1866.] 
4.03 
/AMERICAN ?AGRICULTURIST. 
raiE IH!®lUSEE[(n)]L®„ 
(tW For other Household Items, see “ Basket ” pages.) 
About Alkalies and Acids. 
These two words occur so frequently in every 
day life, that a few explanations of them will he 
acceptable to the unscientific reader.— ^Alkalies.— 
Potash and Soda are familiar examples of alkalies. 
When pure, they have a strong caustic or burning 
taste. They dissolve readily in water, and also 
unite with oil or grease. Water and oil will not 
unite together, but put some alkali with them and 
this will take hold of each and bring them togeth¬ 
er, as in making soap. The strongest and rnost 
common alkalies are Potash, Soda, and Ammonia 
or Hartshorn. Ammonia is a powerful alkali, but 
as we usually see it, it is dissolved in a large amount 
of water. There are other alkalies, and many allca- 
loids, that is, vegetable substances that have alka¬ 
line properties, such as quiuia, morphia, strychnia, 
etc. Then there are alkaline earths, as they are 
called. Lime is one of these, which, when newly 
burned, is very caustic. Magnesia is another. Lime 
and magnesia, and especially lime, are useful in 
many cases as alkalies. As an allcali is often wanted, 
sometimes in haste, to neutralize an acid, as ex¬ 
plained below, the unscientific reader will remem¬ 
ber the five most common alkaline substances, by 
the initials PSALM, standing for Fotash, Soda, 
Ammonia, Lime, 3Iagnesia. 
Acids. —The word acid, means sour, and most of 
the common acids are very sour to the taste. As¬ 
cetic acid, or vinegar, when pure, is intensely sour, 
and would destroy the fiesh, but good strong vine¬ 
gar contains only 5 or 6 parts of acid dissolved in 
100 parts of w.ater. Sulphuric acid, commonly 
called “oil of vitriol,” is one of the strong acids. 
A drop of this in a pint of water will m.ake it taste 
sour. Nitric acid, called aqua-fortis, is another of 
the strong acids. So is hydro-chloric acid, com¬ 
monly called muriatic acid, or spirit of salt. Then 
we have citric acid, the sour of lemon juice; malic 
acid, the sour of apple juice; tartaric acid, the 
sour in grapes and some other fruits ; lactic acid, 
the sour formed in milk, etc., as common exam¬ 
ples. We generally s.ay when anything becomes 
sour, that it is acid-i-fied. Almost all the acids, when 
strong, arc injurious to the flesh, and poisonous if 
swallowed, but when greatly diluted with water, 
they are frequently tonic or strengthening. Some 
fruits are for this reason often useful, aud gener- 
,ally healthful, if well mashed or masticated so as 
to be easily digested. Viueg.ar is much used with 
some kinds of food to aid in their digestion, 
but too much of it injures and weakens the stom¬ 
ach, and it is not advisable for constant use.— Car- 
tonic acid is very abundant, but we never see it 
alone, because when not combined with something 
else, it always takes a gas or air-like form. It is 
produced wherever any vegetable substances, as 
coal, wood, oil, etc., are burned. It is this acid 
that bubbles up in soda water, and gives it a sourish 
taste. It is carbonic acid that fills the little inter¬ 
stices or air-holes that make bread, cake, batter, 
etc., light. It unites with potash to form salera- 
tus, with lime to make limestone, chalk, or marble. 
The acids and alkalies unite together, and usu¬ 
ally destroy each other’s acrid properties, forming 
what .are termed “salts.” Thus strong sulphuric 
acid (oil of vitriol), unites with the powerfully 
caustic soda, .and forms the mild compound known 
as Glauber salts (sulphate of soda). So also when 
this powerful oil of vitriol which eats into the flesh, 
and even chars wood, is united with the intensely 
caustic fresh lime, the two neutralize each other’s 
properties, and form the mild, tasteless sulphate of 
lime, (gypsum or Plaster,) which we sow on 
land, and use in making casts, cornices and orna¬ 
ments on plastered w.alls, etc. Aqua-fortis (nitric 
acid), as powerful as it is to destroy the flesh, and 
to dissolve metals, when united with caustic lime, 
makes a compound as mild as plaster, and when 
united with potash, makes saltpetre. Soda put in 
acid or soured batter neutralizes the acid formed. 
