MIND YOUR LAMPS.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume VI, Issue 24, 14 June 1890, Page 10

MIND YOUR LAMPS.

It is very imprudent to defer cleaning and filling your lamps until the latter part of the day, or until wanted" for actual use. as the vapour of the oil "about a freshlv filled lamp is liable to explosion. A lamp should be filled at least twothirds.its depth, and one which has but a spoonful or two of oil in it should never be lighted, as the empty oil space is filled with explosive vapour. The disagreeable flickering of a student lamp is often caused by small particles of the wick dropping into the inside tube of the cylinder surrounding the wick, which prevents the oil flowing freely from the barrel. Remove the oil barrel before you insert a new wick, and empty the lamp entirely of oil : then pour into the opening, down the wick cylinder and wherever fluid will touch inside, boiling water, to which has been added a spoonful of spirits of ammonia In lighting a lamp be careful not to touch the wick with the match, as by so doing you are liable to roughen or spread it. The proper way is to hold the match over the wick very close to it and wait until the flame reaches it. When the lamp is lighted the wick should be turned down, and then slowly raised. When nearly burned away a wick may be lengthened bv a fold of Canton flannel pinned to the" end of the wick, which, reaching to the bottom of the lamp, will feed the wick as the oil burns out. Don't cut your wrick, but. turning it just above the tube, take a match and shave off the charred end, thus insuring an even flame. Wicks should be dipped in vinegar and dried thoroughly at the fire before being put into lamps to prevent their smoking. The wick should be turned down below the top of the burner as soon as the lamp is extinguished. Many people after filling and trimming a lamp leave the wrick turned up ready to light. This should never be done. If you are annoyed by not being able to keep your lamp chimney clear, try using warm water and soda, or mb the smoky spot with dry salt. Lamps should be emptied occasionally and washed out with soap-suds containing soda or ammonia. This will remove the greasy sediment from the bottom, but care must lie taken to dry it thoroughly before refilling, or it will sputter xvhen lighted.

Harry: ‘ Dearest Amelia, can you, will you, give me your hand? Amelia Hooking at Harry's grimy fingersi: • I don’t know, Harry—no. I’d better not". It would be so bard for you to keep it clean, you know ; I think you have rather more liands already than you can attend to.' There is. only one letter in a man's alphabet, and that is ’I : only one in a girl's, and that is * O’; onlv one in a married woman’s, and that is ‘ V.’ A Poor Investment.—-I should think photography would be awtully jolly. • W ell, I found that my camera took more time and money than it did pictures, so I gave it up.’