“Che RURAL NEW-YORKER 
579 
Simple Science 
By Dr. F. D. Crane 
Waterproofing Fabrics 
What is the best preparation to apply 
to canvas wagon covers, stack covers, 
hay caps, etc., to make them waterproof 
and more durable? n. A. p. 
Virginia. 
AVe do not know what is “best” be¬ 
cause so much depends on the way the 
things are handled after treatment. A 
thin coat of linseed oil is very good, but 
the stuff treated is apt to crack at the 
folds. A coat of very thin glu(? followed 
by a wash of dilute bichromate of soda 
i^ often used, but that also is brittle in 
time. In fact you can see for yourself 
that anything which will so fill the min¬ 
ute holes in between the threads of the 
cloth that water cannot go through will 
also make the cloth stiff and brittle. If 
the treating can be handled so there i.s 
no danger of fire Avhile it is being done, 
and for a time after, paraffin dissolved in 
pisoline, or kerosene if you can wait for 
it to dry. and painted on jives ■ water¬ 
proof effect, is very cheap, an : should 
fCCCilMR 
Reproduced from New York Dvening Telegram 
last at least a year, while it does not 
tender the libers or stiffen them so that 
they break_ easily. But it must be re¬ 
newed in time. And smoking is “contra 
indicated" as the doctors say while the 
job is being done. 
Dyeing With Logwood and Copperas 
IIow can I dye silk or cotton with 
logwood and copperas? E. C4. n. 
New York. 
Bear in mind that dyeing is an art as 
well as a science. The first recipe is for 
one pound of cotton, but nothing at all 
is said as to the amount of water, pre- 
sunmbly that good old unit of quantity 
“enough” i.s intended. Ilain water must 
be u.sed unless your well water is very 
soft indeed. 
Clean the goods well by a thorough 
boil in strong soap or weak lye and 
rinse well. Take one-half iKuind of 
sumac, wood and bark, in chips .and boil 
one-half hour, steep in this 1” hours. 
Dip in lime water one-half hour. Add 
to the sumac liquor one and one-half 
ounces of copperas, dip one luiur. Dip 
in lime water one-quarter hour. _ Take 
one-half pound logwood chips, boil one 
hour, dip for three hours. Add one-half 
ounce bichromate of potash to the log¬ 
wood liquor, dij) one hour. AVash in 
clean water, dry in the shade. 
The silk recipe looks easier; better 
mark the height of the mix in the kettle 
before boiling and bring back to the 
same, after the half hour, with soft 
water. Take two gallons vinegar, two 
popnds of copperas, two pound.s of log¬ 
wood chips and two ounces of bruised 
nutgalls and boil for one-half hour. 
Drain off and boil the gocals in the liquor 
till the desired shade is reached, rinse in 
clean water and dry. 
Electric Action in Eaves Trough 
I have been informed that to connect 
iron eaves troughs with copi>er spouts is 
likely to destroy the iron by electric 
action, is this correct? IIow can they 
be connected to prevent it? C. c. T. 
Pennsylvania. 
It is so, sooner or later the iron will 
go, the speed of destruction depending on 
the sort of connection, frequency of wet¬ 
ting, etc. Any sort of phy.sioal connec¬ 
tion, if wet or damp from time to time, 
will help the bad work along. Any non- 
metal connection, if always dry. will 
prevent it. Even a thin layer of air 
will prevent trouble. A coat of thick 
lar. applied hot, might work well. 
Making'^Cider Vinegar 
Does cider for vinegar have to be 
drawn from one barrel to another when 
it is moved from one place to another? 
New York. S. R. 
It will probably be better vinegar if 
it is drawn into and carried in clean 
b.arrels, especially if some first class vin¬ 
egar is added, to start a proper trans¬ 
formation into vinegar. The reason is 
that various germs that will make trouble 
are likely to be hanging ,around in the 
original barrels above the surface of the 
“hard cider,” and if these get washed 
down into it, the “mother of vinegar.” 
(which is a plant that eats alcohol and 
turns it into acetic acid), does not do 
as well as it should. 
Mending Rubbers and Iron Pails 
Can any of your readers tell the best 
way to mend rubbers, to mend iron pails, 
and to dissolve rubber? ^Y. yi. 
Maine. 
