Chapter I: II III IV V VI (14)

This turbid mixture (1 part in 1,000 parts) is used alternately with water for watering a pot of about 1 quart capacity; for smaller or larger pots in proportion. After using the amount indicated, the watering is continued with water alone.

IV.—Fertilizer with Organic Matter, for Pot Flowers.—

Potassium nitrate 100.0 parts Ammonium phosphate 100.0 parts Phosphoric acid 2.5 parts Simple syrup 1,000 parts

Add not more than 10 parts to 1,000 parts water, and water alternately with this and with water alone. For cactaceæ, crassulaceæ, and similar plants, which do not assimilate organic matter directly, use distilled water instead of syrup.

Chlorotic plants are painted with a dilute iron solution or iron is added to the soil, which causes them to assume their natural green color. The iron is used in form of ferric chloride or ferrous sulphate.

V.—Sodium phosphate 4 ounces
Sodium nitrate 4 ounces
Ammonium sulphate 2 ounces
Sugar 1 ounce

Use 2 teaspoonfuls to a gallon of water.

VI.—Ammonium phosphate 30 parts
Sodium nitrate 25 parts
Potassium nitrate 25 parts
Ammonium sulphate 20 parts
Water 100,000 parts

One application of this a week is enough for the slower growing plants, and 2 for the more rapid growing herbaceous ones.

VII.—Calcium phosphate 4 ounces
Potassium nitrate 1 ounce
Potassium phosphate 1 ounce
Magnesium sulphate 1 ounce
Iron (ferric) phosphate 100 grains

VIII.—Pot plants, especially flowering plants kept around the house, should be treated to an occasional dose of the following:

Ammonium chloride 2 parts Sodium phosphate 4 parts Sodium nitrate 3 parts Water 80 parts

Mix and dissolve. To use, add 25 drops to the quart of water, and use as in ordinary watering.

IX.—Sugar 1 part
Potassium nitrate 2 parts
Ammonium sulphate 4 parts

X.—Ferric phosphate 1 part
Magnesium sulphate 2 parts
Potassium phosphate 2 parts
Potassium nitrate 2 parts
Calcium acid phosphate 8 parts

About a teaspoonful of either of these mixtures is added to a gallon of water, and the plants sprinkled with the liquid.

For hastening the growth of flowers, the following fertilizer is recommended: {338}

XI.—Potassium nitrate 30 parts
Potassium phosphate 25 parts
Ammonium sulphate 10 parts
Ammonium nitrate 35 parts

The following five are especially recommended for indoor use:

XII.—Sodium chloride 10 parts
Potassium nitrate 5 parts
Magnesium sulphate 5 parts
Magnesia 1 part
Sodium phosphate 2 parts

Mixed and bottled. Dissolve a teaspoonful daily in a quart of water and water the plants with the solution.

XIII.—Ammonium nitrate 40 parts
Potassium nitrate 90 parts
Ammonium phosphate 50 parts

Two grams is sufficient for a medium-sized flower pot.

XIV.—Ammonium sulphate 10 parts
Sodium chloride 10 parts
Potassium nitrate 5 parts
Magnesium sulphate 5 parts
Magnesium carbonate 1 part
Sodium phosphate 20 parts

One teaspoonful to 1 quart of water.

XV.—Ammonium nitrate 40 parts
Ammonium phosphate 20 parts
Potassium nitrate 0.25 parts
Ammonium chloride 5 parts
Calcium sulphate 6 parts
Ferrous sulphate 4 parts

Dissolve 2 parts in 1,000 of water, and water the plants with the solution.

XVI.—Potassium nitrate 20 parts
Potassium phosphate 25 parts
Ammonium sulphate 10 parts
Ammonium nitrate 35 parts

This mixture produces a luxuriant foliage. If blooms are desired, dispense with the ammonium nitrate.

XVII.—Saltpeter, 5 parts; cooking salt, 10 parts; bitter salt, 5 parts; magnesia, 1 part; sodium phosphate, 2 parts. Mix and fill in bottles. Dissolve a teaspoonful in 1 3/4 pints of hot water, and water the flower pots with it each day.

XVIII.—Ammonium sulphate, 30 parts; sodium chloride, 30 parts; potash niter, 15 parts; magnesium sulphate, 15 parts; magnesium phosphate, 4 parts; sodium phosphate, 6 parts. Dissolve 1 part in 1,000 parts water, and apply 3 times per day.

XIX.—Calcium nitrate, 71 parts; potassium chlorate, 15 parts; magnesium sulphate, 12.5 parts; potassium phosphate, 13.3 parts; freshly precipitated ferric phosphate, 3.2 parts. A solution of 1 in 1,000 of this mixture is applied, alternating with water, to the plants. After using a certain quantity, pour on only water.

XX.—Ammonium phosphate, 300 parts; sodium nitrate, 250 parts; potassium nitrate, 250 parts; and ammonium sulphate, 200 parts, are mixed together. To every 1,000 parts of water dissolve 2 parts of the mixture, and water the potted plants once a week with this solution.

XXI.—Potash niter, 20 parts; calcium carbonate, 20 parts; sodium chlorate, 20 parts; calcium phosphate, 20 parts; sodium silicate, 14 parts; ferrous sulphate, 1.5 parts. Dissolve 1 part of the mixture in 1,000 parts water.

«Preparing Bone for Fertilizer.»—Bone, in its various forms, is the only one of the insoluble phosphates that is now used directly upon the soil, or without other change than is accomplished by mechanical action or grinding. The terms used to indicate the character of the bone have reference rather to their mechanical form than to the relative availability of the phosphoric acid contained in them. The terms raw bone, fine bone, boiled and steamed bone, etc., are used to indicate methods of preparation, and inasmuch as bone is a material which is useful largely in proportion to its rate of decay, its fineness has an important bearing upon availability, since the finer the bone the more surface is exposed to the action of those forces which cause decay or solution, and the quicker will the constituents become available. In the process of boiling or steaming, not only is the bone made finer but its physical character in other respects is also changed, the particles, whether fine or coarse, being made soft and crumbly rather than dense or hard; hence it is more likely to act quickly than if the same degree of fineness be obtained by simple grinding. The phosphoric acid in fine steamed bone may all become available in 1 or 2 years, while the coarser fatty raw bone sometimes resists final decay for 3 or 4 years or even longer. {339} Bone contains considerable nitrogen, a fact which should be remembered in its use, particularly if used in comparison with other phosphatic materials which do not contain this element. Pure raw bone contains on an average 22 per cent of phosphoric acid and 4 per cent of nitrogen. By steaming or boiling, a portion of the organic substance containing nitrogen is extracted, which has the effect of proportionately increasing the phosphoric acid in the product; hence a steamed bone may contain as high as 28 per cent of phosphoric acid and as low as 1 per cent of nitrogen. Steamed bone is usually, therefore, much richer in phosphoric acid and has less nitrogen than the raw bone.

