The Indiana State sentinel., 1879-04-30
Test of silks.

A lady who has visited the most impor-
tant silk factories in Europe has given the
result of her observations in this connection.
Che says that it is next to impossible to
knowsof but four reliable firms who tell the
truth about their products. She gave the
following suggestions: "If the sum at dis
posal be moderate, a very good silk ia forth
coming, though it may not be cord; if
useless dress is wanted the silk ordered, for
instance, is a robe de fatigue, or it is drap
d'Anvers or a drap 'Rhone, the word 'drap'
at Lyons not sgnifying cloth, but plain,
close textures of black silk. Samples
should be written for, and when in hand
there is a method for selecting g good silk
from bad one. II, after having made
fold on the cross in a sample received. it is
not easily effaced by pulling it over again by
the first finger, or by pulling the material In
q contrary direction, that silk is bad. If, on
the other hand, the ridge impsrceptibly dis
appears, the material is good, for silks should
be supple, however thick"
Another writer on this subject adds some
additional hints of a noteworthy character:
Formerly, the silk manufacturers used
uugummed silk both for warp and weft.
The ungumming softens the silk and re-
moves from it a resinous matter; but there
is great loss of weight-in French silks %
per cent, but in Chinese silks sometimes 40
per cent. The manufacturers have, for some
time past, ungummed merely the silk for
the warp, leaving that for the weft raw, as
the threads of the warp are not seen.
I'm this manner a great loss of weight is
avoided but the goods, as soon as wetted,
become uneven. This happens especially
where such tissues are dyed, when the weft
is attracted by the color and the mordant,
and becomes rough and broken. Like all
other fibers, that of silk consists of a number
of small particles linked together.
"These become prominent on ungummiDg,
so that when silk fabric. consisting entirely
OF ulgummed silk, is moistened, no altera-
ton appears. But in common silk goods
this only happens with the warp. The
molstening, finishing. ETC., OF these goods
occasion difference between the threads OF
| the warp and the weft. This explains the
distortion OF such goods. and their tendency
| to break in the folds"
Concerning the color of black, there are
very unreliable green blacks and dun blacks
The real blue black Is the highest esteemed.
The ravens wing has blue haze ovsr ii. II
is said that no one not in the business can
know how difficult 1t is to get glossy blue
black in the matter Of elk goods; q dead
black is not the accomplishment OF this end.
Cheap qualities of silk would not reward the
manufacturer for bis trouble, hence a brown
or green-black are of inferior fiber. Experts
in the selection Of silks adhere to certain
rules which guide them in the matter
Among others Is that of noting the
closeness and syenness OF the rib IL
hold it to the light, by which means the
character of the texture is discovered
The goods are crushed in the hand also, ant
If 1t springs out quickly when suddenly re
leased. what is termed verve is developed
The quality of the silk is denoted by tn,
verve. The softest silk produced is said Il
be the Italian, possessing little stiffness In it
appearance. The Chinese silk is the mos
inferior, and deficient in verve. And ther
is an article OF silk produced, in the manu-
facture of which jute is used in the proces
of adulteratiou, which is interviewer in tn
fiber of the silk. This fabric will be foun
very deficient in verve. 1t is silk which
if wetted. stiffsns similar to paper.