The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1876-09-23

Under the title of Improvements in
the Manufacture of Vegetable Leather"
q patent has recently been obtained, says
the English Mechanic, in this country
for an invention which promises to util-
ize certain waste or cheap products.
Fucus of several species and Laminaria
are well-known sea-weeds, rs plentiful
on the sea.coast as grass in the fields,
and waste textile materials of vegetable
origin are still in sufficient abundance
to find profitable employment in the
manufacture of this leather" Sheets
of carded wadding are manufactured
with cotton waste or cotton itself. ac-
cording to the quality required to be
produced, uniform in thickness, length
and width, which sheets are placed on
polished zinc or other metal plates, then
the wadding is coated with concen-
trated decoction of ''fucus crispus" or
pearl moss, or other fucus or mucilagin-
GUS lichen (rock moss), or any other
similar mucilaginous substance may be
employed. The metal plates requires
10 be kept hot, in order to allow the mu-
cilaginous decoction to penetrate thor
oughly into the filaments of the cotton.
The sheet is then dried quickly, thus
giving to the surface applied to the
metal plate glazed or polished appear
ance, resembling the gloss of ordinary
leather. The sheet thus prepared is
passed between two heated cylinders or
rollers perfectly polished, having
space between them the exact thickness
required to be given to the sheet to be
produced. Great pressure is required
in order to press and felt all the fila
ments of cotton thoroughly together,
and thereby render the thickness OF the
sheet uniform. The sheet is then coated
with boiled linseed oil, and dried in the
open air, or by means of artificial heat.
When the sheet is dry, coating of thin
vegetable wax is applied, according to
the use to which it is to be applied, and
the sheet is softened by passing it
through heated fluted rollers, by which
means it is softened in uniform man.
ner; it is then passed through other pol
ished rollers, according to the quality
of the leather required, either plain,
morocco, embossed, glazed or otherwise,
and it is then bronzed, silvered, gilted,
or vanished, and finished in like man
ner to ordinary leather. French, veg
etable, or similar leather thus prepared
is waterproof, and easily stamped.
The TELL-TALE EARLY one
morning gentlemanly looking fellow,
with evident marks of having been on
"tare," found his way upstairs in the
United States army recruiting Office in
st. Lonis, and introduced himself to
some of the "boys in blue" He in
vited them out to drink, and declared
his willingness to buy whole whisky
store for them. He gloried in being
newspaper man, IA special correspondent,
and feeling patriotic desire to avenge
Clusters death burning in his breast, he
wished to doff citizens attire, don the
uniform of soldier brave, and be dis
patched Immediately for the far North
west. He was told to call again at nine
o'clock that morning. He did so. hay
ing fortified himself with several drinks.
In order to undergo the doctors exami
nation, he took OIL every article of cloth
ing except his undershirt. He had a
fine physique and appeared in frst-class
general health. He passed the doctor,
and was Just laughing with soEe of the
man of medicine (who had been given
preached our friend and asked:
"What have you got on your left
breast?"
Nothing" the man replied.
Lets see," said the doctor, and he
lifted the undershirt up, when the fatal
brand I'D Showed itself Enthusiastically.
The man protested that the mark was
not I'D" at all, but the remains of a
disease he had contracted He was dis
missed, however, as incompetent to Join
the American army. He was deserter
from the British army.
WHICH WAY SHOULD DRILLS Run p
An erroneous impression seems to pre-
vail in regard to the proper direction in
which to place drills, for plants cult
waited in that manner. They are gen.
orally laid off north and south, in order
to get the greatest benefit from the di-
rect rays of the sun. Instead of north
and south, the rows should run east and
west. Suppose piece of ground plant.
ed in drills two feet apart, running north
and south. The plants, by the middle
of July, having attained to the hight of
four feet, each row will I've shaded by
the one east of it until about the middle
of the forenoon; then from the middle
of the forenoon till night, the shade of
each row will fall on its next eastern
neighbors. If the drills run east and
west, the distance apart and the hight
being the same, the shadow OF any row
so "a