The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1906-02-22
INFORMATION BUREAU.
Recipes for Baking Powder, Polishing
Stoves. Etc.

stoves, Etc.
Editor National Tribune: Would You
please publish through your columns
the United States Agricultural Depart
ment's formula for making baking pow
der? Also, give a good recipe for pol
ishing stoves, etc.-Fred w. Stebbins,
Garcoxie, Mo.
The Agricultural Department now de-
clines to give out any recipes for baking
powders, but all these are exceedingly
simple in composition and readily made.
The following formulas are all right,
and if they are carefully followed will
produce satisfactory results:
Baking Powder.-The figures are
based upon the tartaric acid selling by
the ton at Is cents a pound, cream of
tartar at 22a cents, acid phosphate of
lime at " cents, dried alum at 4 "
cents, starch at 2k cents and bicar-
Donate of soda at 3 Is cents. That these
powders should keep we'll, each ingre-
dent should first be thoroughly dried
by gentle heat. and then should be
kept securely closed in dry fruit-jars,
corked bottles or sealed cans
1. Tartaric acid, one pound; bicar-
Donate Of soda, one pound: starch
(powdered, one-half pound. Costs
about IL n cents pound.
2. Cream of tartar. two pounds; BIZ
carbonate Of soda. one pound; starch
fpowdered). three-quarters pound.
Costs about 1871 cents a pound.
3. Acid phosphate Of lime. one and a
half pounds; bicarhonate Of soda, one
pound; starch (powdered), one and a
quarter pounds Costs about four and
a quarter cents a pound.
4. Acid phosphate of lime, two
pounds; dried ammonia alum, two
pounds; bicarbonate Of soda. three
pounds; starch (powdered), five
pounds. Costs about four cents a pound.
5. Dried ammonia alum. one pound;
bfcarbonate of soda, one pound; starch
(powdered), one pound. Costs about
three and half cents a pound.
To the above cost should be added the
cost Of the containers and the time
consumed in doing the work. The in
gradients, all finely powdered, should
be first sifted separately, to get rid of
all Jumps. then the soda and starch
should be we'll mixed together, and
finally the acid ingredients should be
added. and all thoroughly incorporated,
either by rubbing together in a mortar
OF by sitting at least three times. Flour
can be used in place of starch, and is
considerably cheaper. A recipe is given
for each variety of baking powder The
amount of starch can be increased in
any of the recipes, the other ingredients
being left the same.
For Stove Blacking.-The following
formula gives a liquid stove backing:
1. Graphite in fine powder, one
pound: lampblack, one ounce; rosin,
four ounces; turpentine, one gallon.
This form may be esteemed a con-
vcnience by some. but the rosin will,
OF course, give rise to some disagree
able odOr on first heating the stove.
after the liquid is applied.
The mixture must be kept well shak-
en- while in USE. and must not be ap-
piled when there is fire or light near,
on account Of the inflammability of the
vapor.
The solid cakes of polish are said to
be made by subjecting the powdered
graphite, mixed with spirit OF turpen-
tine, to great pressure. 1t has to be re-
dueed to powder and mixed with water
before being applied.
Any of them has to be we'll rubbed
with brush after application to give
handsome polish.