Part 3

Now this block must be just the thickness of pasteboard, shorter than the shell; before you push the shell clear down over the block, take one of the ends and place it inside the shell down on the block; then shove the shell all the way down, thereby bringing the top of the shell just even with the top of the pasteboard end. You then prepare your caps which have a margin over the net size of the top of one-half inch all around. Take the dry cap, put some thin paste on it; lay another cap on that, paste it, and lay another until you have about fifty pasted on both sides, then turn the pile of them over. Put some fresh paste on the first one before picking it up, then lay the fresh side down on the top of the shell, turn down the sides and crease in at ends, then fasten the ends down by rubbing over it gently with the hand. Remove the shell from the block and repeat the performance on the balance. Let your shells get well dried.

The object in placing paste on both sides of the caps is to saturate them so as to work easy and pliable, and also to strengthen and stiffen when dry.

After your shells have dried sufficiently, weigh in your goods, clean off all flour or other material that should adhere to the outside of the shell. Lay the pasteboard end on top of the material or filling, then proceed as in making the shell with the caps; after the caps are pasted on, turn the package upside down; the weight of material inside will force the end against the cap. When dry, label as per Instructions for Labeling.

LABELING CANS.

Paste your labels with thin paste. Fold each one together, pasted sides in. Without you are an expert do not paste more than half a dozen. When ready to label turn the pile of them over so as to use from the bottom, or those first pasted. The pasting of half a dozen or more allows them to get well moistened before using. When placed on the cans or packages in their moist state, there will be no wrinkles when they have dried. After labeling, stand the packages on top of each other to height of three or four packages. Do not place them close together, but so that air can circulate between them.

TO LABEL INK, BLUEING, EXTRACT AND OIL BOTTLES.

Paste evenly a board a foot or more square, with thin paste. Then take the labels you wish to use and lay them backs down on the paste. After you have laid out, say a couple dozen, take a piece of paper, newspaper will do, and cover the whole, then press them down by rubbing your hand over the paper. This is the dampening process for small labels. Commence with the first label laid down to label the bottle, and continue in order; first pasted, first used.

DIRECTIONS FOR LABELING.

Apply the paste to back of labels, with a wide brush. Fold the labels (the pasted surfaces together), and let them lie about one minute, which will give the proper time to absorb a portion of the moisture. Then commence with the first one pasted, and rub down smooth with a stiff brush or handful of cloth.

Labels should be kept in a cool, dry place, standing on their edges. Never lay them down flat.

PASTE.

For a good paste that will neither decay nor become moldy, mix clean flour with cold water into a paste well blended, then add boiling water and boil, stirring constantly to keep from burning, stirring well up until it is of a consistency that can be easily and smoothly spread with a brush; add to this a spoonful or two of powdered alum, to keep it from becoming sour or spoiling.

FLOUR PASTE.

The best paste for general purposes is simply wheat flour beaten into cold water to perfect smoothness, and the whole just brought to a boil, while being constantly stirred to prevent burning. The addition of a few drops of creosote, or a few grains of corrosive sublimate, or a little carbolic acid, or bisulphite of lime (especially the first and second), will prevent insects from attacking it, and preserve it (in covered vessels) for years. Should it get too hard it may be softened with water.

OLIVE OIL.

The oil generally used for this purpose is a refined grade of cottonseed oil (the stearine or fat being removed from the crude or fresh oil.) It can be bought of any good wholesale oil dealers. It is put up in bottles called pints, holding in reality only 10 ozs.; in half pints, holding 5 ozs. Put on a foreign sounding label (carried in stock by label houses). Pasting an inch and a half of tin foil around the cork and neck completes the job.

This oil is both as pure and strong as the genuine olive oil, and much cheaper. Olive oil pure is almost impossible to buy at any price.

DESICCATED COCOANUT.

“No, sir, we don’t make cocoanuts,” said a member of a firm whose sign read, “Cocoanut Manufacturing Company,” in response to an inquiry of a reporter for _The New York Mail and Express_. “What we do is to prepare cocoanut for confectioners, bakers and families, to be used for pies and pastry. The nuts are brought here by the vessel-load, some ships bringing as many as 400,000 in one cargo. They are put up in bags of one hundred each. The average weight of the green nut is one and one-half pounds. The best are those thickest in meat and richest in natural oil and sugar. They come from San Blas, Cow Island, San Andreas, Ruatans, Jamaica, and Baracoa. They grow on the islands of the Caribbean Sea, and the trees are so planted that the roots are constantly washed with salt water. The nuts are not picked from the tree, but fall to the ground when ripe because of the decay of the stems. When the husk is taken off they are ready for shipping. The perishable nature of the green nut has made desiccated cocoanut more desirable in the market, and this is the article we manufacture and sell.”

