ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XXII, Issue XV, 15 April 1899, Page 469

ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS.

Notice to Contributors.—Any letters or MSS. received by the Editor of the “New Zealand Graphic” will bo immediately acknowledged in this column.

‘Much Troubled.’ —l. Y’ou should have your girl's hands manicured regularly; encourage her to take a pride in them, and 1 believe she will lose the bad habit. 2. Do not worry; the trouble is a natural one at her age. Bland’s pills would do her good, and four or five a day would not be too much. I hope she is not working for any examinations, and that she has daily calisthenics; they are so important. 1 would gladly advise you further if I can be of the slightest service to you.

‘Burnt Milk.’—Next time you burn any milk take the saucepan off the fire and stand it at once in a bowl of coll water. Put a pinch of salt in the saucepan, give the milk a stir, and y-ou will find that the burnt taste has almost entirely disappeared. ‘W.F.’ —It is a great mistake for ordinary persons to buy- surgical books on obscure diseases which require long study to understand. You n ight make yourself nervous about nothing, and might, get. attempting self-treatment, and do yourself much harm.

‘Sarah.’—The probability- is that you hate had at some time or other a little patch of the inflammation called pleurisy, and that this has left an adhesion of the lung at that spot to the (best wall. You cannot do anything to remove that, but you may grow out of noticing the catch in th<breath. Should a new attack of acute pain ever come on you bad better put on a blister at once. ‘Coquette.’—l. How would you like a pale blue glaee silk corsage veiled with sequined net. and in front a Louis bow of narrow velvet with the edges sequined? The yoke and long sleeves made of white guipure lace, with shoulder straps and collar indicated with sequins. Two rows of velvet for the waistband, with a many-looped bow at the left side, should complete it. A good alternative would be one in blue silk, with long revers crossing over to the left hip under a velvet bow and overlaid with guipure motifs. The vest and collar of white crepe de soie. tucked. If these ideas are not after your own heart, write to me again. 2. For the cashmere bodice carry out the design given in our sketch, making the vest of silk and using your lace for the lapels. ‘.Molly,’ Dunedin.-r-When furs are soiled and dull, the best way to elean them is by using hot bran. For an ordinary necklet, procure about one quart of bran, which heat in n clean tin in tlie oven until quite hot; put it I lien with the fur into a bag or white pillow-case. Shake well, and heal thoroughly between the hands till every part has been treated. Afterwards. take the fur out. shake well, and. if required, use a comb to remove

any particles of bran which remain. ‘Cure for Headache.’ —Take the t<»p slice of a loaf of bread, or a piece oi ■stale bread, steep it in vinegar and water. Take a handkerchief, ami put the bread on it, and apply to the back of the neck, keeping it on till it is quite dry. It is a very effectual cure. T am one of eleven, and we are very poor,' says 'Distress.' ‘1 have had two offers from men—one old, ugly, and uninteresting, but very wealthy; the other young, handsome, and nice, but poor. But 1 love the latter. My family urge me to accept the former for their sakes, as he could help them in many ways. I don't want to be selfish; but I know 1 should be wretched. Am I to sacrifice myself or not?'— Surely they cannot realise what they are asking of you. or they could never do such a thing. By no means -onsent to be guided by them: it. would be doing a great wrong. Refuse to marry any man whom you don't cere for. no matter at what cost of world'v gain. Perhaps you will find u»ir people thankful in the end that y-m dill not do as they wanted. ‘lnferior Pears.'—Probably the variety is a stewing pear, and not a dessert fruit. If it is the latter, graft ing another kind on to it would not produce high-class fruit. The mischief is at the root. Root pruning is the remedy. Dig a trench round the tree at a distance of two feet, from Ullstein. Make the trench about two feet wide and three feet deep or more. Cut all the roots off that arc met wiih in going down. Dig under the roots as much as possible at a depth of thr-e feet or so. as there are sure to be some top roots going straight down. It is these that cause the fruit to be inferior. Fill up the trench with the best soil obtainable. Ram it in very firm, and a quantity of rootlets will " soon form, which will both improve the tree and the crop. If you prefer grafting it. cut all the branches off at a distance of six inches from the main stem, and graft on the stumps. It is better to begin with a new head than retain part of the old one.