HOUSEHOLD MISCELLANY. 621 



mitting tWe least air at the window sill. The air admitted between the 

 sashes is thrown directly up toward the ceiling, and there mixes with the 

 heated air at the upper part of the room. The room is thereby ventilated 

 in a thorough and agreeable manner without drafts of cold air upon the 

 persons in the room. The fixture should be applied to several windows in 

 a room. The amount of ventilation ma}' be regulated by the distance that 

 the lower sash is raised. This arrangement is cheap, simple, and effective. 

 — Scientific American. 



Production of Crystalline Figures Upon Glass or Paper. — Window- 

 panes, wall-paper, or other surfaces may be handsomely decorated by means 

 of the following simple process : Prepare as concentrated a solution as pos- 

 sible of any easily crystallizable salt, as magnesium sulphate, zinc sulphate, 

 etc., and dissolve in it a small quantity of dextrin. Filter the solution 

 through white filtering paper, and apply it evenly and thinly, by means of 

 a broad brush, to the glass or other surface, which is then kept in a horizon- 

 tal position for about fifteen minutes. During this time most magnificent 

 groupings of crystals make their appearance, resembling the ice-flowers of 

 winter, which adhere firmly to the surface, but may be permanently fixed 

 by means of a thin coating of shellac. If it is desired to remove part of 

 the coating, as, for instance, to examine the crystals for their optical beha- 

 vior towards polarized light, it is only necessary to pour a thin layer of col- 

 lodion over them, and, after drying, to strip the latter carefully off. In this 

 way the whole crystal group may be lifted off the glass, adhering to the 

 collodion film. — New Remedies. 



Washing Flannels. — A lady correspondent says : " I will give a little 

 of my experience in washing flannels. I was taught to wash flannel in hot 

 water, but it is a great mistake. In Italy my flannels were a wonder to me ; 

 t£ey always came home from the wash so soft and white. I learned that 

 the Italian women washed them in cold water. Many a time have I watched 

 them kneeling in a box, which had one end taken out, to keep them out of 

 the mud, by the bank of a sti*eam, washing in the running water and dry- 

 ing on the bank or gravel, without boiling ; and I never had washing done 

 better, and flannels never half so well. I have tried it since, and fincl^the 

 secret of nice soft flannels to be the washing of them in cold or luke-warm 

 water, and plenty of stretching before hanging out. Many receipts say, 

 Don't rub soa23 on flannels; but joxx can rub soap on to the advantage of 

 the flannels, if you will rinse it out afterward and use no hot water about 

 them, not forgetting to stretch the threads in both directions before drying. 

 Flannels so cared for will never become stiff', shrunken, or yellow. — Boston 

 ■Journal of Chemistry. 



To Remove Silver Stains from Woven Fabrics. — The following process 

 is said to be especially successful in removing spots from materials which 



