
 orange, 58 
 
 partridge, 57 
 
 peach, 58 
 
 pumpkin, 58 
 
 Pile ointment, 77 
 Piles, 232 
 
 Pillows, feather, 469 
 Pills, ague, 78 
 of aloes, 78 
 
 anti-bilious, 78 
 
 Brandreths 78 
 
 carbonate of iron, 78 
 
 cathartic, 78 
 
 chalybeate, 79 
 
 chamomile, 79 
 
 cough, 79 
 
 digestive, 79 
 
 dinner, 79 
 
 emmenagogue, 79 
 
 female laxitive, 79 
 
 Pitting in small.pox, 234 
 
 Piques to wash, 352 
 
 Plague, cattle, 89 
 
 Planks, to prevent spliting, 483 
 
 Plants, boxes for starting, 143 
 
 house, 143 
 
 lice on, 143 
 
 labels for, 143 
 
 to take impressions of, 245 
 
 Plant specimens, preservation of, 308, 
 
 Plaster, adhesive, 496J 
 
 casting in, 454 
 
 casts to take, 496, 497 
 
 alabaster effect on, 497 
 
 to harden, 497 
 
 to toughen, 497 
 
 corn, 79 
 
 court, 68, 79 
 
 figures, to give a bronze ap- 
 pearance to, 432 
 
 varnishing, 498 
 
 irritating, 79 
 
 mustard, 80 
 
 ornaments, 29 
 
 of Paris, 496 
 
 poor mans, 80} 
 
 rheumatic, 80 
 
 strengthening, 80 
 
 stytic, 80 
 
 Plastering, 29 
 
 Plate, to clean, 162 
 Plated metal to test, 432 
 Plates, hot cast criolite, 285 
 Plating without a battery, 433 
 
 on iron, 432 
 
 on steel, 432 
 
 Platinizing glass, 473 
 
 Pleurisy 233 
 
 Plowing, 144 
 
 Plows (rusty) to clean, 144 
 
 Plumbago, to test, 498 
 
 Plumbers cement, 38 
 
 Plum cheese, 309 
 
 to grow, 143 
 
 jam, 303 
 
 to preserve, 309 
 
 pudding, 59 
 
 Pheumonia in horses, 107 
 Pointer dog, 180 
 Poison dogwood, antidote for, 18 
 ivy, antidote for, 18 
 
 Poisoning, lead, 229 
 Poisonous drugs, labels for, 18 
 paper hangings, 161 
 
 Poisons, antidote for, 18 
 Polish, French, 261, 498 
 Polishing glass, 393 
 
 iron, to keep from rust, 43a 
 
 leather, 187 
 
 powder, 432 
 
 wood carving, 262 
 
 Poll evil, 107 
 
 and fistula, 107 
 
 Pomade, castor oil, 80 
 
 cream, 80 
 
 dye for the hair, 80 
 
 marrow, 80 
 
 transparent, 80 
 
 Pomatum, black stick, 80 
 
 East India, 80 
 
534 
 
 INDEX. 
 
 Pomatum, marrow, 8b 
 
 philocome, 80 
 
 rose, 80 
 
 Ponceon, 353 
 Poplar bark, 65 
 Poppy, extract of, 71 
 Porcelain, to make, 409 
 
 pictures on, 2S5 
 
 Pork as food, 59 
 Portable eggs, 295 
 
 glue, 39 
 
 Porter, 376 
 
 bottling, 376 
 
 Portwine, 387 
 
 Positives (direct), on glass, 286 
 Posological table, 80 
 Potash, antidote for, 18 
 
 yield of, 318 
 
 Potassium, bromide of, 66 
 
 suphocyanide of, 500 
 
 Potatoe paste, 58 
 
 bread, 45 
 
 Potatoes, to boU, 59 
 
 bug, to destroy, 144 
 
 ^— — earthing up, 1 13 
 
 (frosted), starch from, 506 
 
 to fry, 59 
 
 mashed, 59 
 
 pudding, 59 
 
 raising under straw, 143 
 
 scones, 59 
 
 seed, 145 
 
 snow, 59 
 
 sprouting, 309 
 
 storing, 309 
 
 ' sweet. 143, 309 
 
 rot, prevention of, 143 
 
 Potchimoni, 248 
 
 Pot-pie, chicken, 49 
 Pots (iron), to mend. 163 
 Potted beef, 43 
 
 meat, 55 
 
 Pottery, 498 
 
 Poudre subtle, Delcroix's, 69 
 
 Poultice, charcoal, 8x 
 
 Goulard's, 81 
 
 hemlock, 81 
 
 yeast, 81 
 
 Poultry, to fatten, 114 
 
 to kill and dress, n6 
 
 ; — for market, 116 
 
 Powder, ague, 81 
 
 '——— baking, 42 
 —— composition, 81 
 
 condition, 81 
 
 — — ^ Dover's, 81 
 
 filtering, 81 
 
 — — ink, 205 
 —— lemonade, 81 
 
 I pearl, 81 
 
 rose face, 81 
 
 — — seidlitz, 81 
 
 ■ tooth, 81 
 Powders, cleansing, 107 
 — — condition, 107 
 Pox, chicken, 233 
 
 — — cow, 233 
 
 — ^^— small, 233 
 
 ^—^ (small), pitting in, 234 
 
 Precipitate, red, 77 
 
 Preserving animals, 190 
 
 ——' apples, 294 
 
 ■ birds, 176 
 
 eggs, 299 
 
 — — fresh meat, 305 
 
 green grapes, 30X 
 
 -^— ^ insects, 186 
 — — milk, 305 
 —^— mushrooms, 306 
 Primrose vinegar, 381 
 Prince Rupert s drops, 393 
 Printed books, to bleach, 500 
 
 — I sheets, to clean, 500 
 
 Printers' type, 430 
 Printing ink, 204 
 
 rollers, 500 
 
 Prints, to bleach, 500 
 
 to transfer to ^lass, 286 
 
 — — to prevent fadmg, 353 
 Propogation of salmoB, 190 
 Proud flesh, 233 
 
 Pruoing, 143 
 
 Prusic acid, antidote for, 18 
 Prussian blue, 262 
 
 dye, 341 
 
 Puddmg, apple, 41 
 
 arrowroot, 59 
 
 birds nest, 59 
 
 bread. 46 
 
 green com, 53 
 
 half pay, 59 
 
 Indian meal, 54 
 
 plum, 59 
 
 I>otatoe, 59 
 
 rice, 59 
 
 rice and apple, 59 
 
 tapioca, 6i 
 
 tomatoe, 62 
 
 Pulleys, speed of, 473 
 Pulmonic wafers, 86 
 Pumpkins amongst com, 144 
 
 drying, 309 
 
 for rheumatism, 502 
 
 Pumpkin pie, 58 
 Pumice stone, 262 
 Pump, self-acting, 500 
 Punch, 376 
 
 milk, 376 
 
 Puppy, to choose, 170 
 Purchasing a house, 157 
 Purgative calls for horses, 96 
 Purification of water, 163 
 Purple dye, 352 
 
 enamels, 466 
 
 ink, 205 
 
 stain, 263 
 
 Putty, glaziers', 40 
 
 jxjlisher, 432 
 
 to remove, 162 
 
 to soften, 140, 262 
 
 Pyrogallic add developer, 276 
 
 Quail trap, 197 
 Queen bees, to rear, 23 
 Queens-ware, to make, 500 
 Quince, to cultivate, 144 
 
 marmalade, 304 
 
 to preserve, 309 
 
 wine, 387 
 
 Quinine, substitute for, 81 
 Quinsey, 234 
 Quills, to prepare, 500 
 Quilts, to wash, 346 
 Quittor in horses, 108 
 
 Rabbits, to cook, S9 
 to feed, 173 
 
 habits of, 173 
 
 to keep from apple trees, 118 
 
 to rear, 173 
 
 to test, 59 
 
 to trap, 190 
 
 Rabies in dogs, 170 
 Raccoon, to catch, 190 
 
 skins, to prepare, 190 
 
 Radishes, to grow, 144 
 Rag carpet, 500 
 Railroad signals, 50Z 
 Rain, to produce, 144 
 Raisin wine, 387 
 Rancid butter, 453 
 Rape oil, 490 
 Raspberry ice cream, 54 
 
 cordial, 374 
 
 jam, 303 
 
 syrup, 378 
 
 vinegar, 381 
 
 wine, 387 
 
 Raspberries, to grow, 144 
 Rasps, 419 
 
 to recut, 419 
 
 Ratafia, 376 
 Rat-proof com cribs, 12S 
 Rats, to destroy, 175 
 Raynor's depilatory, 69 
 Razor, to hone and strap, 501 
 
 paper, 501 
 
 strap paste, 501 
 
 to renew, 162, soa 
 
 Red cement, 38 
 dyes. 354 
 
 Red enamels, 467 
 
 hypernic, 354 
 
 ink, 205 
 
 lead, 262 
 
 madder, 354 
 
 paints, 262 
 
 precipitate, 8a 
 
 raspberry, 83 
 
 stain, 263 
 
 water in sheep, 95 
 
 Reels, fishing, 182 
 Refrigerator, home made, 50* 
 Relative height and weight, 502 
 Remedy for drunkeness, 82 
 gout, 82 
 
 rheumatism, 82 
 
 Rennet, 144 
 
 to use, 144 
 
 Renting a house, 157 
 Resin-oil ink, 205 
 Restorative, hair, 72 
 Revalentia Arabica, 83 
 Rhubarb, to dry, 310 
 
 pill, 79 
 
 to preserve, 310 
 
 root, 82 
 
 tincture of, 85, S^» 
 
 transplanting, 144 
 
 vinegar, 381 
 
 wine, 387 
 
 Rheum in birds, 166 
 Rheumatic alterative, 64 
 
 fluid, 71 
 
 -^^^ liniment, 74 
 
 plaster, 80 
 
 Rheumatism, remedy for, 82, 86, 234 ' 
 
 see Dr. Kittredge's remedy, 69 
 
 inflammatory, 502 
 
 in cows, 90 
 
 in horses, 503 
 
 in sheep, 95 
 
 Rhodum, oil of, 76 
 Ribbons, to keep, 163 
 
 to iron, 337 
 
 to wash, 355 
 
 Rice and apple pudding, 59 
 
 bread, 45 
 
 flour cement, 38 
 
 pudding, 59 
 
 Riding a horse, 108 
 Ringbone, 108 
 Rings (bull), to insert, 93 
 Ring (tight), to remove, 23s 
 Ringworm, 235 
 
 in horses, loS 
 
 Roaring in horses, loS 
 Roasted onions, 57 
 snipe, 60 
 
 Roast patndges, 57 
 
 veal, 62 
 
 venison, 63 
 
 Roads, repairing, 502 
 Robin, to tame and feed, 173 
 Rock blasting, 502 
 
 work, artificial coral for, 503 
 
 Rocks, to remove, 122, 145 
 Rods, fishing, 181 
 Rolls, beefsteak, 44 
 Roman cement, 36, 38 
 Roofing, cheap, 29 
 Roofs, composition for, 29 
 fire-proof wash for, 503 
 
 moss on, 503 
 
 (tile), cement for, 36 
 
 of thatch, 30 
 
 of tin, 29 
 
 Room, to cool, 23s 
 
 walls, cement for, 35 
 
 Rooms (dark), to lighten, 26 
 Root, alkanet, 82 
 
 beer, 365 
 
 gold thread, 82 
 
 golden seal, 82 
 
 grafting, 133 
 
 rhubarb, 82 
 
 yellow dock, 82 
 
 Roots, to dry, 310 
 
 to preserve, 310 
 
 Rope, to make flexible, 503 
 Ropes, to compute strength of, 50a 
 Rose buds, to preserve, 310 
 colored enamels, 467 
 
INDEX. 
 
