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I 
THE ART OF TYING KNOTS. 
The knack of tying a good strong knot in 
heavy rope, or even in lighter cord, is so 
handy in many professions that we make no 
apology for devoting a large space to the 
subject. For illustrations of the explana¬ 
tions here given, see accompanying cut. 
1 and 2 are simple loops, showing the ele¬ 
ments of the simplest knot. 3. Simple knot 
commenced. 4. The same completed. 6. 
Flemish knot commenced. 0. The same 
completed. 7. Rope knot commenced. 8. 
Rope knot completed. 9. Double knot com¬ 
menced. 10. The same completed. 11, 
Double knot, back view. 12. Six-fold knot 
commenced. 
13. The same completed. This is closed 
or “ nipped,” draw- 
except with a marlin spike. 41. Running 
knot with two ends, with a check knot (to 
the running loops) which can be untied by 
drawing both ends of the cord. 42. Run¬ 
ning knot with two ends, fixed by a double 
Flemish. When an object is to be encircled 
by this knot, pass the end, on which the 
check knot is to be, through the cords before 
they are drawn tight. This requires a deal 
of practice. 
43. Ordinary twist knot. 44. Double. 45. 
Form of loop for builder’s knot. 45“ Build¬ 
er’s knot finished, used by workmen in 
securing building materials. 47. Double 
builder’s knot.. 48. Weaver’s knot. On the 
small scale, lay the ends of the two cords to 
be united between the thumb and first linger 
of the left hand, the right hand end under¬ 
most; pass the right hand cord back over 
the thumb to form a loop, and bring it back 
under the thumb and hold it fast. Now put 
the end of the upper or left hand cord over 
the best looking ones are the best; not only 
“ handsome is that handsome does,” but 
“handsome docs that handsome is.” The 
neatest knot, in short, is almost without ex¬ 
ception the most serviceable, most quickly 
tied, and most quickly untied. 
--— ■ + +■ + ■ ——- 
USEFUL AND SCIENTIFIC NOTES. 
Wliat Music Docs to Wood. 
Some authorities contend that the wood 
of the violin becomes changed in structure 
uller being played upon, and is reconstruct¬ 
ed on a liner principle, and for this reason a 
very old violin that has been well treated by 
refined playing can hardly bo bought, be¬ 
cause it has yielded up its original coarse¬ 
ness and obeys a divine law. When Ole 
Bom. wished to repair his violin, he waited 
till one day some accident in the orchestra 
killed the double bass, when he secured 
a portion of the wood to incorporate in his 
lonwstic Kcoixomii. 
CONDUCTED KY MAUY A. E. WAGEK. 
DOMESTIC CHIT-CHAT. 
ing thv two ends with 
equal force. 14. A 
“ boat” knot, made 
with the aid of a 
stick. This is a good 
knot for handling 
weights which may 
want instant detach¬ 
ment. Lift the weight 
very slightly, push 
out the stick, and die 
knot is untied. 15. 
Simple hitch (or 
double) used in ma¬ 
king loop holes, 16. 
Loop knot com¬ 
menced. 17. Loop 
knot finished. 18. 
Flemish loo p or 
“ Dutch" double knot. 
19. Running knot. 
20. Running knot 
to hold; the cud 
knot nearest the bend 
of the rope is the 
check knot. 21. Run¬ 
ning knot “ checked.” 
22. Double loop for 
twist knot. 23. The 
twist knot completed. 
It is made by taking 
a half turn on both 
the right hand and 
left hand cords and 
passing the end 
through the “bight” 
so made. 
24. Chain knot, a 
scries of loops. The 
end of the cord is 
fastened, a simple loop 
made and passed over 
the left hand, the 
right hand retaining 
hold of the free end. 
The left hand then 
Variety of lleds and Betldintr. 
Our "feather bed” blast struck as sharp 
on the hearts of our readers as did “ Troubled 
Martha’s ” letter, so that the numerous 
affirmative responses that have come to this 
office have so aroused the wrath of one of 
the great Editorial Moguls, as to cause hint 
to declare the “ leather bed communications 
to be us great a nuisance as the feather beds 
themselves.” But that is just like a man! 
