THE CELLAR AND ICE-HOUSE

ice in large blocks of equal size, pack as closely as possible in layers, leav

ing about foot space between the outside and the wall,

and filling all crevices between the blocks with pounded

ice or sawdust. Under the first layer there should be

placed sawdust a foot thick, and arrangements should be

made for thorough drainage, as water in contact with the

ice will melt it rapidly. As the layers are put in place,

pack sawdust closely between the mass- of ice and the

wall ; and when all is stored, cover with a foot, at least,

of sawdust. In using ice, be careful to cover all crevices

with sawdust, as the ice will melt rapidly if exposed fo

the air. The less ventilation and the more completely

an ice-house is kept closed, the better the ice will keep.

The cold air which surrounds the ice, if imdisturbed by

currents, has little efi"ect on it ; but if there are openings,

^^■':rl!'if^fi:-^^^Wf^^^Sl currents are formed and the warm air is brought in to re' ''''"' ' • "■ '• ""'^ place the cold. This is especially the case if the open- ings are low, as the cold air, being the heavier, passes out below most readily. For this reason great care must be taken to fill in fres'h saw-dust between the walls and the mass of ice, as it settles down by its own weight, and the melting of the ice. There is no" advantage in having an ice-house wholly or partly underground, if it is con- structed as directed above. Fine chaff, or straw cut fine.

^^r."r.ti*"ft.'_'vi'."...f:£§

Ice Box. j^g^y i^g substituted for sawdust when the latter is difficult

to obtain. Of course, the building may be constructed separately, in which case the cost need not be more than twenty-five to fifty dollars. Where one in city or country wishes to secure ice to last a month or more a box made on same principle as an Ice-house is ve-" convenient.

Keeping Fruits and Vegetables.

To Keep Cellar Clean. — Remove all vegetables as soon as they oegin to decay, and ventilate well so that the walls will not become foul. "Use chlo- ride of lime as a disinfectant freely, after taking care to make it as neat and clean as possible, and an ounce of carbolic acid to a gallon of whitewash will keep from cellars the disagreeable odor which taints milk and meat. Or, add copperas to ordinary whitewash until it is yellow ; the copperas is a disin- fectant and drives away vermin.

To Keep Apples. — They must be carefully picked without bruising and are usually kept on open shelves, as described, easilj'^ accessible, so that the decaying ones may be removed often. They are sometimes packed in layers in dry sand, care being taken not to let them touch each other, with good re- sults ; they bear a very low temperature. When they begin to decay, pick out those which are speckled, dry or stew them up with cider and sugar, and fill all empty self-sealing fruit-cans, and keep the sauce for use late in the Beason. Or pack in grain, barley, etc., so that they will not touch, or if fruit is fine, Avrap each apple in paper and pack in boxes, or glazed jars with covers. Or when packed right from the tree, hand pick them and put them in dry flour barrels, pressing them down closelj' and heading them up. Let them stand under a shed until cold weather sets in, and then remove to a dry cel- lar, or some place -where they will not freeze. Care must be taken that none but perfect fruit is barreled. Another method is to sprinkle a layer of saw-

107S THE CELLAR AND ICE-HOUSE.

dust, not that from rcsinons woods, on bottom of a box, and then a hiver of appU'H placed in so that they do not touch each other. Upon this place a layer ^ saw-dust, and so on till the box is lilled. The boxes, after being packed in this way, place in the cellar up from the ground, where thev will keep perfectly, retaining' their freshness and flavor until brought out, or any grain as oats, barley, etc., may be used or paper thus used will keep them nicely either in box or barrel, After ap])le8 are opened it is well to look them over, handling them very carefully, once or twice a month, removing all the least imperfect.

The following wholesah' way where there is plenty of material, is as fol- lows ; Buckwheat chatl" is first spread on the barn floor, and on this chafl" the apples are placed, when they are covered with chafl'and straw two or tiiree feet in thickness. Let remain till spring. It would be better to make lavers of apples and chaff or be careful to till all the interstices well with cliafl". The covering and bedding in chatl' has several important advantages— it ex- cludes cold, prevents air currents, maintains a uniform temperature, absorbs the moisture of decay, and prevents the decay produced by moisture

Cranberries — will keep all winter in a keg of water, changing water twice a week; or place them in tub or keg, without water, let them freeze and keep them frozen. When any are wanted to use, put them in a litt e coM water and cook at once. Or a safer way is to can them when purchased, sweetening to taste, and then if any are wished sweeter or "jellied" for com- pany, sugar can be added and fruit cooked longer when can is opened.

