1846. 



GENESEE FARMER. 



U 



The Art of Painting. 



Compounding Colors. — White is considered 

 as not only a principal color in painting, but the 

 base or foundation of all light colored paints. — 

 White lead is the principal white in use, though 

 a more delicate white, called flake white, is used 

 in ornamental work. Several common colors, 

 known as lead color, slate color, &c., are produced 

 by mixing lamp black with white lead in differ- 

 ent proportions. A small quantity of Prussian 

 blue, finely ground and added to white lead, con- 

 stitutes the common sky blue. Minute quantities 

 of blue and yellow added to white, produce the 

 delicate pearl color, so much in vogue for parlors 

 and halls. Straw color is produced by the addi- 

 tion of a little chrome yellow to white : and pea 

 green by the addition of Paris green. A beau- 

 tiful light purple, or peach blossom color is pro- 

 duced, by adding to white, lead, small quantities 

 of ultramarine blue, and drop lake. It is need- 

 less to specify the exact proportions of the in- 

 gredients in these compounds ; the only rule be- 

 ing to add the- coloring ingretyents in minute 

 quantities, till the required color is produced. 

 The most common color for floors, is composed 

 of white lead and yellow ochre, in about equal 

 quantities by weight, with the addition of one 

 ounce of red lead to each pound of the mixture. 

 In painting carriages or ships a great variety of 

 compound colors are used, a few of which may 

 be here noticed. The best black is composed of 

 lamp black and Prussian blue. A dark green con- 

 sists of a mixture of chrome green and Prussian 

 blue. A brilliant plum color is produced by a 

 mixture of lamp black and vermillion. Olive 

 color is produced by mixing lamp black and 

 chrome yellow. A brilliant orange color is pro- 

 duced by mixing chrome yellow and orange lead 

 — (a pigment similar to red lead, but more re- 

 fined.) A stone brown is composed of lamp 

 black, yellow ochre and Venetian red, equal parts; 

 the addition of white to this compound reduces 

 this color to a drab, or a light stone color. A 

 mixture of lamp black with Venetian red, consti- 

 tutes the chocolate color. A bright rose color, 

 which is much used in ornamenting, is composed 

 of white lead and drop lake. As a general rule, 

 the colors should be mixed with oil and ground 

 seperately, before being compounded, or mixed 

 together; but should not be diluted anymore than 

 is required for grinding, until the color is per- 

 fected. — Scientific American. 



starboard side was always exposed to the sun, 

 both in summer and winter ; in this situation her 

 sides were painted in the usual manner of a ship 

 of war, black and white, the greater part being 

 black ; this latter portion, on the starboard side, 

 it was found impossible to keep tight ; for as soon 

 as one leak was stopped another broke out. At 

 length it was suggested that painting her a light- 

 er color might be of service ; this was done ; 

 the leaks ceased, and they did not afterwards re- 

 appear. This occurred in an eastern port, but 

 the injurious effect of black paint must be much 

 greater in tropical climes, where the rays of the 

 sun are much more powerful. — Boston Cult. 



A New Material for Roofing. — We learn 

 from the Philadelphia Ledger, through the com- 

 munication of a 'Mechanic,' that a new method 

 for roofing houses has been invented by two gen- 

 tlemen of that State, which is more durable than 

 shingles, slate, or tin, as brilliant as glass, fire 

 proof and water proof, red, blue, green, or any 

 other color that may be desired ; a non-conductor 

 of electricity, a reflector of heat, cheaper than 

 tin, lighter than slate ; being vitrified, it is almost 

 indestructible by time or weather, and so easily 

 put on that the largest I'oof can be covered in a 

 single day, if desired. It requires very little de- 

 scent ; a roof covered with this material may be 

 made as flat as any tin roof without the least dan- 

 ger of leaking. Nothing short of actual violence 

 will injure it. Should it come into general use, 

 our cities will outshine the Kremlin of Moscow. 

 When a house with a slate roof is on fire, the 

 slates fly so that firemen are in great danger should 

 they come near it, but this article, having passed 

 through the fire in the process of manufacture, 

 is not liable to this objection ; its durability is such 

 that it will last as long as the house. 



Working about Right. — The progress of 

 improvement cannot fail to equalize the condi- 

 tions of mankind, whatever its opponents may 

 say to the contrary. The English farmers now 

 complain that they cannot hire laborers so cheap 

 as formerly, and the consequence must be a 

 reduction of the rents, while the facilities of 

 carrying their produce to market are still in- 

 creasing. The rich landlords begin to find them- 

 selves more dependent on the laboring classes, 

 than they have been hitherto willing to admit. — 

 Scientific American. 



Advantages of White Paint over Black. — 

 Black being a color that absorbs nearly all the 

 sun's rays, any object painted black becomes 

 much hotter when it is exposed to the sun than 

 if it had been painted white, or some light color. 

 A decisive instance of the truth of this fact oc- 

 curred in the case of H. M. ship Excellent, of 

 98 guns. This ship was moored east and west, 

 by bow and stern moorings, consequently the 



A New Feature in Cattle Shows. — At the 

 recent Agricultural Fair in Burlington, (Vt.) a 

 Mr. L. Chase presented for premium three pret- 

 ty female children, two and a half years old, born 

 at a birth. The committee on Household Manu- 

 factures awarded him $14 — which was voluntari- 

 ly contributed by the old bachelors present, who 

 said they considered him a legitimate object of 

 charity. 