 535 
 
 Rose, pink, 83 
 
 rash, 230 
 
 •^— water, 86 
 
 wood graining, 256 
 
 to imitate, 263 
 
 — — stain, 263 
 
 Roses, essence of, 70 
 
 milk of, 75 
 
 ■ mildew on, 140 
 
 oil of, 76 
 
 otto of, 77 
 
 pomatum of, 80 
 
 Rosemary hair wash, 73 
 
 hair oil, 76 
 
 Rosin soap, 318 
 Rouge, 82 
 
 Roup in fowels, 117 
 
 Rubber boots and shoes, to mend, 152 
 
 hose, to mend, 162 
 
 Rug, to make, 162 
 
 (sheepskin), to clean, 162 
 
 Ruling ink, 205 
 
 Rump gland obstruction in birds, 167 
 Rum, Jamaica, 376 
 
 pine apple, 376 
 
 Santa Cruz, 376 
 
 St. Croix, 376 
 
 shrub, 376 
 
 Runaway horses, 108 
 Runnet, 144 
 Rupture in horses, 109 
 Russian bath, 209 
 
 sheet iron, 432 
 
 Rust, to keep from tools, 31 
 steel, 163, 432 
 
 (iron), to remove, 158 
 
 to remove, 163, 432 
 
 — — to prevent in tea kettles, 51 
 
 in wheat, 150 
 
 Rusty plows, to clean, 144 
 Rye bread, 45 
 
 to cultivate, 143 
 
 Sachet a la Frangipanne, 82 
 
 helitrope, 82 
 
 perfume, 78 
 
 rose, 82 
 
 Saddles, wooden, 478 
 Safes, mould in, 486 
 Sago bread, 45 
 
 to cultivate, 145 
 
 jelly. 54. 303 
 
 Salad, cucumber, 51 
 Saline draught, 377 
 Salmon, propogation of, 190 
 Salt in builOing chimneys, 453 
 
 fish, to freshen, 52 
 
 ■ of lemons, 503 
 
 in soap making, 31S 
 
 water soap, 319 
 
 Salting butter, 123 
 
 cabbage plants, 124 
 
 Salts for smelling bottles, 83 
 Salve, balm of Gilead, 82 
 
 black, 82 
 
 healing, 450 
 
 brown, 82 
 
 — — ^— Conklin's, 83 
 
 felon, 83 
 
 green mountain, 83 
 
 ——^— Kitridge's, 83 
 
 lip, 83 
 
 Russian, 83 
 
 Sand paper, to make, 503 
 Sandwich cake, 47 
 Santa Cruz mm, 376 
 Santal wood soap, 319 
 
 spirit of, S03 
 
 Santonine lozenges, 75 
 Saponaceous cream of almonds, 319 
 Sarsapariila, 83 
 
 extract of, 71 
 
 mead, 376 
 
 syrup, 378 
 
 Sassafras, 83 
 
 beer, 365 
 
 Sauce, apple, 41 
 ——^ chutney, 60 
 
 cranberry, 50 
 
 fish, 51 
 
 — — for fowls, 53 
 
 Sauce, lemon, 55 
 shirlej', 60 
 
 Worcestershire, 60, 311 
 
 Sauerkraut, to make, 310 
 Saws, to mend, 433 
 
 tempering, 433 
 
 Saw teeth, shape of, 433 
 
 to put in order, 433 
 
 teeth to sharpen, 434 
 
 Scab in sheep, 95 
 Scald heads, 226 
 Scalds, 19 
 
 and bums, 12 
 
 Scarfs, to clean, 356 
 
 (cashmere), to dean the white 
 
 middle of, 356 
 
 to wash, 356 
 
 Scarlet dye, 355, 356 
 
 fever, 224 
 
 ink, 205 
 
 Scenting soaps, 319 
 Schiedam schnapps, 377 
 Schioicao ocment, 38 
 Scones, potatoe, 59 
 Scorched linen, to restore, 160 
 Scotch brose, 46 
 
 butter candy, 48 
 
 Scouring floors, 155 
 Scours in calves, 92 
 Scratches, 235 
 
 in horses, 109 
 
 Screws and nuts, to loosen, 503 
 in soft wood, 30 
 
 Scrofula, 235 
 
 Scurf in the head, 330 
 
 Scurv'cy, 235 
 
 Sea bathing, 448 
 
 Seal engravers cement, 38 
 
 Sealing wax (all colors), 40 
 
 Sea sickness, 235 
 
 Season for trapping, 195 
 
 Seasoning new glassware, 136 
 
 Seed, barley, 145 
 
 corn, 145 
 
 to improve, 145 
 
 oats, 145 
 
 Seed, potatoes, 145 
 
 to select, 145 
 
 to test vitality of, 14S 
 
 wheat, 145 
 
 quantity required in planting, 
 
 503 .- 
 Seedlac varnish, 268 
 Seidlitz powders, 81 
 Seive trap, 197 
 Senna, extract of, 71 
 Sensitizing baths, 273 
 Self-sucking cows, 91 
 Setting hens, 116 
 
 traps, 19s 
 
 Sewing machine oil, 431 
 
 hints on using, 503 
 
 Sex of canaries, 168 
 eggs, 114 
 
 Shade trees, to plant, 148 
 Shampoo liquid, 503 
 Shank jelly, 60 
 Shaving cream, 68 
 
 liquid, 504 
 
 paste, 319, 504 
 
 soap, 319 
 
 Shawls, to clean, 356 
 Shearing sheep, 95 
 Sheathing for ships, 430 
 Sheep, age of, 93 
 
 catarrh in, 94 
 
 to fatten, 94 
 
 foot rot in, 94 
 
 hayracks for, 94 
 
 inflammation of lungs in, 94 
 
 jumping fences, 94 
 
 killing dogs, 94 
 
 and lambs, care of, 93 
 
 leather, to dye, 180 
 
 to protect from gad fly, 94 
 
 rheumatism in, 94 
 
 red water in, 94 
 
 scab in, 94 
 
 to shear, 94 
 
 * skins, to prepare for mats, 191 
 
 to tan, 191 
 
 stretches in, 94 
 
 Sheepskin rugs, to clean, 162 
 Shellac, to bleach, 505 
 
 varnish, 268 
 
 Shells, etching, 248 
 Shell work, 248 
 Sherbet, 377 
 
 ' lemon, 377 
 
 orange, 377 
 
 Persian, 377 
 
 Sherry wine, 388 
 
 Shingles, to prevent decay of, 30 
 
 fire-proof wash for, 30 
 
 Ships, to ventilate, 505 
 Shirley sauce, 60 
 
 Shirt bosoms, to polish, 356 
 to starch, 337 
 
 collars, to dress, 357 
 to starch, 337 
 
 Shoeing horses, 109 
 
 Shoes, care of, 151 
 
 Shoe soles, to save, 337 * 
 
 Shops, din in, 409 
 
 Shortness of breath, 79 
 
 Show colors for druggists' windows, 83 
 
 Shower bath, 209 
 
 Sick, food for, 236 
 
 room, pure air in, 236 
 
 visiting, 236 
 
 Signals, railroad, 501 
 
 Signatures, to take fac-similies of, 505 
 
 Silk (black), to choose, 338 
 
 to clean, 357 
 
 (colored), to clean, 357 
 
 gilding on, 504 
 
 grease on, 358 
 
 to keep, 337 
 
 reviver, 357 
 
 stockings, to wash, 358 
 
 (varnished), to prepare, 505 
 
 to do up, 338 
 
 washing, 358 
 (white), to bleach, 357 
 wrinkled, 358 
 
 Silver, to alloy, 434 
 to clean, 435 
 
 to clean when tarnished in sol- 
 dering, 437 
 
 counterfeit, 435 
 
 to enamel, 422 
 
 frosted, 435 
 
 German, 435 
 
 to give luster to, 162 
 
 imitarlon, 435 
 
 ink, 205 
 
 to keep bright, 435 
 
 leaf, to varnish like gold, 438 
 
 to make transparent, 437 
 
 ornaments, to clean, 162 
 
 plate, to take stains of, 162 
 
 plated candlesticks, to clean, 
 
 ^53. 
 
 plating fluid, 437 
 
 solution, 435 
 
 to refine, 437 
 
 to restore dead white in, 435 
 
 stains, to remove, 291 
 
 '■ — waste, to recover, 291 
 
 to write on, 438 
 
 Silvering, 435 
 
 glass, 394 
 
 iron, 435 
 
 ivorj', 428 
 
 leather, 187 
 
 powder, 437 
 
 to test, 470 
 
 Size, bronzing, 263 
 
 gold, 263 
 
 inside, 2(53 
 
 isinglass, 257 
 
 Sizing for boots and shoes in treeing 
 
 out, 504 
 
 for gilding, 234 
 
 for gold on glass, 394 
 
 of linen, 352 
 
 Skating, hints on, 504 
 Skeleton leaves, 254 
 Skeletons, preparation of, 191 
 Skin, discolored, 236 
 
 grafting, 236 
 
 to soften, 331 
 
 to whiten, 331 
 
 Skinning birds, 1 76 
 
536 
 
 Skinning muskrats, 189 
 
 otter, 190 
 
 Skins of animals, composition of, 192 
 
 coloring and dyeing, 192 
 
 curing, 193 
 
 dressing and tanning, 192 
 
 preservatives for, 193 
 
 stretching, 193 
 
 Skunks, to trap, 193 
 
 Skunk skins, to deoidorize, 193 
 Slate dye, 358 
 Slates, artificial, 505 
 Sleep for farmers, 130 
 
 for infants, 237 
 
 position in, 237 
 
 Sleeping together, 237 
 Sleeplessness, 236 
 Sloan's ointment, 107 
 Slugs and snails, 145 
 
 upon wheat, 150 
 
 Small pox, 233 
 
 darkness in treating, 503 
 
 pitting in, 234 
 
 Smoke in furnaces, 471 
 
 stains in marble, 160 
 
 Smoked hams, 302 
 
 Smoking chimneys, to remedy, 26 
 Smut in wheat, 145 
 Snake bites, 12 
 
 ; — bitten cattle, 89 
 
 Snails, 145 
 
 Snares for trapping, 193 
 
 Snipes, roasted, 60 
 
 to shoot, 193 
 
 Snow, apple, 41 
 Snuff, catarrh, 83 
 
 cephalic, 68, 83 
 
 Soap, arsenical, 193 
 
 home made, 319 
 
 ■ making, 312 to 323 
 Soapsuds bubbles, 506 
 
 clearing, 358 
 
 Soda cakes, 60 
 Softening of the brain, 211 
 Soft corns, 215 
 
 ■ soap, 321 
 
 Solder for brass or copper, 438 
 • common, 438 
 
 hard, 438 
 
 ^—^— silver, 438 
 
 ■ soft, 438 
 
 wire of, 446 
 
 Soldering castings, 407 
 
 ferrules, 438 
 
 Soluble glass, 394 to 396 
 
 -^— in paintmg, 263 
 
 Solutions, fixing, 291 
 
 of silk, 291 
 
 Soothing syrup, 84 
 
 Sore mouth in cattle, 89 
 
 — ^— — nipples, 232 
 
 Sores (old), red precipitate for, 77 
 
 Sorghum culture, 145 
 
 vinegar, 382 
 
 Sorrel, to remove, 146 
 Soundness of timber, 147 
 Soup, asparagus, 42 
 
 Boyd's, 60 
 
 — — — coloring for, 60 
 
 ■ gumbo, 70 
 
 oyster, 57 
 
 stock for, 60 
 
 tablets, 506 
 
 tomatoe, 62 
 
 vegetable, 60 
 
 Sour beer, 366 
 Spasms, remedy for, 237 
 Spaulding's glue, 39 
 Spavin, 109 
 
 cure for, no 
 
 Spawn of fish, to handle, 180 
 Specific for dyscntry, 83 
 Specula, polishing powder for, 438 
 Spermaceti candles, 314 
 
 ■ soap, 321 
 Spiders in gardens, 132 
 
 Spinal affections, linament for, 74 
 Spiritus vini gallici, 75 
 Spitting of blood, 209 
 Spleen, inflammation of, 237 
 Splinters, to extract, 237 
 Splint ia horses, no 
 
 INDEX. 
 
