RELATIVE HARDNESS OF WOODS.

Taking shell bark hickory as the highest standard of our forest trees,

and calling that 100, other trees will compare with it for hardness as

follows:

Shell Bark Hickory 100

Pignut Hickory 96

White Oak 84

White Ash 77

Dogwood 75

Scrub Oak 73

White Hazel 72

Apple Tree 70

Red Oak 69

White Beech 65

Black Walnut 65

Black Birch 62

Yellow Oak 60

Hard Maple 56

White Elm 58

Red Cedar 56

Wild Cherry 55

Yellow Pine 54

[Transcriber's Note: The original text reads 'Chesnut']

Chestnut 52

Yellow Poplar 51

[Transcriber's Note: The original text reads 'Buternut']

Butternut 43

White Birch 43

White Pine 30

Timber intended for posts is rendered almost proof against rot by

thorough seasoning, charring and immersion in hot coal tar.

The slide of Alpnach, extending from Mount Pilatus to Lake Lucerne,

a distance of 8 miles, is composed of 25,000 trees, stripped of their

bark, and laid at an inclination of 10 to 18 degrees. Trees placed in

the slide rush from the mountain into the lake in 6 minutes.

The Alps comprise about 180 mountains, from 4,000 to 15,732 feet high,

the latter being the height of Mount Blanc, the highest spot in Europe.

The summit is a sharp ridge, like the roof of a house, consisting of

nearly vertical granite rocks. The ascent requires 2 days, 6 or 8 guides

are required, and each guide is paid 100 francs ($20.00). It was

ascended by two natives, Jacques Belmat and Dr. Packard, August 8, 1786,

at 6 a.m. They staid up 30 minutes, with the thermometer at 14 degrees

below the freezing point. The provisions froze in their pockets; their

faces were frost-bitten, lips swollen, and their sight much weakened,

but they soon recovered on their descent. De Saussure records in his

ascent August 2, 1760, that the color of the sky was deep blue; the

stars were visible in the shade; the barometer sunk to 16.08 inches

(being 27.08 in Geneva) the thermometer was 26-1/2 degrees, in the sun

29 degrees (being 87 degrees at Geneva). The thin air works the blood

into a high fever, you feel as if you hardly touched the ground, and you

scarcely make yourself heard. A French woman, Mademoiselle d'Angeville,

ascended in September, 1840, being dragged up the last 1,200 feet by

guides, and crying out: "If I die, carry me to the top." When there, she

made them lift her up, that she might boast she had been higher than any

man in Europe. The ascent of these awful solitudes is most perilous,

owing to the narrow paths, tremendous ravines, icy barriers, precipices,

etc. In many places every step has to be cut in the ice, the party being

tied to each other by ropes, so that if one slips he may be held up by

the rest, and silence is enforced, lest the noise of talking should

dislodge the avalanches of the Aiguille du Midi. The view from the

mountain is inexpressibly grand. On the Alps the limit of the vine is an

elevation of 1,600 feet; below 1,000 feet, figs, oranges and olives are

produced. The limit of the oak is 3,800 feet, of the [Transcriber's Note:

The original text reads 'chesnut'] chestnut 2,800 feet,of the pine 6,500

feet, of heaths and furze to 8,700 and 9,700 feet; and perpetual snow

exists at an elevation of 8,200 feet.

On the Andes, in lat. 2 degrees, the limit of perpetual snow is 14,760

feet; in Mexico, lat. 19 degrees, the limit is 13,800 feet; on the

peak of Teneriffe, 11,454 feet; on Mount Etna, 9,000 feet; on the

Caucasus, 9,900 feet; in the Pyrenees, 8,400 feet; in Lapland,

3,100 feet; in Iceland, 2,890 feet. The walnut ceases to grow at an

elevation of 3,600 feet; the yellow pine at 6,200 feet; the ash at

4,800 feet, and the fir at 6,700 feet. The loftiest inhabited spot

on the globe is the Port House of Ancomarca, on the Andes, in

Peru, 16,000 feet above the level of the sea. The 14th peak of the

Himalayas, in Asia, 25,659 feet high, is the loftiest mountain in the

world.

Lauterbrunnen is a deep part of an Alpine pass, where the sun hardly

shines in winter. It abounds with falls, the most remarkable of which

is the Staubbach, which falls over the Balm precipice in a drizzling

spray from a height of 925 feet; best viewed in the morning sun or by

moonlight. In general, it is like a gauze veil, with rainbows dancing

up and down it, and when clouds hide the top of the mountain, it seems

as poured out of the sky.

In Canada, the falls of Montmorenci are 250 feet high, the falls of

Niagara (the Horse Shoe Falls) are 158 feet high and 2,000 feet wide,

the American Falls arc 164 feet high and 900 feet wide. The Yosemite

Valley Falls are 2,600 feet high, and the Ribbon Falls of the Yosemite

are 3,300 feet high. The waterfall of the Arve, in Bavaria, is 2,000

feet.

THE PERIODS OF GESTATION are the same in the horse and ass or eleven

months each, camel 12 months, elephant 2 years, lion 5 months, buffalo

12 months, in the human female 9 months, cow 9 months, sheep 5 months,

dog 9 weeks, cat 8 weeks, sow 16 weeks, she wolf from 90 to 95 days.

The goose sits 30 days, swans 42, hens 21, ducks 30, peahens and

turkeys 28, canaries 14, pigeons 14, parrots 40 days.

AGES OF ANIMALS, ETC.--Elephant 100 years and upward, Rhinoceros 20,

Camel 100, Lion 25 to 70, Tigers, Leopards, Jaguars and Hyenas (in

confinement) about 25 years, Beaver 50, deer 20, wolf 20, Fox 14 to

16, Llamas 15, Chamois 25, Monkeys and Baboons 16 to 18 years, Hare 8,

Squirrel 7, Rabbit 7, Swine 25, Stag under 50, Horse 30, Ass 30, Sheep

under 10, Cow 20, Ox 30, Swans, Parrots and Ravens 200, Eagle 100,

Geese 80, Hens and Pigeons 10 to 16, Hawks 36 to 40, Cranes 24,

Blackbird 10 to 12, Peacock 20, Pelican 40 to 50, Thrush 8 to 10, Wren

2 to 3, Nightingale 15, Blackcap 15, Linnet 14 to 23, Goldfinch 20 to

24, Redbreast 10 to 12, Skylark 10 to 30, Titlark 5 to 6, Chaffinch

20 to 24, Starling 10 to 12, Carp 70 to 150, Pike 30 to 40, Salmon 16,

Codfish 14 to 17, Eel 10, Crocodile 100, Tortoise 100 to 200, Whale

estimated 1,000, Queen Bees live 4 years, Drones 4 months, Working

Bees 6 months.

The melody of singing birds ranks as follows: The nightingale first,

then the linnet, titlark, sky lark and wood lark. The mocking bird has

the greatest powers of imitation, the robin and goldfinch are superior

in vigorous notes.

The condor of Peru has spread wings 40 feet, feathers 20 feet, quills

8 inches round.

In England, a quarter of wheat, comprising 8 bushels, yields 14

bushels 2-1/2 pecks, divided into seven distinct kinds of flour, as

follows: Fine flour, 5 bushels 3 pecks; bran, 3 bushels; twenty-penny,

3 bushels; seconds, 2 pecks; pollard, 2 bushels; fine middlings, 1

peck; coarse ditto, 1 peck.

The ancient Greek phalanx comprised 8,000 men, forming a square

battalion, with spears crossing each other, and shields united.

The Roman legion was composed of 6,000 men, comprising 10 cohorts of

600 men each, with 300 horsemen.

The ancient battering ram was of massive timber, 60 to 100 feet long,

fitted with an iron head. It was erected under shelter to protect the

60 or 100 men required to work it. The largest was equal in force to a

36-lb. shot from a cannon.

Pile Driving on Sandy Soils.--The greatest force will not effect a

penetration exceeding 15 feet.

Various Sizes of Type.--It requires 205 lines of Diamond type to make

12 inches, of Pearl 178, of Ruby 166, of Nonpareil 143, of Minion 128,

of Brevier 112-1/2, of Bourgeois 102-1/2, of Long Primer 89, of Small

Pica 83, of Pica 71-1/2, of English 64.

Wire ropes for the transmission of power vary in size from 3/8 to 7/8

inch diam. For from 3 to 300 horse power; to promote flexibility, the

rope, made of iron, steel, or copper wire, as may be preferred, is

provided with a core of hemp, and the speed is 1 mile per minute, more

or less, as desired. Tho rope should run on a well-balanced, grooved,

cast iron wheel, of from 4 to 15 feet diam., according as the

transmitted power ranges from 3 to 300 horse; the groove should be

well cushioned with soft material, as leather or rubber, for the

formation of a durable bed for the rope. With good care the rope will

last from 3 to 5 years.

Cannon balls go furthest at an elevation of 30 degrees, and less as

the balls are less; the range is furthest when fired from west to east

in the direction of the earth's motion, which for the diurnal rotation

on its axis, is at the rate of 1,037 miles per hour, and in its orbit,

66,092 miles.

The air's resistance is such that a cannon ball of 3 lbs. weight,

diameter, 2.78 ins. Moving with a velocity of 1,800 feet per second,

is resisted by a force equal to 156 lbs.

Bricklayers ascend ladders with loads of 90 lbs., 1 foot per second.

There are 484 bricks in a cubic yard, and 4,356 in a rod.

A power of 250 tons is necessary to start a vessel weighing 3,000 tons

over greased slides on a marine railway, when in motion, 150 tons only

is required.

A modern dredging machine, 123 ft. long, beam 26 ft., breadth over

all, 11 ft., will raise 180 tons of mud and clay per hour, 11 feet

from water-line.

In tanning, 4 lbs. of oak bark make 1 lb. of leather.

Flame is quenched in air containing 3 per cent, of carbonic acid; the

same percentage is fatal to animal life.

100 parts of oak make nearly 23 of charcoal; beech 21, deal 19, apple

23.7, elm 23, ash 25, birch 24, maple 22.8, willow 18, poplar 20, red

pine 22.10, white pine 23. The charcoal used in gunpowder is made from

willow, alder, and a few other woods. The charred timber found in the

ruins of Herculaneum has undergone no change in 1,800 years.

Four volumes of nitrogen and one of oxygen compose atmospheric air in

all localities on the globe.

Air extracted from pure water, under an air pump, contains 34.8 per

cent. of oxygen. Fish breathe this air, respiring about 35 times per

minute. The oxhydrogen lime light may be seen from mountains at the

distance of 200 miles round.

Lightning is reflected 150 to 200 miles.

1,000 cubic feet of 13 candle gas is equivalent to over 7 gals. of sperm

oil, 52.9 lbs. of tallow candles, and over 44 lbs. of sperm candles.

The time occupied by gas in traveling from a gas well (in

Pennsylvania) through 32 miles of pipe was 22 minutes, pressure at the

well was 55 lbs. per inch, pressure at discharge 49 lbs.

At birth, the beats of the pulse are from 165 to 104, and the

inspirations of breath from 70 to 23. From 15 to 20, the pulsations

are from 90 to 57, the inspirations, from 24 to 16; from 29 to 50, the

pulsations are 112 to 56, the inspirations 23 to 11. In usual states

it is 4 to 1. The action of the heart distributes 2 ozs. of blood from

70 to 80 times in a minute.

The mean heat of the human body is 98 degs. and of the skin 90 degs.

Tea and coffee are usually drank at 110 degs. The deepest coal mine

in England is at Killingworth, near Newcastle, and the mean annual

temperature at 400 yards below the surface is 77 degrees, and at 300

yards 70 degrees, while at the surface it is but 48 degrees, being 1

degree of increase for every 15 yards. This explains the origin of hot

springs, for at 3,300 yards the heat would be equal to boiling water,

taking 20 yards to a degree. The heat of the Bath waters is 116

degrees, hence they would appear to rise 1,320 yards.

Peron relates that at the depth of 2,144 feet in the sea the

thermometer falls to 45 degrees, when it is 86 degrees at the surface.

Swemberg and Fourier calculate the temperature of the celestial spaces

at 50 degrees centigrade below freezing.

In Northern Siberia the ground is frozen permanently to the depth of

660 feet, and only thaws to the extent of 3 or 4 feet in summer. Below

660 feet internal heat begins.

River water contains about 30 grs. of solid matter in every cubic

foot. Fresh water springs of great size abound under the sea. Perhaps

the most remarkable springs exist in California, where they are noted

for producing sulphuric acid, ink, and other remarkable products.

St. Winifred's Well, in England, evolves 120 tons of water per minute,

furnishing abundant water power to drive 11 mills within little more

than a mile.

