252 
the solution on a piece of flannel and rub 
the wax lightly over the surface of the 
plate. Allow it to stand a few minutes and 
then polish with a clean, dry piece of flan- 
nel. This waxing must be repeated before 
each time the plate is used. 
R. L. Wadhams, M.D., Wilkes-Barre, Pa. 

I notice M. B. More’s letter in regard to 
pyro staining his films. I am a constant 
user of, and a firm adherent to pyro, but 
have always used plates. Recently, how- 
ever, I was called on to develop a few 
rolls of 4x5 films for a friend and found 
they were all stained, some badly, and 
some only to a slight extent. Some I had 
to correct in development, but others that 
required no correction were as_ badly 
stained as any. 
Will some one who uses hypo on films 
please explain for Mr. More and me why 
the films stained? 
I should add, perhaps, that with one ex- 
ception, this has been my only experience 
with films. Once before I developed one 
roll, and on them there was no evidence of . 
stain. The developer used on them had 
been prepared a month or more, while that 
used the last time was freshly prepared. 
Harry E. Momyer, Klamath Agency, Ore. 

Occasionally one scratches or tears the - 
film of a negative during the process of de- 
veloping or fixing. It does not always hap- 
pen that one is equipped with necessary 
material for filling the hole thus made; 
and even if so, it is a delicate operation, 
requiring practice and skill. I recently had 
a case of this kind and in looking about 
for some convenient method of doctoring 
the negative, I could think of nothing bet- 
ter than a box of ordinary shoe blacking. 
I got a small brush, such as is used for oil 
paints, dipped it in water, rubbed it over 
the blacking and applied it to the back of 
the negative over the defect, working it 
out to about the same density as the nega- 
tive and being careful to blend the edges. 
One good feature of this plan is that it 
does not involve a risk of spoiling an other- 
wise good negative. 
O. T. Kirtley, Hannibal, Mo. 

I do not like fuzzy pictures. I have 
pecome disgusted with the so-called art 
pictures that appear from time to time in 
photo publications. I think I voice the 
sentiment of the majority of your sub- 
scribers when I say that I want to look at 
good photographs such as RECREATION 
usually publishes; clear, plain, comprehen- 
sive and full of detail. I do not admire 
such blotches as appear on page 345 of No- 
vember ReEcrEATION. They may be art, 
but I venture the assertion that your read- 
ers, as a lot, will not rave over them. Bet- 
RECREATION. 

ter cut that kind and let us have more good 
hunting and fishing yarns. 
J. E. Bates, Spokane, Wash. 

On page 32 of the January issue of Rec- 
REATION there is a good picture of a fantail 
pigeon which to me is rendered unattractive 
by the 2 large inscriptions. One cuts off 
part of the bird’s right foot, the other 
crosses one corner of the tail. If photog- 
raphers must have their names and other 
reading matter on prints, let them put the 
inscriptions where they will be least ob- 
jectionable. In this picture there is plenty 
of room at the bottom without interfering 
with the subject. A number of pictures I 
have seen lately have had this disagreeable 
feature. 
R. L. Wadhams, M.D., Wilkes-Barre, Pa. 

What can I use to make inscriptions on 
negatives so the letters will print white or 
nearly so? 
E. Bartholomew, Ravenna, Mich. 
ANSWER. 
Use India ink. Higgins’ liquid India ink 
is convenient. A good opaque, such as 
Gibson’s, will answer the same purpose. 
To print sharply, the lettering must be made 
on the film side; then it is necessary to 
write backward. Or the lettering may be 
done on transparent tissue and placed be- 
tween the negative and the paper—EDbiTor. 

Please give a formula for sensitizing 
linen. Also directions for printing and de- 
veloping pictures on that material. Can 
celluloid be sensitized? If so, how? 
S. Busch, New York City. 
Will explain ?— 
EpiTor. 
some reader please 

If the readers of RECREATION will write 
me I will send them formulae for develop- 
ing paper and for toning gelatine paper 
which will not fade. E. E. Strock, 
529 State street, Conneaut, O. 

“Well, Snowball,” said the patron to the 
dusky waiter, “how did you ever come by a 
name like that ?” 
“Well, sah, I-was born in Chicago. Reck- 
on you never seed a Chicago snowball, 
sah !’—Yonkers Statesman. 

_ REcREATION is the best hunting and fish- 
ing periodical in the market. 
Howard D. Taylor, Buckley, Wash. 

_RECREATION is the best publication of its 
kind I ever read. 
Wm, Bates, West Plains, Mo. 
