Twentieth century home cook book

First of all, the carpet must be cut into suitable lengths for the room, allowing for the proper matching of the breadths. It is then sewn together, breadth upon breadth, until the proper width is obtained. Then tack it down upon two sides, one way with the length and the other across the breadth, It must be cut and fitted to inequalities, when necessary, and if a bay window is to be carpeted, this must be allowed for in cutting. The other two sides are then tacked down, the stretching always being carefully attended to, so that when finished, it will lie perfectly fiat and without wrinkles. CARPET STRETCHER. being careful to stretch all equally. XI. Painting and Kalsomining. It is always better, if you can afford it, to hire both painting and kalsomining done by competent mechanics. If you do this, a perfect understanding must be had that the material shall be of the best, aud that it shall not be dropped about the floors and over the furniture. There is no reason whatever why a person who understands his business should mess up a house with either paint or kalsomine. No person who takes little enough on the brush at a time of properly mixed material, need make a slop. If a dirty wall is to be kalsomined, never allow the size or first coat to be put on until the wall has been washed. This is done with a large sponge dipped in warm water, and pressed until nearly dry. This will wash off the dirt without dripping. With good brushes any one can soon learn to kalsomine, and to do common painting. A mistake, too often made, is not mixing at first enough material of the required color to do the whole work. If you keep mixing a little at a time you never have KALSOMINE BRUSH. your walls of a uniform tint. So far as paints are concerned, they may be bought ready mixed and of any color. Graining and ornamental painting should never be attempted by an inexpert. In this case the very best workmen are always the cheapest. Whitewashing. — Whitewash of hme is now seldom used for covering inside walls. There is no reason why it should not be. If properly made, it covers a surface almost as smoothly as the chalk of which kalsomine is composed, and is devoid of the disagreeable smell thereof. For covering rough buildings, fences, and other structures, where paint would be too costly, it is excellent, and, if properly made, is fairly water-proof, and may be applied by any one of ordinary intelligence and care. In order, however, that it may saturate the surface and hold, it should be put on hot, for which purpose the vessel containing it may be kept over a good-sized kerosene lamp or a low fire of charcoal. Recipe for Whitewasll. — One of the best washes we have ever used is made thus : To so much water as will fill a barrel to the depth of two inches add one-half bushel of pure, white quick-lime; then put in one peck of salt, previously dissolved in hot water ; cover tightly to keep in the steam; when cold, strain through a fine sieve; heat it again and then add, hot, a thin starch paste made from three pounds of rice flour; stir; add one pound, hot, of strong glue ; add half-pound of whiting, previously dissolved in hot water ; dilute with hot water to consistency of cream ; apply hot. The glue is first soaked, then gradually dissolved in water, by placing the vessel holding it in another containing boiling water; used as directed, this is the most permanent wash we know of. About a pint of the mixture will cover a square yard of surface.