January, 1919 
FOREST AND STREAM 
29 
is unexcelled. It has two good blades of 
different size, a can opener, a corkscrew, 
and a screwdriver. The latest ones, I 
think, are even more complete. 
Knives should be kept sharp, clean and 
bright; and when not in use the sheath 
is the place for a knife. Observance of 
this rule will save many accidents. 
L. E. Eubanks, Seattle, Wash. 
To Kill Insect Specimens 
I HAVE quite a collection of butter- 
flies and other insects which I collect 
in the summertime as a vacation hobby. 
A good way to kill them is to sprinkle 
a little strong dry mustard in the box 
with them. This acts very quickly and 
is always to be obtained. 
C. H. Wi'NDSOR, Ithaca, N. Y. 
Shifts and Expedients 
'^HIS is the way I clean my rifle when 
baggage is limited, to save weight. 
The rifle must be a take-down or one 
that can be cleaned from the breech. Say 
the barrel is 30 inches long, I get a one 
piece wire cleaning rod with bristle end, 
I cut this down three inches longer 
than half the barrel length, that is 18 
inches. Then with a piece of fine emery 
cloth I work the rod down slick and 
smooth and close to the end I file notches. 
Now in cleaning my long black powder 
rifle, I scrub thoroughly with hot water, 
using the bristle end inserted in one end 
as far as it will go, then in the other 
end. For drying I make a loop in the 
middle of a length of cuttyhunk fishing 
line, tie a loop in one end and wrap a 
thin piece of lead around the other end 
for a weight. In the loop in the middle 
I put drying flannel and the string can 
be pulled either way through the barrel. 
For oiling the inside of the barrel I tie 
a patch of thin muslin on the end of 
the notched rod, after first wiping the 
rod perfectly dry. The inside can be 
greased just as it was washed, first one 
half and then the other. This is a make 
shift that is reliable. 
STRIP OF Old felt hat sewn into top) 
'F SHEATH TO HOLD KNIFE IN PLACE.- — ^ 
I made a good knife sheath out of a 
piece of leather cut shield shape and 
folded down the middle. The outer edges 
were held together by three rivets. 
Length of sheath to correspond with 
length of blade and at the top of the 
sheath inside I sewed a piece of old 
felt hat; this keeps the knife in the 
sheath when you bend over. In the back 
of the sheath I cut two slits to let my 
belt pass through. This is a good sheath 
for the family or camp bread knife, as a 
sharp blade should never be without some 
sort of protection. If you have nothing 
better wrap the blade in a piece of pa- 
per before packing it- with other cutlery. 
A dull bread knife is an abomination, as 
is any dull blade in camp. 
There are many ways of caring for a 
gun in camp, but I never found any- 
thing better than the old idea of two 
crotched sticks driven in the ground at 
the right distance apart, depending en- 
tirely on the length of the weapon. They 
can be whatever height is desired but 
have them high enough so that the damp- 
ness of the ground cannot affect the gun. 
Do not make the mistake of thinking 
that because a gun is in its case it is 
always allright under any weather con- 
ditions. If the weather is damp for a 
few days take the gun out and look care- 
fully for rust, for nobody is infallible and 
you may not have oiled the weapon as 
thoroughly as you think. 
.IiM Ferguson, Englewood, N. J. 
To Wash Fish Kettles 
W E all know how the odor of fish 
penetrates everything with which 
it comes in contact, and that kettles or 
frying pans in which it has been cooked 
frequently pass the odor on to the next 
article of food cooked in them, unless 
especial care be taken. In camp we 
usually get enough of fish without flavor- 
ing other things with it. In a traveling 
camp one can scrub the pan with sand 
and then heat thoroughly until dry, but 
when in a permanent camp the follow- 
ing method is better : Let the kettle soak 
in cold water to which has been added 
a little dry ammonia or washing soda. 
This comes put up in handy packages 
that can safely be carried anywhere. 
Then wash clean, set on the stove with 
cold water and a little washing soda, and 
let the water boil gently a few moments. 
This will freshen it and remove all odor. 
W. C. Hovey, Gloucester, Mass. 
A Snowshoe Harness 
W E often see some brother’s idea of 
a snowshoe harness so I will do my 
bit and the enclosed is the idea. The 
fault we find with most harnesses is 
with the buckles or tieing. This affair 
has neither and is readily adjusted. To 
put on the shoe drop it down sideways 
to you, put your foot through the loops, 
pull them up over the heel, turn the 
foot and shove the toes under toe strap 
and they are on to stay. To remove 
them do the same things on the reverse. 
This outfit will not ball up and gives 
you full control of your feet. The best 
shoes I ever found are made by a man 
in Maine. They are not only pleasing 
to the eye but will stand far more abuse 
than a pack mule. Snowshoes are to 
the man of the north like the life boat 
to the sailor, and no little care should 
be exercised in selecting the proper kind 
of the proper stuff to stand the grief 
of the trail. Jay Lee, Wn. 
Cure for a Sticky Line 
T he following is the cure for a sticky 
line that I received from an English 
friend some months ago. In these days 
of difficulty in getting tackle and the in- 
creased cost thereof, the tip, I hope, will 
help some of your readers to get a little 
extra service out of their lines. Coil the 
line into a box or tin with a lid. Put in 
about half a teaspoonful of talcum pow- 
der (a face or toilet powder). Put on 
lid and shake the box or tin to distribute 
the powder over the line. Then pass the 
line through finger and thumb to force 
the powder into the dressing. Repeat if 
any stickiness remains. The line can be 
used immediately. It is about eight 
months ago since I treated a sticky line, 
and I have fished with it since. The line 
is now free of all stickiness, and there is 
no appearance of any harm having been 
done to the line. The powder when thus 
applied to the line is, I believe, non-solu- 
ble. If any of your readers try the tal- 
cum, I hope they will let us know the 
result. 
R. J. B., San Francisco. 
