The Portland daily press., 1865-03-21
Established June 2s, lsGs.-VOl. 4.

:
Flax is almost entirely foreign product,
though our climate and soil are well adapted
tolt. 1t is usually imported by the carpet man
ulacturers in the form OF yarns, though con-
siderable quantity of yarns and shoe-thread is
manufactured in one factory in Massachu-
sets.
The small quantity of cotton used is, of
| course, an American product. Hemp comes
principally from England, in the form of yarns.
| Jute is an East India product, resembling
hemp, and of the same botanical species. 1t,
also, is chiefly manufactured intoyarns in Eng
land, and imported thence for the various uses
to which it is here applied. But small GUAM
tity OF It is used in carpets, as it is not dura-
Bile, and will not long resist even very slight
degree of moisture. ar - 20.
Many OF the dyestufs are imported. but a
portion is furnishedlby our own country. The
new coal-oil, or aniline colors, are considera-
bly, used in the better styles of carpets. where
shades OF peculiar brilliancy or delicacy are
sought for. They are unquestionably far
more beautiful, as well as infinitely more yari-
Gus and brilliant; but the objection still OBJ
tains against them that they are fugitive. Few
OF tnem VIII bear strong light for any length
OF tlme, and the direct rays of the sun soon
reduce them to a most disagreeable and faded
appearance. Experiments are, however, fast
remedying this defect, and in many instances
have proved entirely successful.
For the crimsons and various red shades used
In ingrains and three-plies, cochneal is still al
most universally used, as these styles of car
pets are universally subjected to the hardest
and most constant wear, and the tints produc-
ed by this favorite article withstand all trials.
Logwood, tumeric, indigo and Prussian blue
are the principal dyes in use for carpets, and
with these and cochinea, nearly every shade
can be produced
considerable quantity of size Is used in
the preparation of the yarns for weaving the
bodies OF carpets, and in the printing OF tap
estry warps. Glue and starch are used in the
preparation of this size. .eH
PROCESS OF MANUFACTURE.
Very few if any of the carpet manufactur
ers prepare their linen yarns, but most of the
worsted and wooden yarns are prepared in the
factories; the linen tow and hemp being i'm
ported in the form of yarns, and The wool in
Its raw state. Some of the wool used for car
pets goes by the name OF washed wool, but an
unpractised eye is quite unable to detect any
difference between that and the unwashed
wool, all being in an exceedingly dirty condi-
ton. Much OF the South American wool is
washed in the streams, and then laid in the
sands upon their banks to dry, by which pro.
cess 1t takes up large quantity of dirt which
not only ADDS ID its weight very materially.
out neeessitates very scrupulous cleaning
process after the bales are opened.
The first processes to which the wool is sub
jected are those OF cleaning and picking, all of
which is done by machinery. If designed TO
be made into woolen yarn, it is then carded
and spun upon the spinning jenny, which is in
use IN nearly all factories, and is familiar to
most readers. But the warps OF carpetings
are made OF worsted yarns, and their prepara-
ton IS very different process, or series of
processes.
y OF these processes in the preparation Of the
wool iato worsted there are thirteen--yiz..
sorting, securing. drying, bleaching, carding,
TINS process Is used in the preparation of
worsted for certain fabrics only. not for car
pets,) combing, breaking, drawing, rowing.
spinning, weaving, dyeing. AS the descrip-
ton OF these would necessarily be tedious, we
pass it over as lightly as possible.
The separation OF the long fbres of the
wool from the shorter ones is the main object |
of the most important of these processes. viz
combing. This is done by long -toothed ap-
paratus, attached to the machine used for that
purpose, and sometimes by smaller appara
tus by hand. The fine, short wool which is
separated, Is known by the technical name OF
"nois." and is used for the manufacture of |
blankets aud fiannels, after being spun upon |
the spinning machine or jenny.
After combing, the processes known as
breaking, drawing and rowing all serve to
place the long hbres. thus separated, parallel
to each other, and gradually to form them in
to continuous roll or rope, which becomes
smaller and more attenuated as it passes from
one machine to another. This comes at last |
TO the spinning machine. 1t is then of the ex-
act size required for the yarn, and by an adap- |
tation of flyers, revolving with extreme rapid |
ity, 1t is twisted and wound upon bobbins set
in a frame for the PURPOSE II is afterwards |