182 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
[June, 
covering upon the bed. For this purpose, simple 
screws, or small wooden knobs, fastened into the 
two side rails on the under side—one near each 
head post, and one near the loot. Two strong tapes 
or narrow strips of cloth are tacked across one 
coverlet a few inches from the head and foot, and 
loops on the ends are brought over the side rails, 
and thrown over the screw-heads, leaving the cov- 
let loose, but so that it can not be pushed off. The 
long strip is preferable to short loops fastened to 
the edges of the coverlet, which may tear out. 
This method is effectual, and costs but little trouble. 
In a letter to the American Agriculturist , “ Ann 
Eliza,” of Cold Spring, L. I., writes on the same 
subject: “ To make a child sleep comfortabty, and 
not push off the bed clothes, screw a small knob on 
the side of the trundle-bedstead or cradle, on the 
inside, then sew strong loops or strings, on the 
under quilt far enough from each end, to draw it 
snug across under the chin, not too tightly ; then, 
put on as much other bedding outside as is neces¬ 
sary, and so long as the loops and knobs do not 
give way, the child can not get uncovered. If a 
child has the habit of throwing the head back, and 
pushing itself out in that way, slip down in¬ 
side the head board, another peg high enough to 
go 10 or 12 inches above the pillow ; or better still, 
if the trundle-bed is drawn out before a door or 
window, have a head similar to a cradle head, to 
slide down far enough, to set firmly on the bottom 
of the trundle-bedstead, and the child can not help 
sleeping warm. If for two children, put a middle 
loop on the quilt, and a knob in the center at the 
head. The knobs should be far enough down so 
that they can not strike the head against them, and 
the loops long accordingly. In very cold weather 
the child’s bed should be warmed, by laying in the 
bed pieces of wood or board, that have been pre¬ 
viously warmed in the stove oven, putting in half 
an hour before the child goes to rest, so that not 
only the blanket but the bed will be warm ; and 
the little ones will not be shivering a long while, 
but nestle down and in a few minutes be fast 
asleep. The two children of the writer sleep, one 
in the trundle-bed, and one in the cradle, fastened 
as above described, and have never known what 
it was to sleep cold. None but a mother can know 
what a satisfaction it is, to be certain that her child is 
comfortable in a cold Winter night, and no fear of 
throwing off the covering, and laying the founda¬ 
tion j.or a fcc of sickness, and perhaps death.” 
Refrigerators—Economy in Ice. 
Ice is not merely a luxury but almost a necessity 
in the household, and in this season of scarcity, the 
greatest economy should be exercised in the use of 
it. Great improvements have been made in refrig¬ 
erators or ice chests, within a few years. In the 
old box refrigerator, where a lump of ice is put at 
the bottom, and the articles to be cooled placed 
over it, there is an unnecessary waste of ice. The 
provisions in this are cooled only by giving off or 
radiating their heat which is absorbed by the ice, 
and they, being at the top, are always in the warm¬ 
est part of the refrigerator. In several recent in¬ 
ventions the ice is placed at the upper part of the 
refrigerator and its contents are not only cooled 
by radiation, but also by a descending current of 
cold air which is passing over them. This current 
can not take place when the ice is below. We 
have upon our Exhibition Tables a model of a 
“Polar Refrigerator,” which has some excellent 
points. The box is divided into two compartments 
by a central ice chamber. This is made of corru¬ 
gated zinc, and wedge shaped with the larger end 
uppermost. The ice is placed at the top of this 
chamber upon a rack, and the water, which results 
from its melting, and which is still very cold, is re¬ 
tained in the lower part, where it can be drawn 
off for drinking. It is an advantage to have 
separate compartments in the refrigerator, as 
delicate fruits, butter, milk, etc., can be kept where 
they will not contract any unpleasant flavor from 
meats and other provisions. In the use of ice for 
cooling drinking water, a great saving is effected by 
the use of double ice pitchers. These are two me¬ 
tallic pitchers placed one within the other, and the 
intervening space filled with some non-conducting 
material. In cooling water in the ordinary way, 
we often use ice very wastefully. A pound of ice 
in small fragments will cool more than three lbs. 
of water from the ordinary Summer temperature, 
to 32° or ice-cold. It is not necessary to reduce 
the temperature of water so low as this, it being 
too cold either for comfort or health, and a much 
smaller quantity of ice than is generally used by 
most persons will make the water pleasantly cool. 
-- *-«———■—► «■- 
How to Fasten Corks. 
It is often very desirable to confine the corks of 
bottles more strongly than can be done by merely 
sealing them with wax. 
In bottling cider, spark¬ 
ling wine, etc., the gas 
evolved exerts a very 
strong pressure, some¬ 
times sufficient to burst 
the bottles, and the cork 
is easily forced out, if 
not tied down. Wire is 
sometimes used for this 
purpose, but stout twine 
properly put on, will be 
sufficient. The illustra- 
Fig. 1. tions show quite plainly 
the manner of doing this. A simple knot is first 
made, (Fig 1.), and the loop drawn upward to pass 
over the top of the cork. 
It is then placed around 
the neck, just below the 
projection, drawn tight, 
and the two ends are 
brought up over the 
cork, when .it can be 
readily tied, as shown in 
Fig. 2. If preferred, 
fine flexible wire can be 
used in the same way. 
This may seem like a 
small matter to illus¬ 
trate, but we consider 
nothing as unimportant 
which may prove of convenience to the house¬ 
keeper. We may here add what has often been 
stated, that we are always pleased to receive such 
suggestions and hints of contrivances which may 
not be generally known to young housekeepers. 
