ing its original form; then taking it from the water and dissolving it by gentle heat, stirring in a little boiled linseed-oil. If mahogany veneers were put on with this glue, they would not fall off, as they now do, by the action of the atmosphere. FIRE KINDLERS.—To make very nice fire kindlers, take resin, any quantity, and melt it, putting in for each pound being used, from 2 to 3 ozs. of tallow, and when all is hot, stir in pine saw-dust to make very thick; and, while yet hot, spread it out about 1 inch thick, upon boards which have fine saw-dust sprinkled upon them, to prevent it from sticking. When cold, break up into lumps about 1 inch square. But if for sale, take a thin board and press upon it, while yet warm, to lay it off into 1 inch squares; this makes it break regularly, if you press the crease sufficiently deep, greasing the marking-board to prevent it from sticking. One of these blocks will easily ignite with a match, and burn with a strong blaze long enough to kindle any wood fit to burn. The above sells readily in all our large towns and cities at great profit. 2. Most of the published recipes call for resin, 3 lbs. ; tar, 1 qt.; and 1 gill of turpentine; but they make a black, sticky mess of stuff, which always keeps the hands daubed. On the other hand, this makes a resin-colored kindler, which breaks nicely also when cold; and they are decidedly a nice thing; and much more certain to start a fire than shavings. If the tar plan is used, 1 pt. is enough for 5 lbs. of resin. STARCH POLISH.-White-wax, 1 oz.; spermaceti, 2 ozs.; melt them together with a gentle heat. When you have prepared a sufficient amount of starch, in the usual way, for a dozen pieces-put into it a piece of the polish the size of a large pea; more or less, according to large or small washings. Or, thick gum solution (made by pouring boiling water upon gum arabic,) one table spoon to a pint of starch, gives clothes a beautiful gloss. PERCUSSION MATCHES-Of the Best Quality.-Chlorate of potash, lb.; glue, 3 lbs.; white lead, dry, 5 lbs.; red lead, 1⁄2 lb.: phosphorus, 24 lbs. DIRECTIONS.-First put the chlorate into a dish made for the purpose, deep, and of a suitable size to set into a kettle of water, which can be kept on the fire for 2 or 3 days, having 2 qts. of water on the chlorate; then put the glue on top of the chlorate water, and let soak, until all is perfectly dissolved; then add the leads and heat up quite hot, and thoroughly mix; let cool, and add the phos phorus, let it dissolve and be careful never to heat hot after the phos phorus is added; stir occasionally when dipping, and if little particles of phosphorus fires, push it down into the mixture, or put on warm water; if you put on cold water it will fly all over you. Keep it rather thin after the phosphorus is put in, and there will be no danger; although the chlorate of potash is considered a dangerous article to work with; so is powder, yet when you know how to work with them, you can do as safely with one as the other. When dry give them a coat of varnish. I have been acquainted with a man for about fourteen years who makes them, and several others for a less time, without trouble or accident. A better match was never made to stand dampness, or bear transportation without setting on fire. I have used and sold them much of the time, and speak from knowledge. One explosion has since taken place. The plan pursued here in preparing the splints is as follows:Sawed pine timber from four to eight inches each way, is cut off the right length for the match, then one end of it is shaved smooth with a drawing-knife; the block is held upon the horse by a brace from the top of the horse head against the back side of the block, so as to be out of the way of the knife instead of putting the block under the jaws of the horse head, as the dents made in the end of match timber would not answer; the front edge comes against a strip put on for that purpose; then glue the other end and put on brown paper which holds them together when split; machines are used to split with which feed up the block enough each time the knife is raised, to make the size of the match when split the other way, or about ten to the inch. These machines cost about fifty dollars, and the work goes ahead like a young saw-mill, by simply turning a crank as shown in the figure. A A, shows two standards bolted upon a base plank, four feet in length; these standards support a shaft, with crank and balance wheel D, which is two feet in diameter; the shaft has upon it an oval wheel, G, which sinks the knife, F, twice in each revolution, the knife passing down through a space in a thin iron strip, H, standing out from the two blocks, C C, under which the match block passes by the drawing of the chain seen to pass over a small drum, P, upon the shaft of the rag wheel, B, the notches being only one-fourth inch apart, and fed up by the hand, M, attached to the iron frame, L, being kept back to the cam wheel, E, which has two swells upon it, by a light spring which is not shown. The hand, M, is kept down into the cogs or notches by the little spiral wire spring, K; the match block, to be split, sets in the frame forward of the block, I, which has a pin in it to draw back the frame. When the block of matches is split, this frame goes forward