e
chloride of lime, say half a pound to a gallon of water, will have the
same effect, and either of these costs but a trifle.

A preparation may be made at home which will answer about as well as the
chloride of lime. Dissolve a bushel of salt in a barrel of water, and
with the salt water slake a barrel of lime, which should be made wet
enough to form a thin paste or wash.

To Disinfect a Cellar.--A damp, musty cellar may be sweetened by
sprinkling upon the floor pulverized copperas, chloride of lime, or even
common lime. The most effective means I have ever used to disinfect
decaying vegetable matter is chloride of lime in solution. One pound may
be dissolved in two gallons of water. Plaster of Paris has also been
found an excellent absorbent of noxious odors. If used one part with
three parts of charcoal, it will be found still better.

How to Thaw Out a Water Pipe.--Water pipes usually freeze up when
exposed, for inside the walls, where they cannot be reached, they are or
should be packed to prevent freezing. To thaw out a frozen pipe, bundle
a newspaper into a torch, light it, and pass it along the pipe slowly.
The ice will yield to this much quicker than to hot water or wrappings
or hot cloths, as is the common practice.

To Prevent Mold.--A small quantity of carbolic acid added to paste,
mucilage and ink, will prevent mold. An ounce of the acid to a gallon of
whitewash will keep cellars and dairies from the disagreeable odor which
often taints milk and meat kept in such places.

Thawing Frozen Gas Pipe.--Mr. F. H. Shelton says: "I took off from over
the pipe, some four or five inches, just a crust of earth, and then put
a couple of bushels of lime in the space, poured water over it, and
slaked it, and then put canvas over that, and rocks on the canvas, so as
to keep the wind from getting underneath. Next morning, on returning
there, I found that the frost had been drawn out from the ground for
nearly three feet. You can appreciate what an advantage that was, for
picking through frozen ground, with the thermometer below zero, is no
joke. Since then we have tried it several times. It is an excellent plan
if you have time enough to let the time work. In the daytime you cannot
afford to waste the time, but if you have a spare night in which to
work, it is worth while to try it."

How to Test a Thermometer.--The common thermometer in a japanned iron
case is usually inaccurate. To test the thermometer, bring water