 Splint in mule, no 
 Sponge, to bleach, 83 
 
 cake, 47, to 
 
 paper, 506 
 
 tent, to prepare, 83 
 
 Spots (grease), to remove, 163 
 on silk, 163 
 
 Sprain, 237 
 Sprained ankle, 208 
 Sprain in horses, no 
 Springs of iron wire, 438 
 
 (trap), to temper, 43S 
 
 Squash, to cook, 61 
 culture, 146 
 
 Squeaking boots, 152 
 Squinting, 238 
 Squirrels, to manage, 173 
 
 skins, to tan, 194 
 
 to trap, 193 
 
 Stable on fire, horses in, 15 
 manure, 136 
 
 Stables for horses, 105 
 Stacks (hay), to ventilate, 134 
 Staggers in horses, no 
 Stain (black), for wood, 263 
 
 blue, 263 
 
 cherry, 263 
 
 ebony, 263 
 
 for floors, 264 
 
 purple, 263 
 
 red, 263 
 
 rosewood, 263 
 
 yellow, 264 
 
 Stains on floors, 155 
 
 (ink), on books, 151, 158 
 
 — — — on ivory, ij8 
 
 of iodine, to remove, 73 
 
 of nitrate of silver, 163 
 
 on paper, 161 
 
 Staining glass, 393, 396 
 
 pigments for, 495 
 
 Stair carpets, 153 
 Stammering, to cure, 506 
 Starch, alum in, 358 
 
 flour, 358 
 
 from frosted potatoes, 506 
 
 glue, 359 
 
 gum Arabic, 358 
 
 to improve, 359 
 
 lustre, 359 
 
 polish, 359 
 
 Starching, clear, 358 
 St. Croix rum, 376 
 Steam boilers, 441 
 
 engines, care of, 506 
 
 pipes, cement for, 35 
 
 Stearine candles, 314 
 
 Steel articles, bluing, 404 
 to preserve from rust, 163 
 
 Bessemer's process of making, 
 
 to color blue, 440 
 
 to distinguish from iron, 439 
 
 dye, 359 
 
 goods, to preserve, 441 
 
 Heaton's process of making,439 
 
 lozenges, 75 
 
 to plate, 432 
 
 to remove bluing from, 440 
 
 to remove rust from, 163 
 
 to restore when burnt, 440 
 
 scaling, 440 
 
 Siemen's, 440 
 
 tempering, 440 
 
 ^—^-- to toughen, 440 
 Steers, to break, 96 
 
 jumping fences, 94 
 
 Stereoscopic pictures, 291 
 
 transparencies, 291 
 
 Stewed meats, 55 
 
 oysters, 57 
 
 pigeon, 59 
 
 veal, 62 
 
 Stiffjoints, see Dr. Kitredge's reme- 
 dy, 69 
 Stifle stepping, no 
 Stings of bees and wasps, 19 
 Stomach acid, 238 
 
 bitters, 366 
 
 inflammation of, 238 
 
 putrid belching of wind from, 
 
 »ee charcoal of wood, 67 
 
 Stone, artificial, 30, 507 
 
 coating for wood, 31 
 
 cement for, 36 
 
 facades, to clean, 507 
 
 preserving surface of, 30 
 
 varnish, 268 
 
 ware, to manufacture, 508 
 
 Stones, to remove paint from, 490 
 Stopper (glass), to remove, 163 
 Stoves, blacking, 163 
 
 cement for, 36 
 
 to keep from rust, 508 
 
 to mend cracks in, 508 
 
 Stramonium, antidote for, 18 
 
 ointment, 77 
 
 Strangles in horses, no 
 Strawberry, cordial, 374 
 
 culture, 146 
 
 ice cream, 53 
 
 jam, 303 
 
 plants, 146 
 
 vinegar, 381 
 
 wine, 388 
 
 Straw bonnets, to bleach, 359 
 
 to clean, 359 
 
 to dye, 359 
 
 to varnish, 359 
 
 color, 359 
 
 hats, to whiten, 360 
 
 Street pavements, 493 
 Strictures, 238 
 Strengthening plaster, 80 
 Stretches in sheep, 96 
 citrychina, antidote for, 17 
 Stucco white wash, 270 
 Stuffiing birds, 176 
 
 for turkeys, 62 
 
 Stump machine, to make, 146 
 Stumps, to remove, 146 
 St. Vitus dance, 238 
 Stye in eye, 221 
 Styptic plaster, 80 
 Subsoiling, 146 
 Suet dumplings, 60 
 to keep, 310 
 
 Suffocation from noxious gasses, 19 
 Sugar, to clarify, 60 
 
 - for candies, 68 
 
 of lead, antidote for, 18 
 
 to make, 147 
 
 (majile), to make, 138 
 
 refining, 508 
 
 vinegar, 382 
 
 Suit (working), for farmers, 338 
 Sulphate of zinc, antidote for, 18 
 Sulphur, to detect in coal gas, 69 
 
 flexible, 508 
 
 casting in, 434 
 
 for mildew, 140 
 
 Sulphurated hydrogen, 308 
 
 soap, 321 
 
 Sulphurous acid, to make, 508 
 Summer drinks, 377 
 
 squash, to cook, 60 
 
 suits, to wash, 360 
 
 Sunburn, 236, 332 
 Sunflower, its value, 147 
 Sunprinting on fruits, 131 
 Sunstroke, ip, 238 
 Superfluous hair, 329 
 Supperation, gargle to promote, 7a 
 Surgeons adhesive cloth, 63 
 Swarming of bees, 20 
 ^— ^ artificial, 20 
 to prevent, 21 
 
 Swarms going to the woods, 21 
 Sweating, profuse, 239 
 
 to produce, 239 
 seebu 
 
 mrdock, 66 
 Sweeney, no 
 Sweet fern, 83 
 
 — ^— potatoes, to raise, 143 
 to store, 309 
 
 Swelling of legs of horses, 106 
 
 white, 239 
 : of, . 
 
 Swimming, art of, 308 
 Sympathetic inks, 203 
 Syrup, blackberry, 295, 377 
 
 cathartic, 66 
 
 cough, 84 
 
 currant, 298 
 
 to color, 377 
 
INDEX. 
 
 537 
 
 S>Tup for consumptives, 84 
 
 hive, 84 
 
 ■ lemon, 377 
 — — of phosphate of iron, 508 
 
 — — of iron and lime, 508 
 
 — — —— of iron and quinine, 
 
 508 
 —— — — of magnesia, 508 
 
 ■ ' - raspberry, 378 
 
 ' sarsaparilla, 378 
 
 — — soda, .178 
 
 soothing, 84 
 
 • stillingia compound, 84 
 
 — — of lar, 84, 509 
 vanilla, 378 
 
 Syrups for mineral waters, 84 
 
 Tables, to remove marks from, 163 
 
 Taifee, 61 
 
 Tallow candles, 314 
 
 to clarify, 321 
 
 to harden, 321 
 
 Taming horses, preparation for, no 
 I and training horses, no 
 
 young canaries, 169 
 
 Tan bark, 194 
 
 to remove, 332 
 
 Tannin, purification of, 85 
 Tanning bufiklo skins, 179 
 ——— chemistry of, 194 
 ——^ curriers size for, 195 
 
 ■ paste for, 195 
 
 skirting for, 195 
 
 furs, 192 
 
 leather, 187 
 
 muskrat skins, 191 
 
 operatioa of, 194 
 
 sheep skins, 191 
 
 skins, 192 
 
 I without bark or mirteral as- 
 tringents, 194 
 
 without the wool Or hair, 194 
 
 squirrel skins, 194 
 
 in vacuo, 508 
 
 Tapeworm, 232 
 
 see sweet fern, 85 
 
 Tapioca paper, 291 
 
 pudding, 6i 
 
 Tapping maple trees, 138 
 Tartar emetic, antidote for, 18 
 Tar, to remove, 163 
 
 - SJTUp of, 84, 509 
 
 varnish, 268 
 
 Taste of new wood, 164 
 Tea, beef, 43, 61 
 how to make, 61 
 
 febrifuge, 71 
 
 kettles, to clean, 163 
 
 to prevent rust in, 61 
 
 substitute for, 61 
 
 Tears of the widow of malabar, 378 
 Teeth, to beautify, 332 
 
 care of, 332 
 
 cements for, 509 
 
 elixers for, 70 
 
 and gums, wash for, 332 
 
 Telescope metal, 430 
 Tempcnng brass, 404 
 
 earthenware, 155 
 
 liquid, 441 
 
 new iron ware, 161 
 
 new ovens, 161 
 
 '■ steel, 440 
 
 trap springs, 197 
 
 Tender feet, 222 
 
 Tendons in horses, contracted, xii 
 
 Tepid bath, 209 
 
 Test for pure water, 163 
 
 -^— — for soap, 321 
 
 paper, new, 509 
 
 Testing by blowpipe, 441 
 Tetter, 239 
 
 crusted, 240 
 
 humid, 239 
 
 Thatch roofs, 30 
 Theorem painting, 248 
 Thistle, Canada, 147 
 Thoriey's food for cattle, 91 
 Thomapple, antidote for, 18 
 Throat, loreign bodies in, 19 
 —— (inflamed), gargle for, 72 
 
 Throat, sore, 240 
 
 liniment for, 74 
 
 Thrushes, 173 
 
 Thrush in horses, in 
 
 Thunder storm, safety during, 18 
 
 Tic-dolorcux, 240 
 
 Tickrting ink, 206 
 
 Tiers argent, 441 
 
 Tight ring, to remove, 23s 
 
 Timber, to test soundness o^ 147 
 
 when to cut, 147 
 
 why it should be painted, 264 
 
 Tincture of cantharidies, 85 
 
 colcra, 85 
 
 of ginger, 473 
 
 gout, 85 
 
 of rhubarb, 85 
 
 of musk, 85 
 
 of opium, 85 
 
 of pearls, 85 
 
 for the teeth, 85 
 
 Tin cans, size of sheet from i to 100 
 
 gals., 442 
 to clean, 163 
 
 to crystallize, 441 
 
 gold lacquer for, 442 
 
 muriate of, 442 
 
 pans, to mend, 163 
 
 paste for labeling on, 492 
 
 plate, crj-stallized, 441 
 
 roofs, 29 
 
 ware, to mend, 442 
 
 Tinning, 441 
 
 cast-iron, 442 
 
 cold, 442 
 
 iron, 428 
 
 Tinting photographs, 292 
 Tints, mixing, 264 
 Toads, 148 
 Toast water, i6r 
 Tobacco, antidote for, 18 
 
 to flavor, 509 
 
 Toe nails, ingrowing, 240 
 Toilet, the, 332 
 
 vinegar, 332 
 
 Tomatoc beer, 336 
 
 catsup, 61, 311 
 
 figs, 311 
 
 fritters, 61 
 
 marmalade, 61 
 
 pickles, 311 
 
 plants, to raise, 148 
 
 preserved, 311 
 
 pudding, 62 
 
 sauce, 311 
 
 soup, 62 
 
 wine, 388 
 
 Tomatoes, browned, '6x 
 
 canning, 310 
 
 to cultivate, 148 
 
 Tombac, red, 442 
 white, 442 
 
 Tonic bitters, 65 
 
 see chamomile, 67 
 
 Toning bath, 273 
 Tonquin musk soap, 321 
 Tootliache, 240 
 Tooth powders, 332 
 Tools, art of grinding, 81 
 