Every one of them needs to be taught pa¬ 
tience. Ah for us, when wo say anything our 
readers like, we hall their applause with de¬ 
light. Bo send as many letters as you like, 
mans, we believe, make use of geese feath¬ 
ers tor comfortables, and in order to keep the 
feathers in the middle of the cover, the two 
sides of the cover are sewed together nearly 
bull a yard from (lie border, all around. 
Otherwise llie leathers lie loose precisely as 
in a “ feather bed.” If made of down, the 
weight of the quilt should not exceed three 
or four pounds. If of leathers, from five to 
eight, pounds. 
In England down is being manufactured 
in a variety of ways—bed spreads, under¬ 
skirts, overskirts quilted in satin, vests, etc., 
are lined with down and quilled so that 
they are washed with the same ease ns if 
lined with cotton. Eider down,lit its best 
condition is a somewhat expensive article. 
It is largely brought from Iceland and other 
northern shores where the said nrfic duel; 
abounds, and is sob 
per pound. 
[The Managing 
here for liltecn dollars 
KNOTS. 
seizes the cord above the right and draws 
a loop through the loop already formed; 
the left then finishes the knot by drawing 
it tight. This is repeated until you have all 
the knot wanted, when it is secured by pass¬ 
ing the free end entirely through the last 
loop. This is a kind of knot much in 
vogue for the knotting of leather whip 
lashes, etc. It is very convenient. 
25. Double chain. 26. Double chain se¬ 
cured and pulled out as when in use. Notice 
the mode in which the end is thrust through 
the last loop. 
27. Lark’s head ; useful to sailors ns a moor¬ 
ing knot. 28. The same double looped. 29. 
The same on a ring of a boat. The advan¬ 
tage of instant release by the use of the 
stick has been noted in No. 14. 
30. A treble lark’s head. First tic a single 
lark’s head, and then divide the two ends 
and use each singly, as shown in the cut. 
31. Simple boat knot with one turn. 
32. Crossed running knot, strong and 
handy. Looks difficult, but by taking a 
cord one-eighth of an inch in diameter and 
tying the same two or three times with the 
picture, you will find no difficulty In master¬ 
ing it. It is a common knot in some parts 
of the country. 83. A knotted loop for end 
of rope. Use various, to prevent the end of 
the rope from slipping, etc. Very readily 
untied. 34. Simple (lashing) knot com¬ 
menced. 85. The same finished. (See 51.) 
jlu making 34 it is necessary to hold the 
simple knot, as shown in 33, by some pres¬ 
sure on the knot until it is ready to draw 
tight for the finish. 36. Is the same knot 
with two turns, sometimes called a rosette. 
This is very easily untied, as will he seen by 
tracing the loose ends back in the illustration. 
37. Knot with single turn; unties as easily 
a s 36, but the “strands,” that is to say, all 
parts of the knot must be laid as in the' true 
or reef knot (see 50 and 51) or a “granny" 
knot will be produced which will not hold. 
0|ie who ties this knot well will he master 
‘4 this art. 38. Timber hitch or clip knot, 
with double hitch. The greater the strain 
die tighter this knot will hold. It looks as 
4 it might give wav, but it will not. 39. 
Running knot with two ends. 40. The same 
’dth check knot, which cannot be opened 
the right hand cord and through the loop. 
Catch it with thumb and finger of the loll 
hand and tighten by drawing the right hand. 
49. Weaver’s knot completed. 60. True or 
reel knot commenced. 51. The same com¬ 
pleted. Useful for small ropes, but if ropes 
are unequal in size, it is apt tr> draw out into 
the shape shown by 02. To obviate this, 
the two ends issuing from each side of the 
knot are whipped or lashed together. 53. A 
“granny” knot, the ends not lying along¬ 
side of each other. 54. Granny knot with a 
strain in it, showing its uselessness. 55, 56, 
57. Commencement, finished front view, and 
finished back view. This is a common knot. 
1 he two ends to be united are seized to¬ 
gether and tied in a common simple knot. 
This, will not untie or slip, but ir the strain is 
great, the rope is apt to part at one side of 
the knot. Tt is a rough and awkward knot, 
but useful mi account of Lhc quickness with 
Which it can be tied. 
