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The Cornell Reading-Courses 



warping; table tops, door panels, and the like would warp out of all 

 usefulness unless they were built up of two or more layers of wood 

 running in different directions and glued together, so that the tendency 

 of one large layer of wood to shrink in one direction is overcome by the 

 tendency of another layer to remain firm in that direction and to shrink in 

 the opposite direction. 



A large nimiber of the New England chairs and chests of drawers were 

 made of soft wood and were painted for preservation. These pieces may 



Bustun ruckur Windsor chair 



Fig. 26. — Two painted colonial chairs 



be sandpapered down and repainted, making appropriate bedroom fur- 

 niture with woodwork painted to match or to harmonize. 



Many old treasures have been pushed aside for newer and less worthy 

 furniture. Mahogany bureaus and tables have often become so deadened 

 by generations of varnish that the grain cannot be seen. This varnish 

 may be removed by applying wood alcohol or some good brand of varnish 

 remover, and using a putty knife. Every home-maker should make sure 

 that all worthy heirlooms are given an opportunity to remain useful and 

 beautiful as long as they can. 



Walnut fiuniture will never be valuable as a style for the reason that 

 it represents a period of poor design. Walnut is in itself a beautiful 



