Home › Contributions From Friends On Household Economy › Hardening Tallow

Hardening Tallow

Take the common prickly pear and boil or fry it in the tallow, without water, for half an hour, then strain and mould. I use about six average-sized leaves to the pint of tallow (by weight one pound of leaves to four of tallow), splitting them up fine. They make the tallow as hard as stearine, and do not injure its burning qualities in the least. - MRS. E. L. O., Waco, Tex. XVI. To Clean Silver.

A LADY correspondent in Southern California sends the following: Silver is most susceptible of spotting and discoloration by sea air, the human perspiration, the presence of sulphureted hydrogen (as seen in an egg spoon left uncleaned), the excreta of cockroaches and other strong-smelling insects, and lastly, by the contact of mice; the latter cause has irretrievably injured new plated-ware, never used, but left on a sideboard accessible to these little vermin. It is the practice of the East- Indian jewelers never to touch silver and gold with any abrasive substance. The most delicate filigree work and wire constructions of silver are rendered snowy white by their simple manipulation. They cut some juicy lemons in slices; with these they rub any large silver or plated article briskly, and leave it hidden by the slices in a pan for a few hours. For delicate jewelry, they cut a large lime nearly in half and insert the ornament; then they close up the halves tightly and put it away for a few hours. The articles are then to be removed, rinsed in two or three waters, and consigned to a saucepan of nearly boiling soapsuds, well stirred about, taken out, again brushed, rinsed, and finally dried on a metal plate over hot water, finishing the process by a little rub of wash leather (if smooth work).

For very old, neglected or corroded silver, the article may be dipped, with a slow stirring motion, in rather a weak solution of cyanide of potassa, but this process requires care and practice, as it is by dissolving off the dirty silver you obtain the effect. Green tamarind pods or oxalate of potash are greater detergents of gold and silver articles than lemons, and are much more employed by the artisan for removal of oxides and fire-marks.

A strong solution of hyposulphite of soda, as used by photographers, is perhaps the safest wash, as it will in no way attack the metallic silver, but only the films of chloride, etc., on its surface.

XVII. Sweeping.

If brooms are wet in boiling suds once a week they will become very tough, will not cut the carpet, will last much longer, and always sweep as clean "as a new broom," if kept hanging up when not in use. A most admirable way of sweeping a dusty carpet is to have a pail of clean cold water stand by the door, into which the broom can be dipped, taking care to shake all the drops out of it, by knocking it hard against the side of the pail. Then sweep a couple of yards or so, wet the broom again, and sweep as before. When carefully done, and the drops are all shaken out, it will clean a very dirty carpet nicely, and you will be surprised at the amount of dirt removed. Sometimes you will need to change the water two or three times. In winter, snow can be sprinkled over the carpet and swept off, before it has time to dissolve. Some throw down tea-grounds, and sweep them off briskly. Fresh grass is an excellent cleanser of a carpet, strewn thickly about and swept hard. Moistened