April.
THE WEST SHORE.
123
SOME FACTS ABOUT SOAP.
The true soaps, tan the Journal of fTIfsfiii
are all salts of potash ami soda, the former being
soft soaps, the latter hard soaps ; but these fatty
ax-iils unite with other alkalies ami liases to form
insoluble compounds, which are also often called
soaps. If we mix a solution of common soap
(containing stearate ot soda, we will say) with
one Of lime, the soda salt is rlenompooad, and a
stearate of lime is separated in an insoluble form.
I in- reaction is a common one lu the chemistry
Dl the kitchen, though not a iiopular one with.
housewives. It takes place whenever soap is
used with "hard water." which owes its bad
name to the presence of salts of lime, magnesia,
etc. When soap is dissolved in Buch water, the
lime of magnesia unites with the stearic acid to
pntiluce UU insoluble curdy Hakes which appear.
It is not until lUffldent soap has been added to
decompose all these salts and disuse of their
bases that it becomes available for its legitimate
business of cleansing. The harder the water,
the more soap is wasted in this vexatious chem
ical proMM. It one DM Do hard water at hand.
he can illustrate the reaction by dissolving a
uhiv umuui mum inupno oi magnesiai m
water, ami tlien rubbing some snap in the solu
tion, or pouring Boiuu soapy water into it. llm
froth of tbo soap will vanish, and curdy Hakes
will be formed. The sulphate and the soap (call
it a stearate of soda) have "impped" bases; sul
phate of Hilda is dissolved in the linuid. and
insoluble stearate of magnesia is left Moating aa
me w one liases.
Soap is always au alkaline or basic Bait, and
its detergent (lower depends on the degree of its
alkalinity. '1 he more nearly the lodl is neu
tralieil, the leas capacity it has for continuing
with the urease ;md other matters which it is
intended to remove. Of course this property in
soap must be graduated to the purpose for which
11 is to do UN, EOT UU coarser WOTS 01 the
laundry, the ordiuarv bar HMD. which is unite
aiKanue, or son soup, with its more activ
potash, is inquired l while for toilet use a
almost neutral soap is wanted, as the other
wuuni not only remove tlie impurities trom the
skin, but partially dissolve the latter, leaving it
rougn ami iincniutortahlc.
ThB OOMFOamOR Of OtQsJU. Let every hon
est smoker take courage. Cigars are not made
out of cabbage leaves. The British govern
ment discusses the suiqoct ut tobacco udultera
tion in a big blue Imnk, which contains a tabu
lated account of the seizures of the spurious ar
ticle made in the Cnited Kingdom since 1864
and in the whole volume there is no mention
of the cabbage blossom. Hut there are many
suspicious things among the ingredients, as the
abstract iu the Pall Mall QauUi shows. The
tirstsort ia required for the actual substance of
the cigar; the second for improving its outward
appearance; and the third for imparting to it
what is supposed to lie a hotter taste. LB the
former category the favorite substance seems to
bo tho leaves of the lime-tree, the husks of
wheat ami oats, cotton, yarn, and tomiuin hean.
Hut there are numerous cases where the ingre
dients have been much mire curiously selected.
and have included cocoannt tiler, small seeds,
cotton, WOOd, and bread. Atone establishment,
fifty pounds of tobacco dust were found and an
alyzed, when it was shown to contain string,
wood, nails, grinding of tobacco-pipe, dirt, and
all sorts of refuse. Another large class of ma
terials is apparently used for securiiigthe adho
sinn and consistency of the cigar when made.
Amongst these, starch is the most prominent;
but it includes gum ami amidine, blue, gum ar-
abic, glue, glycerine, and essential oils. The
color of the fabrication is the next thing to lie
attended to, and for this purpose resort is had
BO yellow ocher, red sandalwood, logwood, lamp
plack. and Venetian ml. As for the Hayor of
the cigar, it is varied to suit the most diverse
tastes; but thcusiial object seems to impart to it
a pleasing sweetness of tone. Accordingly sac
charine matter, anil especially treacle, is very
largely pressed into the service. For those who
like a rather more decided taste, liquorice, salt,
logwood, glycerine, ami aniseed are used.
