POLTTECHXIC ASSOCIATION PROCEEDINGS. 751 



left on evaporation of spirits not made from wine is so peculiar that 

 it may be even recognized in the ether made from this spirit. The 

 ripeness of the wine, its age, the grapes it was made from, and the 

 whole process of fermentation, leave an indelible impression on the 

 quality of the spmts obtained. Since the ravages occasioned by 

 the grape disease it will be difficult to procure from France or 

 Spain really genuine spirits. 



BRONZE COLORED IRON CASTINGS. 



We lately described the process used to produce the celebrated 

 Berlin castings, but specimens, since seen at the American Institute 

 Exhibition, prove that castings equal, if not superior, to the Berlin 

 in fineness and finish, have been made in this country. An improve- 

 ment of great importance in fine iron castings has been brought out. 

 ill America, which is destined to work a revolution in the use of 

 iron for ornamental work. By the application of oil to the metal 

 in a new way, it is made to assmue permanently the color of bronze, 

 and in this condition it is said the metal is much less liable to cor- 

 rosion. The impression made abroad, by similar samples at the 

 Paris Exposition, is shown by the following extract from a letter by 

 the special correspondent of The London Daily Telegraph : " It 

 has long been acknowledged by those familiar with metallurgy 

 that no finer material than iron exists for the purpose of making 

 ornamental castings. In cfist-iron a delicacy and sharpness of finish 

 can be obtained scarcely producable in any other metal. The natu- 

 ral hue of iron, however, is decidedly inimical to its use in the 

 fine arts. Polished, it is cold and cheerless as an empty grate; 

 dull, it is livid, heavy, and lugubrious. No pigments in imitation 

 of bronze which have hitherto been applied to the surface of iron 

 have been found durable, and if applied too thickly the fineness of 

 the detail in the casting is lost. Some years since Mr. Hiram 

 Tucker, of Newton, Mass., commenced a series of experiments with 

 the view of overcoming the difficulty of producing a handsome and 

 durable color in iron, while preserving the sharpness of its orna- 

 mentation. About four 3^ears since he succeeded, by skillfully 

 adapted chemical means, in imparting a hue to iron completely 

 fulfilling the purpose in view, and the material, thus rendered 

 applicable, is said to equal the best French bronze, both in appear- 

 ance and durability, while it can be produced at one-quarter the 

 price. A company was forthwith organized at Boston with a capi- 

 tal of $450,000, and the Tucker Company now manufacture gas 



