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590 THE PHOTOGRAPHIC NEWS. [SEPTEMIBER 14, 1883. Sir, —In reply to “ Only an Amateur,” I, who am also only an amateur, am able to inform him that it is quite possible to geta light tricycle to carry his camera, and his own luggage, too, for fifty and more miles a day if he wishes. I, in fact, very seldom ride far afield, now that I have gone in for photography, without my camera, &c., and I have only just finished a five weeks’ touring through England, and also in Jersey and portioas of Normandy and Brittany. I myself ride an Imperial Club machine, made by the Coventry Machinists Company, 15, Holborn Viaduct; but there are several machines that may be said to be equally good. For instance, the Premier, made next door, the Sparkbrook National, the Coventry Rotary, or the front steering Rucker, made at Letchfords Buildings, Bethnal Green. Any of these machines will answer the purpose admirably, and can be fitted with luggage carriers. I speak from fifteen years’ experience of bicycles, tricy cles, and latterly the Otto, and I should strongly recom mend any one not to have small wheels that look like a child’s toy-cart, but to be careful not to have wheels less than forty-eight inches in diameter. Mine has fifty-inch wheels, and I would not change it for any machine in the world, as it has served me so faithfully over 3,000 miles of road, and is as good as ever. It weighs between sixty and seventy pounds, and recently I have been carrying over two stone of baggage upon it. If desired, a large wheel can be what is termed “geared down,” and this very materially eases the work of propul sion ; and it is a fact that a fifty-inch wheel, geared down to (say) forty-five inches, is easier to drive than a machine with only forty-inch wheels, if geared level. Gearing down consists in enlarging the crank cog chain wheel, so that the cranks go round more slowly than the driving wheels. Those who advocate small wheels are, as a rule, gentle men who profess to be satisfied with a maximum speed of about four or five miles an hour ; but this is, of course, a needlessly slow pace, and, at the same time, it is more fatiguing to keep it up with very small wheels, than it is to travel seven or eight miles an hour with a larger wheeled machine, owing to the very rapid movement of the feet when pedalling; and the smaller the wheel, of course the oftener the feet have to pass the cranks round to get along. Be sure also to get a machine that drives both wheels, as this it a most important point. Some machines, though not many, are still made that drive one wheel only, leav ing the other to be dragged as dead weight. The Coventry Rotary, it is true, drives but one wheel, but it is an ex ception to the general rule. Let the photo-cyclist tourist be careful to carry a small ruby lamp as part of his baggage, so as to be able to change his plates in his room at night. The red side of his tricycle lamp will, however, answer the purpose if the white lights are carefully covered. A photographer, be he ever so old, will never regret getting a tricycle, if he gets one of ho se I have mentioned, as it will carry him anywhere to all sorts of retired nooks. —Yours, &c., Photo-Cyclist. Dear Sir,—In answer to “ Only in Amateur,” I beg to say I can give him all the information he requires, as I go out often on a photographic trip on a tricycle. I use both the “ Rudge Coventry ” and the “ Chevlesmore Coventry,” but I prefer the "Rudge," as it goes best. I have a seat put behind, and I can carry both a whole-plate and half plate camera, but think the whole-plate rather too large if you want to take many plates. I use mostly an Enjalbert camera with two backs taking sixteen plates, and that I find quite enough for one day; of course I develop after 1 come home. If “ Only an Amateur” will send me his address, I will give him all the information he requires.— Yours truly, • A. DESSER, Oak Villa, Beulah Hill, Upper Norwood, S.E. Sir,—In reply to “Only an Amateur,” I should recom mend him to purchase a “ Coventry Rotary ” tricycle, these being good hill climbers, strongly made, and the best luggage-carriers I know. The price is £20. A neat basket strapped to the backbone and stay will carry all his impedimenta, and after a little practice he will be able to run thirty or forty miles a day easily.—I am, sir, yours, &c., A TRICYCLIST. Sir,—I would recommend your correspondent “Only an Amateur,” to write Blenheim and Sons, Englefield Green, who are manufacturers of the tricycle. They are making an arrangement at the back of some of their machines, specially to carry photographic apparatus. I should say this would be the sort of thing “ Only an Amateur ” would require. I do not exactly know what their prices are ; however, a line to Messrs. Blenheim and Sons would doubtless elicit full particulars. To the touring amateur photographer who develops his plates at home, the tricycle must offer extraordinary facili ties for getting through the country.—Yours, &c., Chertsey, September \2th. G. EMBERSON, Jun. Dear Sir,—With reference to “Only an Amateur’s” letter in last week's issue, I have been carrying my camera on my tricycle during this season, and find it a very great convenience. My machine is a “ Coventry Rotary.” The saddle is one with a back, and by passing the two straps of an ordinary rug strap through the metal loops on the back and on the saddle, and strapping them round the camera case, the camera can be carried in perfect safety, as by following this method the elasticity of the spring is taken advantage of. I have never bad a broken plate since adopt ing this method. Previously, when touring, I had packed the camera and slides among my clothes in a travelling bag, which was carried strapped to a board, on the frame-work ot the machine behind, but never managed to get home without one or more broken plates, owing to the vibration and shecks. Another advantage the Rotary has is, that the tripod can be strapped to the long tube which supports the two small wheels, the ordinary luggage being carried as above. This machine is light, fast, and a good hill climber, and besides, is narrow enough to go through an ordinary doorway.—I remain, yours, &c., F. B. [PS.—The cost of the Coventry Rotary Tricycle is, I think, about £19.] USE OF CHLORIDE. Sir,—In the excellent article by Mr. Vincent Elsden in your last issue about the usefulness of chloride, he implies that it is difficult to see where the advantage of using it exists. From my observations, I should say it may be very useful; as, for example, in my process given a few months back in your paper. In the formula given there is a very great surplus of haloid salt, and it is just the chloride that is so useful in the beginning of the emulsion mixing. As given in the formula, the emulsion is so prepared that the silver nitrate is in excess at first, and only when all is mixed, is the haloid salt in excess. In this way it is natural that at first some chloride of silver is formed, and as it is well known bromide and iodide will turn to chloride by combination; it is this formation or changing that will give a very fine division for the silver compounds in the emulsion. Hoping you will not see prejudice in showing this use fulness of the chloride,—I am, yours truly, Otto PFENNIGER. PYRO DEVELOPER. Sir,—Having tried various forms of above developer, I found the following to answer very well indeed, giving