1884 .] 
AMEEIOA^T AGRICULTUEIST. 
341 
oughly wash the haurls. Hard water leaves them 
rough and unpleasant. Let the hands soak for a 
minute before soaping them. A nail brush is of 
great aid in keeping the hands in order; one 
made with unbleached bristles is by far the most 
durable. This should be used with soup not only 
on the nails, but all over the hands, especially on 
the‘most soiled portions. Common soaps often 
contain an excess of alkali, which roughens the 
skin, and of rosin, which leaves the hands sticky. 
Castile soap is vastly superior, is quite equal to the 
highly perfumed toilet soaps, and not very expen¬ 
sive. Keep at hand a lump of pumice stone, 
with which to rub any special stains and any rough 
places on the palms. Paint and axle-grease can be 
removed by first oiling the hands, or lard will 
answer, thoroughly rubbing it in before using soap. 
If the skin is disposed to chap use with the soap 
a tablespoonful of Indian meal; rub the hands 
with this thoroughly, and after rinsing apply 
glycerine mixed with four parts of water, rubbing 
the hands together until the water evaporates. 
A Laundry Cushion. 
Any one having washing done out of the house, 
will find the use of the laundry cushion here illus¬ 
trated, a convenient method of keeping a iist of 
articles. A full list of the articles likely to be in 
^proni I ft i k s 0 1 10 
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CnlhlTi a s 3 j. S 0 T t (j 10 
Cii/fs / a 3 Ys c, 1 s <) to 
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J)7-CiOCS _ ! 1 3 j) S (i T S C/ m 
Hau€l?ci'7c?ii(!fs j 7>. 3 k s L 1 0 ^ m 
/(ilc/Le?i7htoe/s i_Y3 J, s c y S' f /o 
jVapimj S'o 3 /, 3 _c j 0 q II) 
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S/c17'2a 3 Ys 'o J 7 q 10 
Soc/ts 103 iscisq Hi 
y&'tiic/mip's /a a «• s q y ? y h) 
YriS^il‘02l/lAs I 0 3 k 3 0 1 0 ff 10 
JlnvielA ) a If i t- 1 0 q m 
A LATJNDET EECORD CUSHION. 
the wash is written with indelible ink on a piece of 
unbleached linen about six inches long by ten wide. 
The name of each article is followed by a row of 
figures from one to ten inclusive. The linen is then 
sewed to a second piece of the same size and made 
into a cushion by stuffing with hair or saw-dust. A 
cord, by which to hang it up, is fastened to the up¬ 
per corners, and a row of pins is stuck along the 
edge. The number of any article in the wash is 
recorded by sticking a pin in a corresponding num¬ 
ber opposite the name of the article. If four tahle- 
clothes are sent, a pin is stuck in the figure four, 
and if there are twenty-four napkins in the wash, 
pins stuck in figures ten, nine, and five, keep a cor¬ 
rect count. Mrs. Busyhanu. 
A Word to Parents. 
REV. U. P. ROE. 
See that your child never leaves any task half 
done or slovenly finished; and therefore give not too 
many tasks. Thoroughness is the corner stone of 
success. There is no place in the world now for 
smatterers, who know a little and only a little of 
everything under the sun. There is always an 
honorable place for those who can do any kind of 
honest work in the best manner. Show the child, 
from the experience of others, that little or no 
progress is made by spasmodic and intermittent 
effort. The world is now so advanced and compe- ■ 
tition so keen that genius must ally itself with 
patient, persistent work, and with the deftness 
which comes only from continuous practice. The 
young are prone to dream of what they will do in 
the future. The history of others proves that they 
will never do much, unless they are doing their 
present work thoroughly. They do not realize this, 
and mere arbitrary assertion of the fact usually 
makes but slight impression. Biographies of suc¬ 
cessful men, whether read from the libraries or 
furnished from your memory of neighbors, estab¬ 
lish the truth in their minds, and such biogra¬ 
phies should be freely read by children. 
The Bulfalo Moth. 
Unlike the common Clothes-moth, the destruc¬ 
tive Buffalo-moth is not the larva of a proper 
moth, or miller, but a beetle. The perfect insect 
is a very pretty beetle, about an eighth of an inch 
long, black and handsomely marked with scarlet 
and white. The grub is about three-sixteenths of 
an inch in length, but on account of its long brown¬ 
ish hairs appears larger. The insect was first 
noticed in New York State about ten yeai's ago, 
but has since spread to such an extent that we 
have inquiries concerning it from every State. 
Though most destructive to carpets, it attacks 
woollens of all kinds as well as feathers and furs. 
It is in the larval or grub state that the insect does 
its mischief, the perfect insect or beetle regaling 
itself on garden flowers, especially the Spiraeas. 
