102. To make Caustic Soda

102.    To make Caustic Soda. For every gallon water add 1 pound soda ash, or 2 pounds crystallized soda (washing soda); boil and proceed by adding slaked lime, and testing as for potash; boiling for some time is essential in order to ensure perfect causticity.

103. To make Lime-water

103.      To make Lime-water. Take some well and newly-burned limestone, and pour water over it as long as the stone seems to absorb it, and allow it to stand; if not breaking down freely, sprinkle a little more water over it. A small quantity is best done in a vessel, such as an old cask, so that it can be covered with a board or bag. After being slaked, add about 1 pound of it to every 10 gallons cold water, then stir and allow to settle; the clear liquor is what is used for dyeing. This should be made up just previous to using, as lime-water standing attracts carbonic acid from the air, which tends to weaken the solution.

104. To Make Bleaching Liquor

104.      To Make Bleaching Liquor. Take a quantity of bleaching powder (chloride of lime) and add to it as much water as will make it into a thin cream; take a flat piece of wood, and break all the small pieces by pressing them against the side of the vessel, then add 2 gallons cold water for every pound of powder; stir well, put a cover upon the vessel, and allow the whole to settle. This will form a sort of stock vat for bleachingopera-tions.

105. To make a Sour

105.    To make a Sour. To every gallon of water add 1 gill of sulphuric acid, stir thoroughly; goods steeped in this should be covered with the liquor, as pieces exposed become dry, which deteriorates the fibre; if left under the liquor the cloth is not hurt by being long in the sour, but on being taken out, every care should be taken to wash out the liquor thoroughly, otherwise the goods will be made tender.

106. To make Cochineal Liquor or Paste

106.    To make Cochineal Liquor or Paste. Put 8 ounces ground cochineal into a flask and add to it 8 fluid ounces ammonia and 8 ounces water; let the whole simmer together for a few hours, when the liquor is ready for use.

107. Acid Preparations of Tin

107.    Acid Preparations of Tin. The acid preparations of tin used in dyeing are called spirits, with a term prefixed to each denoting their particular application, as red spirits, barwood spirits, etc.. The tin employed for making these preparations has to undergo a process called feathering, and is as follows:- the tin is melted in an iron pot, and then poured from some height into a vessel filled with cold water; this granulates or feathers, the tin. (See No. 3319 (To Make Feathered Tin).)

108. Red Spirits

108.    Red Spirits are made by mixing together in a stoneware vessel, 3 parts by measure hydrochloric acid, 1 part nitric acid, and 1 part water, and adding to this feathered tin in small quantities at a time, until about 2 ounces tin to the pound of acid used are dissolved. In this operation the temperature should not be allowed to rise. (See No. 4124 (Perchloride of Tin).)