392 THE PEACTICAL FISHEBMAN. 



to be steeped for a few hours in the mixture, not made too hot, and 

 then stretched. 



Also, 1 pint boiled oil and gill oak varnish ; soak three days, and dry in 

 a dry room for a couple of months. 



Stockholm tar has been recommended, but I cannot endorse the re- 

 commendation. However, if well rubbed off the line as it dries, it will 

 serve when other dressings are not available. 



The following is a very good formula : Boiled oil, 1 pint ; a wineglass- 

 ful of gold size if you want a stiff line, and a wineglassful and a-half 

 of copal ; mix in a gallipot and place on a hob till lukewarm, remove, 

 and having coiled your line loosely so that it can be easily withdrawn, 

 place in the mixture. Draw out next day, getting rid of the superfluous 

 dressing as before recommended ; stretch it in a dry room, and at the end 

 of a week repeat the process ; stretch it for a month or until quite hard, 

 polish with the least particle of deer or mutton suet on leather, and you 

 have a capital smooth hard dressing. 



The following is a good dressing for water cord or, indeed, any hemp 

 line, and answers capitally for the spun cotton lines before adverted to 

 in the place of the ridiculous surface dressing furnished by the makers : 

 Put the line coiled into strong glue |lb. to pint of water, and boil for 

 twenty minutes to completely saturate the line. Stretch till dry, then 

 put it into a boiling solution of catechu lb. to 16oz. water, keep boil- 

 ing for three quarters of an hour ; hang up to cool for a quarter of an 

 hour, then wash in cold water. It will be found that the line has become, 

 as it were, tanned into a hard gold lace of leathery consistence. The 

 catechu must be in full boil, or the glue will not set, but be extracted. 



Marine glue is a capital dressing if dissolved in spirits of wine. The 

 glue should be cut up in pea-size and placed in the spirit in a warm posi- 

 tion for twelve or more hours till dissolved. 