“What is the operation?”

“The cocoanuts are placed in a large hopper, from which they fall to a zinc-covered table on a lower floor. In front of this table several men are placed, who crack the shell of the nut with a hatchet as it falls on the table. Then the shell is pried off, leaving the meat whole. From six to eleven o’clock six men at this work open twelve thousand nuts. A peeling machine then takes off the brown skin of the nuts, after which the meats are broken into pieces, the milk drawn off, and the pieces put into tubs of clean cold water. The meat is then inspected as to its quality, and next it is put into a grinding mill turning four hundred revolutions a minute. The pulp thus made is mixed with granulated sugar and put in long pans of galvanized iron, which are put in the desiccators and the water extracted at a high temperature. An interesting fact about the work is that the entire process must be completed by two o’clock in the afternoon, because of the delicate nature of the fruit. The desiccated nut is white as snow, and perfectly dry, when it has been through the process, and it is then allowed to cool, and is left in a dry temperature for ten days before it is finally put up for the market. At three o’clock each day the work is all done.”

“What about the idea that cocoanut is indigestible?”

“It is supposed by many persons to be so. But the best growths show by analysis about 48 per cent. of digestible oils, 5 per cent. of sugar, about 46 per cent. of water, and only 1 per cent. of ash. This being the case, there is scarcely anything people eat more digestible and nutritious.”

TO PACK COCOANUT.

Buy a grade that is desiccated in sugar by the barrel, known as Baker’s A Grade. It is as good as is usually packed in cans or packages. Pack in cans or paper shells. If in shells line them with wax paper. Fruit jars are useful and handy packages for this purpose. Some manufacturers call 13 ounces 1 pound, and 6½ ozs. a half pound.

AQUA AMMONIA.

Buy FFFF ammonia by the carboy. Put up in pint bottles, cork with rubber or rubber covered corks. If common cork is used tie a piece of bladder over the top of the cork.

HORSERADISH.

Grate fine to suit. Mix with vinegar. Bottle and cork tight. A little alcohol added will keep it from freezing.

To adulterate Horseradish mix grated turnips with it.

CANDY.

Degrees of Boiling Sugar.

In preparing sugar for candies the confectioner requires different degrees of boiling in order to bring the sugar to the proper state for the various articles he prepares. Well clarified and perfectly transparent syrup is boiled until a skimmer dipped into it, and a portion touched between the forefinger and thumb, on opening them, is drawn into a small thread which crystallizes and breaks. This is called a weak candy height.

If boiled again, it will draw into a larger string, and if bladders may be blown with the mouth through the drippings from the ladle, it has acquired the second degree, and is called bloom sugar.

After still further boiling, it arrives at the state called feathered sugar. To determine this dip the skimmer and shake it over the pan, then give it a sudden flirt or jerk, and the sugar will fly off like feathers.

The next degree is that of crackled sugar, in which state the sugar that hangs to a stick dipped into it, and put directly into cold water, is not dissolved off, but turns hard and snaps.

The last stage of boiling reduces it to caramel sugar, and is proved by dipping a stick into the sugar and then into cold water, when, on the moment it touches the water it will snap like glass. It has now arrived at a full candy height.

Throughout the boiling the fire must not be too fierce, as it will discolor the syrup. The best safeguard against this is the use of steam heat. Color may be given to the candy by adding the coloring matter to the syrup before boiling it. Flavoring essences must be added when the process is nearly complete.

CREAM CANDY.

Fine White Sugar 8 lbs. Water 2 pts. Vinegar ⅜ ” Butter 1 oz. Vanilla Extract 2 teasp’nfuls. Soda ½ ”

Boil all together except the vanilla (which add after boiling) until it cracks in water, after which work it till very white.

SUGAR CANDY.

White Sugar 6 cups. Vinegar 1 ” Water 1 ” Butter 1 tablespoonful. Soda 1 teaspoonful.

Let boil without stirring thirty minutes. Use flavor to suit.

MAPLE CANDY.

Butter 2 tablespoonfuls. Maple Syrup 4 pts.

Let boil until it cracks in water.

