placed away from the backs about one-fourth of an inch, in order to
give plenty of room for them to swing easily and avoid their pulling
off the first and last signatures of the book when opened. Give the
back and joint a lining of super or cheese cloth. Have them covered
with American duck or canvas pasted directly to the leaves, pressed
well and given plenty of time to dry under pressure, and so avoid as
much as possible all warping of boards and shrinkage of the cloth. For
all large folios, newspapers and kindred works, use heavy canvas, as
it is somewhat cheaper than sheep, and as easily worked. Have them
sewed strongly on the requisite number of bands, every band laced into
the boards, which should be made by pasting two heavy binder's boards
together, to prevent warping and give solidity to the volume.

The reason I say lace in large volumes is that the heavy books will
sag and pull out of covers by their great weight unless tightly
fastened to a solid board, thus giving the book a good foundation to
stand on.

For all periodicals not bound in leather I should prescribe the same
treatment. These volumes can be lettered in ink on the canvas, or in
gold on a colored leather label pasted on the cloth. But for all books
which are destined to be bound in leather I should surely, and without
any hesitation whatever, order morocco, and by this I mean goat skin,
and I should go still further and demand a good German or French
goat; boards hard and laced in at every band, super joints, full, open
backs, lettering clear and distinct, and the paper on the sides to
match the leather.

I would also recommend that a schedule be used, giving a space for
schedule number; then the name of book or books, or lettering to