The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1891-06-10
HOUSEHOLD NOTES.
MRS $. a. NETTLES.

table takes lAlco l'a:u-iCAl I'ti!9, W.
off the handles, paint then! w~lte, in!i
white satin ribbon about them, and
overlap them III the form Of u clover
leaf, tack them together with white
silk, and get a carpenter to make you
a thir board, which must be just that
shape; paint it white, and take three
broomstick handles painted white,
cross them, wire them at the crossing,
and screw the wooden top to thcm;
upon this tack with small tacl;s the
three palm-lcaf fans, painting the
heads of tie tacks white that they
may not be seen. Tie White satin
bow where the sticks cross, and You
will have q very unique aid pretty
little table.
FLOWER NOTES For Dox-GARDGSs.-
a novel and very pleasing idea in
home decoration is to have a flower
pot bracket put up i'll tie hall some
where where tie light falls on it, and
to place thereon pot Of sally bloom
ing flowers, primroses, geraniuns, or
the yellow blossoming acacia. When
one enters from out of dccrs, this
makes lovely surprise and greeting.
Gardening is a delightful occupa-
ton for women, and now is the time
to pursue it. Tie smallest garden
may be made a spot of beauty by
proper management. If one has no
garden to speak of, make an outdoor
window garden, a balcony, or piazza
garden. Every house has one or
many points of vantage for this sort
of decoration, and the plainest house
will take on an air of beauty if so
treated.
Boxes for window gardens need to
be strong first, and neatly finished;
they may or may not be decorated;
they are best stained rather than pain
ted, as painting shuts up the pores
of tie wood. A dull parplish red,
or low dull yellow, OF cchre yellow,
are the best colors; II is not in good
taste to paint them green.
The window box, or the box for
any other position, should hold at
least six to eight inches deep OF soil.
Eight to ten inches wide is a good
size, and the length may be according
to space where it is used, though 1t
is well not to have these boxes too
long
A simple way to decorate these
boxes, where decoration is at all de
slrable, is to nail to the front and
ends oil-cloth of a striking and small
design in good colors, but simple
staining is just as desirable, because
the vines and plants soon cover their
eXteriors.
Mignonette, sweet alyssum, portu-
lacca, and phlox Drummondii are ex-
cellent to SOW i'll boxes having a
southern exposure Dwarf nastur-
tium vines make a charming showing,
as do also the delicate blue lobehas
Ageratum, gerauiums, oxalis, and
many plants familiar to all plant low
ers will suggest themselves.
Hanging baskets add greatly to the
charm Of wide, airy, or even narrow
piazzas and balconies or verandas
Where the exposure is much shaded
smilax, ivy-leaved geraniums, trades.
cantias and climbing ferns are lovely
for the edges, while caladiums, ferns
echeverias and marantas are all de-
sirable. e.-La8ies' World.
How TO TAKE CARE OF A Piano
With proper care and attention {
good piano should last a family
lifetime, says Charles H. Steinway
the piano manufacturer. II this *
not given it, the piano will in time
become harsh and "tin-pany," and
afford little satisfaction or delight tc
its owner Ordinary practice, wheth-
er by a child OF a grown-up person
will not iujure a piano in any way
1t is not necessary to be profession
al piano player, and to know exactly
with what force to strike the keys
in order to keep the instrument IN
good condition. OF course, it will
not be improved by humping the
case, OF by striking the keys with any
hard substance Neither does this
remark apply to schools and institu.
tons where playing is taught and
the instrument is used continuously
for ten or twelve hours every day.
In the latter case the felt portions
will wear out sooner than if it was
used in private family.
The matter of tuning should not
be neglected, and should never be
intrusted to any other than an expe-
rienced person. Incapable tuners
often work irreparable injury to the
most perfect and costly instruments.
During the first year new piano
should be tuned every three or four
months at least. After that, it will
only be necessary to have it tuned at
longer intervals
Dampness is the most dangerous
enemy the piano has to contend
against, and for this reason the eli
mate must be considered. II the IN
strument is placed i'll damp room,
or left open in { draft of air, the
result Will he that tie strings, tuning
pins and the various metal parts wall
become coated with rust, and the cloth
used in the construction of the keys
and action becomes swollen. It is
positively painful to play Oh such a
piano.-Erchnoge.
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