PARCHMENT, in commerce, the skins of sheep or goats, prepared after such a manner as to render it proper for writing upon, covering books, &c. The manufacture of parchment is begun by the skinner, and finished by the parch ment-maker. The skin, having been stripped of its wool, and placed in the lime pit, in the manner described under the article SHAMMY, the skinner stretches it on a kind of frame, and pares off the flesh with an iron instrument ; this done it is moistened with a rag, and powdered chalk being spread over it, the skinner takes a large pumice-stone, flat at bottom, and rubs over the skin, and thus scowers off the flesh ; he then goes over it again with the iron instrument, moistens it as before, and rubs it again with the pumice stone without any chalk underneath : this smooths and softens the flesh-side very considerably. lie then drains it again, by passing over it the iron instrument as be fore. The flesh-side being thus drained, by scraping off the moisture, he in the same manner passes the iron over the wool or hair side : then stretches it tight on a frame, and scrapes the flesh-side again : this finishes its draining : and the more it is drained, the whiter it becomes. The skinner now throws on more chalk, sweeping it over with a piece of lamb skin that has the wool on, and this smooths it still further. It is now left to
dry, and when dried, taken off the frame by cutting it all round. The skin, thus far prepared by the skinner, is taken out of his hands by the parchment-maker, who first, while it is dry, pares it on a summer, (which is a calf-skin stretched in a frame) with a sharper instrument than that used by the skinner, and work ing with the arm, from the top to the bottom of the skin, takes away about one half of its thickness. The skin, thus equally pared on the flesh side, is again rendered smooth, by being rubbed with the pumice-stone, on a bench covered with a sack stuffed with flocks, which leaves the parchment in a condition fit for writing upon. The parings thus taken off the leather, are used in making glue, size, &c. See GLUE, &c. What is called vellum, is only parchment made of the skins of abortives, or at least sucking calves. This has a much finer grain, and is whiter and smoother than parchment ; but is prepared in the same manner, ex cept its not being passed through the litne-p it.