NOTES ON SANITARY BUILDINC.
notes on pBttaatmra wood,
This subject is of hMttitusi to li kAm. ! A" tnerotted demand for one of the residual
makers. In Ilr. Buchanan's special illlllirv pitnlucts of gas iuaniifa,ttire is likely
the various registration districts n th ih ' to am'- at 11,1 distant day, for the purpose of
southern counties of England, Wyond the limits l'roservmK "d rot, and frum tho action
ot ids metropolis, were brought under detailed
examination and the conclusion was reached
Boimrom 11ah.wav.--An English journal
illustrates a oroposcd system of suspension rail
way in which the rails are supported by strong
wrought iron clips suspended from brackets
projecting irom uprigni ooinouw umu "
outer edge of the pavements in streets, while the
cars are also suspended from the rails by means
of steel carrying rods descending from the axles
of small traveling wheels. Either home or
steam power can le used, the engine wing
suspended in the same manner as the cars.
Among the advantage claimed for it are that
the roadway is not cut up, and that the resist
ance to urau is duhstmu iwhwui
Rmmr mo Fait ai, N k r u a t x ; i a . I r. Luton
)( Hheims, Btates that he has obtained excellent
reenlte from the cvaitide of zinc in rheumatic
facial neuralgia simulating cerebral rheumatism,
lie relates two cases iu which, with intense
facial neuralgia, there was continued and anient
fever, cephalalgia and tenderness, on pressure
at the joints whore the nerves emerged. The
symptoms rapidly abated under the use (f the
tOUOWUg mixture: 1 yanido oi ma, um-mwi w
i a oart di.filh..! eherrv-laurel water, ' porta,
ud nasaantfl nuudllM mixture, ium parts.
Ublespoonful, from hour to hour.
Hi.ai k Whsi t Stain. The following, from
the Journal of ChtmUtrtj, is a simpler recipe
than the ah we recently published and is said
to 1 equally good. Take a pint of very thin
Aw. its adhesiveness being just p.reepuoi'
Utwe.... tli.. thumb and linger. 1'ut into it a
table loonfu! of raw umlwr, stir it well and nut
warm with a siM-nge or i.niau. neu w3.
brush off and varnish. Another is to take one
Ublespoonful of Venetian red and half a tea
ipoonful of lamp-hlack. mixed into a paste and
then diluted with the pint of glue water as
Wore.
a HtnM . . , , the Nile at Mansura, de
signed by Alfredo t'oUan, of Naples who has
buUt over 1,000 metallic bridges at Italy and
the East), ia partly of stone and partly of iron -
"a combination of the suspension principle,
with straight girders. "
that soil-dampness is a most potent cause of
consumption.
Some writers believe that soil-dampness is
the cause of many other diseases. Or. Bell, in
his reiort on the drainage of Kings county,
N. Y., as reviewed by the ImUifitilrnt. ax.
.tresses the opinion that not only consumption,
ut luterinment and remittent itiers. rhenmati.
affections, neuralgia, croup, quinsy, diphtheria.
pneumonia, pleurisy, bronchitis, cerebrospinal
ineiiingitis, erysipelas and diarrbual diseases
owe their origin in a groat measure to this
cause.
rheso considerations indicate the imnort-me
of living upon a dry soil, and make it obligatory
upon any community whose ternrory is water
logged, either wholly or in part, to drain such
territory of its surplus water.
i y surplus water is meant that which is not
water which would run away from a quantity of
earth placed in a barrel with'holes in the bottom.
Such drainage can be easily aeeomnlished. fin.
glazed tiling, with joints carefully protected,
laid at a depth of three or four feet. With proper
inclination, and at suitable distances, will dram
any soil, however wet, in less than 'J4 hours
To ascertain whether a given locality requires
draining, let an excavation be made to the depth
of three feet, and, if water is found iu it '-'4
hours after the heaviest rain, the locality is
unlit for human habitation.