The French removed a red granite column 95 feet high, weighing 210

tons, from Thebes, and carried it to Paris. The display of costly

architectural ruins at Thebes is one of the most astonishing to be

seen anywhere in the world. The ruins and costly buildings in old

Eastern countries, are so vast in their proportions and so many in

number that it would require volumes to describe them.

Babel, now called Birs Nimroud, built at Babylon by Belus, was used as

an observatory and as a temple of the Sun. It was composed of 8

square towers, one over the other, in all 670 feet high, and the same

dimensions on each side on the ground.

The Coliseum at Rome, built by Vespasian for 100,000 spectators, was

in its longest diameter 615-5 feet, and in the shortest 510, embraced

5-1/2 acres, and was 120 feet high. Eight aqueducts supplied ancient

Rome with water, delivering 40 millions of cubit feet daily. That

of Claudia was 47 miles long and 100 feet high, so as to furnish the

hills. Martia was 41 miles, of which 37 were on 7,000 acres 70 feet

high. These vast erections would never have been built had the Romans

known that water always rises to its own level.

The Temple of Diana, at Ephesus, was 425 feet long and 225 feet broad,

with 127 columns, 60 feet high, to support the roof. It was 220 years

in building.

Solomon's Temple, built B.C. 1014, was 60 cubits or 107 feet in

length, the breadth 20 cubits or 36 feet, and the height 30 cubits or

54 feet. The porch was 36 feet long and 18 feet wide.

The largest one of the Egyptian pyramids is 543 feet high, 693 feet on

the sides, and its base covers 11 acres. The layers of stones are 208

in number. Many stones are over 30 feet long, 4 broad and 3 thick.

The Temple of Ypsambul, in Nubia, is enormously massive and cut out of

the solid rock. Belzoni found in it 4 immense figures, 65 feet high,

25 feet over the shoulders, with a face of 7 feet and the ears over 3

feet.

Sesostris erected in the temple in Memphis immense statues of himself

and his wife, 50 feet high, and of his children, 28 feet.

In the Temple of the Sun, at Baalbec, are stones more than 60 feet

long, 24 feet thick and 16 broad, each embracing 23,000 cubic feet,

cut, squared, sculptured, and transported from neighboring quarries.

Six enormous columns are each 72 feet high, composed of 3 stones 7

feet in diameter. Sesostris is credited with having transported from

the mountains of Arabia a rock 32 feet wide and 240 feet long.

The engineering appliances used by the ancients in the movement of

these immense masses are but imperfectly understood at the present

day.

During modern times, a block of granite weighing 1,217 tons, now used

as the pedestal of the equestrian statute of Peter the Great, at St.

Petersburg, was transported 4 miles by land over a railway, and 13

miles in a vast caisson by water. The railway consisted of two lines

of timber furnished with hard metal grooves; between these grooves

were placed spheres of hard brass about 6 inches in diameter. On these

spheres the frame with its massive load was easily moved by 60 men,

working at capstans with treble purchase blocks.

In 1716 Swedenborg contrived to transport (on rolling machines of his

own invention) over valleys and mountains, 2 galleys, 5 large boats

and 1 sloop, from Stromstadt to Iderfjol (which divides Sweden from

Norway on the South), a distance of 14 miles, by which means Charles

XII. was able to carry on his plans, and under cover of the galleys

and boats to transport on pontoons his heavy artillery to the very

walls of Frederickshall.

Belzoni considered the tract between the first and second cataract of

the Nile as the hottest on the globe, owing to there being no rain.

The natives do not credit the phenomenon of water falling from above.

Hence it is that all monuments are so nicely preserved. Buckingham

found a building left unfinished about 4,000 years ago, and the chalk

marks on the stones were still perfect.

Pompey's Pillar is 92 feet high, and 27-1/2 round at the base.

Water is the absolute master, former and secondary agent of the power

of motion in everything terrestrial. It is the irresistible power

which elaborates everything, and the waters contain more organized

beings than the land.

Rivers hold in suspension 100th of their volume (more or less) of mud,

so that if 36 cubic miles of water (the estimated quantity) flow daily

into the sea, 0.36 cubic miles of soil are daily displaced. The Rhine

carries to the sea every day 145,980 cubic feet of mud. The Po carries

out the land 228 feet per annum, consequently Adria which 2,500 years

ago was on the sea, is now over 20 miles from it.

The enormous amount of alluvium deposited by the Mississippi is almost

incalculable, and constantly renders necessary extensive engineering

operations in order to remove the impediments to navigation.

As an exponent of the laws of friction, it may be stated that a square

stone weighing 1,080 lbs. which required a force of 758 lbs. to drag

it along the floor of a quarry, roughly chiseled, required only a

force of 22 lbs. to move it when mounted on a platform and rollers

over a plank floor.

The flight of wild ducks is estimated at 90 miles per hour, that of the

swift at 200 miles, carrier pigeons 38 miles, swallows 60 miles,

migratory birds have crossed the Mediterranean at a speed of 120 miles

per hour.

The Nile has a fall of 6 ins. in 1,000 miles. The rise of the river

commences in June, continuing until the middle of August, attaining

an elevation of from 24 to 26 feet, and flowing the valley of Egypt 12

miles wide. In 1829 it rose to 26 cubits, by which 30,000 persons were

drowned. It is a terrible climate to live in, owing to the festering

heat and detestable exhalations from the mud, etc., left on the

retiring of the Nile, which adds about 4 inches to the soil in a

century, and encroaches on the sea 16 feet every year. Bricks have

been found at the depth of 60 feet, showing the vast antiquity of the

country. In productiveness of soil it is excelled by no other in the

world.

How to Splice a Belt in Order to Make it Run Like an Endless

Belt.--Use the toughest yellow glue prepared in the ordinary way,

while hot, stirring in thoroughly about 20 per cent of its weight of

tannic acid, or extract of tan bark. Apply to the splice and quickly

clamp together. The splice should be made of scarfed edges extending

3 to 6 inches back, according to thickness of belt. The surface to be

perfectly clean and free from oil.

How Many Pounds of Coal it Requires to Maintain Steam of One-Horse

Power per Hour.--Anthracite 1-1/2 to 5 pounds, according to the

economy of boiler and engine. Bituminous and anthracite coal are very

nearly equal for equal qualities. They both vary from 7 to 10 pounds

of water evaporated per pound of coal from a temperature of 212

degrees.

A Formula for Collodio-bromide Emulsion that is Rapid.--Ether s.g.

0.720, 4 fluid ounces; alcohol s.g. 0.820, 2-1/2 fluid ounces;

pyroxyline, 40 grains; castile soap dissolved in alcohol, 30 grains;

bromide of ammonium and cadmium, 56 grains.

How to Deaden the Noise of Steam While Blowing off Through a Wrought

Iron Stand Pipe.--The sound may be much modified by enlarging the end

of the pipe like a trumpet or cone; which should be long, 20 or 30

times the diameter of the pipe, opening to 4 or 5 times its initial

size.

Why Fusible Plugs are Put in the Crown Sheet of Locomotive

Boilers.--To save the crown sheet from burning in case of low water,

when the plug melts and lets the steam and water into the fire chamber

to dampen and put out the fire as well as to make an alarm. They

may also be employed on other forms of boilers, and are much used in

connection with whistles for low-water alarms only. Boilers should not

be blown out for cleaning with fire under them or while the walls

(if set in brick) are hot enough to do damage to the iron shell.

Locomotive boilers may be blown out very soon after the fire is

entirely removed. All brick-set boilers should be left several hours

after the fire is drawn before blowing off for cleaning.

How to Lace a Quarter Turn Belt so as to Have an Equal Strain on Both

Edges of the Belt.--Begin on the outside of the belt at the middle,

pass one end of the lacing through one end of the belt and bring

it out through the corresponding hole of the other end of the belt,

laying it diagonally off to the left. Now pass the other end of the

lacing through the hole last used, and carry it over the first strand

of the lacing on the inside of the belt, passing it through the first

hole used, and lay it diagonally off to the right. Now proceed to pass

the lacing through the holes of the belt in a zigzag course, leaving

all the strands inside the belt parallel with the belt, and all the

strands outside the belt oblique. Pass the lace twice through the

holes nearest the edge of the belt, then return the lace in the

reverse order toward the center of the belt, so as to cross all the

oblique strands, and make all the inside strands double. Finally

pass the end of the lacing through the first hole used, then outward

through an awl hole, then hammering it down to cause it to hold. The

left side is to be laced in a similar way.

A Useful Hint to Draughtsmen.--To strain drawing paper on a board, cut

the paper to the size required, lay it on the board face downwards and

thoroughly wet the surface with a damp sponge or brush, then turn it

over and wet the face in the same way; roll it up tightly and let

it stay so for five or six minutes, unroll it, and turn up the edges

about an inch all around. Take liquid glue (Jackson's is the best) and

apply it carefully to the edges, then turn them down, and with a paper

knife press them to the board all around. Put the board in an inclined

position where it is not too dry or warm, or the paper will dry too

fast and tear. If it is allowed to dry slowly the surface will be

perfectly even and smooth, and a pleasure to draw upon.

Joints for Hot Water Pipes.--Sal-ammoniac, 2 oz.; sublimed sulphur,

1 oz.; cast-iron filings, 1 lb. Mix in a mortar, and keep the powder

dry. When it is to be used, mix it with twenty times its weight of

clean iron filings, and grind the whole in a mortar. Wet with water

until it becomes of convenient consistence. After a time it becomes as

hard and strong as any part of the metal.

When the Process of Galvanizing Iron was First Known.--A. The process

of coating iron with zinc, or zinc and tin, is a French invention, and

was patented in England in 1837.

A Timber Test.--The soundness of timber may be ascertained by placing

the ear close to one end of the log, while another person delivers a

succession of smart blows with a hammer or mallet upon the opposite

end, when a continuance of the vibrations will indicate to an

experienced ear even the degree of soundness. If only a dull thud

meets the ear, the listener may be certain that unsoundness exists.

Useful Hints and Recipes.--Following is a comparative statement of the

toughness of various woods.--Ash, 100; beech, 85; cedar of Lebanon,

84; larch, 83; sycamore and common walnut, each, 68; occidental plane,

66; oak, hornbeam and Spanish mahogany, each, 62; teak and acacia,

each, 58; elm and young chestnut, 52.

An [Transcriber's Note: The original text reads 'ingenius'] ingenious

device for stretching emery cloth for use in the workshop consists of a

couple of strips of wood about 14 in. long, hinged longitudinally, and

of round, half-round, triangular, or any other shape in cross section.

On the inside faces of the wood strips are pointed studs, fitting into

holes on the opposite side. The strip of emery cloth is laid on to one

set of the studs, and the file, as it is called, closed, which fixes the

strip on one side. It is then similarly fixed on the other side, and

thus constitutes what is called an emery file and which is a handy and

convenient arrangement for workshop use.

Method of making Artificial Whetstones.--Gelatine of good quality is

dissolved in its own weight of water, the operation being conducted in

a dark room. To the solution one and a half per cent. of bichromate

of potash is added, which has previously been dissolved in a little

water. A quantity of very fine emery, equal to nine times the weight

of the gelatine, is [Transcriber's Note: The original text reads

'itimately'] intimately mixed with the gelatine solution.

Pulverized flint may be substituted for emery. The mass is molded into

any desired shape, and is then consolidated by heavy pressure. It is

dried by exposure to strong sunlight for several hours.

How to Toughen Paper.--A plan for rendering paper as tough as wood or

leather has been recently introduced; it consists in mixing chloride of

zinc with the pulp in the course of manufacture. It has been found that

the greater the degree of concentration of the zinc solution, the

greater will be the toughness of the paper. It can be used for making

boxes and for roofing.

How to Mend a Broken File.--There is no tool so easily broken as the

file that the machinist has to work with, and is about the first thing

that snaps when a kit of tools gets upset upon the cross-beam of a

machine or a tool board from the bed of an engine lathe. It cannot

even be passed from one workman to another without being broken, if

the file is a new one or still good for anything, if an apprentice has

got anything to do with it, and they are never worth mending, however

great may be their first cost, unless the plaster of Paris and lime

treatment can make a perfect weld without injuring the steel or

disturbing the form of the teeth. Steel that is left as hard as a file

is very brittle, and soft solder can hold as much on a steady pull

if it has a new surface to work from. Take a file, as soon as it is

broken, and wet the break with zinc dissolved in muriatic acid, and

then tin over with the soldering iron. This must be done immediately

as soon as the file is broken, as the break begins to oxydize when

exposed to the air. And in an hour or two will gather sufficient to

make it impossible for the parts to adhere. Heat the file as warm as

it will bear without disturbing its temper as soon as well tinned,

and press the two pieces firmly together, squeezing out nearly all the

solder, and hold in place until the file cools. This can be done

with very little to trim off, and every portion of the break fitting

accurately in place. Bring both pieces in line with each other, and,

for a file, it is as strong in one place as in another, and is all

that could be asked for under the very best of welding treatment.

