72 



Or they may be planted in the worst savannah soil, where the 

 prickly pears and such like plants are usually found. 



When the leaves are cut off for use, the most expeditious way of 

 obtaining the juice, is by passing them singly with the point foremost 

 through the rollers of a common cane mill, and straining it through an 

 hair cloth, crocus, or coarse blanket. 



The leaves after being pressed and the juice strained, in this man- 

 ner, may be strained and soaked in water a few days and then dried, 

 cleansed, and the fibres manufactured into ropes for plantation use. 



In places where the convenience of cane mills cannot be had r 

 proper hand mills with two or more rollers of Lignum Vitae or other 

 hard wood, may be erected at a very trifling expense. 



Where these are not erected, the juice may be obtained for the use 

 of private families, by cutting the leaves in pieces and bruising them 

 with a heavy pestle in a wooden mortar, and then pressing the bruised 

 pieces in a cassava or other press, or finally with hands, if other means 

 are wanting. 



The juice being thus extracted and strained may be inspissated by 

 three several processes. 



The first, by common concoction in a copper, tin, or iron vessel 

 over a small fire, frequently stirring the liquor during the operation, to 

 prevent its burning which it will be apt to do without proper care, and 

 thereby loose somewhat of its detersive quality. 



The second, is by coction in Balneo Mariae. For example, put the 

 extracted juice into a tache or boiler, and place the tache or boiler 

 within one of the largest coppers upon a trivet or other support, in such 

 a manner so as to prevent the tache or boiler from touching the sides 

 or bottom of the copper. Put such proportion of water into the copper 

 that in case of ebullition, it may not flow into the tache or boiler and 

 mix with the juice. Let the water in the copper boil with a brisk fire, 

 and continue the process until the juice in the tache is gradually 

 brought to a due consistence ; by this method of preparation it will be 

 effectually secured from burning. 



The third method is bv insolation, or exposing the juice after strain- 

 ing in a large shallow receiver of wood or metal of any kind, to the 

 action of the sun and breeze. The Soap prepared in this manner, is 

 found to be the most detergent. 



When the juice or extract is by either of the preceding methods 

 brought to a due consistence, it may be manufactured into balls of the 

 size of common wash balls, dried in the shade and kept for use, and to 

 preveut them sticking together, or to the hands, nothing is more proper 

 than the fine ashes of the lye tub, which may be found on most estates, 

 or may be prepared occasionally, being first dried and sifted. 



A caution must be used, never to compound the extract with tallow 

 or anv other unctious materials, for any mixture of that kind will ren- 

 der it much less efficacious. 



December 17th, 1767. 



