370 GARDEN GUIDE 



Paint 



The most economical and satisfactory black paint we have 

 ever used for ironwork was made by mixing about two quarts 

 of coal tar with a pint or a pint and a half of benzole, 

 which was laid on with a paint brush. This makes an excellent 

 varnish for rough work. It could not be recommended, however, 

 as a fine varnish for any inside work. Paint made of coal tar and 

 benzole will be found excellent for smearing the ironwork of farm 

 implements. As benzole is somewhat volatile, no more paint should 

 be prepared at one time than would be used immediately. Another 

 composition to blacken walls is made as follows: Boil well together 

 one gallon of coal tar to 2 pounds of pitch, add 5 pounds of sifted hot 

 lime. Apply it hot with brushes. Other cheap and durable 

 paints for woodwork are these: For wood underground: Take boiled 

 linseed oil, stir in pulverized charcoal to the consistency of paint. 

 Put a coat of this over the timber, and the exclusion of damp will be 

 perfect. Limewood posts have been taken up after having been set 

 seven years that were as sound when taken up as when first put into 

 the ground. Time and weather seemed to have no effect upon them. 

 The posts should be well seasoned before the oil and charcoal are ap- 

 pUed, and the paint should be thoroughly dry before they are put into 

 the ground. For outdoor woodwork, the best priming is simply whiting 

 mixed in pure raw linseed oil; let it stand until it is thoroughly mixed; 

 then reduce with oil, and add the drier sufficient to dry it. This makes a 

 good, hard, durable paint for the first coat. Reduce it to an ordinary 

 thickness for priming and apply with an ordinary brush. It must be 

 thoroughly beaten together, so as to work out all the lumps of whiting. 

 If color is desired, or the woodwork is very much stained by age, take 

 about one-half common whiting, one-half white lead, throw in a small 

 portion of red lead and chrome yellow to overcome the blackness of the 

 wood, or add umber for a drab color. Fresh paint is always best. 

 Small portions of Venetian red and lamp-black will do for a dark color. 

 Yet another wood preservative paint is made thus: Boil together one 

 gallon of coal tar and 1Y2 pounds of sulphate of zinc (white copperas), 

 and paint it on the woodwork while hot. — The Horticultural Direc- 

 tory. 



Drainage 



There are few places where some amount of drainage is not 

 necessary. It may be merely the drainage around barns and other 

 houses to keep them dry and to prevent rot, or it may be the improve- 

 ment in land. The most difficult land to drain is a perfectly level 

 stretch. About the only thing one can do is to cut a wide, deep 



