The Bossier banner., 1891-09-03
THE TEASEL.
A Plant Employed In the Manufacture of
Cloth.


many processes before it energies in a.
shape fitted to be cut into garments. 1t
is sorted, secured and dyed as begin
ming; then it is picked free from burrs
and knots, beaten with sticks, sprinkled
with olive oil, and goes through the
scribbling, carding and slubbing ma
chimes.
By this time the wool has turned into
soft, weak thread, and, after being
spun by machines into fine but firm
thread, it is woven into cloth.
But this does not finish it by any
means. After the cloth is woven it is
beaten with hammers moved by ma
chinery, in a trough filed with soap
and water, and afterward with clear
water.
Then the cloth goes through the full
ing machine, by which it is pounded or
rolled in thick mixture of soap and
water, causing the fbres of the wool to
| felt together so that the threads can
not be seen, which process shrinks the
cloth half in width and a fourth in
length. After fulling, the cloth is again
secured, and then teaseled, by which
the nap is made.
When you visit woolen mill you will
be sure to see the teaseling machine
and the teasels which are used-as
many as three thousand sometimes in
dressing one piece of cloth.
Then you will be told that these
teasels are a natural product, and not
| laVa al 4aI
with woolen manufacture might be led
to suppose, and though wire cards have
repeatedly been tried for this purpose,
these teasels are still holding their
place as the only suitable material for
effectually raising the nap without any
undue damage to the fiber.
A large amount of teasels are grown
in Belgium. They are sown in spring,
in August or September they are trans
planted, and twelve months after this
the first crop is gathered.
The heads must be gathered before
all flowers have bloomed, else the
points are dried too much and lose their
elasticity. The older and drier ones
are always preferable to the fresh ones
This, plant is found growing wild in
middle Europe, but is then useless fol
manufacturers, because in that state the
points are not bent
In England the cultivated plant il
grown chiefly in Yorkshire. Russia
also raises good crop in Poland anC
the Crimea. 1t is naturalized in thi:
country, and grows in hedges ant
roadsides from Massachusetts, t.
Louisiana, but is not cultivated to any
extent.
The heads after having been cut of
the plant, generally pass at once int
the hands of the dealers. The latter, il
France, travel in July about the dis
tricts mentioned above, and buy tn
crops in the field.
The dealer then sorts the teasels
taking out those which are crooked, to
thick, or worm-eaten; he removes tn
huSks, cuts the stems to one uniform
length, ranges them into first ant
second qualities, divides these agai
into eight or ten sorts, according t
their length, and packs them into larg
casks and sells them at so much pc
JuOuSduNls d CdSh Ol GIIC Slldl1CSU SlZ
holding as many as one hundred an
fifty thousand, while one of the large
sizes only containing ten thousand, bu
all weigh four hundred and fifty pound
to the cask. In Russia they are sol
; by the casl1, in other parts of Europ
by weight.
AS the teasel is cultivated produc
ton of the thistle plant, it follows tina
I it's value for manufacturing purposes
enhanced by careful cultivation. Th
) hooks, which are small, bent leaflets {
the flower, are generally set verticall
: in transposed rows, though in the Frenc
} they grow in the form of spiral roun
the central cone, and closer at the bo
! tom than the top.
This leaflet has strong rib at il
: back, which is both stiff and elastic
a the sides form, so to speak, wings
, which are attached to the softer centr;
core, and thus form an elastic spring
which enables the hook to spring bac
in work Each hook also leans again,
, it's predecessor, so that, when the fore
| which pulls it is too strong, it turns
2 ance slip off. This is one of the prime
pal qualities of the natural teasel, an
has never been reproduced in artiici'
limitations.
q In the well-grown teasels, tire hool
are situated horizontally, and VERTICAL
. to the spindle, while in the inferior one
4 they incline'as much as forty degrees.
r The French teasels are pretty reg
s lar; the hook is horizontal, stronger an
r longer than others, and dries bette
!, without losing its elasticity. The &c
e man kind is less regular or strong, bl
I on that account is often preferred fl
d fine qualities of cloth, which requir
e more careful treatment.
a Dampness is injurious to all teasel
# which soon mould, and then lose muC
: of their elasticity Days.
To Tell Pure Butter.
If you suspect the butter, rub pie