on with a small trowel. A broad thin strip of wood with a bevelled edge is very useful when stopping plaster walls, for in trying to stop a crack or hole with a sharp steel stopping knife, the surrounding face of the plaster may be badly scratched, which is only seen when the job is finished.
Repairing should be done to new ceilings before the finish is applied, and to old ceilings at the time they are washed off, that is, when the old coating of dirty distemper is removed with water and brushes.
If necessary, when dry, the ceiling can be rubbed quite smooth with glass-paper, and is then ready for re-calcimining, after which, if carefully done, the repaired cracks will be invisible.
If there are stains in the ceiling that cannot be removed by washing, the stain should be painted white, in flat color or paint mixed with turpentine. If this has to be done, it will be well to paint also the filling with which the cracks have been stopped.
Finally, the ceiling should be rubbed down with a cloth previous to applying the calcimine.
To prepare the calcimine, break into large pieces about four balls of whiting, and put them into a pail, and just cover the material with water, let it stand all night. In the morning pour off all water that will run away, and thoroughly mix the wet whiting by hand until it becomes a thick even paste. Add about half an egg-cupful of dry ultramarine blue, stirring it well in with the whiting. Next put 2 pounds of patent size in a saucepan over the fire, with only just sufficient water to keep it from burning, and stirring it all the time, taking great care that it neither boils nor burns. When it is thoroughly dissolved, pour it on the whiting, and mix the whole well together. The proportion of size is about one teacupful to two gallons of the mixture. Now set it aside in a cool place until it turns to a jelly. When it is quite cold, with a distemper brush rub it through a coarse piece of canvas stretched