«Brewers’ Yeast and Fertilizers.»—A mixture is made of about 2 parts of yeast with 1 part of sodium chloride and 5 parts of calcium sulphate, by weight, for use as a manure. Pure or impure yeast, or yeast previously treated for the extraction of a portion of its constituents, may be used, and the gypsum may be replaced by other earthy substances of a similar non-corrosive nature.

Authorities seem to agree that lime is necessary to the plant, and if it be wholly lacking in the soil, even though an abundance of all the other essential elements is present, it cannot develop normally. Many soils are well provided with lime by nature and it is seldom or never necessary for those who cultivate them to resort to liming. It would be just as irrational to apply lime where it is not needed as to omit it where it is required, and hence arises the necessity of ascertaining the needs of particular soils in this respect.

The method usually resorted to for ascertaining the amount of lime in soils is to treat them with some strong mineral acid, such as hydrochloric acid, and determine the amount of lime which is thus dissolved. The fact that beets of all kinds make a ready response to liming on soils which are deficient in lime may be utilized as the basis of testing.

FEVER IN CATTLE: See Veterinary Formulas.

FIG SQUARES: See Confectionery.

«Files»

«Composition Files.»—These files, which are frequently used by watchmakers and other metal workers for grinding and polishing, and the color of which resembles silver, are composed of 8 parts copper, 2 parts tin, 1 part zinc, 1 part lead. They are cast in forms and treated upon the grindstone; the metal is very hard, and therefore worked with difficulty with the file.

«To Keep Files Clean» (see also Cleaning Preparations and Methods).—The uneven working of a file is usually due to the fact that filings clog the teeth of the file. To obviate this evil, scratch brush the files before use, and then grease them with olive oil. A file prepared in this manner lasts for a longer time, does not become so quickly filled with filings and can be conveniently cleaned with an ordinary rough brush.

«Recutting Old Files.»—Old files may be rendered useful again by the following process: Boil them in a potash bath, brush them with a hard brush and wipe off. Plunge for half a minute into nitric acid, and pass over a cloth stretched tightly on a flat piece of wood. The effect will be that the acid remains in the grooves, and will take away the steel without attacking the top, which has been wiped dry. The operation may be repeated according to the depth to be obtained. Before using the files thus treated they should be rinsed in water and dried.

FILE METAL: See Alloys.

FILLERS FOR LETTERS: See Lettering.

FILLERS FOR WOOD: See Wood.

«FILTERS FOR WATER.»

A filter which possesses the advantages of being easily and cheaply cleaned when dirty, and which frees water from mechanical impurities with rapidity, may be formed by placing a stratum of sponge between two perforated metallic plates, united by a central screw, and arranged in such a manner as to permit of the sponge being compressed as required. Water, under gentle pressure, flows with such rapidity through the pores of compressed sponge, that it is said that a few square feet of this substance will perfectly filter several millions of gallons of water daily.

The sponges are cleaned thoroughly, rolled together as much as possible, and placed in the escape pipe of a percolator in such a manner that the larger portion of the sponge is in the pipe while the smaller portion, spreading by itself, protrudes over the pipe toward the interior {340} of the percolator, thus forming a flat filter covering it. After a thorough moistening of the sponge it is said to admit of a very quick and clear filtration of large quantities of tinctures, juices, etc.

For filtering water on a small scale, and for domestic use, “alcarrazas,” diaphragms of porous earthenware and filtering-stone and layers of sand and charcoal, etc., are commonly employed as filtering.

A cheap, useful form of portable filter is the following, given in the proceedings of the British Association: “Take any common vessel, perforated below, such as a flower pot, fill the lower portion with coarse pebbles, over which place a layer of finer ones, and on these a layer of clean coarse sand. On the top of this a piece of burnt clay perforated with small holes should be put, and on this again a stratum of 3 or 4 inches thick of well-burnt, pounded animal charcoal. A filter thus formed will last a considerable time, and will be found particularly useful in removing noxious and putrescent substances held in solution by water.”

The “portable filters,” in stoneware, that are commonly sold in the shops, contain a stratum of sand, or coarsely powdered charcoal; before, however, having access to this, the water has to pass through a sponge, to remove the coarser portion of the impurities.

«Alum Process of Water Purification.»—Water may be filtered and purified by precipitation, by means of alum, by adding a 4 per cent solution to the water to be clarified until a precipitate is no longer produced. After allowing the turbid mixture to stand for 8 hours, the clear portion may be decanted or be siphoned off. About 2 grains of alum is ordinarily required to purify a gallon of water. Potassa alum only should be used, as ammonia alum cannot be used for this purpose. The amount of alum required varies with the water, so that an initial experiment is required whenever water from a new source is being purified. If the purification is properly done, the water will not contain any alum, but only a trace of potassium sulphate, for the aluminum of the double sulphate unites with the various impurities to form an insoluble compound which gradually settles out, mechanically carrying with it suspended matter, while the sulphuric acid radical unites with the calcium in the water to form insoluble calcium sulphate.

FILTER PAPER: See Paper.

FILM-STRIPPING: See Photography.

FINGER-TIPS, SPARKS FROM: See Pyrotechnics.

FIRES, COLORED: See Pyrotechnics.

FIREARM LUBRICANTS: See Lubricants.

«FIRE EXTINGUISHERS:»

I.—Calcium chloride 184 parts
Magnesium chloride 57 parts
Sodium chloride 13 parts
Potassium bromide 22 parts
Barium chloride 3 parts
Water to make 1,000 parts

Dissolve and fill into hand grenades.

II.—Iron sulphate 4 parts
Ammonium sulphate 16 parts
Water 100 parts

Mix, dissolve, and fill into flasks.

