Evening star., 1947-02-06

for them. Betsy Cas,CeH
directions given above. Dissolve 1
pound can of potash Qye) in IN
pints cold water. When cool, add
u cupful sugar and u small pack
age of fine white soap fakes. Stir
with wooden spoon or stick until
entirely dissolved. When cold, pour
into the clarified fat and stir for
about 10 minutes. 1t should run
like thick molasses from the spoon
when lifted up. Pour into a pan
which may or may not be lined with
cheesecloth or heavy paper. Il
always use heavy paper) Before
cold, mark off the cakes.
Follow the directions for either
methods with exactitude. The in
gradients will not mix If combined
while hot. Be extremely careful
when using the lye. It is powerful
and burns if it comes in contact with
the skin. Remove the cut cakes
from the pans with knife or
spatula. Any liquid in bottom of
pans is unabsorbed lye and would
burn the hands. Turn cakes up
side down on a wooden board until
thoroughly dry, should there be any
moisture on them. Homemade soap
is excellent. All who make it will
agree with me in this. Age not only
"ripens" and improves the soap, but
hardens it. Time hardened soap
lasts much longer than soap used
soon after 1t is made"
I always use an enamel or a
granite pan to mix the lye mixture.
The lye mixture gets very hot.
This soap Is excellent and since
May, 1882, we have only purchased
about four cakes Of laundry soap.
STAINS FROM CRIB SHEETS?
(Fron Mrs. r. L. H., Washington.)
Could some one tell me how to
remove stains from crib sheets? I
have soaked them in clorax over
night before washing and have
boiled them in clorax and the
stains remain.
HOUSE PLANTS;
" COMMENT.
from Mrs. C. G. r., Cheuy Chase.)
In answer to a recent query about
African violets (and I had pre-
sumed everything possible had al
ready been published in this column
on the subject) I would like to give
my experience over several years
with these beautiful plants. I have
several colors, two of which are
from my own propagation, ie., ver-
tical leaf cuttings. Il find peat moss
the best medium. for this, 1t holds
moisture so well) For plants, soil
should be made up of 3 parts garden
soil, 2 parts humus, l part sand.
Humas can be peat moss or very
we'll rotted manure, not the de-
hydrated kind) Add l tablespoon
bone meal to each gallon of this
mixture. Blooming period is No
vember to March. A plant not
blooming at this time will hardly
put forth any, or at least few,
blooms before next fall. They can
be in any window in the house
during this period but during re-
mainder of the year should be kept
out of direct sunlight. Keep pot in
deep saucer, and fill saucer with
very warm water once a day. Let
plant absorb all this in half the day
and do not rewater. Water on
leaves spots them.
There is very little difference in
color in several blues but diff
ference in leaf shape, texture and
marking. For instance, the flowers
of Blue Boy and Blue Girl are
alike to the casual observer but the
leaf Of Blue Girl is slightly serrated,
and has lgiht spot where broad
part of leaf joins stem. The leaves
of the wine colored plant, Red Head,
are long stemmed and evenly spaced
to form an almost fiat rosette Of a
plant: while the leaves Of Pink
Beauty are all jumbled together.
In my humble opinion the two
finest African violets are Blue Boy
Supreme and White Lady. One last
word: A warm room is desirable
but very warm water is the trick.
Cyclamens should. be kept in a
cool room where mey will have
full sunlight. Do not let dry out
at any time but do not keep too wet.
Regular watering from below with
tepid water is best. Their soil
should be made up of 8 parts garden
soil, / part humus (rotted manure
or peat moss and part sand. Add
/ tablespoon bone meal to each
gallon soil mixture.
When readers are submitting re-
cipe 1t would be kind If each writer
told what the 'trick" was i'm each
recipe. For instance, BE sure the
oven is very COOL" or, In candy ma
king, "This firm ball Of sirup should
be pretty hard" or In lemon chiffon
pie, Watch 1t every moment it Is
under the broiler fame" In many