TO SHRINK NEW FLANNEL.—New flannel should always be shrunk or washed before it is made up, that it may be cut out more accurately, and that the grease which is used in manufacturing it may be extracted. First, cut off the list along the selvage edges of the whole piece. Then put it into warm (not boiling) water, without soap. Begin at one end of the piece, and rub it with both hands till you come to the other end; this is to get out the grease and the blue with which new white flannel is always tinged. Then do the same through another water. Rinse it through a clean lukewarm water; wring it lengthways, and stretch it well. In hanging it out on a line do not suspend it in festoons, but spread it along the line straight and lengthways. If dried in festoons, the edges will be in great scollops, making it very difficult to cut out. It must be dried in the sun. When dry let it be stretched even, clapped with the hands, and rolled up tight and smoothly, till wanted.—H. S. C. TO PACK GLASS OR CHINA.—Procure some soft straw or hay to pack them in, and if they are to be sent a long way, and are heavy, the hay or straw should be a little damp, which will prevent them slipping about. Let the largest and heaviest things be always put undermost in the box or hamper. Let there be plenty of straw, and pack the articles tight; but never attempt to pack up glass or china which is of much consequence, till it has been seen done by some one used to the job. The expense will be but trifling to have a person to do it who understands it, and the loss may be great if articles of such value are packed up in an improper manner.—S. INK.—H. W. begs to recommend the following ink—with which his note is written: Logwood and galls, each four ounces; copperas, two ounces; gum arabic, one ounce; pomegranate bark, half an ounce; cloves, four ounces; cold soft water, two pints: stir frequently, for two weeks or more, and strain.—[The ink is good.—ED.] BLACK INK.—To one gallon of soft water, add ten ounces of Aleppo galls, and four ounces each of gum arabic and green copperas. Well bruise the galls, and allow the mixture to stand for a fortnight, being well stirred every day. Then add two ounces of white sugar. BLUE INK.—Prussiate of iron, half an ounce; oxalic acid, one ounce; fine chalk, a quarter of a drachm. All to be powdered, and dissolved with one pint of boiling water.—S. TO MAKE BLUE INK.—Dissolve a small quantity of indigo in a little oil of vitriol, and add a sufficient quantity of water, in which is dissolved some gum arabic. INDIAN INK.—Indian ink, equal in quality to that imported from China, may be made by holding a plate over the flame of a lamp or candle so as to receive the fine soot, and mixing this with size made from parchment or uncoloured leather. The Indian ink is made from fine lamp-black and size, with the addition of a little perfume, which latter is by no means essential to its quality as an ink.—J. W.