to more readily explain and simplify the invention; but it is obvious that designs without number-geometrical designs, designs of birds, beasts, reptiles, flowers, and landscapescan be produced in the same manner.

The plain portions of the brick may be collected or ornamented in any desirable manner, and the portions in relief be of the natural color of the clay. Metallic foil, which will withstand the fires of the furnace may be placed on the brick in the same manner, and with good results.

For the better protection of the ornament, and to prevent the same from becoming injured in the firing, there may be formed, on the opposite side of the brick or tile cavities, for the reception of the designs in relief on the opposite side, so that by piling the bricks in the kiln back to face, and allowing the relief designs to be pocketed into these cavities the ornament will be fully protected from dust and smoke, and all danger of mashing, breaking, or injuring the relief design obviated.

Ornamentation of Bricks, Tiles, and Building-blocks having Plain or Uniform Surfaces.

This process, which is by the same inventor as the one above described for ornamenting clay bodies with uneven surfaces, relates to the ornamentation of bricks, tiles, building-blocks, and other bodies of clay having uniform or plain surfaces; and it consists in placing the ornament of whatever kind between the faces of the brick or tile as they are being piled or set in the kiln for burning, so that in the

burning of the articles the ornament will be fixed and become a part thereof.

In carrying out this invention the inventor spreads or prints the coloring matter, of any desired color or combination of colors, on paper or other suitable material, which will be consumed in the firing and burning of the brick or tile, and leave the color or ornament in place and fixed on the face of the article. The bricks or tiles, having been formed in the usual manner, are laid up or set in the kiln face to face upon their edges, in stretching-courses of two or three bricks high, with fire spaces between the courses, and then like heading or cross courses are laid, as is usual in setting fine pressed brick in the kilns. The ornaments, of whatever kind, are placed between the bricks and in contact with the face, sides, or edges to be ornamented.

When the

kiln is properly filled the firing takes place (a down-draft kiln being preferred, such as that shown in Chapter IV., Section VI.) and as the bricks are slightly softened by the evaporation of the water from the stock, or in the act of driving off what we have previously termed the "water-smoke," the bricks being set one upon the other, the combined weight of the mass above is utilized in compressing the ornament, and the bricks will settle down and embed the ornament therein. In the process of firing, the bricks or tiles pass through two softening periods—the one just mentioned, the other when they have reached a degree of heat when semi-vitrification and shrinkage take place. Before reaching the latter point the paper or other material on which the ornament has been placed is consumed, leav

ing the ornament impressed and permanently fixed on the brick or tile.

Leaves, plants, etc., can be used to receive the body-color, or the leaves, plants, etc., may be saturated or permeated with the coloring-matter in a liquid or semi-liquid state, the pores and surface being filled or covered with the desired color to represent the leaf, plant, etc., when burned, as it is in a state of nature, or in varied and different colors. It will be understood, however, that by this process it is possible to inlay or ornament with gold-leaf, silver-leaf, or with any thin ornament or metallic colors not affected by the heat, but such as will be fixed or vitrified in the burning.

The paper used on which to print or paint the design is by preference what is known as "unsized" paper; but it is not necessary to be confined to paper of any kind or to leaves, as it is obvious that sheets of gelatine, wax, and the like may be employed for this purpose.

Nor is it necessary to be confined to any particular form of ornament, as it is obvious that geometrical figures may be so arranged that a series of bricks or tiles of a certain series will form the design when placed in position, and that ivy-vines and other climbing plants may be brought out with good effect on the wall or floor of a building. Figures, letters, and, in fact, a vast variety of designs, can thus be produced at a comparatively slight cost.

Enamelling Fine Wares.

Two kinds of glazes are used in Staffordshire, England, for the higher grades of pottery.

The following is the composition of a glaze intended to cover all kinds of figures printed in metallic colors: 26 parts of white feldspar are fritted with 6 parts of soda, 2 of nitre, and 1 of borax; to 20 pounds of this frit, 26 parts of feldspar, 20 of white lead, 6 of ground flints, 4 of chalk, 1 of oxide of tin, and a small quantity of oxide of cobalt, to destroy the brown cast and to induce a faint azure tint, are added.

The following may also be used: frit together 20 parts of flint-glass, 6 of flints, 2 of nitre, and 1 of borax; add to 12 parts of that frit 40 parts of white-lead, 36 of feldspar, 8 of flints, and 6 of flint-glass; then grind the whole together into a uniform cream-consistenced paste.

As to the ware which is to be painted, it is covered with a glaze composed of 13 parts of the printing-color frit, to which are added 50 parts of red-lead, 40 of white-lead, and 12 of flint; the whole having been ground together.

If fired in saggers, in order that they may not absorb any of the vitrifying matter, they are themselves coated with a glaze composed of 13 parts of common salt and 30 parts of potash, simply dissolved in water and brushed over them.

In fine enamelling, ground-laying is the first process; in operating on all designs to which it is applied, it requires lightness and delicacy of hand principally, and is extremely simple.

A coat of boiled oil adapted to the purpose being laid upon the ware with a hair pencil, and afterwards levelled, or as it is termed technically "bossed," until the surface is

perfectly uniform; as the deposit of more oil on one part than on another would cause a proportionate increase of color to adhere, and consequently produce a deepening or variation of the tint.

The "bossing" having been properly done, the color in a state of fine powder is dusted on the oiled surface with fine cotton-waste; a sufficient quantity very readily attaches itself, and the superfluity is cleared off by the same medium.

If it be requisite to preserve a panel ornament, or any object of the ground color, an additional process is necessary, termed "stencilling." The stencil, generally a mixture of rose-pink, sugar, and water, is laid on in the form desired with a pencil, so as to entirely protect that portion of the surface of the ware or tile from the oil, and the process of "grounding," as described above, ensues. It is then dried in an oven to harden the color and dispel the oil, and then immersed in water, which penetrates to the stencil, and, softening the sugar, is then easily washed off, carrying with it any portion of color or oil that may be upon it, and leaving the ware free, and perfectly clean.

When great depth of color is necessary, the colors are repeated several times, when only a lighter increase of shade is required they are repeated a less number of times.

Bandages are generally, and should be at times, worn over the mouths of the "ground-layers," as the inhaling of the color-dust is very injurious.

Bossing" is the term applied to the process by which the level surfaces of the various colors, extensively introduced upon decorated porcelain, are effected; tiles are sometimes so