1882 .] 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
541 
'box for the purpose is easily made from a small 
wooden one, by placing a few partitions in it, and 
a drawer in the lower part. The one illustrated 
was made from a starch-box, and the wooden 
boards used to form the divisions, are fastened in 
place with screws. The lower portion of the front is 
cut out, and a drawer fitted in. This drawer has a 
strip ten inches deep across the front, but none 
around the sides or back. It readily slips in and out, 
and can be entirely removed when knives are scour¬ 
ed upon it. The upper part is divided into three 
compartments, the largest for holding the soft 
cloths and brushes used for scouring, the next 
largest for the bath-brick, scouring soaps and sand, 
used for knives and general scouring purposes, 
and the smallest for the finer powders used on 
silverware. The drawer has a small knob on the 
iront. The lid is fastened on by suitable hinges. 
A medium sized cork is much better than a cloth 
for scouring knives, and if the bath-brick is pulver¬ 
ized and put in a bottle, it is always ready for use. 
Nothing but the finest of powder should be used 
on silver. Bath-brick should never be employed, as 
the coarse grains scratch and mar the silver. Before 
scouring, the silver should be well washed in hot 
water, to which one teaspoonful of liquid ammonia 
to one quart of water has been added. It should 
never be washed in soap suds, for the soap will 
soon give it a dull appearance. Silver can be made 
bright by the use of prepared chalk (whiting), 
mixed into a paste with ammonia. It should be 
mixed as wanted. A good scouring soap is made 
by cutting a one pound bar of laundry soap into 
small pieces, and dissolving it in hot water, using 
:as little water as possible. After being dissolved, 
stir into it enough fine river sand, to make it thick, 
then spread on a shelf to dry. Cut into cakes and 
let it dry well before using. The longer it stands 
before using, the better, and it is a good plan to 
make a quantity at a time. Ammonia, bath-brick 
powder, and kerosene mixed together, are good 
for cleaning zinc and brass. L. A. B. 
A Convenient Scrap-Box Ottoman. 
To make the convenient article here illustrated, 
select a strong wooden box, and fasten on a lid 
■with small hinges. Around the sides of the box 
Fig. 1.— A SCRAP-BOX OTTOMAN. 
place a curtain of some pretty material; chintz, or 
furniture calico is suitable. *Tack it closely to the 
upper edge of the box, and put a few tacks around 
the lower edge to hold the cloth in place (fig. 1). Lay 
several thicknesses of old carpet, or worn out com¬ 
fortables on the top of the lid, and tack on a cover 
of chintz. Make a full frill of the chintz about 
Fig. 2.— END OP OTTOMAN. 
three inches deep. Tack this around the edge of the 
lid, so that it wdll hang over the top of the chintz 
upon the sides, and tack a heavy worsted tassel to 
each corner of the lid. It is, however, the interior 
arrangement of the box Eat makes it of greatest 
use in every sewing roonj. On one side is tacked 
three pockets (fig. 2,) of some strong material. The 
pockets on the opposite side are as wide, but only 
half as deep, making six on that side. On each 
end are two deep pockets, similar to those ou the 
side. These pockets are for holding scraps of 
goods used in working, thread, braid, buttons, and 
anything which is needed in general family working. 
On the lid are tacked two strips of inch-wide elastic 
ribbon (fig. 3), divided into several loops, with two 
Fig. 3.—UNDERSIDE OP THE LID. 
loops across the space between the longer strips. 
These are to hold rolls of muslin, or any goods, 
or patterns which it is more convenient to keep by 
themselves. The space left in. the middle of the 
box gives a place for more rolls of scraps, or for 
holding articles for sewing. 
Hints for Christmas Gifts. 
“ What shall I make for Christmas ? ” is the ques¬ 
tion that is now heard on all sides, and a few hints 
for simple and easily-made fancy articles may 
prove of use to our readers. When the geese are 
killed, be sure and secure all the soft downy feath¬ 
ers, for down pillows are one of fashion’s newest 
fancies, and they are certainly delightful for sofas, 
and large easy chairs. These pillows are half a 
yard square, covered with pliable silk or satin mer- 
veilleux, and embroidered in dainty designs, or they 
may he made of the India silk, which comes in ex¬ 
quisite patterns of flowers, almost as beautiful as 
handwork. If the pillow is to be used by an in¬ 
valid, a case of linen to be drawn on and oil should 
accompany it, and this may be made quite elabor¬ 
ate by drawingthe threads, and working them over 
with colored linen thread. 
