THE HOUSEHOLD.

Pelorus Guardian and Miners' Advocate., Volume 18, Issue 41, 21 May 1907, Page 6

THE HOUSEHOLD.

Things a Housekeeper Should Know, That salt should be eaten with nuts to ait! digestion. That milk which stands too long makei bitter butter. That rusty flatirons should be rubbed ovet with bees'-wax and lard. That it rests you in sewing to change your position frequently. That a hot, strong lemonade taken at bedtime will break up a bad cold. That tough meat is made tender by lying a few minutes in vinegar water. That a little soda water will relieve sick headache caused by indigestion. That a cup of strong coftee will remove the odour of onions from the breath. That a cup of hot water drank before meals will prevent nausea and dyspepsia. That well-ventilated bedrooms will prevent morning headaches und lassitude. That one in a faint should be laid flat on his back; then loosen his clothes and let him alone. That consumptive nlght-aiweats may be arrested by sponging the body nightly in salt water. That a fever patient can be made cool and comfortable by frequent sponging off with soda water. That to beat the whites of eggs quickly, add a pinch of salt. Salt cools, and cold eggs froth rapidly. That the hair may be kept from falling out after illness by a frequent applicatioa tr the scalp of sage tea. That you can take out spots from wash goods by rubbing them with the yolk of eggi before washing. That white spots upon varnished furniture will disappear if you hold a hot plate over ihem. To Prevent Moth Ravages.—A boiling solution of sulphate of copper applied to a floor before laying a carpet will keep away noths. For outside coverings of furniture, specially of wool, a solution of corrosive iublimate dissolved in colourless alcohol :an be used without fear of discolouration, and is a certain exterminator of these pests. To Raise the Pile of Velvet.—lt is not always convenient to hold a bulky piece of velvet over a tea-kettle when the pile has been flattened. An easier way is to wet a towel thoroughly and fold it over a hot iron. Hold the iron, wrapped in this way, directly Dver the spotted part of the velvet, so that the steam will reach that part. Do not let the iron reach the velvet, as it is only the steam that is wanted to lift the matted pile. Paraffin Stains in Carpet.—Chloroform will remove paint or oil from a carpet when everything else fails. The value of chloroform in this connection does not appear to be well known. When the colour on a fabric has been damaged by acid, and when ammonia has been used to neutralise the acid, the subsequent application of chloroform restores the colour which the acid has apparently destroyed. Of course great care must be taken in the handling of the chloroform. II va sans dire. Potato Fritters.—One pint of boiled md mashed potatoes, half a cupful of hot milk, three tablespoonfuls of butter, three of sugar, two eggs, a little nutmeg, and one :easpoonful of salt. Add the milk, butter, sugar, and seasoning to the mashed potatoes, md then add the eggs, well beaten. Stir until very smooth and light. Spread about half an inch deep on a buttered dish, and set away to cool. When cold, cut into squares. Dip in beaten egg and bread ;rumbs, and try brown in boiling fat. Potato Sandwiches,—Potato sandwiches nay be made from any kind of cold, fresh meat, but preferably of beef. Fry slices of oeef, rather thinly in butter. They must be gently done, and not too dry. Cover one side of each slice with well-mashed potatoes, iree from lumps, a quarter of an inch in thickness; egg and bread-crumb over, then proceed in the same way with the other side. With a sharp knife trim them into pieces of squal size' and shape, square or three:ornered. Fry them in hot fat a light brown :olour, and serve. Artificial Eggs.—The alleged manufac•ure of artificial eggs has often been treated is a joke; but recently a man named Onderdonk, of Rookland County, New York, was fined fifty dollars and costs for selling to dealers a number of " fresh" eggs at a very low price. On examination these eggs were found to be artificial, and to have been manufactured by a firm in New Jersey. The shells were made of a composition containing lime or chalk, the white of some albuminous substance, and the yolks of ground carrots and saffron. The imposition was easily detected on boiling the eggs, as the yolk and white did not harden separately. Fish Broth.—A contemporary draws attention to the value of the broth or jelly of fish, which is usually thrown away. Suppose a poor family buy an ordinarily cheap fish for dinner, the bones of the fish should be put again in to the liquor and boiled for a couple of hoars. The thrifty housewife will then find that she has something in her pot which, when strained off, will be as good to her as is much of that which is sold in the shops for gelatine. This may be used as a simple broth. It may be thickened with rice and flavoured with onion and pepper, or with the addition of a few fiat fish and suitable spices it will form a fair fish-soup. Taken in any of the ways above mentioned, it makes a nourishing meal, while with a third of milk added, and warmed, it is a very comforting and restoring drink for an invalid. There is much virtue In despised fish-bones. -■ -- To Re-Gild a Clock.—Paint the part to be gilded with gold size; then, if the gilding is to be brilliant,, lay gold leaf over the part painted, when the latter has become dry, but somewhat sticky. If dead gold be required, dust it over with powdered gold. Or, first thoroughly clean the clock and make quite bright the part to be gilt, and rub over with gold amalgam. This will adhere to the surface very well. Then put the clock into the oven, so that the mercury contained in the amalgam may be driven off by the heat. The gold is now left as a black powder, which requires only rubbing over strongly with a stiff, long-haired brush (made for the purpose), and afterwards to be washed with vinegar and water and then with water only. The amalgam, being » stiff substance, requires to be put on witn 3 wire brush, using with it a very little dilute solution of mercury, dissolved in nitric acid This process is known in the trade a.s water gilding. * How to Make a Cement Floor.—To lay a good concrete floor the ground must first be excavated to a depth of about six inches. This space must then be filled up with roughly-broken metal, which, in turn, must oe topped with finer metal or gravel. Then take Portland cement and fine sand in certain proportions, varying from three of sand to one'of cement, up to seven of sand and one of cement, according to price and quality desired; incorporate the two thoroughly, mix with water to the consistency of ordinary mortar, and spread over evenly, finishing with a smooth edge. Only a small quantity should be mixed at once, as it dries quickly, and it should not, on any account, belaid on a clay or earthy bottom, as the damp will strike up and cause the cement to peel off. The more cement used the closer and firmer the texture; the more sand, of course, the cheaper the floor, and it may be addeO that in using a larger proportion of sand ihere must be more time and labour expended in the incorporating of the two ingredieoJ?