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these dimensions to serve as a temporary support for the material upon which he works. Good, strong, unbleached calico two yards wide must be tacked on to this frame, so that it presents an even flat surface free from ruck or wrinkle. A little art is necessary here : first, the four corners must be secured, taking care to stretch the material well from the centre as each tack is driven home; the tacking down of the edges is then a mere matter of detail. The cloth must next be primed with very thin glue, and allowed to dry, after which comes the colouring process. It is in the mixing and application of this distemper colour where the amateur worker is apt to fail. As a rule, he is in such a hurry to see the effect of his work that he will not take sufficient time for his colour to get cold. The drying of the priming coat will, however, take several hours even in a warm and dry atmosphere, and he should mix his colour immediately after the priming has been laid in. Take a couple of balls of ordinary household whiting, place them in a basin or clean pail, and pour upon them enough water to reduce them to a viscid mud. Stir with a wooden spoon until this white mud is perfectly free from lumps, and then add colour until the required tint is attained. Lamp black, or drop black, and burnt umber, both ground in water, can be obtained of most artists’ colourmen, and small pieces of the soft pasty tints must be added at a time, and well incor porated with the whiting by the aid of the spoon. But a word of caution is necessary here as to testing the colour from time to time, in case it should be made too light or too dark in tone. A little of the wet mass must be brushed on a card, and dried before the fire, before the tyro can judge of the tint, for all distemper colours are several shades darker when they are wet than when they are dry. When the right tone is reached, add to the contents of the vessel half a pound of patent size, which has been previously melted on the fire, in a pint of hot water, and stir up the colour most thoroughly. When this has been done, put the vessel away in a cold place. At the end of some hours, when the colour has become perfectly cold, it will assume the form of a thin jelly, and it is now in a fit state to be laid on the primed cloth. A broad, flat white-wash brush, known as a tioo-tie, is the tool to use in applying the colour to the cloth. The colour must be laid in firmly, first in vertical, and then in horizontal strokes of the brush, the latter crossing the former. The work should be done expeditiously, a couple of square feet at a time, until the whole surface is covered. The result will be, if these directions are closely followed, a smooth, even surface of mono chrome, which, when removed from its temporary supporting frame, can be attached to a roller, and thus preserved from injury when not in use. When the beginner has succeeded in this elementary lesson in distemper painting, he will, no doubt, be wishful to do something of an artistic kind; but he will do well to learn to walk before he attempts to run. PHOTOGRAPHY IN GERMANY. BY HERMANN E. GUNTHER. Two Quinol Developers—BROWN and Reddish Tones on Bromide Prints by Eikonogen Development. Two Excellent (luinol Developers.—The following deve loper, which is recommended by Mr. F. Wilde, in the Photograplusches Wochenllatt, is said to bring out all the details in the weakly exposed parts of the plate, and to act very energetically, giving at the same time sufficient density. Solution Water Sodium sulphite ... Cryst. citric acid ... Pyrogallic acid ... Solution Quinol ... Alcohol ... Solution Water Sodium sulphite ... Soda ... ... .. Just before use are mixed— Solution No. 1 ... ... ... ... 8 c.c. Solution No. 2 ... ... ... ... 8 ,, Solution No. 3 ... ... ... ... 34 ,, The action of the developer may be still increased, and the time of exposure shortened for one-third of the other wise required time, if to the above quantity of the mix ture about twenty drops of the following solution are added:— Hyposulphite of soda ... ... ... 5 grammes Potassium bromide ... ... ... 20 „ Water ... ... ... ... ... 1,000 c.c. In cases where it is admissible to allow to the negative a somewhat longer time for development, the above mixture may be diluted with an equal quantity (50 c. c.) of water. Another hydroquinone developer, very well suited for instantaneous exposures, has been recommended of late, according to the Photographiscltes Arcldv, by M. Balagny. The following two solutions are prepared :— Solution No. 1. Boiling water ... ... ... ... 1,000 c.c. Sodium sulphite... ... ... ... 250 grammes When dissolved, add— Quinol ... ... ... ... ... 20 grammes The solution is stirred until the quinol has completely dis solved. After cooling down the solution is poured into a glass bottle, which is then stoppered. Solution No. 2. Water ... ... ... ... ... 900 c.c. Caustic soda ... ... ... ... 100 grammes When dissolved, the following solution is added:— Water (warm) ... ... ... ... 100 c.c. Ferrocyanide of potassium ... ... 10 grammes The latter gives to the negatives softness, and preserves the whites. Besides, a third solution should be kept in stock, consisting of— Solution No. 3. Water ... ... ... ... ... ICO c.c. Potassium bromide ... ... ... 10 grammes This is only required in the case of a freshly prepared bath. To develop an instantaneously exposed plate of half-plate size, mix— Solution No. 1 ... ... ... ... 80 c.c. Water ... ... ... ... ... 40 , Solution No. 3 ... ... ... ... 1 „ No. 1. . ... ... 250 c.c. . ... ... 60 grammes 5 „ 20 „ No. 2. 10 grammes . ... ... 200 c.c. No. 3. . ... 1,200 c.c. ... 100 grammes 300 „