Los Angeles daily herald., 1874-01-16

made in plain coloring, or printed for
piano covers, fancy carriage robes,
ETC., on which kind of goods it has
been necessary to use wool entirely
free from burrs or other vegetable
matter. The scarcity and high prices
of woods free from burrs, as compared
with bury descriptions, led Mr.. Cross
ley to the new discovery, which it is
claimed will prove great boon to the
wooden interests of the country.
The woods from Buenos Ayres, and
other South American grades, ais o
much Of the wool from Texas and Cal
ifornia, are of superior fibre and sta
pie, both in tineness and strength,
and re equally adapted for their felt
ing and fulling properties with woods
from the Cape of Good Hope and Aus
tralia.
The great drawback in the Use of the
fine grades of our domestic and South
American woods consists in their be-
ing more or less filled with burrs and
other vegetable matter, such as seeds,
grasses, ETC., which become SO mixed
with and attached to the wool that it
has been found impossible hitherto to
remove them entirely.
notwithstanding that great i'm
provements have been made in the
burr picker, it has been found impos-
sible to entirely remove the Mestiza
burrs-the latter being mostly of a
spiral nature = having rim or edge
along its entire length, when opened,
consisting of very fine teeth, or more
properly speaking of fine, sharp,
hooked claws. These being firmly
embedded in the wool, retain their
hold so Tremendously that the burr is
broken flaore or less in the process of
picking, and the small parts thus
broken are mixed with the wool, after
which it has been impossible to remove
them.
For these reasons manufacturers in
the United States, especially those en-
gagged in the manufacture of the best
grades Of cassimeres, broadcloths, and
in hats, and in fine felts for ladies'
wear, have been compelled to use
woods from the Cape of Good Hope and
Australia, either of which are but
little, if any, superior in fineness or
elasticity, or length of staple, or in any
of the felting or fulling properties to
the most of the Mestiza or California
woods, although costing much higher
price.
1t is we'll known also that the finest
and best grades of domestic and South
American woods are the most filled
with burrs any plan or treatment
therefore which can be employed to
cleanse the wool from the burr and
other foreign or vegetable matter, at
q trifling expense, without corroding,
hardening or otherwise injuring the
staple, and at the same time yield a
product of from two to twelve per cent.
greater than by any other system of
cleansing heretofore known must be
of importance to the wool grower, the
manufacturer, and the public gener-
ally.
After several years of study and
practical experience in both the clean
ing and colOring of wool, Mr.. CrOssley
has thus discovered and patented an
improvement by which the results de-
scribed have been secured, and has
been demonstrated by actual practical
tests; evidence of which can be read
lily given by him to parties interested
at any time.
Not only are the advantages secured
by this improvement which is herein
described-but in addition the wool is
bleached perfectly white, however
yellow may have been its previous
condition, and wool prepared by his
process will receive any color either
analine or the ordinary colors, in a
shorter time, of more brilliant
shade, ut less expense, and of greater
durability than upon wool not thus
treated, by reason of the uniform con-
dition in which it is left by the action
of the mOr1ant it receives from the
gas to which it is submitted.
! Many experiments have been made
in the removal of burs by the use of a
bath composed of sulphuric acid and
water at strength varying from to
81 degrees of "Twaddell." In every
case where this bath has been used on
fine woods, the stapleor fibre has been
greatly weakened, it being necessary
by this method to use bath of sutfi-
cient strength to corrOde or consume
the burr, it has necessarily cOrroded
and weakened the fibre. This result
is especially injurious to woods that
are to be used for spinning, as the
stock never draws SO well or so evenly
Notwithstanding the application of an
additional quantity of oil.
In Mr.. Crossley's improvement no
acid bath is used. The wool is simply
secured and washed clean in the ordi-
nary manner, and after going through
the usual process of extracting the
water in the hydro-extractor, it is
spread upon racks to thickness of
four to six inches, and submitted to q
gas generated from combination of
materials which serve to thoroughly
decompose the claw or beard of the
burr, or other vegetable matter or
scurf mixed with the wool, liberting
the burr from its hold upon the wool,
so that when submitted to the action
of the burr picker all the burrs, grasses
seeds, or other vegetable matter are
instantly and entirely removed, and
the wool is left in a perfectly soft and
elastic condition, being entirely unin-
jured by the action of the gas.
The labor and material required to
produce this result is trifling, as the
spreading of the wool to receive the
gas is about the only labor required in
addition to the ordinary washing.
Desultory remarks and inquiries
were made on the subject of organizing
wool association, and DR.. Edgar
moved that it is the sense of the Con-
vention that it form such an associa-
ton.
Mr.. Newmark moved that com-
mittee of five on constitution and by
laws be appointed. Carried.
Messrs. White, GARNER, Atheran,
Lyons and Ross We're appointed, and
afterwards Mr., John s, Ward was
added,
Mr., Ward exhibited a beautiful spec
linen of Cotswold wool, which he stat
ed was clipps from ram ten months