Alexandria daily gazette, commercial & political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1808-1812, 1809-09-04
CONTINUED

telling quality of wool, by depriving 1t OF
its moisture, and making it more elastic;
and also by its elasticity, it may destroy.
the extremely minute ridges on its surface,
on which its telling quality depends.
The cause of the telling quality OF wool
and hair is little understood or attended to,
and involved in some obscurity; may,
therefore, be excused for dwelling upon IT,
as it is of considerable importance in the
cloth and hat mandatory. That the telt
ing quality depends on the tendency OF the
hair or fbrs to move in one direction when
repeatedly pressed, | have little doubt but
whether this is occasioned by indfntalons,
or BY rings, or zones, or any inequality OF
the surface, will not admit OF proof, as they
cannot be discovered by the microscope,
though we can feel sensible degree OF
roughness when hair is drawn from It's
points to the root between the fingers. The
sensation excited, is somewhat similar TO
the vibration felt in drawing the point OF the
finger over smooth edge Of a glass. Re-r
Aecting ON this circumstance, 1t occurred TO
me. that the roughness or uemulous motion
we feel in drawing hair through the hing
ers in the manner have described, may be
caused bv minute vibrations, which are
more easily excited in one direction than "a
mother, owing to some peculiar arrange.
ment of the particles, or of some small tiia-
ments which compose the substance OF wool
or hair. Whether the tendency OF the i1alr
or fibre to move in one direction when
pressed, arises from a peculiar vibration,
or from inequalities Of It's uitace, it is GER
tain, that on this its telling quality depends.
This motion has been compared to that OF
an ear of barley placed under the sleeve OF
the coat, with the points OF its beard down
wards; by the action OF the arm the ear IS
moved in a retrogade direction, until 1t has
advanced from the wrist to the shoulder.
A farther illustration of this is given in
an account of the progress OF hat-makns.
6 When the straight hairs OF the beaver,
the rabbit. sc are not intended TO enter H.
to thu body of the mass, but are only to be
employed in making sort OF external coat
ing, such as is sometimes given to the out
err surface of hats, the felt on which they
are to be fixed being finished, the hair Is
uniformly spread upon the surface 10 which
the coating is to be applied and being CO.
vered with cloth, It is pressed with the
hands, and agitated for certain time. bva
these means, the hairs introduce themselves
bv the root certain depth into the telt, and
are there fixed in such a manner as not 10
be easily extracted. If the agitation were
continued for longer time, these hairs
would pass entirely through the ielt, gong
out at the opposite surface, as each hair
follows exactly the direction it acquired at
the beginning
Itwool and hair be formed in the manner
I have before stated, many pecuilarltles in
their growth admit of an easy explanation
Woods are generally grown fner In the win
ter than the summer months. During WIN
ter, sheep have not the same coPlous supply
of food as in sumner: hence the wool form
ing fluid will be diminished IN quantity:
the cold may be also supposed 70 contract
the ducts near the surface OF the skin
Some animals produce very coarse halr IN
summer, the bottom OF which IN winter
will be fine down or fur. Many OF the
secreting vessels In such animals, which u
mite in the last duct to form hair, may pro-
badly in the cold season cease to act altoge-,
Their, and only suoA of them as secrete the
very finest part of the fluid which forms
down, may remain at that time in an active
state.
Other animals inhabiting the polar re-
eions, grow long coarse hair, and distinct
from this, very fine short wool or down,
clos. TO the skin. The fine down seems IN
tended to keep the animal warm, and the
coarse hair to defend the down from the ac-
ton of the elements, or from being worn
away by the rocks and ice on which such a,
nimals repose. The fine dowh.n aeereted