What will Fasten Pencil Markings, to Prevent Blurring.--Immerse paper

containing the markings to be preserved in a bath of clear water, then

flow or immerse in milk a moment; hang up to dry. Having often had

recourse to this method, in preserving pencil and crayon drawings, I

will warrant it a sure cure.

How to Transfer Newspaper Prints to Glass.--First coat the glass with

dammar varnish, or else with Canada balsam, mixed with an equal volume

of oil of turpentine, and let it dry until it is very sticky, which

takes half a day or more. The printed paper to be transferred should

be well soaked in soft water, and carefully laid upon the prepared

glass, after removing surplus water with blotting paper, and pressed

upon it, so that no air bubbles or drops of water are seen underneath.

This should dry a whole day before it is touched; then with wetted

fingers begin to rub off the paper at the back. If this be skillfully

done, almost the whole of the paper can be removed, leaving simply the

ink upon the varnish. When the paper has been removed, another coat of

varnish will serve to make the whole more transparent. This recipe is

sold at from $3 to $5 by itinerants.

A Liquid Cement for Cementing Leather, that Will Not be Affected by

the Action of Water.--A good cement for splicing leather is gutta

percha dissolved in carbon disulphide, until it is of the thickness

of treacle; the parts to be cemented must first be well thinned down,

then pour a small quantity of the cement on both ends, spreading it

well so as to fill the pores of the leather; warm the parts over a

fire for about half a minute, apply them quickly together, and hammer

well. The bottle containing the cement should be tightly corked, and

kept in a cool place.

The Quickest and Best Way to Drill Holes for Water Pipes in Rough

Plate Glass.--Use a hardened (file temper) drill, with spirits of

turpentine and camphor to make the drill bite. A broken file in a

breast brace will do good work if a power drill is not obtainable.

A Recipe for Making Printers' Inks.--For black ink: Take of balsam of

copaiba (pure), 9 ounces; lamp black, 3 ounces; indigo and Prussian

blue, of each half an ounce; Indian red, 3/4 ounce; yellow soap (dry),

3 ounces; grind the mixture to an impalpable smoothness by means of

a stone and muller. Canada balsam may be substituted for balsam of

copaiba where the smell of the latter is objectionable, but the ink

then dries very quickly. The red inks are similarly made by using such

pigments as carmine, lakes, vermilion, chrome yellow, red lead, orange

red, Indian red and Venetian red.

A Cement to Stick White Metal Tops on Glass Bottles.--One of the best

cap cements consists of resin, 5 ounces; beeswax, 1 ounce; red ocher

or Venetian red in powder, 1 ounce. Dry the earth thoroughly on

a stove at a temperature above 212¡ Fah. Melt the wax and resin

together, and stir in the powder by degrees. Stir until cold, lest the

earthy matter settle to the bottom.

The Correct Meaning of the Tonnage of a Vessel.--The law defines very

carefully how the tonnage of different vessels shall be calculated.

An approximate rule for finding the gross tonnage is to multiply the

length of keel between perpendiculars by the breadth of vessel and

depth of hold, all in feet, and dividing the product by 100. It is

generally assumed that 40 cubic feet shall constitute a ton, and the

tonnage of a vessel is considered to be the multiple of this ton,

which most closely corresponds with the internal capacity of the

vessel.

A Recipe for Re-inking Purple Type Ribbons.--Use: Aniline violet, 1/4

ounce; pure alcohol, 15 ounces; concentrated glycerine, 15 ounces.

Dissolve the aniline in the alcohol, and add the glycerine.

The Process of Giving a Tempered-Blue Color to the Steel Plate and

Malleable Iron Castings of a Roller Skate.--In order to obtain an even

blue, the work must have an even finish, and be made perfectly clean.

Arrange a cast-iron pot in a fire so as to heat it to the temperature

of melted lead, or just below a red heat. Make a flat bottom basket of

wire or wire cloth to sit in the iron box, on which place the work

to be blued, as many pieces as you may find you can manage, always

putting in pieces of about the same thickness and size, so that they

will heat evenly. Make a bail to the basket, so that it can be easily

handled. When the desired color is obtained, dip quickly in hot water

to stop the progress of the bluing, for an instant only, so that

enough heat may be retained to dry the articles. A cover to the iron

box may sometimes be used to advantage to hasten the heating. Another

way, much used, is to varnish the work with ultramarine varnish, which

may be obtained from the varnish makers.

Cement to Mend Iron Pots and Pans.--Take two parts of sulphur and one

part, by weight, of fine black lead; put the sulphur in an old iron

pan, holding it over the fire until it begins to melt, then add the

lead; stir well until all is mixed and melted; then pour out on an

iron plate or smooth stone. When cool, break into small pieces. A

sufficient quantity of this compound being placed upon the crack of

the iron pot to be mended, can be soldered by a hot iron in the same

way a tinsmith solders his sheets. If there is a small hole in the

pot, drive a copper rivet in it, and then solder over it with

this cement.

The Best Method of Rendering Basement Walls Damp-Proof.--Construct on

the outside an area wall so that the earth does not rest directly

against the main wall of the house, but only against the outside wall or

casing of the area. To form such an area, build a wall half or one brick

thick parallel to and some 2 or 3 inches from the main wall, and form at

the bottom a channel or gutter connected with the drains, so that any

moisture or water finding its way in through the outer casing may be

conducted away and will not therefore penetrate into the building.

Thoroughly ventilate the areas by means of air bricks or other suitable

connections with the outer air, and connect with one another by making

through connections underneath the floor joists. Be very careful that

the main wall is laid on a good and efficient damp course. The top of

the space between the area and main walls may be covered in all around

the building with bricks--ornamented or otherwise, as preferred--on a

line just above the ground. Another plan of effecting the same object is

to dispense with the area wall and in building the brick work to cover

the whole of the work on the outside with a thick layer of bituminous

asphalt. The plaster on the inside is in this case often rendered in

nearly neat Portland cement.

How to Caseharden Large Pieces of Steel.--A box of cast or wrought

iron should be provided large enough to hold one or two of the pieces,

with sufficient room all around to pack well with the casehardening

materials, which may be leather scrap, hoof shavings, or horn

shavings, slightly burned and pulverized, which may be mixed with

an equal quantity of pulverized charcoal. Pack the pieces to be

casehardened in the iron box so as not to touch each other or the box.

Put an iron cover on the box and lute with clay. Heat gradually in

a furnace to a full red, keep at an even temperature for from 2 to

4 hours, raise the heat to a cherry red during the last hour, then

remove the cover and take out the pieces and plunge endwise vertically

in water at shop temperature; 2 per cent. of hydrochloric acid in the

water improves its tempering qualities and gives the metal an even

gray color.

A Good and Cheap Preparation to Put on Friction Matches.--The igniting

composition varies with different makers. The following recipes may

be taken as fairly representative, the first being the best: 1.

Phosphorus by weight, 1/2 part; potassium chlorate, 4 parts; glue,

2 parts; whiting, 1 part; finely powdered glass, 4 parts; water, 11

parts. 2. Phosphorus by weight, 2 parts; potassium chlorate, 5 parts;

glue, 3 parts; red lead, 1-1/2 parts; water, 12 parts. 3. A German

mixture for matches. Potassium chlorate, 7.8 parts; lead hyposulphite,

2.6 parts; gum arabic, 1 part.

To Find How Much Tin Vessels Will Hold.--For the contents of

cylinders: Square the diameter, and multiply the product by 0.7854.

Again, multiply by the height (all in inches). Divide the product by

231 for gallons. For the frustum of a cone: Add together the squares

of the diameters of large and small ends; to this add the product of

the diameter of the two ends. Multiply this sum by 0.7854. Multiply

this product by the height (all in inches). Then divide by 231 for the

number of gallons.

A Useful Recipe.--For stopping the joints between slates or shingles,

etc., and chimneys, doors, windows, etc., a mixture of stiff

white-lead paint, with sand enough to prevent it from running, is

very good, especially if protected by a covering of strips of lead or

copper, tin, etc., nailed to the mortar joints of the chimneys, after

being bent so as to enter said joints, which should be scraped out for

an inch in depth, and afterward refilled. Mortar protected in the same

way, or even unprotected, is often used for the purpose, but it is

not equal to the paint and sand. Mortar a few days old (to allow

refractory particles of lime to slack), mixed with blacksmith's

cinders and molasses, is much used for this purpose, and becomes very

hard and effective.

Test for Hard or Soft Water.--Dissolve a small quantity of good soap

in alcohol. Let a few drops fall into a glass of water. If it turns

milky, it is hard; if not, it is soft.

Test for Earthy Matters or Alkali in Water.--Take litmus paper dipped

in vinegar, and if, on immersion, the paper returns to its true shade,

the water does not contain earthy matter or alkali. If a few drops of

syrup be added to a water containing an earthy matter, it will turn

green.

Test for Carbonic Acid in Water.--Take equal parts of water and

clear lime water. If combined or free carbonic acid is present, a

precipitate is seen, to which, if a few drops of muriatic acid be

added, an effervescence commences.

Test for Magnesia in Water.--Boil the water to a twentieth part of

its weight, and then drop a few grains of neutral carbonate of ammonia

into a glass of it, and a few drops of phosphate of soda. If magnesia

be present, it will fall to the bottom.

Test for Iron in Water.--1. Boil a little nutgall and add to the

water. If it turns gray or slate, black iron is present. 2. Dissolve

a little prussiate of potash, and, if iron is present, it will turn

blue.

Test for Lime in Water.--Into a glass of water put two drops of oxalic

acid and blow upon it. If it gets milky, lime is present.

Test for Acid in Water.--Take a piece of litmus paper. If it turns

red, there must be acid. If it precipitates on adding lime water, it

is carbonic acid. If a blue sugar paper is turned red, it is a mineral

acid.

Value of Manufactured Steel.--A pound of very fine steel wire to make

watch springs of, is worth about $4; this will make 17,000 springs,

worth $7,000.

Horses in Norway have a very sensible way of taking their food, which

perhaps might be beneficially followed here. They have a bucket of

water put down beside their allowance of hay. It is interesting to

see with what relish they take a sip of the one and a mouthful of

the other alternately, sometimes only moistening their mouths, as

a rational being would do while eating a dinner of such dry food. A

broken-winded horse is scarcely ever seen in Norway, and the

question is if the mode of feeding has not something to do with the

preservation of the animal's respiratory organs.

The Process of Fastening Rubber Rolls on Clothes Wringer.--1. Clean

shaft thoroughly between the shoulders or washers, where the rubber goes

on, 2. Give the shaft a coat of copal varnish, between the shoulders,

and let it dry. 3. Give shaft coat of varnish and wind shaft tightly as

possible with five-ply jute twine at once, while varnish is green, and

let it dry for about six hours. 4. Give shaft over the twine a coat of

rubber cement, and let it dry for about six hours. 5. Give shaft over

the twine a second coat of rubber cement, and let it dry for about six

hours. 6. Remove washer on the short end of shaft, also the cogwheel if

the shaft has cogs on both ends. 7. See that the rubber rolls are always

longer than the space between the washers where the rubber goes on, as

they shrink or take up a little in putting on the shaft. 8. Clean out

the hole or inside of roll with benzine, using a small brush or swab. 9.

Put the thimble or pointer on the end of shaft that the washer has been

removed from, and give shaft over the twine and thimble another coat of

cement, and stand same upright in a vise. 10. Give the inside or hole of

roll a coat of cement with a small rod or stick. 11. Pull or force the

roll on the shaft as quickly as possible with a jerk, then rivet the

washer on with a cold chisel. 12. Let roll stand and get dry for two or

three days before using same. Cement for use should be so thick that it

will run freely; if it gets too thick, thin it with benzine or naphtha.

How to Make Effervescing Solution of Citrate of Magnesia.--Dissolve

citric acid 400 grains in water 2,000 grains, add carbonate of

magnesia 200 grains; stir until dissolved. Filter into a 12-ounce

bottle containing syrup of citric acid 1,200 grains. Add boiled

and filtered water to fill bottle, drop in bicarbonate of potash in

crystals 30 grains and immediately cork. Shake until bicarbonate of

potash is dissolved. The syrup of citric acid is made from citric acid

8 parts, water 8 parts, spirit of lemon 4 parts, syrup 980 parts.

A Receipt for Making the Black Cement that is Used for Filling Letters

after They are Cut out in Brass.--Mix asphaltum, brown japan and

lampblack into a putty-like mass, fill in the spaces, and finally

clean the edges with turpentine.

