The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-11-04
The Time to Paint.
New England Farmer.

New England Farmer.
AS soon as the weather becomes cold enough
to make the flies and other winged insects keep
their wings closed, it will be good time to buy
lot of paint and paint the house and other farm
buildings Lead is low and oil lower than it has
been for many years, and probably lower than it
will be in a few months hence, if business starts
up, as many predict it will. For inside work in
colors. it may be we'll to use the mixed paints
now sold by all dealers These can be matched
at any time ard as they come prepared for rapid
drying, any one of ordinary skill and a little
practice can use them, but for plain, outside
work it will probably be cheaper to buy the
linseed oil, and lead or zinc, and mix to the
proper consistency. Paint not only makes
building look great deal better, and preserves
it from decay, but it renders it actually warmer
by stopping the hundreds of little openings be-
tween the clapboards or other covering material.
Even the winter is a good time for the farmer
to paint his own buildings. Much of the work
can be done by the ordinary intelligent help of
the farm, and, if hired by the year as farm help
should be, the cost will be much less than if the
job were let out to a professional 1t requires
little practice to draw window sashes neatly but
a neat person will soon learn. In extreme cold
weather paint the cold sides of the building in
the middle of mild days and the sunny sides can
be painted at any time. If the preservation of
the wood Is the main object, use plenty of oil.
but II looks Is of Importance there must be lead
or other material enough to give ''body" that
will cover well. For good residence we would
use only good material but for rough out build
ings something cheaper will answer. Mr.. j. J.
Thomas. of Union Springs, N. Y, is strong ad-
vocate of crude petroleum for saturating the
covering of all farm buildings including the
shingles on the roof He would apply it liber-
ally in two or three coats, and afterwards paint
with lead and oil for the looks Professor
Knapp, of the Iowa Agricultural College, has
experimental with petroleum and linseed oil in
the proportion of three parts of the former 20
one part of the latter, with the cheap mineral
paints for body and finds it not only very
cheap but durable, and otherwise satisfactory.
The tendency of the petroleum is to penetrate
the grain of the wood and thus give no room for
water to soak in, while the hnseed oil and min
eral paints form body that covers the surface
and gives uniform color. Lime wash. so often
recommended for out building, is a very good
fair-weather paint, but it is almost worthless for
keeping out water, besides building covered
with it always looks badly whenever it is wet
AS cheap as oils now, it is far better to use
some kind of oil for painting any outside work
that is worth painting at all. And while about
it, the farm wagons and carts ought to have one
or two good coats of paint spread over them dur
ing the winter In still weather, carriages may
be painted in the open air, though good, clean
airy room that can be kept free from dnst Is to
be preferred. 1t is good economy to use paint
freely and often and there is no better time to
use it than during the cold half of the year.