Homer guardian. (Homer, La.) 1888-1890, 1889-03-08

teach them the art of dyesng
clothes and thread, and the art Of
calico printing, as well as a knowl-
edge of the chemical process by
which the different shades Of col
or is produced, we would not have
80 many graduated young ladies
with such superficial knowledge
of chemistry, that they are unable
to dye q hand Of thread, or give
you a sensible reason for the chan.
ges which takes place in faded
colors by the absorption ofoxygen.
A young lady, gradutc of one of
our leading colleges, had to apply
to the Irish servant girl for a re-
ceipt for dyeing cotton thread.
Now doubles she had learned
from her study Of chemistry, that
no color could be imported, but in
consequence of the affinity which
subsists between the cloth and the
dye-or the dye and the mordant
employed as q bond Of union be.
tween them. The degrees Of oxi-
dizement which the several dies
undergoes, etc. But it was left
for the poor, illiterale domestic to
teach her the practical uses Of
chemical laws. The most Of our
ladies employ the very same meth
Oh Of bleaching thread, clothes,
DC, that was employed by the an
clients, and their knowledge Of
chemical science has brought about
no Improvement. This old process
Is so tar,ly, often requiring a
month 20 completely bleach gar.
ment, that many only balf-worn
garments are cast aside because
1t requires too much time to bleach
them. The old clothes dealer puts
chemical science to work when he
mixes oxymuriatic acid with al.
kalis, lime and other ingredients,
and bleaches the half.worn linens
that fall into his hand, for which
he pays mere triae. The prac-
tical chemist may bleach all the
linen used in the home IN 4 very
few hours and at q very small cost.
But as | can only hint at some Of
the very many important ad,anta-
ges derived from 3 practical knowl-
edge of the sciences in doing so,
| will use the most common.p place
illustration l can employ. Some
years ago tannerles were very COM
mon in our country and the pre-.
cess Of tanning hides by means Of
q tan produced from the oak bark.
The process was tedious and slow,
often requiring weeks and weeks
to produce we'll tanned hide.
These tanneries have nearly ali
disappeared, and our leather is
now produced by northern manu-
facturers. Why is this the case;
The answer simply is this, the
practical chemist has analysed
this process of making the hard,
rough hide into soft pliable leath
er, and has discovered that the
vegetable matter IN this bark from
which tan is produced, is taken
up into the pores Of the hide, the
effect of which is to drive apart
the little particles, or molecules Of
the hide, and render it soft and
pliable. He analyses that peculiar
something called tan, and finds its
properties in other substnces be-
sides the Oak-bark, and which
will produce the same effect in a
much shorter time, and less ex-
pense. This preparation is not SO
expensive but, that every farmer
might have it prepared in the
chemical laboratories, and manu-
fscture their own leather at home.
But I want to notice the inpor-
lance Of a practical knowledge Of
this science to- the agriculturlst.
1t is q mistaken idea that agricul-
turist have no need Of scientific
investigation, and that reading,
writing, and arithmetic is all their
sons should be taught. This very
idea is the chain that has bound
him in slavery Tor so many centur-
les, and until these letters are
thrown off, their sons and daugh-
tiers will receive the load from the
shouldors nf their fathers and