Democratic Sentinel, Volume 2, Number 35, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 11 October 1878 — HOUSEHOLD ECONOMY. [ARTICLE]

HOUSEHOLD ECONOMY.

Salt water has a tendency to decompose cements of all kinds. Fly Destroyer.—lt is stated that flies hate the odor of the elder bush, and a branch or two hung up in the dining-room will rid it of these pests. An exchange states that if a shirtbosom or other article has been scorched in ironing, laying it a while in the bright sunshine will take the discolored spot entirely out. Use Kerosene.—Don’t forget, once or twice during the summer, to rub a little kerosene over your unused stoves. It keeps them from nisting. It is also good for all iron utensils upon the farm. Remedy for Black Teeth. —Take equal parts of cream of tartar and salt; pulverize them finely, and mix well. Then wash your teeth in the morning, and rub them with this powder. Afterward, keep your stomach free from fetid gases. The way to tell a ripe watermelon is by numerous black specks, scales or blisters on the rind. It is necessary to look closely to see them, but a ripe melon will always show them in abundance ; and if they are absent, few, or only partially developed, it is safe to say that the fruit is not fit for use. To Clean Bottles.—Cut a new potato into small pieces and put them in the bottle, along with a table-spoonful of salt and two table-spoonfuls of water. Shake all well together in the bottle till every mark is removed, and rinse with clean water. This will remove green marks of vegetation and other discolorations. Hard-crusted bottles may be cleaned off by rinsing with water and small shot. An excellent pomade for the hair may be made thus: Marrow bone, one-half pint of oil, 4 pence worth of citronella. Take the marrow out of the bone, place it in warm water, let it get almost to boiling point, then let it cool and pour the water away. Repeat this three times until the marrow is thoroughly “fined.” Beat the marrow to a cream with a silver fork, stir the oil in drop by drop, beating all the time. When quite cold add the citronella; pour into jars and cover down. Blackhead Pimples.—Take a pin—a needle is too sharp—insert carefully, until felt slightly; turn the pin around several times until the blackhead is dislodged at the extreme point, where it clings with the tenacity of a thing of life; remove the pin, squeeze firmly, not

at the surface of the skin, as they are deep in the flesh and the pressure must force them out entire or they grow again; apply camphor to remove any soreness. White spots under the skin should be removed with a needle, as they are inclosed in a sack-like skin very difficult to penetrate; many allow them to remain, but they increase in size and do not generally pass away. All such disagreeable blemishes should be removed at once from the face. To Restore Old Solid-Wood Furniture. —If possible, have an uncarpeted room with no other furniture than the piece to be treated, as the dust is very penetrating; rub the article all over with medium sand-paper, taking particular pains with carving, corners, etc., using a fresh bit as soon as the paper gets smooth; afterward brush and dust thoroughly; then rub down with very fine sand-paper, such as is used for nice bracket work, till the surface is smooth to the touch; polish -with any good furniture polish, not varnish, or make a simple mixture yourself, consisting of 5 cents’ worth of both spirits of turpentine and raw linseed oil, thoroughly shaken; apply with flannel and rub hard; after it is nearly dry go all over it with fresh flannel or chamois skin; it may require several applications to give desired luster.