CHOCOLATE CARAMELS.

Sugar 2 pts. Warm water 1 ” Grated Chocolate ½ ” Butter ¾ ”

Let boil until it cracks in water.

TO CANDY NUTS OR FRUIT.

Sugar 3 pts. Water 1 ” Sufficient Lemon Flavor.

Boil the water and sugar until it hardens in water, then add the lemon flavor; use a pair of candy tongs or a sharp piece of wire, stick into the nut kernel or the fruit to be candied, immerse it in the candy while warm, take it out, cool it, and draw out the wire rod.

COCOANUT CANDY.

Dessicated Cocoanut 4 oz. Sugar 1 lb. Water ½ pt. White of egg sufficient.

Mix the egg and water, pour it over the sugar, let it stand a few minutes. Boil for a few minutes over a clear fire; set aside, skim all the scum off, then boil until thick, mix in the cocoanut. Mix well, and keep at it until finished.

ALMOND CANDY.

Grate your almonds, then proceed as in cocoanut candy.

MOLASSES CANDY.

Molasses 1 qt. Brown Sugar 1½ lbs. Juice of one Lemon Lemon Oil 12 drops.

Mix the sugar and molasses together. Butter the inside of a porcelain-lined kettle. Put the mixture into it. Let boil over a slow fire two hours. Add the lemon oil and juice, and boil another half hour. Stir often to prevent burning. When done, it will cease boiling of itself. Butter a pan; pour out to cool. If properly done it will be crisp and brittle. (Nuts of any kind may be added just before pouring into the pan.) It must be worked, if at all, just as soon as it is cool enough to handle. Use butter on your hands to prevent sticking.

MOLASSES TAFFY.

Molasses 1 qt. Water 1 gill. Butter 1 tablespoonful. Brown Sugar 1 ”

Allow the molasses and water to boil until nearly stiff enough, then add the butter and sugar; let boil about ten minutes additional. Pour into pans buttered.

SUGAR TAFFY.

Sugar 2 cups. Butter ¾ ”

Place in pan or kettle porcelain lined. Boil gently until stiff enough. Cool in buttered pans.

HONEY.

ARTIFICIAL NO. 1.

White Sugar 10 lbs. Water ½ gals. Pure Honey 1½ lbs. Ess. Peppermint 10 drops. Cream Tartar 40 grains

Dissolve the sugar in the water over a slow fire. Skim as needed; bring it almost to the boiling point; stir it occasionally. Remove it from the fire; add 1 pound of the honey, and the cream tartar dissolved in a little warm water; stir, and when at blood heat add balance of the honey. When nearly cold add the peppermint. The quantity of this can be varied to suit the taste. A slippery elm decoction added only in cold weather improves the deception. If better article is wanted, add more honey and less water.

ARTIFICIAL HONEY NO. 2.

Soft Water 1 gal. Alum 1 oz. White Sugar 32 lbs. Artificial Honey Flavor 1 oz.

Boil the alum and water together; set off and dissolve the sugar in it; then boil again for two or three minutes only. Strain it, and when it has become lukewarm, add the flavor. Stir well.

CHEWING GUM.

Prepared Balsam Tolu 2 lbs. White Sugar 1 ” Oatmeal 3 ” Sufficient Water.

Dissolve or soften the gum in the water, then mix in the sugar and oatmeal into a thick paste. Roll out into sticks in pulverized sugar mixed with flour or corn starch. Dry.

PARAFFINE CHEWING GUM.

Paraffine dissolved in cottonseed oil and glycerine at a moderate heat, stirring constantly, then cooled and pressed; may be used in this state as chewing gum, or substituted in above formula for the balsam tolu.

BORAX POWDER.

So much used now, can be bought at a nominal price in barrels. It can be packed in paper packages without loss of strength. It is often adulterated with terra alba, which in itself is not injurious, but is a cheat on the consumer.

FINE RED CATSUP.

Ripe Tomatoes 1 bu. Red Pepper, ground ½ teaspoonful Mustard, ground 1 tablespoonful Salt 3 ” Sugar 1 lb. Vinegar 3 pts. Allspice, whole 1 tablespoonful Cloves, whole 1 ” Black Pepper, whole 1 ”

Wash and quarter the tomatoes. Place in a porcelain-lined kettle. Let them boil in their own liquor until soft, about one hour on a brisk fire. Strain through a fine sieve to exclude the seeds. Add red pepper, mustard, salt, sugar and vinegar. Place the black pepper, cloves and allspice in a small muslin bag, then put it into the juice. Boil for four hours, stirring occasionally to prevent burning. Let cool, and bottle.

