Page:Popular Science Monthly Volume 91.djvu/142

This page needs to be proofread.

126 Popular Science Monthly

Exhibiting Specimens of Flowers in Single Blossoms

CERTAIN flowers, such as pansies, can- not satisfactorily be shown in bunches, but should be exhibited as separate speci- mens. To put each in a vase by itself takes

up too much

��impair the transparency of the cloth. With a little care any missing lines of the drawing may be drawn on the plaster filling the gap. — Louis Fleischer.

��room and displays more glass

���than flowers. A good way to exhibit such blossoms is to make a table top of soft wood and bore holes into it for inserting glass tubes. The top of the table should then be covered with paper, through which the flower stems may extend down into the water-filled tubes. Most amateur photog- raphers can soon collect a number of developer tubes, which are just the thing for this purpose. If these cannot be obtained, little "homeopath" vials may be found at the druggist's. These tubes may be arranged in the shape of letters, or if desired, emblematic designs may be formed for table decorations. The effect of each flower standing seemingly by itself without any support is surprising as well as pleas- ing. — W. H. Sargent.

��A Tracing Cloth Repair That Does Not Affect Transparency

THE principal objection to patching a tracing cloth is that the part covered is no longer transparent enough for making a perfect blue print. If the tear is not too large, apply liquid court plaster to the parts and allow it to dry. This holds the parts together, fills the gap or hole and does not

��Difference in Curing Time of Parts Makes Poor Tire Repair

SOME repairmen attempt to use ma- terials from two or more concerns on the same job. For example, sometimes a fabric is bought from one firm which cures at 40 lb. steam pressure for 40 minutes, with gum from another firm, curing at 55 lb. for 50 minutes. This combination in- evitably results in improper curing of one or the other, or both of these materials. It is best to use one make of repair materials for satisfactory results.

��Porcupine Removes Window Pane to Gain Entrance

THE wily ways of a porcupine and its almost human intelligence are illus- trated in the accompanying picture. A camping party having food stuffs stored in a cabin, left the place for a few days to go fishing across the lake. They left the door and windows securely locked, but upon their return they found that a porcupine had gained entrance and played havoc with

���After gnawing through the window-sash frame the porcupine knocked out the pane of glass

their edibles. The creature evidently tried various ways to get in, but finally suc- ceeded in gnawing through the window- sash frame at the corner and knocking out the glass pane in that section.

�� �