19-4 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
[Mat, 
For other Household Items see “ Basket ” pages. 
A Thermometer Frame. 
Asido from the pleasure many persons seem to 
derive from the frequent consultation of a ther¬ 
mometer, apparently to ascertain whether they are 
hot or cold, it is of real use in giving an accurate 
knowledge of the heat of a room, and thus aid in 
keeping it of a proper and even temperature. 
Thermometers are now so cheap, and at the same 
time sufficiently accurate to serve as an index of 
temperature, as to be within the reach of all. We 
say “ index,” because it is a well-known fact that 
a person, of himself, is not able to judge of the 
heat or cold of a place with any great degree of 
accuracy. What is warm to one person may not 
be so to another—the sensation of heat and cold de¬ 
pending so much upon the temperament, personal 
health, previous exposure, etc. But we did not in¬ 
tend to discuss the uses of the thermometer so 
much as its surroundings. A plain thermometer— 
plain as to its scale and figures, and plain as to its 
mounting—is usually likely to be better than any 
fanciful one, and the best to buy. Many ladies 
with a taste for home decoration will contrive to 
A NEAT THERMOMETEK FRAME. 
Unite the useful with the beautiful, and provide 
some kind of a pleasing background against which 
to fasten the thermometer. The accompanying 
engraving suggests a form of frame which may be 
constructed of a variety of materials, and in a 
number of ways, allowing the taste to take a wide 
range. The frame here shown consists of a back¬ 
ground of card board, upon which the scales of 
pine cones and acorns are tastefully arranged, and 
fastened securely by fine, stout thread. After all 
the parts are put in place, a coat of shellac varnish 
may be given which will greatly improve the ap¬ 
pearance. The thermometer is secured in its posi¬ 
tion in the frame by means of fine wires which are 
made fast upon the back side of the frame. A ther¬ 
mometer thus framed is much less liable to be blown 
down by a sudden gust of wind or knocked from 
its fastening by accident, or through carelessness. 
Learning to Sew.—To be handy with the nee¬ 
dle, is one of the sterling accomplishments of every 
educated woman. To be able to take the “ sticli in 
time,” is worth all the time and trouble that are re¬ 
quired to learn the art. Like walking, reading, and 
the mauy other things which we come to do with¬ 
out special thought, the learning to sew is a slow 
process, and should be begun while the child is still 
quite young. The girl should not only have the 
use of the thread, needles, and patchwork, but be 
instructed how to take the stitches, turn the cor¬ 
ners, and do the various things connected with 
needle-work. We are not excluding the boys in our 
remarks, because they need to learn to thread a 
needle, and do general sewing. Men are many 
times so situated, that they must depend upon them¬ 
selves for their necessary sewing. Even if it is an 
age of sewing machines, it is best that all children 
should learn to use the simple, common old-fash¬ 
ioned kind, which can never be wholly superseded. 
The amusement and occupation that sewing fur¬ 
nishes little folks, afford sufficient reason why all 
mothers should see that their girls, and boys too, 
learn to sew—but the very practical use of the 
needle in after life, is the principal thing after all. 
Home Topics. 
BY FAITH ROCHESTER. 
Some Things to Consider in Moving. 
The 1st of May is general moving time in many 
towns and cities ; and the residents in these, in 
seeking a new dwelling, find that there are many 
things which should be taken into account. If you 
have a family of little children, you must consider 
the moral influence of the neighborhood, and you 
will desire to shun the vicinity of liquor saloons or 
disorderly houses. You will hardly like to take 
your little ones into a neighborhood where the 
children are called a “hard set.” Pure air is one 
great essential. Do not be satisfied with the gen¬ 
eral “lay of the land,” but cast an eye on your 
near neighbor’s back yard, after duly inspecting the 
one you propose to make your own. Is your well 
so situated that the water is likely to be pure ? Is 
there a chance for keeping everything neat and 
clean about your own premises ? Are there stables, 
pig-stys, or other probable nuisances on your neigh¬ 
bor’s premises so situated that they are likely to 
poison the atmosphere daily breathed in your own 
house ? A friend of mine secured a pleasant house, 
in a healthy situation, with a charming view of 
lake and city from the west windows. Not until 
he was settled in the new house did he observe that 
the low chimneys of a house close by obliged him 
to keep the pleasant west windows closed in order 
to avoid the smoke almost always blown from the 
west against his house. This annoyed him so that 
he gave up the house and sought another, for the 
view from his west window and the pleasant breeze 
from the lake were the chief attractions of the 
place. A lady of my acquaintance rented a small 
house for herself and children, and supposed it 
would be an easy matter to get settled in the new 
home. But she neglected to explore the cellar, 
which had no outside door, until she had cleaned 
and occupied the first and second stories. Then 
she found a task indeed, and an explanation of the 
sickening odor that hung about the place in spite 
of all previous cleaning. Several barrels of vege¬ 
tables, mostly potatoes, had been frozen in the cel¬ 
lar during the previous hard winter, and had never 
been removed, though it was now mid-summer. 
