The Portland daily press., 1881-12-20

Household Receipts.
SODA FOR BuRNs.


All kinds of burns, including scalds and
sun burns, are almost Immediately relieved
by the application of solution OF soda TO
the burnt surface. II must be remembered
that dry soda will not do unless it is sur
rounded with cloth moist enough to dis
solve it The method of sprinklipg- it on
and covering with a wet cloth is often the
very best But it is sufficient to wash the
wound repeatedly with strong solution. 1t
would be well TO keep bottle of it always
on hand, made so strong that more or less
settles on the bottom. This is what is called
a saturated solution, and really such So
luton as this is formed when the dry soda
is sprinkled on and covered with a moisten-
ed cloth, 1t is thought by some that the pain
of burn is caused by the hardening OF the
albumen of the flesh, which presses on the
nerves. and that the soda dissolves the al
bumen and relieves the pressure. Others
think that the burn generates an acrid acid,
which the soda neutraizes.
rowAsH LACE EDGINGs.
Cover a smooth quart bottle with soft,
balf-worn sheeting, fastened evenly around.
Begin at the bottom and wind the lace about
it, basting fast at both edges, and being very
careful TO put the needle through each OF
the minute loops on the scalloped edge.
Soap il well and wash by patting it, then
if il was off the bottle Dip at last in water
containing little mucilage, and dry in the
sun. Clip and carefully pull out the basting
threads. and use without ironing. Ii neatly
has'ed on, il. will look nearly or quite as well
as new.
USE OF LEMONS.
For all people, in sickness or in healths
lemonade is a safe drink; it corrects bilious
ness: it is a specific against worms and skin
complaints. The p;pins, crushed, may also
be mixed with water and sugar and used as
driuk Lemon-juice is the best anti-scor-
butte remedy known. 1t not only cures the
disease, but prevents it. Sailors make a
daily use of it for this purpose A physi
clan suggests rubbing the gums daily with
lemon-iuice to keep them in health. The
hands and nails are also kept clean, white,
soft and supple by the daily use of lemon in
stead of soap. 1t also prevents chilblains.
Lemon used in intermittent fever is mixed
with strong, hot black tea or coffee, without
sugar Neuralgia may be cured by rubbing
the part affected with lemon. 1t is valu
able, also. to cure warts and to destroy dan
druff on the head by rubbing the roots of
the hair with it. In fact, its uses are mani
fold, and the more we employ 1t externally
the better we shall find ourselves.
How Lime Affects the Soil.
Lime is everywhere an essential of fer
tile soil, and is more extensively used where
agriculture occupies an advanced position,
than any other mineral substance. 1t is ap-
piled in variety of forms, as carbonate of
lime-lime rock-lime rock burned, and
the carbonc acid driven off, when it becomes
eaustic, but again absorbs this and moisture
from the air, or is Stacked also, in sulphate
of lime, existing in many rocks and earths; (;
marls; chalk, which is another form of car
Donate of lime, found chiefly in England;
magnesium limestone, the base of which
is lime with varying proportion of mag
nesia. In this country, only common lime,
plaster, and mari are of much interest
Lime can scarcely be applied judiciously to
any soil without advantage; but as under
VARYING circumstances its effects also vary,
care and experience are required in its ap-
plication; in other words, the quantity to be
used depends upon circumstances, and can
only be determined by experiment and prac-
tice.
Its mechanical action opens and renders
free, stiff clays. while it consolidiates sandy
soils. Chemically, it increases the fertility
of all soils in which it does not already
abound, especially of moist tenacious soils
that contain much inert vegetable matter.
1t improves the quality of the crop, increases
the effects of manure, and calls into action
fertilizing matters that are dormant,
changes the vegetation of the land by favor
ing the growth of some plants and killing
others--especially moss and sour grasses
bringing in their stead sweet and tender
herbage and clovers, and is an advantage to
different crops in variety of ways, which
1t is not necessary to specify. Water-slacked
lime is, on the whole, most useful. Air
Stacked lime, however, is best as top-dress-
ing TO meadows, as the other is too caustic.
Not long ago Prof. E. w. Hilgard, of Cal
1l1s 4 into
probation of soil analysis gives, among other
things, the following advantages resulting
from an adequate supply of lime in soils:
/. A more rapid transformation of vege
table matter into active humus which
manifests itself by dark or deep black tint
of the soil.
q The retention of such humus, against
the oxidizing influences of hot climates;
witness the high humus percentage of such
soils, as against all others, in the southern
States.
8. Whether through the medium of this
humus, or in a more direct manner, it rem
ders adequate for profitable culture percen-
tapes of phosphorie acid and potash so small
that, In the case of deficiency or absence of
lime, the soil is practically sterile.
4. It tends to secure the proper mainte-
nance of the conditions of nitrification,
whereby the inert nitrogen of the soil is rem
dered available.
8. 1t exerts most important physical ac-
ton on the focculation, and therefore on
the tillability of the soil, as heretofore shown
by Schlosing and by myself.
Prof. Hilgard adds that in the majority of
soils lexcepting those extremely sandy the
Iime percentage is greater in the subsoil
than in the surface soil. This is, doubtless,
he explains, the result of the easy solubility
of calcic carbonate in the soil water, which
carries it downward and thus tends to de-
plete the surface soil. This fact is strikingly
shown in the results of Loughridge's inyes-
tigation on the composition of the several
sediments. The efficacy of lime in preven-
ting ssrunning-to-weed' in fresh soils, and
in favoring the production of fruit, is con-
spicuously shown in number of cases.