70
MAUCIIAMP WOOLS—GELATINE AND GLUES FROM ANIMAL WASTE.
r CLASS IV.
No. 1404, by M. Popelin Ducarre (p. 1243); viz.,specimens of prepared charcoal in cylindrical masses,called ‘ charbon de Paris;’ specimens of carbonizedtwigs and small branches of trees and of carbonized tan,accompanied with models of the machinery employed inthe manufacture of the prepared charcoal.
The first merit of the ingenious invention here illus-trated, and that which renders it of special importance incountries dependent on wood for fuel, is the modificationof the ovens for carbonizing, without incineration, thosesmall ligneous portions of plants and shrubs which hadpreviously been of no value in the formation of charcoal,and were regarded as the waste of the forest: this modeof carbonization is equally applicable to underwood, furze-bushes, cane-brake, and even to the refuse tan of manymanufactures. The charcoal thus produced, togetherwith the dust from ordinary charcoal magazines, is thenconverted into a kind of artificial coke, in a manneranalogous to that by which coal-dust has been for manyyears past converted into similar fuel in England. Theproduce of the ovens in M. Popelin Ducarre’s extensiveworks is pulverized, mixed with a eertaiu proportion ofcoal-tar or gas-tar (goudron de houille ), and mouldedinto small cylinders, which are a second time submittedto carbonization. The machinery effecting these pur-poses is remarkable for its ingenuity and efficiency ; andthe result is a regular, solid, hard, heavy, but porouscharcoal-coke, which is used with economy and success,as is amply testified by the Reports of the “ CentralJury” of the Exposition at Paris in 1849, of the “ Societyof Encouragement,” and of the “ Central Society of Agri-culture,” of Franco, and by the written testimonials ofmany eminent manufacturers in France , requiring largequantities of an economical fuel. The “ charbon deParis” is peculiarly adapted for those manufactures inwhich a low and long-sustained heat is required to bemaintained, and it is sold at a rate one-fourth cheaperthan ordinary charcoal.
The Jury, appreciating the value of this invention ofthe ingenious Exhibitor, especially to countries which,like France , are not abundantly supplied with coal, haverecommeuded the award of the Council Medal to M.Popelin Ducarre.
Amongst the series of wools shown in the French De-partment are specimens characterised by a well-skilledEnglish Expert as “ a wool of singular and peculiar pro-perties—the hair glossy and silky, similar to mohair,retaining at the same time certain properties of the merinobreed.” This wool is exhibited under No. 245 (p. 11SS),by J. L. Graux, of the farm de Mauchamp, Communede Juvincourt (Aisne ), as the produce of a peculiar varietyof the merino breed of sheep.
The Jury entered into an inquiry, not only into thecommercial value and application, but into the particularsof the production of this new kind of wool, and findingit to be one of the very few instances in which the origi-nation of a distinct variety of a domestic quadruped canbe satisfactorily traced, with all the circumstances attend-ing its development well authenticated, a brief statementof these has been deemed appropriate in the presentReport.
In the year 1828, one of the ewes of the flock ofmerinos in the farm of Manchamp produced a ram whichbecame remarkable for the long, smooth, straight, andsilky character of the fibre of the wool, and for thesmoothness of its horns: it was of small size, and pre-sented certain defects in its conformation, which havedisappeared in its descendants. In 1829 M. Graux em-ployed this ram with a view to obtain other rams havingthe same quality of wool. The produce of 1830 includedonly one ram and one ewe having the silky quality ofthe wool; that of 1S31 produced four rams and one ewewith the Heece of that quality; in the year 1833 the ramswith the silky variety of wool were sufficiently numerousto serve, of themselves, the whole flock. In each subse-quent vear the lambs have been of the two kinds; onepreserving the characters of the ancient race, with the !curled, elastic wool, only a little longer and finer than in jthe ordinary merinos: the other resembling the rams ofthe new breed, some of which retained the large head, ;
long neck, narrow* chest, and long flanks of the abnormalprogenitor, whilst others combined the ordinary andbetter-formed body with the fine silky wool. M. Graux,profiting by this partial resumption of the normal typeof the merino in certain of the descendants of the mal-formed original variety, at length succeeded, by a judi-cious system of crossing and interbreeding, in obtaining aflock combining the long fine silky fleece with a smallerhead, shorter neck, broader flanks, and more capaciouschest. Of this breed the flocks have become sufficientlynumerous to enable the proprietor to sell examples of thebreed for exportation. The crossing of the Mauchampvariety with the ordinary merino has also produced avaluable quality of wool, known in France as the“ Mauchamp-merino.” The fine silky wool of the pureMauchamp breed is remarkable for its qualities as comb-ing-wool, owing to the strength as well as the length andfineness of the fibre. It is found of great value by themanufacturers of Cachemere shawls, being second onlyto the true Cachemere fleece in the fine flexible delicacyof the fabric, and is of particular utility, when combinedwith the Cachemere wool, in imparting to the manufac-ture qualities of strength and consistence in which thepure Cachemere is deficient.
Although the quantity of the wool yielded by theManchamp variety is less than that given by the ordinarymerinos, the higher price which it obtains in the French markets (25 per cent, above the best merino wools*), andthe present value of the breed have fully compensatedM. Graux for the pains and care which he has manifestedin the establishment of the Mauchamp variety.
The Jury, considering the quality of invention whichhas been superadded to the skill and industry requisitefor obtaining the finer qualities of wool under any cir-cumstances, in the development of the new* variety ofsheep yielding the specimens exhibited in No. 245, haverecommended that the Council Medal be awarded toJ. L. Graux.
The most remarkable progress in the economical ex-traction and preparation of pure gelatines and glues fromthe waste remnants of the skins, bones, tendons, liga-ments, and other gelatinous tissues of animals, has beenmade in France , where the well-organised and admirably-arranged establishments for the slaughter of cattle, sheep,and horses in large towns, give great and valuable facili-ties for the economical applications of all the waste partsof animal bodies. Among the beautiful productions ofthis industry, the specimens exhibited by its chief origi-nator, L. F. Grenet, under No. 247 (*p. 1188), meritpeculiar approbation. They include different kinds ofgelatine in thin layers, adapted for the dressing of stuffs,and for gelatinous baths, in the clarification of wineswhich contain a sufficient quantity of tannin to pre-cipitate the gelatine; pure and white gelatines cut intothreads for the use of the confectioner; very thin whiteand transparent sheets called papier glace or ice paper,for copying drawings; and finally, a quantity of objectsof luxury or ornaments formed of dyed, silvered, or giltgelatines, adapted to a variety of purposes, and to thefabrication of artificial or fancy flowers. M. Grenet,who was the first to fabricate on a large scale, out ofvarious residues of animal bodies of little value, thesebeautiful and diversified products, many of which hadpreviously been derived from isinglass, has been deemedby the Jury to merit special notice in the present sectionof the Report, and they have recommended to him theaward of the Council Medal.
A considerable number of collections of raw producefrom various countries are exhibited, each including anumber of different specimens, many of which, takensingly or in groups, are of importance, either from theirnovelty, their superior excellence, or the locality fromwhich they are sent; the Jury considered it most advis-able to treat each of these collections as a whole or unit,and they accordingly awarded Prize Medals for the follow-ing collections respectively : —