CANDLE, is an article so well known in domestic economy, as to render any description of it entirely su perfluous. The term is obviously derived from the Latin candela, and that from candere, to burn. Candles are by no means a modern invention, though lamps seem to have been chiefly used by the ancients for do mestic purposes. Mention is made of something like candles, both of tallow and wax, and not unfrequently of pitch. The wicks were originally small cords ; after wards the papyrus and the pith of rushes were used. But the ancients seem at no time to have been able to produce an article in any degree to be compared with the candles of modern times.
Candles, as we shall notice afterwards, may be manu factured from a great variety of substances, but those chiefly employed are tallow and wax.
1. 7'allow Candles. Candles made from tallow are either dipped or moulded. The first kind arc the can dles in common use, and have been long known in com merce ; the second sort is a more recent invention, and claimed by a Parisian. We propose to give our readers a short account of the mode of manufacturing both kinds.
The tallow employed by the candlemaker consists chiefly of ox and sheep tallow. That obtained from the hog is rarely used, on account of the bad smell which it has in burning, as well as a thick black smoke ; but chiefly on account of its being easily melted, a quality of the very worst kind, as will he ...hewn afterwards.
The first part of the process of candle-making is to Sort the tallow. Sheep-tallow, with a portion of the best ox-tallow, is set aside for the moulded candles. Candles made principally from sheep-tallow have a bat_ ter gloss and firmer texture than those which are manu factured wholly from ox-tallow. This last kind, with the inferior pieces of sheep-tallow, are used for making dipped candles. The quality of the candles depends as much upon the care and cleanness with which the tallow is collected by the butcher, as upon the species of animal flow which it is derived ; but, even where the greatest care is employed, parts of the tallow must necessarily be mixed with impurities, which cannot afterwards be completely separated from it. The extensive manufac turer will therefore select not only the tallow for the liner candles, and for those of common use, but will separate from his stock the inferior pieces of tallow, and such as are mixed with impurities, in order to dis pose of them to the inferior dealer. After the tallow is properly sorted, it is then put into a wooden vessel, and cut into small pieces preparatory to the first melt ing, which, in the technical language of the workmen, is called rendering. Much depends upon this operation being perlormed as soon as possible after the tallow comes from the hands of the butcher. If the tallow is allowed to remain for several days exposed to the action of the air, which must often happen to the inferior dearer, who receives his tallow in small quantities, and at considerable intervals, part of it will corrupt and in fallibly injure the whole mass ; but if the tallow is ren dcrcd soon after it comes from the slaughter-house, it may be kept for months or years, and even improved by keeping, provided the temperature is moderate. The object ul tam operation, is to separate from the tallow the skin and fleshy parts which always adhere to it, and expel, by evaporation, the aqueous particles or other liquids which are combined with it. With this view, the tallow, after being cut into small pieces, is thrown into a fat ge boiler, and heat gradually applied. As the tallow melts, new portions are added ; and particular care is taken to stir it frequently, in order to prevent the more solid yams from adhering to the bottom of the vessel. Alter boiling a considerable time, tune more
solid parts collect at the surface in the form of a cake, which is called the crackling : part of the liquids have been driven off by the boiling, and the remainder sub sides to the bottom after the boiling ceases. The cake is trier in into a strong press, and a great pressure plied, n order to extract from it every particle of tal low ; it is afterwards set aside to be sold for food to dogs and other animals. The liquid tallow is now taken front the boiler and put into an adjoining vessel, by making it pass through an iron sieve, by which means any of the solid parts which have not united with the cake are se parated from tne liquid mass. Still, however, many foreign substances will remain blended with it. In order to purify it still more, the tallow is now put into another vessel, and a certain quantity of water mixed with it. The water being specifically heavier than the sinks to the bottom, and carries along with it any im purities which may have escaped the operation of the sieve. After standing a sufficient time for the impuri ties to settle, this tallow is transferred, by means of tinned iron buckets, into tubs of a moderate size, and allowed to congeal. It is then taken out of the tub in a solid state, and piled up for future use. In transferring the tallow from the large vessel into the tubs, great can must be taken not to agitate it too much, lest the slim) matter collected at the bottom rise and mix with it again To prevent this inconvenience, the workmen usually cease the vessel when they come within id inch or more of the slimy matter, which they reach!) discover by its mvddy white colour. The residue of the tallow is allowed to remain in the vessel during the night, and in the morning it is taken out in a solid state, and set apart to be re-melted new From this statement, it appears, that in the prepara tory process of rendering, water is an indispensable re quisite ; and that in one stage or other of the process, it must be mixed with every portion of arc at a loss, therefore, to understand the of that caution uniformly given to candlemakers by our fellow Encyclopxdists, not to mix water with the tallow intend ed for the three first dips. To those who base seen the gross impurities which are disengaged by the %yawl, it must appear obvious that water, or sonic other agent of a similar nature, must be employed to remove those foreign substances, which, if allowed to remain blended with the tallow, would produce consequences far more destructive to the candle than the spitting, of which they seem so much alarmed. But, in this case, there is cer tainly no occasion for a balancing of evils; for, if the water, after being mixed with the tallotv, be allowed to subside, and if the tallow be taken off in the manner above described, scarcely any moisture will adhere to it ; and whatever may happen to remain, will infallibly be driven off' by the new boiling, preparatory to its being used for making either dipped or moulded candles. This caution seems to have been suggested by a practice not unusual with the small manufacturer, of putting water into the dipping mould in order to supply the want of tallow. In this case, the caution is certainly well-timed, and highly deserving of attention, but quite inapplicable to the trade in general, who, it is to be supposed, have no necessity for having recourse to such expedients.