November, Ig1I 
AMERICAN HOMES AND GARDENS xiii 
within reach of small children will be found 
valuable: Add to six parts of white fine 
chalk three parts of thoroughly calcined 
magnesia, and to this add a few drops of 
indigo solution. 
WINDOW PAINT 
The following is a useful recipe for win- 
dow paint: Mix with white lead, boiled oil 
or varnish, and a small quantity of driers 
(no turps, which hardens for the time, be- 
ing a volatile oil, and therefore objection- 
able j in this case) ; paint this over the glass 
thinly, and stipple it. If you have not a 
proper brush, make a large pledget of cot- 
ton-wool or tow, cover it with a clean bit 
of linen rag, and quickly dab it over the 
paint. 
PAINTING BIRD CAGES 
Parrot cages, or in fact any kind of bird 
cages, may be painted with zinc, but lead 
must not be used. Zinc may be given any 
desired tint, and after it is applied it may 
be coated with a light volatile copal varnish, 
after which it should be subjected to a heat 
of from 100 to 150 degrees F. The varnish 
known as “extra light polishing varnish”’ is 
that used by several of the most prominent 
bird-cage makers. 
CLEANING PAINT BRUSHES 
New paint brushes should be thoroughly 
brushed back and forth on the hand until 
the dust and loose hairs of the brush are 
removed. New brushes require special at- 
tention the first few days. All brushes 
should be washed in benzine or turpentine 
and shaken dry before changing from one 
tint of paint to another. Those brushes 
which have become clogged by paint should 
be freed by turpentine before they are used 
again. Varnish brushes should always be 
kept for use in the same varnish in which 
they are first used, or in turpentine; how- 
ever, the latter treatment will make the 
brushes rough up in time, and the varnish 
is a much better preservative of their 
pliableness. 
PRESERVING THE COLOR OF 
PRESSED FLOWERS 
GERMAN scientist suggests an inter- 
esting method of preserving the natural 
colors of flowers. This consists in dust- 
ing them with salicylic acid as they dry 
in a press, removing the acid again 
with a brush when the flowers are dried. 
Red colors in particular are especially well 
preserved by this agent. Another method 
of applying the same preservative is to use 
a solution of one part of salicylic acid in 
fourteen parts of alcohol, by means of blot- 
ting paper or cotton-wool soaked in it and 
placed above and below the flowers. Pow- 
dered boracic acid yields nearly as good re- 
sults. Another authority recommends as 
an improvement in the method of using sul- 
phuric acid for preserving the colors, that 
in the case of delicate flowers they be placed 
loosely between sheets of vegetable parch- 
ment before immersion in the liquid, so 
they may preserve their natural forms. 
This accounts for the bright natural coloring 
retained by many pressed flowers which 
one finds attached to souvenir cards and 
elsewhere. 
BUREAU OF ENTOMOLOGY 
UCH space is given in discussing the 
work of the Bureau of Entomology 
to the important work that bureau has 
done during the past year in its effort to 
control or eradicate the gipsy moth and 
the brown-tail moth. The infested terri- 
tory covers all the New England States ex- 
cept Vermont, and the department, working 
in co-operation with the authorities of those 
States, has met with gratifying success. 
Conditions there are largely improved. 
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