The McArthur enquirer. (M'arthur, Vinton County, Ohio) 1873-1884, 1873-03-12
SCIENTIFIC DEPARTMENT.

| MATERIAL FUN hOULDlNun'
According to Mr.. G. Euratori,
Of London, a compound Of al
um, glue, and sawdust offers a
convenient material for orna-
menting furniture or other
woodwork. 1t is easily moul-
ded, and by drying becomes so
hard that it readily takes a
high polish.
VARNIsH FOR BASKET WARE.
The following varnish for
basket-work is said to dry rap
idly, to possess sufficient elias
ticlty, and to be applicable
without admixture of color.
Heat 975 grains of good lin
seed oil on a sand-bath until it
becomes stringy, and a drop
placed upon a cold, inclined
surface does not run; then add
gradually 1900 grains copal
varnish. or any other oil var
nish. As considerable efferves-
cence takes place, a large yes
sci is necessary. The desired
consistency is given to it, when
cold, by addition of oil OF tur-
pentine.
WATER-pRooF PAsTEBoARD.-
One of the cheapest and most
efectual coverings to reuder
wood perfectly waterproof and
increase its durability, and
which will impart to pasteboard
the appearance and strength of.
wood, is that employed in
many ways by the Chinese,
according to tests made with
a sample sent from Pekin by
DR.. Scherzer, 1t may be pre-
pared, as a slightly viscid fluid
lit for immediate use, by STIR
ing into three parts of fresh
serum of blood (or defbrinated
blood) four parts of dry sIaked
lime and some alum. 1t should
be laid on twice, or at most
three times, in order to render
articles perfectly water proof
PRoPRIETY OF WASHING But
TER.-In reference to the prep
aration of good table butter, Dr.
Wilkens Pogarth remarks that
there is a rather common belief
that the process ofwashing but
ter Injuries its peculiar fine fla
vOr and renders it more perish
able. The former part of the
proposition DR.. Pogarth admits;
but thinking the use Of fresh
water Indispensable for remoy-
ing the milk and hardening the
butter, he recommends its ap-
plicatiOn directly in the churn,
avoiding working and knead-
ing by hand or spatula. But
ter which keeps well is made
in Holstein, by repeated salt
ing and heavy pressure, with
out the use Of water but it is
too salt to be considered fine
table butter.
REMOVAL OF Gun FROM SILK.
Formerly raw silk was boiled
in bags, in a solution of soap,
whereby its gloss was frequent
ly injured. Afterwards this
process was modified by expo
sing the silk to the action of
steam after having become inn
pregnated with Marseilles soap.
The removal Of the gum from
raw silk has since then been
still further simplifed, and re-
quires neither boiling nor steam
ing. The silk, suspended up
on sticks is moved about for
quarter Of an hour in a hot
bath containing a quarter of
pound of soap for every pound
of silk, and then treated in
the same way in a second
bath, containing only one-ffth
pound of soap for a pound of
silk. Simple as this proceed
ing is, it has nevertheless been
found successful in rendering
the silk soft, smooth, and of
higher gloss.
GRENADA, A New DrE-SruFr.
"A secondary product of the
manufacture Of fuchsine, en-
ploycd for sOme time in dying
woolen goods, under the name
of cerise, aniline, &c, has of
late contained impurities in the
form of insoluable foreign sub
ID