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XXII. 
HARD WATERS SOFTENED BY A FARINACEOUS SOAP, WITH THE 
PROCESS FOR MAKING THE SAME. 
By Rev. DANIEL LITTLE, Ff. a. a, 
Wells, May, 1787. 
IT is well known, that the waters from many springs and wells, 
not only in populous cities on the sea coast, but in many_ parts of the 
country remote from sea water, are hard and unfit for washing. And 
so great are the advantages of soft and pure water for washing, bleach- 
ing, &c. that any method, by which rough and hard water may be ren- 
dered more fit for use, if only in the laundry, may deserve some no- 
tice, and lead the way to farther experiments. 
My well for family use has been dug about thirty years. It is four 
miles from the sea and twenty rods from a salt water river ; fifteen 
feet in depth ; the bottom of which is eight feet above the tide at high 
water mark. This well has afforded a plenty of water in the driest 
seasons ; but so unfit for washing, that'we haye always been depend- 
ent on the rain or snow for that purpose. Not far distant from this 
well there are some large pans and deep beds of iron ore, to which we 
have in part ascribed the bad quality of the water. But of late we have 
used a different kind of soap, by which the water of this well is ren- 
dered nearly equal to river or rain water for washing linen. The soap 
is made without oil or animal fat ; in lieu of which we use about the 
same quantity of the fine meal of indian corn, or other farinaceous. 
substances. 
