The following information on making adhesive pastes for office and other use may be relied on.

(1) Dissolve a teaspoon-ful of powdered alum in 1 qt. of water, and stir in enough flour to make a thick even cream. Then stir in a teaspoonful of powdered resin, and pour in a cupful of boiling water. After stirring, pour the whole into a convenient earthenware vessel, and add. a few drops of oil of cloves.

(2) Steep about \ lb. of small pieces of gelatine in about 1 lb. of water till they are soft. Then heat the whole to dissolve the gelatine, and pour into the mixture, while still hot, about 21b. of flour paste and lpt. of water. Heat this till it boils, and when it has thickened and is cooling, stir in a small quantity of silicate of soda and a few drops of oil of cloves.

(3) Ordinary gum paste is made from equal quantities of picked gum arabic, white sugar, and water. The solution is evaporated till it is thick, and about three whites of eggs added per pound of gum. These should have been previously beaten up with a flavouring. The whole is strained through muslin, and evaporated until it will set.

(4) Dissolve a heaped-up teaspoonful of powdered alum in a breakfast cup of cold water, and with this alum water mix the paste, crushing all lumps with a flat piece of wood. Boil slowly, stirring until the stick will stand alone. This paste does not become mildewed or offensive. Do not cover up too tight, and do not keep it in a tin, or put a tin-mounted brush in it, because of rust.

(5) A quick-drying paste is made by mixing 100 parts of flour paste with 5 parts of dextrine or equal parts of glue and paste.

(6) There are several materials from which an adhesive paste or gloy for securing labels could be made. By treating gum arabic with water; by treating dextrine (British gum) with water; by boiling glue for several hours with water, borax, and carbonate of soda, or by using fish glue. The first method is by far the best, yielding a stronger gum than any of the others.

(7) Ordinary flour paste, made with the finest wheat flour and a small quantity of fine white sugar, keeps good for any length of time if a few drops of carbolic acid are added.

(8) Four parts (by weight) of fine glue are softened in 15 parts of cold water, and then moderately heated until the solution becomes quite clear; 65 parts of boiling water are now added, with constant stirring. In another vessel 30 parts of starch paste are stirred with 20 parts of cold water, so that a thin, milky fluid is obtained without lumps. Into this the boiling glue solution is gradually stirred, and the whole boiled for a short time. After cooling, a few drops of carbolic acid are added as a preservative. This paste may be used for leather, and if preserved in corked bottles will keep good for years.

(9) A paste possessing good keeping qualities is made by adding 15 grains of corrosive sublimate to 1 pt. of ordinary flour paste. Of course, corrosive sublimate is a deadly poison, and must be handled with the utmost care.

(10) The gum used for envelopes, as also for postage stamps, is dextrine, which can be bought as a powder at the chemist's; for use, it is dissolved in water.

(11) Billposters' paste may be made by beating A quartern of wheat or rye flour with a little cold water. Pour slowly into this 1 gal. of boiling water, stirring the while until it thickens. The paste should be made in a galvanised pail, which should then be placed on the fire for a minute, the paste being continually stirred. For use, thin with cold water. A tablespoonful of powdered alum should be put in with the flour. For a billposters' paste that could be thinned down as required, mix powdered gum tragacanth with a little warm water to a paste, and dilute with cold water; 1 lb. of gum tragacanth will yield a strong gum with 10 gal. of water. To make a concentrated paste for billposters, mix common starch with a little water in a bowl, and then pour about five or six times its weight of boiling water on it while it is being vigorously stirred; this forms a stiff jelly, which may be readily thinned for use by admixture with warm water.

(12) Paste as used by bookbinders is made thus: Put a teaspoonful of best white starch into a cup, and make into a creamy paste with cold water; then pour boiling water over the starch, stirring quickly. When cold, squeeze through a piece of tine muslin.

(13) To make shoemakers' paste, put some rye Hour in a, pot, pour on boiling water, and well stir. Do not pour on much, as the secret of making good paste is to make it as stilt' and firm as possible. There must be no lump.--, so, as there is such a little water added, the pa te requires a lot of stirring, and even after it is cold and ready for use an occasional stir greatly improves it. Sometimes dextrine is added to shoemakers' paste.

(13) This is a recipe for a cheap flour paste suitable for laying linoleum and oilcloth. Mix rye flour with a little cold water, then add boiling water, well stirring the paste while the water is being poured. Stir in some glue size while both are hot. The more size added the greater is the strength of the paste. A little alum dissolved in the paste is a preservative. If the paste is too thin, boil it to evaporate some of the water.

(15) A waterproof paste for fastening tickets on ironwork and tin can be made by mixing a little rye meal with a solution of glue and water and a little Venice turpentine. If too thick, thin with Venice turpentine. Another paste for this purpose can be made by mixing 1 lb. flour with 1/2lb. sugar. Boil carefully to thicken without burning. Add oil of cloves or other preservative. Another, 120 parts of gum arabic and 30 parts of tragacanth gum are separately steeped in water. A solution of 30 parts of tragacanth gum in water is stirred until it forms a viscous emulsion, and a solution of 120 parts of gum arabic in water is added and filtered in a fine cloth; 120 parts of glycerine are incorporated with the liquid, in which 2 5/10 parts of thyme oil have been dissolved. Finally, the liquid is increased to about 2 pt. by adding distilled water. Glue thus made is very adhesive, and to remain in condition should be kept in air-tight bottles.