608 THE nOUSEItOlD. 



alnm in water. The action of the vinegar is also duo to the acetic acid which 

 it contains. This jn-eveuts the glue irom glutinizing by cooling; but the 

 same result may be accomplished by adding a small quantity of nitric acid. 

 Some of the preparations ofi'ered for sale are merely boiled starch or Hour, 

 mixed with nitric acid to prevent the glutinizing. 



Care of Uinl>rtaias. — Most persons, when they come in from the rain, 

 put their umbrellas in the rack with the handle upward. They should put 

 it downward, because when the handle is upward tlie water runs down 

 inside to the place where the ribs are joined to the handle, and cannot get 

 out, but stays, rotting the cloth and rusting the metal until slowly dried 

 away. The wire securing the ribs soon rusts and breaks. If placed the 

 other end up the water readily runs off, and the umbrella dries almost 

 immediately. 



To Restore tlie Color of Carpets._A tablespoonful of ammonia in one 

 gallon of warm water will often restore the color of carpete, even if injured 

 by acid or alkali. If a ceiling has been whitewashed with the carpet down, 

 and a few drops should fall, this will remove it. Or, after the carpet is well 

 beaten and brushed, scour with oxgall, which will not only extract grease, 

 but freshen the colors. One pint of gall in three gallons of warm water will 

 do for a large carpet. Table and floor oilcloths may be thus washed. The 

 suds left from a wash, when ammonia is used, even if almost cold, cleanses 

 floor cloths well. 



How to Keep Fresh Meat. — Perhaps all our readers are not aware 

 that steak (pork and beef), sausages, jDuddings, etc., can be kept fresh the 

 year round, by frying and seasoning when fresh, the same as for the table, 

 packing down in crocks or lard cans, and pouring hot lard over them, cover- 

 ing about an inch. When needed, scrape off the lard, and heat through. 

 This is valuable information to farmers and others, who kill and dispose of 

 a portion at a low rate. It is impossible to detect any difference between the 

 preserved and the recently prepared. 



To Bore Ilole^ in Olass. — Any sharp steel will cut glass with great 

 facility when kept freely wet with camphor dissolved in turpentine. A drill 

 may be used, or even the hand alone. A hole may be readily enlarged by a 

 round file. The ragged edges of glass may also be thus smoothed with a flat 

 file. Flat window glass can be readily sawed by a watch-spi-ing saw, by the 

 aid of this solution. In short, the most brittle glass can be wrought almost 

 as easily as wood, by the use of drilling tools kept constantly moist -with 

 camphorized oil of turpentine. 



Ink. on Books. — To remove ink- stains from a book, first wash the paper 

 with warm water, using a camel's hair pencil for the purpose. By this 

 means the surface ink is got rid of. The paper must now be wetted with a 

 solution of oxalate of potash, or, better still, oxalic acid, in the proportion of 

 one ounce to half a ph>t of water. The ink stains will immediately disap- 

 pear. Finally, again wash the stained place with clean water, and dry it 

 with white blotting paper. 



To Restore a Cane Cliair Bottom — Turn the chair bottom upward, 

 and with hot Avater and sponge wash the cane work well, so that it is well 

 soaked; should it be dirty, use soap; let it dry in the air, and it will bo as 

 tight and firm as new, provided none of the canes are broken. 



