Year: 1870

AMONG the Various kinds the "three-
stick kite" is probably the surest for the
beginner. Get three light, thin, straight
sticks, of cedar, pine or similar wood ;
smooth them, and let them be about half
an inch wide by an eighth thick; per-
haps little more Make two of them 30
| inches long, and the third 90 inches
Mark point 10 inches from the end of
each of the long sticks, and in the middle
of the short one; cross the three sticks At
these points, and tie them firmly with
twine. Cut notches lengthwise across the
ends of the sticks, and tie strong twine
from end to end, making the outline of
an irregular six. sided figure, OF which the
bottom may be 16 inches long; the sides
about 1917 the shoulders II, and the top
inches These numbers may vary ; it is
necessary only that the corresponding
sides should be exactly alike or the kite
will not be well balanced. This finishes
the frame.


Now lay down q sheet of strong, light
paper, place the frame upon it, and cut
| the paper about two inches larger than
the frame, all round. Fold the outside
over the strings, and paste down with
| good boiled -four paste, cutting out the
corners where they overlap.


The next thing is to hang the kite.
| Measure from each lower corner five
inches along the sticks; make small
| hole on each side of the stick through the
paper, and tie in the ends of string,
which shall measure, when tied, about IA
inches from stick TO stick. This is the
/ lower loop. In like manner tie an upper


loop, about inches long, to points about


8 inches from the upper end of the same


stick. Remember to have the loops on
| the face side of the kite; that Is, the side
on which the sticks are not seen. Join


the middles of the two loops by string


about 90 inches long; this is the belly


band. Hang the kite by the belly band
over your finger, and hold it so that when
one end of the kite touches the floor, the
other may be about foot above it; there
| is the place to tie the line, making it fast
so that it will not slip. When the kite
floats in the air, it should lie at an angle
! of about As degrees; if 1t stands too
straight the string is fastened too low on
the belly-band, if too flat, the string is
not low, enough.


The kite must have tail to balance it.
| If the tail is too heavy, the kite will not
raise it; if too light, as is usually the case,
the kite will not "stand" steadily, but will
| dive from side to side. Whenever 1t does
that, it should be taken in, and more
weight added to the tail. Cut pieces OF
writing paper, 4 inches wide and 6 or s
long; fold back and forth tan-like, and tie
8 inches apart, on a string until you have
made 8 or yards. Then cut quantity
of strips half an inch wide, and IL or IA
inches long tie the bunch of them by the
middle, fold the ends together and tie
again, making tassel, which you may tie
| to the end of the tail. If the strips are OF
colored tissue paper, all the gayer. Tie a
string about 20 inches long to the two
lower corners of the kite, and fssten the
tail to the middle of it. Choose smooth,
close, well spun string, linen is best-and
costs most-not too large, or its weight
will make it "sag," nor too small, or the
kite will fiy away with ii. Finally, don't
try to fly kite when the wind don't blow.


Now, just as each OF your good moth
ers think, she has a recipe for making
cookies, which she thinks is little better
than any other, so every boy who has
experience in kite making thinks his way
is rather the best, and, quite likely, he
may find fault with some of our proper
tions. If so he has perfect liberty to
change them to his likeing. Tie impor-
tant items are: the kite must be truly
made SO that one side may just balance
| the other; it must hang at the proper an
gle to the wind; and the tail must be
| rightly proportioned in weight to the


size of the kite.


If the kite don't behave well at first,


think which of these items has not been


carefully attended to, and correct. Don't


give up at the first triaL-1he Brigh'