One practical lesson to be learned from the above, is, 
that when trouble results from the accidental or over 
use of either an acid or alkali, it is to be counter¬ 
acted by applying the other. For example, if an 
acid is accidentally swallowed, follow it as quickly 
as possible with some alkali,—as a weak solution 
of potash or sod.a, or lime w.ater. A strong solu¬ 
tion of soap swallowed freely, is the best common 
remedy. The effects of potash, sod.a, lime, strong 
soap, etc., upon the hands, are neutralized by a 
weak wash of any acid, as acetic acid (vinegar). Acid 
spilled upon the garments should be quickly neu¬ 
tralized with potash, soda, ammonia, or lime water. 
------ 
About Soap—Soap Frauds, etc. 
It has been estimated that, in the United States 
and England, the annual consumption of so.ap, for 
domestic purposes alone, amounts to an .aver.age of 
83^ lbs. of hard soap for each inhabitant, equal to 
41X ihs. to each family of five persons, and about 
250,000,000 pounds for our entire country—worth 
fully $3,000,000. Large quantities are .also used for 
manufacturing purposes, as in woolen manufacto¬ 
ries, etc. All soaps are essentially alike in their 
composition and .action. Their principal use is to 
remove oily matters, which are dissolved by alka¬ 
lies. (See notes on .alkalies above.) The alk.alies 
in a pure state are too strong for the hands, and 
they usu.ally injure fabrics. Tliey are therefore 
made less caustic by first combining them with 
some oil or grease in the form of soap. Potash 
united with any kind of oil or grease, makes a 
watery compound called “softso.ap.” Soda with 
oil or grease, forms “hard soap.” If we put soda, 
or salt which contains the metallic element of 
soda, into soft soap, the soda unites with the oily 
material, making bard soap of it, while the potash 
is expelled and remains dissolved in the liquid. 
Ordinary good soft soap, contains in each 100 lbs., 
.about 43 lbs. of oily matters, 9 lbs. of potash, and 
48 lbs. of w.ater. Good white hard soap, about GO 
lbs. of oily m.atters, 7 lbs. of soda, and 33 lbs. of 
w.ater. Castile soap, 75 lbs. oily matters, 10 lbs. 
soda, and 15 lbs. water. Other hard soaps vary 
from 50 to 80 lbs. of oily matters, 4X to lOX ibs. 
soda, and 8 to 45 lbs. water in each 100 pounds. 
Common Domestic Soft Soap is made in two 
w.ays : IVhere wood is the chief fuel, the ash¬ 
es supply a Large amount of potash. This is ob¬ 
tained by leaching, that is, running water slowly 
through the ashes. The lye thus obtained is boiled 
down to any degree of strength, and oil or soap 
grease added at any stage of the boiling. It will 
boil away faster without the grease, but is in the 
end stronger if the gre.ase be added at first, as less 
carbonie acid is .absorbed from the air. For the 
same reason, fresh run lye, or that kept closely 
covered, is stronger than that much exposed to the 
air. So also, it is desir.able to keep the lye, in its 
passage from the ashes, as little spread out or ex¬ 
posed to the air, as possible. It may not be gen¬ 
erally known that fresh slaked lime, mixed with 
the ashes, a quart or two to the bushel, and espec¬ 
ially with the ashes in the bottom of the leach, is 
highly beneficial. The lime withdraws the carbonic 
acid from the potash, and le.aves a stronger lye. 
Lye is much improved in strength, by stirring a 
quart or two of fresh slaked lime into a barrel¬ 
ful, letting it settle, and pour off the clean lye 
when ready to add the grease for soap making. 