 to preser\e from rust, 31 
 
 varnish for, 443 
 
 Tortoise shell, to imitate, 509 
 
 manufacture of, 476 
 
 Toys, varnish for, 509 
 
 Tracing paper, 284. 492 
 
 Tracings, to photograph without a 
 
 camera, 509 
 Transfer ink, 206 
 
 paper, 284 
 
 Transferring to glass, 249 
 
 to wood, 249 
 
 Transfusion of blood, 209 
 Transparencies, to make, 249 
 
 sterescopic, 291 
 
 Transparent enamels, 467 
 
 paper, 492 
 
 soaps, 321 
 
 Transplanting, 147 
 
 rhubarb, 144 
 
 Transportation of vegetables, 148 
 Trap, dead fall, 196 
 
 farmers, 196 
 
 Trap, figure four, 197 
 
 quail, X97 
 
 sieve, 197 
 
 springs, to temper, 196 
 
 wild turkey, 197 
 
 Trappers, hints to. 195 
 Trapping foxes, 184 
 
 gophers, 185 
 
 hawks, 186 
 
 mink, 180 
 
 mockingbirds, 171 
 
 muskrats, i8g 
 
 otter, 189 
 
 owls, 186, 190 
 
 rabbits, 190 
 
 raccoons, 190 
 
 — — — season for, 195 
 skunks, 193 
 
 squirrels, 193 
 
 Traps, baiting, 196 
 
 setting, 195 
 
 Trays of paper mache, 202 
 Trees, average growth of, 510 
 
 oak, 148 
 
 (shade), best to plant, 148 
 
 ^—^— wounds in, 150 
 
 Tricks of horse dealers, 113 
 
 Trinchina, 240 
 
 Tripe, to pickle, 311 
 
 Trout breeding, 197 
 
 Tuba root, 510 ^ 
 
 Turkey, to bake, 62 
 
 ■ to choose, 62 
 
 charcoal for, 117 
 
 ■ to rear, 117 
 
 red dye, 355 
 
 stuffing for, 62 
 
 (wild), trap, 197 
 
 Turkish baths, 209 
 Turnip, to cook, 62 
 culture, 149 
 
 wine, 388 
 
 Turpentine for purifying purposes, 76 
 to remove, 163 
 
 varnish, 268 
 
 Typhoid fever, 224 
 
 Ulceration of the mouth, 231 
 Ultramarine, 264 
 
 artificial, 264 
 
 adulterated, 265 
 
 Umbrellas, 162 
 Unfermented bread, 44 
 wine, 388 
 
 Uninflammable dresses, 334 
 Ure's cement, 36 
 
 ink, 2o6 
 
 Urine, inability to hold, 241 
 
 incontinence of, 510 
 
 (scanty), see burdock, 66 
 
 stoppage of in horses, II3 
 
 suppression of, 241 
 
 Uterine hemorrhage, 227 
 
 Vaccine virus, to keep, 85 
 Vanilla, extract of, 71 
 
 pastilles, 492 
 
 syrup, 378 
 
 Vapor baths, 209 
 Varnish, amber, 266 
 
 anti-rust, 443 
 
 black, 266 
 
 for coal buckAs, 443 
 
 copal, 266 
 
 Japan, 266 
 
 blacking, 200 
 brushes, 266 
 cabinet makers', 266 
 camphor, 266 
 caoutchouc, 266 
 
 care of, 266 
 
 cheap, 266 
 
 coach makers', 267 
 
 - colorless, 267 
 
 copal, 267 
 
 crj'stal, 267 
 
 etching, 392 
 
 flexible, 267 
 
 for colored drxwiags, aja 
 
 for edge, 200 
 
538 
 
 INDEX. 
 
 Varnish for glass, 267 
 
 for harness, 475 
 
 for iron, 443 
 
 for paintings, 292 
 
 for prints, 510 
 
 for steel, 443 
 
 for shoes, 510 
 
 for tin, 442 
 
 (or tools, 443 
 
 for toys, 509 
 
 S'^ZC; 267 
 
 gold, 267, 443 
 
 green, 510 
 
 gum clastic, 267 
 
 impermeable, 267 
 
 India rubber, 267 
 
 Italian, 268 
 
 Japan, 268 
 
 lac, 268 
 
 mastic, 268 
 
 oak, 263 
 
 oil, 268 
 
 seedlac, 268 
 
 - shellac, 268, 
 
 stone, 268 
 
 tar, 268 
 
 to make, 265 
 
 to polish, 269 
 
 turpentine, 268 
 
 water-proof, 268 
 
 white copal, 268 
 
 china, 268 
 
 hard, 269 
 
 Varnished furniture, 471 
 Varnishing, 265 
 of paper, 510 
 
 walnut furniture, 510 
 
 Veal broth, 62 
 
 chops, breaded, 62 
 
 cutlets, broiled, 62 
 
 to roast, 62 
 
 sherbet, 62 
 
 stewed, 62 
 
 Vegetable cellar, 126 
 oysters, 63 
 
 soup, 60 
 
 Vegetables, to boil, 62 
 
 to cook for stock, 92 
 
 to free from insects, 62 
 
 to keep, 311 
 
 to take frost out of, S* 
 
 to transport, 148 
 
 pickle for, 311 
 
 Veils, to clean, 360 
 Vellum, to make, 197 
 Velpeau's black caustic, 67 
 Velvet ribbon, to iron, 337 
 
 to restore, 360 
 
 to take grease out of, 360 
 
 Veneering, 511 
 
 Veneered work, to polish, jit 
 Venereal complaints, see blue flag, 66 
 Venison, to roast, 63 
 
 steaks, broiled, 63 
 
 Ventilating hay stacks, 134 
 Ventilation, 512 
 
 of bedroom, 449 
 
 how to secure, 162 
 
 Ventriloquism, 512 
 Verbena, essence of, 71 
 Vermifuge, Fahnestock's, 85 
 
 Swain's, 85 
 
 Vermin on calves, 92 
 
 on hen roosts, 116 
 
 Vichy water, 86 
 
 Vinegar, aromatic toilet, 85 
 
 black currant, 380 
 
 camp, 380 
 
 cider, 380 
 
 cold water, 380 
 
 cowslip, 380 
 
 ■ dry portable, ,381 
 
 gooseberry, 381 
 
 honey, 380 
 
 horseradish, 380 
 
 perry, 381 
 
 . plant, 382 
 
 primrose, 381 
 
 raspbeiry, 38* 
 
 rhubarb, 381 
 
 -^^— sharpness and strength of, 382 
 ' sorghum, 382 
 
 Vinegar, strawberry, 381 
 
 sugar, 382 
 
 to make, 378 
 
 white wine, 382 
 
 Violet color, to make, 269 
 
 dye, 360 
 
 enamel, 467 
 
 ink, 206 
 
 Violets, essence of, 70 
 Visiting sick rooms, 236 
 Vitality of seed, to test, 145 
 Vomiting, 241 
 
 Wafers, Bryan's pulmonic, 86 
 Wagon hubs, to prevent the cracking 
 
 of in seasoning, 513 
 
 tires, to keep on the wheel, 513 
 
 Wagons, to grease, 149, 512 
 Walks (gravel), to make, 513 
 
 to keep weeds under on, 513 
 
 Wall paper, to extract grease from, 163 
 Walls (damp), remedy for, 163 
 Walnut catchup, 303, 311 
 
 to pickle, 311 
 
 to polish, 269 
 
 tree, 149 
 
 Warm baths, 209 
 Warts, 241 
 
 on cattle, 89 
 
 on cows teats, 91 
 
 on horses, 112 
 
 noses, 113 
 
 Washing (chemical), preparation, 513 
 
 dogs, 170 
 
 dishes, 155 
 
 fluids, 322, 360 
 
 graining, 156 
 
 hints on, 360 
 
 Wash ball, perfumed, 86, 322 
 for the hair, 73 
 
 Wasp stings, 19 
 Wasting in birds, 167 
 Waste silver, to recover, agi. 
 Watch, care of, 444, 445 -• 
 
 movements, to frost, 445 
 
 wheels, to put teeth into, 445 
 
 Watches, to clean, 443 
 Watchmakers' oil, 431 
 Water and fire-proof cement, 39 
 ■ brash, 241 
 
 Carlsbad, 86 
 
 cement, 32, 38 
 
 Cologne, 86 
 
 congress, 86 
 
 eye, 86 
 
 farcin in horses, 112 
 
 filter, 515 
 
 home made, 164 
 
 Florida, 86 
 
 for horses, 104 
 
 Goulard, 86 
 
 gruel. S3 
 
 (hard), to soften, 63 
 
 to improve, 514 
 
 honey, 86 
 
 Hungary, 86 
 
 Kissmgen, 86 
 
 lavender, 86 
 
 lime, 86 
 
 muddy, to clear, 163 
 
 pipes, to manage in winter 515 
 
 to mend, 515 
 
 to unite, 516 
 
 proof blacking, 199, 200 
 
 canvass. 454 
 
 composition for wood, 516 
 
 cloths, 333 
 
 for boots and shoes, 152 
 
 for porous cloth, 516 
 
 for soles of boots, ija 
 
 for tweeds, 516 
 
 glue, 39 
 
 paint, 269 
 
 paper, 516 
 
 packing paper, 516 
 
 varnish, 268 
 
 purification of, 163 
 
 rose, 86 
 
 supply for bees, 23 
 
 tanks, 515 
 
 testing, i6i 
 
 Water-tight clothing, 334 
 cellar floors, 516 
 
 to clear when muddy, 513 
 
 to determine whether it be 
 
 hard or soft, 514 
 
 to find, 513 
 
 to keep cool without ice, 515 
 
 to make cold, 63 
 
 to prevent becoming putrid, 
 
 514 . 
 
 to purify, 63 
 
 to purify when putrid, 513 
 
 Vichy, 86 
 
 Watering streets, chemical solution 
 
 for, 516 
 Wax, bottle, 40- 
 
 candles, 315 
 
 casting in, 454 
 
 grafting, 135 
 
 putty, 382 
 
 sealing. 40 
 
 Waxed paper, 492 
 Weather signs, 516 
 
 table. Dr. Adam Clark's, 517 
 
 Dr. Hershell's, 518 
 
 Weak back, 208 
 Wedding cake, 47 
 Weeds, to destroy, 149 
 
 in walks, 149, 313 
 
 Weight, relative, 502 
 Weights and measures, 164 
 Welding by pressure, 446 
 
 cast-iron, 407 
 
 ^— ^— steel, 446 
 
 copper, 446 
 
 metals, 445 
 
 powder, 446 
 
 Wells, to remove foul air from, 518 
 Wens, to cure, 242 
 
 on horses, 112 
 
 Whale oil soap, 322 
 Wheat, mildew in, 150 
 ■ rust in, 150 
 
 ■ seed, 145 
 
 slugs upon, 150 
 
 smut in, 143 
 
 Whiskey, Bourbon, 382 
 Irish, 382 
 
 Monongahela, 382 
 
 to neutralize, 383 
 
 Scotch, 302 
 
 Whitening ivory, 138 
 linen, 352 
 
 White china varnish, 268 
 copal varnish, 268 
 
 dye for silk, 361 
 
 for wool, 361 
 
 enamels, 467 
 
 hard varnish, 289 
 
 lead, antidote for, 18 
 
 to make, 269 
 
 to test, 482 
 
 paint, 269, 270 
 swelling, 239 
 wash, 270 
 
 stucco, 270 
 
 wa ihed walls, to paint, 270 
 
 Whites, 229 
 Whitlow, 242 
 Whooping cough, 216 
 Wicks for candles, 315 
 
 of kerosene lamps, 159 
 
 Wild cherry bark, 63 
 
 ducks, to roast, 63 
 
 turkey trap, 197 
 
 Willow bread, 40 
 Wind colic, 215 
 galls, 112 
 
 in horses, to improve, 113 
 
 Window blinds, 318 
 
 curtains, 155 
 
 g.irdening, 132 
 
 glass, 397 
 
 — ^ and sun light, 164 
 
 sashes ratteling, 36, 164 
 
 Windows, to clean, 164 
 Windsor soap, 322 
 Wine, apple, 383 
 
 apricot, 383 
 
 blackberry 384 
 
 buscuit, 46 
 
 cherry, 385 
 
Wine, cider, 385 
 
 coloring for, 385 
 
 currant, 385- 
 
 damson, 385 
 
 elder, 386 
 
 elderberry, 385 
 
 febrifuge, 71 
 
 ginger, 386 
 
 gooseberry, 386 
 
 grape, 386 
 
 home made, 386 
 
 lemon, 387 
 
 madeira, 387 
 
 making, 382 
 
 morella, 387 
 
 mulberry, 387 
 
 of iron, 73 
 
 of wild cherry bark, 518 
 
 parsnip, 387 
 
 port, 387 
 
 quince, 387 
 
 raisin, 387 
 
 raspberry, 387 
 
 rhubarb, 388 
 
 ropiness in, 388 
 
 sherry, 388 
 
 sour or sharp, 388 
 
 — — strawberry, 388 
 
 taste of cask in, 388 
 
 to cool, 385 
 
 to flavor, 388 
 
 to restore when flat, 386 
 
 to settle, 388 
 
 tomatoes, 388 
 
 to mellow, 388 
 
 turnip, 388 
 
 unfermented, 388 
 
 vinegar, 382 
 
 — ; (white), to convert into red, 388 
 
 Wintergreen, 86 
 Wintering bees, 23 
 
 INDEX. 
 
