Good proprietary brands of hydrated lime are now freely available, but, as even these deteriorate on storage ( by absorbing carbon dioxide from the air ), a ratio of less than 2 : 1 is seldom used, which corresponds to a 1 : 0.5 : 100 mixture.
32.
Thus a 1 % Bordeaux mixture, which is typical, would have the formula 1 : 1 : 100, with the first " 1 " representing 1 kg CuSO 4 ( pentahydrated ), the second representing 1 kg hydrated lime, and the 100 representing 100 litres ( 100 kg ) water.
33.
If the hide is more than a day or two old, it should be " bucked " first, via an alkali soaking process called bucking ( from a Latin verb of the type * " bucre " " to steep in lye, wash clothes " ); The hide is soaked in a solution of wood ash lye or hydrated lime in water.
