418 HARNESS. 



finally hung in iis place. It is well to protect tie haiueaa 

 from dust by covering it, on its pegs, with a sheet, or, 

 better still, by hanging it in a closet. When the leathor 

 of the harness becomes dry and hard, it should be cleaned 

 and oiled. The best published directions for these p'-o- 

 cesses are contained in the following, written tc the iV. E. 

 Farmer, by Mr. J. Hart, of Portsmouth, N. H. : — 



First I take the harness apart, having each strap and 

 piece by itself; then I wash it in warm soapsuds. I used 

 to soak it in cold water for half a day, as others did, but I 

 find that warm water does no harm, and much facilitates 

 the job. When cleaned, I black every part with a harm- 

 less black dye which I make thus: — One ounce of extract 

 of logwood, twelve grains bichromate of potash, both 

 pounded fine ; upon that I pour two quarts boiling rain- 

 water, stirring until all is dissolved. When cool it may 

 be used. I keep it on hand all the time, in bottles. It 

 may be applied with a shoe brush, or anything else con- 

 venient. <If any one objects to the use of this blacking, 

 fearing that the bichromate of potash it contains would in- 

 jure the leather, I would say, that this kind of potash 

 will not injure leather, even when used in a much larger 

 proportion. The blacking generally used contains cop- 

 peras, sulphate of iron, and it is found that it will eat o>it 

 the life of leather, unless used with great caution. When 

 the dye had struck in, I go through with the i-iling pro- 

 cess. Some have a sheet-iron pan to oil in ; but I have a 

 sheet of iron nailed to a board; it is about two by three 

 feet square. This I lay upon a table ; I lay a piece or part 

 of tlie harness upon this, and with neat's-foot oil applied 

 wjtli a paint-brush, kept for the purpose, I go over it, oil- 

 ing every part. The traces, breeching, and such parts as 

 need the most, 1 oil again. For the last oiling I use one- 

 third castor oil, and tv/^o-thirds neat's-foot oU, mixed. A 