EAST INDIA CURRY POWDER.

Coriander Seeds 2 lbs. Turmeric Root ¾ ” Fenugrek Seed ½ ” Mustard Seed ½ ” Cummin Seed ¾ ” Cayenne Pepper to suit.

These seeds and roots must be fresh. Roast all separately; be careful not to burn them. Powder finely; mix thoroughly, and bottle to suit.

WORCESTERSHIRE SAUCE.

ENGLISH FORMULA.

Walnut Catsup 1 gal. Mushroom Catsup 1 ” Vinegar 1½ ” Madeira Wine ½ ” Canton Soy ½ ” Dampened Sugar 2½ lbs. Salt 19 ozs. Powdered Capsicum 3 ” Coriander 1½ ” Pimento 1½ ” Cloves ¾ ” Chutney, 1½ ” Mace ¾ ” Cinnamon ¾ ” Asafœtida 6½ drs. Brandy 20 deg. above proof 1 pt. Hog’s Liver 2 lbs. Water 1 gal.

Mix all together down to asafœtida. Dissolve the latter in the brandy, then add it to the mass. Boil the liver in the water for twelve hours, replenishing the water as it boils down. Then mix the liver and water thoroughly, strain through a coarse sieve; add this to the balance and mix well; let stand.

IMITATION WORCESTERSHIRE SAUCE.

Red Pepper 3 tablespoonfuls. Walnut or Tomato Catsup 2 ” Shalots, chopped fine 3 Anchovies ” ” 3 Vinegar 1 qt. Cloves ½ teaspoonful.

Put all into a stone jar; set in water bath; heat gradually until it is too hot to bear your finger in it. Let it stand two days; strain and bottle.

TO IMPROVE RANCID BUTTER.

Wash the butter well in good fresh milk and then with cold clear water. Butyric acid which causes the rancidity is freely soluble in fresh milk.

TO IMPROVE RANCID BUTTER. NO. 2.

Butter 2 lbs. Chloride of Lime 30 drops. Water to suit.

Beat the butter thoroughly with the water after adding the lime to it; let it stand for a couple of hours in the water. Pour it all off, then wash thoroughly in cold clear water. This is a harmless and good way to sweeten the butter.

TO PURIFY RANCID BUTTER.

Melt the butter; pour off from it any deposit, then boil it a short time with limewater; allow to settle, then suddenly cool the butter, which can be done by pouring it into clear fresh water containing broken ice, after which it can be taken from the water and worked same as if just fresh churned.

BUTTER COLOR

Pure Cottonseed Oil 100 lbs. Purified Annatto 10 ” Alcohol ½ pt.

Digest twenty-four hours, or boil for thirty minutes. Draw off, then filter, add the ½ pint alcohol; shake well; warm it before putting in bottles; cork, and seal well.

BUTTER COLOR.

The following is a cheaper color:

Water 12½ gals. Annatto, purified 10 lbs. Caustic Potassa 1 ” Borax 1 ”

Mix, and proceed as above.

PULVERIZED BATH BRICK.

A fair quality of cement sifted through a very fine sieve. Pack in packages, same as corn starch.

TIN AND METAL POLISH.

Rotten stone sifted through a hair or fine muslin sieve. Mix with it soft soap until it is brought to the consistency of putty; add to it two ounces of oil of turpentine. It will harden soon; it can be placed in tin boxes, small shoe polish boxes, or it can be made into balls. Moisten the paste with water for use; smear it over the glass, brass, tin or other articles to be cleansed. Rub dry with a dry soft rag.

PASTE SHOE POLISH.

WITHOUT OIL VITRIOL—NO. 1.

Molasses 1 lb. Ivory Black 1¼ ” Sweet Oil 2 ozs.

Rub together until the oil is killed, add a little strong vinegar; reduce to the proper consistency.

SHOE BLACKING.

Ivory Black 2 lbs. Molasses 1 ” Olive Oil ¼ ” Oil Vitriol ¼ ”

Mix same as above. Add water to reduce.

SHOE POLISH.

Ivory Black 28 lbs. Molasses 21 ” Oil 1 qt. Vitriol 3 lbs.

Mix same as above.

LIQUID POLISH—WITHOUT VITRIOL OIL.