Useful Workshop Hints.--Clean and oil leather belts without taking

them off their pulleys. If taken off they will shrink. Then a piece

must be put into them and removed again after the belt has run a few

days. The decay of stone, either in buildings or monuments, may be

arrested by heating and treating with paraffin mixed with a little

creosote. A common "paint burner" may be used to heat the stone. Set

an engine upon three or four movable points, as upon three cannon

balls. Connect with steam, and exhaust by means of rubber hose. If the

engine will run up to speed without moving itself back and forth,

then that engine will run a long time with little repair. If it shakes

itself around the room, then buy another engine. Safely moving a tall

mill chimney has been accomplished several times. Chimneys which have

been caused to lean slightly through settling of the foundation may

be straightened up again by sawing out the mortar between courses of

brick at the base. A chimney 100 ft. high and 12 ft. square at the

base will be varied over 8 in. at the top by the removal of 1 in. at

the base. When you begin to fix up the mill for cold weather, don't

forget to put a steam trap in each and every steam pipe which can be

opened into the atmosphere for heating purposes. For leading steam

joints, mix the red lead or litharge with common commercial glycerine,

instead of linseed oil. Put a little carbolic acid in your glue or

paste pot. It will keep the contents sweet for a long time. Look well

to the bearings of your shafting engine and machines. Sometimes 25,

30, 40 and even 50 per cent. of your power is consumed through lack of

good oil. When you buy a water wheel, be sure to buy one small enough

to run at full gate while the stream is low during the summer months.

If you want more power than the small wheel will give, then put in two

or more wheels of various sizes. When it becomes necessary to trim a

piece of rubber, it will be found that the knife will cut much more

readily if dipped in water. When forging a chisel or other cutting

tool, never upset the end of the tool. If necessary cut it off,

but don't try to force it back into a good cutting edge. In tubular

boilers the handholes should be often opened, and all collections

removed from over the fire. When boilers are fed in front, and are

blown off through the same pipe, the collection of mud or sediment in

the rear end should be often removed. Nearly all smoke may be consumed

without special apparatus, by attending with a little common sense to

a few simple rules. Suppose we have a battery of boilers, and "soft

coal" is the fuel. Go to the first boiler, shut the damper nearly up,

and fire up one-half of the furnace, close the door, open damper, and

go to the next boiler and repeat the firing. By this method nearly,

if not quite, all the smoke will be consumed. A coiled spring inserted

between engine and machinery is highly beneficial where extreme

regularity of power is required. It is well known that a steam engine,

in order to govern itself, must run too fast and too slow in order

to close or open its valves; hence an irregularity of power is

unavoidable.

A "Paste" Metal Polish for Cleaning and Polishing Brass.--Oxalic acid

1 part, iron peroxide 15 parts, powdered rottenstone 20 parts, palm

oil 60 parts, petrolatum 4 parts. See that solids are thoroughly

pulverized and sifted, then add and thoroughly incorporate oil and

petrolatum.

Cough Candy or Troches.--Tincture of squills 2 ounces,

camphorated tincture of opium and tincture of tolu of each 1/4 ounce,

wine of ipecac 1/2 ounce, oil of gautheria 4 drops, sassafras 3 drops,

and of anise seed oil 2 drops. The above mixture is to be put into 5

pounds of candy which is just ready to take from the fire; continue

the boiling a little longer, so as to form into sticks.

How to Oxidize Silver.--For this purpose a pint of sulphide of

potassium, made by intimately mixing and heating together 2 parts

of thoroughly dried potash and 1 part of sulphur powder, is used.

Dissolve 2 to 3 drachms of this compound in 1-3/4 pints of water, and

bring the liquid to a temperature of from 155 degrees to 175 degrees

Fah., when it is ready for use. Silver objects, previously freed from

dust and grease with soda lye and thorough rinsing in water, plunged

into this bath are instantly covered with an iridescent film of silver

sulphide, which in a few seconds more becomes blue black. The objects

are then removed, rinsed off in plenty of fresh water, scratch

brushed, and if necessary polished.

Useful Household Recipes.--To purify water in glass vessels and

aquariums, it is recommended to add to every 100 grammes of water four

drops of a solution of one gramme of salicylic acid in 300 grammes of

water. The _Norsk Fiskeritidende_, published at Bergen, Norway, says

that thereby the water may be kept fresh for three months without

being renewed. A cement recommended as something which can hardly

be picked to pieces is made as follows:--Mix equal parts of lime

and brown sugar with water, and be sure the lime is thoroughly

air-slacked. This mortar is equal to Portland cement, and is of

extraordinary strength. For a few weeks' preservation of organic

objects in their original form, dimensions and color, Professor

Grawitz recommends a mixture composed of two and a half ounces of

chloride of sodium, two and three-quarters drachms of saltpetre, and

one pint of water, to which is to be added three per cent. of boric

acid. To varnish chromos, take equal quantities of linseed oil and oil

of turpentine; thicken by exposure to the sun and air until it becomes

resinous and half evaporated; then add a portion of melted beeswax.

Varnishing pictures should always be performed in fair weather, and

out of any current of cold or damp air. A fireproof whitewash can be

readily made by adding one part silicate of soda (or potash) to

every five parts of whitewash. The addition of a solution of alum to

whitewash is recommended as a means to prevent the rubbing off of the

wash. A coating of a good glue size made by dissolving half a pound of

glue in a gallon of water is employed when the wall is to be papered.

The most nourishing steam bath that can be applied to a person who is

unable to sweat and can take but little food in the stomach:--Produce

the sweating by burning alcohol under a chair in which the person

sits, with blanket covering to hold the heat. Use caution and but

little alcohol. Fire it in a shallow iron pan or old saucer.

Own Your Own Homes.--Every man, whether he is a working man in the

common acceptation of the word or not, feels a deep interest in the

management of the affairs of the city, county and State in which he

lives whenever he owns a home. He is more patriotic, and in many ways is

a better citizen than the man who simply rents, and who has but little

if any assurance of how long it will be before he can be ordered to

move; to which may be added in many cases the saving of more money. Of

course it requires some economy to lay up a sufficient amount of money

to purchase and pay for a home; but this very fact, if properly carried

out after the home is acquired, may be the instrument of furnishing the

means to commence and prosecute a business upon your own responsibility.

True, in some cases it will require more economy, perhaps, than we are

now practicing. But the question with every man, and especially if he is

the head of a family, is, Can he afford it? That is, can he afford to

live up his wages as fast as he earns them, without laying up anything

for the future? If he is the head of a family, he is obliged to pay

rent, and it does not require very many years of rent paying to make up

an amount sufficient to purchase and pay for a comfortable home. You

have to pay the rent. This you say you cannot avoid and be honest. Well,

you cannot be honest with your family unless you make a reasonable

attempt to provide them a home of their own in case anything should

happen to you. And the obligation to do this should be as strong as the

one to pay rent or provide the other necessaries for the comfort of your

family. When you own a home you feel a direct interest in public affairs

that otherwise you might consider were of little interest.

A Formula for Nervous Headache.--Alcohol dilut., 4 ounces; Olei

cinnamon, 4 minims; Potas. bromid., 5 drachms; Extr. hyoscyam., fl.,

1-1/2 drachms; Fiat lotio. One to two teaspoonfuls, if required.

How Beeswax is Refined and Made Nice and Yellow.--Pure white wax is

obtained from the ordinary beeswax by exposure to the influence of

the sun and weather. The wax is sliced into thin flakes and laid on

sacking or coarse cloth, stretched on frames, resting on posts to

raise them from the ground. The wax is turned over frequently and

occasionally sprinkled with soft water if there be not dew and rain

sufficient to moisten it. The wax should be bleached in about four

weeks. If, on breaking the flakes, the wax still appears yellow

inside, it is necessary to melt it again and flake and expose it a

second time, or even oftener, before it becomes thoroughly bleached,

the time required being mainly dependent upon the weather. There is a

preliminary process by which, it is claimed, much time is saved in the

subsequent bleaching; this consists in passing melted wax and steam

through long pipes, so as to expose the wax as much as possible to the

action of the steam; thence into a pan heated by a steam bath, where

it is stirred thoroughly with water and then allowed to settle. The

whole operation is repeated a second and third time, and the wax is

then in condition to be more readily bleached.

How to Remove a Wart From the Hand.--Take of salicylic acid, 30

grains; ext. cannabis indic., 10 grains; collodion, 1/2 ounce. Mix and

apply.

Recipe for Making Camphor Ice in Small Quantities for Home Use.--Melt

together over a water bath white wax and spermaceti, each 1 ounce;

camphor, 2 ounces, in sweet almond oil, 1 pound; then triturate until

the mixture has become homogeneous, and allow one pound of rosewater

to flow in slowly during the operation.

Recipe for Making Instantaneous Ink and Stain Extractor.--Take of

chloride of lime 1 pound, thoroughly pulverized, and four quarts

soft water. The foregoing must be thoroughly shaken when first put

together. It is required to stand twenty-four hours to dissolve the

chloride of lime; then strain through a cotton cloth, after which add

a teaspoonful of acetic acid to every ounce of the chloride of lime

water.

Removing Paint Spots From Wood.--To take spots of paint off wood, lay

a thick coating of lime and soda mixed together over it, letting it

stay twenty-four hours; then wash off with warm water, and the spot

will have disappeared.

Polishing Plate Glass.--To polish plate glass and remove slight

scratches, rub the surface gently, first with a clean pad of fine

cotton wool, and afterwards with a similar pad covered over with

cotton velvet which has been charged with fine rouge. The surface will

acquire a polish of great brilliancy, quite free from any scratches.

Recipe for a Good Condition Powder.--Ground ginger 1 pound, antimony

sulphide 1 pound, powdered sulphur 1 pound, saltpetre. Mix altogether

and administer in a mash, in such quantities as may be required.

Recipe to Make Violet Ink.--Ordinary aniline violet soluble in water,

with a little alcohol and glycerine, makes an excellent ink.

Recipe to Make Good Shaving Soap.--Either 66 pounds tallow and 34

pounds cocoanut oil, or 33 pounds of tallow and the same quantity of

palm oil and 34 pounds cocoanut oil, treated by the cold process, with

120 pounds caustic soda lye of 27 deg. Baume, will make 214 pounds of

shaving soap.

How to Make a Starch Enamel for Stiffening Collars, Cuffs, etc.--Use a

little gum arabic thoroughly dissolved in the starch.

A Good Cough Syrup.--Put 1 quart hoarhound to 1 quart water, and

boil it down to a pint; add two or three sticks of licorice and a

tablespoonful of essence of lemon. The Cause of the Disease Called

"Hives," also Its Cure.--The trouble is caused by a perversion of the

digestive functions, accompanied by a disturbance of the circulation.

It is not attended with danger, and is of importance only from the

annoyance which it causes. Relief may be obtained in most instances

by the use of cream tartar daily to such extent as to move the bowels

slightly. Make a strong solution, sweeten it pleasantly, and take a

teaspoonful, say after each meal, until the effect above mentioned

is produced, and continue the treatment until the hives cease to be

troublesome.

A Bedbug Poison.--Set in the center of the room a dish containing

4 ounces of brimstone. Light it, and close the room as tight as

possible, stopping the keyhole of the door with paper to keep the

fumes of the brimstone in the room. Let it remain for three or four

hours, then open the windows and air thoroughly. The brimstone will

be found to have also bleached the paint, if it was a yellowish white.

Mixtures such as equal parts of turpentine and kerosene oil are used;

filling up the cracks with hard soap is an excellent remedy. Benzine

and gasoline will kill bedbugs as fast as they can reach them. A weak

solution of zinc chloride is also said to be an effectual banisher of

these pests.

A Preparation by Which You can Take a Natural Flower and Dip It

in, That Will Preserve It.--Dip the flowers in melted paraffine,

withdrawing them quickly. The liquid should only be just hot enough to

maintain its fluidity and the flowers should be dipped one at a time,

held by the stalks, and moved about for an instant to get rid of

air bubbles. Fresh cut specimens free from moisture make excellent

specimens in this way.

What Causes Shaking Asp Leaves to be always in a Quiver?--The wind or

vibration of the air only causes the quiver of the aspen leaf.

What is "Sozodont" is Composed of.--Potassium carbonate, 1/2 ounce;

honey, 4 ounces; alcohol, 2 ounces; water, 10 ounces; oil of wintergreen

and oil of rose, to flavor, sufficient.

What is Used to Measure Cold below 35 Degrees Fahrenheit?--Metallic

thermometers are used to measure lowest temperatures, alcohol being

quite irregular.

Is the Top Surface of Ice on a Pond, the Amount of Water let in and

out being the Same Day by Day, on a Level with the Water Surface or

above it?--Ice is slightly elastic, and when fast to the shore the

central portion rises and falls with slight variations in water level,

the proportion above and below water level being as is the weight of

ice to the weight of water it displaces.

Of the Two Waters, Hard and Soft, Which Freezes the Quicker; and in

ice Which Saves the Best in Like Packing?--Soft water freezes the

quickest and keeps the best.

