News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1882-05-04
SUGGESTIONS FOR SPRING WORK.
Some Interesting Hints that are
Seasonable.

SeaSOnable.
Calcimining.-For plain white use
one pound white glue, twenty pounds
English whiting dissolve glue by boil
ing in about three pints of water; dis
! solve whiting with hot water; make the
consistency of thick batter then add
glue and one cup soft soap. Dissolve a
piece of alum the size of hens egg,
add and mix the whole thoroughly. Let
it cool before using. If too thick to
spread nicely add more water until it
spreads easily. For blue t1nts add five
cents worth Prussian blue and little
Venetian red for lavender. For peach
blow use red in white alone. The
above quantity is enough to cover four
ceilings sixteen feet square with two
coats, and will not rub off as the white
wash does made of lime.
To make soft soap.-For one barrel
of soap take thirty pounds of grease,
free from salt, rinds or bits of lean meat
and the lye from two barrels of good
ashes. Put little straw Qor drain)
and one quart of lime in the bottom of
each barrel pack in the ashes. Put
water on the leach and when the lye
begins to run have ready the soap barrel
where it is to stand. Then melt the
grease in little lye and pour it in the
barrel. Heat the lye and fill it full,
stirring frequently until cold. Always
have the kettle that is used in heating
the lye free from rust, or else the soap
will yellow white cloth. Soap made in
this way will be light-eolored, thick and
require but little labor in making. If
the lye is not strong enough to eat the
grease boil it awhile.
To make hard soap.-Pour four gal
Ions of boiling water over six pounds of
washing soda (sal soda) and hreepounds
of unslacked lime Stir the mixture
well, and let 1t settle until it is perfectly
clear. It is better to stand all night as
it takes some time for the sediment to
settle. When clear pour off carefully or
strain. Put six pounds of fat or grease
with it and boil for two hours, stirring
often. II it does not seem thin enough
put another gallon of water on the
grounds, stir and drain off; add as is
needed to the boiling mixture. Its
thickness can be tried by occasionally
cooling little on a plate. Stir in a
handful of salt just before taking it off
the fire. Have tub ready soaked, to
prevent sticking, pour it in, and let it
stand until solid; cut out in cakes,
long or square. This will make about
forty pounds of nice soap.
To wash fannels.-I wonder if house
keepers know that fannels should never
have soap put upon them or be
rubbed upon 8. board? A nice hot suds
should be made and the fannels should
be squeezed through it, rubbing the
dirtiest portions in the hand as lightly
as possible when the dirt is softened.
warm water, with little soap,
should be ready, into which dip the
fannels, shake up we'll, squeeze dry
as possible, shake well and hang out
to dry. Flannels should always be
washed on a fair day by the above
method and they will never shrink.
To remove stains from mattresses
Make thick paste by wetting starch
with cold water. Spread this on the
stain, first putting the mattress in the
sun; rub this off after an hour or SO,
and if the ticking is not clean, try the
process again.
To cleanse the inside of jars.
can be done in a few minutes by filling
up the jars with hot water (it need not |
be scalding hoD and then stirring in a
or more of baking soda. |
Shake well, then empty the jan at once,
and if any of the former odor remains |
about it, fill again with water and soda,
shake well, and rinse out in cold water. |
Screws inserted in plaster walls. The
best plan is to enlarge the hole to about |
twice the diamter of the screw, fill it |
with plaster of paris, and bed the screw
in the soft plaster. When the plaster |
has set, the screw will be held very
strongly.
How to polish brass The easiest
way to polish brass is to rub the metal
with rotten stone and sweet oil then
rub off with a piece of cotton flannel,
and polish with soft leather. A solu-
tion of oxalic acid rubbed over tarnished
brass soon removes the tarnish, render
ing the metal bright. The acid must
be washed off with water and the brass
rubbed with whiting and soft leather.
A mixture of muriatic acid and alum
dissolved in water, imperts golden
color to brass articles that are stepped
in it for few seconds. ETHEL MAY.