The site selected for a house should he
thoroughly drained to a depth at least a foot
below the bottom of the cellar; and the founda
tion should be so constructed that the storm
water which dashes against the house and the
water which accumulates in freshets in its
vicinity should be arrested and conducted away.
This can lie done by sinking the foundation wall
a foot below the ccllar-liottoni, placing a tile
drain outside of this, tilling the excavation be
low the cellar-ttoor with concrete, building the
cellar-wall of brick and covering the outside of
this wall with some material impervious to
water. It would lie well to place abOYC the
drain, reaching to a point near the surface, a
quantity of coarse gravel, to allow the water
more easy access to the drain. If the land lie at
all springy, there should be, in addition to this
outer dram surrounding the emulation, several
cross -drains, all of which may have the same
outllow.
Nona os DiuEsnos. Iu a recent lecture in
Loudon, Prof. Carrod gave au account of some
of the processes of digestion. The action of
the saliva and of the gastric juice was demon
strated experimentally. Saliva, he pointed out.
doe not affect albuminoids, hut it does affect
starchy foods, and the conversion of starch into
grape sugar by saliva was shown iu test tubes.
This is now Iielieved to be the only chemical
part the work of digestiou the saliva per
forms. The nature of the work of the gastric
juice w as shown by some which had Itecn ob
tained from the mucous membrane of the stomach
of a linn, recently dead. Albumen, libriue, and
casein cannot dialyse through the walls of the
alimentary canal till the pepsme ot the gastric
juice has converted them iuto peptones. After
UalysiB, it is lieiioved tlie peptones again are
--hanged to albuminoids, but it is a curious fact
that though albuminoids can bo artificially con
torted into peptones, the peptones cannot Ik1
artificially reconverted into albuminoids. The
use of artificially made peiiBme in of great ser
vice to people ot weak digestive power, and
Prot tiarrod drew attention to Mr. Bullock's
process, by which an "acid glycerine of pel
i obtained from tho stomachs of pigs, ami has
been found by medical practitioners to lw of
great value.
A Hint for On Okanpmotheiw. If the
lady readers dislike darning Micks and hose, aa
most ladles do, tm-y can saveone naii M0 mend
ing by knitting heels and toes double, like
streaked mittens. Hut many do not under
stand that, so 1 will explain. As soon as half
the stitches are put on the heel-needle tie on
another ball of yam, which may be white or
like the other ball, according to fancy or con
venience, and coarser if you have it. Wrap
L .lb threads around the little linger, jioss them
under the next linger, put the middle linger be
tween the threads, having the white towards
von when knitting straight and from you when
knitting backwards. To make the white show
most Hi1"" the wrong side, put tho forefinger
under lust one thread and then tho other when
knitting; also, widen once in four stitches the
tirst time across to keep the heel or toe from
drawing iu. If knit in this way they will wear
as long as the rest of the sock; will lie warmer
ii the jtarts soonest cold w hich is quite an
item when working for those wo love is much
better than common double heel, and quicker
knit.
I'i.ka Fmi l'i UK AlR.- A few well-known
facts will show the urgent necessity for pure air.
The longest period of time DpOO record in which
a man lived w ith.mt food mid water isaln.ut four
teen days. If water be given, but no food, life
may be sustained longer tfiaii this; but deprived
of air, human lift! may be extinguished in three
minutes. This serves to show, iu one way, and
ill a prominent manner, the high value nt venti
lation. Human life may !- cotiliuuod for a time
by bad 'r, stagnant water, and decaying food;
hut without nure air. good water, and whole.
some food, life soon loses all its freshness.
Most persons make great exertions to obtain
it I water and sound fund: hut unfortunately.
there is not often the same regard paid to the
condition of the air. Is ventilation then of no
importance? Should it not be studied by the
statesman and the philosopher as well as by the
physician ?
of the various marine worms that so rapidly
destroy woodwork in salt water. Ky permis
sion of the Directors of tho American Society
of Civil Engineers, a paper of great interest iu
this connection was read by Mr. E. II. An
drews, of Boston; specimens of wood were ex
hibited which has been treated 90 years, ami iu
constant use iu railroad ties w hich showed no
signs of decay. The process, as described,
consists in extracting the sap from "green"
WOOd, placed "in vaceuo," ami then filling the
poree time emptied oi their sap with creosote
oil under a pressure of from 80 to 100 DOVOda.