The grub works under the edges of carpets, often 
making sad havoc, it sometimes lakes shelter in a 
crack in the floor and working aiong that cuts the 
carpet on the line of the crack as completely as if 
it were done by .shears. This habit of working in 
the cracks suggests the utility of stopping up all 
crevices before the carpet is laid down. Putty, hard 
soap, and plaster of Paris have been suggested as 
materials for tilling the cracks, especially those be¬ 
tween the base-board and the floor. Those who 
vacate their houses for several months at a time 
siiould be careful to not leave the insect in posses¬ 
sion, aS the results may be most disastrous. The 
most effective method of destroying the insect 
while the carpet remains in place is the use of 
steam. A wet, folded sheet is laid .along the edge 
of the carpet. Upon this cloth several hot flat¬ 
irons are passed. These generate an abundance of 
steam which penetrates the cracks and destroys 
the insects. Furs or articles of woollen, not con¬ 
veniently steamed may be placed in a tight box, or a 
wash boiler and a small quantity of benzine pouted 
in ; if the box or vessel bo kept closed, the vapor 
of the benzine will kill this as well as the com¬ 
mon Clothes-moth. This is one of the most de¬ 
structive of the house-keepers piests. The insect 
is a native of Europe, and is known to science as 
A nthrenm Scrophularia. It is supposed to have been 
introduced into this country in imported carpets. 
Light Work for Mid-Summer. 
The months of July aud August appear to have 
been intended for rest by the Author of the seasons. 
Through the stimulating cold of winter, the fresh, 
mild breezes of opening spring—even later, when 
all nature is awake, and we open the doors and 
windows to catch the sound of birds and insects, 
and to breathe the odors of buds and blossoms, we 
can work with a will and feel interested. Even 
the dreaded “ spring cleaning ” had its pleasures as 
we close up the dreary furnaces and stoves and 
pack away all reminders of the bitter cold. As 
summer advances, while we are alive to its beauties. 
Fig. 1. 
we like to sit under the trees, on the piazzas, or lie 
listlessly in the hammocks. But to most of us rest 
does not mean idleness ; and to be obliged to spend 
our time for many days with head and hand unem¬ 
ployed, would be misery. “ I could be happy ona 
desert island with my books and work,” said a lady 
some time ago—one who was promitient in society, 
and actively engaged in charitabie work through 
the winter ; but when the time for resting came she 
had to be busy still in another way. So while it is 
well to lay down the heavier duties and cares of 
life for a few weeks, it is a pleasure to have some 
light work to “ take up,” and the revived interests 
in fancy work of late years, gives a wide scope to 
one’s taste and skill. We say revived interests, 
because embroidery is one of tiie oldest of orna¬ 
mental arts, .and one in which there has been no ad- 
Fig. 2. 
vance of late. Knitting too, now in fashion, was 
one of the favorite occupations of our great grand¬ 
mothers, and little children in the public schools of 
that time had stint of “rounds” on their stockings 
given them as a daily exercise. Home-made edg- 
gings and insertings, both knitted and crochetted, 
are much used now, and it is a pleasure to study 
out new patterns for them. It is said that good 
cotton thread is better than linen, although the lat¬ 
ter is rather prettier. Hair-pin crochetted edging is 
very quickly made, and it is pretty and durable. It 
may also be a foundation for wider and more elab¬ 
orate edgings. Make a slip loop aud 
pass it over one side of the hair-pin, 
then turn the pin around, and you 
will have a loop on each side. Draw 
up with the hook a loop through 
the first loop, * take out the hook, 
turn the hair-pin, and insert the hook 
in the loop from which it was with- 
draNvn ; then make a double crocheted 
stitch under the left hand loop—re¬ 
peat- from *. Drawn work is very 
popular and beautiful. Broad insert¬ 
ings are made of it to trim children’s 
dresses, bed linen, toilet sets, etc. We 
give an illustration of one which may 
be made of coarse or fine linen. A 
pretty and inexpensive gift for a 
lady is a cake-basket cover, made 
in a square, with fringed sides in this same 
pattern. Figure 1 shows the way the threads are 
drawn, and in figure 2 is seen a portion of it 
finished. A pretty gift for a gentleman is an 
umbrella ease. The foundation is of paste board. 
It may be covered with gray linen, or any other 
plain, durable cloth. Two strips are embroidered 
and sewed on the front before making up. They 
may be ornamented according to one’s fancy. A 
monogram or initial is added at the top as seen in 
figure 3. A very pretty pen-wiper is made to imi¬ 
tate autumn leaves. They are cut out of flannel, 
red, brown, yellow, like the leaves, veined with 
silk, and notched on the edges—then grouped 
together. Another is a carnation pink. The flower 
is of red flannel, notched and folded like a pink, 
attached to a wire stem covered with dark-green 
cambric. The leaves, of cambric, are made on fine 
wire. This is novel and exceedingly pretty. 
Ethel Stone. 
Fig. 3. 
A Lead-Pencil Sharpener. 
Cut a piece of cigar-box or other thin wood, five 
or six inches long, by one wide. Upon both sides 
glue pieces of sand paper of a medium grade. 
Sharpen the pencil with a knife, and finish the 
point upon this implement, giving either a round 
or a flat end, as desired. When the point becomes 
dull, it may be repeatedly “ touched up” on this 
sharpener without recourse to a knife, and which 
is a very desirable matter, without soiling the 
hands. By striking the sharpener against any ob¬ 
ject, the ])articles of lead are readily removed. 
