50 ON THE WING. 



HOW TO CLEAN THE GUN. 



HAVE a tea-kettle of hot water ready on the 

 stove, a pail of cold water, a small pitcher with 

 a nose, some soft-soap in a dish, and the necessary 

 cleaning-rods and tow. Let your cleaning be done 

 out of doors, or in the barn or shed. Fill each of 

 your empty barrels nearly full of cold water, and, 

 after shaking it well several times, pour the water out, 

 and repeat the operation. This takes off the dirtiest 

 part, saves labor with the swab, and expedites the 

 cleaning. Now, putting into each barrel a teaspoonful 

 of soft soap, fill them both about half full of water ; 

 and with a swab of tow or brush of bristles, made for 

 the purpose (which can be got at the stores for 25 

 cents), swab them up and down briskly. The brush 

 being larger than the calibre of the barrel, works freely 

 on the sides of it, and soon fills it with soap-suds. 

 Pour in more water, and work lively ; then turn out 

 your suds on to the ground, and rinse with cold wa- 

 ter. Then, filling both barrels with clear cold water, 

 apply a tight-fitting swab of tow, ready prepared. 

 Work quickly, pour out and rinse again, fill up again, 

 and take a clean swab. In order to make the swab as 

 tight as possible, wet the tow before entering it into 

 the barrel. Generally leave the nipples open, and, as 

 the water works through, fill up again. If this time 



