[ 730 ] 
Practical Hints. 
Gardeners Labels for Plants.—A simple and durable label on 
light-coloured wood is obtained by varnishing the wood with a 
transparent varnish, and while the varnish is yet soft, writing the 
label with a lead pencil; the moist varnish fills in over the writing, 
and makes the label as permanent as the varnish itself. 
To Perforate Earthenware.—A method which is said to be 
very satisfactory is recommended by Professor Stuart, as follows :— 
Instead of a drill a soft copper rod or pipe is used in the lathe, it 
being fed with a mixture of powdered emery and linseed oil. The 
emery is embedded in the copper by the friction, and cuts right 
through the hardest material in a very short time. 
Glue, Paste, or Mucilage.—Lehner publishes the following 
formula for making liquid glue or paste from starch and acid :— 
Put 5 pounds of potato starch to 6 pounds of water, and add + 
pound pure nitric acid. Keep it in a warm place, stirring 
frequently, for forty-eight hours. Then boil the mixture till it 
forms a thick and translucent substance. Dilute with water if 
necessary, and filter through a thick cloth. At the same time 
another paste is made from sugar and gum arabic. Dissolve 5 
pounds of gum arabic and 1 pound of sugar in 5 pounds of water, 
and addi ounce of nitric acid and heat to boiling. ‘Then mix 
the above with the starch paste. The resultant paste is liquid, 
does not mould, and dries on paper with a gloss. It is useful for 
labels, wrappers, and fine bookbinder’s use. Dry packet glue is 
made from 12 parts of glue and 5 parts of sugar. The glue is 
boiled until entirely dissolved, the sugar dissolved in hot glue, and 
the mass evaporated until it hardens on cooling. The hard sub- 
stance dissolves rapidly in lukewarm water, and is an excellent 
glue for use on paper. 
Solubility of India Rubber.—Hanansek finds that 100 parts 
of oil of turpentine or benzole (not benzoline) dissolves 44 parts 
ceara, 5 parts of negro head, or 4°7 parts of Sierra Leone rubber. 
Rundschan Leittmerits. 
To Split Paper.—This is a very delicate operation and requires 
care. Paper can be split by gumming or pasting it on both sides, 
and placing between two perfectly flat glass plates of glass. When 
dry force the plates apart gently, and the paper will, if of decent 
substance, split, and with care each side can be removed from the 
glass by floating the plates in water; the pieces may be transferred 
toa book. A good deai of practice is required to make sure of 
splitting the paper accurately. The method is generally adopted 
in the case of printed engravings backed with type-printing, where 
it is desired to remove the letterpress and preserve the engraving. 