A house-keeper wants a house where the work 
may be done with least inconvenience. A business 
man wants a place convenient to his work. For 
the children there must be nearness to some good 
school. The mother wants a safe place for the 
little ones to play out of doors. The one who does 
the housework inquires anxiously if there is a good 
cistern or some plentiful supply of soft water. 
Oiled Floors. 
All who have tried them, so far as I have learned, 
cordially recommend oiled floors for kitchens, or 
other rooms where carpets are not used. These 
are preferred to painted floors, because the color 
does not wear away and leave bare places. Some 
use Burnt Umber with the oil, and so give a darker 
color to the wood. Others use oil alone. Boiled Lin¬ 
seed Oil is used, and it is applied hot, with a paint 
brush, a scrubbing brush, or even with a cloth. Rub 
it in well, and henceforth have no fear of grease 
spots on the floor. Farewell to all scrubbing here¬ 
after. The oiled floor needs only washing (or mop¬ 
ping) with clear, warm water. Of course soap would 
only tend to undo the work you have done in oiling. 
The hot oil should be re-applied occasionally. It 
comes in well as a part of each years’ house cleaning. 
Bag- Carpets. 
My new one—new two years ago—is almost worn 
out now. And yet, though this one has not done 
very good service, I think more of rag carpets than I 
used to. It is not because they are especially fashion¬ 
able, for I have seen only one rag carpet besides mine 
since I put it upon the floor. That other one, in 
the sitting-room of a near neighbor, has sinoe given 
place to a cotton carpet of gay colors and pattern, 
costiug half a dollar a yard. When I “ run in ” to see 
my neighbors, I usually sit with my feet upon an 
Ingrain or a Brussels carpet. It is very pleasant, 
and I admire the neat carpet and the flowering 
plants, and all the dainty trifles on shelves and 
brackets. But when I go home and find my “hit-or- 
miss ” rag carpet strewn with the little girls’ dolly 
work, and the little boys’ whittlings, and the baby’s 
crumbs and playthings, I am glad it is only a rag 
carpet, and that I am not obliged to worry about 
the injury which would daily happen to a nice carpet 
where five children spend a good part of their wak¬ 
ing hours. Besides, I think it is more “Eastlakey" 
than the very gay carpets of some of my neighbors ! 
Anyhow, it harmonizes better with my very plain 
sitting-room furniture than good Ingrain or Brus¬ 
sels carpeting would. I like nice things, and if 
ever Fortune gives them to me, I shall be thankful 
I hope, as I am now for babies and for the com¬ 
panionship of childhood, and for the experience of 
a mother. I believe I will make one more rag car¬ 
pet, at least. I think it w ill be “hit-or-miss,” instead 
of striped, and 1 think I will put it down as I did 
this, without sewing the breadths, but simply lap¬ 
ping them, one a few inches over the next, stretch¬ 
ing each one well, and tacking them very little ex¬ 
cept at the ends. It is easy then to take up and 
shake or beat the carpet and put it down again, so 
that the worn places may be less exposed. It is 
easy to wash out the most soiled portions. I will 
have a stronger warp next time, and think I will 
have it in two colors, so that there will be stripes 
running lengthwise of the breadths. I will be par¬ 
ticular in cutting and tearing the rags to have them 
so that they will be even-sized threads in the filling, 
for I have never liked to see the places in tills old 
carpet where thick woollen rags have sometimes 
joined on to finer cotton strings, making the tex¬ 
ture of the carpet uneven, and causing it to wear 
out more easily. The little girls must sew them 
neatly, so as not to give a bunchy look when 
woven. I think I will have the rags divided into 
three kinds for sewing—a basket of dark rags, one 
of light, and one of gay colors. The first may in¬ 
clude the black and dark-browns and grays. The 
second will contain the light nondescript grays, 
browns, and old calico stuff; the third, anything at 
all bright. The one who sews can go round and 
round with these three lots, and so make a tolerably 
even “hit-or-miss.” I am not sure that this will 
pay, but I am sure that I know of no carpeting for 
50 cts. a yard that will do so good service as a good 
rag carpet made in the above mentioned way. 
Trading- With Bag-Buying Peddlers . 
If the “ragman” paid as well for old rags us 
formerly, or if our old clothing sold for near the 
price which the second-hand dealers charge for it 
when they sell it, it would not pay most of us to 
make rag carpets. 1 was so disgusted with my last 
sale to a rag-buying tin-peddler, that I have been 
less saving of old rags since. I turned off so many 
tliiugs—a large bag of rags, a long piece of old 
hemp carpet, a cracked iron tea-kettle, and a few 
other trifles—that I expected to get, at least, a dol¬ 
lar’s worth of new tinware. I got only two pint 
basins ! And I meant to mend that old tea-kettle, 
but the sudden hope that I might buy a new one 
with the old things 1 was selling, led me to part 
with it. I wanted to try a recipe for mending 
cracked ironware, which I had been saving for 
some time, and if it proved as efficacious as it 
promised, I was going to report the case for the 
benefit of the readers of my “Home Topics.” 
When I told my good next neighbor of ray sale, she 
