FARMERS' REGISTER— SOAP. 



65 



The easy curvatures and gentle graduation of 

 the road have been before alluded to. These and 

 a careful execution, will give to the power em- 

 ployed on it a large useful efTect, and enable loco- 

 motive engines to attain the highest desirable ve- 

 locity with entire safety. It has been mentioned 

 above, that one half of the rail road was opened 

 for transportation in the month of October ; since 

 then, a light engine, but little upwards of four tons 

 gross, has been engaged in nearly daily trips on 

 this distance, transporting from 18 to 20 tons nett, 

 or from 30 to 33 tons gross, in an average period 

 of 2^ hours. So fiir, the cost of her repairs has 

 not been five dollars, and the fuel consumed by 

 her has been but about half a cord of wood per day. 



It is agreed that the above is an unusual case, 

 and that the performance of their engines general- 

 ly, will scarcely equal that of the beautiful loco- 

 motive, with which the board of directors have 

 commenced their transportation. Still with large 

 deductions and allowances, the saving in the cost 

 of transportation, as well as in time, by their im- 

 provement, and its efficiency when it meets the 

 Roanoke, can scarcely be questioned. I must 

 leave to others, more conversant than myself with 

 the trade of the Roanoke, and with that of Peters- 

 burg beyond this stream, to estimate its amount 

 and probable increase on the completion of the 

 rad road. On that subject the information in my 

 possession is scarcely definite enough to admit of 

 my hazarding an opinion. If it is such as has 

 been confidently stated to be, there can scarcely 

 be a doubt of the productiveness of the rail road, 

 within a very brief period. I am, sir, very res- 

 pectfully, your obedient servant, 



M. ROBINSON, Engineer. 

 To James Brown, Jr. Second j^luditor. 



The following extract from a letter from Donald 

 Mackenzie, Esq. President of the Petei'sburg Rail Road 

 Company, in answer to our inquiries on this subject, 

 presents the still later operations connected with this 

 important and valuable public work. 



"Petersburg, April 28, 1833. 



" On the 24th December last, forty one miles of 

 the road were completed and has been in regular 

 use, conveying a much larger portion of produce, 

 merchandize and passengers than was anticipated 

 in the outset in that distance — the remainder of 

 the road from the Meherrin to Blakely on the Roa- 

 noke has been in the hands of contractors for 

 some time, and will probably be completed in a 

 few months, — so that in the course of the ensuing 

 fall, we may fairly calculate on being in possession 

 of an uninterrupted line of transportation from the 

 Roanoke to the Appomattox. 



We have lately received two locomotive en- 

 gines, which are now alternately in operation to 

 Belfield, and back again the same day, generally 

 with heavy trains of cars and coaches. 



So far the prospect seems favorable, and strongly 

 tends to confirm the original expectations of the 

 community, and gives assurance that the laudable 

 zeal in which this enterprise originated will be re- 

 warded." 



SOAP. 



As this is the season of the year when most of 

 our housekeepers attend to making soft soap for 

 the use of the flmiily, we trust a few observations 

 may be acceptable. 



Much difficulty is frequently exj)cricnced in tliis 

 business, and many vulgar errors have Ijjscn con- 

 nected with it; and we have heard women declare 

 that they believed their soap was bewitched. When 

 the principles arc once understood, the whole pro 

 cess is easy and simple. First, then, it is proper 

 that housekeepers should know the properties of 

 the component parts of soaji. 



There are two fixed alkalies used in soapmaking, 

 viz. potash and soda. Potash is called the vegeta- 

 l)le, and soda the mineral alkali. Either of these 

 alkalies will unite with grease and form soaps: 

 potash and grease make soft soap only, but soda 

 and grease make hard soap. Both these alkalies 

 have a strong affinity for acids — uniting with them 

 and forming what is generally called neutral salts. 

 Thus potash and nitric acid form saltpetre ; soda 

 and sulphuric acid form glauber salts, and soda 

 and muriatic acid, or spirits of salts, form common 

 salt. 



Now no woman in lier senses would think of ma- 

 king soap of either of these salts; and yet the base 

 of either, when separated from the acid, would 

 form when mixed with grease, as good soap as if 

 they had never been united. 



There is also another acid which combines with 

 these alkalies, which will equally prevent their 

 uniting with grease as either of the before men- 

 tioned acids — that is carbonic. Now this acid is 

 continually floating in the atmosphere unseen, and 

 will combine with potash or soda whenever it 

 comes in contact, forming a carbonate of soda or 

 potash — neither of ay hie h will unite with grease 

 to form soap. 



Much of the difficulty which housekeepers 

 meet v/ith in soap-making, arises from their ley 

 having become more or less saturated Avith carbo- 

 nic acid. Ashes Avhich have laid long in a damp 

 place, or become damp by any other means, Avill 

 absorb carbonic acid, or if the ley is alloAved to 

 stand too long after it is leached in an open vessel, 

 the same thing Avill take place. Lime is often 

 placed in the bottom of the leach, and but few can 

 tell Avhy they do it. If the question is asked, the 

 reply is — because it makes the ley cleaner. Lime 

 has a stronger affinity for carbonic acid than pot- 

 ash has, and of course Avill separate it from it. 

 Common limestone is lime and carbonic acid: 

 when limestone is burned in a kiln, the carbonic 

 acid is separated by heat, and quicklime is formed. 

 Now if this quick or fresh-burnt lime is placed in 

 the bottom of the leach and the ley made to pass 

 through it, it becomes purified from the acid, and 

 the only thing necessary then to have it unite Avith 

 grease, is to have it of sufficient strength. — This 

 may be ascertained by its specific gravity — to 

 learn Avhich, put a new-laid egg into it : if the egg 

 floats, the ley is strong enough ; if it sinks, the 

 ley must either be evaporated by boiling, or by 

 again leaching it through ashes. The grease 

 made use of is the refuse fat of animals, and before 

 it is united Avith the ley, should be freed from all 

 the salt by boiling it in Avater. The quantity ne- 

 cessary for a barrel of good soap is about sixteen 

 pounds, or half a pound to a gallon. 



Soap Avhen Avell made, should be thick and 

 salve-like, capable of being spread thin upon cloth 

 Avithout flaking or rolling off. — If to such soap 

 about an equal quantity of soft Avater is added, 

 the soap becomes hard and liver-like, capable of 

 being taken up in the hand. This many think is 



