The edges of the books being cut, the next operation is to decorate their white surfaces in some manner. This may be done by coloring- with sprinkle, self-color, gilding or marbling. In this chapter we shall treat of the first two methods.

Sprinkled Edges-This is the simplest and commonest kind of edge decoration, but very chaste and effective for some kinds of work when well done.

The sprinkle is composed of some earthy pigment ground up with paste, and dissolved in water. Bole Armenian, or Armenian earth, a common red pigment, is generally employed. A quantity of this is piled up upon a marble slab, and a depression made in the centre of it. Into this hole a little thin paste and a few drops of oil are put. The sides of the heap are then drawn over this, and the whole amalgamated together by a palette knife. When all is well mixed, the mass is drawn to the side of the slab, and a small piece, about the size of a walnut, brought with the knife to the centre of the slab. This portion is then carefully ground by the action of a marble or granite muller, such as is used by artists in grinding their colors. The action of the muller should be rotatory, and the pigment should often be gathered together with the palette knife, so as to ensure every portion being well and properly ground. When all the pigment has been thus reduced to the utmost fineness, it is placed in a large brown stoneware pot or other vessel, and sufficient clean water added to dissolve it all perfectly.

The books to be sprinkled are next either placed in the laying press, with their fore edges upward, and screwed up, or laid side by side on their backs on a board, and tightly corded round with a piece of string.

The operator now takes the "sprinkling-brush" a large brush, the hairs of which are secured by a strong wrought iron rim (Fig. 86) soaks it well in the "sprinkle," and then presses out as much as he can against the side of the pot. Next, holding the brush by the handle in the right hand, and the short press-pin of the laying-press in his left, he strikes the former against the latter over the top of the pot until he has beaten

most of the sprinkle out of the brush, and the spots which fall are very fine and regular. He carefully wipes the ring of the brush and the press-pin on a bunch of paper shavings. Then he goes to the row of books, and repeats the operation over their edges, holding the press-pin about two or three feet above them.

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