Hints and Suggestions.

Otago Witness, Issue 2722, 16 May 1906, Page 66

Hints and Suggestions.

If you are buying new winter boots, ofl: well all over before wearing them. They will last longer, and keep out the damp.

Don't water house plants too .often ur cold weather. A mistake in giving too little water is not so bad as giving too much.

To Prevent a Lamp Smoking. — Soak the wick in strong vinegar and dry thoroughly before using ; it will then burn both, sweefe and pleasant. This has been tried and never known to fail.

To prevent windows from frosting or steaming, clean the glass- occasionally witis a cloth moistened with pure glycerine, wiping it so as to only leave a trace of the glycerine adhering to the surface, oa the inside.

Potatoes that have been affected- by frost should be laid in a- perfectly dart place for some days after the' thaw^ has- commenced. If thawed in daylight they wilt rot, bnt if in darkness they do not, nor da they lose much of. their natural properties.

Care ©f -Umbrellas. — Iron-framed umbrellas- should: have the, little- joints of, the ribs slightly oiled 1 occasionally, to prevexi" them from becoming rusty and? consequently breaking. They will last doub r o the time if carefully treated in this way.

For the Kitchen, Range.- — When cleaning the range add half a- dozen' drops- of turpentine to the blacklead r stir well' and use, and a brilliant polish will reward 1 th" worker. This method also serves to^ prevent the stove trusting- when not in use. To Remove Mud" Staina from. Cloth.— Allow the mud spots to dry on the- cloth ; than take a penny, and' with the edge ruboff the mud and brush the article. A penny has a smooth edge, and will npt damage the most valuable cloth. H any stains remain, sponge with ammonia and water.

To Clean a Hearth. — Instead of using hearth-stone or whiting, which so soon gets soiled and needs constant renewing, get a little powdered red ochre, a blacklead brush, and a gallipot. Put a* large teaspoonful of the ochre in the pot with half a pint of water, mix well, and with, it paint the hearth. It dries quickly to a most artistic shade of red, and. lasts much better than whiting or hearth-stone.