The .amount of boiling is not essential, except to 
reduce the soap to a convenient consistence or 
thickness.-The other process, where ashes are 
not made at home, is to purchase potash, dissolve 
it in water, .about a pailful to a pound, more or 
less, and boil it with 2 or 3 lbs. of grease—the pro¬ 
portions depend wholly upon the strength of the 
alkali, and the quality of the grease, of which suf¬ 
ficient is to be used to leave it weak enough not to 
corrode or injure the hands. If left too strongly 
alkaline, it will injure the fabric.—This brings us to 
Bad Soaps in. tlie Market. —There is 
great need of caution on the part of housekeepers, 
in this respect. As a rule, the “labor-saving 
soaps,” all those recommended as quick washers, 
ete., are dangerous. They are made by incorpor¬ 
ating into them an undue amount of alkali, which, 
while it does promote the quick cleansing of gar¬ 
ments, does so at the expense of the fabric. The 
I washer-woman, and even the housekeeper herself, 
is pleased with the ease with which the dirt is 
cleaned out, and she will not only purchase the 
same soap again, but recommend it to her friends 
and neighbors, and even give a written certificate 
of its excellent properties. It is true that every 
time it is used, it is eating away the strength of the 
fine fabrics, but this is not so rapid as to be 
noticed from week to week. The garments wear 
out early, but that is charged to the manufacturer 
who “ makes such poor materi.al in these days.” 
We have no doubt that millions of dollars worth of 
garments are destroyed every year by these much puffed, 
quick washing soaps, now so extensively used! The 
best recipe we could give for reducing the present 
high price of cotton and other goods, would be to 
abolish from the country everything in the form of 
a patented, quick-washing, labor-saving sosip. If 
anybody wishes to persist in using something that 
will “wash quick,” let her dissolve the common 
bar soap, and add a few ounces of cheap washing 
soda. This will get all the effect of the best labor- 
saving soap at a far less cost. But nothing of the 
kind should be used.—Never buy a soap which, on 
drying, leaves on the surface of the bar a white 
coating of soda, or other alkali. Pale bar soap, 
that dries smooth, is the best. That which is of a 
light brown, from the .admixture of resin, is equal¬ 
ly good with the white, for cotton .and linen cloth, 
but for woolen or worsted, nothing but pale soap 
should be used, as the brown, resin soap is injurious. 
Dark brown soap, which contains much resin, 
should bo rejected. Soap which shrinks K o*" 3^ 
in drying, is not profitable. Some manufacturers 
incorporate a great deal of water, which adds to 
the weight and bulk, but is a clear loss to the buy¬ 
er.-The above remarks apply to a dozen recipes 
now before us, contributed by subscribers, which 
gives directions for making excellent quiek wash¬ 
ing soaps, costing only 2 to 4 cents the pound or 
gallon. Those who use them, should take into ae- 
count the loss of fibre they are inv.ariably enduring. 
The same remarks apply also to the thousand-.and- 
oue w.ashing fluids, for which recipes have been 
sold so extensively. 
Aiiotlier Fraud, is found in the white soft 
soaps sold at the grocery stores in cities and vil¬ 
lages. They are made of a little grease and soda 
(instead of potash). As the soda naturally makes 
a hard so.ap, much w.ater, together with starch flour, 
silic.ate of potash, borax, etc., are mingled to give 
it the jelly like consistence. All this stuff is to be 
avoided. We h.ave seen it sold of so poor a char¬ 
acter that a barrelful of it was really less valuable 
than 3 or 4 lbs. of bar soap. We have heard of its 
being made and sold .at 75 cents a barrel, at a 
round profit to the maker. Yet the poor .and igno¬ 
rant buy this in immense quantities, because it is 
sold at a low price by the gallon, though at an ex- 
horbitant price compared with its real worth. 
There are m.any other interesting and useful 
items about common soaps, toilet soaps, fancy 
soaps, shaving so<aps, etc., which we must defer a 
month or two, or until we have space for them, 
---- f O— I -- 
For the American Agriculturist. 
“Above Half Right.” 
“Above half right, above half right,” exclaimed, 
Mr. Marvin, at the close of a long reverie, as he sat 
by the kitchen stove. 
“ What is above half right?” asked his trim lit¬ 
tle wife, who was just entering to call him to te.a. 
“ Oh, no matter, Fanny, but I am glad if tea is 
ready—the chill has gone, outside, and that will set 
me all right within.” 
“ But I insist upon knowing to what that oracular 
conclusion referred,” said Fanny, playfully inter¬ 
cepting her husband’s way to the dining room. 
Now with the bright face of his wife, and the 
pleasant prospect of supper before him, Mr. Mar- 