There are dozens of mixtures for mend¬ 
ing or cementing rubbers, but we have 
yet to learn of one th;it is worth the 
time taken to apply it. For the most 
part the makers put in just as little 
true rubber as they can. But if there 
is a fair amount of rubber present in 
the fabric, the hole can often be treated 
like a rubber tire, by hot A'ulcanization, 
if the boot or shoe is worth it. 
If by “iron pails” you mean tinned 
ii'ou, the part around the hole should be 
made very clean, “tinned” with solder 
and a zinc chloride ffux, and re-.soldered. 
This will also do for a sheet iron pail if 
well done. 
Rubber is more or less soluble in sev¬ 
eral light oils and benzol, but the best 
solvent for the amateur is carbon bi¬ 
sulphide, (keep from flame 1, but a good 
job is hard to do. it needs heating under 
pressure. Better buy a tube of “rubber 
cement” at a bicycle or auto repair shop. 
A Test for Gold 
I wotild like to mak(' a private test 
of assaying. I knew the acid or chemi¬ 
cal used in detecting gold from iron py¬ 
rites years ago. but have forgotten. Aly 
husband has an arch built of stone's 
.around the cooker where he boils feed 
for his hogs. One of the stones fell into 
the fire, and on looking in the next day 
he was suri)rised to find a large stone 
broken with the heat, very full and rich 
with particles of what appears to be fine 
pure gold. Of course, if there is gold 
present in this part of the country, I 
would like to find it out. I have had 
samples of gold ore before, but I do not 
wish to go to any expense in getting 
some one else to assay for me, as I 
might be disappointed. It might be false 
gold or iron pyrites; but if it is, aj)- 
pearances must be very deceitful. flo 
I wish to make my own test without 
going to any expense, if I can. If I 
remember right some chemical, such as 
sulphuric acid or cyanide is poured over 
the particles in a glass tube. G. 
Michigan. 
The chances are pretty slim that yon 
have struck a gold mine, still, the stuff 
has turned up in unexpected places, and 
everything is worth a trial. The acid 
you have in mind is nitric, but you need 
the strongest sort, and sometime's that is 
hard to get in small amounts, it is so 
very dangerous and poisonous that care¬ 
ful druggists are apt to ask many ques¬ 
tions as to the intended use. before dis¬ 
pensing it, and prefer to put out the 
dilut(' solution. If you can get it at all 
it should not be expensive, the few drtii)s 
you would need should not cost over ]() 
cents. But before you get it. try a 
few simpler tests. 
First, look at those j'ellow things 
with a magnifying glass if you h.-ive one. 
If they are little cubes, or even approx¬ 
imately square, they are pyrites, in all 
probability. 
■.Second, pry some out and put on tin* 
bottom of a flatii’on. hammer gently 
with a clean-faced hammer. If they go 
fairly readily to powder, they are prob¬ 
ably pyrites; if they fiatten down like 
shot would do, they may be gold. 
Third, heat the small coal shovel or 
other clean iron plate red hot. and, hold¬ 
ing it flat, sprinkle on the result of the 
above test. If the powder is pyrites, you 
will get the sulphur smell, and when cool 
a reddish or rusty powder will renuiin, 
if you get no marked smell and little 
bright beads there may be gtdd present. 
Fourth, put some of the result from 
the pounding test in a clear drinking 
glass, yon do not need .a regular test 
tube for this, and pour on a few droi)S 
of nitric acid, the strongest you can get. 
If, after several days’ standing, on add¬ 
ing water and pouring off the acid .sev¬ 
eral times, there is .still a bright powder, 
the case is worth a little further look- 
in. and you can write us again about it. 
In case there is a large deposit of the 
material, even if it is pyrites, it might 
be worth following up. as that has a 
market value Avhen it carries a little 
copper, but this can only be told by an 
analysis which you cau probably' not 
make. 
AA^’iiat do you think of the idea of cen- 
soi’ship?” “It’s great.” replied Mr. 
Growcher. “I hope we’ll have all kinds 
and plenty. AAHien my wife and children 
ask me any more questions about in¬ 
ternational difficulties. I want to be able 
to look wise and say I da’sn’t tell."— 
AA’'ashingtou Star. 
Any oil Ordinary oil Veedol 
before use after use after use 
Scientist finds way to save 
friction in gasoline engines 
60c to make test will save you over $50 a year 
The greatest cause of friction in 
your automobile or tractor engine is 
sediment in the oil. 
The center bottle shows the amount 
of black sediment in ordinary auto¬ 
mobile c;l afte” 500 miles of use. 