III.—Sodium chloride 430 parts
Alum 195 parts
Glauber salts 50 parts
Sodium carbonate, impure 35 parts
Water glass 266 parts
Water 233 parts

Mix, etc.

IV.—Sodium chloride 90 parts
Ammonium chloride 45 parts
Water 300 parts

Mix, dissolve, and put into quart flasks of very thin glass, which are to be kept conveniently disposed in the dwelling rooms, etc., of all public institutions.

V.—Make 6 solutions as follows:

_a._—Ammonium chloride 20 parts
Water 2,000 parts

_b._—Alum, calcined and powdered 35 parts
Water 1,000 parts

_c._—Ammonium sulphate, powdered 30 parts
Water 500 parts

_d._—Sodium chloride 20 parts
Water 4,000 parts

_e._—Sodium carbonate 35 parts
Water 500 parts

f.—Liquid water glass 450 parts

{341}

Mix the solutions in the order named and to the mixture, while still yellow and turbid, add 2,000 parts of water, and let stand. When the precipitate has subsided fill off the clear liquid into thin glass (preferably blue, to deter decomposition) containers each of 3 pints to a half gallon capacity.

VI.—Calcium chloride 30 parts
Magnesium chloride 10 parts
Water 60 parts

VII.—Sodium chloride 20 parts
Ammonium chloride 9 parts
Water 71 parts

VIII.—Sodium carbonate 16 parts
Sodium chloride 64 parts
Water 920 parts

The most effective of all extinguishers is ammonia water. It is almost instantaneous in its effect, and a small quantity only is required to extinguish any fire. Next in value is carbonic acid gas. This may be thrown from siphons or soda-water tanks. The vessel containing it should be thrown into the fire in such a way as to insure its breaking.

«Dry Powder Fire Extinguishers.»—The efficacy of these is doubted by good authorities. They should be tested before adoption.

I.—Alum 24 parts
Ammonium sulphate 52 parts
Ferrous sulphate 4 parts

II.—Sodium chloride 8 parts
Sodium bicarbonate 6 parts
Sodium sulphate 2 parts
Calcium chloride 2 parts
Sodium silicate 2 parts

III.—Sodium chloride 6 parts
Ammonium chloride 6 parts
Sodium bicarbonate 8 parts

IV.—Ammonium chloride 10 parts
Sodium sulphate 6 parts
Sodium bicarbonate 4 parts

«Oil Extinguisher.»—To extinguish oils which have taken fire, a fine-meshed wire net of the size of a boiling pan should be kept on hand in every varnish factory, etc. In the same moment when the netting is laid upon the burning surface, the flame is extinguished because it is a glowing mass of gas, which the iron wire quickly cools off so that it cannot glow any more. The use of water is excluded, and that of earth and sand undesirable, because both dirty the oil.

«Substitute for Fire Grenades.»—A common quart bottle filled with a saturated solution of common salt makes a cheap and efficient substitute for the ordinary hand grenade. The salt forms a coating on all that the water touches and makes it nearly incombustible.

«Fireproofing»

«For Textiles.»—I.—Up to the present this has generally been accomplished by the use of a combination of water glass or soluble glass and tungstate of soda. The following is cheaper and more suitable for the purpose:

Equal parts, by weight, of commercial white copperas, Epsom salt, and sal ammoniac are mingled together and mixed with three times their weight of ammonia alum. This mixture soon changes into a moist pulp or paste, that must be dried by a low heat. When dressing the material, add 1/2 part of this combination to every 1 part of starch.

II.—Good results are also obtained from the following formula: Supersaturate a quantity of superphosphate of lime with ammonia, filter, and decolorize it with animal charcoal. Concentrate the solution and mix with it 5 per cent of gelatinous silica, evaporate the water, dry, and pulverize. For use mix 30 parts of this powder with 35 parts of gum and 35 parts of starch in sufficient water to make of suitable consistency.

III.—As a sample of the Melunay process, introduced in France, the following has been published: Apply to a cotton fabric like flannellet, or other cotton goods, a solution of stannate of soda (or a salt chemically equivalent) of the strength of 5 to 10° Bé., then dry the fabric and saturate it again, this time with a solution of a titanium salt; any soluble titanium salt is suitable. This salt should be so concentrated that each 1,000 parts may contain about 62 parts of titanium oxide. The fabrics are again dried, and the titanium is ultimately fixed by means of a suitable alkaline bath. It is advantageous to employ for this purpose a solution of silicate of soda of about 14° Bé., but a mixed bath, composed of tungstate of soda and ammonium chloride, may be employed. The objects are afterwards washed, dried, and finished as necessary for trade. A variation consists in treating the objects in a mixed bath containing titanium, tungsten, and a suitable solvent.

IV.—Boil together, with constant {342} stirring, the following ingredients until a homogeneous mass results:

Linseed oil 77 parts Litharge 10 parts Sugar of lead 2 parts Lampblack 4 parts Oil turpentine 2 parts Umber 0.4 parts Japanese wax 0.3 parts Soap powder 1.2 parts Manila copal 0.7 parts Caoutchouc varnish 2 parts

V.—For Light Woven Fabrics.—Ammonium sulphate, 8 parts, by weight; ammonium carbonate, 2.5 parts; borax, 2; boracic acid, 3; starch, 2; or dextrin, 0.4, or gelatin, 0.4; water, 100. The fabric is to be saturated with the mixture, previously heated to 86° F., and dried; it can then be calendered in the ordinary way. The cost is only 2 or 3 cents for 16 yards or more of material.

VI.—For Rope and Straw Matting.—Ammonium chloride (sal ammoniac), 15 parts, by weight; boracic acid, 6 parts; borax, 3; water, 100. The articles are to be left in the solution, heated to 212° F. for about 3 hours, then squeezed out and dried. The mixture costs about 5 cents a quart.

VII.—For Clothing.—The following starch is recommended: Sodium tungstate, perfectly neutral, 30 parts; borax, 20; wheat or rice starch, 60. The constituents are to be finely pulverized, sharply dried, and mixed, and the starch used like any other. Articles stiffened with it, if set on fire, will not burst into flame, but only smolder.

