The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1874-06-06
" hitewGsh.


One Of tie things for which Ameri-
can women, says the Technoiogist.
have passion for Is whitewash. Give
one of our thoroughgoing housekeepers
a pail of lime and a whitewash brush,
and she Will be happy as a boy with a
new benny trumpet and about as
great a nuisance. Everything Is white
washed, and it is impossible, for
m, ,,,l,, 90 10 uear FENCES, walls or any
thing within reach, without getting a
reminder Of those fearful days known
as housekeeping times. The worst of
it is that very few of cut American
women understand the art of white
washing If they did they might be
endurable, Just as the boy with the
trumpet might be endurable, If he had
a good instrument and knew how to use
it. In general they use quickime, sim
ply mixed with water, and laid on.
After time they get worried by the
constant anathemas hurled against
their whitewash, which does not stick
to the walls, and does stick to every
thing else. SO they mix Il little glue
with the whitewash, III the hope of glu-
ing it fast But the lime kills the glue,
and the whitewash IS as loose as ever.
Then they add paste, which is a slight
improvement, but in general they use
paste made of wheaton -four, which
contains much gluten, and is easily
acted upon by the lime, whereas III
countries where paste is used success
fully. the paste is made Of rice, either
ground into flour or boiled very soft,
and beaten until the grains are
thoroughly broken up. Various other
additions are recommended, such as
plaster of Paris, white vitrol, etc, all
of which serve a good purpose, but are
not entirely efficient
But the best whitewash contains no
quicklime at all. but is made of pure
whiting, which is a soft kind Of chalk,
ground very fine. washed SO as to sepa-
rate all the coarse and gritty particles,
and formed into Jumps i'll the process
of drying. Good whiting, beaten NJ
with water so as to form q milky liquid
free from Jumps, and mixed with a lit
tie good strong size, forms a whItewash
that cannot be rubbed Oft, and viii give
very brilliant white surface. This is
substantially the material known as cal
Gimme, something very old, but never
appreciated until it received a high
s,o,,,,dino. no,,,o w "-hitino used fol-
making this whitewash, or calcimine,
is sometimes called Spanish white,
Paris white. etc. They areall the same
thing. aud the only point is to select
the finest and whitest material offered
to YOU, and take it under any name the
vender chooses to sell it, provided he
does not ask too much for it, for It Is
only whiting after all. Some recipes
name sulphate of baryta, beautiful
white powder, as the only material fOl
making calcimine. 1t answers very
well. but Is not easily procured, and
more than half the time common whiting
is sold for it, The size for mixing with
the whiting is most easily prepared
from glue and as it is necessary that
the whitewash should be permanent,
and rs little liable to decay as possible,
we must select Il good article of glue.
Directions upon this point could not be
easily followed 10y housekeepers. Let
us, therefore. advise them to go to q
respectable dealer and buy the best
Professional artists in the science o1
calcimining generally use the cheapest
and most recipes direct the use OF {
cheap article, but it Will be found that
it is most judicious touSe the very best
The better the glue Is, the less liable 1
is to decay in damp weather, and thus
create disease Moreover, when 1T Il
rood, less of it is required, and the less
clue YOU use the purcrwlll be the colo
L.. y,
soak it in water over mght-not an,
longer. however, or 1T Will begin to de
cav. 1t will absorb water and swellup
but will not dissolve. Pour the waite
off. add a little fresh, and boil until 1
| forms a thin fluid. Beware of burnln;
| it. and to avoid this, the glue Is bes
melted in tin pail, set In an IRON 20
which contains some water. The whit
! inc having been mixed with boiling
water. as previously directed, the melt
ed clue is added, and the whole dilute
with hot water until it is of the con
sistence of ordinary whitewash.
quarter of a pound of good glue t
| eight pounds of whiting Is very goo
proportion. 1t should beapplled whll
hot with a common whitewash brust
Owing to the fact that IN damp place
clue easily decays and produces poE
onous vapor. calcimine should not b
used in damp easements and cellars
ANY color may be givento this matena
and in Europe many houses have til
walls finished with light shades of pin
or blue, instead Of paper, and the etfe'
is pleasing.
When walls have been prevloual
covered with successive coats OF con
mon whitewash it will be necessary
remove this or 3" kill the lime. Att'
taking off all that will come away b
scraping and washing, the wall shout
he washed with a solution of whit
vitriol-two ounces dissolved III a pa
If water This Will kill the lime
in other words the white vitriol will |
decomposed, and the wall will be eoatt
With a thin covering of plaster OF Par
and zinc white to which the Calcium
VII adhere very readily. If these pr
canfions be not taken the old whit
wash will very probably peel OFF. an,
Of . course, bring the calcimine with