 Wire, brass, 404 
 
 of solder, 446 
 
 Witch, hazel, 86 
 
 Wood carving, to polish, »62 
 
 cement, ^53 
 
 composition for coating, 271 
 
 decay in, 31 
 
 to dye red, 271 
 
 (new), to remove taste from, 164 
 
 in paper, 492 
 
 to petrify, 518 
 
 to polish, 271 
 
 preservation of, 518 
 
 to prevent crackmg, 31 
 
 to prevent decay in, 518 
 
 pulp, to bleach, 519 
 
 to render incombustible, 31 
 
 Samuel's method of preserv- 
 ing, 31 
 
 to season, 519 
 
 stone coating for, 31 
 
 to split, 519 
 
 539 
 
 Wooden taps and faucets, 388 
 Wool, to bleach, 342 
 
 to clean, 361 
 
 on tanned pelts, to bleach, 179 
 
 Woolen articles, to clean, 361 
 hose, to wash, 349 
 
 Worcestershire sauce, 60, 311 
 Working butter, 123 
 
 suit for farmers, 338 
 
 Worm balls for horses, 96 
 currant, 150 
 
 (cut), on cabbages, 124 
 
 to destroy, 150 
 
 peach, 150 
 
 seed, 87 
 
 tape, 239 
 
 Worms, 242 
 
 see j)opIar and wild cherry 
 
 bark, 63 
 
 Worms, see santonine lozenges, 73 
 
 in dogs, 171 
 
 in horses, 112 
 
 Wounds in hordes, 112 
 
 : balsam for, 96 
 
 in trees, 150 
 
 to treat by ventilation, 242 
 
 Writing business letters, 519 
 
 on glass, 473 
 
 fluids, 202 
 
 for the press, 520 
 
 to make indelible, 519 
 
 ^——~ (new), to make look old, 3*0 
 
 (old), to copy, 520 
 
 to prevent alteration in, 319 
 
 to restore, 519 
 
 to take out, 161, 520 
 
 Wrought iron, to case harden, 447 
 
 Yam. Chinese, 150 
 Yeast for bread, 44 
 
 cake, 48 
 
 cakes, 63 
 
 to make, 63 
 
 poultice, 81 
 
 to preserve, 31a 
 
 Yellow dock root, 8a 
 
 dye, 361, 362 
 
 enamels, 467 
 
 fever, 224 
 
 ink, 207 
 
 paints, 271 
 
 stain, 364 
 
 Zinc paint, drying oil for, 252 
 
 preparation of, 271 
 
 painting, 271 
 
 water paint, 271 
 
ADVERTISEMENTS. 
 
 7 " ''Im^^JiL 
 
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 THE SCIENCE OF A NEW LIFE. 
 
 4 By JOHN COWAN, M. D. 
 
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 A Wife and Mother thus writes to the publishers : 
 * * * I can spend my time in no better way than canvassing for such a book. I have a copy 
 of it — have read and re-read it. O if I had only had it two years earlier, the tears it might 
 have saved me. Would that I could be an aid to put it into the hands of every man and woman 
 in the land. God will certainly bless you in your earnest endeavours to rescue mankind from 
 the depths of the darkness into which they have been plunged. 
 
 An Agent who has sold over a thousand Copies of the work writes : My opinion of the 
 book is — the world wants it, the present state of humanity demands it. Nor can the physical 
 and moral condition of the world be improved until humanity feels their need for this book. 
 
 A gentleman who for thirty years has been a minister and for 20 years a physican writes 
 thus : While recently over in Oregon, Iprovidentially saw for the first time a copy of your 
 valuable, because much needed work "The Science ofa New Life," I had not read an hour in 
 it until satisfied it was the book of all others this generation most needed. For thirty years I 
 have seen a need for this work, and have hoped someone of sufficient information, standing and 
 talent would produce it. I have purchased and read the Copy alluded to, and find it more than 
 meets my hignest expectation of moral and scientific worth. * * * * Wishing to be as useful to 
 my fellow creatures as possible, I have resolved to write out a few lectures from it, and deUver 
 them to the public as I travel through this territory. Of course I will give you credit for the 
 subject matter and recommend the work. 
 
 ^^ The careful reading of the following pages, will give a just idea of what merit 
 the book contains. 
 
 The ancients were ever longing and searching for an Elixir Vita;, the Water of Life, a 
 draft of which would enable them to live for ever. The pages of "The Science ofa New Life," 
 will furnish you a better elixir than the ancients ever dreamed of in their wildest flights of 
 imagination, for, though it will not enable you to live for ever, yet its pages contain information 
 that if heeded and obeyed, will endow you with such a measure of health, strength, purity of 
 body and mind and intense happiness as to make you the envied of mankind, a man among men, 
 a woman among women. 
 
THE SCIENCE OF A NEW LIFE, 
 
 By JOHN COWAN, M. D. 
 
 HINKING and reflecting persons must allow that we 
 as men and women are just as our parents made us. 
 That all our irregularities of mind .and disposition, 
 our infirmities of soul and body, have been trans- 
 mitted and bequeathed to us by those who gave us 
 birth; and that one of the objects in living on thig 
 earth is — in those who live rightly — to overcome th« 
 crooked and bad that we were endowed witli. 
 This being so, any information that throws light oa 
 this immensely important subject should be wel- 
 comed with unbounded delight. This "The Sci- 
 ence of a New Life" professes to do — in a plain, 
 understandable manner — with great earnestness of 
 purpose, with undoubted purity of motive, with a 
 spirit that breathes a reverence for God's greatest 
 handiwork — man, indicating how, by and through 
 the observance of given laws, a clean, sweet, healthy 
 and talented reproduction may result, and perfectioa 
 on this earth therefore be possible of attainment. 
 It also gives all necessary suggestions in the right 
 choosing of husbands and wives, so that harmony 
 and happiness will result, and discord and divorces 
 be avoided. 
 
 Especially does it advocate and encourage in man 
 and woman continence, purity of thought and asso- 
 ciation, and all that socially ennobles and elevates — ^leading the soul out of the filth and 
 slough of sensuality up into the charmed and lovable atmosphere that encircles those who 
 are chaste and pure in thought, word, and deed. 
 
 Altogether it aims in a systematic manner to cover the whole ground of human social life 
 bounded by the entrance into the marriage state and the birth of a new life — with the inter- 
 mediate results of wrong-doing, and their indications, causes, and remedies. 
 
 Some people look with distrust on all that concerns the intimate social relations of the 
 sexes, as knowledge that is dangerous and contaminating, that should be hid away in dark 
 corners, or entirely excommunicated, abolished, or destroyed. Such thoughts and desires 
 spring altogether from a wrong and misdirected education, instilling in the mind of the indi- 
 vidual views and opinions that are narrow, contracted and unfair. That a knowledge of the 
 whole of that part of human physiology that treats of the intimate social relations of the 
 sexes can injure or in any way degrade the thought, the mind, the body, or the soul of the 
 individual, would be a sad reflection on God's loving justice and mercy. 
 
 This book has most approvingly been noticed by divines of all denominations, physi- 
 cians, and by over three hundred of the most prominent and influential papers of the coun- 
 try. Some— only a very few^-of these notices, or rather short extracts from them will be 
 found on the pages following the Table of Contents, to which the reader is referred. These 
 notices do not include the scores of letters received from the PEOPLE, whose great sympa- 
 thetic hearts beat in response to the high aims and noble purposes inculcated in the book. 
 
 TABLE OF CONTENTS. 
 CHAPTER I. — Marriage and its Advantages. 
 
 Men who are unmarried— Reasons advanced for remaining single Marriage a natural condition of adult 
 
 life— ^The great desires and aims of life, how only toT>e secured through marriage Objects in Mar- 
 rying False objects How mistakes are made in choosing Should those afflicted with consump- 
 tion and pther diseases marry ? The great wrong done in this direction The true and only objects 
 
 in marrying, ........... 25—29 
 
 CHAPTER 11. — Age at which to Marrv. 
 How determined Puberty, how accelerated, how retarded The error in fixing the popular age for mar- 
 riage The true age at which to marry as determined by physiology Why children bom of early 
 
 marriages are undesirable The effect of early marriage on the woman On the man The result of 
 
 unions between persons of disproportionate ages Between old men and young women, . . 30—35 
 
 CHAPTER III.— The Law of Choice. 
 
 Its great importance It is as easily understood and as applicable as any other law that governs mind and 
 
 matter Mode of formmg matrimonial alliances among the Assyrians Chinese Moors Turki 
 
 Tartan— —Siberians The custom of purchasing wives Modern jnaniages analyzed Th« re- 
 
COWAN & COMPANY S CATALOGUE OF NEW BOOKS, 
 
 THE SCIENCE OF A NEW LIFE— Contknts Continued. 
 
 ery-day result The choosing a wiie and purchasing a farm compared -Wherein consists the difTer- 
 
 ence The great error made m choosing The only true mode Resulting in a harmonious and per- 
 fect love-imion Phrenology as a guide in choosing, ...... 3^—44 
 
 CHAPTER IV.— Love Anai-yzed. 
 
 Is love, as popularly used,~a requirement in choosing a wife or husband 7 — —Poets and novelists on love 
 
 The mistmess surrounding the true meaning of the word The mistakes made in its application.. 
 
 Characteristics of mock love Rationale of true love The definition of perfect sexual love Pa- 
 rental love Brotherly and sisterly love Love of God Reciprocity of thought and feeling as a re- 
 quirement in love Love at first sight Can perfect love exist ?- Health and purity of body as a re- 
 quirement to its existence Sickness aad filthy habits as a bar to its existence, . , ■ 45 — 50 
 
 CHAPTER v.— QuAUTiES the Man Should Avoid in Choosing. 
 
 Transmitted disease Hysterical women Small waists Why their possessors are incapable of making 
 
 good wives Natural waists, or no wives Why large men should not marry small women Igno- 
 rant and wrongly educated Strong-minded women Modern^ accomplishments, their utter usclessnes* 
 
 in married life Knowledge of household affairs a requisite in all women who marry Skin-deep 
 
 'beauty and true beauty compared Extravagance of dress and ornament False hair, false " forms, 
 
 etc. Women who are indolent and lazy Marriage of cousins, right or wrong T Extracts from the 
 
 •works of Drs. Carpenter and Voisin The author's^ opinion and advice on the subject Tempera- 
 ments Widows Divorced women Difference in religious faith Women who have a greater 
 
 ibndness for balls, parties and gossip, than for home associations Other qualities that are to be avoided 
 
 ■—How and when to see women to learn their characteristics Phrenology as a help— What should 
 
 te done on choosing and being accepted Advertising for a wife Argiunents favoring its use Mode 
 
 to proceed Objections considered, . . . . . . . . ^ 51—63 
 
 CHAPTER VI. — QuAUTiES the Woman Snoinj) Avoid in Choosing. 
 
 The feverish desire of women to get married Indications of the result Who responsible— —Perfect wom- 
 anhood should be reached before the thought of marriage is entertained Sickness and ill health in the 
 
 man Men possessing the disgusting habit of using tobacco, and the degrading one of using alcoholic 
 
 liquors, should be avoided Why ? An unsolved mystery Lustful and licentious men Are mod-' 
 
 erate drinkers desirable as husbands ? The "fast" man and "rake," and woman's shame in recognizing 
 
 such Fallen women, and woman's duty to such Effemitiate men Men having no visible means of 
 
 support Blood-relations Widowers Divorced men Irreligious and profane men Gamblers 
 
 Mean men Lazjr men Marrying strangers on short acquaintance Marrying for money or a 
 
 liome Woman, in being sought after, should appear only in her every-day character The importance 
 
 cf this as affecting her future welfare Should women be allowed to advertise for husbands ? Doubts 
 
 on the subject If attempted, how to avoid evil results -Failing an offer of marriage, what then ?-^— 
 
 " Old" maids Words of consolation and cheer to unmarried women, . . . 64—73 
 
 CHAPTER VII. — The Anatomy and Physiology ok Generation in Woman. 
 
 The importance of a knowledge of reproductive physiology in all who think of marrying The uterus 
 
 Ligaments Cavity of the uterus Structure Fallopian tubes Ovaries Their structure 
 
 Craffian follicles Ovum, or egg-^— Size and formation of human egg How it ripens and is thrown 
 
 off The corpus luteum The febrile excitement produced by the ripening of the Graffian vesicle and 
 
 escape of the egg The vagina Labia Hymen Menstruation When it first appears and 
 
 ■when it ceases ^^Its origin and nature Ovarian pregnancy Tubal pregnancy^— The mammary 
 
 glands Nipples The secretion of milk Colestrium, ..... 74 — 86 
 
 .,**r' CHAPTER VIII. — The Anatomy and Physiology of Generation in Man. 
 
