Domestic

New Zealand Tablet, 18 January 1912, Page 49

Domestic

Maureen.

' ... A Knife-board. ■ Ul ' Take a piece of plank the required length, and a' . P iece of linoleum worn sufficiently to be smooth : cut the oilcloth to : fit the plank, tack at the ends, rub brickdust on it in the ordinary ay, - and the board is ready tor use. . ' ... _ J Old Brooms. N ' ' . } ' .£? When < long brooms r are worn out, do not: throw them away as useless. Cut all the brush part off; seccotme a piece of thick felt or velvet on, and it will make a good polisher for beeswax floors, and save kne#ing, _ A Cheap Stain. , $ , Mix half a pint of black japan with half a pSt of turpentine. This will produce a beautiful walnut stain. Apply with an ordinary ; paint brush, an||varnish r when n properly dry. If .staining, new woodj size before varnishing. - v a-. . . Stained Gas Globes. Gas globes may be cleaned and their, brightness restored by washing in warm water in which half a penny packet of salts of demon has been dissolved. A Useful Point. v . Tbe following hint should be welcomed by lovers of. flowers who are likely to leave their homes at holiday times. . Place a pail of water in the ground and , put your flower pots round it. Cut up an old stocking into as many strands as there are pots, place a strand upon each pot close to the root and a stone in ’ the foot of the stocking and. place that in the pail of water. The water will be drawn on to the plants and they will keep fresh for weeks. . ■ J lo Cool Oneself in Summer. v y A good plan when one comes in very heated on a warm day is to hold the wrists (not the hands) under tne cold water tap, and let the water run on them for some time. This will have the effect of cooling the whole body, and is a much better way than washing the face in cold water, or the dangerous practice of dunking quantities of cold water.- - ’ . - The Selection of - Poultry.' . f , A few simple rules cover; the selection of all - poul,T y ; ‘. In . „ the; . firs P lace » the ' bones should.. be tender: ' : that is; if one places 'the. forefinger ■ of the ' right , hand : in the hollow of the neck (at the elbow of the- wish- : bone) and the thumb of the same hand at the end of the breast bone and contract the hand gently, if the bird is young and tender the bone will give: if it is .- old and tough, the bone will be stiff and ; hard and : impossible to bend. The same is true of the wings, if the bones are tender and -. bend under pressure, the• bird is young, There is another test - for the \ akin to : that used in the testing of fish. If when the wings are pulled out, they spring, back into shape when & released it is a sign of young meat. The same is true ’M of the feet of a bird. If, when spread apart' they ;■: collapse easily,.: the -bird is young. Very : often the breast bone and wing bones will be broken in order : to. make, the unsophisticated think that the bird is young, but it is a simple matter to feel the bones crunch under such circumstances, and one may be fairly certain that .the bird is no longer as young as it -used: to be. Another test is that the skin should :be firm and": smooth. _i he color, some authorities say, should be y f!° w - Thlß 18 not a question of age or' of : youth, but ' ' of breed,.and consequently is not of special value. On the other hand, hairs are a sign of age, and while it is' : said that pinfeathers are a sign of youth, this is not true; because the presence of feathers and the color of ’ them depend upon'the breed of the chicken and :: the time -year it is ; killed. Heavy scales on the feet are J also a sign of age,, but with the turkey, , when,. the spurs ' are soft and loose, it is a good sign. r