Sediment is caused by heat. The 
temperature of any engine ranges 
from 200® to 1000®. This terrific heat 
breaks down all ordinary oil, causing 
sediment and friction. 
Damage is permanent 
Oil that contains a large amount of 
sediment causes friction and wear. 
That is because the sediment takes 
the place of the liquid oil. Then the 
metal to metal surfaces are pressed 
into each other and the microscopic 
teeth grab and cut. 
Damage caused in this way cannot 
be repaired. Sooner or later you must 
throw away the worn parts and buy 
new ones. 
How scientist saves friction 
Mr. F. E. Faulkner, of the Platt 
& Washburn Refining Company, has 
discovered a way to eliminate almost 
all sediment and save friction. 
Notice the sediment test illustrated 
above. It shows 50% of sediment in 
ordinary oil, as against 5% or 6% in 
Veedol —over seven times as much 
in the ordinary oil as in Veedol I 
This is the best test of a lubricant's 
efficiency. It is used and endorsed 
by the U. S. Bureau of Standards. 
Veedol is unlike ordinary oil because 
it is made by the I’aulkner Process, 
This new discovery, used exclusively 
by this company, gives Veedol its 
remarkable heat-resisting and wear- 
resisting properties. 
Veedol resists heat—does not evapo¬ 
rate rapidly — does not carbonize if 
your motor is in good condition—and 
reduces sediment 86%. This means 
that by using Veedol, you will save 
friction and wear, and greatly reduce 
your operating expenses. 
60c to make test will 
save you over $50 a year 
For 60c more than the cost of or¬ 
dinary oil, you can buy five gallons 
of Veedol — enough to run 2,000 to 
5,000 miles. So you cau easily com¬ 
pare operating costs. 
Make the test as follows: Clean out 
the crank case of your engine. Fill it 
with kerosene. Run your motor SO 
8»conds under its own power. Draw 
out all kerosene and refill with Veedol. 
Then make a test run over a famil¬ 
iar road, including steep hills and 
straight, level stretches. 
Since sediment is the greatest cause of 
friction, when you eliminate of the sed¬ 
iment, you save wear and expense. 
The road test will prove this. You will 
find that your motor has acquired new 
pick-up and hill-climbing ability. It will 
have less vibration and will give greater 
gasoline mileage. That is due to the sav¬ 
ing of friction. 
Users of Veedol find that these savings 
average from $50 to $115 a year. 
Veedol is the ideal lubricant for all gasoline 
engines — automobile, motor boat, tractor and 
stationary engines. One test will prove to you 
the efficiency of this wonderful heat-resisting 
I ubricant. 
Buy Veedol Today 
Over 12,000 dealers sell Veedol. Each dealer 
has a Veedol Lubrication Chart which specifies 
the correct grade of Veedol for your car or 
tractor for both Summer and Winter use. If 
you cannot get Veedol, write for name of dealer 
who can supply you. Buy a can of Veedol today 
—begin now to get full efficiency from your car. 
A convenient 
pouring device is 
supplied with each 
metal container. 
Supplied in— 
Sealed Cans 
^-gal.,l-gaI.,6KalB. 
Steel Drums 
l.'-gals., 23-gal3., 
63-gal3. 
Oak Barrels 
28-gal3., 60-gals. 
Guaran teed when 
sold in the original 
package. 
Veedol 
» PCMHSYLVANIA BASC 
1”' I-UBRICANT 
fHAT RESISTS HEAT 
' PROCESS • 
Send 10c lor 80-page Book 
Send 10c for our new 80-t/age book on the construc¬ 
tion and lubrication of automobiles, motor boats, trac- 
tore and stationary engines. No other book at any 
price contains as much information on this subject. 
PLATT & WASHBURN REFINING COMPANY 
1833 Bowling Green Building New York 
Use Grease of Tested Quality 
The Sediment Test shows you how far Veedol 
excels ordinary oil; Veedol Grease is equally 
superior to ordinary grease. 
There is a Veedol Grease for every purpose 
1. Veedol Cup Grease, where the housings are 
2. Veedol Graphite wottight 
Grease— For general 4. Veedol Trans-Geab 
lubrication, springs OlL-For gears enclosed 
and water pump. in tight housings. 
3. Veedol Trans-Gear 
Compound—F or gears 
For washing your car try 
Keal, the new aoap. 