Reaolta obtained abroad have established the
practicability of the process, and its perfect
success in preserving timber.
A writer iu the Journal of Fort.itn gives the
following on preserving fence posts: What l
would reoommend with fenoo poata iai the ma
tcrials, whan felled, to be directly sawn into
posts, and stored under sheds thoroughly ven
tilated, when- they will remain at loaat a year
exposed to sun and wind. The neck, or part
between w ind ami water, of each post should
be slowlv charred over a strong lire slowly.
liecau.se our principle means heating the timber
thoroughly to the heart, so as to extract any
moist ure which may still be lodci d at tlie center,
and hardening a crust on the surface of the
poata,
Afterward, to prevent the post ibaorbing
water, they should be well coated with coal tar,
haying its acid destroyed with fresh ouickliine.
The tar should be thoroughly boiled, to cvap
orate all watery matter, ami applied boiling
hot. A large tank holding the posts set on end,
and tilled w ith the scahbng tar from a boiler.
answers the purpose very well. Of course tho
tipper half ot the poatl can be painted w hen
placed "iu place.' 1 am fully convinced coal
tar, properly applied to thoroughly seasoned
timber, is far more effectual in preserving mists
than creosoting, poisoning, kyauiiug, or all the
paraphernalia of iron prongs, sheet-iron wrap
pers (alt American invention), etc. due great
recommendation in favor of the above nrocess
is that it requires no skilled labor, and the cost
is a mere trifle,
various woopa
Tho following are interesting items concern
ing the commercial value and properties of the
bettor known woods, as laid down by the
Ameriean BuillUr:
Elasticity. Ash, hickory, hazel, lancewond,
oheenat (smalh, yew, make wood.
Elasticity ami Toughness. Oak, lecch, elm,
lignum-vite, walnut, hornlieuni.
Even grain (for Carving or Engraving). Tear,
pine, bOX lime tree.
I hirumlity un i ry orus). v cdur, nax,
yellow pine, chestnut.
Building (Ship-Ihiilding), Cedar, pine ideal),
lir, lurch, elm, oak, locust, teak. Wet con
struction (as piles, foundations, Humes, etc.).
Elm, alder, Well, oak, w lute wood, chestnut,
ash, spruce, sycamore.
Machinery and Millwork (1'rames). -Ash,
hooch birch, pine, elm, oak. Hollers, etc.
Uox, liguum-vitic, mahogany. Teeth of wheels.
- Crab tree, horuleatii, locust. Foundry jiat
terns. Alder, pine, mahogany.
Furniture ( Common). I leech, birch, cedur,
cherry, pine, whitewash llcst furniture.
Amboyna, black ebooy, mahogany, cherry,
maple, walnut, oak, rosewood, satinwiMid,
sandalwmid, chestnut, cedar, tulip wood, bra
wood, cltuny.
Of these varieties, those that cbielly enter
into commerce in this country are oak, hickory,
ash, elm, cedar, black walnut, maple, cherry,
butternut, etc.
FIREWOOD TO THE AGR&
In a nod deal of observation on the subject.
says Marsh, the largest quantity of marketable
Wood 1 have ever known cut on an acre of vir
gin forest was 104 cords, or 4i':i cubic yards,
ami nan that amount is considered a very fair
yield. This estimate is far above the averages
given to the statistician of our department of
agriculture, which are as below:
hi Franklin county Me., the best woodland
yields forty cords per aero; the average isabout
iwemy-nve. in agadiihoek and Hancock
counties the average yield is thirty cords pet
acre.
In New Hampshire, the average yield is nut
front twenty to forty cords per acre 'in the dif
ferent counties.
Ill Vermont) the forests yield from twenty
live to fifty cords per acre. Some forests are
estimated to furnish 'JtHl cords.
