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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Brussels Post, 1950-6-14, Page 3Invented Secret "Wall of Fire". John Lamb, war -thee backroom boy, smiled contentedly as his ship —the ship he had designed, the biggest oil tanker ever to be built in British waters --glided down the fautching slip at Wallsend -on -Tyne a few weeks ago, The event crowned a long and disth,guished career of planning and research. One of the closest guaroed Ad- miralty secrets—how to prevent the enemy landing in Britain 1n 1940 —was the idea of this native of Whitley Bay. in those days he was known as a "Boffin." And he was sent for when Winston Chur- chill decided that the only way to stop the Germans landing in Britain was to encircle our shores with a wall of fire. The difficulty was to make the idea practical. Lamb had studied oil for twenty years. He knew that crude oil, ig- nited, was the only answer to the problem. If Churchill's impenetrable barrier was to be raised from the surface of the English Channel, the flame must float in containers. Also it must keep alight for at least four hours at a stretch. After days and nights of experi- menting it was discovered that long, shallow troughs made of can- vas matting served the purpose. They would be light enough to float, would hold the oil and, most impor- tant of all, could be quickly knocked up in sufficient numbers to stretch for miles along the Channel coast, The secret wall of fire was never needed; but John Lamb was awarded the O.B.E. Although this war -time Boffin's activities will always be partially veiled in secrecy, he was acclaimed the hero of the day at Wallsend when Princess Margaret shattered a bottle of champagne on the bows of the great tanker Velutine. Cow -Gal --Carolina Cotton, 22, blue-eyed and blonde, is show- ing Hollywood's he-man cow- boys a thing or two that's new about the old (celluloid) west. Soon to be starred as a ridin', ropin' and rip-snortin' cowgirl heroine of a horse opry, Caro- lina has also lassoed a tele- vision serial patterned after Pearl White's early clihanging movie serials, Not Streamlined But Still Effective Here's one for the sleek -and - streamlined school of industrial de- signers to ponder. Cows today look much the same as they did in Noah's tine—sante number of legs, eyes, -ears, etc. They ale a little larger and certainly bet- ter fed, but they come with the same standard equipment. But a good milk cow today would flick her tall with proud disdain at the miserable half -gallon buckets that held the milk one of her ancestors could produce just a century ago. A two -gallon pail is, on an average, the size of the pail today, and in Sonne 1950 commercial herds, a four -gallon container is closer to a single cow's capacity. Carnation Ormsby Madcap Fayne, a Holstein with a milking record of 41,943 Ib. in one year; boasts a daily milk out- put that would have frightened her forebears entirely out of the milk business and into some less com- petitive line of production (or caus- ed them to protest unfair tactics to the bovine anion). The moral, of course, is that you don't need a radically new fender and radiator design to stake a superior automobile, or refrigerator or toaster. It's what inside that counts, First Bay: "What's eating you?" , Second Boy "Ott, nothing much, but when your girl friend said she'd dig hp a date for me—she wasn't kidding!" At the back of the Rower beds, along fences or in place of fences, one can use growing screens. Even a fence or wall in good condition will look more attractive if parti- ally hidden in this way, and as for the more common type which is not so atttractive it can be com- pletely screened by annual or per- ennial vines. There are, all sorts of planting material available for this purpose and found listed in any good catalogue. The perennial types are well known. Many people do not realize that one can get quite good and quick results from an- nuals too. Dahlias, ornamental sun- flowers, cosmos, spider plants, are only some of many things that will reach three or four feet in height in a few weeks. And there are quick -growing vines, too, like scarlet runner beans, sweet