Evening star., 1946-10-22
SOAP MAKING.

For Mrs. n. l.. d., Alexandra. The
following soap recipe I thought came
from the RCH from which so many
good and helpful things flow. I have
tried the recipe and found the re-
suit very satisfactory myself.
Soap recipe: Four and a half
pounds clean strained grease, u
cup borax, " cup ammonia, 2 table
spoons white sugar, can lye. Empty
lye In one quart of cold water, add
borax, ammonia and sugar. Into
this slowly pour the grease which
should be warm, not hot Stir 10
minutes or until 1t is like a thick
cream. Stir with long spoon or
paddle SO the splashes will not burn
the hands Il think there is no danger
OF splashes if one exercises care)
Pour into shallow pans. When hard
enough to cut without running to-
gether cut into cakes. It will harden
and dry out so as to be perfectly
white. No matter how rancid the
grease the soap is fine.
from Miss r. M. M, Arlington.)
Homemade Soap: A few weeks
ago I had the same idea as Mrs.
H. L. D., Of Alexandria, namely,
that of making my own soap from
the waste fat I had saved. So I got
a ten-cent can of lye at the grocers
and made several medium sized
bars of good, thorough cleaning
soap. The directions are plainly
given on'the label of the can of lye.
Read the whole label for cautions
necessary in using this powerful
caustic. When care is used in fol-
lowing the directions, it is very
simple to make the soap.
had one pound of fat saved and
for this amount of melted, lukewarm
fat, it takes about two tablespoons
of lye, dissolved in about a cup and
a half of cold water. The lye will
make the water hot. Let the solu-
ton cool, then pour slowly into the
melted fat, stirring all the time
with long spoon or smooth stick.
Do not use aluminium containers,
either for the solution or for the
fat. I used a large glass bowl for
the mixture. Stir until it becomes
stiff and pasty, rather like thick
fudge, then pour Immediately into
an oblong or square pan. When 1t
hardens, cut with knife into de-
sired sized bars. My proportions
are not too exact, as the can con-
tains 13 ounces of lye, and is enough
for six pounds of fat. I scaled lye
and water down for one pound of
fat, and my soap is hard and last
ing, and is very satisfactory for
general washing, scrubbing and
even dish-washing. Do be careful
handling the lye and keep it
strictly out of children's reach.
X X x y
SNAILS.
(Fron1 A. B. w., Cleo Springs, Okla.)
My back yard tomato patch in
downtown Washington was infested
with snails. Some one carelessly
tossed a watermelon rind into it.
Next morning it was literally COW
cred with snails. I dropped it, snails
and all down the sewer. That night !
I put in another piece of the rind
which yielded catch of 4 or S
alails, which went the way of the
first; and that was the last of snails
in the garden.
A big green worm the size of my
foref1nger was sent on the same
journey few days later.
X X X
HAMBURG VEGETABLE SOUP.
from Mrs. r. H. r., Washington
Three-fourths to / pound ham
burg, 2 cups each canned tomato
and potato, 2 medium carrots or l
cup leftover cooked carrots, u cup
diced celery, l medium sized onion,
u cup rice or barley, ls teaspoon
pepper, 2 teaspoons salt, IL quarts
water. Put all ingredients in large
kettle, add water and simmer slowly
"a to / hour.
Thought this might come in handy
to some one
4 X 4
PARASITES ON PETUNIAS.
From H. H., Alexandria,
When I saw the letter from the
lady asking what to 90 Tor the Pc
tunias, to kill out the yellow plant,
which seems to like to attack them,
I sat on the edge of my chair to wait
for the answer.
Here it came, "Trace the plant
carefully down to the roots and pull
up the plant"
Surely the lady having the petun-
las and writing the letter would
have known that much, had it been
80 simple!
Patiently I waited, to see what
would happen-then another letter
from our friend with the petunias,
in which she explained that the
plant attacking her petunias, was
parasite and had no root, but she