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360 THE PHOTOGRAPHIC NEWS. [July 24, 1868. the will, the power of perseverance. Chance only favours two kinds of persons: those sufficiently instructed or endowed with talents eminent enough to observe it, to seize it, and to profit by it; and those who, by patience, perseverance, and the power of their will, force it in time to become useful to them. Ul Correspoudents, Mr. Bovey’s Method of Toning.—In answer to the various querists who have written on this subject, we regret to state that hot weather and close application to duties have, during the List few weeks, prostrated M r. Bovey, and he has been instructed by his medical adviser to abstain from all kind of labour, bodily or mental. He is, we are glad to add, recovering, and hopes shortly to answer the various questions addressed to him. P. C. (Subscriber).—The necessity of forcing the intensifying pro- cess until the whole image is buried in a universal dark deposit, in order to obtain sufficient vigour, may arise from several causes. It may be'due to the use of a new or thin collodion. If it be from using a new collodion, the addition of a little of an old sample will help you. If from the collodion being thin, the addition of a little more pyroxyline to the collodion will help you. The use of the gelatino-iron developer will probably help you ; or the use of a weaker developer, containing a little more acetic acid, may help you. Take care not to over-develop, and in intensifying use plenty of acid in the solution. By intensifying after fixing you may probably got rid of your difficulty. J. W.—The print you enclose has the appearance of being a repro duction, not printed from a negative from life. If it be from a negative from life, wo should judge it to be a thin, flat, fogged, imperfect negative, from which it would be difficult to obtain a good print. The print itself is, however, a poor, mealy one; but whether it would be possible to get one much better from the nega tive we cannot say without seeing it. Answer.—We have met with examples of opal glass with the sur face of which the silver image seemed to combine, and remained perfectly visible after removing the collodion. We do not know of any remedy except procuring another sample. We have tried almost every method of cleaning without removing traces of the image. We presume that the material used in obtaining the opal surface has an affinity for silver, and readily combines with it. The example of the Eburneum process you enclose is very good indeed. W. M.—You will find it difficult cither to weigh or estimate with accuracy the iodide which has deliquesced. You had better em ploy it in making an aqueous solution of iodine, to be used in intensifying, in which absolute accuracy is not necessary. Silex.—Thanks for your further remarks. The subject is very interesting, and we shall be glad to examine it as carefully as pos sible. 2. Undoubtedly the quantity of tungstate of soda you men tion is erroneous. It should have been 20 grains. It has doubt less been an error of the press. 3. The infinitesimally small proportion of chrome alum necessary to render the gum insoluble, used for retouching prints, would not, we think, produce any action on the silver image. 4. Which is the ivory process you use ? W. B. B.—The photographic qualities of the card forwarded arc very excellent indeed ; the tone is unusually rich, and the print is at once vigorous and delicate. The lighting is good, although, for our own taste, wo should have preferred a little more direct side-light, to pick out points of high light on the face. W. J. A. G.—-It is one of the puzzles in connection with photo graphic practice which wo have not been able to solve, that some persons who succeed well enough with the wet process fail signally with almost all dry processes. In describing their operations they appear to comply with all conditions of success, but in re sult they meet with nothing but failure. Yours is not a solitary case by any means. In trying the morphine process again, pro ceed as follows :—Take the collodion, either 2, 4, or 6, add to each ounce an additional grain of bromide of cadmium, agitate until it is dissolved, and then allow it to rest a few days. After coating and exciting the plate, allowing each plate to remain somewhat longer in the bath than usual, transfer the plate to a dipping bath of distilled water, where allow it to remain until another plate is ready; then transfer to a dipping bath (or dish) of common water, there to remain until another plate is ready. After that, again rinse with distilled water, either in a bath or poured on; then apply the morphine solution; allow it to remain on the plate a minute or two, and then throw it off, and allow the plate to dry. Give such a plate three or four times the exposure of a wet plate, and develop with a gelatino-iron developer to which a few drops of silver solution have been added. The collodions we have men tioned, with the added bromide, may be used for .either Mr England’s or Mr. Gordon’s process. Sore Beset.