The Portland daily press., 1875-03-29
THE FARM AND HOUSEHOLD.
Useful Recipes for the Shop, the House
hold and the Farm.

A strong solution of hyposulphite of soda
is said to be excellent for cleaning silver.
A teaspoonful of powdered borax dissolved
in quart of tepid water is good for cleaning
old black dresses of silk, cashmere or alpaca.
Butter will remove tar spots. Soap and
water will afterward take out the grease
stain.
Black shoes may be bronzed by a strong
solution of anilin red in alcohol.
Four parts borax and three parts EPSON
salts, mixed with three or four parts warm
water to one part OF the combined substan-
ces,is said to form an excellent fireproof wash
for clothes. 1t should be used Immediately
after preparation.
Flax-seed and tallow are used in Germany
as stuffing tor cushions. One part of tai
low to ten parts of fax-seed are employed,
the mobility of the creased seed rendering
the cushion very soft and pliable.
Gold bronze for furniture is a mixture of
copal varnish mixed with gold colored bronze
powder. The last is bisulphate of tin.
To prevent moths in carpets, wash the
floor before laying them, with spirits of tur-
pentine or benzne.
Straw mating should be washed with a
cloth dampened in salt water. Indian meal
sprnkled over it and thoroughly swept out
will also cleanse it finely.
In washing windows, narrow bladed
WOOueu hullS, pOlulCO, Will bdhC Out
the dust that hardens in the corners of the
SASH Dry whiting will polish the glass,
which should first be washed with weak
black tea mixed with little alcohol. Save
the ea-leaves for the purpose,
Gray marble hearths can be rubbed with
linseed oil. and no spots will show.
Sprigs OF wintergreen or ground ivy will
drive away red ants; branches of NORWOOD
will serve the same purpose for black ants.
Papering and painting are best done in
cold weather, especially the latter, for the
wood absorbs the oil of paint much more
than in warm weather; while in cold wealth
er the oil hardens on the outside, making a
coat which will protect the wood instead of
soaking into it. .
Never paper wall over old paper and
paste. Always scrape down thoroughly.
Old paper can be got off by dampening with
saleratus and water. Then go over all the
cracks of the wall with plaster of Paris, and
finally put on wash of weak solution of
carbolic acid. The best paste is made out of
rye -four, with two ounces of glue dissolved
in each quart of paste; half an ounce of
powdered borax improves the mixture.
An oaken color can be given to new pine
floors and tables by washing them in solu-
ton of copperas dissolved in strong I've, a
pound of the former to a gallon of the
latter. When dry this should be oiled, and
it will look well for year or two; then re
new the oiling.
Kerosene and powdered lime, whiting, or
wood ashes will scour tins with the least la
Dor.
Spots can be taken out of marble with
finely powdered pumice stone mixed with
yerilce. Cover the spots and allow the stuff
to remain for twelve hours, then rub clean,
dry and rinse.
Soapstone hearths are first washed in pure
water and then rubbed with powdered mar
BILE or soapstone, but on with piece of the
same stone.
Two ounces of common tobacco boiled in
a gallon of water is used by the Chatham
street dealers for renovating old clothes. The
stuff is rubbed on with a stiff brush. The
goods are nicely cleansed, and, strange to add,
no tobacco smell remains.
Never use wrought iron instead of steel,
simply because it is more easily worked and
cheaper than theIlatter; use brass instead of
gun metal in heavy machinery.
Shellac is the best cement for jet articles
Smoking the joint renders it black TO match.
Barrels for alcohol may be rendered per-
fectly tight by applying inside solution OF
one pound leather scraps and one ounce OK
alic acid in two pounds water, afterwards di-
luted with three pounds warm water. q
A solution of chloride of iron will remove
nitrate of silver stains from the hands.
Unslaked lime is excellent for cleaning
small steel articles, such as jewelry, buckles,
and the like.
Glass may be powdered to render it suita-
BILE for glass-paper, for filtering varnishes,
&C., by heating it red hot and then suddenly
plunging it in water.
To remove old paint, cover with wash OF
three parts quick stone lime, slaked water to
which one part pearlash is added. Allow the
coating to remain for sixteen hours, when
the paint may be easily scraped off.
Frosted glass, useful for screens, &C.. is
made by laying the sheets horizontally and
covering them with strong solution OF sui
plate of zi5c. The salt crystallizes on dry
ing.-Scientifc american.