The Russellville Democrat., 1881-03-31
HOME TOPICS.
Churning in Winter = \ Cheap Feather Duster-Hints about Water--About
 soldering-For the Kitchen.
cHuRNINe IN WINTER.

soldering-For the Kitchen.
 cHuRNING IN WINTER.
 J. C., on page 2, asks for information on churning iii winter. He seems to be troubled, as we have been this winter, ir having butter fail to come. In fact, VIC have been bothered more or less in the last six or seven years, but never com. pletely failed until this winter. Gun cream always churned well enough until we put the cows in the barnyard and began feeding. It made no difference 1 whether we fed good hay or eornstalks. We could get no butter out of the cream, and after trying every new plan we could hear of, and losing over one hundred pounds of butter, some one su gested the plan of scalding the milk. had very little faith that it wonld do any good, but thought l would try it. As soon as the milk was brought into the house, it was strained into tin vessels, set on the stove and scalded, not letting it get too hot It was then put into the cans and set in the creamer. The tenn perature of the cream was brought up to 72o at the time of churning, and we never have had to churn over thirty minutes after we scalded the milk The grain of the butter was as perfect, and the flavor as fine, as any we ever made at that time of year.-Countyy Gentteman
 A CHEAP FEATHER DusTER.
 A feather duster is an article, the con- venience of which every housewife ap- preciates, but it is often too expensive for many farmers to buy. For all such, some hints as to how duster of equal utility and durability to store one may be made at home from the feathers that | would otherwise go to waste, may be useful. If beauty is not sought, any round stick of the proper size, such as the end of a broom handle, will serve for the handle of the brush: if one hap pens to have an old duster handle, that can be used once more. With saw make series of grooves or deep notches in the lower end of the handle. By the aid of hammer the lower portion of each quill should be so flattened as to pass into the grooves. AS fast as feathers are put in they should be tied with strong twine; and as the work proceeds, l glue should be added. that the feathers may be the more firmly fastened. In | this way new rows of feathers, followed | by the twine and glue, may be added, until the end is completely covered and l the duster is of sufficient size, after which the finishing row of large feathers | selected for the purpose is placed around | the whole and tightly bound with twine | Outside of the base of this last row of 1 feathers, neat strip of leather may be glued to improve the appearance and render the feathers more secure. A brush thus made will serve all the pur- poses of purchased one, and if the work is carefully and thoroughly done, | it is neat in appearance.-Americdn Agri- calturist.
 1 HINTS ABOUT WATER.
 No water that has stood in open ves- sels during the night should be used for drinking or cooking. By exposure to the air it has lost its "eration," and has ab | sorbed many of the dust germs floating in the apartment
 If convenience requires water to be kept in vessels for several hours before use, it should be covered, unless the yes sells are tight. Wherever practical, all distributing reservoirs should be cover ed.
 Filtering always adds to the purity of the water. Drinking-water, should not 1 be taken from lakes or rivers on a low l level. Surface water, or water in lakes, pools or rivers, which receive the sur. face wash, should be avoided as much as possible. Do not drink much water at a time. More than two tumbleriuls should not be taken at a meal. Do not 1 drink between meals unless to quench | thirst an excess of water weakens the gastric juice and over-works the kidneys. | Excessive potations, whether of water or other fluid, relax the stomach, inn pair its secretions and paralyze its movements. Ky drinking little at a time all injury is avoided.
 ABOUT SOLDERING.
 Milk pans, pails, and many other uten- sils, will get leaky and need repairing. Bits of az and splinters of wood, etc, l give temporary amendment in certain cases; but the only permanent method is to use solder. A soldering "kit" con- sists of soldering iron of copper, weighing about twelve ounces; flat ten inch file, rather coarse; scraper, and a three-square file ground to three scrap ing edges for an inch from the point A bottle of soldering fluid will also be re- quired, and little rosin and some sal ammoniac. Last, and not least, few sticks of solder. Directions for solder ing: The iron" must first be timed, that is, covered with a thin coat of sol der. To do this, heat the iron somewhat above the melting point of solder. File one side of the beveled portion smooth, and touch it immediately with rosin and soldering fluid, and then with solder, and wipe smooth with rag. File and "tin " the remaining portion. When done the the surface should be completely covered with solder. Another way is to heat the iron nearly to redness and rub upon the salammoniac with solder in contact, then no filing will be necessary. This timing must be repeated whenever the thin coating of solder is removed by by over heating of the iron, which is quite likely to occur. Now to the work. Wherever it is desired to attach solder the parts must be clean. If the surface is not al- ready bright and clean, it must be made so by appropriate means. Here the scraper win generally be of use. Having scraped tho surface, apply with a stick some of the soldering fluid, or, instead of soldering fluid, some rosin to the parts to be soldered. Meanwhile the iron has been heating in the cook stove not too l hot, for then the solder is too fluid and you cannot pick up portion with the point of the iron, Take tho iron from tho fro, wipe with rag, or dip momen- tarily into weak solution of sal-ammo- niac. Touch the iron to the solder if she heat is right, small portion adheres, and is placed upon the spot where it will do the most good. (The tendency to use too much solder should be guarded