If the plate is to be gold, use the gold solution for electroplating; if silver use the silver solution. Prepare the article to be plated by immersing it for several minutes in a strong lve made of potash and rain water, polishing off thoroughly at the end of the time with a soft brush and prepared chalk. Care should be taken not to let the fingers come in contact with the article while polishing, as that has a tendency to prevent the plate from adhering - it should be held in two or three thicknesses of tissue paper.

Attach the article, when thoroughly cleansed, to the positive pole of your battery, then affix a piece of gold or silver, as the case may be, to the negative pole, and immerse both into the solution in such a way as not to hang in contact with each other.

After the article has been exposed to the action of the battery about ten minutes, take it out and wash or polish over with a thick mixture of water and prepared chalk or jeweller's rouge. If, in the operation, you find places where the plating seems inclined to peel off, or When it has not taken well, mix a little of the plating solution with prepared chalk or rouge, and rub the defective thoroughly with it. This will be likely to set all right.

Govern your time of exposing the article to the battery by the desired thickness of the plate. During the time it should be taken out and polished up as just directed about every ten minutes, or as often at least as there is an indication of a growing darkness on any part of its surface. When done, finish with the burnisher on prepared chalk and chamois skin, as best suits your taste and convenience.

In case the article to be plated is iron, steel, lead, pewter, or block tin, you must, after first cleansing with the lye and chalk, prepare it by applying with a soft brush - a camel's hair pencil is best suited - a solution made of the following articles in the proportion named: Nitric acid, half an ounce; muriatic acid, one-third of an ounce; sulphuric acid, one-ninth of an ounce; muriate of potash, one-seventh of an ounce; sulphate of iron, one-fourth of an ounce; sulphuric ether, one-fifth of an ounce, and as much sheet zinc as it will dissolve. This prepares a foundation, without which the plate would fail to take well, if at all.