524 ANNUAL KECOKD OF SCIENCE AND INDUSTRY. 



Take three parts of green cart-grease, one of lard, and half a 

 part of common comfrey. Chop the latter quite fine, and 

 boil to a thick paste with water, and free it from fibres by- 

 straining. If the leather is very hard, more comfrey should 

 be taken. Before the application of the mixture, the boots 

 should be rendered pliable by moistening them with warm 

 water, and after they are thoroughly coated with it, especial- 

 ly the soles and seams, they should be allowed to dry slowly 

 in the sun or near the stove. The operation should be re- 

 peated every two weeks, at least upon the soles and seams. 

 26 (7, IV., 1875, 37. 



RAPID BLEACHING OF LINEN. 



According to the experience of some, time may be saved 

 by bleaching linen by the following process : Rub the linen 

 as it comes from the loom, in a dry condition (best on a 

 table), with a brush, with a lather of soap made by boiling 

 1^ lbs. of soap for a piece of coarse linen, or 1 lb. for a piece 

 of fine, and allowing it to cool ; then cover the linen in a 

 tub with a cloth. Prepare a lye, for a piece of linen, by 

 boiling half a bushel of ;ood sifted beech-wood ashes in 

 rain or spring water, and filtering it through a lye-basket ; 

 bring it to boiling in a clean kettle, and pour it upon the 

 linen. Cover the vessel well, so that the warmth and moist- 

 ure may be retained as long as possible, and allow it to 

 stand overnight. Spread the linen on the grass in the 

 morning, see that no spots become dry during the day, 

 and cover at night again with the boiling lye. Turn the 

 linen out the second day, and expose as before, without al- 

 lowing it to become dry, and steep it overnight in w T eak 

 hot soap-suds in a well-covered vessel. Wash out the dis- 

 solved dirt in the morning, and expose again, without allow- 

 ing it to dry before evening, and then treat in the usual way 

 until it is as white as may be desired ; six to eight days oft- 

 en being sufficient. If necessary, however, the soaping and 

 steeping may be repeated as before, when only two days ad- 

 ditional bleaching will be required. 9 C\ July^ 1874, 102. 



EAPID BLEACHING PBOCESS. 



The following processes are given by the Mustev-Zeitung : 

 The washed material is steeped from six to twelve hours, ac- 



