TO MAKE FINE STARCH

Wet the starch smooth in a little cold water, in a large tin pan, pour on a quart boiling water to two or three tablespoons starch, stirring rapidly all the while ; place on stove, stir until it boils, and then occasionally ; boil from five to fifteen minutes, or until the starch is perfectly clear. Some add a little salt, or butter or pure lard, or stir with a sperm candle ; others add a teaspoon kerosene to one quart starch ; this prevents that stickiness sometimes so annoying in ironing. Either of the above in- gredients is an improvement to flour starch. Many, just before using starch, add a little bluing. Cold starch is made from starch dissolved in cold water, being careful not to have it too thick ; since it rots the clothes, it is not advisable to use it — the same is true of potato starch.