46 



and when rubbed off again, and the leather 

 polished with cloth or brush, there should be 

 nothing left to soil the hand or glove. 



" Carbine buckets, seats, and flaps of 

 saddles being made of uncurried leather, and 

 requiring, to be kept stiff, should be only 

 lightly dubbed annually. 



" Soap should be used daily to produce 

 mellowness rather than outward gloss. 



'' Leather must not be washed with soda 

 nor soaked in water. Its vitality is quite 

 destroyed by being soaked in hot water. 



" Soap and lukewarm water, irifhouf .soak- 

 ing, is all right, but dubbing, oil, or good 

 soap must be applied whilst still damp. 



" Drying leather by the fire should be 

 strictly forbidden. 



" Leather articles exposed to the action of 

 ammonia become weak and rotten sooner than 

 those not so exposed; grease counteracts this. 



" Soft soap contains an excess of alkali 

 and should be sparingly used ; if applied too 

 freely it gives the leather a dark and sodden 

 appearance. 



" Beeswax and saddle soap are not objec- 

 tionable, provided good yellow soap is used 

 to the flesh (under) side to keep the leather 

 mellow.'* 



