MISCELLANEOUS. 575 



eqiiare, keeping 18 inches of sawdust between the ice and boards, giving him a 

 block of ice 9x9 feet, and digging six inches into the ground at the bottom, 

 then putting in sawdust enough to give him 1 foot when settled with the ice 

 upon it, so he had 6 inches drainage above the ground; he says, too, "the 

 space above the ice to be open and free for circulation and for the sun to shine 

 In." I would keep the sun out, except by windows, to let the air go through. 

 The Gazette added the following comment: "We regard the above as one of 

 the best plans for a cheap ice-house ever published. Many ice-houses costing 

 three times what the above would cost, have proved failures, the ice all melting 

 by mid-summer. 



SHINGLES.-To Make Fire-Proof and More Durable.— The 

 Scientific American says: "Take a potash kettle or large tub, and put into it 1 

 barrel of wood-ashes lye; 5 lbs. white vitriol, 5 lbs. alum, and as much salt as 

 will dissolve in the mixture. Make the liquor quite warm, and put as 

 many shingles into it as can be conveniently wetted at once. Stir them up, 

 and when well soaked (say 2 hours) take them out and put in more, renewing 

 the liquor as necessary. Thenlp-' the shingles in the usual manner. After 

 they are laid, take the hquor out that is left, put hme enough into it to make 

 whitewash, and if any coloring is desirable, add ochre, Spanish brown, etc., 

 and apply to the roof with a brush or an old broom. This wash may bf» 

 renewed from time to time. Salt and lye are excellent preservatives of wood. 

 It is well known that leach tubs, troughs, and other articles used in the manu 

 facture of potash, never rot. They become saturated with the alkali, turn yel- 

 lowish inside, and remain impervious to the weather." 



Remarks. — "Where no wood-ashes are to be had, potash, or the concen 

 trated lye for soap-making, 5 lbs. would be equal, or probably half stronger 

 than the wood-ashes lye, as above given. Of course, putting the shingles loose 

 into the mixture, takes up twice as much fluid as to put the butts in up to the 

 hand, as sometimes done, and does not increase their fire-proof, nor lasting 

 qualities. The dryer the shingles the better will they absorb the mixture. 



1 . CLOTH.— Fire-Proof.— For clothing to be starched, put }4 as much 

 tungstate of soda as you use of starch; starching as usual, and ironing, which 

 does not affect its fire-proof qualities. The tungstate of soda is often used as 

 a mordant in dyeing, which, of course, makes them much less inflammable. 

 There is so much life lost by dresses taking fire now-a-days it seems that advan 

 tage ought to be taken of this plan of fire-proofing them when starched. 



2. For goods not needing to be starched, make a solution of % lb. of the 

 tungstate to each gal. of water, wet thoroughly, and dry, twice, if to be abso- 

 lutely sure against blazing. Soft water always. May be ironed. 



Cloths, to Water-Proof.— Dissolve sugar of lead, 10 ozs. , in a com- 

 mon wooden pail of water; do the same with the same amount of powdered 

 alum in another pail of water, and then pour together, and thoroughly wet the 

 cloth therein, and dry, better without wringing. If weighted and allowed to 

 soak awhile, all the better. 