For a young lady, a chatelaine bag will be 
an acceptable gift. The shape is usually a square, 
with three gathers at the top, but it is prettier to 
round the corners, and edge with lace. These bags 
match the costume with which they are worn, or 
for evening wear are made in the shape of a triangle 
or heart, of satin, or black velvet, and painted or 
embroidered with bright red strawberries, with 
butterflies hovering over them. A spray of holly 
with its brilliant scarlet berries, would also be 
pretty. They are suspended from the arm by a 
colored ribbon, tied in a bow at the top. 
Grandma will appreciate an embroidered velvet 
case for her spectacles, and a tasty autumn-leaf 
pen-wiper may be made of four shades of cloth— 
red, brown, old gold, and olive. Cut one of each 
color, but of different sizes, into the form of a 
maple leaf—for which natural leaves will serve as 
patterns—and vein with silk, the red with green, 
olive with scarlet, gold with brown, and brown 
with yellow. Arrange them in a spray, overlapping 
each other, with two medium-sized ones in the 
center, and a small one at the top. Back with a 
piece of the olive cloth, and put in two bits of 
Chamois skin for the wiper, fastening all together 
with a bow of cardinal and old gold-colored ribbon. 
A pretty design for a wall-pocket, is a pair of 
bellows. The shape of the bellows should be cut 
out of thin wood or paste-board, and covered with 
cretonne satin, or plush, as may be desired. Three- 
cornered pieces of silk are fitted in the sides, and 
the nozzle is formed of a graduated roll of paste¬ 
board, covered with gilt paper. The front may he 
decorated in any way that fancy dictates. 
Stocking Heels and Legs. 
Every one having the care of the family stockings, 
knows that the heels usually suffer most wear. I find 
it an excellent plan to reinforce them with strong 
cloth heels while new, and replace the cloth heels as 
often as necessary. Use the stocking as a pattern, 
cut the cloth to reach from just over the joining of 
the knit heel, to the foot, and about three inches 
up the back of the foot. The seam may be on the 
back or bottom of the heel. For colored stockings, 
strong dark drilling, or heavy gingham, answers 
well. Ou thick woollen stockings, 1 use water¬ 
proof or jean that is not too stiff. Sew thin heels 
upon the outside of the stocking, as the hard wear 
comes from the shoe or boot. Do not turn in the 
edges to hem it on, as that makes a bungling ridge, 
but first run it around near the edge, then hem 
over the raw edge if you have time for this finish. 
Be careful not. to stretch it too much, or allow it 
to he fulled. A darning ball inside the stocking 
makes the work easier, as this keeps it in better 
shape. The cloth heel is apt to set better if folded 
ou the bias, and rounded away so as to run up the 
back almost to a point. This reinforcement put on 
while they are new, preserves the stocking heels ad¬ 
mirably, and adds warmth. When worn out they 
are more easily renewed than to dam the stocking 
heels. They look a little odd at first, but that is of 
minor importance.—As the stocking feet usually 
wear out first, there are often good stocking legs, 
which may be easily cut down for younger children, 
and they may also do good service in making the 
children’s under-garments. I know a lady who 
uses good woollen stocking legs, to piece out the 
under-drawers below the knee. She cuts the flan¬ 
nel to come well over the knee, full enough to 
wear well, and sews the bottom of it to the top of 
an old but strong stocking leg, so that the flannel 
is gathered a little, and will stretch as required with¬ 
out breaking the thread and ripping. These elastic 
continuations of the drawers fit the limbs more 
smoothly under the stocking than flannels cut to 
fold over. Sleeves to the flannel upper garments 
for girls may be made of good old stocking legs. 
Minnesota Housekeeper. 
How A Scraper was Made. 
A correspondent, “B.,” in Tasmania, describes 
how awkwardly he felt, standing at his door, with 
nothing at hand to remove the mud from his boots, 
and not wishing to carry the mud into the house. 
A GOOD MUD SCRAPER. 
He improvised a scraper in this wise: “hunted 
up an old broken spade, and the head of a worn-out 
broom. By picking out a little of the mortar be¬ 
tween the bricks of my house-wall, I fixed the cut-, 
ting end of the spade firmly in ; then drove a short 
piece of timber a foot into the ground, and fastened 
the broken handle into the top of it with a nail. 
Then with two strong nails the old broom head 
is fixed to the wall, just above the spade, and now 
I have a better farmer’s scraper at my door, than 
any costly apparatus I have ever seen.”—As all do 
not live in brick houses, we would suggest that 
two strips of wood, nailed perpendicularly to the 
house, and just far enough apart to hold the edge 
of the spade would answer the same good purpose. 
