The Massachusetts spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1821-1823, 1822-04-17
From the Archives Ofussful Knowledge.
TO make Soft SOAP.

Take five bushels Of ashes, damp
them thoroughly on the ground, and let
them stand from FIVE hours to two days,
as may be conVenient-then make up
the heap in an oblong form, open the
middle, and put in three pecks of per-
fectly fresh lime, and sprinkle about
three or four quarts of water over il,
and cover up-observe 10 use hot water
IN very cold weather. Ia large exper-,
iments, cold water viii answer in any
weather.
10 half an hour, the lime will heat,
and burst open the heap of ashes, when
the whole must be we'll and quickly
mixed, and put into the ley tub, to the
depth OF one foot, and beaten moderate
y another layer of ashes, of the same
depth as the first, is then to be added
and beaten as before, and so on until
the tub is filed within six inches of
the top; water is then to be poured in
steadily until the ashes are nearly or
entirely spent. The ley must be of
strength scarcely sufficient to float
newly laid egg-four gallons of this ley
are to be be put into large kettle, and
thirty or forty pounds of fat added, and
well stirred, overa gentle heat. When
it is perceived that the sharp taste of
the mixture is lost, more ley is to be
added occasionally until the soap be-
comes transparent and very thick, and
toward the last Of the operation the
liquid must be made to boil briskly.-
When the soap is made, let it stand for
day-when, if it does not grow thin,
In that time, no apprehensions need be
excited as to the occurrence of that cir
cumstance. The kettle should be COW
cred, and should hold more liquid than
it is intended TO boil, to give room for
brisk ebullition towards the close.
For Hard Soap, mild ley is to be used.
When the soft soap is finished, and the
mixture still tolerably hot, add sea salt
until the ley drops clear from the soap
IF it closes, add more salt, and at
the same time, slacken the fire then
boil until the froth becomes as light as
feather. Draw the fire, and pour in
salt and water into the mixture to cool
it, observing to make arapid steam, and
not to let any drops fall, in turning up
the bucket. When the soap is too
strong of the alkali, it will not grain;
in that case, add clean fat by degrees,
until il graduates, stirring it all the
time over gentle heat. When it boils,
no more fat need be added.
1t is to be observed, that if the ashes
have been too tightly pressed in the ley
tub the ley will not filtrate and if
they have not been sufficiently pressed,
the water will run foul. In the first
case, the ashes may be loosened with
long iron sewer; in the latter, they
must remain: some hours to- settle, and
also, be pressed.
. Obseruation.-The foregoing receipts
were some years since given to the
Editor, by one of the best manufactur-
ers of soap in Philadelphia, and he had
1t tried under his direction, with sue-
cess. He has even recently recovered
large quantity of half made soap, by
knowing the proportions of the several
ingredients employed, and by supplying
the deficient ones agreeably to the re-
ceipt, after the female farqn-servant
declared that the mass was worth moth
ing. Rather less fresh lime was used
than is directed.
We see SO many new things in our
day, that we think the safest way is, to
be astonished at nothing. A number of
young menin Cross Creek, Washington
County, Pennsylvania, amounting to one
hundred, have come to sundry resolu-
firms stooncst which ;s fba coIlor,;yo.