] 68 On the Making of Starch. 



tity of th,e very begt smalts must be mixed with the starch. 

 If" the smaUs are very good, 2lb. per cwt. may do, and somcr 

 limes 3lb., according to the depth of blue wanted : if the best 

 smalts are not u^cd, however fine the colour may appear 

 Nvhen in a damp state, it will entirely fly off in the slove, 

 and leave the starch of a dingey hue. 



When the starch is found to be completely settled, the 

 water is again drawn off; and if any more slimes are still 

 on the top they are taken off as before, and the starch is 

 now fit for boxing. It is necessary to observe, that the 

 slimes taken off after the starch has been put through the 

 silk sieve are not put into the hog-wash, but arc either 

 mixed with some other operation, or again wrought up with 

 water and strained through the silk sieve ; when a consir 

 derable part of them will be tolerably good starch. 



The boxes may be made of different sizes ; but they are 

 commonly about four feet long, six inches deep, and twelve 

 inches broad, and are bored full of holes, so that any re^ 

 maining wale;- may drain from the starch. Thin canvass i? 

 cut in such length and breadth as to line all the inside of 

 the box, the intention of which is to bring the starch cleaa 

 from the box after the water is fully drained. 



The boxing is performed by digging the starch out of the 

 square \yiih a spade or shovel, and filling the boxes. The 

 length of time for the starch being in the boxes can only be 

 ascertained by the sta|-ch coming to a hard solid body, which 

 is sometimes sooner and sometimes longer. The starch is 

 then taken from the boxes by turning them bottom upper- 

 most on a table or dresser ; it is then broken into pieces 

 about four or five inches square, by laying a ruler or round 

 piece of wood underneath the starch, giving the upper 

 side a cut across with a knife ; when a small press of the 

 hand will break the starch into such pieces as are designed. 



It is then set upon soft bricks, that is, bricks whigh have 

 been only half-burned in the kiln : the intention of this is to 

 suck the water out of the starch; which if not done before 

 it is pi}t into the stove, it is apt to dry into various hard 

 substances called hamy, which will not melt when it comes 



