| Water | 150 parts |
| Borax | 5 parts |
| Glycerine | 2 parts |
| Spirit of ammonia | 1 part |
| Ruby shellac | 22 parts |
| Orange, water soluble | 1 part |
| Brown | 0.3 parts |
| Formalin | 0.1 part |
Pale Brown.—
| Water | 150 parts |
| Borax | 5 parts |
| Glycerine | 2 parts |
| Spirit of ammonia | 0.25 parts |
| White shellac | 25 parts |
| Yellow, water soluble | 8 parts |
| Orange | 0.3 parts |
| Formalin | 0.1 part |
Stir the glycerine and the spirit of ammonia together in a special vessel before putting both into the kettle. It is also advisable, before the water boils, to pour a little of the nearly boiling water into a clean vessel and to dissolve the colors therein with good stirring, adding this solution to the kettle after the shellac has been dissolved.
White Shoe Dressing.—
| I.— | Cream of tartar | 3 ounces |
|---|---|---|
| Oxalic acid | 1 ounce | |
| Alum | 1 ounce | |
| Milk | 3 pints |
Mix and rub on the shoes. When they are thoroughly dry, rub them with a mixture of prepared chalk and magnesium carbonate.
| II.— | Water | 136 parts |
|---|---|---|
| Fine pipe clay | 454 parts | |
| Shellac, bleached | 136 parts | |
| Borax, powdered | 68 parts | |
| Soft soap | 8 parts | |
| Ultramarine blue | 5 parts |
Boil the shellac in the water, adding the borax, and keeping up the boiling until a perfect solution is obtained, then stir in the soap (5 or 6 parts of “ivory” soap, shaved up, and melted with 2 or 3 parts of water, is better than common soft soap), pipe clay, and ultramarine. Finally strain through a hair-cloth sieve. This preparation, it is said, leaves absolutely nothing to be desired. A good deal of stiffness may be imparted to the leather by it. The addition of a little glycerine would remedy this. The old application should be wiped away before a new one is put on. This preparation is suitable for military shoes, gloves, belts, and uniforms requiring a white dressing.
SHOES, WATERPROOFING: See Waterproofing.