In Rhode Island, alxnit thirty cords per acre.
Ill Connecticut, sprout lands yield aUuit
tweuty-tive cords per acre every twenty-tivo
years.
hi New York, from thirty to sixty cords per
acre. The original forests iu some of the coun
ties nro estimated at sixtv tlve cord".
In Oelaware, well-set second growth wood
lawn yleldl thirty to forty cords per acre.
hi Maryland, from thirty to forty cords, otc.
In Oregon, however, among the evergreens
and oaks, the yield seems perfectly astounding.
In Douglas oouoty than are thonaandi oi acres
which would yield from 800 to 600 cords nor
aero. Oak tiinbered lauds yield an average 100
cords per acre. Says the annual report of tho
laud otlice, in relation to this land, " it will pro
duce from 85,000 to :tlK),IHH feet per aero." and
then- are vasl tracts that would OOVOT the en
tire surface with eord wood ten feet iu bight."
The report siieuks of fotests of phio trees
from one to til'teen feet iu diameter, and '.MO
1 900 feet high," and red and yellow pines of
gigantic growth, often attaining a bight of 800
.'i, ami irom nine 10 iwcive icet in diaineler.
ErntMTV. "Eternity ha no mv halra 1 N
The flowari fade, the heart withers, man grows
old and dies; the world lies down iu thesepulcher
of ages, but time writes no wrinkles on the brow
of eternity. Fternity I stupendoii thought!
The over present, unborn, undecayiug, and nu
king the endless eliaill. eoinpassiiii! the lite of
Cod the golden thread, entwining the destinies
of the universe. Karth has its beauties, but time
shrouds t hem for thegravu ; its honor, they are
but the sunshine of an hour; its palaoaa, they
are but as the gilded Ncpulcher ; its his sens ions,
they are the tovaol changing fortune ; its pleas
ures, they are hut bursting bubbles. Not ho in
the untried bourne. In tho dwelling of the
Almighty can come no footste of decay. Its
day will know no darkening eternal splendors
forbid the approach of night. Its fountains will
never fail they are fresh from the eternal throne,
Its glory will never wane, for there is the ever
present Cod, Its harmonies will never ceaao
exhaiiNtless love siippliri the song. .Vniryfm.
Ameuican Am IN BXQLAXD, -Ex-1'rcmicr
Cladstouo has Income the Horace Orceh-y of
England, and wields the .inui. .ui ae iw tn elv
as he w rites pamphlets. More than this, the an
nouncement is made that the American r. . oi
axe has been introduced by enterprising En
glish maun fact u re rs, and they have ground
their tooll by getting the groat liberal to turn
the crank, hie narrative is in this wise: A
Sheffield linn atsiut the year I878 comment ed
the sale ol an excellent American patent axe,
which was shown and attracted connidciahle
notice in the trade at the South Kensington ex
hibition of that year. The blade was the
beet poliihed stool and the handle of hickory,
ami. inspired with u happy thought, tho (inn
recently presented ono of the highly-lihished
sH'cimens to the statesman woodman, who not
ly accepted me gut, nui nas aiso useu turn
axe. Acknowledging tne gut, Mr. tiodiouc
writes: "Ocntlcmen, I am so glad you have
added that useful article, the American ate, to
the list of our home productions, and I thank
you for favoring me with a specimen, which
seems, as much trial as 1 have made, te jswsess
all the merits of the origiual. I liml it neces
sary to study eflloiefwy in pronortton ami
weicht. and it is under this issue that I think
the American axe comes out well, esimcially for
mi .ft and tree-giaiin I w I. Ho- ban. lb' n, I
think, excellent, but I always wish it were cut
straight across at tlie end, at a right angle t.
its direction or axis, I remain, Bantu un n,
your faithful servant, W, E. Oladitolio. lu
cemlMjr Kith. 177." Thie make for the future,
we understand, ut to le termed "The Oladstonu
wedge aia."
