The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1877-10-11
FARM, GARDEN AND HOUSEHOLD.
Household Hints.

ness and gloss.
To POLISH NICKEL PLATE. - -Scour
with pulverized borax; use hot water
and very little soap rinse in hot water,
and rub dry with clean cloth.
To CLEANSE JEwELRY.-Use hot water
and clean brush rub very little soap
on the brush, then dip it into powdered
borax and scour well (; rinse in hot water
and rub dry with clean towel. or cham
ois is better silver bangles are bright
ened in the same way.
GREASE SPoTs FROM CARPETS, First
have the carpet well swept, then with q
pail of hot water, containing table,
spoonful of powdered borax, scrub the
soiled or greasy spots well use clean
scrubbing brush and a very little soap ;
rinse we'll with clean hot water, and rub
as dry as possible with clean, dry
house-cloth then open the windows,
and let in the air to dry quickly.
To CLEAN STEEL ENGRAvINGs.-Plac
the engraving in shallow dish or tray /;
cover to the depth of one-half inch with
week solution of chloride of lime
(about teaspoonful to pint of spring
water) for about six hours pour off
carefully without touching the paper,
and dry in the sur afterward remove
the deposit carefully with a camePs hair
brush from the face of the picture.
To SET THE Color IN STOCKINGS
When washed for the first time, use q
little OK gall, (Which can be procured at
the druggist's) use it in the first water
only also have a teaspoonful of pow
dered borax to every pail of hot water ;
use very little soap after the first use
of OK gall, borax will ans er every pur-
pose; do not let the stockings remain
long in any water hang in the shade
to dry.
To CLEANSE THE WOODWORK AROUND
DooRs. Take pail of hot water put
in two tablespoonfuls of pulverized bo-
rax use good coarse house cloth-an
old coarse towel does splendidly-and
wash the painting; do not use brush ;
when washing places that are extra yell
low are stained, soap the cloth then
sprinkle it with the dry powdered borox,
and rub the places well, using plenty of
rinsing water by washing the wood
work in this way you will not remove
the paint, and the borax will soften and
make the hands white-a fact well worth
knowing. The uses of borax in domes-
tic economy are numerous and one of
the most valuable is it's employment to
aid the detergent properties of soap.
TESTING FLoUR.-The rise in the price
of bread caused by the declaration of
war by Russia against Turkey may lead
unprincipled men men to initiate the
adulteration Of flour practiced in foreign
countries. An easy method of detect
ing such adulteration, according to Je-
gel, is to mix the -four with chloroform.
The chloroform e1erts no chemical ac-
ton upon the -four but being specific
ally heavier than flour and lighter than
the earthly adulterants, the former floats
upon the chloroform and the adulterant
sinks. On shaking up sample of flour
in test tube of chloroform and allowing
it to settle, sediment will indicate adul-
teration. On decanting the turbid
liquor the sediment may be washed and
weighed, or tested quantitatively.
Saving Garden seed.
There are, of course, many kinds OF
seeds which farmer cannot grow to ad.
| vantage, and for which he must depend
ON seedsmen. There are many other
kinds which he can and should save, sc
as to be assured of their freshness and
terminating powers. AS earliness is @
point of great importance nowadays,
whether the vegetables be desired fol-
home consumption or market, only the
very earliest plants should be saved fol
seed, as well as the very finest. In to-
matoes, / have found material differ
ence in earliness from seed saved from
the first setting. | do not think it is o.
much importance whether the seed toma
toes are taken from the early patch OF
from the late patch, provided the frs
setting is taken. However, we generally
take from the early patches of ali kinds
of vegetables, so, if there is any advan
tage, we will be sure to get it.
In saving seed sweet corn it should bt
the practice to wholly reserve one o.
more rows of the earliest ripening, ant
when it has ripened, select only thu
finest ears. Too many are apt to taxi
for seed what is left in the patch afte
cutting, and the consequence is far NOR,
serious than is generally supposed. Th'
best seed is none too good. and thos'
who use only the best are most success
full, other things being equal. Will
potatoes, we have found, with both the
white or Irish and the sweet, that TIN
medium or small sized tubers produc
equally as well as the first or large size
and there is not so much waste, provided
of course, that they had ripened befor
being harvested. With sweet potatoe
it is especially desirable to use the sec
ond size, for they are worth less thai
the large ones, and they will, when pu
in the bed to be sprouted in the spring
produce far more "sprouts" for tn
same extent of bed room than will tn
larger ones.
In selecting beets, carrots, parsnips
turnips, ETC., for seed, choose only til
finest. Take the tops off carefully an
not too closely, so as to leave the crown
unimpaired or uniniured, and do not Gu
off any of the roots or rootlets. Pac
them away in the dark in the cellar,
sand, SO they will not dry out while il
winter quarters, and in the spring the
will be found in most excellent cond
ton, and should be planted out in som
rich, well-tilled spot just as soon as yo
possibly can when the ground is dr
enough. With cabbages. the very bes
and solidest heads, snd best-kept one
are selected aud put out in rich soil earl
in the spring. Onions intended for see
should be put out early and in ricl
loamy soil. In putting out vegetable
. intended for seed, remember that the
require rich, well-worked soil, and Ill
less this be supplied, the seed will neitl
) er be very plentiful or of extra quality.
A Cave Containing Millions of Bats
A San Antonio (Texas) correspondel