Procure a window-shade roller, an umbrella rib and two strips of oilcloth, each 1 in. wide and 4 in. long.  Cut the

[Illustration:  The Curtain is Easily Attached to and Detached from the Roller for Cleaning]

roller off so that it will be 6 in. longer than the distance across the window, then cut a groove in it to insert the rib.  Sew the pieces of oilcloth so that they will just fit over the ends of the roller.  When this is done lay the curtain across the groove, then press the rib and curtain into the groove and push the oilcloth bands over the ends of the rib to keep it in place.  —­Contributed by E. L. McFarlane, Nashwaakees, N. B.

** Shade-Holder Bracket for a Gas Jet [419]

An old umbrella rib makes a very effective shade-holder bracket for a gas jet.  The ends of the rib are bent to fit around the pendant upright and the support end is shaped into a hook.  It can be quickly applied or removed.  The outer end is bent into a hook to

[Illustration:  The Bracket for Holding the Shade is Made from an Old Umbrella Rib]

hold the shade.  The rib can be cut to fit a pendant arm of any length.  —­Contributed by Edward Keegstra, Paterson, N. J.

** To Longer Preserve Cut Flowers [419]

A good way to keep cut flowers fresh is to place a small amount of pure salt of sodium in the water.  It is best to procure this salt at a drug store because commercial salt will cause the flowers to wither, due to the impurities in the soda.  Call for pure sodium chloride.

** Glass Blowing and Forming [420]

Fortunate indeed is the boy who receives a stock of glass tubing, a Bunsen burner, a blowpipe, and some charcoal for a gift, for he has a great deal of fun in store for himself.  Glass blowing is a useful art to understand, if the study of either chemistry or physics is to be taken up, because much apparatus can be made at home.  And for itself alone, the forming of glass into various shapes has not only a good deal of pleasure in it, but it trains the hands and the eye.

Glass, ordinarily brittle and hard, becomes soft and pliable under heat.  When subjected to the action of a flame until dull red, it bends as if made of putty; heated to a bright yellow, it is so soft that it may be blown, pulled, pushed or worked into any shape desired.  Hence the necessity for a Bunsen burner, a device preferred to all others for this work, because it gives the hottest flame without soot or dirt.  The Bunsen burner, as shown in Fig. 1, is attached to any gas bracket with a rubber tube, but the flame is blue, instead of yellow, as the burner introduces air at its base, which mixes with the gas and so produces an almost perfect combustion, instead of the partial combustion which results in the ordinary yellow flame.  All gas stoves have Bunsen burners, and many oil stoves.

If gas is not available, an alcohol lamp with a large wick will do almost as well.  The blowpipe, shown in Fig. 2, is merely a tube of brass with the smaller end at right angles to the pipe, and a fine tip to reduce the size of the blast, which is used to direct a small flame.  Besides these tools, the glass worker will need some round sticks of charcoal, sharpened like a pencil, as shown in Fig. 3, a file, and several lengths of German glass tubing.