CHAPTER L. SOAPS. THE details of this branch of industry may be considered under six divisions: 1st, the hard soaps; 2d, light or flotant soaps; 3d, soft soaps; 4th, savonnettes; 5th, soap powders; 6th, essence of soap, or liquid soaps. Windsor soaps.-Whilst the fabrication of this soap was yet in its infancy, most of it was drawn from England, but the rapid stride of intelligence among those engaged in this branch of manufacture has superseded the necessity of importation, by furnishing a home supply of the soap not only equalling, but even surpassing the foreign in quality. The reputation of the English article, however, is still pre-eminent, and our producers, imprudently lacking a confidence in the sale of their article if left to its own merits, still adhere to the practice of adopting the English label. The necessity of this ruse has long since disappeared, and the practice itself, reprehensible, because derogatory to the once. advanced state of this branch of art, as well as humiliating by reason of an unnecessary fraud which it induces, is unworthy of any high-minded competent American workman, and should be discarded at Strive to excel; be not content with equalling. No mere imitators ever yet achieved greatness in any undertaking. Let the article protect itself, by its superiority both as to quality and economy; and, until it is so shielded, it is inferior, and the attempt to attribute fictitious properties by elegant envelops and counterfeit labels, is a most culpable artifice to deceive the unwary. No enlightened manufacturer will stoop to such trickery. He is content to base his success upon the excellence of his products, and such we hope is and will be the characteristic policy of every American manufacturer of perfumery. English soaps.-There are five kinds of English soap, viz., Windsor, violet, benzoin, palm, and rose. That of Windsor is made with lard and perfumed with caraway. The violet is composed of one-half lard, one-third palm oil, and the rest spermaceti. The essence of Portugal and oil of cloves form the perfume. The benzoin is similar to the Windsor, only that, an hour before being taken from the fire, it is amal gamated with benzoic acid in the proportion of 10 lbs. to 200 lbs. of soap; hence its name and perfume. If the soap, however, is to be powdered, then it requires 15 per cent. of benzoic acid. The palm soap has the natural odor of the palm oil from which it is made. Sometimes it is set off with a little essence of Portugal and oil of cloves. When the soap is for powder, 5 per cent. of flowers of benzoin should be added. The rose soap is composed like that of Windsor, except that it is colored with vermilion and scented with essence of rose, mixed with the spirit of rose. The soaps are not perfumed until poured into the cooling-frames; because the evaporative power of the contained heat renders the addition of the essences improper, until the paste has partially cooled. French Windsor soap.-For some years this soap was made with mutton suet alone, so that its quality was inferior to the English. It became rancid and yellow. But at the present day, a certain proportion of lard or olive oil is used, and a complete imitation is obtained. Add 25 to 30 per cent. of either oil or lard, though the former is preferable. What is lost in whiteness, is gained in quality. By this addition, the soap may be pre advanced state of this branch of art, as well as humiliating by reason of an unnecessary fraud which it induces, is unworthy of any high-minded competent American workman, and should be discarded at once. Strive to excel; be not content with equalling. No mere imitators ever yet achieved greatness in any undertaking. Let the article protect itself, by its superiority both as to quality and economy; and, until it is so shielded, it is inferior, and the attempt to attribute fictitious properties by elegant envelops and counterfeit labels, is a most culpable artifice to deceive the unwary. No enlightened manufacturer will stoop to such trickery. He is content to base his success upon the excellence of his products, and such we hope is and will be the characteristic policy of every American manufacturer of perfumery. English soaps.-There are five kinds of English soap, viz., Windsor, violet, benzoin, palm, and rose. That of Windsor is made with lard and perfumed with caraway. The violet is composed of one-half lard, one-third palm oil, and the rest spermaceti. The essence of Portugal and oil of cloves form the perfume. The benzoin is similar to the Windsor, only that, an hour before being taken from the fire, it is amal vessel and remelt over a water-bath; by this method there is a better commingling of the essences with the soap, without the danger of contamination with lye. Either mode, however, is good. Windsor soap exclusively of oil.—This article, according to Laugier-a very competent judgethough less used, is much the best kind. He maintains that those soaps made from olive oil are less liable to deteriorate, even though their saponification has been imperfect, and, besides, that they retain their perfume and whiteness longer without ever emitting the disagreeable odor of suet. Windsor palm soap.-The oil of palm furnishes excellent soaps. The violet odor is natural, the paste mild and unctuous; but this oil, otherwise so advantageous, would be useless if there were no mode of depriving it of its coloring matter. The following process bleaches it so as to render it applicable for white soap. Put the oil of palm in a copper kettle, and whilst melted, throw in the sixteenth of its weight of carefully powdered peroxide of manganese, and let the whole remain together at a moderate heat for eight or ten minutes, stirring constantly during the interval, and, at the end of that time, add a half of boiling water. Bring the mixture to ebullition, and |