Never attempt to clean the mica in stoves with water and soap. It will cause it to scale at once. Dip a soft cloth in clear vinegar and rub the mica over quickly, not forgetting the corners. It will stay clean for a long time. N. O. A. MUCILAGE FOR LABELS. Two ounces of dextrine, one drachm of glycerine, one ounce of alco- hol and six ounces of water. T. H. TO RESTORE THE COLOR OF BLACK KID BOOTS. Take a small quantity of good black ink, mix it with the white of an egg, and apply it to the boots with a soft sponge. V. M. TO CLEAN SILVER. Take one pound of common hard soap, three tablespoonfuls of spirits of turpentine and one-half tumblerful of water. Allow the soap to dis solve; then boil ten minutes, and before it cools add six tablespoonfuls of hartshorn. Make a suds of this preparation and wash the article to be cleaned with it. L. E. 498 MISCELLANEOUS. VARNISHING PLASTER CASTS. The little plaster of Paris statuettes one sees in so many homes can be kept fresh and clean by taking one-half ounce each of white soap and wax, two pints of water. Boil them together for about five minutes in a clean vessel. This forms a firm varnish, which should be applied to the figures with a soft brush when cold. It dries very readily and may be washed with fine soap. T. U. TO JAPAN OLD TEA TRAYS. First clean them thoroughly with soap and water and a little rotten- stone; then dry them by wiping and exposing to the fire. Now get some good copal varnish, mix it with bronze powder and apply with a brush to the denuded parts. After which set the tray in an oven at a heat of from 212 to 300 degrees until the varnish is dry. Two coats will make it equal to new. Mrs. Lilly. TO REGULATE THE CLOCK. When the clock refuses to go, try the following, before taking it to the repair shop: Take off the pointers and the face; take off the pendu- lum and its wire. Remove the ratchet from the "tick" wheel, and the clock will run down with great velocity. Let it go; the increasing speed wears away the gum and dust from the pinions — the clock cleans itself. If you have any sperm oil, put the least bit on the axles. Put the machine together, and nine times in ten it will run just as well as if it had been taken to the shop. In fact, this is the way most shopmen clean clocks. If instead of a pendulum, the clock has a watch escapement, this latter can be taken out in an instant, without taking the works apart, and the result is the same. It takes about twenty minutes to so clean a clock, and saves a dollar. Zeb B. AQUARIUn CEMENT. Take equal parts of very clean, sharp sand, plaster of Paris, and litharge; mix well and make into a stiff putty with boiled linseed oil. This makes a splendid cement. H. L. The Dairy. As the subject of cheese is discussed by itself we will here only speak briefly of butter. Butter making is a thing so generally understood by all who keep cows that only a word here is needed. The first great requisite of good butter is cleanliness. One cannot be too careful in see- MISCELLANEOUS. 499

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Never attempt to clean the mica in stoves with water and soap. It will cause it to scale at once. Dip a soft cloth in clear vinegar and rub the mica over quickly, not forgetting the corners. It will stay clean for a long time. N. O. A. MUCILAGE FOR LABELS. Two ounces of dextrine, one drachm of glycerine, one ounce of alcohol and six ounces of water. T. H. TO RESTORE THE COLOR OF BLACK KID BOOTS. Take a small quantity of good black ink, mix it with the white of an egg, and apply it to the boots with a soft sponge. V. M. TO CLEAN SILVER. Take one pound of common hard soap, three tablespoonfuls of spirits of turpentine and one-half tumblerful of water. Allow the soap to dis solve; then boil ten minutes, and before it cools add six tablespoonfuls of hartshorn. Make a suds of this preparation and wash the article to be cleaned with it. L. E. VARNISHING PLASTER CASTS. The little plaster of Paris statuettes one sees in so many homes can be kept fresh and clean by taking one-half ounce each of white soap and wax, two pints of water. Boil them together for about five minutes in a clean vessel. This forms a firm varnish, which should be applied to the figures with a soft brush when cold. It dries very readily and may be washed with fine soap. T. U. TO JAPAN OLD TEA TRAYS. First clean them thoroughly with soap and water and a little rottenstone; then dry them by wiping and exposing to the fire. Now get some good copal varnish, mix it with bronze powder and apply with a brush to the denuded parts. After which set the tray in an oven at a heat of from 212 to 300 degrees until the varnish is dry. Two coats will make it equal to new. Mrs. Lilly. TO REGULATE THE CLOCK. When the clock refuses to go, try the following, before taking it to the repair shop: Take off the pointers and the face; take off the pendulum and its wire. Remove the ratchet from the "tick" wheel, and the clock will run down with great velocity. Let it go; the increasing speed wears away the gum and dust from the pinions — the clock cleans itself. If you have any sperm oil, put the least bit on the axles. Put the machine together, and nine times in ten it will run just as well as if it had been taken to the shop. In fact, this is the way most shopmen clean clocks. If instead of a pendulum, the clock has a watch escapement, this latter can be taken out in an instant, without taking the works apart, and the result is the same. It takes about twenty minutes to so clean a clock, and saves a dollar. Zeb B. AQUARIUn CEMENT. Take equal parts of very clean, sharp sand, plaster of Paris, and litharge; mix well and make into a stiff putty with boiled linseed oil. This makes a splendid cement. H. L. The Dairy. As the subject of cheese is discussed by itself we will here only speak briefly of butter. Butter making is a thing so generally understood by all who keep cows that only a word here is needed. The first great requisite of good butter is cleanliness. One cannot be too careful in see-

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