On genuine leather tops, upholstery, and for the leather straps holding the top a good grade of harness oil is often sufficient. The following will be found an effective mixture:

The lamp black is mixed with the turpentine and the neatsfoot oil, and the vaseline is thinned by heating it, and the ingredients are mixed by shaking together. When the mixture cools it will be in the form of a grease or paste which is rubbed well into the leather to be preserved or softened.

If a car has been used on a wet or stormy day the top should be kept up until it is thoroughly dry, as if it is inserted in the top case or folded while wet the lining might mildew or rot. In folding tops care should be taken to have the folds even and to have as few wrinkles as possible. The various bows comprising the framework of the top should be separated by small rubber pads and the whole firmly strapped together by leather bands applied at each side of the folded. top frame to prevent rattle.

Upholstery is usually preserved by slip covers of various grades of cloth applied to the cushions and to the backs of the seats. As most cushions and seat backs are upholstered with leather or the various fabrics imitating it, the same dressings that have been recommended for tops may be used to advantage in treating the cushions and seat backs. In some of the higher-priced cars, especially of the closed-body form, various grades of broadcloth, Bedford cord, or other textile fabrics are used. When these become dirty they must be treated very carefully and by an experienced cleaner because ordinary methods of removing grease spots will cause unsightly discolorations of the fine fabrics. Where high-grade upholstering materials are used slip covers are really necessary. These should be kept in place at all times that the passengers are in ordinary street or business dress, but may be removed and the clean upholstering used at such times that it is desirable not to dirty the clothing as when evening clothes are worn. If the cushions or seat backs are torn, or otherwise dam

aged, restoration can only be made by an upholsterer or carriage trimmer. Whenever any of the preservative dressings are applied to the upholstery, it is well to wipe off all traces of the dressing very carefully in order that it will not soil the clothing.

How to Keep the Hands Soft.-The mechanism of an automobile is very dirty and the fact that this grime is very hard to remove from the hands often deters motorists from making necessary adjustments. It is not difficult to keep the hands soft and to remove dirt or grease accumulations if proper precautions are taken before the work is started. The first operation is to coat the hands thoroughly with a fine soft-soap paste and rub it thoroughly into the pores of the skin and under the finger nails before starting in to work. After a little rubbing the soap is absorbed by the pores and apparently disappears. When the repairs are completed the hands are dipped in water and a little powdered pumice stone or sawdust soaked in kerosene oil is rubbed in thoroughly until the soap is brought to a lather. The hands are then washed in the ordinary manner and the dirty soap removed from under the finger nails. As the pores are filled with soap they cannot fill with dirt and the protecting influence of the soap under the nails keeps out the dirt, which cannot collect at points where it is not readily accessible. Bran or sawdust moistened in kerosene and used in connection with ordinary soap is very good to remove the dirt without injuring the hands. Various grades of prepared hand soap may be obtained on the market but most of these contain ingredients. which injure the skin. Strong alkalies are used in many cases to remove the dirt and such compounds should not be used if they discolor the can in which they are sold. Any substance that will have a strong enough chemical action on metal to corrode it is not fit to be used on the skin.

A Few Words of Caution in Conclusion. In order to obtain the best results from an automobile it is imperative that the owner familiarize himself with all the details of its operation unless he is sufficiently wealthy to hire help to drive and look after the car. All car owners who expect to look after their own machines must first acquire a knowledge of all details of the oiling system and the various points of the chassis that require oiling. More machines wear out because of lack of proper attention to lubrication than because of the amount of

work done, as present designs of modern automobile parts are thoroughly reliable and can be depended on to give satisfactory service for many thousand miles without mechanical deterioration. These results can only be obtained if care is taken to keep every moving part clean and properly lubricated.

The rules given for the proper care of tires should be followed to the letter because the item of tire maintenance is one of the most costly of all the expenses incidental to motor-car operation. Careful driving and the judicious control of the car will do much toward maintaining efficiency of the mechanism and it is well to remember that more harm can be done to the various chassis parts by a fast run of a few hundred miles than will result from thousands of miles of slower driving. It is well to drive cautiously at all times and to remember that other users of the highways have rights that must be respected. When operating a car on rough roads the speed should always be reduced to a low point, and usually the comfort of the passengers will provide the best indication of whether the car is being operated at the proper speed or not.

As soon as any parts are defective and repairs are necessary that cannot be made by the motorist himself the work of restoration should be given to a competent mechanic even if his charges are higher than those having less experience. At the end of every active riding season and before the inception of the new period of service the car should be thoroughly overhauled, and one who is able to appreciate the value of this work of restoration and who takes care of the mechanism always has a machine that is in good running order and that will give satisfactory service. Many motorists are short-sighted because they neglect the mechanism and run the machine as long as it will hold together. As a rule, these are the pessimists who hold that automobiles are an unreliable and costly possession.

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