MECHANICAL. 795 



ruin their silverware by wasliing it in soapsuds, which destroys the original 

 luster, and makes it look like pewter. When it needs polishing, he says: take 

 a piece of soft leather (chamois) and whiting and rub hard. 



Remarks.— WhQn, of course, never use soap in cleaning it, but take the 

 following : 



5. Silverware, to Wash. — "Put aqua ammonia, 1 tea-spoonful to 

 very hot water, 1 pt., and wash quickly with a small soft brush, kept for the 

 purpose only, and dry with a clean linen towel ; then rub very dry with cha- 

 mois. Washed in this manner silverware becomes again brilliant, and requires 

 no polishing with any of the powders, or whiting usually employed, and lasts 

 much longer. 



-Bernards.— Nothing could be more sensible, still the following is also 

 sensible : 



6. Silverware, Knives and Porks, Tin, etc., to Brighten afker 

 Cleaning. — Put the finishing touch to them by rubbing with old, dry news- 

 paper. It is a fine polisher. Some of these receipts are quite domestic, but 

 Still they are equally mechanical. 



Silvering Powder.— Chloride of silver, 1 dr.; potaasa alum, 8 drs.; 

 common salt and cream of tartar, each, 1 oz. 



DrREcnoNS. — First dip the article to be silvered into a strong solution of 

 salt in water , then rub with the powder ; wash and dry with a soft cloth, and 

 polish with any of the above plans. 



Remarks. — Druggists in small places may say there is no ** pota£sa alum," 

 but there is, and also " ammonia alum." 



Zinc, to Clean.— Take sulphuric acid, 1 oz.; water, 2 ozs. 



DiKEcnoNS. — Wash quickly with the mixture, rinse immediately with 

 warm water, wipe dry with a cloth, and polish with whiting, brightens it 

 nearly equal to new. 



Soldering Q-erman Silver. — To solder GJerman silver, pour out some 

 spirits of salt into an earthen dish, and put a piece of zinc in it. Then scrape 

 the parts clean that are to be soldered, and paint over with the spirits of salt. 

 Next put a piece of pewter solder on the joint and apply the blow-pipe to it. 

 Melt five parts of German silver and four parts of zinc into thin cakes, then 

 powder it for solder. — Rural New Yorker. 



Remarks. — The phrase, "spirits of salt," is the old name for muriatic acid, 

 as now called ; and all the zinc should be put in that the acid will dissolve ; 

 then it is called " muriate of zinc," which is what is to be put on. Where he 

 says, " Then scrape the parts clean that are to be soldered, and paint over with 

 the spirits of salt." This "muriate of zinc" is the proper "flux," or solution 

 for all soldering. See Soldering Cast Iron, next below, calling for the "mu- 

 riatic acid." It should be kept corked and away from children, as it is 

 poisonous — eats or destroys clothing, as well as flesh, hence apply with a swab. 



2^ Soldering Cast Iron. A paper called the Engineer says that 

 Soldering cast iron is generally considered to be very difficult, but it is only 