peas, hops and morning glories. moping * First Plantings In every garden there is one spot or corner which dries out be- fore the rest. This is the place to plant the very early things—hardy vegetables and flowers than can go in the ground just as soon as one can get out and dig. Frost and snow later on will not hurt these, and some of then must make their first growth while soil and air are cool. Among the vegetables in this ca- tegory will be radish, leaf lettuce, spinach, early onions and the hardi- est of the garden peas. Of course, this refers to first planting only. Main plantings should go in later and final plantings after that. With vegetables it is important to string out the plantings so that the har- vest will be equally extended. All the vegetables mentioned can be planted at least three times, a fort- night apart, and some like lettuce and radish, carrots, beets, beans, etc., can be planted at intervals right up to July. Among the hardy Rowers will be things like cosmos, marigolds, pensies, sweet peas and anything else listed as very hardy in Cana- dian seed catalogues. Some of these are so resistant to frost that they sow themselves and conte on as volunteer plants in the spring. * * * Spread Them Out A really imposing showing can be made with a few annual flowers and with a minimum of effort. Cos- mos, giant marigolds, zinnias, pe- tunias, portulaca, nicotine, calen- dula, alyssum, nasturtiums, etc., are easily grown almost anywhere in Canada. Some of the larger flowers can actually be used in the place of shrubs. Cosmos, gladioli, dahlias, giant marigolds and zinnias should have about two feet each way— petunias need about a foot of room. New And Useful For Bed Smokers. New device to eliminate fire haz- ard of cigarette smoking works on similar principle to miner's lamp. Mesh tubing protects burning cigarette, takes off heat while keep- ing below "flash point," Said to prevent cloth, paper, etc., front igniting if cigarette comes in con- tact with them. Maker recommends for hospitalized persons, outdoor sportswear, smoking in open car, etc. * * . * Fish Turn on Light. One -cell flash -light bulb device attaches to fishing rod, flashes when tug comes on line. After light flashes, Tine—which has been slip- ped through special clip preparatory to casting—comes free so fisherman man battle with fish. * 5 * Better Mouse Trap? Mouse catching device features pads covered with harmless, odor- less pitch, says firm. Pitch lures mice, which get 'stuck to gummy material. * 5 * Black Snaps in Flash. That Polaroid camera that pro- duces a positive picture within a minute after exposure of the film now will be available for black and' white prints. Previoitsy turned out sepia prints.. Giyes semigloss fin- ish, of same permanence as ordinary pohtographs. says inventor. * * * Light Waders New Vinylitc plastic waist -high waders are said to have only frac- tion bulk„weight usual. For fresh- water or surf casting, duck hunt- ing, trapping, won't deteriorate in sun, salt water, are highly flexible, says maker. For use with tennis shoes, felt -soled wading shoes, have seamless double -weight feet, pock- ets said °waterproof, Retards Fire New flame retardent chemical is said suitable for farm. buildings, grain elevators, homes, hotels, etc, ]Reported to be used by U.S. Navy for "flameproof” hospitals and by Atomic Energy Commission. Garbage*Bounces New rubber garbage pall springs right back into shape if dropped, jlttiiped on, etc. He Buys 'Em By The Pound—Garage owner James A. Cham- bers presents a new dog, just rescued from the city pound, to little Ann Marie Williams, Learning that the pound had hun- dreds of pets that must be disposed of, Chambers put up the money for 200 youngsters to bail out dogs and claim them for their own. Modern Etiquette By Roberta Lee Q. When it the proper time for the bridegroom to give the minister his wedding fee? A. The bridegroom does not give the fee to the minister personally. He should place the money or check in an envelope and give it to his best man, who will hand it to the minister •following the ceremony. Q. What is the proper way to point the prongs of the fork when cutting food and when eating it? A. The prongs