How To Restore The Elasticity Of Cane-Chair Bottoms

Turn up the chair bottoms, and with a hot water and sponge wash the cane work well, so that it may be well soaked; should it be dirty you must add soap. Let it dry in the air, and you will find it as tight and firm as when new, provided the cane is not broken.

Moths In Carpets

Moths will work in carpets in rooms that are kept warm in winter as well as in summer. A sure method of removing the pests is to pour strong alum-water on the floor to the distance of half a yard around the edges before laying the carpets. Then once or twice during the season sprinkle dry salt over the carpet before sweeping. Insects do not like salt, and sufficient adheres to the carpet to prevent them alighting upon it.

How To Destroy Moths In Carpets

Take a wet sheet or other cloth, lay it upon the carpet, and then rub a hot flat-iron over it, so as to convert the water into steam, which permeates the carpet beneath, and destroys the life of the grub.

How To Clean Carpets

The carpet being first well beaten and freed from dust, tack it down to the floor; then mix half a pint of bullock's-gall with two gallons of soft water; scrub it well with soap and the gall-mixture; let it remain till quite dry, and it will be perfectly cleansed, and look like new, as the colors will be restored to their original brightness. The brush used must not be too hard, but rather long in the hair, or it will rub up the nap and damage the article.

How To Make Parchment Transparent

Soak a thin skin of parchment in a strong ley of wood ashes, often wringing it out till it becomes transparent; then strain it on a frame, and let dry.

This will be much improved if, after it is dry, you give it a coat, on both sides, of clear mastic varnish, diluted with spirits of turpentine.

Tinting On Parchment

On a good skin you may get an even tint, as follows: After "inking in" the plan, cover (with a large color brush) rather more than the whole of it with a strong wash of alum dissolved in water, taking care that every portion is saturated by the solution, and when dry brush away the dry alum, and the parchment will then take color almost as easily as paper, and the ink will not be disturbed.

India Ink Running

If it is for drawing plans you may prevent it running by adding a little sugar to the India ink.

Erasing Indian Ink

The most effective mode of erasing Indian ink lines is by rubbing the part to be erased with sandpaper of the finest quality, which will not only effectually remove the ink, but will leave a clear, smooth surface, which will take the ink better than at first, and may be colored upon.

How To Make Carbon Paper

Carbon paper, for copying or duplicating, can be made in the following manner: Take sweet oil, mixed to the consistence of cream, with either of the following paints (to produce the color desired): Prussian blue, lampblack, Venetian red, or chrome green; they should be ground fine on the stone. Use rather thin but firm paper, put on with a sponge, and wipe off as dry as possible; then lay them between uncolored paper, and press by laying a weight or some other heavy flat substance upon them until the surplus oil is absorbed, when it is ready for use.