—When fog assumes the character of a dull grey deposit between the film and glass, it is generally the result of using dirty glasses; but the same thing sometimes arises from under-exposure and pushing the development and intensifying. Sometimes the white-looking deposit you describe on the surface of the negative is due to using a water for the developer containing much of a chloride or of a carbonate, and chloride or carbonate of silver is thrown down on the film. If your acetic acid is pure, the use of considerable addition of it in the developing or intensifying would probably prove a remedy; but if it be not pure, every addi tion would only increase the evil. In a recent case of persistent fogging which came under our attention we found it due to the use of an impure sample of acetic acid, which contained a re ducing substance. Try the use of the gelatino-iron developer; it is a great aid to the production of clean shadows; also try, if necessary, intensifying after fixing instead of before. Soo article by Mr. Hughes in this number. J. S.—The spots on the excited paper forwarded are due to irregular drying of the surface; the silver solution, instead of draining off and drying off evenly, collects in drops, which dry very slowly, and wherever a drop rests a light-coloured spot appears, which prints of a blue tint. The cause of this irregular drying is not quite certain; it is alleged by one manufacturer of albuminized paper to be due to the dry and homy state of the paper at the time of exciting; another manufacturer asserts that the use of a nit rate bath too strong will cause it. It is easy to try the remedy implied in both cases : allow the paper to remain in a damp place a few hours before use, so that it shall not be absolutely bone dry when floated. Also use a -weaker bath : we believe that no commercial sample of albuminized paper requires an 80-grain bath; as a rule, a 40-grain or a 50-grain bath is strong enough for all commercial papers. A certain remedy for the spots, when others have failed, consists in blotting off the excited paper on clean white blotting-paper after exciting. B. Magic.—As a rule, a 15-grain iron solution is strong enough, especially for summer use; but in presence of dull light, under exposure, old insensitive collodion, excess of acid, or other retard ing conditions, double that strength may be required. The example enclosed with the 30-grain developer is certainly better than that with the 15-grain solution. The former is very good, but the light is a little too directly in front. Young.—When you speak of a plate coming out of the bath black, do you mean that it was literally black ? If so, some very curious addition must have been made to the collodion by some one. Wo have seen a plate blacken all over with fog on applying the deve loper, but never saw a plate black when it came out of the bath. 2. So far as you describe your operations with the honey process you appear to have acted rightly: why your results should be wrong, and your experience different to that of others, we cannot tell. 3. The collodion you mention is rarely sold iodized ; but it. appears to us incredible that you should purchase a sample of iodized collodion by a maker of high repute, and not be able to get an impression with it. We shall have pleasure in trying it. 4. In our hands the ebonite baths have proved satisfactory; but there is nothing so satisfactory as glass, and if used with care in a proper travelling case there is little risk. 5. In many cases a swing bath is useful in portraiture. 6. Your question as to the use of the carbon process can bo best answered by the patentees. Write to the Autotype Company, 5, Haymarket. 7. Either will answer well, but probably No. 1 best. 8. The cabinet portrait enclosed is very good indeed. Wm. PIMLOTT.—It is somewhat difficult to give an answer to your question in this colomn. When you ask how to take transparent photographs for the magic lantern, we are uncertain how much you know, and at what point to begin to give you hints. You will find, however, tolerably full instructions in an article on page 73 of our last Year-Book. Got that, and if, after reading it, you require further information, write again. Several Correspondents in our next. Photographs Liegisterc. Mr. A. Clarke, Stourbridge, Photograph of Captain Roberts. Mr. A. Nicholls, Cambridge, Photograph of Christ’s College Donkey Race. Mr. SLINGSBY, Lincoln, Photograph of Lord Monson. Photograph of The Broad Tower, Lincoln Cathedral. All Communications for the Editor to be addressed to 15 Gough Square, Fleet Street, London, E.C.