ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XIX, Issue XVI, 9 October 1897, Page 483

ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS.

Notice to contributor a—Any letter a or MSS. received by the Editor of the New Zbaund Graphic will be immediately acknowledged in thia column. 1 Mavis.’ —(t) I am afraid there is no way of removing the wine stains from your white velvet. Velvet is at all times a difficult material from which to remove stains — white velvet more particularly so. Possibly a professional cleaner might help you. (2) Without knowing something of your habits and constitution, I should not care to suggest a cure ; in fact, your medical man would be the best person to whom to apply. • Hot Weather.’—lt is decidedly better in warm weather to sterilise all milk used by infants and young children It is really not difficult to do. lam very glad to see in an English paper that a new and satisfactory steriliser has been placed on the market. Ido not know whether it can yet be obtained in New Zealand. In the North Island such a boon is not merely a luxury ; it is a necessity. I will copy you the description of the steriliser, written by a lady expert : * The apparatus has several merits. It is simple and very easily cleaned ; a very few minutes suffice for the process of sterilisation ; no scum forms, if the directions are followed ; no cream is lost; and the flavour of the milk remains unchanged. I tasted two samples, one of milk that I had treated, and allowed to get cold, and one of milk fresh from the dairy, and really it was difficult to * teil which was which.’ With the warm weather coming on —surely it must come soon now—and with the ever present danger from contamination and infection that milk in its “ raw ” state is apt to convey, this little invention, the price of which is only a few shillings, should find a place in every household, especially when the feeding of young children and infants enters into daily consideration.’ Write to me again, if you would like to know a simple way of sterilising milk, if you cannot procure this apparatus. • N.S.B.’—Your letter is rather puzzl.ng. Do you wish to have your floor covered with linoleum or carpet ? If the former, you will require to also purchase two or three rugs, without which you would find the floor too cold.

‘ Pussie.’—You will find that a capital lip salve is made by melting two or three ounces of white wax, and then adding it to an equal quantity of almond oil. Some lips are very sensitive to cold winds, and ‘ crack ’ painfully ; a slight application of the salve will avoid the trouble. * Mr R.S.’—Pigskin is a very fashionable material out of which the latest English gift novelties for men are made. There are pigskin pocketbooks, calendars, notebooks, and numerous knick-knacks of that kind. Sometimes the pigskin notebooks ha vein one corner ornamentssuggestive of golf, riding or tennis in oxidized silver—such as golf sticks, whips, riding stocks and caps, rackets and other like paraphernalia. A very stylish pocketbook is of pigskin or light leather, the corners in heavy silver and the initials in the centre of the same metal. Pigskin leather is very light brownish yellow, almost 6cru. ‘ Artiste. ’ —Note the size of the head and tail pieces, also the initial lettering on the magazines to which you wish to submit your work, then draw your designs at least one-third larger. Increase the size if there be much detail. Use India ink on smooth white paper or Bristol-board. ‘Lawn.’—Do not send any more MSS. We have quite enough in hand of the kind you mention. Reliable and up to-date society news is, however, always acceptable. ‘ La Bella.’ —I am very pleased to hear from you again, and glad that this column has been of service to you. Thank you for your complimentary remarks. I assure you that I quite enjoy your letters. To clean your lace, fold it very smoothly round a bottle, then soak it in water to which you have put well dissolved soap and a little cloudy ammonia. Press it with your hands. Renew the water until the lace is perfectly clean, then pin out carefully in the sun to dry. It should not require ironing. •Kittie.’ —I have sent the address you asked me for. Your courteous little note and stamped envelope for reply were quite correct. ‘ Mother.’ —To cure your little boy’s warts, try castoroil applied to them once a day for a month. You must let it dry on. If you dislike the smell, try this : Moisten a small lump of common washing soda with the saliva from the mouth the very first thing in the morning, before the teeth are cleansed, and rub on the wart. I think I have already given this as an excellent remedy for corns. I only heard of its being applied successfully to warts a day or two ago. Curiously enough, the lady whom I heard talking about it said she was just going to apply it to her corns. She thought the idea her own.

*ln Haste.’—l hardly understand your letter. Is there to be only * cake and wine,’ and no wedding breakfast ? Or is there a regular co d eo lation, at which the cake and champagne appear among other things? If the former, I should think the bride would require something substantial, ere ‘going away,’ and might join in the meal which you speak of as * afternoon tea ’ If the latter, the tea —which seems rather superfluous, in any case—would be served after the departure of the happy couple, aud would precede the dispersion of the assembled guests. ‘ An Inquirer.’—Many thanks for your suggestion for these columns. lam glad to say lam not dyspeptic myself, but some of my readers may be glad of your hint, which I now give : ‘ For anyone suffering from dyspepsia, I can most stronglyrecommend a light supper of biscuits soaked in boiling water. I have successfully supped on this fare, with a most satisfactory sleepful night, for three years. ’ ‘Don John.’ —It is incorrect to address an envelope ‘ Dr. John Smith, Esq.’ Esq. is never used where the courtesy title can be prefixed. • M.C., Hamanatua.*—Have communicated with you by post.