Does Water in Freezing Purify Itself?--It clears itself from

chemicals; does not clear itself from mechanical mixtures as mud and

clay.

A Receipt to Remove Freckles from the Face without Injury to

the Skin.--A commonly used preparation for this purpose is:

Sulpho-carbolate of zinc, 2 parts; distilled glycerine, 25 parts; rose

water, 25 parts; scented alcohol, 5 parts. To be applied twice daily

for from half an hour to an hour, and then washed off with cold water.

What will Remove Warts Painlessly?--Touch the wart with a little

nitrate of silver, or with nitric acid, or with aromatic vinegar. The

silver salt will produce a black, and the nitric acid a yellow stain,

either of which will wear off in a short while. The vinegar scarcely

discolors the skin. A Good Receipt to Prevent Hair Coming Out.--Scald

black tea, 2 ounces, with I gallon of boiling water, strain and add 3

ounces glycerine, tincture cantharides 1/2 ounce, bay rum 1 quart. Mix

well and perfume. This is a good preparation for frequent use in its

effect both on the scalp and hair, but neither will be kept in good

condition without care and attention to general health.

Deaths from Diphtheria per 100,000 Inhabitants in the Chief Cities of

the World.--Amsterdam, 265; Berlin, 245; Madrid, 225; Dresden,

184; Warsaw, 167; Philadelphia, 163; Chicago, 146; Turin, 127; St.

Petersburg, 121; Bucharest, 118; Berne, 115; Munich, 111; Stockholm,

107; Malines, 105; Antwerp, 104; New York, 91; Paris, 85; Hamburg,

76; Naples, 74; Lisbon, 74; Stuttgart, 61; Rome, 56; Edinburgh, 50;

Buda-Pesth, 50; The Hague, 45; Vienna, 44; London, 44; Christiania,

43; Copenhagen, 42; Suburbs of Brussels, 36; City of Brussels, 35.

A Receipt for Marshmallows, as Made by Confectioners.--Dissolve

one-half pound of gum arabic in one pint of water, strain, and add

one-half pound of fine sugar, and place over the fire, stirring

constantly until the syrup is dissolved, and all of the consistency

of honey. Add gradually the whites of four eggs well beaten. Stir

the mixture until it becomes somewhat thin and does not adhere to

the finger. Flavor to taste, and pour into a tin slightly dusted with

powdered starch, and when cool divide into small squares.

A Receipt for Making Compressed Yeast.--This yeast is obtained by

straining the common yeast in breweries and distilleries until a moist

mass is obtained, which is then placed in hair bags, and the rest of

the water pressed out until the mass is nearly dry. It is then sewed

up in strong linen bags for transportation.

How to Tell the Age of Eggs.--We recommend the following process

(which has been known for some time, but has been forgotten) for

finding out the age of eggs, and distinguishing those that are fresh

from those that are not. This method is based upon the decrease in the

density of eggs as they grow old. Dissolve two ounces of kitchen salt

in a pint of water. When a fresh-laid egg is placed in this solution

it will descend to the bottom of the vessel, while one that has been

laid on the day previous will not quite reach the bottom. If the egg

be three days old it will swim in the liquid, and if it is more than

three days old it will float on the surface, and project above the

latter more and more in proportion as it is older.

A Recipe for Making Court Plaster.--Isinglass 125 grains, alcohol

1-3/4 fluid ounces, glycerine 12 minims, water and tincture of benzoin

each sufficient quantity. Dissolve the isinglass in enough water to

make the solution weigh four fluid ounces. Spread half of the latter

with a brush upon successive layers of taffeta, waiting after each

application until the layer is dry. Mix the second half of the

isinglass solution with the alcohol and glycerine, and apply in

the same manner. Then reverse the taffeta, coat it on the back with

tincture of benzoin, and allow it to become perfectly dry. There are

many other formulas, but this is official. The above quantities are

sufficient to make a piece of court plaster fifteen inches square.

One of the Very Best Scouring Pastes Consists of--Oxalic acid, 1 part;

Iron peroxide, 15 parts; Powdered rottenstone, 20 parts; Palm oil, 60

parts; Petrolatum, 4 parts. Pulverize the oxalic acid and add rouge

and rottenstone, mixing thoroughly, and sift to remove all grit; then

add gradually the palm oil and petrolatum, incorporating thoroughly.

Add oil of myrbane, or oil of lavender to suit. By substituting your

red ashes from stove coal, an inferior representative of the foregoing

paste will be produced.

How to Manufacture Worcestershire Sauce.--A. Mix together 1-1/2

gallons white wine vinegar, 1 gallon walnut catsup, 1 gallon mushroom

catsup, 1/2 gallon Madeira wine, 1/2 gallon Canton soy, 2-1/2 pounds

moist sugar, 19 ounces salt, 3 ounces powdered capsicum, 1-1/2 ounces

each of pimento and coriander, 1-1/2 ounces chutney, 3/4 ounce each of

cloves, mace and cinnamon, and 6-1/2 drachms assafoetida dissolved in

pint brandy 20 above proof. Boil 2 pounds hog's liver for twelve

hours in 1 gallon of water, adding water as required to keep up the

quantity, then mix the boiled liver thoroughly with the water, strain

it through a coarse sieve. Add this to the sauce.

A Good Receipt for Making Honey, Without Using Honey as One of the

Ingredients,--5 lbs. white sugar, 2 lbs. water, gradually bring to

a boil, and skim well. When cool add 1 lb. bees' honey, and 4 drops

peppermint. To make of better quality add less water and more real

honey.

What the Chemical Composition of Honey is.--Principally of saccharine

matter and water, about as follows: Levulose 33-1/2 to 40 per cent.,

dextrose 31-3/4 to 39 per cent., water 20 to 30 per cent., besides

ash and other minor constituents.

How to Clean Carpets on the Floor to Make Them Look Bright.--To a

pailful of water add three pints of oxgall, wash the carpet with

this until a lather is produced, which is washed off with clean water.

How to Take Out Varnish Spots from Cloth.--Use chloroform or benzine,

and as a last resource spirits of turpentine, followed after drying by

benzine.

Flour Paste for all Purposes.--Mix 1 pound rye flour in lukewarm

water, to which has been added one teaspoonful of pulverized alum;

stir until free of lumps. Boil in the regular way, or slowly pour on

boiling water, stirring all the time until the paste becomes stiff.

When cold add a full quarter pound of common strained honey, mix well

(regular bee honey, no patent mixture).

How to Make Liquid Glue.--Take a wide mouthed bottle, and dissolve in

it 8 ounces beet glue in 1/2 pint water, by setting it in a vessel

of water, and heating until dissolved. Then add slowly 2-1/2 ounces

strong nitric acid 36 deg. Baume, stirring all the while. Effervescence

takes place, with generation of fumes. When all the acid has been added,

the liquid is allowed to cool. Keep it well corked, and it will be ready

for use at any time.

How the World is Weighed and Its Density and Mass Computed.--The

density, mass, or weight of the earth was found by the observed force

of attraction of a known mass of lead or iron for another mass; or

of a mountain by the deflection of a torsion thread or plumb line. In

this manner the mean density of the earth has been found to be from

4.71 to 6.56 times the weight of water, 5.66 being accredited as the

most reliable. The weight of a cubic foot of water being known, and

the contents of the earth being computed in cubic feet, we have but to

multiply the number of cubic feet by 5.66 times the weight of 1 cubic

foot of water to obtain the weight of the earth in pounds, or units of

gravity at its surface, which is the unit usually used. Another method

of determining the mean density of the earth is founded on the change

of the intensity of gravity in descending deep mines.

A Theory as to the Origin of Petroleum.--Professor Mendelejef has

recently advanced the theory that petroleum is of purely mineral origin

and that the formation of it is going on every day. He has, moreover,

succeeded in producing artificial petroleum by a reaction that he

describes, and he states that it is impossible to detect any difference

between the natural product and the manufactured article. His theory is

as follows: [Transcriber's Note: The original text reads 'Infilration']

Infiltration of water, reaching a certain depth, come into contact with

incandescent masses of carburets of metals, chiefly of iron, and are at

once decomposed into oxygen and hydrogen. The oxygen unites with the

iron, while the hydrogen seizes on the carbon and rises to an upper

level, where the vapors are condensed in part into mineral oil, and the

rest remains in a state of natural gas. The petroleum strata are

generally met with in the vicinity of mountains, and it may be granted

that geological upheavals have dislocated the ground in such a way as to

permit of the [Transcriber's Note: The original text reads 'admistoin']

admission of water to great depths. If the center of the earth contains

great masses of metallic carburets, we may, in case this theory is

verified, count upon an almost inexhaustible source of fuel for the day

when our coal deposits shall fail us.

How Vaseline is Purified.--The residuum from which vaseline is made

is placed in settling tanks heated by steam, in order to keep their

contents in a liquid state. After the complete separation of the fine

coke it is withdrawn from these tanks and passed through the bone

black cylinders, during which process the color is nearly all removed,

as well as its empyreumatic odor.

The Latest and Best Process Employed by Cutters and Others in Etching

Names and Designs on Steel.--Take copper sulphate, sulphate of alum

and sodium chloride, of each 2 drachms, and strong acetic acid 1-1/2

ounces, mixed together. Smear the metal with yellow soap and write

with a quill pen without a split.

The History of the Discovery of Circulation of the Blood recapitulated,

divides itself naturally into a series of epoch-making periods: 1. The

structure and functions of the valves of the heart, Erasistratus, B.C. 304.

2. The arteries carry blood during life, not air, Galen, A.D. 165.

3. The pulmonary circulation, Servetus, 1553. 4. The systemic circulation,

Cæsalpinus, 1593. 5. The pulmonic and systemic circulations, Harvey, 1628.

6. The capillaries, Malpighi, 1661.

How to Make Hand Fire Grenades.--Make your hand grenades. Fill

ordinary quart wine bottles with a saturated solution of common salt,

and place them where they will do the most good in case of need. They

will be found nearly as serviceable as the expensive hand grenades

you buy. Should a fire break out, throw them with force sufficient to

break them into the center of the fire. The salt will form a

coating on whatever object the water touches, and make it nearly

incombustible, and it will prove effectual in many cases, where a fire

is just starting, when the delay in procuring water might be fatal.

How the Kind of White Metal is Made That is Used in the Manufacture

of Cheap Table Ware.--How same can be hardened and still retain its

color? The following are formulas for white metal. Melt together: (a)

Tin 82, lead 18, antimony 5, zinc 1, copper 4 parts. (b) Brass 32,

lead 2, tin 2, zinc 1 part. For a hard metal, not so white, melt

together bismuth 6 parts, zinc 3 parts, lead 13 parts. Or use type

metal--lead 3 to 7 parts, antimony 1 part.

What Metal Expands Most, for the Same Change in Temperature?--For one

degree Centigrade the following are coefficients of linear expansion:

aluminum, 0.0000222; silver, 0.0000191 to 0.0000212; nickel,

0.0000128; copper, 0.0000167 to 0.0000178; zinc, 0.0000220 to

0.0000292; brass, 0.0000178 to 0.0000193; platinum, 0.0000088.

Heavy Timbers.--There are sixteen species of trees in America, whose

perfectly dry wood will sink in water. The heaviest of these is the

black iron wood (confalia feriea) of Southern Florida, which is more

than 30 per cent. heavier than water. Of the others, the best known

are lignum vitæ (gualacum sanctum) and mangrove (chizphora mangle).

Another is a small oak (quercus gsisea) found in the mountains of

Texas, Southern New Mexico and Arizona, and westward to the Colorado

desert, at an elevation of 5,000 to 10,000 feet. All the species in

which the wood is heavier than water belong to semi-tropical Florida

or the arid interior Pacific region.

Highest Point Reached by Man was by balloon 27,000 feet. Travelers

have rarely exceeded 20,000 feet, at which point the air from its

rarity is very debilitating.

Has a Rate of Speed Equal to Ninety Miles an Hour, ever Been Attained

by Railroad Locomotive?--It is extremely doubtful if any locomotive

ever made so high a speed. A mile in 48 seconds is the shortest time

we have heard of. A rate of 70 to 75 miles per hour has been made on

a spurt, on good straight track. The Grant Locomotive Works could make

such an engine. Sixty miles an hour for a train is considered a very

high rate of speed, and is seldom attained in practice for more than a

short run.

The Fastest Boat in the World.--Messrs. Thornycroft & Co., of

Chiswick, in making preliminary trials of a torpedo boat built by them

for the Spanish navy, have obtained a speed which is worthy of special

record. The boat is twin-screw, and the principal dimensions are:

Length 147 ft. 6 in., beam 14 ft. 6 in., by 4 ft. 9 in. draught. On a

trial at Lower Hope, on April 27, the remarkable mean speed of 26.11

knots was attained, being equal to a speed of 30.06 miles an hour,

which is the highest speed yet attained by any vessel afloat.

