Furniture Polish (i). — Make a mixture of three parts linseed-oil and one part spirits of turpentine ; it not only covers the disfigured sur- face, but restores wood to its original color, and leaves a lustre upon the surface. Put on with a woollen cloth, and when dry rub with woollen. Furniture Polish (2). — Beeswax, half a pound ; alkanet-root, quarter of an ounce ; melt together in a pipkin until the former is well colored ; then add linseed-oil and spirits of turpentine, of each a quarter of a gill ; strain through a piece of coarse muslin. Another Recipe. — Mix half a pint of olive-oil with one pound of soft soap✪ Another Recipe. Boil them well, and apply the mixture to your oiled fur- niture with a piece of cotton or woollen cloth. Polish with a soft, dry flannel. To Clean Silver. — Never put a particle of soap on silverware, if MISCELLANEOUS HOUSEHOLD RECIPES. 573 you would have it retain its lustre. Soap-suds make it look like pewter. Wet a flannel cloth in kerosene, dip it in dry whiting, and rub the plated ware. Let it dry on it, and then polish it with a chamois-skin. Cleaning Kettles. — Throw a shovelful of wood-ashes into the pan, pot, or kettle which has been burned ; fill with water ; let it boil while the dishes are being washed. Then wash it with a coarse cloth ; this plan will be found to be a great saving of hands, spoons and temper. A Forgotten Color. — The simple decoction of onion-peel is said to produce upon glove-leather an orange-yellow superior in lustre to any other. It is also said to be suitable for mixing with light bark shades, especially willow-bark, and as a yellow for modulating browns. The onion-dye is said to fix itself readily, even upon leath- ers which resist colors, and colors them well and evenly. To Mend Broken Ivory. — Moisten thoroughly a small quantity of very finely-powdered good quicklime with white of egg to form a paste. Use at once, clamp the parts, and do not disturb for twenty- four hours. Do not use an excess of the cement. The Best Ink. — A commission lately appointed by the Prussian government to investigate the best class of inks to be employed for official purposes, state that aniline inks are not suitable, because they can be easily washed away, especially by preparations of chlo- rine. Inks, in the composition of which alizarine is employed, can be obliterated less easily. They are of opinion that the be.st of all is the old description of ink made from gall-nuts and salt of iron. Boiled Starch is improved by the addition of a little spermaceti, or salt, or both, or gum-arabic dissolved. Bees-wax and salt will make flat-irons as smooth as glass; tie a lump of wax in a cloth, and keep it for that purpose ; when the irons are hot rub them with the wax-rag, then scour with a paper or rag sprinkled with salt. Kero- sene will soften boots or shoes hardened by water, and render them as pliable as when new. Kerosene will make tin-kettles as bright as new ; saturate a woollen rag, and rub with it ; it will also remove 36 574 THE hearthstone; or, life at home. stains from varnished furniture. If a shirt-bosom, or any other arti- cle, has been scorched in ironing, lay it where the bright sun will fall directly on it, it will take it entirely out.

AI-modernized reading of the original text

Furniture Polish (i). — Make a mixture of three parts linseed-oil and one part spirits of turpentine ; it not only covers the disfigured surface, but restores wood to its original color, and leaves a lustre upon the surface. Put on with a woollen cloth, and when dry rub with woollen. Furniture Polish (2). — Beeswax, half a pound ; alkanet-root, quarter of an ounce ; melt together in a pipkin until the former is well colored ; then add linseed-oil and spirits of turpentine, of each a quarter of a gill ; strain through a piece of coarse muslin. Another Recipe. — Mix half a pint of olive-oil with one pound of soft soap. Boil them well, and apply the mixture to your oiled furniture with a piece of cotton or woollen cloth. Polish with a soft, dry flannel. To Clean Silver. — Never put a particle of soap on silverware, if you would have it retain its lustre. Soap-suds make it look like pewter. Wet a flannel cloth in kerosene, dip it in dry whiting, and rub the plated ware. Let it dry on it, and then polish it with a chamois-skin. Cleaning Kettles. — Throw a shovelful of wood-ashes into the pan, pot, or kettle which has been burned ; fill with water ; let it boil while the dishes are being washed. Then wash it with a coarse cloth ; this plan will be found to be a great saving of hands, spoons and temper. A Forgotten Color. — The simple decoction of onion-peel is said to produce upon glove-leather an orange-yellow superior in lustre to any other. It is also said to be suitable for mixing with light bark shades, especially willow-bark, and as a yellow for modulating browns. The onion-dye is said to fix itself readily, even upon leathers which resist colors, and colors them well and evenly. To Mend Broken Ivory. — Moisten thoroughly a small quantity of very finely-powdered good quicklime with white of egg to form a paste. Use at once, clamp the parts, and do not disturb for twenty-four hours. Do not use an excess of the cement. The Best Ink. — A commission lately appointed by the Prussian government to investigate the best class of inks to be employed for official purposes, state that aniline inks are not suitable, because they can be easily washed away, especially by preparations of chlorine. Inks, in the composition of which alizarine is employed, can be obliterated less easily. They are of opinion that the be.st of all is the old description of ink made from gall-nuts and salt of iron. Boiled Starch is improved by the addition of a little spermaceti, or salt, or both, or gum-arabic dissolved. Bees-wax and salt will make flat-irons as smooth as glass; tie a lump of wax in a cloth, and keep it for that purpose ; when the irons are hot rub them with the wax-rag, then scour with a paper or rag sprinkled with salt. Kerosene will soften boots or shoes hardened by water, and render them as pliable as when new. Kerosene will make tin-kettles as bright as new ; saturate a woollen rag, and rub with it ; it will also remove 574 THE hearthstone; or, life at home. stains from varnished furniture. If a shirt-bosom, or any other article, has been scorched in ironing, lay it where the bright sun will fall directly on it, it will take it entirely out.

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