1616. Blacking

The best blacking for preserving the leather of boots and shoes, and which will make it perfectly water-tight, is the following: - take of yellow wax one ounce and a half, of mutton suet four ounces and a half, horse turpentine half an ounce, ivory black three ounces, melt first the wax, to which add the suet and afterwards the horse turpentine, when the whole is melted remove it from the fire; mix in gradually the ivory black, constantly stirring till it is cold. This composition is sometimes run into moulds and sold under the name of blacking balls; when it is used it may be laid or rubbed upon a brush which should be warmed before the fire; it is also the best blacking for every kind of harness; when it is wanted in a large quantity it may be gently melted in a ladle or pot over a chafing-dish with live coals.

1624. How To Detect Whiting Or Chalk In Flour

Mix with the flour some juice of lemon or good vinegar, if the flour be pure they will remain together at rest, but if there be a mixture of whiting or chalk, a fermentation or working like yeast will ensue, the adulterated meal is whiter and heavier than the good.

1625. How To Extract Marking Ink

The following process will be found easy and effectual. Take the piece of marked linen and immerse it in a solution of chloride of lime, when in a few minutes the characters will pass from black to white, owing to a new preparation of silver being formed, namely white chloride of silver, which still remains in the fabric, but owing to its solubility in solution of ammonia it may be entirely extracted by immersion in that liquid immediately it is removed out of the first, and allowing it to remain in it for a few minutes; after this it only requires to be well rinsed in clean water which completes the process.

1626. Economical Use Of Fire

But few persons are aware of the advantages which may be obtained, by simply lining the backward sides of an ordinary fire place, with fire brick. Every one must have noticed that when a fire goes out, the coals at the sides of the fire are left unburnt while the centre is consumed, this arises from the cooling powers of the iron at the sides, and hence the complaint, that you must have a large fire or none at all; with fire brick the whole of the fire however small will be kept a-light, an object of great consideration in spring; a no less important advantage is that less smoke is produced.

1627. Economical Use Of Nutmeg

If you grate a nutmeg at the stalk end, it will prove hollow throughout; whereas the same nutmeg, had it been grated from the other end, would have proved sound and solid to the last.

1628. How To Extinguish A Fire

A solution of five ounces of muriate of ammonia in one gallon of water will easily extinguish a large fire.

1629. Frost Bitten Fruits And Vegetables

Such fruits and roots as pears, apples, and potatoes, as have been penetrated by 'frost, may be recovered by putting them into cold water when a thaw approaches, and letting them remain in the water for some time, till by the plumpness and fairness of the fruits and roots it appears that the particles of frost are extracted. This method has often been tried and found to answer.