Staining and Polishing Mahogany.--Your best plan will be to scrape off

all the old polish, and well glass paper; then oil with linseed oil both

old and new parts. To stain the new pieces, get half an ounce of

bichromate of potash, and pour a pint of boiling water over it; when

cold bottle it. This, used with care, will stain the new or light parts

as dark as you please, if done as follows:--wipe off the oil clean, and

apply the solution with a piece of rag, held firmly in the hand, and

just moistened with the stain. Great care is required to prevent the

stain running over the old part, for any place touched with it will show

the mark through the polish when finished. You can vary the color by

giving two or more coats if required. Then repolish your job altogether

in the usual way. Should you wish to brighten up the old mahogany, use

polish dyed with Bismarck brown as follows:--Get three pennyworth of

Bismarck brown, and put it into a bottle with enough naphtha or

methylated spirits to dissolve it. Pour a few drops of this into your

polish, and you will find that it gives a nice rich red color to the

work, but don't dye the polish too much, just tint it.

Value of Eggs for Food and Other Purposes.--Every element that is

necessary to the support of man is contained within the limits of an

egg shell, in the best proportions and in the most palatable form.

Plain boiled, they are wholesome. It is easy to dress them in more

than 500 different ways, each method not only economical, but salutary

in the highest degree. No honest appetite ever yet rejected an egg in

some guise. It is nutriment in the most portable form, and in the most

concentrated shape. Whole nations of mankind rarely touch any

other animal food. Kings eat them plain as readily as do the humble

tradesmen. After the victory of Muhldorf, when the Kaiser Ludwig sat

at a meal with his burggrafs and great captains, he determined on a

piece of luxury--"one egg to every man, and two to the excellently

valiant Schwepperman." Far more than fish--for it is watery diet--eggs

are the scholar's fare. They contain phosphorus, which is brain food,

and sulphur, which performs a variety of functions in the economy. And

they are the best of nutriment for children, for, in a compact form,

they contain everything that is necessary for the growth of the

youthful frame. Eggs are, however, not only food--they are medicine

also. The white is the most efficacious of remedies for burns, and the

oil extractable from the yolk is regarded by the Russians as an

almost miraculous salve for cuts, bruises and scratches. A raw egg, if

swallowed in time, will effectually detach a fish bone fastened in

the throat, and the white of two eggs will render the deadly corrosive

sublimate as harmless as a dose of calomel. They strengthen the

consumptive, invigorate the feeble, and render the most susceptible

all but proof against jaundice in its more malignant phase. They

can also be drunk in the shape of that "egg flip" which sustains the

oratorical efforts of modern statesmen. The merits of eggs do not even

end here. In France alone the wine clarifiers use more than 80,000,000

a year, and the Alsatians consume fully 38,000,000 in calico printing

and for dressing the leather used in making the finest of French kid

gloves. Finally, not to mention various other employments for eggs in

the arts, they may, of course, almost without trouble on the farmer's

part, be converted in fowls, which, in any shape, are profitable to

the seller and welcome to the buyer. Even egg shells are valuable, for

aliopath and homeopath alike agree in regarding them as the purest of

carbonate of lime.

History of Big Ships.--In the history of mankind several vessels

of extraordinary magnitude have been constructed, all distinctively

styled great, and all unfortunately disastrous, with the honorable

exception of Noah's Ark. Setting aside this antediluvian craft,

concerning the authenticity of whose dimensions authorities differ,

and which, if Biblical measures are correct, was inferior in size to

the vessel of most importance to modern shipowners, the great galley,

constructed by the great engineer Archimedes for the great King Hiero

II., of Syracuse, is the first illustration. This ship without a name

(for history does not record one) transcended all wonders of ancient

maritime construction. It abounded statues and painting, marble and

mosaic work. It contained a gymnasium, baths, a garden, and arbored

walks. Its artillery discharged stones of 3 cwt., and arrows 18 ft. in

length. An Athenian advertising poet, who wrote a six-line puff of its

glories, received the royal reward of six thousand bushels of corn.

Literary merit was at a higher premium in the year 240 B.C., than it

is to-day. The great ship of antiquity was found to be too large for

the accommodation of the Syracusan port, and famine reigning in Egypt,

Hiero, the charitably disposed, embarked a cargo of ten thousand

huge jars of salted fish, two million pounds of salted meat, twenty

thousand bundles of different clothes, filled the hold with corn, and

consigned her to the seven mouths of the Nile, and since she weighed

anchor nothing more has been heard of her fate. The next great

ship worthy of mention is the mythical Saracen encountered in the

Mediterranean Sea by the crusading fleet of Richard CÏur de Lion, Duke

of Guienne and King of England, which, after much slaughter and

damage incident to its infidel habit of vomiting Greek fire upon its

adversaries, was captured and sunk. Next in rotation appears the Great

Harry, built by Henry VIII., of England, and which careened in harbor

during the reign of his successor, under similar circumstances

to those attending the Royal George in 1782--a dispensation that

mysteriously appears to overhang a majority of the ocean-braving

constructions which, in defiance of every religious sailor's

superstition that the lumber he treads is naturally female, are

christened by a masculine or neutral title. In the year 1769, Mark

Isambard Brunel, the Edison of his age, as his son was the Ericsson

of that following, permitted himself to be born at Hacqueville; near

Rouen, France, went to school, to sea, and into politics; compromised

himself in the latter profession, and went to America in 1794, where

he surveyed the canal now connecting Lake Champlain with the Hudson

River at Albany, N.Y. There he turned architect, then returned to

Europe, settled, married, and was knighted in England. He occupied

eighteen years of his life in building an unproductive tunnel beneath

the river Thames at London; invented a method of shuffling cards

without using the hands, and several of her devices for dispensing

with labor, which, upon completion, were abandoned from economical

motives. On his decease, his son and heir, I.K. Brunel, whose

practical experience in the Thames Tunnel job, where his biographers

assert he had occasion more than once to save his life by swimming,

qualified him to tread in his father's shoes, took up his trade.

Brunel, Jr., having demonstrated by costly experiments, to the

successful proof, but thorough exasperation, of his moneyed backers,

that his father's theory for employing carbonic acid gas as a motive

power was practicable enough, but too expensive for anything but the

dissipation of a millionaire's income, settled down to the profession

of engineering science, in which he did as well as his advantages of

education enabled him. Like all men in advance of their time, when he

considered himself the victim of arbitrary capitalists ignoring the

bent of his genius, he did his best work in accordance with their

stipulations. He designed the Great Western, the first steamship

(paddle-wheel) ever built to cross the Atlantic; and the Great

Britain, the original ocean screw steamer. Flushed with these

successes, Brunel procured pecuniary support from speculative fools,

who, dazzled by the glittering statistical array that can be adduced in

support of any chimerical venture, the inventor's repute, and their

unbaked experience, imagined that the alluring Orient was ready to

yield, like over-ripe fruit, to their shadowy grasp; and tainted as he

evidently was with hereditary mania, Brunel resolved to seize the

illusionary immortality that he fondly imagined to be within his reach.

There was not much the matter with the brain of Brunel, Jr., but that

little was enough; a competent railroad surveyor, a good bridge builder,

he needed to be held within bounds when handling other people's funds;

for the man's ambition would have lead him to undertake to bridge the

Atlantic. He met with the speculators required in this very instance of

the constructors of the Great Eastern. This monstrous ship has been

described so often, that it would be a cruelty to our readers to inflict

the story upon them again.

Natural Gas the Fuel of the Future.--The house of the near future will

have no fireplace, steam pipes, chimneys, or flues. Wood, coal oil,

and other forms of fuel are about to disappear altogether in

places having factories. Gas has become so cheap that already it is

supplanting fuels. A single jet fairly heats a small room in cold

weather. It is a well known fact that gas throws off no smoke, soot,

or dirt. In a brazier filled with chunks of colored glass, and several

jets placed beneath, the glass soon became heated sufficiently to

thoroughly warm a room 10x30 feet in size. This design does away with

the necessity for chimneys, since there is no smoke; the ventilation

may be had at the window. The heat may be raised or lowered by simply

regulating the flow of gas. The colored glass gives all the appearance

of fire; there are black pieces to represent coal, red chunks for

flames, yellowish white glass for white heat, blue glass for blue

flames, and hues for all the remaining colors of spectrum. Invention

already is displacing the present fuels for furnaces and cooking

ranges and glass, doing away with delay and such disagreeable objects

as ashes, kindling wood, etc. It has only been within the past few

years that natural gas has been utilized to any extent, in either

Pennsylvania, New York or Ohio. Yet its existence has been known since

the early part of the century. As far back as 1821, gas was struck

in Fredonia, Chautauqua county, N.Y., and was used to illuminate the

village inn when Lafayette passed through the place some three years

later. Not a single oil well of the many that have been sunk in

Pennsylvania has been entirely devoid of gas, but even this frequent

contact with what now seems destined to be the fuel of the future bore

no fruit of any importance until within the past few years. It had

been used in comparatively small quantities previous to the fall of

1884, but it was not until that time that the fuel gave any indication

of the important role it was afterward to fill. At first ignored, then

experimented with, natural gas has been finally so widely adopted that

to-day, in the single city of Pittsburgh, it displaces daily 10,000

tons of coal, and has resulted in building cities in Ohio and the

removal thereto of the glass making industries of the United States.

The change from the solid to the gaseous fuel has been made so

rapidly, and has effected such marked results in both the processes

of manufacture and the product, that it is no exaggeration to say

that the eyes of the entire industrial world are turned with envious

admiration upon the cities and neighborhoods blessed with so unique

and valuable a fuel. The regions in which natural gas is found are

for the most part coincident with the formations producing petroleum.

This, however, is not always the case; and it is worthy of notice that

some districts which were but indifferent oil-producers are now famous

in gas records. The gas driller, therefore, usually confines himself

to the regions known to have produced oil, but the selection of the

particular location for a well within these limits appears to be

eminently fanciful. The more scientific generally select a spot

either on the anticlinal or synclinal axis of the formation, giving

preference to the former position. Almost all rock formations have

some inclination to the horizon, and the constant change of this

inclination produces a series of waves, the crests of which are known

as anticlines, and the troughs as synclines. Many drillers suppose

that the gas seeks the anticlines and the oil the synclines, but

others, equally long-headed, discard entirely all theory of this kind,

and drill wherever it may be most convenient or where other operators

have already demonstrated the existence of gas. It will surprise many

of our readers to know that the divining rod, that superstitious relic

of the middle ages, is still frequently called upon to relieve the

operator of the trouble of a rational decision. The site having been

selected, the ordinary oil-drilling outfit is employed to sink a

hole of about six inches in diameter until the gas is reached. In the

neighborhood of Pittsburgh, this is usually found at a depth of 1,300

to 1,500 feet, in what is known as the Third Oil Sand, a sandstone of

the Devonian period. Where the gas comes from originally is an open

question. When the driller strikes gas, he is not left in any doubt of

the event, for if the well be one of any strength, the gas manifests

itself by sending the drill and its attachments into the air, often

to a height of a hundred feet or more. The most prolific wells are

appropriately called "roarers." During the progress of the drilling,

the well is lined with iron piping. Occasionally this is also blown

out, but as a rule the gas satisfies itself with ejecting the drill.

When the first rush of gas has thrown everything movable out of its

way, the workmen can approach, and chain the giant to his work. The

plant at the well is much simpler than one would suppose. An elbow

joint connects the projecting end of the well piping with a pipe

leading to a strong sheet-iron tank. This collects the salt water

brought up with the gas. Ordinarily, about half a barrel accumulates

in twenty four hours. A safety valve, a pressure indicator, and a

blow-off complete the outfit. When the pressure exceeds a prescribed

limit, the valve opens, and the gas escapes into the blow-off. This

is usually 30 feet high or more, and the gas issuing from the top is

either ignited or permitted to escape into the atmosphere. The

pipe line leading from the tank to the city is of course placed

underground. Beyond a little wooden house, the blow-off, and a

derrick, the gas farms differ little in appearance from those

producing less valuable crops. The pressure of the gas at the wells

varies considerably. It is generally between 100 and 325 pounds. As

much as 750 pounds per square inch has been measured, and in many

cases the actual pressure is even greater than this, but, as a rule,

it is not permitted to much exceed 20 atmospheres in any receiver or

pipe. The best investment for parties of small means that we know of

is in town lots in North Baltimore, Ohio. It is on the main line

of the B. & O. Railroad and the center of the oil and natural gas

discoveries in Ohio. Property is bound to double in value. For further

information, address, W.A. Rhodes, North Baltimore, Ohio.