58. And the ordinary knot, the ends used 
separately. 59. The same knot open. This 
\iiot is made by making No. 3 on one rope, 
holding it open so that We can pass the end 
of the other cord through the first loop of 
the last, making it with a second loop ; then 
draw it tight. It is a strong, ship-shape 
knot, and can lie further strengthened by 
’ashing the two ends together. 60 and 61. 
Knot used for the same purpose as the sim¬ 
ple Flemish. 60 is the lightened or finished 
knot. 62. English knot commenced. 08. 
English knot tightened (front view). 64. 
English knot tightened (back view). 65. 
Spice, x\ith two ties. 60. Shortening bv 
loops mid turns where the end of the rope 
is free. 
67. Shortening knot, can he used when 
either end is free. 68. The same, with double 
bend and lies. 69. The same, passing 
through the knots. 70. Another method of 
shortening, called making a “ sheep shank” 
or dog shank. Unsafe unless the shank (the 
loose loop) is attached to the contiguous rope 
by a stout “seizing,” that is a cord lied 
around it, 71. Shows a dog shank that will 
bold without seizing. From 73 to 84 explain 
themselves without especial allusion to them. 
It is only necessary to remark in conclusion 
what is true of knots, if not of men, that 
instrument. Military music converts men 
from a mob into a machine, and subjects 
their wills to the purpose of one enthusiastic 
moment. 
Cure of lira sites. 
Brushes used for applying finishing vnr- 
nishes should he cared for with the utmost 
pains, ns good work depends much upon tlie 
good condition of the brushes. A good way 
to keep them is to suspend them by the 
handles in a covered can, keeping the points 
at least half an inch from the bottom, and 
apart from each other. The can should be 
filled with slow drying varnish up to a line 
about a sixteenth of ail inch above the bris¬ 
tles or hair. The can should then he kept 
in a close cupboard, or in a box fitted for the 1 
purpose. 
As wiping a brush on a sharp edge of tin 
will gradually split the bristles, cause them 
to curl backward, and eventually ruin the 
brush, the top ol’ the can should have a wire 
soldered along the edge, or the edge of tin 
turned over, in order to prevent injury. Fin¬ 
ishing brushes should not be cleansed in tur¬ 
pentine, except in extreme cases. When 
taken from the can prepare them for use by 
working them out in varnish, and before re¬ 
placing them cleanse the handles and bind¬ 
ing with turpentine. 
Criiidina Tools. 
Plane irons should be ground to a bevel 
of about thirty-five degrees —chisels and 
gouges to thirty. Turning chisels may some¬ 
times run to an angle of forty-five. Molding 
tools, such as are used for ivory and for very 
bard wood, are made at from fifty to sixty 
degrees. Tools for working iron and steel 
arc 1 leveled at, an inclination to the edge of 
from sixty to seventy degrees, and for cut¬ 
ting gun and similar metal range from eighty 
to ninety. 
The Mn ii Wlio Invented Lucifer Matches. 
The Scientific American says;—“ The man 
who first made 1 lucifer matches’ in this 
country, was the late Thomas Sanford of 
Wood bridge, Conn., who might have been a 
millionaire, had he joined in an application 
for a patent, as solicited by other parties, 
which would have given them a monopoly 
of the manufacture.” 
and express your feelings fully, but with as 
much brevity as possible. 
A lady writing from the central part of 
this State, among other commendations of 
the anti-feather couches, says she keeps one 
leather hod for the accommodation of visitors, 
who prefer such a bed ; that, she likes straw 
and husks very much, but.desires further in¬ 
formation in regard to materials for beds, 
which cun he utilized at home. 
Mattresses are made of u vegetable sub¬ 
stance called 
SjmniiHli Mohs, 
which hangs in great pendant profusion on 
trees in the South. It costs at, retail, from 
eighteen to twenty cents per pound, and 
about fifty pounds are required for n full bed. 
It is shipped in bales, and probably can be 
bad at much less cost by the wholesale; so 
•hat several families clubbing together, could 
obtain It itl, reduced prices. 
Slimli! v m. Double llrdx. 
We wish also to enter a protest against t he 
double lied system. If two individuals must 
sleep in the sumo apartment, let the evil he 
modified by furnishing separate beds. Health 
and self-respect both demand it. Further¬ 
more, in regard to bed ding material, let those 
of our readers who have tested the varieties 
in market, give us their opinions. 
