Herr Andre, in Offenbach, uses an ink which has the useful property of remaining good for years in fluid form. I do not find it so good for the very finest work as those I have described, but for music and script it is excellent. It consists of:-- 12 parts shellac 4 parts mastic 1 part pure ox-fat soap 1 part purified crystallized soda 1 part lampblack This is mixed with water and boiled in a clean vessel, being constantly stirred till it is dissolved. Then the boiling is continued till the water has disappeared almost entirely. Fresh water is added and the boiling continued till everything has dissolved anew. Then the mixture is filtered through a cloth and kept in a vessel where it is secure against dust. If it is seen on cooling that it is too thick it can be thinned easily with water. Also, when it dries during use it can be liquefied by adding water, unless dust has entered it. IV TRANSFER INK All the above-named inks are intended for use directly on stone. If it is desired to write on paper and transfer this writing to the stone, those inks mostly prove too hard, unless one would use warmed stones, as described later. This, however, makes added work: therefore, I give here the recipe for an ink excellent for cold transfers. Shellac 3 parts Wax 1 part Tallow 6 parts Mastic 5 parts Soap 4 parts Lampblack 1 part The mode of preparation is exactly like that of the rest. The mass can be kept only in dried form, not mixed with water. The evidence that this ink is good for transfer work is that, after it has stood for some days, it still manifests stickiness when touched with the finger. If the ink does not transfer well to the stone under moderate pressure, it is too hard, and can be improved by mixing in a little butter or vegetable oil, but it is necessary to dissolve the whole mass again over the fire. If the design squashes under pressure, the ink is too soft. It is necessary to consider the temperature of the place where it is kept, and even the time of year, in order to produce the proper consistency of ink for the best transfer work. V HARD ETCHING GROUND Certain methods of stone-printing demand, besides the ink, a fatty, acid-resisting mass to coat the plates. It is either the same as the material used by copper-plate etchers, or, at least, is very similar to it. Etching Ground for stone is as follows:-- Wax 12 parts Mastic 6 parts Asphalt 4 parts Resin 2 parts Tallow 1 part This is melted in an iron pan over a fire hot enough to melt the asphalt perfectly. Combustion is allowed to ensue till a third of the mixture has been consumed. When thoroughly cooled, it may be shaped in any desired form and saved for use. A good surface is made also by common wax, boiled and burned till almost five parts of it have been consumed. VI SOFT ETCHING GROUND