Ivory Black 1 lb. Molasses ¾ ” Sweet Oil 2 ozs. Beer—sour 1 pt. Vinegar 1 ”

Mix the black molasses and oil until the oil is completely killed, then add the beer and vinegar.

LIQUID POLISH NO. 2.

Molasses 1 lb. Ivory Black 1 ” Sweet Oil ¼ ” Oil of Vitriol ¼ ” Water ¾ pt.

Mix the black, oil and molasses as above, then gradually mix the water and vitriol, first mixing them. Let stand three hours, then reduce to proper consistency with water or sour beer.

LADIES’ SHOE DRESSING.

Best Extract Logwood 1 oz. Aqua Ammonia 1 ” Shellac 8 ” Water ½ gal. Powdered Borax 1½ ozs. Bichromate Potash 1 dr. Yellow Prussiate Potash 1 ”

Dissolve the logwood in hot water heated to nearly boiling. At nearly boiling point add the bichromate and prussiate of potash. After a deep blue has developed, add the borax. When this is all dissolved, add the shellac and ammonia.

WATERPROOF BLACKING.

Castile Soap 8 ozs. Beeswax 8 ” Neat’sfoot Oil 1 lb. Ivory Black ½ oz. Indigo ½ ” Tragacanth 2 ” Alcohol 4 ” Water 5 ”

Mix, heat to dissolve soap and oils, stir constantly until cool.

STOVE POLISH.

CAKE POLISH.

Fine East India Plumbago 50 lbs. German Lead 25 to 50 ”

Temper with water and pass through moulds; the plumbago and lead must be ground to the fineness of flour.

PASTE POLISH.

Powdered East India Plumbago 50 lbs. German Lead 25 ” Soap sufficient.

Mix thoroughly the plumbago and lead. If jet black is wanted, mix in some lampblack also; then heat some common laundry soap and a small amount of water to nearly the boiling point; then mix the whole together; use some cheap odor to disguise the soap smell. Put into tin boxes, label to exclude the air, and prevent evaporation.

LIQUID POLISH.

Consists of a small amount of the Pulverized Leads and a quantity of Benzine. It is dangerous.

LIQUID POLISH NO. 2.

Copperas 2 lbs. Boneblack 1 ” Plumbago—fine 1 ” Water sufficient.

Mix thoroughly, apply with a cloth.

Benzine can be substituted for the water.

FURNITURE POLISH.

Aqua Ammonia 4 ozs. Turpentine 1 pt. Linseed Oil 2 ” Alcohol 1 ” Warm Water 1 ” Shellac 4 ozs. Sulphuric Ether 4 ”

Thoroughly mix the warm water and alcohol, dissolve the shellac in this; add the sulphuric ether and mix thoroughly all together.

Should be well shaken when used, and applied with a sponge.

Splendid for old varnished articles.

METAL POLISHING PASTE.

Lard 14 ozs. Fine Colcother 6 ” Sufficient Oil Almonds.

Mix thoroughly; apply with woolen rag.

WAX PAPER.

Place a piece of sheet copper over a very moderate fire, lay a sheet of paper on it; paint or smear over it with sponge or brush, melted white or yellow wax.

A little experience will enable one to do this very rapidly.

There is no patent on this kind of paper. A machine process for making wax paper is patented, however, but it applies to the machine alone.

HEKTOGRAPH PAD.

French Gelatine 2 ounces Water 10 ” Glycerine 20 ”

Dissolve the gelatine in the water in water bath, then add the glycerine. Place over slow fire until it boils. Skim, and pour into shallow pan letter paper size.

_Directions for Use._—Write on paper with the ink for this purpose, and allow the writing to become dry. Then place it face down on the pad, allow it to remain for three to five minutes, remove it, and proceed with blank paper to take copies of same. This will give from thirty to fifty copies; wash off with damp sponge immediately. Use more gelatine for summer pad than for a winter pad.

HEKTOGRAPH INK.

Methyl Violet 1 ounce Glycerine 1 ” Water 8 ” Alcohol ¼ ”

Dissolve the methyl violet in the water, warm it gently (not boil) for about one hour. Add the glycerine, and when nearly cool, add the alcohol.

HEKTOGRAPH INK NO. 2.

Hoffman’s Violet Aniline 1 ounce Water 6 ” Alcohol 1 ”

Mix all together. If too free add a little glycerine.

INSECT POWDER.

PERSIAN INSECT POWDER.