Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1882-08-19
HOME MATTERS.
HINTS ABOUT FLOwERs-ABoUT FLY PoIsON-How
TO KEEP A LAwN-yARiOUs GOOD RECIPES.


Her and there is no need of having one in this
condition when a few cents and little time can
remedy the matter. IL bronze powder Is mixed
with copal yarnish it can be applied to the
chandelier and will make it look like new again.
About the proportion in which they should be
mixed, ask the druggist where you purchase
them.
To PURIFY ROONs AFTER SICKNESS the
furniture, woodwork. floor and walls (scraping
off the paper with the carb6lic solution and
soap. Then shut up tightly and burn in it a pound
of sulphur for every hundred cubic FEET of space
Ii contains, and allow the fumes to remain in the
closed room for "a hours Lastly open doors
and windows as to ventilate freely for a week.
at the end of which time dsinfectiOn may gem
orally be considered complete.
MARKTNG-IxK STAINs.-Cyanide of potassium
is the only thing that will remove marking ink
from linen. 1t may be procured at the chemists
If the rules for the purchase of pOsOns are CON-
piled with. Wet the stain with water then with
acamels-hair brush apply the solution of cyanide
of potassium. and. when the stain has disap
peared, rinse well in several waters. The highly
poisonous nature of cyanide of potassium rem
ders 1t Imperative that it should be used with
the utmost caution.
THE BEST WAY To DISISFECT-Boiling is the
surest way of disnfecting contaminated cloth
ing, or it may be baked in an oven heated to
about two hundred and forty degrees, Fahren-
helt After the disease is over the patient
should be kept isolated for about ten DAYS after
all the scabs fail off i'm smallpox or after des-
quamatiOn chat is .'peeling" of the skim is
complete in scarlet fever; for the last week of
his seclusion, daily baths. each containing one
ounce of strong carbolic acid. should be given
and every square inch of the body must be thus
carefully disinfected especially the scalp. as the
disease-poison is apt to lin9er among the
dandruff at the roots of the hair.
DOOp avn Dr,zz, Or ,~rv pitfor cu-oof
which grows wild over the stone walls of New
England roadsides, is a beautiful vine for deco
ration Its berries have the colOrs of the mas
turtium, which is another graceful door-plant
Plants set against walls and paZzas frequently
suffer from want of water at this season, when
even ground near them is quite wet. Draw
away the sell around each plant so as
to form basn fill in with a bucket
full of water, allowing it time to grad
ually soak away. and when the surface has
dried little draw in loosely the soil over it, and
it will do without water for some weeks. This
applies to all plants wanting water through the
season. In water is merely poured on the sur
face Ii Is made more compact by the weight of
water. and the harder the soil becomes the
easier 1t dries; and the result is, the more water
you give the more is wanted
WHATEVER THE ANNOYANCE OF FLIES in the
house, do not use fly poison This is sold under
the deceptive name of Cobalt" TO be mixed
to attract the flies. 1t kills the fies-but it
kills children also. We have known of two dis
tressing deaths from this cause. and it should
De generally known. that the powder sold I'M
der that name is not cobalt at ell. but is really
metallic arsenic, and a most deadly poison.
There should be severe penalty for selling
this most destructive agent under the
false name of cobalt" Do not use it.
either as cobalt or in the shape of fly
paper A dark paper is sold labeled fly
paper, with directions to put piece in plate
and keep it moist. This paper is impregnated
with the same deadly arsenic In Europe still
more dangerous fly-paper is sold. which has been
soaked in the deadly cyanide of potassium
Avoid them all The sticky fy-paper. which the
makers call Catch 'em Alive Oh is anv COM
mon paper upon which is spread a thick varnish
made by melting together resin and Inseed-ol;
It is not dangerous. and acts only mechanically
by cruelty holding the insects fast until they
die. Quassia is stated to be poisonous to flies; we
have not lad occasion to try ii. but have no
doubt OF its efficacy. strong tea made of this
eweetened with mOlasseS, may be exposed in
plates without fear OF danger. 1t is said that
strong green, tea. we'll sggeetened. acts as
poison to- flies. With regard to the destruction
OF the mosquitoes that may enter the house we
should be disposed to make a trial of the Per-
sian insect powder pyrethrum 4 small guam
tlfy OF this burned in the closed bedroom has
been found to destroy every mosquito. In
France. pastiles made of this powder are used
for this purpose. The same end may be accom-
plished by sprinkling some of the powder upon
few live Goals on a shovel or in any safe yes
sci. The powder is perfectly harmless to all but
insect Observation-Disclosures.
HINTS FOR GATHERING FLowERs-Specimens
should be gathered when possible, in fine
weather. Iftaken in wet weather, or if water
plants, the moisture should be shaken from
them, and they should be dried as much as pos
sible before putting to press. When the weather
is very warm. the yasculum "a tin box for col
iecting) may be lined with large leaves. and its
contents occasionally sprinkled with fresh
water This will generally keep the specimens
In good condition. As a rule specimens should
not exceed sixteen inches in length and the
entire plant, with its roots. should be pre-
served If you will examine q plant YOU
will find that often the lower leaves differ
very much from the upper leaves and
many times only by means of the lower leaf or
the one or two above it, is il possible to
tell the kind of plant. Therefore when the
plant is so large that ii is impossible or incOn-
venIent to save IL entire. you must preserve the
top or some of the branch leaves and the lower
part of the stem having the first or seed leaves
IL il Is not practical to retain all of the root
enough should be kept to show the nature of the
plant Specimens should always be either in
flower or fruit. In the herbs both will often be
found existing at the same time on a plant At
least two leaves of a fern should be preserved
otherwise the specimen is incomplete. Do not
mold specimens IN the hand any longer than is ne
"a
note of locality where collected on a slip of
paper and attach il 10 the specimen before put
ting into the yascuium. Plants should lie with
their roots together at one end of the box.
Alge (seaweed. etc. ) should be placed in wide
mouthed bottles. containing. If weeds. salt
water; otherwise. fresh water. The bottles
may be carried in a small basket. small
scOop-net attached to Il telescope handle will
often prove OF service in taking specimens from
the water or from pools between rocks. which
are otherwise inaccessible. The best time for
collecting alas.e is after storm but plenty will
always be found on the seashore early in the |
morning Drags and fishermens nets oft en-
contain choice and rare specimens -Aantonts
Field Botany.
A WELI-KEPT LAwS.-We have already suo-
gested that the use of the lawn-mOwer should
not be governed 10y any rule. such as .mow
once week, but by the condition of the grass.
In midsummer more injury may result from
moving too frequently than from cutting too
seldom. We would now call attention to the
weeds in the lawn. Weeds here as elsewhere
are annual or perennial. and they may be
undesirable grasses or other kinds of plants