136 



DESCRIPTION OF A FORCING (hOt) HOUSE. 



FALSE GILDING AND WHITE-WASHING. 



CoMtiniied troin page 15. 



The paper thus gilded, is cut into the 

 shape of the flowers, and pasted on the 

 walls or columns. The interstices are 

 filled up with oil-colors; the oil for which 

 is composed of two parts of linseed oil, 

 and one of the above mentioned clastic 

 gum. 



At Seringapatam they cover the (chu- 

 nam) stucco of their walls with a thin 

 coat of (suday) fine clay, mixed with 

 size; then a coating of (balapum) pulver- 

 ized potstone; and finish the wall with a 

 coating of eight parts of vcr}'^ fine ground 

 (abracum) mica, with one of pulverized 

 potstone, anfj one of size. The wall thus 

 treated, shines like the scales of fishes, 

 and has a splendid appearance when 

 lighted up; but, in the day-time, walls 

 covered with potstone alone look better. 



ON THE PRESERVATION OF ANIMAL 

 SUBSTANCES. 



The Chinese are said to prepare their 

 pork for travelling by pressing out the 

 juices, and the preparation of brawn is 

 somewhat similar. If meat were sub- 

 jected to the action of a screw-press, or, 

 where that machine is wanting, or a 

 greater pressure required, it may be 

 placed between iron plates in a frame of 

 wood, and the plates brought closer by 

 wedges, on the principle of an oil mill. 

 Experiment would soon determine the 

 necessary pressure for preserving it for 

 any limited time, without much injury 

 to its being: dressed as usual. 



CAUSES OF THE DECAY OF WOOD, AND 

 THE MEANS OF PREVENTING IT. 



In the Bath Society's papers, Dr. Par- 

 ry has suggested the cause of decay in 

 timber, viz : heat and moisture, and pro- 

 poses that drying oils, either by them- 

 selves or boiled with metallic oxides, be 

 used to form & coat to exclude the mois- 

 ture. As an additional strength to this 

 varnish, he proposes a mixture of sile- 

 cious or flinty sand with it; this sand 

 may be easily procured from the sea- 

 side, and the currants of roads and rivers; 

 in using it, however, it should be first 

 cleared from all saline impregnations, by 

 washing in several waters, and any sand 



may be obtained of any fineness desired' 

 by mixing it with water in a tub, and 

 after having stirred the whole well to- 

 gether, pouring out the muddy (turbid) 

 water, from which the sand will settle, 

 by its own gravity, in a state fit for use, 

 when dried. 



Jlnother process recommended, is to 

 cover the wood with a coat of drying oil, 

 and immediately drege the coat with a 

 layer of charcoal, finely pulverized or 

 powdered, and contained in muslin, and 

 in a day or two, brushing off what is 

 loose, and giving the surface a coat of 

 paint in the usual manner; this forms a 

 firm and solid crust. 



Dry rot is supposed to be produced 

 by moisture, also combined with a cer- 

 tain temperature, and a preparation of a 

 resinous kind, mixed with a certain pro- 

 portion of bees-wax, is recommended as 

 a preventive. The proportion of ingre- 

 dients, and the mode of mixing them, 

 recommended, are as follows: "Take 12 

 ounces of rosin, and 8 ounces of roll 

 brimstone, each coarsely powdered, and 

 3 gallons of train oil; heat them slowly, 

 gradually adding 4 ounces of bees-wax, 

 cut in small bits; frequently stir the li- 

 quor, which, as soon as the solid ingre- 

 dients are dissolved, will be fit for use." 



It is recommended to dress every part 

 of wood work, with this composition, 

 twice over before the parts are put to- 

 gether, and once afterwards. 



While preparing the varnish, it is re- 

 commended that an earthen vessel be 

 employed, and that the fire be made in 

 the open air, for whenever oil is brought 

 to the boiling point, 600° of Fahrenheit's 

 thermometer, the vapor immediately 

 catches fire, and though a lower degree 

 of temperature than that of boiling should 

 be used in the process; it is not always 

 practicable to regulate the heat, or to pre- 

 vent the overflowing of the materials; in 

 either of which cases the melting within 

 doors would be dangerous. 



DESCRIPTION OF A FORCING (hOt) HOUSE. 



Mr. T. A. Knight pronounces the best 

 form for the glass roof is that where ij 

 the rays from the sun fall perpendicu- ^ 

 larly on the root, and as the rays fall 

 most powerfully on the root when the 



