494 
nouncing this the most remarkable photo- 
graph, all things considered, I have ever 
seen. ; 
EDITOR. 

AC WELL-LIGHTED COUNLRY: 
I have 2 cameras with me here in Cuba, 
and have made some good pictures. In 
fact, it is hard to keep from getting a good 
picture here; the wonderful sunlight mak- 
ing it the ideal country for photography. 
You might think the shadows would be too 
dark and abrupt, but such is not the case, 
probably because of the universal use of 
light colors, which reflect light into every 
cranny. I have taken snap shots in houses 
and gotten good results. One might think 
that over-exposure would be a common 
error here, but it is not, with me at least. 
I use a medium stop and medium shutter 
on the brightest days, and do not get over- 
exposure any more than I get under-expos- 
ure with the same stop and speed on days 
a great deal darker. 
I send you a little print of the big fort at 
Castillia, a little town at the outlet of the 
bay at Cienfuegos. Just across the channel, 
here about %4-mile wide, is Paso Caballo, 
the barracks in which are part of the Sec- 
ond U. §. Infantry. From both the fort 
and the barracks can be seen the spot 
where the Marblehead cut the cable. There 
is a pretty romance connected with the 
building of the fort, too, it having been 
built by a woman as a ransom for her im- 
prisoned husbands. 
I am glad to see the amateur photograph 
department enlarged. I hope everyone who 
has something good will tell us. What has 
become of G. A. 
several articles in that department? And 
C. also? Many a good hint did I receive 
from them. I look in vain for them this 
year, though I find several others in their 
places. When amateurs load their plate- 
holders without a light they sometimes 
have trouble in deciding which is the film 
side of a plate. Of course, it can easily be 
told by the touch of practice, but the nov- 
ice is likely to finger the film too much, 
thus endangering the plate. I make it a 
rule not to touch the film with my fingers, 
but to use the tip of my tongue. On touch- 
ing the film side the tongue will adhere, 
just as it would to frosted steel. The glass 
side does not do this. Always test in the . 
extreme corner of the plate, and no dam- 
age will be done. Always test the side you 
think is the glass, and by noting how they 
are packed in the box you will not touch 
the film once in 50 times. Hydrochinone 
is the best developer for the beginner and 
pyro the w®rst. Hydrochinone gives the 
best results, because there is less likelihood 
of over-development, as a fixed rule can 
from them. 
a whole powder if you have 2 or 3 plates 
C., who last year had... 
RECREATION. 
be laid down when to stop—that is, when 
the plate darkens on the back. And, then, 
a beginner’s bugbear is thin negatives. 
With this developer, if the exposure is any- 
where near correct you cannot help get- 
ting good density and contrast. It is also 
cheap. I advise the novice to get prepared 
powders and make up stock solutions 
In this way you need not use 
to develop. If a non-professional is going 
out just to get-pictures and pleasure, and 
does not intend to compete for a prize, he 
will make no mistake in getting a fixed 
focus camera. Don’t take one that you 
have to stop to focus, pull out slides, push 
in Stops, ete. 
Geo. 4,--Cable, Surgeon, Us: 
Matanzas, Cuba. 

I read in your September number that 
one grain of gold would tone 12 4x5 prints, 
using the combined bath. Does the same 
rule hold good in the separate bath? If 
not, what is the difference? 
I should like to know of a good way to 
clean and polish plates to squeegee prints 
on. 
C. J. Lattin, Florence, Cal. 
ANSWER. : x 
1. In the separate bath one grain of gold 
goes still farther, and from 18 to 24 4x5 
prints can be toned with gold, I gr.; bi-car- 
bonate soda, 10 to-20 grs.; water, 8 ozs. 
2. Clean glass, if fairly clean already, 
with hot water and a brush; rinse off in 
cold water and rack till dry, when polish 
with tissue paper. Have the following so- 
lution at hand and rub a few drops on the 
polished glass, leaving a thin coat. Use 
a woolen rag and rub briskly. It is ex- 
cellent for preventing sticking of either 
gelatin or collodion prints to the glass: 
Yellow beeswax, shaved, 2 drs.; ether, I 
oz.; when nearly or quite dissolved, add 
alcohol, 1 0z.; benzole, 1 oz. To clean the 
glass, if old negatives, soak over night in 
the following excellent solution: Bichro- 
mate of potash, 2 oz.; water, I pint; sul- 
phuric acid, 1 ounce. When this is dis- 
solved put the old negatives in with a bit 
of wool between to separate them, and let 
them soak all night. Keep the hands out 
of the solution, as it is quick acting and 
hurts. The glass will be clean and only 
needs rinsing under the tap and polishing 
with tissue. E. W. N 

The picture which won t1tth prize in 
my 4th Annual Photo Competition was 
published in October RECREATION. 
: \ 

The vain young woman considers a bird. 
_ on the hat worth 10 in the bush. 
