266 On the Wines of Spain. 
and the action of the cylinder, in a very short time, pro- 
duced an intimate union of the whole. 
The pulp, which was made from fermented rags, was 
already alkaline before the addition was made, and after 
being thus mixed became very much more so. A solution 
of alum was added, until the presence of an alkali was no 
longer indicated by test-paper. After being carried to the 
vat, however, the pulp still indicated some trace of alkali, 
and it was therefore saturated by the addition of a little 
alum. This was repeated after the manufacture of each 
post of paper, so as to render the product slightly acid. 
With a hundred kilogrammes (220°47 lbs. avoir.) of pulp 
thus prepared, five posts of paper were made, of which 
the sizing was at first slight, but became successively 
stronger, so that the last post was very well sized. An 
examination of the water in the vat explained this progress 
in the strength of the size; for while the water which ran 
off from the paper was clear, that in the vat was milky, and 
iodine coloured it a handsome blue, proving that it con- 
tained starch. Thus, each time that the fresh supply of 
pulp was placed in the vat, the proportion of starch was 
augmented by that remaining in the water. This milky 
water was filtered, and very soon choked up the filtering 
paper, which was found to have become sized. 
The illuminators are obliged to size their papers upon 
applying colours.—Paper Trade Review. 
(To be continued.) 
ON THE WINES OF SPAIN: 
[SHE character of the Southern Spaniard is very im- 
A pressionable. When the wine which grows is dear, 
there are no bounds to his pretensions ; when the price is 
low, there are no bounds to his depression. Recently, the 
latter order of things prevailed; but as we have no fear of a 
rival to genuine sherry ever being discovered, so we have no 
doubt that the market will, in time, recover itself. The 
only thing that could permanently injure the sherry trade 
would be a change in the taste of the consumers. If the 
“English acquire a taste for French, Hungarian, or Greek 
wines, the consumption of sherry may be sensibly dimi- 