to touch a catch, the same as a saw-mill, which lets another spring not seen, raise the hand, M, when the feeding operation ceases. The frame is then drawn back and the same repeated. As the match is split they open and require a rounding mortise made through the base plank between the blocks, C C, which allows them to remain in a half-circular form-the knife is raised by a line attached to a spring pole, T, the knife is screwed upon a piece of cast iron which works in the guide, N, having the back and end firmly fastened by a bolt through the standard, O. This knife tands at right angles with the shaft. When the matches are split and sufficiently dry to work upon, they are dipped in melted brimstone. kept hot, and the match also kept hot on a sheet iron stove, and an the brimstone is thrown off which can possibly be by jerking the block with the hand. If any brimstone remains upon the end it must be scraped off before dipping into the match composition. Without the chlorate, the composition makes a first-class "Friction Match." It ought to be known, however, that the match business is an unhealthy occupation, from the poisonous effects of the phosphorus. STEAM BOILERS.-To Prevent Lime Deposits.-Put into your cistern or tank, from which the boiler is fed, a sufficient amount of oak tan-bark, in the piece, to color the water rather dark; run 4 weeks and renew. This plan has been much used in the lime-stone sections of Washington, O., giving general satisfaction. 2. Ohio River Plan.-Sprouts from barley, in malting, are recommended by Capt. Lumm, part owner of a steamboat, and engineer on the Ohio and Mississippi rivers, to prevent the deposit of lime upon boilers, and he says tightens up old leaky boilers, also. It may be used in quantities of from 3 pts. to 2 or 3 qts., according to size of boilers. When it is put in you must know the quantity of water in the boiler, for unless you heat up quite slow it causes a foaming of the water, and might deceive the engineer about the amount of water in the boiler, but if heat up slow there is no danger of this deception. 3. To Prevent Explosion, with the Reason why they Explode.At a recent meeting of the Association for the Advancement of Science, Mr. Hyatt, of New York, presented what we believe to be the true cause. He presented the following table, showing the rapidity with which pressure is doubled by only a slight increase of heat. At 212 degrees of heat water begins to boil; at 868 degrees iron becomes of a red heat: 212 degrees of heat, 15 pounds to square inch. 251 66 30 "480 It was stated by Mr. Hyatt, that, from experiments be pad made, this great increase of pressure could be obtained in six to seven minutes, with an engine at rest. This rapid doubling of pressure, with but a small increase of heat, is due to the conversion of what is termed latent heat, in steam, into sensible heat. If we immerse a thermometer into boil ing water, it stands at 212; if we place it in strata immediately above the water it indicates the same temperature. The question then arises what becomes of all the heat which is communicated to the water, since it is neither indicated by the water nor by the steam formed from it? The answer is, it enters the water and converts into steam without raising the temperature. One thousand degrees of heat are absorbed in the conversion of water into steam, and this is called its latent heat. And it is the sudden conversion of latent heat into sensible heat that produces the explosion. If an engine is stopped, even if there is but a moderate fire, if the escape valve is closed, there is a rapid absorption or accumulation of latent heat. The pressure rises with great rapidity, and when the engineer thinks everything is safe, the explosion comes. That this is the true cause of nearly all the explosions that occur will be plain to every one who will look at the relations between latent and sensible heat. Prof. Henry and Prof. Silliman, Jr., endorse the view. What, then, is the security against explosions? We know of no securities but these-a sufficiency of water in the boilers, and the escape valves open at light pressure, when the engine is at rest.-Springfield Republican. There is no question about the foregoing explanations being founded in true philosophy; and if engineers will be governed by them, instead of a desire to hold on to steam for the purpose of getting ahead or of keeping ahead, as the case may be, of some other boat; or on land, to save the expense of fuel, not one explosion would take place where now there is, at least, a hundred. Awful will be the reckoning with these murderers; for in Heaven's sight they are one and the same. A series of experiments have recently been concluded on the U. S. Steamer Michigan, and a full but voluminous report laid before the Navy Department, upon the subject of steam expansion. It would pay all interested in steam works to obtain and read it. PLUMS AND OTHER FRUIT-To Prevent Insects from Stinging. Take new, dry lime, sulphur, and gunpowder, equal parts, pulverized very fine, and throw it amongst the flowers when in full bloom; use it freely so that all may catch a little. This has been tried with success. Working upon the principle of pepper, to keep flies from meat. The injury to fruit being done while in blossom. BED-ROOM CARPETS-For Twelve and a Half Cents per Yard. -Sew together the cheapest cotton cloth, the size of the room, and tack the edges to the floor. Now paper the cloth as you would the sides of a room, with cheap room paper; putting a border around the edge if desired. The paste will stick better if a little gum arabic is mixed with it. When thoroughly dry, give it two coats of furniture or carriage varnish, and when dry it is done. It can be washed; and looks well in proportion to the quality and figure of the paper used. It could not be expected to stand the wear of a kitchen, for any length of time, but for bed-rooms it is well adapted. COFFEE-More Healthy and Better Flavored, for One-Fourth the Expense of Common.