THE HOUSEKEEPER.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20156, 17 January 1929, Page 7

THE HOUSEKEEPER.

SILVER FISH PEST. Spraying with liquid insecticide is one of the most effective remedies for 'dealing with this pest. Fumigation is, of course, a more thorough method of exterminating the silverfish, but a very much more expensive one, for the hydro-cyanic acid which is used is highly dangerous and shoultl only be handled by experts, so that it costs something to have a single room fumigated. It is a very effective remedy, however, particularly if the house is vacated for a few days and every room thoroughly fumigated. Another methxl—this originated in America, where the pest is very bad at present—is to slip pieces of cardboard covered with a thin paste made of flour and arsenic in cracks in the flooring or in crevices in bookcases or drawers. Mix from 3 to 5 per cent, of powdered white cfsemc, either with a thin boiled starch paste or with sufficient flour and boiling water to make a paste and coat this thinly on the strips of cardboard. It is an effective remedy, but a highly dangerous one if there are children about the house, for the paste is, of course, poisonous.

STUFFING FOR A DUCKLING. No chef lias ever found anything that quite equals duckling and green peas; they go so well together. One Spanish onion, loz. of fresh sage, 4oz. of - breadcrumbs, J,oz. ot butter, 1 apple, 1 egg, salt and pepper. This is a kind of sage-arid-onion stuffing with an apple in it which is a great improvement. Apple, raw onion and gage are finely chopped, and mixed with the breadcrumbs and butter (melted). The stuffing is well seasoned and a beaten egg is mixed in to bind it together. A quick oven is needed for the first 10 minutes and the duckling must be thoroughly well basted; 45 minutes in all will be enough. When done it is dished up and kept hot, and a thick brown sauce is made and flavoured with the juice of an orange.

DO YOU KNOW? Fresh water fish should be cleaned as 4, soon as possible after they are taken from the water, or their delicate flavour is spoiled. Powdered bath brick cleans pans and saucepans well, and also removes marks from china that has been badly burnt. Velvet hats and coats can be cleaned with a rag dipped in carbonate of magnesia. Turn the rag as it gets soiled, and shake the garment well. Brush with a clean brush. _ " Silver will keep bright for months if rubbed with methylated spirit, polished and then wrapped "in tissue paper. The paper should first be put in the otfen for a few minutes to dry it thoroughly.

. TO WHITEN LINEN. Linen which has been stored often hecomes yellowish in colour, lo restore its whiteness boil it slowly in a lathev made from skim milk and good white soap, allowing a-quarter pound of soap to every quart of milk. After boiling rinse in several lukewarm waters, adding a little blue to the last one, and dry in the open air.

A GLOVE TIP. When washing leather gloves, try the effect of an eggspoonful of olive oil in tha water. It keeps the skins soft and pliabla and renders them less likeiy to split.

INK STAINS. The juice of a tomato is a splendid remedy for removing ink stains from th« hands. The moment the inl? has been upset rub the stain with a freshly-cut tomato, and then wash the hands in warm water.