Washing black calico : Take one tea-spoonful of turpen-
tine (slightly heaping) and one tea-spoonful of sugar of lead
to one bucket of clear water. Put the dress in, let it stand
for half an hour, wring out and wash. This will prevent
any calico from fading.
Washing black cashmere : Wash in hot suds with a little
borax in the water. Rinse in bluing water (very blue),
and iron on the wrong side while damp. It will look equal
to new.
The Xew Kentucky Some Cool: Booh.
367
TO FRESHEN BLACK LACE.
Lay it on a clean table, sponge it all over with a weak
solution of borax — about an even tea-spoonful or less to a
pint of warm water — use a piece of black silk (or black kid
glove is better) to sponge with. While damp, cover with a
piece of black silk or cloth, and iron.
TO FRESHEN GRENADINE.
Take one table-spoonful of powdered borax to one quart
of water. Sponge the grenadine on the wrong side, and
press while damp.
TO CLEAN BLACK SILK.
Take one tea-spoonful of ammonia and one tea-spoonful
of turpentine to one pint of water. Let it dissolve, and
sponge the silk on the right side and iron on the wrong side.
TO RESTORE VELVET.
When velvet has been crushed, hold the wrong side over
a basin of boiling water and the pile will gradually rise.
Do not lose patience, for it takes considerable time, but the
result is wonderful.
TO SMOOTH WRINKLED SILK.
Sponge on the right side with a very weak gum arabic
water, and iron on the wrong side.
TO CURL TUMBLED FEATHERS.
Hold over the heated top of a stove or range, not near
enough to burn; withdraw; shake them out; hold them
over it again, and continue until curled.
TO CLEAN GILT FRAMES.
Take the white of eggs and rub gently with a camel's-hair
pencil. For fly spots, dip a camel's-hair pencil into spirits
of wine and apply it.
368
The New Kentucky Home Cool: Booh.
TO PRESERVE FURS.
Pack them in a box lined with brown Holland, first
sprinkling them liberally with black pepper. This is even
better than camphor. They should be well beaten before
putting away, to dislodge any larvae that despite the most
scrupulous care may be deposited in them. The superiority
of the pepper consists in the fact that the larvse will not in-
cubate in the pepper.
TO CLEAN WHITE OSTRICH FEATHERS.
Take four ounces of white soap, cut small, dissolve in two
quarts of rather hot water in a basin. Make the solution
into a lather by beating with a birchen rod or wires, intro-
duce the feathers and rub well with the hands for five or
six minutes after this soaping. Wash in a clean water as
hot as the hands can bear, and shake until dry.
TO FRESHEN FLOWERS.
All flowers may be restored by the use of hot water. For
this purpose place the flowers in scalding water deep enough
to cover about one-third of the length of the stems. By
the time this becomes cold, the flowers will have become
erect and fresh. Then cut ofif the shrunken ends of the
stems and put them into cold water.
TO DRIVE NAILS INTO A SOFT WALL.
Make a hole with a gimlet twice as large as the screw to
be driven. Then fill up the hole with plaster of Paris, such
as is used for fastening the tops of lamps, and imbed the
screw in the soft plaster. AVhen the plaster sets, the screw
will hold like iron, and there will be no disfigurement of the
wall.
TO REMOVE SMOKE STAINS FROM MANTELS.
Page 185
Presented as published in 1884. 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
Washing black calico : Take one tea-spoonful of turpentine (slightly heaping) and one tea-spoonful of sugar of lead to one bucket of clear water. Put the dress in, let it stand for half an hour, wring out and wash. This will prevent any calico from fading.
Washing black cashmere : Wash in hot suds with a little borax in the water. Rinse in bluing water (very blue), and iron on the wrong side while damp. It will look equal to new.
The New Kentucky Home Cook Book.
TO FRESHEN BLACK LACE.
Lay it on a clean table, sponge it all over with a weak solution of borax — about an even tea-spoonful or less to a pint of warm water — use a piece of black silk (or black kid glove is better) to sponge with. While damp, cover with a piece of black silk or cloth, and iron.
TO FRESHEN GRENADINE.
Take one table-spoonful of powdered borax to one quart of water. Sponge the grenadine on the wrong side, and press while damp.
TO CLEAN BLACK SILK.
Take one tea-spoonful of ammonia and one tea-spoonful of turpentine to one pint of water. Let it dissolve, and sponge the silk on the right side and iron on the wrong side.
TO RESTORE VELVET.
When velvet has been crushed, hold the wrong side over a basin of boiling water and the pile will gradually rise. Do not lose patience, for it takes considerable time, but the result is wonderful.
TO SMOOTH WRINKLED SILK.
Sponge on the right side with a very weak gum arabic water, and iron on the wrong side.
TO CURL TUMBLED FEATHERS.
Hold over the heated top of a stove or range, not near enough to burn; withdraw; shake them out; hold them over it again, and continue until curled.
TO CLEAN GILT FRAMES.
Take the white of eggs and rub gently with a camel's-hair pencil. For fly spots, dip a camel's-hair pencil into spirits of wine and apply it.
The New Kentucky Home Cook Book.
TO PRESERVE FURS.
Pack them in a box lined with brown Holland, first sprinkling them liberally with black pepper. This is even better than camphor. They should be well beaten before putting away, to dislodge any larvae that despite the most scrupulous care may be deposited in them. The superiority of the pepper consists in the fact that the larvse will not incubate in the pepper.
TO CLEAN WHITE OSTRICH FEATHERS.
Take four ounces of white soap, cut small, dissolve in two quarts of rather hot water in a basin. Make the solution into a lather by beating with a birchen rod or wires, introduce the feathers and rub well with the hands for five or six minutes after this soaping. Wash in a clean water as hot as the hands can bear, and shake until dry.
TO FRESHEN FLOWERS.
All flowers may be restored by the use of hot water. For this purpose place the flowers in scalding water deep enough to cover about one-third of the length of the stems. By the time this becomes cold, the flowers will have become erect and fresh. Then cut ofif the shrunken ends of the stems and put them into cold water.
TO DRIVE NAILS INTO A SOFT WALL.
Make a hole with a gimlet twice as large as the screw to be driven. Then fill up the hole with plaster of Paris, such as is used for fastening the tops of lamps, and imbed the screw in the soft plaster. AVhen the plaster sets, the screw will hold like iron, and there will be no disfigurement of the wall.
TO REMOVE SMOKE STAINS FROM MANTELS.