In converting a few pounds of fat into a good hard soap, dissolve 1 lb. of caustic soda in 3 pt. of water-, then melt down 61b. of fat in an earthenware bowl. Bring the temperature of the fat to about 110° F., and the temperature of the soda lye to about 80 F. Now pour the soda lye very slowly into the centre of the fat and stir thoroughly with a stick, so that the lye becomes amalgamated with the fat as fast as it is poured in, and the two form a perfect emulsion. Now wet a large piece of cloth and place it in a box so that the whole of the wood is covered; then pour in the mixture just made, cover the box, and place it in a warm place for twenty-four hours. The soap is then ready to be cut up and used.