Fruit. — Take fruit as soon after being picked as possible, see that it is sound and clean, pack it tightly into the "jar, bottle or keg; shake it down well so as to completely fill the vessel, then pour on the following solution : 36>2 grains of salisylic acid to six ounces of white sugar and one <\\\i\rtoi pure, soft, cold water.

That fruit can be preserved for a long time in a frozen state, and even in a non-frozen state, so long as the temperature does not exceed 32 deg., is a well-known fact. But it is equally well known that articles so ]>reserved lose flavor every day after they are so" stored, and that when exposed afterward to an ordinary temperature they perish almost immediately. Jn placing fruit on ice, the main thing to ol)serve is not to pack it in any way or to wrap it in anything. It should be placed on a tray or in a tin box" with a ]i<l to kei'p oil" drij), but each fruit should be set out singly by itself and not coine in contact with its neighbors, and great care should IJe used to prevent bruising, as that will greatly hasten decay when the fruit is taken out. It is not neeih"ul to bury the boxes quite in the ice ; but they may be set in it with the lid of the box abave the surface, so that all of the fruit can be got without trouble. Peaches, nectarines, melons, pineapples, figs, and other soft fruits that do not keep long, succeed best preserved in this manner.

Gathe-ring Fruit. — The right time is just as they are beginning to fall from the trees. Observe when the apples and pears are ripe, and do not pick them always at the same regular time of the year, as is the custom with many. _ A dry season will forward the ripening of the fruit, and a wet one retard it, so that there will sometimes be a month's difTerence in the proper time for gathering. If this is attended to the fruit will keep well, be plumj), and not shrivelled, as is the case jfc'ith all fruit that is gathered before it is ripe. The mode of gathering is to give them a lift, so as to press away the stalk, and if ripe they readily part from the tree. Those that will not come off easily should hang a little longer; for when they come off hard they will not be so fit to be stored, and the violence done at'the foot-stalk may injure the bud there formed for next year's fruit. Let pears be quite dry when i)ull- cmI, an<l in handling avoid pinching fruit, or in any way bruising it, as those

THE CELLAR AND ICE-HOUSE. 1079

which are hurt not only decay themselves, but presently spread infection to tliose near them; when suspected to be damaged, let them be caretullj^ kept from the others, and used first ; as gathered, lay them gently in shallow bask- ets. "When possible gather in the middle of a diy day. Plums readily part from the twigs when ripe ; they should not be much handled, as the bloom is apt to be rubbed off. Apricots are ready when the side nesjt the sun feels a little soft upon gentle pressure with the finger ; they adhere firmly to the tree, and would over-ripen on it and become mealy. Peaches and nectarines, if moved upwards, and allowed to come down with a slight jerk^ will separate, if ready ; and they may be received into a tin funnel lined with canton flannel, so as to avoid touching with the fingers or bruising. A certain rule for judging of the ripeness of figs is to notice when the small end of the fruit becomes of the same color as the large end. The most transparent grapes are the most ripe. All the berries in a bunch never ripen equally ; it is therefore proper to cut a- way the unripe or decayed l^erries before presenting the bunches at table. Autunm and winter pears are gathered, when dry, as they successively ripen. Immature fruit never keeps so well as that which nearly approaches maturity. Winter apples should be left on the trees till there be danger of frost ; they are then gatheied on a dry day.

Grapes. — They must not be too ripe. Take off any imperfect grapes from the bunches. On the bottom of a keg put a layer of bran that has been well dried in an oven or in the sun, then a layer of grapes, with bran between the bunches, so that they may not he in contact. Proceed in the same way with alternate layers of grapes and bran, till the keg is full; then close the keg so that no air can enter, or use paper, never newspapers, instead of bran and cover all with several folds of paper or cloth. Nail on the lid and set in a cool room where it will not freeze. Use small boxes so as not to disturb more than wanted to use in a week or so. Give each bunch plenty of room so they will not crowd. The grapes should be looked to several times during the winter. Should any mold or decay remove them and repack the good ones again. A warm day is considered the best time to gather if you live neath your own 'vine and fig tree" and some place them in a cool shady place for two or three days, then pack as above, and pasteboard boxes can be used. Others cut off the end smoothly from the vine and dip in melted seal- ing wax, so that no air can get in or juice run out, let stand a day to see if perfectly sealed, (if not they will shrivel up) then pack in boxes as above, with either bran, sawdust (dry), cotton batting or paper, with the latter sometimes wrapping each bunch separately ; or a barrel hpop suspended from the ceiling by thi'ee cords, from which grajie stems are hung ])y means of wire hoqks attached to the small end, sealing the other with hot sealing-wax, each stem free from contact with its neighbors, is said to be the best contrivance for keeping grapes. The imperfect

