To whiten walls, scrape off all the old whitewash, and wash the walls
with a solution of two ounces of white vitriol to four gallons of
water. Soak a quarter of a pound of white glue in water for twelve
hours; strain and place in a tin pail in a kettle of boiling water.
When melted, stir in the glue eight pounds of whiting and water enough
to make it as thick as common whitewash. Apply evenly with a good
brush. If the walls are very yellow, blue the water slightly by
squeezing in it a flannel blue-bag.
Before kalsomining a wall all cracks should be plastered over. Use
plaster of Paris. Kalsomine may be colored easily by mixing with it
yellow ochre, Spanish brown, indigo; squeeze through a bag into the
water, etc.