of the fork should point downwards when cutting the food, upwards when conveying it to the mouth. Q. Should salads always be cut and eaten with the fork? A. All salads are cut and eaten with the fork. If hard hearts of let- tuce are served, however, and they cannot be managed with the fork, it is permissible to cut them with the knife. Q. If there arc several male mem- bers of a fancily, may one invitation to a formal affair be addressed jointly to include them all? A. No; each man, other than the husband, should be sent a separate invitation. Q. Is it still ,customary to use black -edged correspondence when one is in mourning? A. Yes, this is still done, although it is not done quite as much as formerly. Q. Would you consider it cour- teous and thoughtful to fill in a word for another person who is talking, or to finish a sentence for him? A. No; this is exceedingly rude and is most annoying to the speaker —unless, of course, he asks for assistance. Q. I-Iow should one serve and eat potatoes that are boiled in their skins? A. They should be served in in- dividual dishes. The skins may then be left in the dish, the potato placed on the meat plate for eating. Q. How can a bride-to-be thank the friends who attended showers that were given for her? A. She may thank each guest as she opens the gift, and then write a note of thanks a day or two later. Q. Is is obligatory that relatives and friends send gifts to a newly engaged girl? A. Not at all. Of course, it is perfectly all right and is sometimes done, but there is nothing obliga- tory about it. Usually the receipt of the wedding invitation is time enough for gift -giving. Grandma Was Right Grandma was right about catch- ing coldl Remember how she used to say: "Keep your feet dry and get a good hot meal Inside you, and you'll be all right" Now the scientists are catching up with her. Biochemists report that chilling and overexertion "make it easy for viruses to infect an organism," One group of rats was kept at below freezing tempeartures. An- other group was given a thorough workout on a treadmill. A third group—the control—was left alone. Overexertion was worse than chilling in encouraging the virus. Both were bad. What was that Grandma said about a hot meal? Another group of scientists fed chickens on low -protein and high - protein diets. The high -protein chickens fought off disease better. Maybe Grandma should have given us more bacon and fewer wheat cakes. Otherwise, she had things pretty well sized up. HOW CAN 1 ? By Anne Ashley Q. How can i .give an added flavor to my coffee? A. Try adding a few drops of vanilla to the coffee immediately before serving. r * * Q. How can I remove lepton juice and other acid stains from a garment? A. By the use of ammonia. This also applies to perspiration stains which have changed the color of a garment. * * * Q. Ilow can I prolong the wear of sills hosiery and silk underwear? A. Add a small amount of vinegar to the last rinse water, The vinegar will dissolve the soap and ensure longer wear. Q. How can • I prevent eracking of linoleum when rolling it? A. Do not try to roll linoleum for storing until it has been placed before a fire for a few hours and has become thoroughly warm. Otherwise, it is sure to crack. Q. How can I keep baby's mouth clean? A. •A solu'ion of one teaspoon of boracic acid to twenty teaspoonfuls of water is excellent for this- pur- pose. Use a clean swab made by twisting clean absorbent cotton tightly around a toothpick, and wash out the mouth twice daily. This may prevent many complica- tions of the stomach. 11 "If you want to be really bright brush up with NUGGET" Nugget Shoe Polish gives a perfect shine...preserves leather ... makes shoes last longer. OX -31,000, MACK, AND ALL SHADES Or BROWN 9-90 TABLE TALKS cJCI.tz Andrews. Fresh, ),tree n salads —• ritubarb— sirawberriet,--there isn't meeli need e,i any introduction to a cookery ohunn featnrit.g such things. lio-aever, just in case son: of you have (nrg(atell it, I'm going to stiel: in a few lines from one of .ay all-time favorites in the way ,•1 books, --1'11E IiIS'T0'e't" OF tIit POI.L't. . 