872 lewis' AMERICAN SPORTSMAN. 



India rubber, as it is commonly called, in strong spirits of tur- 

 pentine or ether. It is made as follows : A piece of caoutchouc 

 the size of a walnut is cut into small pieces and put into a wide- 

 mouthed phial, with four ounces of turpentine or ether, and 

 allowed to remain two or three weeks, according to the strength 

 of the solvent, when it will becom.e of the consistence of a thick 

 varnish, and may be applied with a brush to every part of the 

 boot, inside as well as outside. If ether is employed to dissolve 

 it, it will require but a very short time to make this preparation. 

 The phial should be tightly corked, otherwise the ether will 

 lose all its strength, or in other words evaporate. This prepa- 

 ration, or one analogous to it, is the article sold for several years 

 past as an application to old harness and wagon covers to make 

 them flexible and water-proof. 



Our friend Mr. Chandler sent us a quantity of water-proof 

 dressing for boots, which we used on several occasions, and 

 found to answer a most excellent purpose, so much so that we 

 requested him to furnish us with a receipt for making it, which 

 lie very kindly did, as will be seen from the following note, re- 

 ceived this morning : — 



" Dear Doctor : I have had such an excellent opportunity 

 for testing the good qualities of my water-proof preparation 

 durins; a late shooting excursion, that I can recommend it still 

 more highly than before. 



" The composition is as follows : one-quarter of a pound of 

 gum elastic (caoutchouc), with sufficient naphtha, oil of sassafras, 

 seneka, or any other solvent to completely dissolve it ; after this 

 is effected, a pound of tallow and three-quarters of a pound of 

 beeswax should be melted together, and in connection with the 

 dissolved gum should be kept over a slow fire until they arc 

 intimately commingled. When using the preparation, the boots 

 should be slightly wet and w^armed — if the mixture is then pro- 

 perly rubbed in, it is almost impossible for the water to pene- 

 trate. I generally, in addition to this, have the soles of my boots 

 soaked in copal varnish. 



"This preparation, when used for common walking boots or 

 shoes, does not prevent a proper gloss from being produced by 

 blacking. I shall be glad if this is of any service to you, and 



