90 
THE YOUNG SCIENTIST. 
him— and to the State — than all the Greek 
and Latin lore of bygone ages would be. 
Most of the useful and successful men of 
the present and past ages received their 
training outside of college wails, and un- 
der circumstances that fitted t hem for the 
active lives they were destined to pursue. 
A thorough scientittc course with relation 
to the arts must naturally conduct the 
mind into logical grooves and prepare it 
to grapple successfully with the hard 
facts and problems that are continually 
developing, and the i)arents of a boy who 
bends his energies to the acquisition of 
mechanical and scientific knowledge, need 
have no fears for their boy's future. De- 
pend upon it, the mind that has grasped 
the various problems and their solulioiis 
that are connected with the mechanical 
sciences, will not only hold its own in 
life's battle, but it may safely be said of it 
that success and prosperity will rise at its 
bidding. 
When you have a valuable pattern for 
scroll-sawing, and want to keep it good 
for future use, a good plan to preserve it 
is to prick it through with a needle or 
other flne-pointed instrument, as close 
together as possible. Then lay the pat- 
tern on the wood to be sawed and pound 
it over with a bag filled with fine charcoal 
dust. Upon lifting up the pattern you 
will find a perfect duplicate of it on the 
wood. The pattern may be transferred to 
white paper by this method, and the 
lines traced with a pencil, after which the 
pai)er with the made pattern may be fas- 
tened on to the wood, and the latter will 
then be ready for cutting. Transferring 
the pattern to white paper first is much 
the cleaner and better way. 
Another and a better way to transfer a 
pattern is to take a plain sheet of writing 
or printing-paper; lay it on a table or 
other flat surface. On this place a sheet 
of good transfer paper (black is best), 
and then the design ; fasten with tacks or 
drawing pins ; then, with a fine pencil or 
other pointed tool, trace carefully around 
the design, and when finished a good 
plain copy will be found on the white pa- 
per, and tlie original design unhurt. In 
applying this design, a good way is to use 
a small quantity of ordinary mucilage. 
After the work has been cut and com- 
pleted, the design may be removed by 
damping it with a moist cloth or sponge, 
and may be used again if desired. Should 
the wood become danjp in taking off the 
pattern, it should be placed between 
boards w^eighted down, to keep it from 
war[)ing. When dry, it may be taken out 
and used for what it was intended. 
Scientific and mechanical amateurs are 
invited to send communications to this 
office with regard to the various problems 
they may be working out. Advice and 
assistance will be gladly given through 
our columns on any scientific or mechan- 
ical subject that may be within the range 
of amateur experiment, providing it is of 
such a character as will prove instructive 
or interesting to the majority of our read- 
ers. It will give us great pleasure to 
answer any question relative to the scien- 
tific, mechanical, industrial, and decora- 
tive arts in our column of "Notes and 
Queries," and we trust our readers will 
not be afraid to make use of this depart- 
ment. If you have any little mechanical 
or scientific difficulty, let us know of it ; 
some fellow reader wall probably be glad 
to relieve you and render great assistance 
to many others, by publishing such in- 
formation as could not be otherwise se- 
cured, or we might help you amazingly 
by offering such advice and suggestions 
as our large experience might warrant. 
While we do not wish to make the depart- 
ment of "Notes and Queries" general, 
we have no objection to the admission of 
questions and answers that are not 
strictly scientific or mechanical, but which 
partake of a practical and useful nature. 
There are many things boys and girls 
want to know about birds, dogs, cats, rab- 
bits, goats, white mice, guinea pigs, gold 
flsh, and other pets that may safely be 
submitted to this column. It frequently 
happens, too, that girls may want to 
know something regarding their own 
special class of work, such as knitting, 
embroidered and other fancy needlework, 
or they may wish to know something of 
the treatment of window plants, flower- 
gardening, and many other things of a. 
