408 



RECREATION. 



SNAP SHOTS. 



Regarding E. W. N. spotting medium, my 

 experience is precisely similar to that of a 

 writer in March Recreation. The stuff 

 does not work. I wrote Newcomb; got 

 flooded with advertising matter about it, 

 but got no explanation that made it work. 



James A. Cruikshank, Brooklyn, N. Y. 



Every photographic process requires, for 

 its successful completion, a modicum of 

 knowledge and a trifle of skill. In the "flood 

 of advertising matter" which Mr. Cruik- 

 shank received he must have seen the state- 

 ment that I refund money without investi- 

 gation or question on receipt of returned 

 goods,. To me, as to other men, time is 

 money. I can not afford to throw in an ex- 

 tended correspondence course in photog- 

 raphy with a bottle of spotting medium at 

 50 cents. 



Edward W. Newcomb. 



How can I prevent prints from sticking 

 to the ferrotype plate? 



A. H. Harlow, East Sumner, Me. 



ANSWER. 



Wash and polish your plates after each 

 use. A little alcohol or benzine does the 

 work. Then, for collodion prints, put 2 

 drops of the following waxing solution on 

 each plate and rub with a woolen cloth or 

 pad until only a faint film is spread evenly 

 over the surface. 



Yellow beeswax, shaved. .2 drams or % oz. 

 Benzoli 1 ounce. 



Shake till wax is dissolved or nearly so. 

 Then add : 



Ether 1 ounce. 



Alcohol 1 ounce. 



— Editor. 



In June Recreation G. W. Damon ad- 

 vises those who must print at night with 

 a kerosene lamp to use bromide paper. He 

 adds that Velox, Dekko and Cyko will not 

 do. Has he ever tried Velox by kerosene 

 lamp light? He either has not or else he 

 gets a different result from what I do. I 

 can not tell him just how far from the 

 light his frame must be, for I do not know 

 the intensity of his light or the density of 

 the negatives ; I do know that fine Velox 

 prints can be made by the light of a kero- 

 sene lamp. I use a lamp and prefer it to 

 daylight. I am saying nothin against 

 bromide paper and its use, but I think 

 many who do not use Velox paper would 

 find it just what they are looking for. 



W., Felchville, Vt. 



side of the plate. A hard lead pencil will 

 then take on the surface. 



Very light places, such as windows in 

 interiors, may be kept back by touching 

 the light portions as they first appear with 

 a tuft of cotton wet in a 10 per cent solu- 

 tion of bromide.. 



Bicarbonate of soda and chloride of gold 

 make a good toning bath, giving brown 

 tones. A toning bath strong in borax gives 

 a purple tone. Sal soda gives red and 

 cherry tones. 



E. T. Caldwell, Pawling, N. Y. 



Will you kindly tell me the formula for 

 making blue prints? 

 Harry W. Solomons, Jersey City, N. J. 



ANSWER. 



You will find the following formula 

 satisfactory : 



No. 1 — Citrate of iron and ammonia, 

 iji ounces; water, 8 ounces. 



No. 2 — Ferricyanide of potassium, 1% 

 ounces ; water, 8 ounces. 



Mix equal parts of No. 1 and No. 2 and 

 apply with a brush or by floating for 3 

 minutes. Hang up to dry in darkened 

 room. — Editor. 



Where one has a permanent dark room, 

 is it advisable to use Eastman's developing 

 powders to develop Eastman's or Seed's 

 plates? Will the same successfully develop 

 iso plates? 

 Mrs. R. McAllister, South Danbury, N. Y. 



ANSWER. 



Eastman's powders work well and are 

 convenient. You could save money by 

 making your own developer in concen- 

 trated solutions ready to use, but otherwise 

 would gain nothing. If you use pyro pow- 

 ders, they are good on either Eastman or 

 Seed plates. — Editor. 



I see H. G. Gosney thinks his photo of a 

 woodcock and eggs should have been given 

 a higher place on the prize list. I think the 

 judges made the awards correctly and I will 

 back them up. Though the woodcock pic- 

 ture is a rare and valuable one, it would 

 have been much better if the camera had 

 been lower, so the picture would show 

 only a few of the eggs in the nest. As it 

 is, the effect is somewhat like looking down 

 a well. 



L. D. Lindsley, Seattle, Wash. 



How long an exposure should be made 

 when a ray screen is used ? 



H. Marrott, Vernon, la. 



Retouching varnish may be made by dis- 

 solving y 2 ounce powdered rosin in 8 

 ounces turpentine. Rub it over the film 



ANSWER. 



1-10, 1-4, 1-2, to 1-1 or more, according 

 to depth of tint of the screen. — Editor. 



