192 CARRIAGES. 



with oak bark. Enamelled clolli is made to represent 

 leath 3r in appearance, and is used for some purposes ad- 

 vantageously, — say for carriage curtains not intended to 

 be rolled up often. Its chief recommendation is its chea]) 

 ness compared with leather ; it is for no purpose so good. 



For the Dash^ "grain" patent leather is best. Its quality 

 may be determined by its pliability. Hard, stiff leather 

 will crack when exposed to heat and cold. The enamel 

 should be smooth and brilliant, and show no " pitting," or 

 unevenness in polish. Good dash-leather is jet black, — 

 not greyish or reddish black. 



Varnish. — For the under coats, to be " rubbed," Amer- 

 ican varnish answers every purpose, but for finishing 

 coats, English varnish is universally esteemed as the 

 best. There s no way of testing the durability of var- 

 nish until it is used on the vehicle. English varnish will 

 not crack, and expose ihe paint and wood to the action of 

 the weather, — American varnish will do so. Finishing 

 coats are now "flowed" on, not polished, as formerly, and 

 they are, in consequence, more durable. 



Plating. — None but a professional man can determine 

 the quality of plating. The seams of good plating should 

 not show prominently ; "two and half quality" silver — 

 its technical term — is the poorest quality that should be 

 used on carriages ; " three quality" is the best. Electro 

 plating, when well done, is desirable on hub-bands made 

 of German silver or composition metal, as the bands will 

 not rust when bruised, nor does the silver shell break, as 

 close plate on iron "bands will do. Iron cannot be electro- 

 plated with advantage. 



TRIMMING AND PAINTING. 



Trimming. — ^."'he most durable material for trimming ia 

 eloth ; if in high colors, it should be of English manui'ao 



