128 REPORT OF THE CHEMIST OF THE 
No. 5 contain about the same amount of water but the actual 
soap in them varies from 14.90 to 50.27 per ct. 
It is a fact that very few makers of commercial whale-oil soaps 
are willing to guarantee the composition of their product. It 
would, therefore, appear that horticulturists cannot depend upon 
the whale-oil soaps in the market as possessing a standard, or 
uniform, composition. The question arises as to how one can 
know how much commercial whale-oil soap to use under the 
circumstances. The only practicable suggestions are either to 
make up solutions of different strength and try them in a small 
way on foliage, thus ascertaining how much soap to use, or else 
to purchase reliable materials and make soap for one’s own use. 
EXPERIMENTS IN THE HOME-MANUFACTURE OF FISH- 
OIL SOAP. 
It was thought desirable under the circumstances to try some 
experiments in making fish-oil soap and to find a formula that 
could be recommended as giving results in every way satisfactory. 
Two formulas were tried. The materials used were common 
fish-oil, caustic soda and water. The quantities given are based 
on a finished product of 40 pounds of soap. In making the soap, 
. the caustic soda is completely dissolved in the given amount of 
water and the fish-oil is then added gradually under constant and 
vigorous stirring. The combination occurs readily at ordinary 
summer temperatures and the operation is soon completed. The 
mixing may be done in any receptacle sufficiently large to con- 
tain the whole amount of material. It would probably not be 
desirable to attempt to make more than 20 to 40 pounds at a 
time, since the difficulty of thoroughly stirring a larger mass 
would tend to make a complete combination less sure, thus render- 
ing liable the presence of too much free alkali. Complete and 
thorough stirring is essential to success. Caustic soda should be 
handled with precaution, since in concentrated form it easily in- 
jures the skin. 
NO. 1. FORMULA FOR MAKING 40 POUNDS OF FISH-OIL SOAP. 
Caustic Soda... «fei wae ee eae 6 pounds. 
Wailer Aoi s bee ikcircne eed hope er lee eae 114 gallons. 
Fish-0i1 * 37. S./0 3s ied Aenea aa 22 pounds. 
