Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1816-05-08
From the Southern Patriot.
LIsE.F TRADE.

LII EF TRADE.
This IS an interesting subject. which lite
rally comes ZONE - tn the bosor.s of men"
and it is with regret we observe, that a
prejudice resulting fran the unsuccessful
ezperim nts in bleaching, of Mr.. LEE
whose candor must save him from the
charge OF empiricism) should have injured
the character and sale of the staple article
OF the agriculture AID manufactures of ire
land. 1t appears, that new and CHEAP
rJect OF Mr.. Lee Cor bleaching of A X had
been adopted, and that the great saving i'm
labor, and Consequently in expencp. That
would have Attended this methnd. had it
9een successful, would necessarily have re-
luced the price of linens 10 the importer
aud commemorative impression of tbe
sudden cheapness Of linens having gone
abroad, our merchants have been nut of
humor with the recent invoices of thai arti-
Gle. which lave met their eves-and accor.
| dingly the trade has sufie ed.
Ii our humble efforts car he of any cor
vice to the cause of truth, and t. honorable
commerce,-we beg leave TO acquaint che
commercial part of The community with the
TACT, that the experiment has been fairly
tested, and has been found aot only inca
| Fable OF bleaching the finer fax. but that It
| rs. from the component parts of the Iig,...r
| IN which the flax is stepped, highly destruc
tive to the linen.-We have seen letter
addressed to the Secretary of the Linen
| Board, in which is stated the result Of a full
and fair experiment Of the discovery and
the following comparative inductions are
drawn, from facts, by Robert Williamson.
Esquire, of Lambeg, in the South of Ire
land.
9 l. That the colOring matter of all flax.
whether stepped, unsteeped, or dew-rotted.
is soluble III water, and soap and water :
anh that very short exposure to the at
nnsphere, or an INNER sion in oxymuriatic
acid, renders such fax white.
| Q. That oxygen, whether from the at
mosphere. or by the direct application a.
the oXymuriatic acid, is necessary to TN.
whitening of all flax.
8. That ripe fax prepared by Mr.. Lees
method, is more easily deprived of its CO.
ioring matter. than flax prepared in the OLD
way: And that flax pulled green, or dark
ned IN its color by rain, does not so readi-
| ~ yield IFS coIor,ng matter.
q. That this latter fax, by its fneness
and tenacity of fire, seems hest adapted
20 the manufacture of that valuable shirfinc
men II which Gland 50 greatly exceIs.
D That this description of fax, so far
has been tried here. has not been found
apahle OF being cleaned AND prepared by
the new machnery, and that the steeDinp
process is the best yet discovered fur sepa-
.atln9 its woody parts from It's fibre.
| 3. That 1t the unsteeped fax If ireland
should be found adswr able IN our ma I!uftc-
ure Tor coarser fabrics, it can b,. cleaned
with greater facility ny the old methn,l."
In addition to these infe ence, upon the
sublect--the same gentleman IN another
letter to the board Of Feb. Sd, REFERRING IN
another method of bleaching by the use If
80 Detergent Salt''--states. that :. the IA.
nous bleaching project of the Uefarep !.
san (Which was to have Superseded the use
81 AK ~ was persisted in. contrary to
the opinion and report of that celebrated
chymlst, Mr.. HIcGINs, who pronounced il
. adulterated lime" This +" cheaper. SAT.
RS. quicker, and more effectual material. y
had nearly destroyed the character of Irish
| Linens"
We trust, therefore, that the trade on
both sides of the Atlantic, will soon recover
rom any injury resulting from false i'm
p"esslons.. Some of the projectors them
elves OF the last method, have returned to
che first principles, and seem to be convin-
ced that whatever improvements Mechan-
les and Chemistry may make upon the sub
ect under consideration, most changes
rave been hitherto inefficient. We are
therefore, convinced, that this sudden breeze
WI soon waste itself, and that the Irish
Lhnen trade will continue to flourish as
usual.