Hints on House Building.--Gas pipes should be run with a continuous

fall towards the meter, and no low places. The gas meter should be

set in a cool place, to keep it from registering against you; but if

a "water meter," it should be protected from freezing. Cupboards,

wardrobes, bookcases, etc., generally afford receptacles for dust

on their tops. This may be avoided by carrying them clear up to the

ceiling. When this is not done, their tops should be sheeted over

flush with the highest line of their cornices, so that there may be no

sunken lodging-place for dust. Furring spaces between the furring and

the outer walls should be stopped off at each floor line with brick and

mortar "fire stops;" and the same with hollow interior partition walls.

Soil pipes should never have "T" branches; always curves, or "Y"

branches. Water pipes should be run in a continuous grade, and have a

stop and waste cock at the lowest point, so as to be entirely emptied

when desired. Furnaces should have as few joints as possible, and the iron

fire-pot is better lined with fire-brick. There should be no damper in

the smoke pipe; but the ash-door should shut air-tight when desired.

There should be provision for the evaporation of water in the hot-air

pipe. "Air boxes" should never be of wood. All air boxes should be

accessible from one end to the other, to clean them of dust, cobwebs,

insects, etc. Horizontal hot-air flues should not be over 15 feet

long. Parapets should be provided with impervious coping-stones to

keep water from descending through the walls. Sewer pipes should not

be so large as to be difficult to flush. The oval sections (point

down) are the best. Soil-pipes should have a connection with the upper

air, of the full diameter of the pipe to be ventilated. Stationary

wash-tubs of wood are apt to get soaked up with organic matter and

filth. Stationary washstands in bedrooms should have small traps;

underneath each should be a leaden tray to protect ceilings in case

of leakage, breakage or accidental overflow. This tray should have an

overflow, and this overflow should be trapped, if connected with the

foul-pipe system (which it should _not_ be if possible to arrange it

otherwise). Flues should have a smooth parging or lining, or they will

be apt to draw with difficulty. Gas pipes of insufficient diameter

cause the flames to burn with unsteady, dim light. Made ground is

seldom fit for immediate building; and never for other than isolated

structures. Ashes, street-sweepings, garbage, rotten vegetation, and

house refuse are unfit filling for low ground on which it is intended

to build. Cobble pavements are admirably adapted to soaking-up and

afterwards emitting unwholesome matters. Asphalt has none of this

fault. Wood is pernicious in this respect. "Gullies" in cellar floors

should be properly trapped; and this does _not_ mean that they shall

have bell-traps nor siphon-traps with shallow water-seal. Cellar

windows should be movable to let in air, and should have painted

wire-screens to keep out cats, rats, etc. New walls are always damp.

Window sills should project well out beyond the walls, and should be

grooved underneath so as to throw the water clear of the walls. Cracks

in floors, between the boards, help the accumulation of dirt and

dust, and may harbor vermin. Narrow boards of course have narrower

interstitial cracks than wide boards do. "Secret nailing" is best

where it can be afforded. Hot-air flues should never be carried close

to unprotected woodwork. Electric bells, when properly put up and

cared for, are a great convenience in a house; but when they

don't work, they are about as aggravating as the law allows. Cheap

pushbuttons cause a great deal of annoyance. Silver-plated faucets and

trimmings blacken with illuminating and sewer gases. Nickel-plating

is perhaps a less pleasing white, but is cheaper and does not discolor

readily. Windows are in most respects a great blessing; but there may

be too much of a good thing. It is unreasonable to expect that one

grate or stove or furnace can heat a whole county. Don't attempt it.

If you have too many windows on the "cold side" of a house, give

them double sashes (_not_ double panes), and "weather-strip" them.

Unpainted trimmings should be of hardwood. Yellow pine finishes up

well. Butternut is brighter than walnut. Cherry makes a room cheerful.

Walnut is dull and dismal.

The Forests of the World.--The rapid exhaustion of the forests of the

world, and more particularly of the once great reserves of timber in

the United States and Canada, renders it inevitable that, in a very

few years indeed, iron must supersede wood for a variety of uses. The

drain upon the world's resources in timber is prodigious. Every year

92,000,000 railway sleepers are used in America alone, while to supply

firewood for the whole of the States, fourteen times the quantity of

wood consumed by the railways is annually required. At the computation

of the most recent statistics there were 441,000,000 of acres of

woodland in the United States; but since over 50,000,000 of acres are

cut down yearly, this great area of timber will be non-existent in

less than twenty years, unless replanting upon a very extensive

scale be at once undertaken. Already efforts are being made in this

direction, and not long since some 4,000,000 of saplings were planted

in a single day in Kansas and the neighboring States. But since the

daily consumption is even greater than this, it is obvious that the

work of replanting must be undertaken systematically if it is to keep

pace, even approximately, with the destruction. In France and Germany,

where the forests are national property, forestry has been elevated

to the status of an exact science; but the timber lands of those

countries are small indeed compared with those in the United States.

A Church Built from a Single Tree.--A redwood tree furnished all the

timber for the Baptist church in Santa Rosa, one of the largest church

edifices in the country. The interior of the building is finished in

wood, there being no plastered walls. Sixty thousand shingles were

made from the tree after enough was taken for the church. Another

redwood tree, cut near Murphy's Mill, about ten years ago, furnished

shingles that required the constant labor of two industrious men for

two years before the tree was used up.

Trees That Sink.--Of the more than four hundred species of trees

found in the United States there are said to be sixteen species whose

perfectly dry wood will sink in water. The heaviest of these is the

black ironwood of southern Florida, which is more than thirty per

cent. heavier than water. Of the others, the best known are the lignum

vitæ and mangrove; another is a small oak found in the mountains

of western Texas, southern New Mexico, and Arizona, and westward to

Colorado, at an elevation of 5,000 to 10,000 feet.

Artificial Wood.--You can produce an artificial fire and waterproof

wood in the following manner. More or less finely divided wood

shavings, straw, tan, etc., singly or mixed, are moistened with a weak

solution of zinc chloride of about 1.026 sp. gr., and allowed to dry.

They are then treated with a basic solution of magnesium chloride of

1.725 to 1.793 sp. gr., and pressed into moulds. The materials remain

ten to twelve hours under pressure, during which time they harden

while becoming heated. After being dried for several days in a warm,

airy place, they are placed for ten or twelve hours into a strong

solution of zinc chloride of about 1.205 sp. gr., and finally dried

again. The product is stated to be workable like hardwood, and to be

capable of taking a fine polish after being tooled. It is fireproof

and inpermeable to water, and weak acid or alkaline solutions, and

not affected by the humidity of the atmosphere, being well suited to

decorative purposes, as it will not warp and fly like wood, but retain

its form.

How to Stain Wood.--The following are recipes for staining wood, which

are used in large establishments with great success: Light

Walnut--Dissolve 3 oz. permanganate of potash in six pints of water, and

paint the wood twice with the solution. After the solution has been left

on the wood for from five to ten minutes, the wood is rinsed, dried,

oiled, and finally polished. Light Mahogany--1 oz. finely cut alkanet

root, 2 ozs. powdered aloe, and 2 ozs. powdered dragon's blood are

digested with 26 ozs. of strong spirits of wine in a corked bottle, and

left in a moderately warm place for four days. The solution is then

filtered off, and the clear filtrate is ready for use. The wood which is

to be stained is first passed through nitric acid, then dried, painted

over with the alcoholic extract, dried, oiled and polished. Dark

Walnut.--3 ozs. permanganate of potash are dissolved in six pints of

water, and the wood is painted twice with this solution. After five

minutes the wood is washed, and grained with acetate of iron (the

ordinary iron liquor of the dyer) at 20¡ Tw. Dry, oil and polish as

usual. Gray--1 oz. nitrate of silver is dissolved in 45 ozs. water, and

the wood painted twice with the solution; afterwards the wood is

submitted to the action of hydrochloric acid, and finally washed with

ammonia. It is then dried in a dark place, oiled and polished. This is

said to give remarkably good results on beech, pitch pine and poplar.

Black--7 ozs. logwood are boiled with three pints of water, filtered,

and the filtrate mixed with a solution containing 1 oz. of sulphate of

copper (blue copperas). The mixture is left to clear, and the clear

liquor decanted while still hot. The wood is placed in this liquor for

twenty-four hours; it is then exposed to the air for twenty-four hours,

and afterwards passed through a hot bath of nitrate of iron of 6¡ Tw. If

the black, after this treatment, should not be sufficiently developed,

the wood has to be passed again through the first logwood bath.

The Highest Chimney in the World.--The highest chimney in the world is

said to be that recently completed at the lead mines in Mechernich.

It is 134 meters (439 ft. 6 in.) high, was commenced in 1884, and

was carried up 23 meters before the frost set in; building was

again resumed on the 14th of last April, and it was completed last

September. The foundation, which is of dressed stone, is square,

measuring 11 meters (33 ft.) on each side, and is 3.50 meters (11 ft.

6 in.) deep; the base is also square, and is carried up 10 meters (33

ft.) above the ground. The chimney-stack is of circular section, 7.50

meters (24 ft. 6 in.) diameter at the bottom, and tapering to 3.50

meters diameter (11 ft. 6 in.) at the top, and is 120.50 meters (395

ft.) high.

How to Measure Round Tanks.--Square the diameter of the tank, and

multiply by.7854, which gives the area; then multiply area by depth

of tank, and the cubic contents will be found. Allow 6-1/4 gallons for

each cubic foot.

The Largest Buildings in the World.--Where is the largest building in

the world situated? The answer to this question must depend upon what

the term "building" is held to represent. The Great Wall of China,

1,280 miles in length, wide enough to allow six horsemen to ride

abreast along it, and with an average height of 20 ft., may fairly be

called a building; so, too, may be called the Great Pyramid of Egypt.

The question, however, was not meant to include such works as these.

Some have supposed that the Vatican at Rome, with its eight grand

staircases, 200 smaller staircases, 20 courts, and 11,000 apartments,

is the largest building in the world; but surely this is a collection

of palaces rather than a single building. The same objection applies

to the famous monastery of the Escurial in the province of Madrid,

with its seven towers, fifteen gateways, and 12,000 windows and doors,

and to many other vast piles. For the largest single building extant,

we must look to St. Peter's at Rome, within which our great cathedral,

St. Paul's, could easily stand. St. Peter's occupies a space of

240,000 sq. ft., its front is 400 ft. broad, rising to a height of 180

ft.; the length of the interior is 600 ft., its breadth 442 ft. It

is capable of holding 54,000 people, while its piazza, in its widest

limits, holds 624,000. It is only by degrees that one is able to

realize its vast size. St. Peter's holds 54,000 persons; Milan

Cathedral, 37,000; St. Paul's, Rome, 32,000; St. Paul's, London,

25,600; St. Petronio, Bologna, 24,400; Florence Cathedral, 24,300;

Antwerp Cathedral, 24,000; St. Sophia, Constantinople, 23,000; Notre

Dame, Paris, 21,000; Pisa Cathedral, 13,000; St. Stephen's, Vienna,

12,400; Auditorium, Chicago, 12,000; St. Mark's, Venice, 7,000.

The Biggest Bell in the World.--There is a bell in the Temple of

Clars, at Kinto, Japan, which is larger than the great bell of Moscow,

or any other. It is covered with Chinese and Sanskrit characters which

Japanese scholars have not yet succeeded in translating. There is no

record of its casting. Its height is 24 ft., and at the rim it has a

thickness of 16 in. It has no clapper, but is struck on the outside by

a kind of wooden battering-ram. We are unable to obtain any more exact

particulars as to the dimensions of this bell in order to determine

whether or no it really does excel the "Monarch" of Moscow, which

weighs about 193 tons, is 19 ft. 3 in. in height, 60 ft. 9 in. in

circumference, and 2 ft. thick. There is another huge bell at Moscow,

and those at Amazapoora, in Burmah, and at Pekin are far bigger than

any we have in this country. Our biggest bell is "Great Paul," which

was cast at Loughborough in 1881, and which weighs 17-1/2 tons. Taking

purity, volume, and correctness of note into account, it is probably

the finest bell in Europe.

The Oldest Cities in the World.--They are the following:--Argos,

Athens and Thebes, in Greece; Crotona and Rome, in Italy; Cadiz and

Saguntum, in Spain; Constantinople, in Turkey, and Marseilles, in

France, which was founded by a colony of Greeks 580 B.C. The age of

these cities varies from twenty-four to twenty-seven centuries.

How to Manufacture Oil of Apple, or Essence of Apple.--The essence of

apple is composed of aldehyde 2 parts; chloroform, acetic ether and

nitrous ether and oxalic acid each 1 part; glycerin 4 parts;

[Transcriber's note: the original text reads: "amyl valerianice ther10

parts"] amyl valerianic ether 10 parts.

