BLEACHING.

147

with the prime mover. When the end of the lever k, whose fork embraces the coupling-box upon the square part of the shaft, is pushed forwards or backwards, it shifts the clutchinto or out of gear with the toothed wheel m. In the latter case, this wheel turns with»ts pinion without affecting the dash-wheel, n », holdfasts fixed upon the wooden frame,to which the boards o o are attached, for preventing the water from being thrown aboutby the centrifugal force.

The dash-wheel is generally from 6 to 7 feet in diameter, about 30 inches wide, and reWires the power of about two horses to drive it.

. From one to two pieces of calico may be done at once in each quadrantal compartment,*® the course of 8 or 10 minutes; hence, in a day of 13 hours, with two such wheels1200 pieces of yard-wide goods may be washed.

After the process of washing by the dash-wheel, the water is expressed from the clothby means of the squeezers already described.

Bleaching of Linen .—Linen contains much more coloring matter than cotton. Themrmer loses nearly a third of its weight, while the latter loses not more than a twentieth.Ihe fibres of flax possess, in the natural condition, a light gray, yellow, or blond color.fy the operation of rotting, or, as it is commonly called, water-retting, which is employed0 enable the textile filaments to be separated from the bopn, or woody matter, the colorecomes darker, and, in consequence probably of the putrefaction of the green matter ofhe bark, the coloring substance appears. Hence, flax prepared without rotting is muchPhler, and its coloring matter may be in a great measure removed by washing withsoap, leaving the filaments nearly white. Mr. James Lee obtained a patent in 1812, ashaving discovered that the process of steeping and dew-retting is unnecessary, and thatax and hemp will not only dress, but will produce an equal if not greater quantity ofore durable fibre, when cleaned in the dry way. Mr. Lee stated that, when hemp orP'auts are ripe, the farmer has nothing more to do than to pull, spread, and dry

p r In the sun, and then to break them by proper machinery. This promising im-Patp 6 ? 1611 *’- ^ as a PP a re n tly come to naught, having been many years abandoned by theted th ° ^iniself, though he was favored with a special act of parliament, which permit-gen , specification of his patent to remain sealed up for seven years, contrary to theTh P lact * ce suc b cases.

in ac'd sW,sta ? ce which gives steeped flax its peculiar tint is insoluble in boiling water,alkal - ' n nivalis > b ut it possesses the property of dissolving in caustic or carbonated

to oxv* 6 w i' en “ bas possessed the means of dehydrogenation by previous exposurenpon tr*' ^ em P is, in this respect, analogous to flax. The bleaching of both dependsalkali U .],, act i°n of oxygen, and upon the removal of the acidified dye, by means of anlight a i ls . P rocess is effected generally by the influence of air in combination withthe sam m °i. sture acting on the linen cloth laid upon the grass: but chlorine will effectcolor co 6 , ect more expeditiously. In no case, however, is it possible to acidify therin e _ anTi? 16 ^ at onc e, but there must be many alternate exposures to oxygen or chlol'krs'the ti a **-’ before the flax becomes white. It is this circumstance alone which ren-Uavi n leac nin" of linen an apparently complicated business,alkaline f ^ade these preliminary observations with regard to the method of applying theview bv s ’! sef l in bleaching iinen cloth, I shall now brine the whole into one point ofhas unifo et . ai ^ n § the connexion of these processes, as carried on at a bleach-field, whichgiven sati f P een succ essful in returning the cloth of a good white, and has otherwiseU P as the b aCti011 t0 * ts em Pl°y er s; and I shall only remark, that I by no means hold itAccesses m eSt ’ ,rocess "which may be employed, as every experienced bleacher knows thatto the oat.. US 1 kc varied, not only according to existing circumstances, but also accordingIn order t 6 ° f “* e Uaaas operated upon.

stood that th° J' e Petition, where washing is mentioned, it must always be under-'° r some hour * lnen I s taken to the wash-stocks or dash-wheel, and washed well in themexe euted betw" ^’ s P art of the work can never be overdone; and on its being properlys °lutioa ) and 6en . ever 5 r Part of the bucking, boiling, steeping in the chloride of lime®? ea nt, that th° U r ln “’ not a l* tt l e °f the success of bleaching depends. By exposure is

.'ant, t b„. A not a

e ’ght dav s V he lltten doth

to according

, - — js, ace r ~ — v “ * s taken and spread upon the bleach-green for four, six, or0 Undergo’ furthe-^ * S rout ‘ ne °f business calls for the return of the cloth, in order

A Parcel‘of l ” er , 0 P era tions.

Lach pi ece . ?°°ds consists of 360 pieces of those linens which are called Britannias.‘a® Parcel i s • ‘ ar< * s l° n g> and they weigh, on an average, 10 lbs. each: the weight ofWashed, and (j, ln conse qnence, about 3600 lbs. avoirdupois weight. The linens are firstc esses; they .i.^ 11 ste cped in waste alkaline ley, as formerly described under these pro-1st u!, U i n j the following operations:—

2d ’ Tfitt ed Wlltl 60 Iks. pearl-ashes, washed, exposed on the field.

3d’ Ditto ditto ditto ditto ditto.

4tfc, 9 0 potashes ditto ditto ditto.

80 ditto ditto ditto ditto.