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Practical Hints: 
To Fasten Cloth to Wooden Surfaces.—The following is a 
German process for fastening cloth to the top of tables, desks, 
etc. :—Make a mixture of 2} lbs. of wheat-flour, two tablespoon- 
fuls of powdered resin, and two tablespoonfuls of powdered alum ; 
rub the mixture in a suitable vessel with water to a uniform smooth 
paste. ‘Transfer this to a small kettle over the fire, and stir until 
the paste is perfectly homogeneous (without lump). As soon as 
the paste has become so stiff that the stirrer remains upright in it, 
transfer it to another vessel and cover it up, so that no skin may 
form on its surface. ‘Lhis paste is applied in a very thin layer to 
the surface of the table; the cloth, etc., is then laid and pressed 
upon it and smoothed with a roller. The ends are cut after 
drying. If leather is to be fastened on, it must be first wetted. 
The paste is then applied, and the leather rubbed smooth with a 
cloth. 
To Remove Ink from Carpets.—Take up as much as possible 
with a spoon, pour cold sweet milk upon the spot, and take up 
with a spoon until the milk Is only slightly tinged with ink, then 
wash with cold water and wipe dry. ‘he writer has in this way 
removed nearly half-a-pint of ink from a delicate cream-coloured 
carpet without leaving a stain. 
Cement for Aquaria.—One part by measure—say, a gill—of 
litharge, one gill of plaster of Paris, one gill of dry white sand, 
one-third of a gill of finely-powdered resin. Sift and keep corked 
tightly till required for use, when it is to be made into a putty by 
mixing in boiled oil (linseed), with a little patent driers added. 
Never use it after it has been mixed (that is, with the oil) over 15 
hours. This cement can be used for marine as well as fresh- 
water aquaria, as it resists the action of salt water. The tank can 
be used immediately, but it is best to give it three or four hours 
to dry 
Cement to Mend China.—Take a very thin solution of gum 
arabic, and stir into it plaster of Paris until the mixture is of a 
proper consistency. Apply it with a brush to the fractured edges 
of the china ware and stick them together. In a few days, it will 
be impossible to break the article in the same place. | The white- 
ness of the cement renders it doubly valuable. 
