284 Process for clearing Feathers 
solved lime is precipitated in fine powder, pour off the 
clear lime-water for use, at the time it is wanted. 
Put the feathers to be cleared in another tub, and add 
to them a quantity of the clear lime-water, sufficient to 
cover the feathers about three inches when well immersed 
and stirred about therein. 
The feathers, when thoroughly moistened, will sink 
down, and should remain in the lime-water three or four 
days, after w hich the foul liquor should be separated from 
the feathers by laying them on a sieve. 
The feathers should be afterwards well washed in 
clean water and dried upon nets; the meshes about the 
fineness of cabbage-nets. 
The feathers must from time to time be shaken upon 
the nets, and as they dry will fall through the meshes, 
and are to be collected for use. 
The admission of air will be serviceable in the dry- 
ing. The whole process will be completed in about 
three weeks ; after being prepared as above mentioned, 
they will only require beating for use. 
Mr. Jolly, poulterer, of Charing- cross, attended a 
committee of the society appointed to inspect the feathers, 
and stated that Mrs. Richardson had bought from him 
forty pounds weight of feathers, in the state they were 
plucked from dead geese, and in such a condition that if 
they had been kept in the bag only four days, without 
being cleansed, they would have been very offensive ; 
that the feathers exhibited by Mrs. Richardson appear 
to be the same he had sold her, but that they were now~ 
in a much cleaner state, and seem perfectly cleared from 
their animal oil. 
The committee, in order to authenticate more fully 
7 v 
the merits of Mrs, Richardson’s process, requested Mr 