1080 THE CELLAR AND ICE-HOUSE.

pumpkins are kipt in a cool place — and the grapes will be found to retain their freshness for a very long time. It is said a very careful selection must bemadeoftlie pumpkin, the common field pumpkin, however being well adapted for the purpose. The cellar is not the ])est place to keep grapes after being packed, as it is apt to be somewhat damp.

Vegetables.

Beets should be kept in a dark, dry place, where t'le temperature does not vary, and where neither light, warmth, nor moisture are present to in- vite germination or decay. A small quantity keep perfectly stored away in sand. Roots of all kinds may be kept in same way.

Cabbages. — V>'hen the weather becomes frosty, cut them off near the head, and carry them, with the leaves on, to a dry cellar, break off superfluous leaves, and pack into a light cask or box, stems u j>ward, and when nearly full cover with loose leaves ; secure the box with a lid against rats, or if one has the spare place a rod or pole across the vegetable room near the ceiling, se- cure the cabbages with the roots on them and tie them, heads downward, to this, or nails can be driven in the posts and the cabbages hung on them. To keep them in the country, take up by the roots, set closely together in rows, up to the head in soil, roots down as they grew ; drive in posts at the corners of the bed, and at intermediate points it necessary, higher on one side than the other; nail strips of boards on the posts and lay upon those old boards, doors, or if nothing else is at hand, beanpoles, and corn fodder, high enough so that the roof will be clear of the cabbages, and allow the air to circulate ; close up the sides widi yard or garden offal of any kind, and the caV)bages will keep fresh and green all winter, and be accessible at all times. Exclude moisture but never mind the frost.

Celerij — keeps well buried in dry sand, and when keeping only for a short time cut off the green tops when it comes from market, and it will not wilt so soon. An hour before ready to use some pack in crushed ice.

Onions — keep best when spread over the floor or on shelves.

Parsnips and salsify should be left in the ground all winter, unless the clinuite is very severe, when they may be buried in a deep pit in the garden, and not opened till March or April.

To keep Parsley fresh and green. — Put it in a strong boiling hot pickle of salt and water, and keep for use. Hang up and dry in bunches, blossom downward, in a dry attic or store-room, for use in soups, stufhng, etc.

Pease. — Shell, throw into boiling water with a little salt, boil five or six minutes, drain in a colander and afterwards on a cloth, until completely dried, and place in air-tight bottles. Some use wide-mouthed bottles, not quite filling them, pouring over fried mutton fat so as to cover the pease, and cork tightly, securing the cork with resin or sealing wax. "When used, boil until tender, and season with butter.

Potatoes — should be kejit in a cool, dark place and examined once or twice a month, handling carefully. Some place them in heaps on cellar floor, or in bins, others in barrels with sand in bottom and on top. When old, and likely to sprout, put them in a basket and lower them into boiling water for a minute or two, let thrm dry and put awayin sacks. This destroys the germ, and the potatoes retain their flavor until late.

THE CELLAR AVND ICE-HOUSE. 1081

Sweet Potatoes — keep well packed in dry forest leaves, and require a dry, warm atmosphere.

Squashes. — Keep in a dry place, as cool as possible without freezing.

Turnips — When buried in deep earth they will keep solid until March or April, or prepare a bin or box large enough to hold as many as may be re- quired for use, put in the bottom a layer of fine earth, then a layer of turnips, then earth, and so on till all are in, then cover slightly with fine earth, and the turnips will come out as fresh as when pulled, even if not taken out un- til spring.

Vegetables. — Put into a vessel of any kind, and then pour on a solution of one ounce of salisyhc acid to four gallons of pure, soft cold water with one pound of salt. All Salad Vegetables, such as lettuce, celery, etc., keep best in a cool, dark place ; it is not necessary to keep them in water ; in fact it is undesirable; afier they are well washed they should be loosely wrapped in a wet cloth and laid on or near the ice in a refrigerator ; if there is no ice they can be fairly well preserved by the following method ; in a wooden or heavv pasteboard box lay a large towel entirely saturated with cold water, and after the salad is washed wrap the towel about it to exclude the air, close the box, and keep it in a cool, dark place. Every night and morning wash the salad ; removing all decayed leaves, wash the towel in clean, cold water without wringing it, and again wrap the salad in it, and put it away in the box. In this way the most delicate salad vegetables may be kept fresh for several days, even in summer.