A Formula for the Manufacture of Artificial Cider.--Imitation cider

consists of 25 gallons soft water, 25 pounds New Orleans sugar; 1 pint

yeast; two pounds tartaric acid. Put all the ingredients into a clean

cask, and stir them up well after standing twenty-four hours with the

bung out. Then bung the cask up tight, add 3 gallons spirits, and let it

stand forty-eight hours, after which time it will be ready for use.

Champagne cider can be prepared by taking 10 gallons of cider, old and

clear. Put this in a strong, iron-bound cask pitched inside (like beer

casks); add 2-1/2 pints clarified white plain syrup; then dissolve in it

5 ounces tartaric acid; keep the bung ready in hand, then add 7-1/2

ounces of potassium bicarbonate; bung it as quickly and as well as

possible.

Recipe for Making Instantaneous Ink and Stain Extractor.--Take of

chloride of lime 1 pound, thoroughly pulverized, and 4 quarts

soft water. The foregoing must be thoroughly shaken when first put

together. It is required to stand twenty-four hours to dissolve the

chloride of lime; then strain through a cotton cloth, after which add

a teaspoonful of acetic acid to every ounce of the chloride of lime

water.

Wood, which is a more unyielding material, acts with tremendous force

when wetted, and advantage has been taken of this fact in splitting

blocks of granite. This process is largely adopted in Dartmoor. After a

mass of granite has been rent from the mountain by blasting, it is

measured in every direction to see how best to divide it into smaller

blocks. These are traced out by straight lines on the surface, and a

series of holes are drilled at short intervals along this line. Wedges

of dry wood are then tightly driven into the holes and wetted, and the

combined action of the swelling wood splits the block in the direction

required, and without any destructive violence. The same process is then

carried out upon the other faces, and the roughly-shapen block finished

with the hammer and chisel.

The Weight and Value of a Cubic Foot of

Solid Gold or Silver.--A cubic foot of gold weighs about 19,300 ounces,

and gold is worth $20.67 per ounce. Silver is worth $1.29 per ounce, and

a cubic foot weighs 10,500 ounces. Consequently the cubic foot of gold

would be worth $398,931, and the silver $13,545.

To Remove Spots on Brass.--Sulphuric acid will remove spots from brass

that will not yield to oxalic acid. It may be applied with a brush,

but great care must be taken that no drop of the acid shall come in

contact with the clothes or skin, as it is ruinous to garments and

cuticle. Bath brick or rottenstone may be used for polishing.

A Formula to Make a Good Shoe Dressing.--Gum shellac, 1/2 pound;

alcohol, 3 quarts; dissolve, and add camphor, 1-1/2 ounces; lampblack,

2 ounces. The foregoing will be found to give an excellent gloss,

and is especially adapted to any leather, the surface of which is

roughened by wear.

Receipts for Dyeing Cotton Fabric Red, Blue and Ecru.--Red: Muriate

of tin, two-thirds cupful, add water to cover goods; raise to boiling

heat; put in goods one hour; stir often; take out, empty kettle, put

in clean water with Nicaragua wood one pound; steep one-half hour at

hand heat, then put in goods and increase heat one hour, not boiling.

Air goods, and dip one hour as before. Wash without soap. Blue: For

three pounds goods, blue vitriol 4 ounces; boil few minutes, then dip

goods three hours; then pass them through strong lime water. Ecru:

Continue the foregoing operation for blue by passing the goods through

a solution of prussiate of potash.

MOTION OF WAVES.--The progressive motion of a wave on the water

exactly corresponds in speed with that of a pendulum whose length is

equal to the breadth of the wave; the same law, gravity, governs both.

LIGHT OF THE SUN.--A photometric experiment of Huygens, resumed by

Wollaston, a short time before his death, teaches us that 20,000 stars

the same size as Sirius, the most brilliant in the firmament, would

need to be agglomerated to shed upon our globe a light equal to that

of the sun.

Land Cultivation in Japan.--The entire arable land of the Japanese

empire is officially put at only 11,215,000 acres; but it is so

fertile and thoroughly cultivated that it feeds a population of

37,000,000, about that of France. Rice is one of the principal crops,

and of this some 200,000,000 bushels are raised annually.

Old London Bridge.--As early as the year 978 there was a wooden bridge

where London bridge now stands. This was replaced by another in 1014,

and another in 1209. The present London bridge was erected in 1831,

and may be considered the oldest existing bridge over the river.

The Shortest Method of Removing Silver from Plated Ware Before

Replating.--Dip the article in nitric acid; this will remove the

silver.

A Formula for White Metal.--Copper, 69.8 parts; nickel, 19.8 parts;

zinc, 5.5 parts; cadmium, 4.7 parts. It takes a fine polish.

Curiosities of Metal Working.--At a recent meeting of scientific men, a

speaker produced an anklet worn by East Indian women. This is a flat

curb chain about one inch broad, with the links very close, and weighing

about ten or twelve ounces. It is composed of a species of brass

composed of copper and lead, without any trace of silver, zinc, or tin.

Such anklets are sold for a few pence, and they are cast all at once,

complete as an endless chain. The links show no sign of having been

united in any way. How it was possible to produce such a casting as this

passed his comprehension, and he hoped that some one who had seen them

made would explain the nature of the process. From the East much that

was curious in metallurgical art came. Cast-iron was, he believed, first

made purposely in China. It was, however, frequently produced

unintentionally, when wrought-iron was made direct from the ore in

little furnaces about as big as a chimney-pot. It was found among the

cinders and ash of the [Transcriber's Note: The original text reads

'coarcoal'] charcoal-fire in grains or globules, which were not only

like shot, but were actually used as shot by the natives. He showed what

he believed was the only specimen in England of this cast-iron, in a

bottle. He next referred to the celebrated Damascene blades of Indian

swords, and explained that these blades were an intimate mixture of

wrought-iron and hard steel, which must have required great skill, time

and patience for its production. One [Transcriber's Note: The original

text reads 'patern'] pattern, in particular, known as "Mary's Ladder,"

showed wonderful finish and accuracy. Concerning the tempering of these

blades little was known; but it was stated that it was affected by a

long-continued hammering, or rather tapping, of the blade while cold.

How Many Tons of Coal a Large Steamship Consumes in a Day.--"Ocean

steamers are large consumers of coal. The Orient line, with their

fleet of ships running to Australia every two weeks, may be mentioned.

The steamship Austral went from London to Sydney in thirty-five days,

and consumed on the voyage 3,641 tons of coal; Her coal bunkers hold

2,750 tons. The steamship Oregon consumes over 330 tons per day on her

passage from Liverpool to New York; her bunkers will hold nearly 4,000

tons. The Stirling Castle last year brought home in one cargo 2,200

tons of tea, and consumed 2,800 tons of coal in doing so. Immense

stocks of coal are kept at various coaling stations. St. Vincent,

Madeira, Port Said, Singapore and others; the reserve at the latter

place is about 20,000 tons. It is remarkable with what rapidity these

steamers are coaled; for instance, the Orient steamship last year took

in over 1,100 tons at Port Said in five hours."

What a Man Eats.--A French statistician has just ascertained that a

human being of either sex who is a moderate eater and who lives to be

70 years old consumes during his life a quantity of food which would

fill twenty ordinary railway baggage cars. A "good eater," however,

may require as many as thirty.

An Australian Railway Viaduct.--The Werribee Viaduct, in the colony of

Victoria, is the longest work of the kind in Australia. The structure

consists of lattice-girder work. It is 1,290 feet in length, and runs

to a height of 125 feet above the level of the Werribee river. The

viaduct has fifteen spans each of 60 feet, and thirteen spans of 30

feet. The total cost of the bridge was £600,000.

The Sharpening of

Tools.--Instead of oil, which thickens and smears the stone, a

mixture of glycerine and spirit is recommended. The proportions of the

composition vary according to the class of tool to be sharpened. One

with a relatively large surface is best sharpened with a clear fluid,

three parts of glycerine being mixed with one part of spirit. A graver

having a small cutting surface only requires a small pressure on the

stone, and in such cases the glycerine should be mixed with only two

or three drops of spirit.

Recipes for Plumbers.--Chloride of zinc, so much used in soldering iron,

has, besides its corrosive qualities, the drawback of being unwholesome

when used for soldering the iron tins employed to can fruit, vegetables

and other foods. A soldering mixture has been found which is free from

these defects. It is made by mixing one pound of lactic acid with one

pound of glycerine and eight pounds of water. A wooden tank may be

rendered capable of withstanding the effects of nitric or sulphuric

acids by the following methods:--Cover the inside with paraffin; go over

the inside with a sadiron heated to the temperature used in ironing

clothes. Melt the paraffin under the iron so as to drive it into the

wood as much as possible, then with a cooler iron melt on a coat thick

enough to completely cover the wood. For brassing small articles: To one

quart water add half an ounce each of sulphate copper and protochloride

of tin. Stir the articles in the solution until the desired color is

obtained. Use the sulphate of copper alone for a copper color. A good

cement for celluloid is made from one part shellac dissolved in one part

of spirit of camphor and three to four parts of ninety per cent.

alcohol. The cement should be applied warm, and the broken parts

securely held together until the solvent has entirely evaporated. Tin

and tin alloys, after careful cleansing from oxide and grease, are

handsomely and permanently bronzed if brushed over with a solution of

one part of sulphate of copper (bluestone) and one part of sulphate of

iron (copperas) in twenty parts of water. When this has dried, the

surface should be brushed with a solution of one part of acetate of

copper (verdigris) in acetic acid. After several applications and

dryings of the last named, the surface is polished with a soft brush and

bloodstone powder. The raised portions are then rubbed off with soft

leather moistened with wax in turpentine, followed by a rubbing with dry

leather.

Protecting Water-Pipes Against Frost.--A device has been brought

forward for protecting water-pipes against freezing, the arrangement

being based upon the fact that water in motion will remain liquid at a

lower temperature than water at rest. One end of a copper rod, placed

outside the building, is secured to a bracket, and the other end is

attached to one arm of a weighted elbow lever; to the other arm of the

lever is secured a rod which passes into the building and operates a

valve in the water-pipe. By means of turn buckles the length of the

copper rod can be adjusted so that before the temperature reaches

the point at which there would be danger of the water in the pipes

freezing the valve will be opened to allow a flow of water; beyond

this point the valve opening will increase and the flow become more

rapid as the cold becomes more intense, and as the temperature rises

the valve is closed. This plan sets up a current in the pipes, which

replaces the water as it grows cold by the warmer water from the main.

Destructive Work of Barnacles.--Unless some paint can be found which

is proof against barnacles, it may be necessary to sheath steel

vessels with an alloy of copper. An attempt has been made to cover the

hulls with anti-corrosive paint and cover this with an outside coat

which should resist the attack of barnacles. Somehow the barnacles

eat their way through the paint and attach themselves to the hull. The

vast item of expense attached to the dry-docking of steel ships makes

this matter a not unimportant one. The barnacles interfere greatly

with the speed of a vessel, and in a cruiser speed is of prime

importance. They attach themselves in an incredibly short time to a

steel hull, and it is not long before their effect can be noted by a

comparison of the reading of the log.

How to Frost Glass.--Two ounces of spirits of salts, two ounces of oil

of vitriol, one ounce of sulphate of copper, one ounce of gum arabic,

mixed together and dabbed on with a brush; or this:--Dab your squares

regularly over with putty; when dry go over them again--the imitation

will be executed. Or this:--Mix Epsom salts with porter and apply it

with a brush. Or this one:--Grind and mix white lead in three-fourths

of boiled oil, and one-fourth of spirits of turpentine, and, to give

the mixture a very drying quality, add sufficient quantities of burnt

white vitriol and sugar of lead. The color must be made exceedingly

thin, and put on the panes of glass with a large painting-brush in as

even a manner as possible. When a number of the panes are thus painted

take a dry duster, quite new, dab the ends of the bristles on the

glass in quick succession till you give it a uniform appearance;

repeat this operation till the work appears very soft, and it

will then appear like ground glass. When the windows require fresh

painting, get the old coat off first by using strong pearlash water.

How to Preserve Posts.--Wood can be made to last longer than iron

in the ground, if prepared according to the following recipe:--Take

boiled linseed oil and stir in pulverized coal to the consistency of

paint. Put a coat of this over the timber, and there is not a man that

will live to see it rot.

What Diamond Dyes and Paints Are Made of.--Solutions of the aniline

colors.

What the Ingredients Are of Soapine and Pearline.--They consist of

partly effloresced sal soda mixed with half its weight of soda ash.

Some makers add a little yellow soap, coarsely powdered, to disguise

the appearance, and others a little carbonate of ammonium or borax.

How Many Thousand Feet of Natural Gas are Equal in Heat-Creating Power

to One Ton Anthracite Coal.--About 40,000 cubic feet.