Shake cayenne pepper over the various vegetables which are being ruin, and observe results.

** Homemade Electric Stove [31] By J. F. Tholl

The construction of an electric stove is very simple, and it can be made by any home mechanic having a vise and hand drill.  The body is made of sheet or galvanized iron, cut out and drilled as shown in Fig. 1.

Each long projection represents a leg, which is bent at right angles on the center line by placing the metal in the jaws of a vise and hammering the metal over flat.  If just the rim is gripped in the vise, it will give a rounding form to the lower part of the legs.  The small projections are bent in to form a support for the bottom.

The bottom consists of a square piece of metal, as shown in Fig. 2.  Holes are drilled near the edges for stove bolts to fasten it to the bottom projections.  Two of the larger holes are used for the ends of the coiled rod and the other two for the heating-wire terminals.  The latter holes should be well insulated with porcelain or mica.  The top consists of a square piece of metal drilled as shown in Fig. 3.  Four small ears are turned down to hold the top in place.

One end of the coiled rod is shown in Fig. 4.  This illustrates how two pins are inserted in holes, drilled at right angles, to hold the coil on the bottom plate.  The coiled rod is 3/16 in.

[Illustration:  Pattern for Parts of the Electric Stove]

in diameter and 27 in. long.  The rod is wrapped with sheet asbestos, cut in 1/2-in. strips.

The length of the heating wire must be determined by a test.  This wire can be purchased from electrical stores.  Stovepipe wire will answer the purpose when regular heating wire cannot be obtained.  The wire is coiled around the asbestos-covered rod, so that no coil will be in contact with another coil.  If, by trial, the coil does not heat sufficiently, cut some of it off and try again.  About 9-1/2 ft. of No. 26 gauge heating wire will be about right.  The connection to an electric-lamp socket is made with ordinary flexible cord, to which is attached a screw plug for making connections.

** Glass-Cleaning Solution [31]

Glass tumblers, tubing and fancy bottles are hard to clean by washing them in the ordinary way, as the parts are hard to reach with the fingers or a brush.  The following solution makes an excellent cleaner that will remove dirt and grease from crevices and sharp corners.  To 9 parts of water add 1 part of strong sulphuric acid.  The acid should be added to the water slowly and not the water to the acid.  Add as much bichromate of potash as the solution will dissolve.  More bichromate of potash should be added as the precipitate is used in cleaning.

The chemicals can be purchased cheaply from a local drug store, and made up and kept in large bottles.  The solution can be used over and over again. —­ Contributed by Loren Ward Des Moines, Iowa.