-Coffee, by weight or measure, one-fourth, rye, three-fourths. Look them over separately, to remove bad grains; then wash to remove dust, draining off the water for a moment as you take it with the hands, from the washing water, putting directly into the browning skillet, carefully stirring, all the time, to brown it evenly. Brown each one separately; then mix evenly, and grind ouly as used; settling with a beaten egg, seasoning with a little cream and sugar as usual. And I do sincerely say the flavor is better, and it is one hundred per cent. more healthy than all coffee. You may try barley, peas, parsnips, dandelion roots, etc., but none of their flavors are equal to rye. Yet all of them are more or less used for coffee. PICKLING FRUITS AND CUCUMBERS-Pickling Apples.Best vinegar, 1 gal.; sugar, 4 lbs.; apples, all it will cover handsomely; cinnamon and cloves, ground, of each, 1 table-spoon. Pare and core the apples, tying up the cinnamon and cloves in a cloth and putting with the apples, into the vinegar and sugar and cooking until done, only. Keep in jars. They are nicer than preserves, and more healthy, and keep a long time; not being too sour, nor too sweet, but an agreeable mixture of the two. It will be seen below that the different fruits require different quantities of sugar and vinegar, the reason for it, is, the difference in the fruit. 2. Pickling Peaches.-Best vinegar, 1 qt.; sugar, 4lbs.; peaches, peeled and stoned, 8 lbs.; spices as desired, or as for apples. Treat every other way as apples. If they should begin to ferment, at any time, simply boil down the juice; then boil the peaches in it for a few minutes only. 3. Peaches-To Peel.-In peeling small peaches with a knife, too much of the peach is wasted; but by having a wire cage, similar to those made for popping corn; fill the cage with peaches and dip it into boiling water, for a moment, then into cold water for a moment and empty out; going on in the same way for all you wish to peel. This toughens the skin and enables you to strip it off, saving much in labor, and also the waste of peach. Why not, as well as tomatoes? 4. Pickling Plums.-Best vinegar, 1 pt.; sugar, 4 lbs.; plums, 8 lbs. ; spices to taste. Boiling them in the mixture until soft; then take out the plums, and boil the syrup until quite thick and pour it over them again. 5. Pickling Cucumbers.-Pick each morning; stand in weak brine 3 or 4 days, putting in mustard pods and horse-radish leaves to keep them green. Then take out and drain, covering with vinegar for a week; at which time take out and drain again, putting into new vinegar, adding mustard seed, ginger root, cloves, pepper and red pep per pods, of each about 1 or 2 ozs.; or to suit different tastes, for each barrel. The pickles will be nice and brittle, and pass muster at any man's table, or market. And if it was generally known that the greenness of pickles was caused by the action of the vinegar on the copper kettle, producing a poison, (verdigris,) in which they are directed to be scalded. I think no one would wish to have a nice looking pickle at the expense of HEALTH; if they do, they can continue the bad practice of scalding; if not, just put your vinegar on cold, and add your red peppers, or cayennes, cloves, and other spices, as desired; but the vinegar must be changed once, as the large amount of water in the cucumber reduces the vinegar so much that this change is absolutely necessary; and if they should seem to lose their sharp taste again, just add a little molasses, or spirit, and all will be right. SANDSTONE-To Prevent Scaling by Frost.-Raw linseed-oil, 2 or 3 coats. Apply in place of paint, not allow the first coat to get entirely dry until the next is applied; if it does, a skin is formed which prevents the next from penetrating the stone. Poorly burned brick will be equally well preserved by the same process. SEALING WAX-Red, Black and Blue.-Gum Shellac, 8 ozs.; Venice turpentine, 4 ozs.; vermillion, 21⁄2 ozs.; alcohol, 2 ozs.; camphor gum, 1⁄2 oz. Dissolve the camphor in the alcohol, then the shellac, adding the turpentine, and finally the vermillion, being very careful that no blaze shall come in contact with its fumes; for if it does, it will fire very quickly. Blue. Substitute fine Prussian-blue for the vermillion, same quantity. Black.-Lamp-black only sufficient to color. Either color must be well rubbed into the mixture. ADVICE To Young Men and Others, out of Employment.Advice. How few there are who will hear advice at all; not because it is advice, but from the fact that those who attempt to give it are not |