ABOUT FRUITS, FLOWERS AND FARMING. 185 



consequence of the use of adulterated lead. The poorest 

 lead is sold without any brand. The common article is 

 branded as No. 1, with the maker's name. The best article 

 is branded with the maker's name, as PURE, or SUPERIOR. 

 It is the best economy always to use the pure lead. 



OIL. Linseed oil is that usually employed in painting. 

 It contains a large amount of fatty substance and of other 

 impurity, which should be separated from it before it is 

 used. This is to be done by boiling. For outside work, 

 the oil should always be boiled, no matter what the" painter 

 says about it. Great care should be taken in doing this. 

 Let the kettle be set out of doors, the heat be increased 

 gradually, but never enough to produce violent boiling, as 

 the oil will expand, run over, and take fire, when nothing 

 can save it, or the house either, oftentimes, if you have 

 been foolish enough to do it within doors. As fast as 

 impurities rise to the surface, skim them off when the oil 

 has a clear look, slack off the fire and let the oil cool ; care- 

 fully turn off the clear portion, leaving the sediment undis- 

 turbed. 



DRYERS. Substances used to make paint dry quickly 

 are called Dryers. For light work sugar of lead is the 

 best ; for colored paint, litharge and red lead are employed. 

 Spirits of turpentine is used for the same purpose. Litharge 

 and red lead are usually boiled in with the oil at the 

 rate of about a quarter of a pound of litharge to a gallon 

 of oil. 



MIXING AND LAYING ON. Paint is purchased in kegs, 

 containing twenty-five pounds of lead ground in oil, and 

 ready for mixing. The kegs themselves make excellent 

 paint-pets. The lead is to be mixed according to the work 

 to be done. If paint is laid on in heavy coats it will crack 

 and peel off. If several thin coats are successively laid on, 

 it forms a solid body. The first coat is called priming. 

 The lead is made quite thin with oil for' priming. Before 

 laying it on, let the work be cleaned, all dust and dirt be 



