Page:Australian enquiry book of household and general information.djvu/137

 the basket till it is quite covered handle and all. It must be put in a cool place and where it will not receive the slightest vibration or motion to spoil the formation of the crystals. The frame work of the basket can be made of thin wire woven or twisted into any pattern liked. I have made very pretty ones from dry reeds and dead leaves to decorate it, but the best surface for the alum is made by winding every part with worsted or thread. To produce yellow crystals boil turmeric or saffron in the solution; for purple boil some logwood with it; and blue crystals can be made by using sulphate of copper, or blue vitriol instead of alum. The blue crystals are very pretty. To ensure the crystals being clear it is as well to strain the solution through muslin before it is boiled. Very lovely little frames for photographs, and larger ones for home-made mirrors, can be made by submerging them in the above solution.

To Fix Chalk and Pencil Drawings.—Half fill a shallow dish with skimmed milk and lay the drawing flat upon the surface of the liquid. Then remove and place on blotting paper in a slanting position so that it can drain and dry. A solution of and water, or gum and water, can be used instead of milk.

Bamboo Ornaments—Many pretty little things for a room can be made of bamboo. You want to get several lengths of different thicknesses, from the largest to some quite small. Make a trough or boat of the thickest by splitting it in halves. Cross two thinner pieces for trestles or legs, or rather four, and let the trough rest between. Get all the pieces to fit before putting any together and then paint with gold paint, and proceed to set them up. In crossing the two thin pieces you can bore a hole right through both and put a wooden peg in to keep them together, when both are done rest the boat or trough between. One of these can be made large enough to stand in front of the fireplace. Instead of putting water in use wet sand in which to stick the flowers. Short lengths of bamboo look very well gilded with gold paint, a bow of coloured ribbon artistically holding them to the wall, and flowers or a few spines of dried glassgrass [sic] in them. But taste and the artistic faculty can do a great deal with bamboo.

Fish Scale Flowers.—This is comparatively a new work, and so far as I know the secret of preparing the scales has never been published. To prepare the scales:—You can save these yourself when the cook is cleaning fish, or what is better, you can get a supply from the fish market, or a fish shop if your town does not boast a market. In this way you will get an assortment and different sized scales, which is necessary for the work. Having secured a good sized basinful of scales, throw them into clean water, in which has been dissolved a handful of coarse salt, wash them well in this, and in the meantime dissolve as much as will lie on a sixpence in a large basin of cold water, and remove the scales from the salt and water to it. Stir them about well, keeping them in from five to ten minutes; and from this remove into clear salt and water again. Prepare another bath with oxalic acid in it and repeat the last process again, and until they lose the slimy, fishy feeling and smell. Three baths with the acid should cleanse the dirtiest scales, then wash thoroughly in clear water, changing it over and over again. When as pure as you can get them, spread on newspaper in the hot sun, taking them in at night and putting out in the day, till they are perfectly dry, free from smell, and snow white.

There are one or two little things to be borne in mind:—First, be sure not to use too much acid, or it will eat away the outer coat of the scale and so spoil them; the quantity will depend upon what sort of scales you get. Second, use plenty of salt water and plenty of fresh to cleanse them thoroughly.