g, and as much of a base pigment as the painter can possibly
spread (much drier takes up too much oil acid, needed for the pigment
base to combine with), which insures a tough paint that never fails to
stand against blistering or peeling, as well as wind, weather, and
ammonia.

The coach, car, and house painter can materially improve his painting
where his needs lie by first oiling the wood with raw oil, then
smoothing the surface down with lump pumicestone, washing it with a
mixture of japan drier or, better yet, gold sizing and turpentine,
wiping dry, and following it up with a coat of white lead, oil, and
turpentine. The explanation is: the raw oil penetrates the wood and
raises the wood fibers on the surface to be rubbed down with
pumicestone, insuring the best surface for the following painting: to
harden the oil in the wood it receives a coat of japan drier, which
follows into the pores and there forms a tough, resinous matter,
resisting any air pressure that might arise from within, and at the
same time reacts on the first coat of lead as a drier. This mode
insures the smoothest and toughest foundation for the following
painting, and may be exposed to the hottest July sun without fear of
either blistering or peeling.

LOUIS MATERN.

Bloomington, Ill.

* * * * *

OLIVE OIL.

The following particulars with regard to the production of olive oil
in Tuscany have been furnished to Mr. Consul Inglis by one of the
principal exporters in Leghorn:

The olive oil produced in Tuscany from the first pressing of the fruit
is intended for consumption as an article of food. Hence, great
attention is paid both to the culture of the olive tree and the
process of making oil.

The olive crop is subject to many vicissitudes, and is an uncertain
one. It may be taken as a rule that a good crop does not occur more
frequently than once in three years. A prolonged drought in summer may
cause the greater part of the small fruit to fall off the trees. A
warm and wet autumn will subject the fruit to the ravages of a maggot
or worm, which eats its way into it. Fruit thus injured falls to the
ground prematurely, and the oil made from it is of very bad quality,
being nauseous in taste and somewhat thick and viscous. Frost
following immediately on a fall of snow or sleet, when the trees are
still wet, will irretrievably damage the fruit, causing it to shrivel
up and greatly diminishing the yield