Imitation Enosv. Rbottiaad wood is much
in demand nowadays for Minted panels and
other decorative purposes. In some reswcts it
is preferable to the genuine elmtiy, Apple,
pear and waluut woisl, eiecially if line
graim-d, may 1 "elxmied" by the following
process: Roil in a glazed vessel, with water,
four ounces of gall-nuts, one ounce of logwood
chits, half an ounce of vitriol ami half an ounce
of crystallized verdigris; lilter while warm, and
brush the wood with the hot solution a uuiuber
of times. The wood, thus stained black, is
then t" be coated two or three times (being
allowed to dry completely after each coating)
with a solution oi on- ounce ot iron nilings in a
NaTt'RAt. Oil l! Ohio. At East Liverpool,
Ohio, contracts have been made for the boring
of four more natural gas wells. The various
.u: . v 1 .ni;n.
aes to excite the wonder and astonishment ol 4art of vinegar. This U te U pre.
.11 tkU t, wr, pexsd hot, and allowed te cool before sss.
Oflooaua a BoTrn& The disimsition nf
steel in a scythe is to be heat liuderstiMHl by
seeing one which has Wen hi ok en serosa the
blade. Sometimes tools of this class arc steeled
"miked," so that all the steel shows itself at
once on the top side of the blade, but this plan
is not to Ih recommended, It is letter to have
iron on IhiUi sides of tho steel which just shows
itself along tho edge, and runs in toward the
back to still'en the HMO and to form a constant
uttiiig edge as the tool wears awnv. Now. iu
buying a tool, War iu mind that the most steel
may show in the one steeled naked, lieeauso all
that is there is iu sight, but in the other easo
there would be a great deal more steel useful
for carrying an edge, although it Would show
less baoaoaa the bulk of it would lie hidden Ihi-
ii the iron. It will not do. then, to b de-
ceived by apcaraiicoe, The host plan is to de
pend on a g i maker (or c Htee and -nth
oiant of it.
OaUOKITJ VnrT. This excellent dish is
if tod IpoUad, says a latly iu the tlurnl ,Ve
KofsW. by very mod cooks who think thev
must stir it all the time to keep it from burning.
Too much stirring makes it like paste; putting
in uion-water when nearly done bus tho name
effect. One third of wheat, by measure, Ut
two. thirds of water, soft, if you hsve it, will
make it abool right. The water should be cold
Whan the wheat is put in; it should cook slowly
and he covered closely, hi this way scarcely
any stirring will Inj found necessary. There is
a ttelictooioeea in this dish hIioii cooked as
above. Which is never found if stirred while
cooking. The same may In- said of oatmeal,
only tlie latter should be quickly stirred iuto
boiling water; cover closely ami let cook for
about '.'ii minutes. Wheat may be oooked
ibont the BUI time, although it liesrs cooking
longer.
AlWI TuHMOnM Make a paste of sour
milk or buttermilk with a little soils and salt,
as for biscuits, except that Hum shortening is
necessary. Itnb the shortening into tho flour
and add the milk; then cut off a piece the sie of
a biscuit ami roll out rather thin. Have ready
dried apples stewed, sifted, sweetened and
ptoad to taste. Plaoa a large Ipooninl on one
half of the rolled paste ami bring the other half
over it, pinching the edges securely together.
Fry in hot lard, turning them frequently te
brown evenly. Also, if y,m will ijinko up your
soda biscuits for tea in precisely the sarne fash
ion, and Wforr putting into tlm oven wet the
surface with milk, you will liml it an agreeable
variation from the usual way.
Plan an OaxTAjnsn I mm Wdui The
Tdtgnpkk tfawnat says that in reply to a com
munication addressed te them by Mr. O, It,
I'resrott, the well-known American electrician,
a numlxT of the Eunqwau telegraph administra
tions hare, without exception, given tho result
of their exiieriencu as in favor of galvanized
wire on the aaajf of ultimate . my It ap-
pears from these PtMlto that the duration of
non galvanm-d wire for telsgraphic puriMMMM in
Kurojie is from i: to VJ) years, (ialvanuwl wire
that has lieeti in use some 2A years give little
sign of deterioration.
i