1324. _Nankin Color, another way._--The common _birch-bark_ makes a very beautiful nankin dye. Cover the bark with water, and boil it thoroughly in a brass or tin kettle. Bark stripped from the trees in autumn is best. Set the color with alum. A piece as large as a hen's egg is sufficient for two pailsful of dye. Dip the articles, wet thoroughly in clean water, into the alum water, then into the dye. 1325. _To make Straw-color and Yellow._--Saffron, steeped in earthen and strained, colors a fine straw color. It makes a delicate or deep shade, according to the strength of the tea. The dry outside skins of onions, steeped in scalding water and strained, color a yellow very much like the "bird of paradise" color. Peach leaves, or bark scraped from the barberry bush, color a common bright yellow. In all these cases, a little bit of alum does no harm, and may help to fix the color. Ribbons, gauze handkerchiefs, &c., are colored well in this way, especially if they be stiffened by a bit of gum-arabic, dropped in while the stuff is steeping. 1326. _To make Rose-color._--Balm blossoms, steeped in water, color a pretty rose-color. This answers very well for the linings of children's bonnets, for ribbons, &c. It fades in the course of one season, but it is very little trouble to re-color with it. It merely requires to be steeped and strained. Perhaps a small piece of alum might serve to set the color, in some degree. In earthen or tin. 1327. _To color Black._--Logwood and cider, boiled together, in iron--add water for the evaporation--makes a good and durable black. Rusty nails, or any bits of rusty iron, boiled in vinegar, with a small piece of copperas, will also dye black; so will ink-powder, if boiled with vinegar. In all cases, black must be set with copperas. 1328. _General Rules for Coloring._--The materials should be perfectly clean; soap should be rinsed out in soft water; the article should be entirely wetted, or it will spot; light colors should be steeped in brass, tin, or earthen; and if set at all, should be set with alum. Dark colors should be boiled in iron, and set with copperas. Too much copperas rots the thread. 1329. _To Wash Carpets._--Put the carpets down on a perfectly clean floor; wash them first with warm and weak soap-suds, wringing the wash-cloth almost dry; rinse them with clear water. Open the windows, that they may dry quickly. It is obvious that the above directions are only applicable to the lighter sorts of carpets, Scotch, Kidderminster, and Venetian. If it be desired to cleanse a carpet which has an under-texture of thread, as Brussels, tapestry, or velvet, the carpet having been well beaten or shaken, and washed, should be spread out, and scrubbed with a scrubbing brush and ox-gall. A pint of gall and three gallons of water will clean a large carpet. After the use of the gall, the carpet must be thoroughly rinsed, and dried in the open air.