142

BLEACHING.

in 15 minutes: it is then stripped from the cylinder, neatly folded and pressed, whichfinishes the piece for the market. From 6d. to 9d. per piece of 12 yards is obtained forthe bleaching and finishing of those goods.

Book muslins, after being washed from the sour, are wrung or pressed ; then they arehung up to dry in a heated stove, previous to being put into starch, prepared by boiling3 lbs. of it to every 5 gallons of water, with 20 ounces of smalts: they are wrung out ofthis starch, and taken to a room heated to 110° F.; the starch is wrought into the piecetill clear, then taken into a cold room, and the selvages dressed or set, before being puton the breadthing frame in the heated stove, where the piece is stretched to its length,while three or four persons at each selvage keep the piece to its breadth. If a stiff finishis wanted, they keep exactly opposite each other; but in breadthing the piece of elastic,they cross the piece in breadthing, which gives it a springy elastic finish. From 9 d. tolod. per piece of 12 yards is obtained for the bleaching and finishing of these goods.

“ Sewed trimmings, flounces, and dresses are run through spring water containing finesmalts with a little well-boiled starch. TJiey are then taken to the drying-stove, wherethey are stented till dry, which finishes the piece for the market. From 6d. to 8ri. perpiece is obtained for trimmings and flounces, and from 9d. to Is. for dresses, bleachingand finishing.”

In the bleaching of cotton cloth, where fixed colors are previously dyed in the yarnbefore it is woven into cloth, such as the Turkey or Adrianople red, and its compoundsof lilach or purple, by the addition of iron bases, various shades of blue from indigo, togetherwith buff and gold color, tinged with the oxydes of iron, great care is necessary.

The common process of bleaching pulicates, into which permanent colors are woven,is, to wash the dressing or starch well out in cold water; to boil them gently in soap,and, after again washing, to immerse them in a moderately strong solution of the oxy-muriate of potash ; and this process is followed until the white is good : they are thensoured in dilute sulphuric acid. If the goods are attended to in a proper manner, thecolors, in place of being impaired, will be found greatly improved, and to have acquireda delicacy of tint which no other process can impart to them.

Pulicates, or ginghams, which have been woven along with yarn which has been pre-viously bleached, are first freed by washing from the starch or dressing: they are thenwashed, or slightly boiled with soap. After which, they are completely rinsed in purespring water, and then soured.

Besides these common processes for bleaching, another was some time ago introduced,which consisted in immersing the cotton or linen goods in pretty strong solution of caus-tic alkali, and afterwards exposing them to the action of steam in a close vessel. It isnow generally abandoned.

The cotton or linen goods, having been previously cleaned by steeping and washing,were, after being well drained, steeped in a solution of caustic alkali of the specific gravityof 1020. After the superfluous alkaline ley had been drained from them, they were ar-ranged on a grating in a. receiver. The cover was then placed on the vessel, and firmlyscrewed down; and the steam was admitted by turning the stopcock of the pipe whichcommunicated with a steam boiler of the common construction.

The stains which come out upon maddered goods, in consequence of defective bleach-ing, are called in this country spangs. Their origin is such as I have described above,as the following statement of facts will show. The weaver of calicoes receives frequentlya fine warp so tender from bad spinning or bad staple in the cotton, that it will not bearthe ordinary strain of the heddles, or friction of the shuttle and reed, and he is obligedto throw in as much weft as will compensate for the weakness or thinness of the warp,and make a good marketable cloth. He of course tries to gain his end at the leastexpense of time and labor. Hence, when his paste dressing becomes dry and stiff, he hasrecourse to such greasy lubricants as he can most cheaply procure; which Are commonlyeither tallow or butter in a rancid state, but the former, being the lowest priced, is pre-ferred. Accordingly, the weaver, having heated a lump of iron, applies it to a piece oltallow held over the warp in the loom, and causes the melted fat to drop in patches uponthe yarns, which he afterwards spreads more evenly by his brush. It is obvious, however,that the grease must be very irregularly applied in this way, and be particularly thick oncertain spots. This irregularity seldom fail* to appear when the goods are bleached oidyed by the common routine of work. Printed calicoes examined by a skilful eye writbe often seen to be stained with large blotches evidently occasioned by this vile practiceof the weaver.. The ordinary workmen call these copper stains, believing them to becommunicated in the dyeing copper. Such stains on the cloth are extremely injurious mdyeing with the. indigo vat. The following plan is adopted by some Scotch bleachers,with the effect, it is said, of effectually counteracting spangs from grease.

The goods having been singed and steeped in pure water, as is customary in commonbleaching, they are passed through a pair of rollers to press out the impurities whichhave been loosened by the steeping. It must here, however, be observed, that where the