8
THE CHEMAWA AMERICAN
SEASONING TIMBER.
For the various purposes of season
ing, timber should be piled where it may
be kept dry, but not exposed to a strong
current of air. At the same time there
should be a free circulation of air about
the timber and a few slats or blocks
placed between timbers near enough to
prevent them from bending. In the sheds
lumber should be piled in this way, or
in square piles and classed according to
size and kind. Each pile should be dis
tinctly marked with the number and
kind of pieces and the date of receiving
them. The piles should be taken down
and made over again at intervals, vary
ing with the length of time the limber
has been cut. The seasoning of timber
requires from two to. four years, accord
ing to size.
Gradually drying and seasoning in
this manner is considered the most
favorable to the strengnt and dur
ability of timber, but various methods
have been devised f -r hastening the proc
ess For this purpose steaming and
boiling timber have been applied with
success; kiln-drying is serviceable only
for boards and pieces of small dimensions,
and is apt to cause cracks and to impair
the strength of wood unless dried very
!owly.
Timber of large dimensions is improv
ed by immersion in water for some weeks,
according to size, after which it is less
likely to warp and crack in steaming.
Oak timber loses about one-fifth of its
weight in seasoning and about one-third
of its weight in becoming dry. Fkye.
THE ROMAN HOUSEWIFE'S
UTENSILS
While the housewife of today may rea
sonably pride herself on the convenien
ces which her kitchen affords, she needs
not smile too superciliously at the
thought of the rude makeshifts of davs
long gone by. She wouTd certainly riot
do so were she to spend a little time in
specting the kitchen and other household
utensils that were in use 2000 years ago,
as exhibited in the National Museum at
Naples. Saucepans lined with silver,
and shovels handsomely carved figure
among the household goods of those times.
An egg frame that would cook 20 egwg
at once and pastry molds shaped like i
shells bring to thought luxuries of the
kitchen of 2000 years ago. Gridirons and
frying pans, tart dishes and cheese grat
ers were in ue then as now.
The Roman toilet table was well sup
plied. Ivory combs, bottles of perfume,
buttons, hairpins, and even a hair net of
gold wire figure in the museum.
Bronze thimbles and spindles are to be
setn among the relics. The Roman lady
even had her safety pin, for there is a
speciman of this little convenience which,
before the one in the Naples museum
was foUnd, was believed to be a strictly
modern invention. j
The Roman lady h nvjver, apparently
lacked one essential. She had no hair
brush. Neither had sh a glass mirror.
All the mirrors of the museum with one
exception are of silver or some other
white metal. The exception is a dark
purple piece of glass let into the wall of j
a bedroom at the house Specchio in Pom
peii. Harpers Weekly.
In order to secure a change of ad
dress, subscribers to The Chemawa
American must give old as well as new
address to insure prompt attention
r. '