VIII.—For Tents.—

Water 100 parts by weight Ammonium sulphate, chemically pure 14 parts by weight Boracic acid 1 parts by weight Hartshorn salt 1 parts by weight Borax 3 parts by weight Glue water 2 parts by weight

Boil the water, put ammonium sulphate into a vat, pour a part of the boiling water on and then add the remaining materials in rotation. Next follow the rest of the hot water. The vat should be kept covered until the solution is complete.

IX.—For Stage Decorations.—Much recommended and used as a fireproofing composition is a cheap mixture of borax, bitter salt, and water; likewise for canvas a mixture of ammonium sulphate, gypsum, and water. Ammonium sulphate and sodium tungstate are also named for impregnating the canvas before painting.

X.—For Mosquito Netting.—Immerse in a 20 per cent solution of ammonium sulphate. One pound of netting will require from 20 to 24 ounces of the solution to thoroughly saturate. After withdrawing from the bath, do not wring it out, but spread it over a pole or some such object, and let it get about half dry, then iron it out with a hot iron. The material (ammonium sulphate) is inoffensive.

«Fireproofing of Wood.»—Strictly speaking, it is impossible to render wood completely incombustible, but an almost absolute immunity against the attacks of fire can be imparted.

Gay-Lussac was one of the first to lay down the principal conditions indispensable for rendering organic matters in general, and wood in particular, uninflammable.

During the whole duration of the action of the heat the fibers must be kept from contact with the air, which would cause combustion. The presence of borates, silicates, etc., imparts this property to organic bodies.

Combustible gases, disengaged by the action of the heat, must be mingled in sufficient proportion with other gases difficult of combustion in such a way that the disorganization of bodies by heat will be reduced to a simple calcination without production of flame. Salts volatile or decomposable by heat and not combustible, like certain ammoniacal salts, afford excellent results.

Numerous processes have been recommended for combating the inflammability of organic tissues, some consisting in external applications, others in injection, under a certain pressure, of saline solutions.

By simple superficial applications only illusory protection is attained, for these coverings, instead of fireproofing the objects on which they are applied, preserve them only for the moment from a slight flame. Resistance to the fire being of only short duration, these coatings scale off or are rapidly reduced to ashes and the parts covered are again exposed. It often happens, too, that such coatings have disappeared before the occurrence of a fire, so that the so-called remedy becomes injurious from the false security occasioned. {343}

Some formulas recommended are as follows:

I.—For immersion or imbibition the following solution is advised: Ammonium phosphate, 100 parts; boracic acid, 10 parts per 1,000; or ammonium sulphate, 135 parts; sodium borate, 15 parts; boracic acid, 5 parts per 1,000. For each of these formulas two coats are necessary.

II.—For application with the brush the following compositions are the best:

_a._ Apply hot, sodium silicate, 100 parts; Spanish white, 50 parts; glue, 100 parts.

_b._ Apply successively and hot; for first application, water, 100 parts; aluminum sulphate, 20 parts; second application, water, 100 parts; liquid sodium silicate, 50 parts.

_c._ First application, 2 coats, hot; water, 100 parts; sodium silicate, 50 parts; second application, 2 coatings; boiling water, 75 parts; gelatin, white, 200 parts; work up with asbestos, 50 parts; borax, 30 parts; and boracic acid, 10 parts.

Oil paints rendered uninflammable by the addition of phosphate of ammonia and borax in the form of impalpable powders incorporated in the mass, mortar of plaster and asbestos and asbestos paint, are still employed for preserving temporarily from limited exposure to a fire.

III.—Sodium silicate, solid 350 parts
Asbestos, powdered 350 parts
Water, boiling 1,000 parts

Mix. Give several coatings, letting each dry before applying the next.

IV.—Asbestos, powdered 35 parts
Sodium borate 20 parts
Water 100 parts
Gum lac 10 to 15 parts

Dissolve the borax in the water by the aid of heat, and in the hot solution dissolve the lac. When solution is complete incorporate the asbestos. These last solutions give a superficial protection, the efficiency of which depends upon the number of coatings given.

V.—Prepare a syrupy solution of sodium silicate, 1 part, and water, 3 parts, and coat the wood 2 to 3 times, thus imparting to it great hardness. After drying, it is given a coating of lime of the consistency of milk, and when this is almost dry, is fixed by a strong solution of soluble glass, 2 parts of the syrupy mass to 3 parts of water. If the lime is applied thick, repeat the treatment with the soluble glass.

VI.—Subject the wood or wooden objects for 6 to 8 hours to the boiling heat of a solution of 33 parts of manganese chloride, 20 parts of orthophosphoric acid, 12 parts of magnesium carbonate, 10 parts of boracic acid, and 25 parts of ammonium chloride in 1,000 parts of water. The wood thus treated is said to be perfectly incombustible even at great heat, and, besides, to be also protected by this method against decay, injury by insects, and putrefaction.

VII.—One of the simplest methods is to saturate the timber with a solution of tungstate of soda; if this is done in a vacuum chamber, by means of which the wood is partly deprived of the air contained in its cells, a very satisfactory result will be obtained. Payne’s process consists in treating wood under these conditions first with solution of sulphate of iron, and then with chloride of calcium; calcium sulphate is thus precipitated in the tissues of the timber, which is rendered incombustible and much more durable. There are several other methods besides these, phosphate of ammonia and tungstate being most useful. A coat of common whitewash is an excellent means of lessening the combustibility of soft wood.

«Fireproofing Wood Pulp.»—The pulp is introduced into a boiler containing a hot solution of sulphate and phosphate of ammonia and provided with a stirring and mixing apparatus, as well as with an arrangement for regulating the temperature. After treatment, the pulp is taken out and compressed in order to free it from its humidity. When dry, it may be used for the manufacture of paper or for analogous purposes. Sawdust treated in the same manner may be used for packing goods, for deadening walls, and as a jacketing for steam pipes.

«Fireproofing for Wood, Straw, Textiles, etc.»—The material to be made fireproof is treated with a solution of 10 to 20 parts of potassium carbonate and 4 to 8 parts of ammonium borate in 100 parts of water. Wherever excessive heat occurs, this compound, which covers the substance, is formed into a glassy mass, thus protecting the stuff from burning; at the same time a considerable amount of carbonic acid is given off, which smothers the flames. {344}

«MISCELLANEOUS FORMULAS FOR FIREPROOFING.»

