There are many means of erasing grease spots. Bread crumbs
rubbed on the greasy spot will take it out. Dissolve in a quart of water
206 HOUSE-KEEPING.
four ounces of castile soap, add four ounces of ammonia water and an
ounce of ether and glycerine. The mixture should be bottled as soon
as made and should be kept from the air, as the ammonia and ether
are very volatile and will soon escape if the bottle is not kept tightly
corked. Another method is to put on powder of French chalk and
place a piece of blotting paper over it ; then pass a hot iron over the
blotting paper. You can get any amount of oil or grease off a carpet
or woolen stuff, by applying dry buckwheat plentifully and faithfully.
Alcohol and spirits of turpentine will remove tallow and oil from gar-
ments if applied before the oil has become dry and hard. Spirits of tur-
pentine will clean greasy coat collars or lapels. A teaspoonful of
ammonia and alcohol, well mixed, will remove grease; wet a bit of
woolen cloth or soft sponge in it and the grease, if freshly dropped,
will disappear. If the spot is of long standing it may require several
applications. In woolen or cotton the spot may be rubbed when the
liquid is applied, and also in black silk, though not hard. But with
light or colored silk, wet the spot with the cloth or sponge with which
the ammonia is put on, patting it lightly. Rubbing silk, particularly
colored silk, is apt to leave a whitish spot almost as bad looking as the
grease spot.
HUSK MATS AND BEDS.
Select the husks carefully, taking the best and strongest ones and not
using the soft inside ones. Scald a quantity at a time with hot water
to make them soft and pliable, squeezing them out well when ready to
plait them. It is best always for two to work at it, as one can pick out
the husks and bunch them while the other plaits them together. Put
three husks in a bunch, pulling the thick lower ends evenly together.
To begin plaiting, take three rather small bunches, and placing the thick
ends even, tie them tightly together about two inches below. Plait
them over each way once, and put another bunch in ; plait over from
each side again, and add another bunch, leaving the thick ends loose
about two inches every time — that is, in plaiting the bunches in, the
thick ends must be laid that far back from where the bunch will be
fastened in by the plait. When enough has been plaited for a mat, the
ends must be tied tightly together. For sewing them have a large bent
needle about five inches long, called a saddler's needle ; thread it with
stout twine, and beginning at the first end of the piece, shape it into a
round or an oval mat. - The loose ends are, of course, for the top of
the mat. After it is sewed together the tops may be slitted fine with a
fork, but it is not essential. They must then be dried thoroughly on
both sides, after which, if they have been plaited tightly and well sewed,
they may be expected to do two or three years' service.
Those who have never slept on husk beds ought to try it ; they are
clean, sweet and healthy, and much cooler for summer than a mat-
KNITTING, CROCHET AND LACE. 207
Page 183
Presented as published in 1886. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation, not the original instructions.
AI-modernized reading of the original text
There are many means of erasing grease spots. Bread crumbs rubbed on the greasy spot will take it out. Dissolve in a quart of water
four ounces of castile soap, add four ounces of ammonia water and an ounce of ether and glycerine. The mixture should be bottled as soon as made and should be kept from the air, as the ammonia and ether are very volatile and will soon escape if the bottle is not kept tightly corked. Another method is to put on powder of French chalk and place a piece of blotting paper over it ; then pass a hot iron over the blotting paper. You can get any amount of oil or grease off a carpet or woolen stuff, by applying dry buckwheat plentifully and faithfully. Alcohol and spirits of turpentine will remove tallow and oil from garments if applied before the oil has become dry and hard. Spirits of turpentine will clean greasy coat collars or lapels. A teaspoonful of ammonia and alcohol, well mixed, will remove grease; wet a bit of woolen cloth or soft sponge in it and the grease, if freshly dropped, will disappear. If the spot is of long standing it may require several applications. In woolen or cotton the spot may be rubbed when the liquid is applied, and also in black silk, though not hard. But with light or colored silk, wet the spot with the cloth or sponge with which the ammonia is put on, patting it lightly. Rubbing silk, particularly colored silk, is apt to leave a whitish spot almost as bad looking as the grease spot.
HUSK MATS AND BEDS.
Select the husks carefully, taking the best and strongest ones and not using the soft inside ones. Scald a quantity at a time with hot water to make them soft and pliable, squeezing them out well when ready to plait them. It is best always for two to work at it, as one can pick out the husks and bunch them while the other plaits them together. Put three husks in a bunch, pulling the thick lower ends evenly together. To begin plaiting, take three rather small bunches, and placing the thick ends even, tie them tightly together about two inches below. Plait them over each way once, and put another bunch in ; plait over from each side again, and add another bunch, leaving the thick ends loose about two inches every time — that is, in plaiting the bunches in, the thick ends must be laid that far back from where the bunch will be fastened in by the plait. When enough has been plaited for a mat, the ends must be tied tightly together. For sewing them have a large bent needle about five inches long, called a saddler's needle ; thread it with stout twine, and beginning at the first end of the piece, shape it into a round or an oval mat. - The loose ends are, of course, for the top of the mat. After it is sewed together the tops may be slitted fine with a fork, but it is not essential. They must then be dried thoroughly on both sides, after which, if they have been plaited tightly and well sewed, they may be expected to do two or three years' service.
Those who have never slept on husk beds ought to try it ; they are clean, sweet and healthy, and much cooler for summer than a mat-