 Prostate gland Cowper glands Testes Scrotum Structure of the testes Vasa recta Vasa 
 
 deferens Spermatic cord Vesiculse seminales Ejactilatory ducts Semen Its nature, how it 
 
 originates, and how perfected Spermatozoa Effect of first appearance of semen on boy Effect of 
 
 its re-absorption in the continent man The Law of Sex Is there a law governing the production of 
 
 children of different sexes at will ! Different theories on the subject The latest theory probably the 
 
 right one— Mode of procedure, as given by the discoverer, for parents to generate male or female childrea 
 at will, ............ 87 — 104 
 
 CHAPTER IX.— Amativeness — its Use and \buse. 
 
 The cerebellum— —Its two-fold nature Amativeness Its siie in proportion to rest of brain Its locatiom 
 
 The higher the organ of the brain, the greater the pleasure derived from its exercise The nervous 
 
 fluid Where originated The effect when largely drawn on by amativeness Sensuality Its uni- 
 
 ▼ersallty among all classes and all ages The effect on amative desires by the observance of right and 
 
 ■wrong dietetic nabits Causes of abnomtal amative desires in women The results of the abuse of am- 
 ativeness The effect on the nervous system The semen, capable of giving life, is, when reabsorbed, 
 
 capable of renewing life Promiscuous indulgence Risks incurred A sad case Hospital sights 
 
 Excessive indulgence between the married; The stave-life of the wife in this direction The re- 
 sults Amative excesses in those newly married No pure love where there is sexual excess Dis- 
 gust, not love, bom of thb great wrong Easily read signs of sexual excess in the man and woman 
 
 The great necessity for a reformation in this direction, ..... 105 — 120 
 
 CHAPTER X.— The Prevention of Conception. 
 
 The true reason of the desire for knowledge on this subject Mode adopted by the " Perfectionists" Its 
 
 difficulty of observance Its harmfulness The method advocated by latter-day physiologists, founded 
 
 on the theory of the monthly arrival at and departure from the womb of the ovum Wherein it fails 
 
 Intercourse during lactation>.^Uow it results in conception — —Other methods of conception, and the 
 
'COJVAN & COMPANY S CATALOGUE OF NEW BOOKS, 
 
 THE SCIENCE OF A KEW LIFE— Contents Continved. 
 
 harm they do The only true method of prevention as ordained by God The observance of whic)! 
 
 carries with it no bad after-effects, ........ Jai — laS 
 
 CHAPTER XI.— The Law of Continence. 
 
 Its great importance The prevailing ignorance on the subject Definition of the word continence How 
 
 often is the sexual act permissible between a man and wife living a pure and chaste life The only tru« 
 
 solution being God's divine law in this direction The only natural time for intercourse Anything dif- 
 fering from this carries with it sin and sickness Some objections to a conunent i fe considered Locke, 
 
 Is'ewton and Pitt, men who never married, and who were known to live conunent lives The elementary 
 
 differences between a life of licentiousness and a life of strict continence The true use of the reproduc- 
 tive element The difficulty in adopting and living a continent life Rules for guidance The reac- 
 tion produced by a sudden arrest of sexual excess and the use of alcoholic liquors compared and explained 
 
 Health not compatible with seminal emissions Plan of Life Tobacco Alcoholic liquors 
 
 Gluttony Food to be used and avoided Bread Dress Exercise Beds and sleeping rooms 
 
 Hours for rest and exercise Habits Employment Choice of companions Training of the 
 
 will-power Drugs and patent medicines— Quack doctors Cultivation of the religious senti- 
 ments, . . . . . . . . . . ^. . 139 — IJO 
 
 CHAPTER XII. — Children, their Desirabiuty. 
 An essential requisite in a perfect union that parental love be present The command to " increase and mul- 
 tiply" Why children are troublesome to rear 'ITie remedy Small families and no families among 
 
 the married on the increase Large families a thing of the past The cause lor the growing antipalhy 
 
 to have children Beauty and youth retained, if not acquired, by having children under right condv- 
 
 tions The loneliness and desolation of life -without children Ihe bearing and rearing of children a 
 
 glorious privilege The perfection of love and happiness that comes of generating bright and beautiful 
 
 children Abdon, Judge of Israel, with his forty sons and thirty grandchildren Increase of offspring 
 
 and overcrowded populations, . . . . . . , . . 131 — 154. 
 
 CHAPTER XIII — Thb Law of Genius. 
 Plainness and mediocrity among mankind the rule, and beauty and genius the exception The cause Ed- 
 ucational and benevolent institutions, in the elevation of humanity, of very small moment in comparison 
 
 ■with the pre-natal influence of the mother All the workings of this universe, from the smallest to the 
 
 greatest, governed by law In the production of offspring there too must be a law The law of chance 
 
 or accident the law observed by the mass of mankind Ihe great wrong done by the non-observance of 
 
 the law of reproduction The deformed, homely, and diseased The mediocre The world's great, 
 
 their appearance explained The immense importance of a right birthright on the future welfare of man- 
 kind Extending into etemitj* An imbecile or idiot here cannot bloom into a Shakespeare or Milton 
 
 in the next world A nature endowed by the parents with a licentious, gluttonous, wicked nature, will 
 
 not, on leaving this earth, take on the garments of purity, innocence and holiness The fundamental 
 
 principles of genius in reproduction Some obstacles to its observance Their remedies The re- 
 quirements in women whose desire it is to observe the law of genius in the production of bright and beau- 
 tiful children The requirements in men Three periods of transmitted influence Period of intro- 
 ductory preparation Period of gestatory influence Period of nursing influence The mother's in- 
 fluence durin» these periods The father's influence The time at which the ovum, or egg, is in its 
 
 iireshest and npest state, at which time it should be impregnated Husband and wife's duty during the 
 
 period of introductory preparation The principal requisites required to transmit desirable qualities to 
 
 the oflspring The quality of genius, or beauty, not necessary in the parents to enable them to transmit 
 
 these qualities to their offspring Definition of genius as given by Webster Talent always in demand, 
 
 jnediocrity always at a discount The pursuit of life for the child to be determined on before ccnceptioa 
 
 Farmers Farming the most desirable occupation in life Where they fail and how they fail 
 
 What they are and what they should be Other occupations Adam Smith on vegetarianism First 
 
 thing to be done in the observance of the season of introductory preparation The importance of a life 
 
 fcee from injurious and filthy habits during this period Order Truthfulness Reverence for God 
 
 Unity of plans and desires The introductory period one of intensity of thought and action Sup- 
 pose a plan of life be adopted for a male child, and a female appear What then ? Instruction by ex- 
 amples—- — The expense for educating the future child should commence with the introductory period of 
 
 ■preparation This law of genius can be adopted by the poorest as well as the richest- Is a necessity as 
 
 much to the laborer as to the diplomatist In transmission of genius, the parents do not require to know 
 
 so much as to trj-, to experiment The transrfiission of accessory qualities as guides and aids to the pie- 
 dominant faculty Religious sentiments Transmitted beauty of face and form Parents can as eas- 
 ily have beautiful children as they can homely ones Rules to be observed Examples Parents can 
 
 generate children of a cheerful, healthy, laughine nature as easily as they can the reverse The plan to 
 
 te followed easy of observance Importance of a life of strict chastity during these different periods of 
 
 pre-natal influence Feverish pursuit of money as a barrier to the observance of this law A father's 
 
 du-ect influence om the new life ends with the period of introductory preparation Importance of a close 
 
 «bseryaace by him Result of a imited observance of this law, , . . . 155— 17s 
 
 Part Second — ^The Consummation. 
 
 CHAPTER XIV.— The Conception of a New Life. 
 
 The proper season Best months Best time of day Light and darkness Light the source of life 
 
 Darkness the synonym of death The new life should be generated when the husband and wife are 
 
 at their perfection of physical and mental strength— The time of day this occurs— —The sleeping room 
 
COIVAN 6- COMPANY'S CATALOGUE OF NEW BOOKS. 
 
 THE SCIEN'CE OF A NEW LIFE— Contents Continued. 
 
 The morning exercise of the devotional sentiments Out-door exercise Purity of thoughts—— 
 
 The consummation, . . . . . . . . . . 176—180 
 
 CHAPTER XV. — The Physiology of Intra-Uterine Growth. 
 
 Growth of the egg after fecundation The remarkable change that takes place Segmentation of the vi- 
 
 tellusa— Blastodermic membrane External layer Internal layer Chorion Ovum at end of first 
 
 month Relation of the cord, placenta, membrane, etc Embryo, how nourished Placenta Foe- 
 tal circttlation Description of growth of ovum from tenth day to ninth month — Growth and develop- 
 ment of the face, ........... xSi 191 
 
 CHAPTER XVI. — ^Period of Gestative Infutence. 
 
 The fecundated egg— When the physical life commences When the soul life commences ^The medium 
 
 of communication between the soul and the body The medium of communication between the mother 
 
 and foetus 7'lhe first great requirement to be observed by the mother during this period The food to 
 
 be used at this time The only allowable drink Dyspepsia, how transmitted The importance ol 
 
 air and light Baths- — Sleep Habits of thought and action to be observed Period of gestative 
 
 influence to be divided into two sections The first four months^ the physical in the mother predomina- 
 ting The last five, the mental predominating Indisputable reasons why sexual congress should nol 
 
 take place between the husband and wife during this period Illustrations of the wonderful power of pre- 
 natal mfluence A young prodigy An engineer Woman's right to choose new paths of labor 
 
 Woman's mediocrity m her present alloted paths of labor How to be remedied Napoleon I The 
 
 poet Bums Why Scotland produces such a number of literary and scientific men Other illustrations 
 
 The result, when this law is slighted and disregarded Children with bad tempers Untruthful, 
 
 sickly, scrofulous, consumptive, homely, desire for tobacco Fondness for alcoholic liquors, licentious, 
 
 imbecile, idiotic, dishonest, revengeful Cases illustrating these facts The great responsibility parents 
 
 accept in generating new beings for eternity, .... . , 193—234 
 
 CHAPTER XVII.— Pregnanct, its Signs and Duration. 
 
 How originating a new life affects the nature of the mother Signs indicating that pregnancy has taken 
 
 place Failure in recurrence of the menses Morning sickness Salivation Mammary changes 
 
 Secretion of milk Enlargement of the abdomen Quickening Pregnancy may exist without 
 
 any of these signs Duration of pregnancy Viability of the child Plan to adopt to save life in a 
 
 birth at the seventh mopth, ......... 335—246 
 
 CHAPTER XVIIL— Disorders of Pregnancy. 
 
 Bearing of cMdren a natural process Why some women have easy, and others difHcult births'^— Underly- 
 ing cause of ill health during pregnancy Nausea and vomiting Longings Fainting Sleep- 
 lessness Costiveness Diarrhoea Piles PrurilUs Heartburn Toothache Headache 
 
 Palpitation of the heart Swelling of the feet and legs Pain in the breast Hysteria Irritation ' 
 
 of the bladder Jaundice Vomiting of blood Vaccination Salivation Abortion, or Mis- 
 carriage What it indicates Its frequency, how caused Effects oa the woman serious and lasting 
 
 -^Symptoms— -How to arrest How to prevent, .... • 247— 25s 
 
 CHAPTER XIX.— Confinement. 
 
 Mode of life to be adopted to insure an easy birth Clothing Food that will premattirely harden the bones 
 
 Food that will keep them in a cartilaginous state Prevention from suffering in parturition The 
 
 time when this particular kind of food should be used Baths a great help to easy child-birth^— Injec- 
 tions Pure air and sunlight Exercise Preparations for Confinement ^I'he presence of gos- 
 siping friends and neighbors undesirable Who should be present Commencement of labor First 
 
 indications How to proceed in case the accoucher fails to attend, . . . 256—263 
 
 CHAPTER XX. — Management of Mother and Child After Delivery. 
 
 Bemoval of soiled clothes Bathing How the abdominal bandage is useless What to substitute in its 
 
 place Visitors Ventilation of the lying-in chamber Mistakes in regard to diet at this time 
 
 The breasts Milk-fever Care of Nipples Management of child after birth Baths Dress 
 
 Exercise Nursing room Food Soothing syrups How often should a child be nursed When 
 
 should it be weaned, .......••• 264 — 373 
 
 CHAPTER XX. — ^Period of Nursing iKFLimNCE. 
 