I.—In coating steel or other furnaces, first brush over the brickwork to be covered a solution made by boiling 1 pound each of silicate of soda and alum in 4 gallons of water, and follow immediately with composition:

Silica 50 parts Plastic fire clay 10 parts Ball clay 3 parts

Mix well.

Fireproof Compositions.—II.—For furnaces, etc.:

Pure silica (in grain) 60 parts Ground flint 8 parts Plaster of Paris 3 parts Ball clay 3 parts

Mix well together by passing once or more through a fine sieve, and use in the same way as cement.

Fireproof Paper.—Paper is rendered fireproof by saturating it with a solution of

Ammonium sulphate 8 parts Boracic acid 3 parts Borax 2 parts Water 100 parts

For the same purpose sodium tungstate may also be employed.

Fireproof Coating.—A fireproof coating (so-called) consists of water, 100 parts; strong glue, 20 parts; silicate of soda, 38° Bé., 50 parts; carbonate of soda, 35 parts; cork in pieces of the size of a pea, 100 parts.

Colored Fireproofing.—I.—Ammonium sulphate, 70 parts; borax, 50 parts; glue, 1 part; and water up to 1,000 parts.

II.—Solution of glue, 5 parts, zinc chloride, 2 parts; sal ammoniac, 80 parts; borax, 57 parts; and water up to 700 parts.

If the coating is to be made visible by coloration, an addition of 10 parts of Cassel brown and 6 parts of soda per 1,000 parts is recommended, which may be dissolved separately in a portion of the water used.

FIREPROOFING CELLULOID: See Celluloid.

FIREPROOFING OF PAPER: See Paper.

FIREWORKS: See Pyrotechnics.

FILIGREE GILDING: See Plating.

«FISH BAIT.»

Oil of rhodium 3 parts Oil of cumin 2 parts Tincture of musk 1 part

Mix. Put a drop or two on the bait, or rub trigger of trap with the solution.

«FIXATIVES FOR CRAYON DRAWINGS, ETC.»

I.—Shellac 40 parts by weight
Sandarac 20 parts by weight
Spirit of wine 940 parts by weight

II.—During the Civil War, when both alcohol and shellac often were not purchasable, and where, in the field especially, ink was almost unknown, and sized paper, of any description, a rarity, men in the field were compelled to use the pencil for correspondence of all sorts. Where the communication was of a nature to make its permanency desirable, the paper was simply dipped in skim milk, which effected the purpose admirably. Such documents written with a pencil on unsized paper have stood the wear and rubbing of upward of 40 years.

To Fix Pounced Designs.—Take beer or milk or alcohol, in which a little bleached shellac has been dissolved, and blow one of these liquids upon the freshly pounced design by means of an atomizer. After drying, the drawing will have the desired fixedness.

FIXING BATHS FOR PAPER AND NEGATIVES: See Photography.

FLANNELS, WHITENING OF: See Laundry Preparations.

FLASH-LIGHT APPARATUS AND POWDERS: See Photography.

FLAVORINGS: See Condiments.

FLEA DESTROYERS: See Insecticides.

FLIES IN THE HOUSE: See Household Formulas.

FLIES AND PAINT: See Paint.

«Floor Dressings»

(See also Paint, Polishes, Waxes, and Wood.)

«Oil Stains for Hard Floors.»—I.—Burnt sienna, slate brown, or wine black, is ground with strong oil varnish in the paint mill. The glazing color obtained {345} is thinned with a mixture of oil of turpentine and applied with a brush on the respective object. The superfluous stain is at once wiped away with a rag, so that only the absorbed stain remains in the wood. If this is uneven, go over the light places again with dark stain. In a similar manner all otherwise tinted and colored oil stains are produced by merely grinding the respective color with the corresponding addition of oil. Thus, green, red, and even blue and violet shades on wood can be obtained, it being necessary only to make a previous experiment with the stains on a piece of suitable wood. In the case of soft wood, however, it is advisable to stain the whole previously with ordinary nut stain (not too dark), and only after drying to coat with oil stain, because the autumn rings of the wood take no color, and would appear too light, and, therefore, disturb the effect.

II.—Boil 25 parts, by weight, of fustic and 12 parts of Brazil wood with 2,400 parts of soapmakers’ lye and 12 parts of potash, until the liquid measures about 12 quarts. Dissolve in it, while warm, 30 parts of annatto and 75 of wax, and stir until cold. There will be a sufficient quantity of the brownish-red stain to keep the floor of a large room in good order for a year. The floor should be swept with a brush broom daily, and wiped up twice a week with a damp cloth, applying the stain, when necessary, to places where there is much wear, and rubbing it in with a hard brush. Every 6 weeks put the stain all over the floor, and brush it in well.

III.—Neatsfoot oil 1 part
Cottonseed oil 1 part
Petroleum oil 1 part

IV.—Beeswax 8 parts
Water 56 parts
Potassium carbonate 4 parts

Dissolve the potash in 12 parts of water; heat together the wax and the remaining water till the wax is liquefied; then mix the two and boil together until a perfect emulsion is effected. Color, if desired, with a solution of annatto.

V.—Paraffine oil 8 parts
Kerosene 1 part
Limewater 1 part

Mix thoroughly. A coat of the mixture is applied to the floor with a mop.

«Paraffining of Floors.»—The cracks and joints of the parquet floor are filled with a putty consisting of Spanish white, 540 parts; glue, 180 parts; sienna, 150 parts; umber, 110 parts; and calcareous earth, 20 parts. After 48 hours apply the paraffine, which is previously dissolved in petroleum, or preferably employed in a boiling condition, in which case it will enter slightly into the floor. When solidification sets in, the superfluous paraffine is scratched off and an even, smooth surface of glossy color results, which withstands acids and alkalies.

«Ball-Room Floor Powder.»—

Hard paraffine 1 pound Powdered boric acid 7 pounds Oil lavender 1 drachm Oil neroli 20 minims

Melt the paraffine and add the boric acid and the perfumes. Mix well, and sift through a 1/16 mesh sieve.

