February, 1910 
For the Ladies. 
Home Wrinkles Worth 
Remembering. 
There are a number of little-known 
facts which often might be a great use. 
For instance, it is quite easy to settle at 
the breakfast table what the day’s weather 
will be, according to a man of science who 
has been studying the phenomena obser- 
ved when a piece of sugar is placed in a 
cup of coffee, and the relations existing 
between these and the then prevailing 
weather conditions. 
If a piece of sugar is allowed to dissclve 
slowly, without stiring the coffee, a con- 
siderable number of air bubbles will rise 
to the surface stay there. 
Should these bubbles form a frothy mass 
in the centre of the cup, it is safe to rely 
op a continuance of fine, clear weather. 
Should the froth collect in a ring around 
the edge of the cup, showery weather is 
to be expected. Small masses of bubbles 
between the centre and the rim are indica- 
tive of changeable weather ; should these 
masses jall make for one point at the 
rim without any separation, it is tolerably 
certain that a heavy rainfall is imminent. 
— Homely Weather Wisdom. -— 
and will 
Tt is quite easy to foretell the weather 
by the humming of the telegraph wires, 
after a Jittle practise. In fact, the method 
is so delicate that the humming of wires 
running east and west presages a fall of 
temperature of ten or twelve hours be- 
fore it is marked by the thermometer. 
On the other hand, a similar humming of 
wires running north and south’ foretells 
arise of temperature, ee 
Tt is also quite possible to use the 
telephone as a highly delicate barometer. 
This is done by planting twoiron rods 
ofa distance of about twenty feet one 
from the other, and connecting the 
‘wires with the telephone. Every eight 
for ten days the soil in which the rods 
stand must be well soaked with a solution 
“of ammonium hydrochlorate. Then it 
will be quite possible to forecast the 
THE AUSTRALIAN GARDENER. 
weather at least twelve hours in aivance 
and far more accurately than with any 
barometer. If when listening at the 
telephone acrackling or pattering noise 
is heard sounding like hailstones falling 
on aroof, itis certain thst a rain storm 
is not far distant. A low murmuring 
sound foretells of a sudden change in the 
temperature. 
— About, Boots, Wicks, and Eggs, — 
But there are all sorts of little tips 
useful in the home. For instance, the 
skinsJof bananas are reallyfexcellent in 
the cleaning of tan boots, and yielda 
very fine polish. The safety of the ordi- 
nary oil-lamp is vastly increased by care- 
fully boiling the wicks in weak vinegar 
every week. 
A very simple method of finding out. 
the age of an egg is by means of the air- 
space which will be found towards the 
broad end of the sheli. Itis easy to 
discern this air-space by holding up the 
egg between the hands before the light in a 
dark room, and by its size to determine 
the age of the egg. When the egg is 
perfectly fresh the air-space is very small ; 
but as the age increses the space extends, 
until, when the egg is three weeks old, 
the air-space occupies abont one-sixth of 
the With a_ little 
pructice the age can be told with tolerable 
entire contests. 
accuracy. 
One of the best insecticide for use in 
the household is an ordinary newspaper. 
The cheaper the newspaper is, so much the 
better. Printer’s ink is especially detes- 
table to insects, and when woollen things 
are wrapped in newspapers they are cer- 
tain to be free from the attaction of the 
dreaded moth. 
— Cleaning the Chimney. — 
The house chimneys may be cleaned in 
‘avery cheap manner, and overstepping 
the law by setting firo to them may no 
longer be feared. Empty zine or tincans 
should be preserved, in order that they 
may be utilised when necessary in clean- 
ing the chimneys A cocoa-tin or any 
other sort of tin can, willdo. The cans 
“should be placed on the fire. and they 
will take about two or three days to 
disappear entirely, The fumes from the 
33 
tin have the peculiar property of prevent- 
ing an accumulation of soot. At the 
end of a fortnight it will be discovered 
that the flues of a close kitchen range will 
have only a little dust in them, instead of 
the usual heap of soot. 
— Carrots. — 
The prosiac carrot is also very useful 
apart from its edible qualities. If the 
green part is cnt off low and the carrot is 
sliced off at about a half an inch below 
the root, it will form an excellent table 
The tops should be placed on’ 
pots of silver sand and kep¢ moist.’ 
decoration, 
- Then a very pretty fern-like plant will 
shoot up, which will form an effective 
table decoration, . 
— Collar Studs. — 
Most of us have experienced the diffi- 
culty of getting a stud through a collar 
buttonhole, but the process becomes. 
remarkably simple by adopting the 
following method. The finger should be. 
damped, preferably with warm water, and 
placed behind the buttonhole for a second 
or two. The stud will then slip through 
the hole in the easiest fashion imaginable. 
When there are ‘no scissors handy, a wax 
match may be used for collars or cuffs. 
that are frayed. 
— Money Always Hn yes 
Many valuable lives would have 
been saved if a halfpenny had been used 
in cases of the bursting of a varicose: 
vein, In such a case ‘t is perfectly use- 
léss binding up the place with rag or cloths 
as the bleeding will still continue, and 
the cloths will simply soak up the blood. 
A halfpenny wrapped in a handkerchief 
and tied tightly over the wound will stop 
bleeding in any case. or a three penny 
may be placed over the spot where the 
blood issues, and then should be tied 
around tightly. 
-— Worth Remembering. — 
There is one hint which shonld not be 
forgotten in these days of electricity 
accidents, In the event of a cable break- 
ing, such as the overhead cable of an 
electric tramway, an ordinary tobacco- 
pouch becomes very valuable. The pouch 
