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Classic
Cook Books
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page 447
TO CLEAN ERMINE.--Rub with corn meal, renewing the meal as it becomes soiled.
TO PRESERVE STEEL PENS.--Steel pens are destroyed by corrosion from acid in the
ink. Put in the ink some nails or old steel pens, and the acid will exhaust
itself on them, and the pens in use will not corrode.
TO KEEP WALKS CLEAN.--Sprinkle with weak brine through a water-sprinkler, or
scatter salt along the walks.
MELTED SNOW--Produces one-eighth of its bulk in water.
GLUE. --Powdered chalk added to glue strenghthens it. Boil one pound glue with
two quarts skimmed milk, and it will resist the action of water.
PAINT.--New woodwork requires one pound of paint to the square yard, for three
coats.
TO MAKE OLD VARNISH DRY.--"Sticky" varnish may be dried by applying a coat of
benzine, and after two or three days apply a coat of good varnish, and let dry
thoroughly before using the furniture.
WHEN TO PAINT.--Oil-paint lasts longer when put on in autumn.
WHERE TO HITCH A HORSE.--In hitching a horse to a rail fence, always tie to the
inside corner; it is stronger, and the halter will not become entangled in the
rail-ends.
DIRTY COAT-COLLARS.--Apply benzine, and after an hour or more, when the grease
has become softened, rub it, or remove with soap-suds.
TO KEEP BUTTER FRESH. --Work until solid, make into rolls, take two gallons
water, one pint white sugar, one level table-spoonful saltpetre--make the brine
strong enough with salt to bear an egg; boil and skim. Let cool, pour over the
butter, and keep under brine with a weight. Butter will thus keep for a year as
sweet as when churned.--Mrs. Mary Weaver.
TO MAKE ARTIFICIAL BUTTER. --Render beef suet at a very low temperature, churn
it in fresh buttermilk and yolks of eggs, and treat like butter, when removed.
TIME TO CUT TIMBER.--Hard wood for timber or fire-wood should be cut in August,
September, or October. Hoop-poles should be cut before frost comes; cut at other
times, there is danger of worms.
VALUABLE CEMENT. --Two parts, by weight, of common pitch and one part gutta
percha, melted together in an iron vessel, makes a cement that holds together,
with wonderful tenacity, wood, stone, ivory, leather, porcelain, silk, woolen or
cotton. It is well adapted to aquariums.
FRUIT--Stains may be removed from the fingers in the following manner: Mix
together half an ounce of cream tartar and half an ounce of powdered salt of
sorrel; apply a solution of this to the fingers, and the stains will disappear.
Dilute sulphuric acid may be used, but care should be taken that none of it
touches any fabric, as the acid will destroy it.
TO MAKE BOOTS AND SHOES DURABLE.--Apply to the soles four or five successive
coats of gum-copal varnish; and to the uppers, a mixture of four parts of lard
to one of resin. Apply while warm.
TO PREVENT PUMPS FROM FREEZING.--Take out the lower valve in the fall, and drive
a tack under it, projecting in such a way that it can not quite close. The water
will then leak back into the well or cistern, while the working qualities of the
pump will not be damaged.
FRICTION MATCHES--Should never be left where mice will get them, as they carry
them to their nests, and sometimes ignite them. They are poison to children, and
are dangerous to women, who ignite them by stepping on them, and endangering
their clothing from fire.
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Classic
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