The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1901-07-16
THE "DOTNG UP" OF A WHITE SHIRT.
A LESSON FuR the DAUGHTERS OF THE MOUSE.

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first with a piece of coarse flannel or
blanket, stitched smoothly On with
a piece of old sheeting over that.
The ironing blanket and sheet on the
table should also be smoothly spread
out and securely pinned under each
corner of the table.
MIXING THE STARCH.
Cold water starch should be mixed
in the proportion of one tablespoon
full of starch to a half-pint of water
four drops of spirits of turpentine
and as much borax as will lie on d
dime, dissolved in a tablespoonful
of boiling water. This quantity will
do up one shirt, or about four col
lars and two pairs of cuffs. A pint
of starch will do for three shirts.
The shirt must be perfectly dry
before beginning. If the cuffs are
joined to the sleeves, dip your fin
gers in a cup of cold water and
dampen the sleeve where it joins the
cuff, taking care not to wet the cuff
itself, to prevent starch spots COM
ing on it. Do the same thing again
all round the bosom, taking care
not to wet the stiff part, beginning
at the back of the collar. Then
sprinkle the calico party of the shirt
all over, and starch the front and
cuffs. Before dipping each, n at
a time, into the little bowl of starch,
stir it up we'll with the fingers, and
gather the cuff tightly up in the
hand so that only the part to be
stiffened touches the starch
Squeeze the liquid out and then rub
the cuff briskly with the hands to
insure the starch thoroughly per.
meating the linen repeat this be-
fore treating the front and the other
cuff in the same way. The collar
band, unless the collar itself is at
taohed to the shirt, should be only
half starched. The shirt must then
be rolled up tightly, with the
starched parts folded together, and
set at one side for an hour OF longer
if convenient.
USE CLEAN IRONS.
In ironing any starched thing, it
is of first Importance to have the
irons scrupulOusly clean, and &c
notice, eve when they are clean to
start with, whether there are not
little scOrched particles of starch ad-
herring to the surface, which should
be scraped off with a knife. There
are numerous ways of cleaning fiat
irons. Some people use bath brick
and olive oil, or a rag dipped in kero-
sene, or salt. The iron must be hot
without being hot enough to scorch !;
always try it first on the ironing
sheet before risking it on the gar
ment to be ironed. 1t is a little diff
cult for a beginner especially to
know when her irons are at the right
temperature. This difficulty is obvi
ated if one has d box iron, which is
cleaner and very nice for starched
things, or indeed for any kind of
ironing, as it retains the heat much
longer than a fiat iron. They gen
orally have a brass bottom and are
heated by e of heart shaped
pieces of iron which are put right
into the fire and heated red hot be-
fore being inclosed in the iron box
which opens by a sliding shutter in
the end of it in using them one is
not so liable to scorch things, which
is an e~ver-ready pitfall with starched
things, as it is necessary to have
your iron very hot before you can
do anything with it.
FIRST IRON THE BACK.
First iron the back of the shirt,
folding it double, then the limp
fronts and then the yokes on both
sides and then the sleeves. Have u
little damp cloth or rag to rub light.
| ly over the right and wrong side of