 How the character of the chiJd is influenced by the mother during this period The great wrong done the 
 
 child when not nursed by the mother Maternal influence at this period greatly under-estimated Ef- 
 fect of the use of wrong food and drink by the mother on the health and character of the child Effect 
 
 of mental effort on the nursing child The mother can transmit desirable mental and physical qualities 
 
 to the child during this period— Full directions to this end, .... 379 288 
 
 Part Third — ^Wrongs Righted. 
 
 CHAPTER XXIL— F(ETiaDE. 
 
 Its extent A nation of murderers As prevalent in the country as in the ci»y— ^Proofs ^The crune a 
 
 murder, no more ; no less Arguments the perpetrators advance to shield their iniquity When life ^ 
 
 present in the embryo When the soul is present Classes of society in which the women are '°""<1 
 
 who practice ante-natal child-murder Church-members and professing Christians not exempt Ino 
 
 crime against the wife and child of an undcsired maternity— Who responsible ^Letters from women 
 
COWAN & COMPANTS CATALOGUE OF NEW BOOK^> 
 
 ■who have suffered, exposing the cause and its results in all their hideous deformity Results of forced 
 
 abortions on the body and soul of the mother Proportion who die The local effects Effects on the 
 
 children bom after Sterility a frequent result Beauty destroyed Old age hastened Remorse of 
 
 conscience The ever-present phantom of a great crime These undeveloped souls as witnesses in the 
 
 next world Advice offered, the observance pf which will result in less danger and harm to the mother 
 
 Effect on the child should the woman fail in accomplishing her desire Suggestions as to how tho 
 
 great crime is to be treated and prevented No forced abortions practiced by Roman Catholics Tho 
 
 duty of ministers and teachers Parting words to unmarried women, . . . 289 — 31s 
 
 CHAPTER XXIII.— Diseases PECin,iAR to Women, 
 Their cause and symptoms Directions for home-treatment and cure Why women are so universally com- 
 plaining A rich field for quacks and patent-medicine venders Absent menstruation Retained 
 
 menstruation Suppressed menstruation — —Chronic suppression Irregular menstruation Painful- 
 menstruation Profuse menstruation Vicarious menstruation Cessation of menstruation Chlo- 
 
 icsis Inflammation of the ovaries Inflammation of the uterus Chronic inflammation Ulcer- 
 ation of the uterus Tumor in the uterus Cancer of the uterus Corroding ulcer Cauliflower ex 
 
 crescence Displacement of the uterus Prolapsus uteri, or falling of the womb Retroversion of 
 
 the uterus— —Retroflexion Ante-version Leucorrhoca or " whites," . . . 311— J29 
 
 CHAPTER XXIV.— Diseases Peojuar to Men. 
 
 Their catse and symptoms, with directions for home-treatment and cure— ^Gonorrhoea and cure Gleet 
 
 Phymosis Paraphymosls Stricture of the urethra Swelled testicle Inflammation of the pros- 
 tate gland Inflammation of the bladder Vegetations The chancroid and chancre Buboes 
 
 Syphilis Diagnostic difference between the chancroid and chancre Involuntary nocturnal emissions 
 
 — Spermatozoa— —Miscellaneous disorders aflecting emission, erection and the semen, . 330^364 
 
 CHAPTER XXV.— Masturbation. 
 
 Its cause, results smd cure Its extent Its effects on the character and future prospects of the individual 
 
 Evidence from the superintendent of a lunatic asylum as to its prevalence Exciting and transmitted 
 
 causes Signs in the boy, girl or man, that he who runs may read Home-method of cure and restora- 
 tion to perfect manhood Requirements necessary to its prevention, , . 365 — 37s 
 
 CHAPTER XXVI.— Sterility and Impotence. 
 
 Cause, treatment and cure One of the first laws promulgated by the Almighty, " Increase and multiply" 
 
 ^— The incapacity to observe this law a source of life-long misery and unhappiness Sterility, in most 
 
 cases, susceptible of removal Two classes Violated physiological laws as causes How excess in 
 
 the newly married results in sterility Why a large proportion of the newly married have no desire for 
 
 children How sterility occurs after the birth of one or two children Inflammation of the uterus as a 
 
 cause General debility Prolapsus and obliquity of the womb as causes Imperforate hj'men 
 
 Stricture of the vagina Tumors Stricture of the neck of the uterus Obliteration of Fallopian 
 
 tubes Inflammation of ovaries Absence of uterus — -Congenital shortness of vagina- — Undevel- 
 oped ovaries Impotency in Man Lowering of the vital force by excess Masturbation Want 
 
 of sexual feeling Non-descent of the testicles Hernia Varicocele Stricture of the urethra 
 
 Obesity Abnormal condition of the erectile tissue A na.ura] phymosi s ' Temperament, 376 — 384 
 
 CHAPTER XXVII.— Subjects of which More Might de Said, .... 385—398 
 
 CHAPTER XXVIII.— A Happy Married Life— How Secured, . . , . .' 397— 4»o 
 
 Personal and newspaper notices. 
 
 \_From the IFomah's Advocate."] 
 The title cf this work suggests the idea of another life on this earth«plane of existence- 
 higher, holier, and purer in its aims, aspirations, and desires, and yet it does not suggest, 
 or even intimate, to the prospective reader the true character and nature of the volume ia 
 its mission before the world. To the actual reader the title is truly significant and appropri- 
 ate — as the writer so beautifully unfolds the Laws of Reproduction, by and through the ob- 
 servance of which the highest and purest type of humanity may be and is produced. The 
 regeneration of the race, through the laws of physiological and psychologiwl reproduction, 
 is the leading and perhaps the grandest thought of Dr, Cowan's work, 
 
COWAN &■ COMPANY'S CATALOGUE OF NEW BOOKS. 
 
 PERSONAL AND NEWSPAPER NOTICES. 
 
 [From Dr. Dio Lewis, of Boston, the well-known Author and Lecturer.'^ 
 
 Dr. Cowan — Dear Sir : I have read your work, "The Science of a New Life." I have 
 more than read it — 1 have studied, I have feasted upon it. 
 
 During the las t twenty years I have eagerly sought everything upon this most vital sub- 
 ject, but I have found nothing which approaches in simphcity, delicacy, earnestness and 
 power this work. On my OAvn account, and in behalf of the myriads to whom your incom- 
 parable book will carry hope and life, I thank you. 
 
 For years I have been gathering material for such a work. Constantly I have applica- 
 tions for the book, which years ago I promised the public. Now I shall most conscientiously 
 and joyfully send them to you. I am most respectfully yours, DIO LEWIS. 
 
 [Extract of a Letter from Robert Dale Owen to the Author. ] 
 
 I thank you much for the brave book you were so kind as to send me. The subjects 
 upon which it touches are among the most important of any connected with Social Science, 
 and the world is your debtor for the bold stand you have taken. 
 
 Yours smcerely, ROBERT DALE OWEN. 
 
 [From Rev. Octavius B. Frothingham, of New York. ] 
 
 I have read with care "The Science of a New Life." If a million of the married and 
 unmarried Avould do the same, they would learn many things of deepest import to their 
 welfare. 
 
 Not that I am prep)ared to give it my unqualified praise ; but the substance of the book 
 is excellent, its purpose high, its counsel noble, its spirit earnest, humane, and pure. I 
 trust it will have a very wide circulation. Sincerely yours, O. B. FROTHINGHAM. 
 
 [From W. Waite Warner, Editor of the Michigan State Register.'^ 
 
 I can hardly thank you sufficiently for your great goodness in sending me this magnificent 
 work, and I shall do my best to procure for you an active Agent in this State. I regard 
 " The Science of a New Life" as the ablest and best work of the kind "yet published, and 
 feel assured that it will do incalculable good in the world. Such a work has long been 
 needed, and I trust it will find earnest, thoughtful readers in every household in the land. 
 It deserocs a generous reception. Yours respectfully, W. WAITE WARNER. 
 
 [From Francis E. Abbott, Editor Index, Toledo.'^ 
 
 Dr. John Cowan's " Science of a New Life" is a work devoted to all that relates to mar- 
 riage and written in a style and spirit that command our unquahfied approbation. It is 
 plain, direct, and practical — ^yet permeated with so deep a reverence for the marriage rela- 
 tion, and so utter an abhorrence of what we are ashamed to call fashionable abominations, 
 that pruriency will be rebuked, and the love of purity heightened by its perusal. There 
 can be no question that physiological knowledge of this character is sorely needed by thou- 
 sands and thousands of people, whose innocent offspring must pay the penalty of their pa- 
 rents* ignorance or vice. To those who would put a really unexceptionable book on these 
 subjects in the hands of young persons approaching maturity, we can conscientiously recom- 
 mend this as one that will enhghten without debasing. 
 
 [From Rev. N f. Burton, of Hartford, Conn. ] 
 
 I have read Dr. Cowan's " Science of a New Life," dedicated by him to "all the mar- 
 ried, but particularly to those who contemplate marriage," and I think it is a decidedly 
 good book to circulate. The Doctor writes with the most downright plainness on the most 
 delicate matters, but with the most perfect purity, and with an evident intention to do good. 
 He inclines to be an extremist at points — as, for example, where he lays it down that no 
 woman should marry a man who uses tobacco ; but his exaggerations are always in the di- 
 rection of good morals and the noblest life, and I wish him any amount of success in circu- 
 lating his book« Truly yours, N. J. BURTON. 
 
 8 
 
COWAN a COMPANY'S CATALOGUE OF NEW BOOKS. 
 
 [From Rev. E. O. Ward, Presbyterian Minister, of Bethany, Pa. ] 
 
 " The Science of a New Life," by John Cowan, M.D., I consider well worthy of patron- 
 age, and cheerfully commend it to the confidence of my people, and hope it shall have a 
 very extensive circulation. Rev. E. O. WARD. 
 
 . \From Moore'' s Rural New- Yorker. ] 
 
 *'If ever the reformation of the world is to be accomplished — if ever the millennium of 
 purity, chastity, and intense happiness reaches this earth, it can only do so through rightly- 
 directed pre-natal laws." Such is the sentiment upon which this book is built up — a senti- 
 ment not admirably expressed, but admirable in its meaning. To a correct understanding 
 of the laws pre-natal and post-natal, as also to a more thorough comprehension of what 
 marriage should be, and what it should accomplish for mutual happiness, these four hun- 
 dred and five octavo pages by Dr. Cowan must greatly conduce. They are devoted to top- 
 ics concerning which no person arrived at years of thoughtfulness should be ignorant. They 
 treat of these topics in a plain, sensible manner, in language that none but a prude can ob- 
 ject to, and are apparently^vritten in no spirit of quackery, but for a worthy purpose. 
 Could the book be placed in the hands of every young person contemplating matrimony it 
 would assuredly do much good. 
 
 [From the Christian Advocate, New York.'\ 
 
 It IS a difficult as well as a delicate task to discuss in a proper manner the subject of re- 
 production of a new human life. This the author of this work has undertaken, going into 
 details of facts and philosophy, with constantly applied suggestions of a physiological, san- 
 itary and moral character. The method and execution of the work are quite unexception- 
 able, and many of its practical suggestions are certainly valuable. 
 
 \From the Round Table, New York. ] 
 
 The dedication of Dr. Cowan's book — " To all the Married, but particularly to those who 
 contemplate Marriage" sufficiently indicates its scope and purpose. It is an earnest plea for 
 temperance in all things, for the subjection of the senses to the spirit, for the rule of purity 
 and continence, especially in the relation of life which most people seem to enter only to 
 find a pretext for discarding both. * * * * if only for the earnestness with which it 
 denounces and condemns the atrocious practice of ante-natal infanticide, or the scarcely less 
 revolting indecencies of prevention, the legal prostitution of all sorts for which modern mar- 
 riage is made the flimsy veil, this book would be worthy of the praise of every pure-minded 
 man and woman ; but it calls for even higTier approbation by its recognition and emphatic 
 assertion of what to-day is so rarely recognized or admitted — the essential nobleness, purity 
 and holiness of the marital state. 
 