Packing Vegetables. — For present use they should be laid aw Ay carefully in a bin with a close lid (hung on hinges) so that the light may be excluded. To keep them for a long time the best plan is to pull them on a dry day, cut off the tops and trim, and pack them in clean barrels or boxes, in layers with fine clean moss, such as is found in abundance in woods, between them. The moss keeps them clean and sufficiently moist, preventing shriveling of the roots on the one hand, and absorbing any excess of dampness on the other. All vegetables keep best at as low a temperature as possible without freezing.

Cider. — Sweet cider may be kept by adding one ounce salisylic acid to a barrel as soon as possible after coming from the press. The j^east will settle in a few days ; the clear juice must be drawn off and will remain sweet for ten or twelve days, or if prefered can stand until it is fermented to suit the taste before adding the salisylic acid, and it will keep justthesame as before adding.

0%tmeal. — Keep in air-tight tin boxes, in which it can often be bought . these boxes contain frora five pounds upward, and are really the only reitep- tacles in which it can be kept free from fermentation, mold, or animal pests ; the sweetness of the meal is lost by exposure to the air.

THK T-.M/XDRY.

THE LAXJNOR V

AVlien inviting friends to visits of a N\eek or more, try to fix the tinu' lor the visit to begin the day after the ironing is done. The girl feels a weight ofi'lier mind, has the time to cook the meals better, and is a much more will- ing attendant upon guests.

Do not have beefsteak for dinner on washing or ironing days — arrange to have something roasted in the oven, or else have cold meat.

Do not have fried or boiled fish. The smell sticks, and the clothes will not be sweet ; besides the broiler and frying-pan take longer to clean.

As for vegetables, do not have spinach, pease, string-beans, or apple- sauce. All these good things take time to prepare, and can be avoideil ;is well as not. Have baked white and sweet potatoes, macaroni, boiled rice, pars- nips, sweet corn, stewed tomatoes, or any canned vegetables in winter. For dessert, baked a^ndes and cream, bread-pndding, or somotliing easily pre- pared.

Washing Day. — Clothing when removed from the person, if damp, should be dried to prevent mildew, and articles which are to be starched should be mended before placing in the clothes-basket. Monday is tlie washinjr day

with all good housekeepers. Tubs arranged as above are much nicer than separate tubs, as no bench is necessary, the wringer is placed on the divis- ion b and also on the end wring- ing out tlie clotlies directly into the clotlies basket, and the water is drawn oil' at the faucets p j). The old-fashione(l jirogramme for washing is as follows. Use good soft water if it can be had. If not, soften a barrel-full of well-water by pouring into it water in which half a peck or more of hard wood aslies have been boiled, together with the ashes them- selves. When enough has been added to produce the desired effect, the water takes on a curdled ap|ie;iranco, and soon settles perfectly clear. If

THE LAUNDRY. 1053

milky, more ashes and lye must be added as before, care being taken hot to add more than is necessary to clear the water, or it will affect the hands un- pleasantly. On the other hand, if too little is put in, the clothes Avill turn yellow. Gather up all clothes which are ready on Saturday night, and the rest as they are taken off; separate the fine from the coarse, and the less soiled from the dirtier. Scald all table linen and articles which have coffee, fruit, or other stains which would be "set" by hot suds, by pouring over them hot water from the tea-kettle and allowing them to stand until cool. Have the water in the tub as warm as the hand can bear, but not too hot. (Dirty clothes should never be put into very hot clear water, as it "sets" the dirt. Hot soap-suds, however, has the opposite effect, the water expanding the fiber of the fabric, while the alkali of the soap softens and removes the dirt.) Wash first one boiler full, taking the cleanest and finest through two suds, then place in a boiler of cold water, with soap enough to make a good suds. A handful of borax to about ten gallons of water helps to whiten the clothes and is used by many, especially by the Germans, who are famous for their snowy linen. This saves in soap nearly half. For laces, cambrics, etc., an extra quantity of the powder is used, and for crinolines (requiring to be made stiff), a strong solution is necessary. Borax, being a neutral salt, does not in the slightest degree injure the texture of the linen. Its eff'ect is to soften the hardest water. Another way to whiten clothes is to throw a handful of tansy into the boiler in which clothes are boiling. It will make the water green, but will whit