4. "It was a profusely budding .Spring day, and greens such as God had never permitted before in hu- man memory (though indeed they come every year and we forget) were mirrored vividly in a mirror of unprecedented brown."' * * Now for those recipes. GARDEN MEDLEY Serves 6 to 8 Toss together lightly eryl chill. 1 quart young beet greens, coarsely torn, 2 cups fresh spinach coarsely torn (any a:estt greens may be sub -tinned for the above) 3/4 cup chopped onion cup chopped celery 6 hard -cooked eggs, shred 1% teaspoons salt 1/4 teaspoon pepper Add just before serving cup French dressing Toss again and serve immedi- ately. * M * GREEN -AND -WHITE SALAD Serves 4 to 6 Combine 11/4 cups shredded leaf lettuce (or any greens desired) 1 cup sliced raw cauliflower 3 tablespoons chopped sweet pickle Chill thoroughly. Combine 3 tablespoons salad oil 3 tablespoons vinegar teaspoon salt 2% teaspoons sugar Vs teaspoon pepper teaspoon paprika IA teaspoon grated onio'i Shake thoroughly in covered jar. Pour over greens. Toss lightly. Serve immediately. * * * RHUBARB CREAM PIE Makes one 8 -inch pie Melt 2 tablespoons butter Add 2 cups diced rhubarb 1 cup sugar Cook slowly until shill arb is tender. Combine 34 cup sugar 2 tablespoons cornstarch 2 egg yolks, well beaten 3/4 cup light cream 1/43 teaspoon salt Add to rhubarb and cook until thick. Cool; pour into baked 8.inch pie she11, Top with meringue. Bake at 350° (moderate) 12 to 15 minutes. * * * RHUBARB BUTTER CRUNCH Serves 6 Combine 3 cups diced fresh rhubarb 1 cup sugar 3 tablespoons flour Place in greased, 6 x 10 -inch 'baking dish. Combine 1 cup brown sugar 1 cup raw rolled oats 11/4 cups flour Cut in IA cup butter TA cup other shortening Sprinkle over rhubarb mixture. Bake at 375° (moderate) 40 minutes. Serve warm with cream * * * STRAWBERRY -RHUBARB SALAD Seves 6 Combine 2 cups rhubarb, rut in r; -inch pieces !ts cup sugar 9/4 cup water Cook slowly until just tender. Sweeten 2 cups sliced strawberries with % cup sugar Soften 2 tablespoons unfiavored gelatine in cup cold water Dissolve gelatine in hot rhubarb mixture. Add the strawberries and 11/2 tablespoons lemon juice Chill until slightly thickened. Pour into molds; chill unlit firm. Unmold on drained pineapple sings on crisp lettuce Iaav wm, O'ses mayonnaise. * * * STRAWBERRY CREAM PIE 1 cup wager 4 tablespoons cornstarch teaspoon salt 234 cups milk, scalded 2 eggs, slightly beater 3 tablespoons butter 1/4 teaspoon vanilla 1 nine -inch baked pie shell 1 pint strawberries,, sliced Method: Mix sugar; cornstarch and salt. Gradually add milk and rook in a double boiler until thick. Add a small amount of hos mixture to egg,,; than stir into remaining hot mixture. Cook until thick, stir- ring constantly. Remove from heat; add butter and vanilla; chill. Pour into baked pie shelf. ('over with stra.. berries; :hill. Top with sweetened whipped cream just before serving. * * * STRAWBERRY -RHUBARB PIE 1 cup beet or cane sugar j teaspoon salt 1,4 teaspoon nutmeg 3 cups cooked rhubarb 1 recipe plain pastry 1 cup strawberries, slicc3 2 tablespoons quick -cooking rapt xa Method: Combine sugar, salt, nutmeg, tapioca, orange juice and nutmeg, tapioka,• orange juice and rhubarb. Place in, pastry-li,•ed pan. Top with strawberries and rant with butter. Arrange pastry cut in shapes of daisies over top. Bake in 400 -degree oven for 10 minutes, then in 35n-degrea oven Inc 30 minutes. FOR BETTER CITIZENSHIP • • • MAKE DAD YOUR PAL; SII,'SAYMS E inTH 1/a Cup Sugar 6 Tablespoons Canada Corn Starch 1/4 Teaspoon Salt h Cups Milk 11/z Teaspoons Vanilla 1VIix sugar, Canada Coral Starch and salt in top of double boiler. Gradually add milk, mixing until smooth. Place over boiling water and cook, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens. Cover and continue, cooking 10 minutes lon- ger, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat. Add vanilla; cool. Pour into moulds or serving dish and chill. Makes 6 to 8 servings. Other variations including Floating Island, Chocolate Mann Mange, Custard Blanc Mange and Pistachio 13lano Mango are in- cluded in Jan° Ashley's Recipe Folder entitled "For Finer—Dicious Desserts". FREE: Jana AshIey's Tested Iiecipcs--,.Send postcard to Homo Service Department CC 20, The Canada Starch Company, Limited, P.O. Box 120, Montreal;