88 THE HUin^ER AXD TKAPPER. 



beam over some yielding substance like a sheep skin. 

 Then use the flesh knife, (a circular knife, like the cook's 

 chopping knife.) By pushing the edge stoutly in all 

 directions over the leather, it will become stretched, and 

 be made fit for the various uses to which it is to be put. 



The following is a simj^le way to dress deer skins. First 

 have them grained as already directed. Then, into a two 

 gallon stone pot, put two quarts of rain water, one oz. sul- 

 phuric acid, and one gill of salt. 



Put in the hide, work it well for two or three minutes, 

 wring it out, pull it dry, and smoke it. 



COLOEING HIDES. 



Black. — ^Use logwood clear; dry, and then use cop- 

 peras water to make it black. Don't use too much cop- 

 peras. 



Drab. — Pulverize blue clay with soft soap, add blue 

 vitriol, or extract of logwood, to shade the color as you 

 wish. 



Dark Brown. — Seven lbs. of oak bark, six lbs. of young 

 fustic, one lb. of logwood. Strike in with strong alum 

 water. 



To Buff Buckskin. — ^Take five parts of dry whiting 

 and two parts of yellow ochre, and mix them with water 

 to a stiff paste. Mould into balls, and lay by to dry. 

 When the dressed skin is dry, rub the ball over the sur- 

 face, and scour the powder in, and nap the leather by go- 

 ing over it with sand paper, folded over a small piece of 