1084 THE LAUNDRY

ill a- basket kept for the purpose, take down and roll up the line, remove basket, line, and pins to the house, and put the two latter into their proper places. The clothes-line should always be carefully put up out of the weather when not in use. Wipe it carefully with a clean cloth before hanging out clothes, and always count clothes-pins when gathering them up. Every liuusekeeper ought to provide a pair of mittens for hanging out clothes, to be used for this purpose and no other. Cut them from clean flannel (white seems the most suitable), and line tliem with another tJiickness of flannel, or make tliem double, if the flannel is thin. These should be kept in a clean place ready for this particular business, and nothing else. A good and handy ])lac(! to keep them is the clothes-pin bag. Turn all garments right side out .sliiikeout thoroughly and sprinkle (re-starching shirt-bosoms, wristbands, anil collars if necessary).

Shake out night-dresses and under-garments so as to free them from creases, and if they are ruflled or embroidered, dip tliem in thin starch, pull out smoothly, fold flrst, and then, beginning at the top of each garment, roll up, each by itself, in a very tight roll, and place in the basket; fold sheets without si)rinkling, having first snapped and stretched them, and lay on the rest ; over all spread the ironing blanket, and let them stand until next morning.

If a machine is used in washing, it is better to soak the clothes over night in warm soft water, soaping collars and wristbands, and pieces most soiled, litve separate tubs for coarse and fine clothes. In soaking clothes for wash- ing Monday, the water should be prepared .Saturday night, and all clothes wiiich are ready thrown in, and rest added when changed. If washing fluids are used, the recipes which follow are the best.

Another method is to half fill tul>s Saturday night with clear, soft water, warmed a little if convenient, but not too hot, made into a weak suds ; in one jiut the finer articles, such as muslins, cuffs, collars, and shirts ; in another p.t table-linen ; in another bed-linen ; in another the dish-clothes and wiping towels and in still another tiie coarsest and most soiled articles ; ai ways put the most soiled articles of each division at bottom of tub ; cover all well with water and press down. Rub no soap on spots or stains, as it will "set" them. Of course, articles which can not be had on Saturday night are put in the next day as they are changed. Monday morning, heat not very hot a boiler full of clean soft water, add to it water in wliich soap was dissolved Satur- day night by pouring hot water over it, and stir it thoroughly ; drain off the water in whitli the clothes were soaked after shaking them up and down vigorously in it, pressing them against the sides of the tub to get out all the water possible. Then pour over them the warm suds, and wash out as be- fore described, washing each class separately. If^ found impracticable to make so many divisions, separate the coarse and fine, and the least soiled :'nd the dirtiest.

In the summer, clothes may be washed without any fire by soaking over- night in soapy soft water, rubbing out in the morning, soaping the dirty places, and laying them in the hot sunshine. By the time the last are spread out to })k'ach, the first may be taken up, washed out and rinsed. This, of course, requires a clean lawn.

Ironing Day. — Iron day after washing beginning with the sheets (which, as well as the table linen, "must be folded neatly and carefully, so that the selvage edges will exactly come together. Or, another way to fold and iron a sheet is to bring bottom over top, then bring back bottom edge to edge of middle fold, leaving top edge ; iron the upper surface, then turn the whole sliei't over, fold the top edge back to the midtlle edge, and again iron upper surface ; this leaves the sheet folded in four thicknesses ; now bring the selv- age edges together and iron the upper surface, and the sheet is done), and

THE LAUXDRY. 1085

taking shirts next, cooling the iron when too hot on the coarse towels. In ironing shirts a bosom board is almost indispensable, and an ironing-board is a great convenience for all articles. The former is a hard board an inch thick, eighteen inches long, and eight wide, covered with two thicknesses of woolen blanket stuff, overlaid with two more of cotton cloth. The cloth is v.'rapped over the sides and ends of the board and tacked on the back side, leaving the face plain and smooth. The ironing-board is covered in the same way, but is five feet long, two feet wide at one end, and narrowed down with a rounded taper from full width at the middle to seven inches at the other end, and the corners rounded. This board may be of any well-seasoned wood which will not warp, and should be about one inch thick ; on this all the clothes are convenientlj' ironeil. Always use cotton holders for the irons. Woolen ones are hot to the hand, and if scorched, as they often are, the smell is disagreeable. In ironing a sliirt or a dress, turn the sleeves on the Avrong side, and leave them until the rest is done, and then turn and iron them. In this way the bosoms are less likely to become rumpled. Pull muslin an<l lace out carefully, iron it over once, and then pull into shape, pick out the embroidery and proceed with greater care than before. Em- broideries should be ironed on the wrong side over flannel. Always have near a dish of clean cold water, so that any spot which has been imperfectly ironed may be easily wet with a soft sponge or piece of linen, and ironed over again, or any surplus bit of starch removed. As fast as articles are fin- ished, they should be hung on the clothes-dryer until thor

Laundry Dots.

