298 
THE YOUNG SCIENTIST. 
writing, and will turn it on either side, 
gently pressing it against the vessel so 
as to squeeze out the paint. The same 
turpentine will clean several brushes if 
the paints in them are allied in composi- 
tion,' as to which we shall speak in due 
course. The plan I adopt, and which I 
have found economical, is to have a slant 
tile with three divisions ; put a little tur- 
pentine in each, wash each brush singly 
on the higher part of the first slant, and 
wlien pretty free from paint draw it along 
a clean piece of rag and put it on one 
side. It will be found tJiat the paint 
sinks to the low^est part of the slant. 
When all are washed once, repeat the 
process in the second slant. If the clean- 
ing has been thorough, the turpenthie in 
the third slant will not be at all tinged. 
It is necessary to state that a trace of one 
color in a brush may be sufficient to spoil 
another with which such brush is used. 
Some colors wash out less easily than 
others ; thus, blue is rather ])ersistent, 
while pink is very easily disposed of, and 
this consideration indicates the advisa- 
bility of employing different sets of 
brushes for colors of different classes, 
which are mutually antagonistic. 
At the same time a slip may happen 
with even the most methodical, and a 
brush may escape notice when the rest 
are having their bath, so that Avhen dis- 
covered next day or so the paint has 
dried somewhat. Now in such case do not 
on any account bend the hairs to try and 
soften them, as doing so will not effect 
the desired purpose, but may break the 
liairs and spoil the brush. The proper 
way is to let it soak in turpentine for a 
moment, then hold it in front of a fire, or 
by the side of, not over, a gaslight until it 
softens. You will then be able to wash it 
in the ordinary way. If through the heat 
the turpentine has evaporated before the 
brush is soft, recharge the brush and hold 
it to the heat again. 
It may be added that an occasional 
mild application of a little soap and water 
(without soda) is beneficial to the brushes. 
It should be administered but seldom, 
however, as frequent dosing results in 
spreading and curling the hair. 
28. Caution— In one little book on this 
subject I find that the student is recom- 
mended to have at hand a little bottle of 
spirit of wine in which to cleau the brush, 
probably because this liquid is such a 
solvent for oils. It does too much, how- 
ever, in one respect and not enough in 
another, for it runs the oil out, leaving 
behind the whole, or almost the whole, of 
the paint in clots- or fine needles closely 
adherent to the hair and difficult to 
thoroughly remove. 
29. Beceptacle for Brushes.— It the 
brushes are, as they should be, kept in a 
separate box, say of cardboard, care 
should be taken that the box is somewhat 
longer (about a couple of inches) than the 
longest brush in it, and that when the 
brushes are put away the hairs are not 
])ressed against the end, which would 
turn the points and render the brushes 
useless. 
In the next paper Mediums and Paints 
will be dealt with. 
( To he continued.) 
Amateur Boat-Bui!ding.— V. 
LTHOUGH our " Hints " relate 
to river craft principally, the 
subject comprehends not only 
considerable variety in the form 
of boats used, but also in their quality, 
so to speak; and taking them in an as- 
cending scale, we shall begin with the 
most i:)rirnitive affair in which one can 
navigate, and finish with the more ela- 
borate and capable boats. 
Quite low down in the scale we must 
place the punt, and with this we had in- 
tended to begin. But a good punt is (or 
should be), after all, a really "built" 
affair— that is to say, although keelless, 
it has still its skeleton— the frames which 
give it solidity. And, therefore, there are 
boats of more simplicity than even the 
punt; one of which— rude, but river- 
worthy — we will speak of first. 
There is another reason for this. It 
was in a craft of this sort we first took to 
the water, and it is the kind also which 
many an emigrant in a new country turns 
out to aid him in his journeyings or fish- 
ings. 
A " dug-out," some one says. No ; it is 
