The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1877-03-13
THE FARM AND HOUSEHOLD.
The Origin of BlanIke is

While Edward Ill, in 1887, repeated
his invasion of Scotland, and ''rayaged the
country with great fury, burning Aberdeen
and many similar towns,' as the historian
tells us; and while he was raising an army to
invade France in 1888. eXacling from the i'm
poverished English people all their wealth to
waste in war. borrowing money from all for
eign princes who would lend him, pawning
the English crown which made him king,
that he might further extend destruction over
fertile France; when in the battles that our
historians and poets have infinitely recorded,
and loftily sung, swords clashed with swords,
and battle-aXes ruDg on coats OF mail, the
warrior heroes of France, there was servant
making a noise in Bristol, which was of inf
nitely greater service to England tnan the
entire conquest of Europe would have
been.
This was Thomas Blanket. The noise he
made was not that of the clashing sword, but
of the cashing shuttle. His purpose was not
to destroy what his country already possessed,
but to give his country what it did not possess
blankets, a covering of comfort to go to bed
with, to sleep under, that it might be re-
freshed in sound sleep and rise in health and
strength to its daily work of making happier
by being happier itself. Thomas was soon
initiated by his neighbors. who, like him, set
up looms in their own houses, and made
wooden cloth like that which he made. The
cloth was named by his name; and to this
the name be known, though nothing else is
known CT this weaver than that he was first
to introduce the blanket manufacture into
England.
No cloth of any kind had been woven in
England before the time of Edward III.
We read then, that in 1881, John Kemp,
from Flanders, introduced the weaving of cloth
into England; that the King invited faers,
dyers, &c, to come from Flanders and settle
here. The policy on the part OF Edward
was discreet; and viewed in connection with
some other of his actions, proved him to have
some perceptions CT the real source of nation
al well being. But he no sooner allowed the
cloth manufacture to be implanted in England
than he almost rooted it up again by restrict
i've enactments and oppressive taxes to carry
on his wars. The manufacture of twisted
double-thread wooden, called worsted, was in
troduced into England about this time. or
socr after.
The village of Worsted. abont fifteen miles
from Norwich, was the first place where this
thread was made, and it took tue name OF the
village. There are no spinning or wooden
manufactures at WOrsted nov, but from the
tombs in the graveyards and the benefactions
left to the parish, which are recorded in the
church. we have proofs that the manufactur-
ers of Worsted were numerous, opulent, and
lived there in successive generations during
several centuries. 1t may also he noticed
here, that after inquiring into the history OF
the parish and manufacture of WoIsteo, we
visited Lindsey, which gave the name of the
fabric known as lindsey wUolsey, and the
Kersey and the Mere close to it in Suffolk,
where the workshops were situated. in which
the cloIh called kerseymere was first made.
The cloth so called, now differs from the orig
inal, and there is but little trade of any kind
in Kersey now. But as at Worsted, the
graveyard and the church have many records
of manufacturers long deceased Their
names, though now anglicized and common
in Suffolk, are OF Flemish origin.
Rennet Used by Cheddar-Cheese Maker.
An English cheese-maker of Somerset
shire, gives the following as the recipe in use
in his country where the fine Cheddar cheese
is Manufactured: Twelve lemons cut into thin
slices, pour upon this IL quarts of boiling
water, cover it down to infuse for IL hours f;
then strain and add IL veil or flaps tbe care
full to see they are not tainted), let this stand
two days, seeing that the wells are under the
surface of the reDnet; at the expiration of
two days, put in lbs of salt (LiVerpoo), 2
ozs. saltpetre, 2 ozs. alum (Roaeh); when dis
solved, it is fit for use. When this is half
used, make another supply to follow. Be
careful that the wells are never swimming on
the surface, which will be the case without
pressure put upon them. The duality of
wells being uncertain in strength, it is neces-
sary that trial should be made to ascertain
the quality of the rennet before using it,
which can be done effectually, and without
much sacrifice, by getting a quart of milk
and heating it to 81 degrees, trying first 2
drains (more or less) of the rennet. and if it
produces curd OF a proper consistency in 1
hour Tor II hourl, by multiplying both. a
correct proportion can be exactly ascertain
ed for any quantity. Before using the rem
net, the temperature of the milk should be
ascertained, and if the weather Shout be at
Temp 40 deg, run or add rennet at 930 to the milk