Bluing. — Use the best indigo tied in a strong bag made of drilling.

Flat Irons from Scorching. — Wipe them on a cloth wet with kerosene.

Gray and Brown Linens. — Wash in cold water, with a little black pepper in it, and they will not fade.

To Clean Alpaca — Sponge with strained coffee. Iron on the wrong side, having black cambric under the goods.

To Cleanse Articles made of White Zephyr. — Kub in flour of magnesia, changing often. Shake off flour and hang in the open air a short time.

To Clean Irons. — Sprinkle a little water on the stove when cold, set the ii-ons on the wet part, let them stand fifteen or twenty minutes, then scrape and rub with a rag.

Ribbed Polisher. — The ribbed polisher, for polishing shirt bosoms, collars, cuffs, etc., is said to surpass the smooth-faced irons in the ease with which it gives the fine and much desired gloss to laundry linen.

Take out Machine Oil. — Rub with a little lard or butter and wash in warm water and soap, or, simply rub first with a little soap and wash out in cold water.

To Stiffen Linen Cuffs and Collars. — Adda small piece of white wax and one teaspoon brandy to a pint of fine starch. In ironing, if the iron sticks, soap the bottom of it.

1086 THE LAUNDliV

In Washing Children's Stockings, wooden stocking forms are a great help on which to dry tlieni. Obtain them at the furnishing store, or have thoni made without mucli expense.

To Clean Wash Boilers. — AVasli, wIk-u a little rusty, with sweet milk ; or grease with lard. A better plan is to prevent rust by thoroughly drying boiler, as well as tubs, before putting away for the week.

To Take out Paint. — Equal parts of ammonia ana spir- its of turpentine. Saturate the spot two or three times and then wash out in soap-suds.

To Restore Velvet. — When velvet gets crushed from pressure, hold the parts over a basin of h-tt water, with the lining of the dress next the water. The pile will soon rise and assume its original beauty.

Paint on Clothing. — Remove by using equal parts of turpentine and spir- its of ammonia. Saturate the spot with the liquid two or three times until the paint is soft and then wash out with .soap.

Spotii. — In chjth or calico, produced by an acid, may be removed by touching the spot with spirits of hartshorn. Spots j)roduced by an alkali may be removed by moistening them with vinegar or tartaric acid.

To Prevent Blue from Fading. — To prevent blue from fading, put an ounce of sugar of lead into a jjail of water, soak the material in the solution for two h<jurs, and let dry 1)efore being washed and ironed ; good for all shades of blue.

To take out Mildew. — Wet the cloth and rub on soap and chalk, mixed together, and lay in the sun ; or lay the cloth in buttermilk for a short time, take out and place in the hot sun; or put lemon juice on, and treat in the same way.

For Washi7ig Red Table Linen, use tepid water, with a little powdered borax, which serves to set the color; wash the linen separately and quickly, using very little soap, rinse in tepid water, containing a little boiled starcli ; hang to dry in the shade, and iron when almost dry.

To Clean Alpaca. — Put goods in a boiler half full of cold rain-water, and let boil three minutes. Have ready a pail of indigo-water (very dark with indigo), place goods in it, after wringing out of boiling w*er, let remain one half an hour, then wring out and iron while damp.

How to Clean Vdeef. — Invert a hot flat-iron, place over it a single thick- ness of Avet cotton clotii, lay on this the velvet, Avrong side next the wet cloth, rub gently with a dry cloth until the pile is well raised ; take off the iron, lay on a table, and brush it with a soft brush or cloth.

To take Grease out of Silkf, Woolens, Paper, Floors, Etc. — Grate thick over the spot French (or common will do) chalk, cover with brown paper, set on it a hot fiat-iron, and let it remain until cool ; repeat if necessary. The iron must not be so hot as to burn paper or cloth.

Substitute for Washing-Soda — A German scientilic journal recommemis laundresses to use hyposulphite of soda in place of common washing-soda. It does not attack the fabric in any way, and at the same time exerts some bleaching actions which greatly iniprove tlie appearance of linen and calicoe*.