PASTE, a term applied to various compositions in which there is just sufficient moist »Ire to sot ten without liquifying the mass.
Common or adhesive paste is made by mixing wheaten flour with cold water in the proportion of about two pounds to a gallon. The water is added by degrees, and well stirred in SO as to prevent lumpiness. About an ounce of powdered alum is sometimes added to increase its adhesiveness, and for shoe-inakers and book-binders about an ounce and a half of finely-powdered rosin is substituted for the alum, which thickens it much and renders it notch more tenac.ions. When the ingredients are thoroughly mixed, they are boiled, great care being taken to stir them thoroughly whilst boiling to prevent burn lag. This paste is used for a great variety of purposes, mole especially by paper-hangers, bill-stickers, book-binders, pasteboard makers, etc. An adhesive paste, ceded Chinese paste, is made by reducing to perfect dryness bullock's blood. It is then powdered and mixed with one-tenth of itsweight of finely-powdered quicklime. When used, it is mixed with water sufficient to form a paste, which is a strong cement for pottery, wood, stone, etc.
Fruit paste is made by taking the juice of any fruit and dissolving in it an ounce to a pint of gum-a•abic, or gum-senegal, which many prefer; then evaporate by a gentle heat until the liquid is as thick as syrup, and add to every pound of it a pound of finely powdered refined sugar; continue the heat, and stir it until the sugar and juice are thor oughly incorporated, after which it is poured out on a marble slab slightly oiled. When
cooled, it may he formed into lozenges for use. An imitation of this is made very generally by mixing 3 parts of citric acid, 24 parts of gum, and 48 parts of refined sugar, and dissolving, the whole in water, and gently heating it to insure complete solution and mixture. It is then variously colored and flavored with any of the fruit essences. This paste i3 often sold under the name of jujubes, which were formerly lozenges of fruit paste prepared from the juice of the jujube fruit, zizipitusjujeta.
"Visiting Pastes vary according to the materials upon which they are to be employed. For brass, the best kind is a mixture of 2 parts of soft soap with 4 parts of rotten stone in very fine powder. Another sort is .8 parts of fine rotten-stone powder, 2 parts of oxalic acid Powdered, 3 parts olive oil, and enough of turpentine to make them into a paste. For iron, a mixture of emery powder and lard is used; and for pewter a mix ture of finely-powdered bath-brick and soft soap. For wood, a paste called furniture paste is made by adding spirit of turpentine to beeswax, sufficient to form it into a soft paste, which is rubbed on thinly with a brush and woolen rag, and afterwards polished with a dry woolen cloth and soft brush.
Shaving pastes are very numerous, but the base of all is soap. The best of all is the true Naples soap