FIG. 5. HAND PROCESS.
But the process, as conducted by hand ([fig. 5]), will give a much better notion of how paper is formed from the pulp. A reservoir, A, is filled with pulp, which is supplied by a wheel in the box B, to a strainer C, and passed to a vat D, and a man, E, takes in his hands a mould consisting of a shallow frame of wood of the size the sheet of paper is to be, having a bottom of fine wires laid side by side, and having wires crossing at intervals to keep them firm (the marks of these may be seen in any sheet of laid foolscap paper held up to the light); he dips this mould edgewise into the reservoir, and brings it up horizontally full of pulp; this he gently shakes, to make the pulp lie level and allow all superfluous water to drain through the wires. It is then handed to another man H, who has a sheet of flannel or felt spread out on a table F G, on which the mould is inverted, and the sheet of pulp left on the flannel, which sucks up more of its moisture; over this is placed another piece of flannel, and then another sheet of pulp on it, and so on to the number of five or six dozen F, then the whole is put into a powerful press, and screwed down till all the water is squeezed out, when they are pretty firm, and are lifted out and hung on lines to dry, after which they are immersed in a cistern filled with thin size made by boiling clippings of skin in water (see “[Glue and Size]”), and having some alum dissolved in it—they are once more pressed and dried. What is called “hot-pressed” paper is pressed between smooth sheets of pasteboard, having a hot iron plate placed between every three or four dozen sheets of paper; this gives a smooth surface to the paper. The names, dates, and other marks seen on hand-made paper are formed by wires worked into the bottom of the mould, which, projecting, make the pulp thinner in those places. The water-mark of Bank-notes is made in the same way. More than half-a-million sterling is paid annually for duty upon paper—so vast is the consumption!
MALT.
Barley is the grain generally chosen for producing malt, although others may be used. It is first soaked in cold water till it is softened; it is then spread out about two feet thick on the floor of the malt-house, where it begins to germinate, in the same manner as if sown in the earth; this is allowed to go on so far only till the first part of the root and stem make their appearance, in the form of a little bud and a fibre. During germination the malt gives out a poisonous gas called “carbonic acid,” and becomes warm, in fact it would become too warm and be injured, but it is kept stirred by means of wooden shovels from time to time, and the temperature ascertained by means of a thermometer. As the process of germination goes on, all the starchy matter naturally contained in the grain becomes changed into sugar, and the malt, when made, has a sweetish taste. As soon as the germination has proceeded to a certain extent it is stopped by drying; for this purpose the malt is put into a kiln and heated almost to scorching—if but slightly, it is called pale malt or “amber,” if more, “brown malt” or roasted malt. Malt, if kept dry, will remain a long time unchanged. It is used for producing beer and vinegar, and for “wash,” from which all the raw spirit used in England is distilled. Whiskey is also distilled in Scotland and Ireland from malt.
Malt has the property of converting the starch of barley unmalted into sugar while in contact with it. For example, if barley were ground and boiling water poured on it, it would form a thick sort of paste, which is because it contains starch only; while malt treated in the same way, sinks to the bottom, and leaves a clear limpid “wort,” which can be strained off, because the starch is changed into sugar, which is soluble. Now, if equal parts of malt and ground barley be also treated in the same way, the malt very shortly converts the starch of the barley into sugar, and the result is the same as if all had been malt. This was once a matter of great importance to the brewers, who thereby saved the heavy duty imposed upon malt.
CHOCOLATE AND COCOA.
CHOCOLATE CRUSHING MACHINE.