«Renovating Old Parquet Floors.»—Caustic soda lye, prepared by boiling for 45 minutes with 1 part calcined soda, and 1 part slaked lime with 15 parts water, in a cast-iron pot, is applied to the parquet to be renovated by means of a cloth attached to a stick. After a while rub off the floor with a stiff brush, fine sand, and a sufficient quantity of water, to remove the dirt and old wax. Spread a mixture of concentrated sulphuric acid and water in the proportion of 1 to 8 on the floor. The sulphuric acid will remove the particles of dirt and wax which have entered the floor and enliven the color of the wood. Finally, wax the parquet after it has been washed off with water and dried completely.

FLOOR OIL: See Oils.

FLOOR PAPER: See Paper.

FLOOR POLISH: See Polishes.

FLOOR VARNISHES: See Varnishes.

FLOOR WATERPROOFING: See Waterproofing.

FLOOR WAX: See Waxes.

FLORICIN OIL: See Oil.

«FLOWER PRESERVATIVES.»

I.—To preserve flowers they should be dipped in melted paraffine, which should be just hot enough to maintain its fluidity. The flowers should be dipped one at a time, held by the stalks and moved about for an instant to get rid of air bubbles. Fresh cut flowers, free from moisture, {346} are said to make excellent specimens when treated in this way. A solution in which cut flowers may be kept immersed is made as follows:

Salicylic acid 20 grains Formaldehyde 10 minims Alcohol 2 fluidounces Distilled water 1 quart

II.—The English method of preserving flowers so as to retain their form and color is to imbed the plants in a mixture of equal quantities of plaster of Paris and lime, and gradually heat them to a temperature of 100° F. After this the flower looks dusty, but if it is laid aside for an hour so as to absorb sufficient moisture to destroy its brittleness, it can be dusted without injury. To remove the hoary appearance which is often left, even after dusting, a varnish composed of 5 ounces of dammar and 16 ounces of oil of turpentine should be used and a second coat given if necessary. When the gum has been dissolved in the turpentine, 16 ounces of benzoline should be added, and the whole should be strained through fine muslin.

III.—Five hundred parts ether, 20 parts transparent copal, and 20 parts sand. The flowers should be immersed in the varnish for 2 minutes, then allowed to dry for 10 minutes, and this treatment should be repeated 5 or 6 times.

IV.—Place the flowers in a solution of 30 grains of salicylic acid in 1 quart of water.

V.—Moisten 1,000 parts of fine white sand that has been previously well washed and thoroughly dried and sifted, with a solution consisting of 3 parts of stearine, 3 parts of paraffine, 3 parts of salicylic acid, and 100 parts of alcohol. Work the sand up thoroughly so that every grain of it is impregnated with the mixture, and then spread it out and let it become perfectly dry. To use, place the flowers in a suitable box, the bottom of which has been covered with a portion of the prepared sand, and then dust the latter over them until all the interstices have been completely filled with it. Close the box lightly and put it in a place where it can be maintained at a temperature of from 86° to 104° F. for 2 or 3 days. At the expiration of this time remove the box and let the sand escape. The flowers can then be put into suitable receptacles or glass cases without fear of deterioration. Wilted or withered flowers should be freshened up by dipping into a suitable aniline solution, which will restore their color.

VI.—Stand the flowers upright in a box of proper size and pour over and around them fine dry sand, until the flowers are completely surrounded in every direction. Leave them in this way for 8 or 10 days, then carefully pour off the sand. The flowers retain their color and shape perfectly, but in very fleshy, juicy specimens the sand must be renewed. To be effective the sand must be as nearly dry as possible.

VII.—A method of preserving cut flowers in a condition of freshness is to dissolve small amounts of ammonium chloride, potassium nitrate, sodium carbonate or camphor in the water into which the stems are inserted. The presence of one or more of these drugs keeps the flowers from losing their turgidity by stimulating the cells to action and by opposing germ growth. Flowers that have already wilted are said to revive quickly if the stems are inserted in a weak camphor water.

«Stuccoed Gypsum Flowers.»—Take natural flowers, and coat the lower sides of their petals and stamens with paraffine or with a mixture of glue, gypsum, and lime, which is applied lightly. Very fine parts of the flowers, such as stamens, etc., may be previously supported by special attachments of textures, wire, etc. After the drying of the coating the whole is covered with shellac solution or with a mixture of glue, gypsum, lime with lead acetate, oil, mucilage, glycerine, colophony, etc. If desired, the surface may be painted with bronzes in various shades. Such flowers are much employed in the shape of festoons for decorating walls, etc.

«Artificial Coloring of Flowers.»—A method employed by florists to impart a green color to the white petals of “carnation pinks” consists in allowing long-stemmed flowers to stand in water containing a green aniline dye. When the flowers are fresh they absorb the fluid readily, and the dye is carried to the petals.

Where the original color of the flower is white, colored stripes can be produced upon the petals by putting the cut ends into water impregnated with a suitable aniline dye. Some dyes can thus be taken up by the capillary action of the stem and deposited in the tissue of the petal. If flowers are placed over a basin of water containing a very small amount of ammonia in a bell glass, the colors of the petals will generally show some marked change. Many violet-colored flowers when so treated will become {347} green, and if the petals contain several tints they will show greens where reds were, yellows where they were white, and deep carmine will become black. When such flowers are put into water they will retain their changed colors for hours.

If violet asters are moistened with very dilute nitric acid, the ray florets become red and acquire an agreeable odor.

FLUID MEASURES: See Weights and Measures.

«FLUORESCENT LIQUIDS.»

Æsculin gives pale blue by (1) reflected light, straw color by (2) transmitted light.

Amido-phthalic acid, pale violet (1), pale yellow (2). Amido-terephthalic acid, bright green (1), pale green (2).

Eosine, yellow green (1), orange (2).

Fluorescein, intense green (1), orange yellow (2).

Fraxin, blue green (1), pale green (2).

Magdala red, opaque scarlet (1), brilliant carmine (2).

Quinine, pale blue (1), no color (2).

Safranine, yellow red (1), crimson (2).

FLUXES USED IN ENAMELING: See Enameling.

FLUXES FOR SOLDERING: See Soldering.

«Fly-Papers and Fly-Poisons»

(See also Insecticides.)

