quicklime

“The Warders strutted up and down, / And kept their herd of brutes, / Their uniforms were spick and span, / And they wore their Sunday suits, / But we knew the work they had been at, / By the quicklime on their boots.”

“Considerable difficulty is experienced in several of the West Indian islands in obtaining quicklime for the preparation of Bordeaux mixture, and in keeping it in good condition when it has been procured. This has resulted in the use of slaked, or partially slaked, lime for the purpose, with the result that an inferior mixture has been produced. Instead of resorting in this difficulty to expensive and unsatisfactory commercial preparations, it may be suggested that the use of Burgundy mixture, in which the lime is replaced by sodium carbonate (washing soda) offers an alternative that is likely to give excellent results.”