---■«# <Z> -►-=»--— 
“Splendid Jewelry!” 
The above words head an attractive advertise¬ 
ment, recently published in this City. The articles 
offered are said to be made of “ the celebrated 
Oreide Gold,” which “ has been found to work 
equal to pure gold. In finish and beauty they are 
equal, if not superior to the genuine article.” Fol¬ 
lowing this is a price list, from “ Gold ” watches at 
$10, down to “ Gold ” studs at $1. This is an at¬ 
tempt to obtain money under a wrong coloring. 
Oreide Gold, as it is called, is a cheap alloy of cop¬ 
per and zinc, worth little more than brass, but ca¬ 
pable of longer retaining a bright polish. In ap¬ 
pearance it somewhat resembles gold, but will ulti¬ 
mately tarnish like any base metal. So good is the 
imitation, however, that thousands of dollars have 
been realized from the sale of articles made from it. 
At first they were represented to be fine gold, and 
were distributed by “Gift Enterprise” establish¬ 
ments, until that game was played out. Now the 
attempt is made to palm off this cheap compound 
under a deceptive name. Fortunately the commu¬ 
nity have been somewhat enlightened as to the 
probability of obtaining a dollar’s worth of goods 
for a few cents, and the swindle will probably not 
be abundantly successful, at any rate, not among 
the readers of the American Agriculturist, we think. 
The cheap jewelry manufacturers have much to 
answer for, not only on account of the deceptions 
practised in the business, but because of the incite¬ 
ment given to a love of display, which was already 
a. sufficiently prominent national characteristic. 
Young persons now-a-days are seen glittering with 
shining ornaments, which might provoke the envy 
of the Squaws of our Western wilds, or the un¬ 
tamed negroes of Central Africa, but which only ex¬ 
cite disgust in the minds of persons of good taste. 
There is no rational objection to personal adorn¬ 
ment. The Almighty intended man to be the most 
beautiful of all earthly creations. But the addition 
of a profusion of shining metal, or sparkling stones 
is no improvement to beauty. A plain ring, a neat 
pin, or some inconspicuous ornamental keepsake 
maybe admissible, but any jewelry or other articles 
which attract attention from the wearer, thereby 
demean him into a mere walking show caste for the 
manufacturers’ wares. No trinkets can make a 
homely face beautiful, but modesty, patience, kind¬ 
liness and all virtues will add charms of surer and 
more lasting attraction. 
- - «» -<-- — ■ ■ - . 
For the American Agriculturist. 
How to Polish Shirt Bosoms. 
1 was somewhat amused by the letter from a 
young housekeeper, Mrs. Pry. As she feels desir¬ 
ous to make her husband’s shirts, bosoms and col¬ 
lars look nice, I will endeavor to tell her how my 
wife does up mine. The first thing is to wash them 
clean, then starch them thoroughly with the best of 
starch. A little pure spermaceti or dissolved gum 
arabic in the starch will improve it, but have the 
starch thick, and work it into the linen thoroughly. 
When in a proper condition, use the common sad 
iron to smooth them, and get them in proper shape, 
the same as though they were not to be polished, 
I would here say that you can not polish linen on a 
soft cloth. Take a piece of hard wood (I use birch) 
say 10x14 inches, or size of a shirt bosom, and plane 
it even and smooth. When you use the polishing- 
iron lay the linen on that, without any cloth under¬ 
neath ; a liberal supply of elbow grease is indispen¬ 
sable to make the things look first-rate. Now for 
the polishing iron. We use McCoy’s Patent. I 
have seen several kinds, but I like this the best. 
You can not polish with an iron with a flat face; the 
one I use is made something like asmall shoe, with 
a round heel on both ends, nicely polished, and care 
should be had to keep it so, if you wish to have 
your linen look well. The linen we buy at the 
stores, is polished by men, or machinery, which 
gives it a finer polish than can usually be given by 
females. But if Mrs. Pry will get a good polishing- 
iron, and follow the directions as given, she will not 
feel ashamed of her husband’s bosoms and collars. 
Cumberland County , Me. Benj. Furbish. 
■ 4 - -mra -® Ease——»-Cs -- 
“What to Bo with the Rats?” 
In answer to this question in the April Agricul¬ 
turist, I would say, do as a friend of mine did when 
he found his newly-purchased house and stable in¬ 
fested with these destructive animals. Mix equal 
quantities of plaster and Indian meal, and put 
where they can get it, and they will devour it 
greedily. It will make them thirsty and they will 
seek water, which brings on an indigestion. My 
friend found them, in the morning, lying in heaps 
by the gutters. In the country it would be well to 
put water where they could get it easily, so that 
they need not rush to the wells. This appears to be 
the safest and most effectual way of managing them. 
Westchester Co., N. Y. E. D. Reed. 
[Plaster is wholly inert, and if useful as a rat do- 
stroyer it must act mechanically, by hardening into 
lumps inside the “ critters,” and of course the burn¬ 
ed plaster such as is used by stereotypers, plasterers, 
stucco workers, etc., must be fed with the meal. If 
the rats will eat enough of it with meal, to make a 
respectable boulder inside, it will probably be effec¬ 
tual. Plaster is cheap and can be easily tried. The 
common ground field plaster will not harden with 
water.—This rat remedy reminds us of the great 
stories told “ out west,” when plaster first came into 