«Sticky Fly-Papers.»—The sticky material applied to the paper is the following:

I.—Boiled linseed oil 5 to 7 parts
Gum thus 2 to 3 parts
Non-drying oil 3 to 7 parts

For the non-drying oil, cottonseed, castor, or neatsfoot will answer—in fact, any of the cheaper oils that do not readily dry or harden will answer. The proper amount of each ingredient depends upon the condition of the boiled oil. If it is boiled down very stiff, more of the other ingredients will be necessary, while if thin, less will be required.

II.—Rosin 8 parts
Rapeseed oil 4 parts
Honey 1 part

Melt the rosin and oil together, and incorporate the honey. Two parts of raw linseed oil and 2 parts of honey may be used along with 8 parts of rosin instead of the foregoing. Use paper already sized, as it comes from the mills, on which to spread the mixture.

III.—Castor oil 12 ounces
Rosin 27 ounces

Melt together and spread on paper sized with glue, using 12 ounces glue to 4 pints water.

IV.—Rosin 8 ounces
Venice turpentine 2 ounces
Castor oil 2 ounces

Spread on paper sized with glue.

«Poisonous Fly-Papers.»—

I.—Quassia chips 150 parts
Chloride of cobalt 10 parts
Tartar emetic 2 parts
Tincture of long pepper (1 to 4) 80 parts
Water 400 parts

Boil the quassia in the water until the liquid is reduced one-half, strain, add the other ingredients, saturate common absorbent paper with the solution, and dry. The paper is used in the ordinary way.

II.—Potassium bichromate 10 ounces
Sugar 3 drachms
Oil of black pepper 2 drachms
Alcohol 2 ounces
Water 14 ounces

Mix and let stand for several days, then soak unsized paper with the solution.

III.—Cobalt chloride 4 drachms
Hot water 16 ounces
Brown sugar 1 ounce

Dissolve the cobalt in the water and add the sugar, saturate unsized paper in the solution, and hang up to dry.

IV.—Quassia chips 150 parts
Cobalt chloride 10 parts
Tartrate antimony 2 parts
Tincture of pepper 80 parts
Water 400 parts

Boil chips in the water until the volume of the latter is reduced one-half, add other ingredients and saturate paper and dry.

«Fly-Poison.»—

Pepper 4 ounces Quassia 4 ounces Sugar 8 ounces Diluted alcohol 4 ounces

Mix dry and sprinkle around where the flies can get it.

«Non-Poisonous Fly-Papers.»—I.—Mix 25 parts of quassia decoction (1:10) with 6 parts of brown sugar and 3 parts of ground pepper, and place on flat dishes.

II.—Mix 1 part of ground pepper and 1 part of brown sugar with 16 parts milk {348} or cream, and put the mixture on flat plates.

III.—Macerate 20 parts of quassia wood with 100 parts of water for 24 hours, boil one-half hour, and squeeze off 24 hours. The liquid is mixed with 3 parts of molasses, and evaporated to 10 parts. Next add 1 part of alcohol. Soak blotting paper with this mixture, and put on plates.

IV.—Dissolve 5 parts of potassium bichromate, 15 parts of sugar, and 1 part of essential pepper oil in 60 parts of water, and add 10 parts of alcohol. Saturate unsized paper with this solution and dry well.

V.—Boil together for half an hour

Ground quassia wood 18 pounds Broken colocynth 3 pounds Ground long pepper 5 pounds Water 80 pounds

Then percolate and make up to 60 pounds if necessary with more water. Then add 4 pounds of syrup. Unsized paper is soaked in this, and dried as quickly as possible to prevent it from getting sour.

VI.—Mix together

Ordinary syrup 100 ounces Honey 30 ounces Extract of quassia wood 4 ounces Oil of aniseed, a few drops.

«Removing the Gum of Sticky Fly-Paper.»—The “gum” of sticky fly-paper that has “leaked” over furniture and shelfware can be removed without causing injury to either furniture or bottles.

The “gum” of sticky fly-paper, while being quite adhesive, is easily dissolved with alcohol (grain or wood) or oil of turpentine. Alcohol will not injure the shelfware, but it should not be used on varnished furniture; in the latter case turpentine should be used.

FLY PROTECTIVES FOR ANIMALS: See Insecticides.

«FOAM PREPARATIONS.»

A harmless gum cream is the following:

I.—Digest 100 parts of Panama wood for 8 days with 400 parts of water and 100 parts of spirits of wine (90 per cent). Pour off without strong pressure and filter.

For every 5 parts of lemonade syrup take 5 parts of this extract, whereby a magnificent, always uniform foam is obtained on the lemonade.

II.—Heat 200 parts of quillaia bark with distilled water during an hour in a vapor bath, with frequent stirring, and squeeze out. Thin with water if necessary and filter.

«FOOD ADULTERANTS, SIMPLE TESTS FOR THEIR DETECTION.»

Abstract of a monograph by W. D. Bigelow and Burton J. Howard, published by the Department of Agriculture.

Generally speaking, the methods of chemical analysis employed in food laboratories can be manipulated only by one who has had at least the usual college course in chemistry, and some special training in the examination of foods is almost as necessary. Again, most of the apparatus and chemicals necessary are entirely beyond the reach of the home, and the time consumed by the ordinary examination of a food is in itself prohibitive.

Yet there are some simple tests which serve to point out certain forms of adulteration and can be employed by the careful housewife with the reagents in her medicine closet and the apparatus in her kitchen. The number may be greatly extended by the purchase of a very few articles that may be procured for a few cents at any drug store. In applying these tests, one general rule must always be kept carefully in mind. Every one, whether layman or chemist, must familiarize himself with a reaction before drawing any conclusions from it. For instance, before testing a sample of supposed coffee for starch, the method should be applied to a sample of pure coffee (which can always be procured unground) and to a mixture of pure coffee and starch prepared by the operator.

Many manufacturers and dealers in foods have the ordinary senses so highly developed that by their aid alone they can form an intelligent opinion of the nature of a product, or of the character, and sometimes even of the proportion of adulterants present. This is especially true of such articles as coffee, wine, salad oils, flavoring extracts, butter, and milk. The housewife finds herself constantly submitting her purchases to this test. Her broad experience develops her senses of taste and smell to a high degree, and her discrimination is often sharper and more accurate than she herself realizes. The manufacturer who has developed his natural senses most {349} highly appreciates best the assistance or collaboration of the chemist, who can often come to his relief when his own powers do not avail. So the housewife, by a few simple chemical tests, can broaden her field of vision and detect many impurities that are not evident to the senses.

