616 THE HOUSEHOLD. 



To Clean Steel Arlicles—rolishofl steel articles, if rubbed every morn- 

 ing with leather, will not become dull or rusty; but if rust has been suffered 

 to gather, it must be immediately removed by covering the steel with sweet 

 oil, and allowing it to remain on for two days; then sprinkle it over with 

 flnely-powdcrcd unslaked lime, and rub it with polishing leather. 



A Useful Ta,l>le for Housewives. — Flour— One pound is one quart. 

 Meal — One pound and two ounces are one quart. Butter — One pound is one 

 quart. Powdered white sugar — one pound and one ounce is a quart. Ten 

 eggs are a pound. A common tumbler holds half a pint. A teacup is a gill. 



Crystallizert Cliiinney Ornaments. — Select a crooked twig of white 

 or black thorn; wrap some loose wool or cotton around the branches, and 

 tic it on with worsted. Suspend this in a basin or deep jar. Dissolve two 

 pounds of alum in a quart of boiling Avater, and pour it over the twig. 

 Allow it to stand twelve hours. Wire baskets may be covered in the same 

 way. 



To Restore Color. — When color on a fabric has been accidentally or 

 otherwise destroyed by acid, ammonia is applied to neutralize the same, 

 after which an application of chloroform will, in almost all cases, restore the 

 original color. The application of ammonia is common, but that of chloro- 

 form is but little known. 



Cleaning Wooden Floors. — The dirtiest of floors may bo rendered 

 beautifully clean by the following process: First scrub with sand, then nib 

 with a lye of caustic soda, using a stiJf brush, and rinse off with warm water. 

 Just before the floor is dry, moisten with dilute hydrochloric acid, and then 

 with a thin paste of bleaching powder (hypochlorite of lime). Let this 

 remain over night, and wash in the morning. 



To Remove Stains from Broadcloth. — Take one ounce of pipo-clay 

 that has been ground fine, and mix it with twelve drops of alcohol, and the 

 same quantity of spirits of turpentine. Moisten a little of this mixture with 

 alcohol, and rub it on the spots. Let it remain till dry, then rub it off with 

 a woolen cloth, and the spots will disappear. 



To Dye Fui-s. — Any dye that will color wool will color furs. In buying 

 furs, examine the density and length of the down next the skin: this can 

 easily bo done by blowing briskly against the set of the fur; if it is very 

 close and dense, it is all right, but if it opens easy and exposes much of the 

 skin, reject it. 



IIo^v to Preserve SUoe Soles. — Melt together tallow and common rosin, 

 in the proportion of two parts of the former to one of the latter, and apply 

 the preparation, hot, to the soles of the boots or sliocs — as much of it as the 

 latter will al)sorb. One farmer declares that this recipe alone has been 

 worth more than five dollars. 



To Talte Stains &-om Marl>le. — Make a mixture of one ounce of soda, 

 a piece of stone lime the size of a walnut, quarter of a pound of whiting and 

 the same amount of soft soap; boil these togctlier ten minutes, and then put 

 the mixture on the marble while hot; leave this on twenty-four hours, then 

 wash off with clean, warm water. Polish first with soft flannel and then 

 >ritl) chamois Bkiu, 



