-HORN MANUFACTURE. The ladrits of the•bx, antelope, goat; and • sheep may be de-: scribed as a number of Conical sheaths inserted into one anothet,-the innermost of which lies upon the vascular membrane which' covers the bony corm- The tip, or that portion of the point of the helix which 'projects beyond the cote, it very dense, and the several layers of which it is Composed are scarcely distin guishable ; while towards the bate' the layers may be readily distinguished; owing to their successive terminations r forming prominent rings. There are Inany'points of resemblance between the substance - of hornt; nails, claws, hoofs; scales; hair, feathers, and even skin. ,• • • 7•` ' The principal kinds of horn' employed in manufacturing *rations are those- of oxen. The first process is to the hony core or pith, which is accomplished the horns in water for • several weeks, by which operation the membrane which lies be. tween the core -and the horny sheath is so destroyed or softened by putiefaCtion that the cores may be easily extracted., These are ap plied-to many useful purposes. The solid tip of the horn is . sawn off with a frame-saw, and is employed for making knife-Ilan-dies, um brella,handles, the tops of whips, buttons; and various other articles..' The _remainder of the horn, which is employed' fdr purposes for which thin •laminie are required, may either be left entire or sawn into two or more lengths, according -to the use to which•it is to be ap plied. When divided, the lower part, or that next the root of the horn, is frequently em ployed for making combs ; while the portion which has formed the 'middle of the horn is used for lanterns andfor other•articles where a thin plate of horn is required. To prepare the horn for use it is softened in boiling water; andovhile hot from this operation, it is held in the of a fire- until it acquires about the temperature of melting lead; and-becomes so soft as to be semi-fluid. The slitting is
performed while it is in the semi-fluid state, by a strong pointed knife resembling a pruning knife ; and, by the application of two pairs of pincers, one to each edge of the slit, the cylin der or cone of horn is opened until it is nearly flat. Several such pieces are then exposed to pressure between alternate plates of iron until they are flattened. Tho thin sheets of iron are then scraped, rubbed, and polished.
The various articles made of horn require manufacturing processes differing in different cases. The making of combs is noticed else where. [Coxte-Currmo.) Umbrella handles, snuff-boxes, knife-handles, bell-pulls, drawer knobs, /to., are made by softening the born to such a degree that it may be pressed into moulds. Horn is easily dyed of various co lours; but in this country it is usually coloured of a rich reddish brown, and spotted to imitate tortoiseshell, by a mixture of pearl-ash, quick lime and litharge, or red lead, with water and a little pounded dragon's blood.
No part of the refuse of the horn manufac ture is without its value. When exposed to a decomposing heat in close vessels, horn pro duces a large quantity of the gaseous com pound which forms the base of prussic acid, on which account hoofs and horn cuttings are in great request among the manufacturers of Prussian blue, and of the beautiful yellow prussiate of potash. The clippings of the comb-maker and of the lantern maker are also used as manure.