(1) A very good formula for enamelling or encaustic paste is as follows: - Pure virgin wax, 400 parts; gum elemi, 8; benzole, 160; oil of spike, 14. Apply to the surface of the print with a camel's hair brush or a soft flannel pad until a brilliant polish is obtained.

(2) The glass upon which the enamelling is to be done must be scrupulously clean: plate glass, free from scratches, is the best. After being thoroughly cleaned, some powdered talc or French boot - powder must be sprinkled on the plate, and, with a tuft of cotton, rubbed in a circular motion lightly until no traces of the powder are perceived. This gives it a surface which causes the collodion to be easily removed from the plate without sticking. Flow the plate with a collodion made of -

Let it dry, and immerse the prints in a solution of gelatine made as follows: -

Put the gelatine and glycerine in the water, and let stand all night, when it will be ready for use, after filtering, which may be done by warming sufficiently to render it limpid. After immersing for 5 minutes, take out the prints, and place them face downwards on the collodionized plate; then roll with a rubber roller lightly, to press out surplus gelatine and air - bubbles. After the prints have set for an hour, they must be mounted, using gelatine for the purpose, putting it on the back of the print with a brush, placing the mount on the print, and keeping it in place by means of a glass on the back, with a weight sufficient to flatten. It may remain thus some 10 or 15 minutes, after which the glass can be removed, and the whole allowed to dry thoroughly, but without the use of heat. Frequently the prints will come off themselves when dry; if not, by running a knife - blade around the edges they will easily leave the glass. This formula can only be used successfully on cards and imperials by printing the picture on paper a little larger than the mount; and, by masking the picture, print a border to it repre - sentingthe black mount.

(3) The glass must be coated with an enamel collodion, and allowed to dry, which may be about an hour. Whilst the plate is drying, prepare as much Nelson's gelatine as is likely to be sufficient to cover the quantity of plates you require, in - the proportion of 1 dr. gelatine to 3 oz. water. Place the solution in a bottle with a little cold water; in a few minutes the gelatine will swell, and boiling water will make it rapidly dissolve, and be ready for use. The dry collodionized plate must be coated with this gelatine solution, and again be left to dry. When the plate is quite dry, take it in one hand, and the untrimmed print in the other; plunge both into clean cold water, place the face of the print in contact with the film of the plate, and remove both together from the water. Pass a sponge or a squeegee over the back of the print to exclude bubbles and ensure equal contact. It is now necessary to apply the mount to the back of the print. Take a card, and cut it a size smaller all round than the print. Immerse it in hot water to soften, and afterwards in a solution of gelatine, 2 dr. to the oz.

Lay this gelatinized card on the back of the print, and apply a sponge to remove air - bubbles, etc, as before.. The plate with the card and print must now be laid aside in a warm room to dry. When perfectly dry, the point of a knife must be carefully ran round the print, which can then be brought away from the glass, carrying the collodio - gelatine film with it. The print must now be carefully trimmed, and may be considered finished, though, if desired, it can be mounted by glueing the card support of the print to the mount required. (Gregson.)

(4) The simplest plan, perhaps, is to rub the picture over with encaustic paste, and burnish it. The encaustic paste is made by dissolving white wax by placing the vessel containing it in boiling water, and adding about 3/4 of its bulk of turpentine. Add some scent (cloves, say) to cover the odour of the turps, and see that you get the best.

(5) Instructions by which an absolutely perfect surface may be easily obtained, either on mounted or unmounted prints. Nelson's photographic gelatine (Nos. 1 and 2), 1/2 oz. each; water, 13 oz.; methylated spirit, 1 oz., to keep it. Collodionize the plate as usual. When dry, dip the trimmed plate in the fluid gelatine, not too warm, and lay it flat on the plate; a superfluity of gelatine does no harm. The mounts should have been previously damped by dipping them in water and pressing them in a towel. Whilst the print is lying on the plate, take a damp mount and place tin situ on the back of it; then with a squeegee give 3 or 4 sharp rubs to and fro, so as to drive out the bubbles, and reduce the enclosed layer of gelatine to the utmost thinness. In 4 ox 5 hours the mounted print will leave the glass perfect. If the mounts are made too wet, a separation from the print may occur when dry. If this happens, just float the inside of the mount on the gelatine before applying it. Enamelled prints always look best made convex. For this purpose, use a thin 2 or 3 sheet board instead of the proper mount; when dry, trim and raise in the press. Cut a thin spring of card to place in the cavity behind the convexity, and prevent its collapsing.

Mount by running a thin line of glue round the inner edge with a camel - hair pencil, and place under suitable pressure for 10 minutes. If this is neatly done, they ought not to show the faintest scratch when mounted.

(6) The following instructions for "ceramic enamels" were written by Kelson K. Cherrill in the Photographic, News; - A pieee of glass is cleaned with nitric acid, well washed, dried, polished, and coated 3 times with collodion. A plate cleaned with nitric acid has less bold on the film than one cleaned by any other mode, and consequently it is much more easy to get the film off. As to coating the plate 3 times, that means coat the plate, and place the collodion over it 3 times - with the utmost deliberation - so as to obtain a very thick creamy film. Using thick collodion at once does not do nearly so well.' The film, when prepared with a thick sample of collodion, is much more apt to become repellent of water (and thereby quite useless for the process) than one made of thin - that is, usual - collodion, flowed over the plate very slowly 3 times, so as to secure a good strong film.