Adulterations of white lead.

Having procured some genuine white lead, the householder who wishes for good results from his painting should also buy linseed oil. The linseed oil of commerce is almost as extensively adulterated as the white lead, menhaden oil being sold for it in immense quantities. The easiest way of detecting serious adulteration is to smell a sample of the oil offered as linseed, first cold, rubbing it in the hand, and then by spreading a little on a paper or rag, and burning it. The smell of pure linseed oil is so characteristic that any considerable adulteration will be noticed; and, if necessary, a sample may be compared with the perfectly pure linseed oil put up in small bottles for artists.

The cost of painters' materials is so small in comparison with that of the labor of putting them on, that it is far better economy to use oil and pigments, in the first instance, which will cling to the woodwork for half a generation, than, at a little smaller expense, to employ pigments which will wash off in a few years, or, what is worse, blister off, leaving patches of bare wood, which will show as defects through subsequent paintings. It is understood, of course, that a house is not necessarily white because it is painted with white lead, as the lead can be mixed with other colors. In general, however, the lighter the color with which a house is painted, the more durable the paint will be, and the more comfortable the house itself will be, both in winter and summer, white paint having a surprising effect in reflecting the sun's rays in hot weather, and keeping the house behind it cool, as well as in preventing radiation of the heat of the house in winter.

Linseed oil.

Some painters, and many more amateurs, instead of going to the trouble of mixing the thick pigment from the can or keg with oil to the proper consistency, and straining it, to remove bits of "paint skin " and other solid particles, use the "ready-mixed" paints, which are sold by dealers in all colors, and of all qualities, Some of these paints, although by no means all that claim to be, are made with good white lead, mixed with reasonably pure linseed oil, with or without drier, according to whether they are intended to dry quickly or not; but many varieties, which look bright and shining on the sample cards, contain water, often in large quantities. which is made to unite with the oil by the addition of silicate of soda, or some other strong alkali, which converts the oil into a sort of soap, soluble in water. Naturally, paints made with soap do not long resist the weather; but, as the business of selling water at the price of oil is very profitable, they are extensively used. In the western country, and even in the Mississippi Valley, the best of the ready-mixed paints stand well; but on the seacoast, or within reach of the salt spray carried by storms far inland, nothing but materials known to be perfectly pure should be used. For the outside of houses, particularly when shingled, stains of different sorts are much used, and, by their slight variations of color, give to the house a peculiarly picturesque and homelike character. They are, however, rather evanescent, and do little to protect the woodwork against weathering. What is called "natural creosote," a tarry oil, which gives a pleasant brown color, is probably the most enduring stain of the kind, and assists in preserving the wood from rotting. The lighter shades of creosote are mixed with pigments of brighter colors, which wash off more or less rapidly, according to their different characters, the creosote having little power of binding them to the wood. Other bright stains are said to be mixed with petroleum; and there are stains in the market which claim to have still a different vehicle, the nature of which is not revealed. Where stains are used, it is best to paint cornices, mouldings, finish around windows and doors, clapboards, corner-boards, and, in general, all planed work, with three coats of good paint, which will preserve it from warping and splitting in the sun; and to confine the stain to the shingles, which are not injured by sunshine. Sooner or later, the stain will be washed off the lower portion of the shingles by the rain, but it can be renewed at small expense.

Ready-mixed paints.

Other painting materials.

In some parts of Europe outside woodwork is varnished, using a "spar varnish," which resists the weather, and the effect is very pretty. In our trying climate it is practically impossible to keep any varnish on woodwork directly exposed to rain and sun; but the more sheltered portions of a house, such as cornices, and the finish of piazzas, porches, and balconies, may be, and occasionally are, treated with varnish, with excellent results, particularly in localities remote from the seashore.

So far, we have considered only the painting of the woodwork of a house, but the plastered walls, and sometimes the ceilings, need paint of some kind, or other protection, not only to improve their appearance, but to prevent them from showing dirt and marks. The cheapest, and, in some respects, the best paints for this purpose, are those in which glue size is used as a medium, the glue being dissolved in hot water. Only enough glue is used to form, when cold, a soft jelly, which is easily broken up by stirring into a creamy liquid, with which pigments in dry powder are mixed. Ground whiting, or chalk, is generally used for white, and for the basis of all light tints, but ground plaster of Paris is said to have certain advantages over whiting. White lead and zinc are rarely, if ever, used in size, or fresco painting. As the lime in the plastered walls and ceilings which are usually treated in fresco destroys many colors, the range of available pigments is rather limited, but it is extensive enough for ordinary purposes. A great deal of money is spent in advertising "cold-water paint," which is simply size color in which the glue is made soluble, in various ways, in water at the ordinary temperature; but, except for the convenience of being able to thin the paint with cold water, the size is better in its normal condition. Very frequently alum, which has the effect of rendering glue or gelatine less soluble, is added to the size; and some painters put in also soap, and even linseed oil, to secure some fancied advantage. However made, size colors, notwithstanding all that is claimed for them by enthusiastic advertisers, are unsuitable for painting woodwork, owing to their total lack of the elasticity of oil paints; but, when well mixed, and well put on, nothing gives a more beautiful finish to a plastered surface, the paint drying perfectly free from gloss, and the colors generally having a peculiarly soft tone.