16G Hall on the Staining of Wood, and 



merit, (the description of which is annexed,) will please 

 to write to me at the City of Washington in the District of 

 Columbia, where myself or an agent will at all times attend 

 pramptly tp the business, 



ITHIEL TOWN, 



Art. XXII. — On the Staining of Wood, and on Medical 

 Electricity; by John Hall, Esq. of Ellington, Conn. 

 Communicated in a letter to the Editor, daied. May 30th, 

 1820. 



Dear Sir, 



When I closed the letter which accompanies this, I for- 

 got to mention a stain, as cabinet-makers would call it, for 

 some sorts of wood used in the making of cabinet furniture. 

 This stain consists simply of a decoction of walnut or 

 hickory bark, with a small quantity of alum dissolved in it, 

 in order to give permanency to the color. Wood, of a white 

 color, receives from the application of this liquor, a beauti- 

 ful yellow tinge, very little liable to fade. Indeed, so far as 

 I have ascertained the fact by several experiments, the color 

 does not appear to fade at all; and I have good reason lo 

 think that it will abide until it is worn off. So far as I have 

 tried the experiment, the color retains its proper state, when 

 not defended at all from the action of the hght and the air ; 

 when protected by varnish, it will, of course, be still less 

 liable to change. I have in my house an article of furni- 

 ture stained in this manner, which has stood exposed to the 

 near light of a window fifteen months, and the color appears 

 at this time, if any change has taken place, even brighter 

 than at first. 



This stain is particularly adapted to several kinds of fur- 

 niture which are commonly made of maple. It gives a 

 beautiful and delicate tinge to the high posts of bedsteads, 

 when made of that kind of maple which is called curly or 

 curled. But to that kind of maple which is called birds- 

 eye, it gives the finest appearance of any. This spe- 

 cies of wood is commonly prepared, by cabinet-makers, by 

 scorching its surface over a quick fire,' which does not, at 

 the same time, smoke. The wood, after being thus scoreh- 