A Hill lei- Worker. 
The same correspondent asks for a “ good 
butter worker, that will take the butter from 
thq churn, wash, salt and work it without 
the aid of a butter bowl.” If any such in¬ 
vention is in practical shape, the owner there¬ 
of is invited to exhibit his machine through 
the medium of this paper. 
Hi ol n for mi A*li Floor. 
is also asked for — something that will not 
wear off* quickly like paint. Can any one 
Editor of the Rural 
New-Yorker wants 
to tell a story here, 
(without the knowl¬ 
edge or consent, of the 
Conducting Editor of 
this Department.) One 
hot July day, in 1856, 
he found himself, ut 
sundown, in among 
the mountains of the 
Blue Ridge, south¬ 
west of Lynchburg, 
Vn., and far from any 
hotel. Both his home 
and himself were 
tired; the shadows 
of the mountains 
brought on premature 
darkness in the val¬ 
leys through which 
his route lay, and he 
determined to halt at 
the first place he coiikl 
find food mid shelter 
for the night. A log- 
hut and a group of 
whitewashed cabins 
in a pret ty lit tle valley 
was the first promis¬ 
ing place. I le stopped. 
The proprietor was a 
Yankee, who had 
married a Southern 
born descendant of the 
Pennsylvania Dutch. 
The hospitalities of 
the hut were freely 
proffered. Bed lime 
came, mid the host 
said that his wife was 
absent, and tbu editor 
would have to share 
liis bed. The bed 
looked luxurious. It 
was a feather bed, but 
it was a hot July 
night! Disrobing first, 
give the desired information ? 
Peutlior Hpi-emln. 
A Farmer’s Wipe, writing from Michi¬ 
gan, asks “ how to make feather or down 
spreads for bed covering? Should they be 
tied the same as comfortables or not ? ilnw 
ninny pounds of feathers required for one 
spread ?” 
Spreads of eider down and purified geese 
down are loosely tied, like comfortables, 
I only the knots are a foot apart. The Ger- 
the host, got into bed upon the straw tick 
and under the huge feather bed / We looked 
our astonishment! He saw, and said :—“(), 
I see! You sleep on feathers. 1 need to, 
but my wife taught me her custom—to sleep 
under them, and I find it more healthful and 
comfortable both in hot and cold weather.” 
Nothing loth to try an experiment, we slept 
under feathers that night, mid rested sweet 
ly. Let these " feather-bed iiiiisutice’’-de- 
clarcrs try the experiment next time !J 
Onr Child' lor Pillows. 
A dear woman writing from the Badger 
State, (who wishes her name withheld, (we 
shall remember it, however,) among other 
good things, says: — “ The best pillows I 
ever saw were made of oat chaff. Mv 
brother said he owed his life to the chaff 
pillows, as he could never have recovered 
from an attack of bilious fever, had he been 
obliged to lay his poor, aching head upon a 
warm feather pillow. * * * I cannot 
see anything comfortable in the large, fash¬ 
ionable pillows. One would suppose they 
would produce the same result upon the 
form as the ‘ Grecian Bend’ heels." 
We never supposed the “ fashionable pil¬ 
lows” were designed for comfort, or even 
use for that matter, as we never knew any¬ 
body to sleep mi one. So fur as our own 
observation has extended, they have been 
treated with the same tender affection us 
that lavished on the feather bed. We hope 
the lady friend you mention as having passed 
so sleepless a night because she was afraid 
to offend licr hostess by reconstructing her 
bed, has taken a new lease of courage by this 
time, and will never again be afraid of 
" humming around.” 
-— - »♦» 
UiihU. 
In reply to “Nettie’s” request, I send 
our recipe:—One cup of sugar, half cup of 
butler, one egg, half cup of yeast, one and a- 
lialf tumblers of sweet, milk; sponge over 
night, and mix the same ns biscuit. 
H ye nu«t Indian flr<-nl<fn*r Cake. 
One cup of sonr cream, one tenspoonful 
of soda, one egg, one lump of butter size of 
a lien’s egg, a small teacupful of sugar, oue 
cup of rye flour, and one cup of Indian 
meal; make and bake as stirred cake.— l. 
