_

Earthen-ware that is used to bake in, will be less liable to crack from
the heat if put, before they are used, into a vessel, with sufficient
cold water to cover them, then heated in it gradually, till the water
boils. When the vessel is taken from the fire, the ware should remain in
until cold.

428. _To temper New Ovens and Iron-ware._

New ovens, before they are baked in, should have a fire kept up in them
half a day. As soon as the wood is removed, put up the lid of the oven.
It should not be used for baking until it has been heated the second
time. If not treated in this manner, it will never retain the heat well.
New flat irons should be heated half a day before they are used, in
order to retain heat well. Iron cooking utensils, when new, will be less
liable to crack if heated gradually five or six hours, and then cooled
slowly, before being used to cook in. Cold water should never be turned
into hot iron utensils, as it will crack them by cooling the surface too
suddenly.

429. _To polish Brass, Britannia, and Silver Utensils._

Rotten stone, mixed with a little spirit, is the best thing to clean
brass with: rotten stone and oil does very well. They should be polished
with dry rotten stone, and a dry cloth. Hot vinegar and milk makes brass
look nice--it should be rinsed off, wiped dry, and rubbed over with
chalk, to kill the acid, and give the brass a polish. Brass looks very
nice cleaned in this manner, and will keep clean a long time, provided
all the acid is killed--if not, they will turn very soon. When brass
utensils are not in use, they should be thoroughly cleaned with rotten
stone and oil, and wrapped up tight to exclude the air. Whiting or chalk
is good to polish silver. If the silver is spotted, wet the chalk,
(which should be powdered,) rub it on the silver, and let it remain
until dry; then rub it off with a clean dry cloth. When chalk will not
remove spots, hot ashes will. Britannia-ware should be rubbed with a
flannel rag dipped in sweet or linseed oil, if spotted, then washed in
soap-suds, and wiped dry. To give it a polish, rub it over with dry
powdered chalk or whiting, using a clean dry rag.

430. _To remove or keep Rust from Cutlery._

Bristol brick is good to remove rust, and give a polish to steel
utensils. It should be powdered fine, and rubbed on dry, with a woollen
cloth. Knives should be rubbed on a board, with a thick leather covered
over it, and fastened down tight. The