There are here given methods adapted to this purpose, which may be applied to milk, butter, coffee, spices, olive oil, vinegar, jams and jellies, and flavoring extracts. In addition to this some general methods for the detection of coloring matter and preservatives will be given. All of the tests here described may be performed with utensils found in any well-appointed kitchen. It will be convenient, however, to secure a small glass funnel, about 3 inches in diameter, since filtration is directed in a number of the methods prescribed. Filter paper can best be prepared for the funnel by cutting a circular piece about the proper size and folding it once through the middle, and then again at right angles to the first fold. The paper may then be opened without unfolding in such a way that three thicknesses lie together on one side and only one thickness on the other. In this way the paper may be made to fit nicely into the funnel.

Some additional apparatus, such as test tubes, racks for supporting them, and glass rods, will be found more convenient for one who desires to do considerable work on this subject, but can be dispensed with. The most convenient size for test tubes is a diameter of from 1/2 to 5/8 inch, and a length of from 5 to 6 inches. A graduated cylinder will also be found very convenient. If this is graduated according to the metric system, a cylinder containing about 100 cubic centimeters will be found to be convenient; if the English liquid measure is used it may be graduated to from 3 to 8 ounces.

«Chemical Reagents.»—The word “reagent” is applied to “any substance used to effect chemical change in another substance for the purpose of identifying its component parts or determining its percentage composition.” The following reagents are required in the methods here given:

Turmeric paper.

Iron alum (crystal or powdered form).

Hydrochloric acid† (muriatic acid), concentrated.

Iodine tincture.

Potassium permanganate, 1 per cent solution.

Alcohol (grain alcohol).

Chloroform.

Boric acid or borax.

Ammonia water.

Halphen’s reagent.

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† Caution.—All tests in which hydrochloric acid is used should be conducted in glass or earthenware, for this acid attacks and will injure metal vessels. Care must also be taken not to bring it into contact with the flesh or clothes. If, by accident, a drop of it falls upon the clothes, ammonia, or in its absence a solution of saleratus or sal soda (washing soda), in water, should be applied promptly.

With the exception of the last reagent mentioned, these substances may be obtained in any pharmacy. The Halphen reagent should be prepared by a druggist, certainly not by an inexperienced person.

It is prepared as follows: An approximately 1 per cent solution of sulphur is made by dissolving about 1/3 of a teaspoonful of precipitated sulphur in 3 or 4 ounces of carbon bisulphide. This solution mixed with an equal volume of amyl alcohol forms the reagent required by the method. A smaller quantity than that indicated by these directions may, of course, be prepared.

If turmeric paper be not available it may be made as follows: Place a bit of turmeric powder (obtainable at any drug store) in alcohol, allow it to stand for a few minutes, stir, allow it to stand again until it settles, dip a strip of filter paper into the solution, and dry it.

«Determination of Preservatives.»—The following methods cover all of the more important commercial preservatives with the exception of sulphites and fluorides. These are quite frequently used for preserving foods—the former with meat products and the latter with fruit products—but, unfortunately, the methods for their detection are not suitable for household use.

«Detection of Salicylic Acid.»—The determination of salicylic acid can best be made with liquids. Solid and semi-solid foods, such as jelly, should be dissolved, when soluble, in sufficient water to make them thinly liquid. Foods containing insoluble matter, such as jam, marmalade, and sausage, may be macerated with water and strained through a piece of white cotton cloth. The maceration may be performed by rubbing in a teacup or other convenient vessel with a heavy spoon.

Salicylic acid is used for preserving {350} fruit products of all kinds, including beverages. It is frequently sold by drug stores as fruit acid. Preserving powders consisting entirely of salicylic acid are often carried from house to house by agents. It may be detected as follows:

Between 2 and 3 ounces of the liquid obtained from the fruit products, as described above, are placed in a narrow bottle holding 5 ounces, about a quarter of a teaspoonful of cream of tartar (or, better, a few drops of sulphuric acid) is added, the mixture shaken for 2 or 3 minutes, and filtered into a second small bottle. Three or 4 tablespoonfuls of chloroform are added to the clear liquid in the second bottle and the liquids mixed by a somewhat vigorous rotary motion, poured into an ordinary glass tumbler, and allowed to stand till the chloroform settles out in the bottom. Shaking is avoided, as it causes an emulsion which is difficult to break up. As much as possible of the chloroform layer (which now contains the salicylic acid) is removed (without any admixture of the aqueous liquid) by means of a medicine dropper and placed in a test tube or small bottle with about an equal amount of water and a small fragment—a little larger than a pinhead—of iron alum. The mixture is thoroughly shaken and allowed to stand till the chloroform again settles to the bottom. The presence of salicylic acid is then indicated by the purple color of the upper layer of liquid.

«Detection of Benzoic Acid.»—Benzoic acid is also used for preserving fruit products. Extract the sample with chloroform as in the case of salicylic acid; remove the chloroform layer and place it in a white saucer, or, better, in a plain glass sauce dish. Set a basin of water—as warm as the hand can bear—on the outside window ledge and place the dish containing the chloroform extract in it, closing the window until the chloroform has completely evaporated. In this manner the operation may be conducted with safety even by one who is not accustomed to handling chloroform. In warm weather the vessel of warm water may, of course, be omitted. Benzoic acid, if present in considerable amount, will now appear in the dish in characteristic flat crystals. On warming the dish the unmistakable irritating odor of benzoic acid may be obtained. This method will detect benzoic acid in tomato catsup or other articles in which it is used in large quantities. It is not sufficiently delicate, however, for the smaller amount used with some articles, such as wine. It is often convenient to extract a larger quantity of the sample and divide the chloroform layer into two portions, testing one for salicylic acid and the other for benzoic acid.

«Detection of Boric Acid and Borax.»—Boric acid (also called boracic acid) and its compound with sodium (borax) are often used to preserve animal products, such as sausage, butter, and sometimes milk. For the detection of boric acid and borax, solids should be macerated with a small amount of water and strained through a white cotton cloth. The liquid obtained by treating solids in this manner is clarified somewhat by thoroughly chilling and filtering through filter paper.