11
pensate the want of this requisite. Some furniture is what is called "French polished" but this French polish is an unguent possessed and applied only by cabinet-makers, and readily to be had by housekeepers. In ordinary cirenmstances, therefore, the furnitnre must be well rubbed, and with some easily procnrable material. The following are the materials we suggest :- Take a gill and a half of unboiled linseed oil, one gill of turpentine, and a tea-spoonful of pounded loaf sugar. Shake all well together, and rub a portion on the fur-niture with a piece of flannel, and polish with a linen eloth. An oil for darkening furniture may be made as follows: Mix in one pint of linseed oil an ounce of powdered rose-pink, to which add one ounce of alkanet root, beaten in a metal mortar; let the mixture stand in a warm place for a few days, when the substances will have settled, and the oil, of a deep rich colonr, may be poured off for use: or mix one ounce of alkanet root, four ounces of shell-lac varnish, two onnces of tnrpentinc, and the same quantity of scraped bees' wax, with a pint of linseed oil; and when they have stood a week, the mixture will be ready for use. Furniture paste is made by scraping a quarter of a pound of bees-wax into half a pint of turpentine, and letting it stand to dissolve. This will keep the wood light. If, however, a quarter of a pint of linseed oil be added to the above, the composition will darken the wood. Another paste, useful for very light wood, is made as follows:- In a quart of hot water dissolve six ounces of pearl-ash, add a quarter of a pound of white wax, and simmer the whole for half an hour in a pipkin; take it off the fire, and when it has cooled, the wax will float upon the surface, and should be worked in a mortar, with a little hot water, into a soft paste. With this, furniture may be highly polished, as may also marble chimney-pieces. It is necessary to mention, that furniture cleaned with paste has the disadvantage of receiving heat-marks more readily than if polished with linseed-oil, which, however, requires more time and labour. In any case, the furniture should be cleansed from grease and stains before polishing is attempted; and this may be done by washing the wood with hot beer, or with soap and water. The safest way to heat furniture paste or oil is to place the vessel containing it in another holding boiling water upon the fire. A fiue varnish for mahogany or other furniture may be thus made: --Put into a bottle two ounces of gum-sandrae, one ounce of shell-lac, half an ounce of mastic, half an ounce of gum-benjamin, one ounce of Venice turpentine, and a pint of spirits of wine. Colour red with dragon's blood, or yellow
