The Ladies Book of Useful Information Part 25

TO INCREASE THE LAYING OF EGGS IN HENS.

Pulverized Cayenne pepper, half an ounce, to be given to one dozen hens, mixed with their food every second day.

THE NEW AND BEAUTIFUL ART OF TRANSFERRING ON TO GLa.s.s.

Colored or plain engravings, photographs, lithographs, water colors, oil colors, crayons, steel plates, newspaper cuts, mezzotints, pencil, writing, show cards, labels, or, in fact, anything.

DIRECTIONS.

Take gla.s.s that is perfectly clear (window gla.s.s will answer), clean it thoroughly; then varnish it, taking care to have it perfectly smooth; place it where it will be perfectly free from dust; let it stand over night, then take your engraving, lay it in clear water until it is wet through (say ten or fifteen minutes), then lay it upon a newspaper, that the moisture may dry from the surface and still keep the other side damp. Immediately varnish your gla.s.s the second time, then place your engraving upon it, pressing it down firmly, so as to exclude every particle of air; next, rub the paper from the back until it is of uniform thickness, so thin that you can see through it, then varnish it the third time and let it dry.

These transferred pictures make lovely ornaments for table, bracket, mantel, etc.

MATERIALS FOR MAKING THE VARNISH.

Take two ounces balsam of fir to one ounce spirits of turpentine.

Apply with a camel's-hair brush.

TO PREVENT HORSES BEING TEASED BY FLIES.

Boil three handfuls of walnut leaves in three quarts of water; sponge the horse (before going out of the stable) between and upon the ears, neck, and flank.

TO PREVENT FLIES LIGHTING ON WINDOWS, PICTURES, MIRRORS, ETC.

No fly will light on a window or other article which has been washed in water in which garlic has been boiled.

TO MAKE LEATHER WEAR FOREVER.

Let it receive as much neat's-foot oil as it will take. If regularly repeated every three months, leather so treated seems to be impervious to outward action and will last for years.

TO RENDER PAPER FIREPROOF.

Whether the paper be plain, written, printed, or even marbled, stained, or painted for paper hangings, dip it in a strong solution of alum water and thoroughly dry it. In this state it will be fireproof.

TO PREPARE WATERPROOF BOOTS.

Take three ounces of spermaceti and melt it in an earthen pot over a slow fire; add thereto six drains of India rubber cut into slices, and after it dissolves add of tallow, eight ounces; amber varnish, four ounces. Mix it, and it will be ready for use immediately.

TO CURE DRUNKENNESS.

Keep the patient for one week freely dosed with figwort. This is a sure cure.

TO CURE LAZINESS.

Give the patient an occasional dose of ferri. The sulphate of ferri is the best. It acts on the liver and vital organs, and is a sure cure for laziness.

TO EXTRACT THE ESSENTIAL OIL FROM ANY FLOWER.

Take any flower you like, which stratify with common salt in a clean glazed pot; when filled to the top, cover it well and carry it to the cellar; forty days afterwards put a c.r.a.pe over a pan and empty the whole to strain the essence from the flowers by pressure. Bottle this essence, and expose it for four or five weeks in the sun and dew of the evening to purify. One single drop of this essence is enough to scent a whole quart of water.

TO TAKE LEAF PHOTOGRAPHS.

A very pretty amus.e.m.e.nt, especially for those who have just completed the study of botany, is the taking of leaf photographs. One very simple process is this: At any druggist's get an ounce of b.i.+.c.hromate of pota.s.sium. Put this into a pint bottle of water. When the solution becomes saturated-that is, the water has dissolved as much as it will-pour off some of the clear liquid into a shallow dish; on this float a piece of ordinary writing paper till it is thoroughly moistened, and let it dry in the dark. It should be of a bright yellow color. On this put the leaf, under it a piece of black soft cloth and several sheets of newspaper. Put these between two pieces of gla.s.s (all the pieces should be of the same size) and with spring clothespins fasten them together. Expose to a bright sun, placing the leaf so that the rays will fall upon it as nearly perpendicular as possible. In a few moments it will begin to turn brown; but it requires from half an hour to several hours to produce a perfect print. When it has become dark enough, take it from the frame and put it into clear water, which must be changed every few minutes until the yellow part becomes white. Sometimes the veinings will be quite distinct. By following these directions it is scarcely possible to fail, and a little practice will make perfect.

TO MAKE LAMP WICKS INDESTRUCTIBLE.

Steep common wicks in a concentrated aqueous solution of tungstate of soda, and then dry thoroughly in an oven.

TO MAKE DIFFERENT KINDS OF PERFUMES.

BALM OF A THOUSAND FLOWERS.

Deodorized alcohol, one pint; nice white bar soap, four ounces. Shave the soap when put in; stand in a warm place till dissolved; then add oil of citronella, one dram, and oils of neroli and rosemary, of each one-half dram.

FRANGAPANNI.

Spirits, one gallon; oil of bergamot, one ounce; oil of lemon, one ounce: Macerate for four days, frequently shaking; then add water, one gallon; orange flower water, one pint; essence of vanilla, two ounces.

Mix.

JOCKEY CLUB.

Spirits of wine, five gallons; orange flower water, one gallon; balsam of Peru, four ounces; essence of bergamot, eight ounces; essence of musk, eight ounces; essence of cloves, four ounces; essence of neroli, two ounces. Mix.

LADY'S OWN.

Spirits of wine, one gallon; otto of roses, twenty drops; essence of thyme, one-half ounce; essence of neroli, one-quarter ounce; essence of vanilla, one-half ounce; essence of bergamot, one-quarter ounce; orange flower water, six ounces. Mix.

UPPER TEN.

Spirits of wine, four quarts; essence of cedrate, two drams; essence violets, one-quarter ounce; essence of neroli, one-half ounce; otto of roses, twenty drops; orange flower essence, one ounce; oil of rosemary, thirty drops; oils of bergamot and neroli, each one-half ounce. Mix.