OCT.— DEC. 1856.] Paper Process in P/ioioorciphi/. 71 
IV. Description of a Plain or Waxed ixtper Process in Photo- 
graphij. By Jesse Mitchell, Adjutant \st Native Veteran 
Battalion. 
So much has been written on the paper processes that the sub- 
ject would appear to be exhausted. Nevertheless a good paper 
process, easy to manipulate and applicable to all situations appears 
to be still a desideratum, I ha-io therefore, at the request of our 
Honorary Secretary, undei«taken to describe my mode of operating, 
and I believe that any one who faithfully follows these directions 
will, after a little practice, find no difficulty in producing, at least, 
tolerable negatives. Skill in Jt'hotography as in any other Art, or 
Science, is only acquired by practice, and no reasonable man should 
feel annoyed if in his first attempts, he fails to produce as good 
pictures as those who have practised assiduously for many years. 
This process is a modification of the original waxed-paper pro- 
cess of Le Gray, but it is equally suited to un waxed papers. As 
the manipulation of unwaxed paper is much the easiest and 
the results so much alike that the operator himself cannot, after a 
time, say which was taken on waxed, which on plain paper. I shall 
confine myself to a description of the latter process, giving after- 
wards such additional directions as may be necessary to adapt it to 
waxed paper. 
In Photographic operations, absolute cleanliness is an essential 
element of success. It is not sufficient that the Photographer's 
hands, for instance, be mechanically clean, they must be chemically 
so, therefore when he is about to select bis papers, he should not 
be satisfied with the usual washing with soap and water, but should 
rinse them afterwards in a good quantity of clean water, lest the 
soap do that mischief it was intended to prevent. This applies 
still more strongly to the trays used in the various stages of the 
process. The Tray used for Iodizing the paper should be used for that 
purpose alone, or if from the paucity of apparatus which in this 
country is not always procurable, he is compelled to use it for the 
exciting solution also, that is the greatest liberty he may take. The 