 \_From the Methodist Home youmal, Philadelphia, Pa. ] 
 
 This work is a clear, comprehensive, and yet concise treatment of laws which regulate hu- 
 man life, as well as those which pertain to the married relation. It is an evidently candid 
 attempt to popularize information on one of the most important subjects which come within 
 the range of human thought. The book is worthy an extended sale. 
 
 [From the Hartford Courant. ] 
 
 This work is very different from the works that are usually published on this subject. It 
 is a plain but chaste book, dealing with the physical problems which most concern all hu- 
 man beings in the spirit of science and humanity. What we all as society need is a better 
 understanding of physiology and the laws of health, so that men and women, knowing these 
 laws and their own constitutions, can live properly, in such physical estate as shall produce 
 the best mental state. This book is a very valuable contribution to that end. 
 
 '\_From the Scottish American, New Vorh.'] 
 
 This work is specially designed for married persons and those who contemplate marriage. 
 We agree with the author in beliex'ing that •' no person who exercises the unselfish and im- 
 partial of his or her nature can possibly read and reflect upon its contents without being im- 
 pressed, in a greater or smaller measure, with the jequirements so necessary in all that goes 
 
 9 
 
COWAN & COMPANY'S CATALOGUE OF NEW BOOKS. 
 
 to constitute life as God first planned it. " The work contains a large amount of informa- 
 tion, apart from theory, of the highest value to all who prize the blessing of " a sound mind 
 in a sound body." It is a work which may safely be placed in the hands of all married per- 
 sons, and all persons intending to marry, and their happiness would certainly be much in- 
 creased by observing the rules laid down by the author. The work is carefully printed firom 
 large type, on good paper, is well bound and beautifully illustrated, 
 
 [From the Revolution^ New York. ] 
 
 This is one of the handsomest volumes, as well as most elaborate treatises on its subject^ 
 that has for a long time appeared. To young families, or persons about entering the family 
 relation, it will prove a treasure. To parents, teachers, and all who have the training oi 
 children, it cannot be too highly recommended. 
 
 \jFrom the Banner of Ltgnf, Boston. ] 
 
 We welcome a publication of this sort with undisguised sincerity, thankful that the time 
 at last has come when fundamental and radical physiological truths may be told to the peo- 
 ple plainly. Had such books been placed in the hands of younger men two or three gener- 
 ations ago, their effect would have beea visible enough in the physical character and habits 
 of the men of to-day. 
 
 \_From the Lowell Daily Courier. ] 
 
 This is the only book of this character we have ever seen which seem to be imbued with 
 a conscientious spirit from beginning to end. Hundreds of books on love, marriage, and 
 the relations of the sexes, have been written to sell. Many of them have done infinite 
 harm, instead of remedying the evils they pretended to combat ; but nobody can practice on 
 the principles laid down by Dr. Cowan without being better and wiser. 
 
 [From the New York Albion. [ 
 
 " The Science of a New Life,'* by John Cowan, M.D., is a hygienic and social guide 
 which many men, whether married or single, will be the better for carefully perusing. * * * 
 It devotes a large space to matters more or less physiological in their character, and in so 
 doing treads upon somewhat delicate ground ; yet we have failed to detect anything which 
 might be regarded as inadmissible in a book intended for the instruction and to promote the 
 well-being of those into whose hands it may fall. It discusses the subjects on which it 
 treats in a refined and Christian spirit andXwith much good sense. 
 
 [From the Farmer, Bridgeport, Conn. ] 
 
 Upon no topic connected with our physical well-being does so much ignorance prevail, 
 and consequently abuse or wrong-doing, as upon those so fully treated of in this work. 
 The book snould have a wide circulation. The author has dedicated it to " all the married, 
 and particularly those who contemplate marriage." He should have dedicated it to '• all the 
 world, and the rest of mankind," for its expositions and teachings are important not only to 
 the married and those whocontemplate marriage, but to all, both of high degree and low 
 degree, civilized or savage." 
 
 [From the Register, South jfackson, Mich. J . 
 
 Books of this character can not be multiplied too rapidly, nor can the influence of such 
 works as this, in releasing men and women from the strong bonds of ignorance, vice, and 
 Cnme, be too highly estimated. The human race, we know, needs something stronger and 
 more powerful than the influence of a single volume, however good, to remove the many 
 evils of social and domestic life — ^line upon line, precept upon precept — a little here, and a 
 great deal more there, can alone accomplish the great work of reformation, and restore the 
 v/asted, sin-polluted lives of our fellow-beings to a condidon of moral purity ; but we must 
 admit that Dr. Cowaff has done all that any lover of his race can do to dieck the downward 
 course of the ignoraati thoughtless, wd sinful 
 
 10 
 
WHAT TO EAT, AND HOW TO COOK IT; 
 
 , WITH KULES FOE 
 
 Preserving, Canning, and Drying Fruits and Vegetables. 
 
 BY THE AUTHOR OF " THE SCIENCE OF A NEW LIFE." 
 
 There are scores of Cook-Books in the market, but it is a question if the ingredients and the mixtures and 
 combinations they offer as " receipes" do not, when used as food, result ia physical suffering, rather than in 
 health and vigor. 
 
 This book differs from that class of Cook-Books in that it aims to give, in a plain and understandable way. 
 the kind of food that it is best to eat in order to regain and sustain health and strength, and a mode of cooking 
 it that will make it at once palatable, nutritious and wholesome. Its contents, in part, are as follows : 
 
 Wheat and its Preparations 25 different methods of cooking. 
 
 Corn and Rye, and their Preparations 38 different methods of cooking. 
 
 Oats and its Preparations 7 different methods of cooking. 
 
 Buckwheat and its Preparations. 
 Barley and its Preparations. 
 
 Rice and its Preparations 10 methods of cooking. 
 
 Sago, Tapioca and Arrowroot, and their Preparations. 
 
 Potatoes and their Preparations 16 different methods of cooking. 
 
 Peas and Beans, and their Preparations 14 methods of cooking. 
 
 Turnips, Carrots, Parsnips and Artichokes, and their Preparations. 
 
 Onions, Leeks, Garlic, etc. and their Preparations. 
 
 Cabbage, Cauliflower, Spinach, Greens, etc., and their Preparations. 
 
 Apples, Pears, Quinces, Grapes, and their Preparations 60 ways of preparing and cooking.. 
 
 Raisins, Figs, Cucumbers, Melons, Pumpkins, Tomatoes, and their Preparations. 
 
 Pies How to make them healthfully. 
 
 Gravies and Sauces 12 different kinds, without grease or spices. 
 
 Food and Drink for the Sick with directions for making delicious Unfermented Wine. 
 
 Water giving directions whereby every house can have pure soft water. 
 
 Rules for Eating A very important chapter. 
 
 Objectionable Articles of Diet equally as important, and necessary for all to know. 
 
 Poisons in Daily Use exposing the different methods of adulterating food, and how to detect them. 
 
 Preserving, Canning, and Drying Fruits and Vegetables. 
 
 As will be seen, this book differs, in mode of arrangement and method of cooking food simply and health- 
 fully, from any Cook- Book heretofore published. 
 
 It gives 15 different recipes for making healthful, nutritious and palatable Bread, without the aid of either 
 yeast or baking powder. 
 
 It gives 16 different styles foAealthfuUy cooking Potatoes. 
 
 It gives 25 modes of making Biscuit, and 30 methods of making and cooking Puddings, without the use 
 of soda, grease, etc. 
 
 It gives 12 methods of cooking Apples. 
 
 Very important information is contained under the head of " Objectionable Articles of Diet," and it tells 
 all about Poisons in daily use, and how to detect them. 
 
 The article on " The Home Method of Preserving, Canning and Drying Fruits and Vegetables," is not 
 
 to be found in any other Cook-Book published, and is of itself well worth thrice the price asked for the book. 
 
 Finally, it is so arranged that, if a housekeeper has only one or two articles in the house to prepare a 
 
 meal with, she can find out by this book the best method of cooking such articles in a palatable, inviting and 
 
 healthful manner. 
 
 SiJT'If you wish to avoid sickness and live healthfully, by eating food cooked and prepared in a simple 
 and inviting manner, send for 
 
 WHAT TO EAT, AND HOW TO COOK IT. 
 
 lis pages. Price — Bound in Cloth, gilt sidcstamp, 50 cents ; in Paper, 30 cents. Mailed, on receipt 
 of price, by the Publishers, 
 
 COWAN & COMPANY, 
 139 Eighth Street, New York. 
 
COWAN & COMPANY'S CATALOGUE OF NEW BOOKS. 
 Two Valuable Hand-Books. 
 
 THE USE OF TOBACCO, 
 
 versus 
 
 PURITY, CHASTITY, AND SOUND 
 HEALTH. 
 
 TOBACCO, 
 How its use causes Baldness. 
 How it produces Dyspepsia and Indigestion. 
 How it decays the Teeth. 
 How it aflfects Hearing and Seeing. 
 How it results in Heart-Disease. 
 How it causes a fondness for Alcoholic Liquors. 
 How it weakens the memory. y 
 
 How (in boys and young men) it prevents a growth into 
 
 a perfect Manhood— dwarfing Heart and Intellect 
 
 Soul and Body. 
 Every young man who aspires to be somebody — 
 to make life a success, physically, mentally and mo- 
 rally—should send for, read, and be guided by the 
 councils contained in this book. 
 
 Mailed for 30 cents ; in cloth 50 cents. 
 
 INTEMPERANCE: 
 
 ITS FINANCIAL, PHYSICAL, MENTAL, 
 SOCIAL AND MORAL EVILS, 
 
 AND 
 
 ITS CAUSE AND REMEDY. 
 
 ALCOHOL, 
 
 How it weakens the Body. 
 
 How it depraves the Mind. 
 
 How it produces Poverty. 
 
 How the Taste is Transmitted. . 
 
 How the Taste is Acquired. 
 
 The effect of its use on the Young. ; 
 
 Its use at the Lord's Table 
 
 Its use by Physicians 
 
 What Eminent Men say of it. 
 
 How it drags down and degrades the body and soul of 
 
 j all who touch, taste and handle the accursed thing. 
 
 All whose desire it is to help stamp out the evil of 
 Intemperance, should possess and circulate this book. 
 Mailed for 30 Cents ; in cloth 50 cents. 
 
 Books for Phrenologists, 
 KNOW THYSELF 
 
 Is a handsomely printed little work of 32 pages, and is just the thing in size and matter for traveling 
 Phrenologists. It is furnished at $4 per 100 copies. Sample copies 10 cents. Phrenologists on using it, give it the 
 preferance over all other small charts, not alone for its low price, but for the arrangement of its contents and its 
 general appearance. 
 
 SELF-HELP 
 
 IN THE ATTAINMENT OF PERFECTION OF CHARACTER AND SUCCESS 
 
 IN LIFE ^ 
 
 By JOHN COWAN, M. D., 
 Author of '^The Science of a New Life" etc. 
 
 This is one of the best books of the kind ever published. It contains just the information required by all 
 whose desire it is to GROW UPWARD. Have you qualities of character that make your daily life miserable, 
 inharmonious, uncongenial ? "Self-Help" will suggest to you how they may be remedied. Have you tendencies 
 of mind that lead or tempt you to do wrong in any of the many relations you hold toward your fellow-man? 
 "Self-Help" by its suggestions will aid you into a purer morality. Are you at a loss to know what business it is 
 best for you to follow in order to secure success in life ? This book will furnish you with the elements necessary 
 to decide rightly and secure success. Are you unsuccessful in your business aims 1 This book will show you 
 the cause of your non-success, and furnish you the stepping-stones to the royal road of wealth, health, and happiness. 
 
 The location is given of all the mental organs, and their combinations, and is thus an excellent aid to the 
 study of Phrenology, as well as to the study of one's own self. 
 
 It has a table for recording developments, and practicing Phrenologists, will, on using the book, find that it 
 gives excellent satisfaction. 
 
 Bound in extra English Cloth, bevelled boards, gilt side stamp, 150 pages, over 40 illustrations, printed on 
 
 heavy tinted paper, from new types, Price $1. To Phrenologists bythe quantity at a large discount. Mailed on 
 
 receipt of price. 
 
 ADDRESS ALL ORDERS TO 
 
 COWAN & COMPANY, 
 REFORM Book Publishers, 139 Eighth Street, New York. 
 
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