Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-08-14

laid aside for one or two years seasoning.
Before being worked the bundles arc
spread out like fans, exposed three nights
to the dews and three days to the sun
| They are then turned 10 expose the other
| side two nights to the dew and three days
| to the sun. In this way the straw that
was green becomes a beautiful yellow
| or golden white. The ears and roots
are now removed, and the stems are
| sorted into twelve or twenty different
| sizes.
THE sorting is done by means OF
| sleeves. graduated from coarse openings
| TO fine ones The straws are then ar
| ranged. according TO length, into three
| classes. and fastened i'm bundles. which
are stepped In water, allowed TO drip end
then placed upright around practically
alright room, in the middle OF which
is a brazier full OF burning sulphur. The
sulphur is renewed each evening till tho
straw becomes a beautiful white. The
sorting has separated only the thick
from the thin, the short from the long:
there remains the difference in size be-
tween the top and bottom OF each sepa-
rate stem. To obyiate this, the stems
are cut again twice, leaving only abous
two or three inches of the middle. which
has a uniform thickness these are woven
INTO the UntSl mats. Inc Olutf tlup
are also woven into hats. caps. etc.
VARIOUS PLANS OF WORK.
This process prevails not only IN Tus-
cany, but in Lombardy. Switzerland, ana
France: but the French or Swiss straw IS
said to be neither so strong nor so beauti-
ful as the Italian. In Italy the straw Is
worked up whole; In Switzerland and
Germany II is split. In Saxony the straw
passes through nine processes from tho
moment il Is cut by the reapers. Tho
stems are first drawn through rake or
toothed utensil till the ears roots and
projecting leaves are removed. The next
step is the arranging OF the straw IN
sheaves: the third consists In removing
the knots and cutting the stems into thros
lengths or pieces. The upper or thinnest
is the most valuable part. The straw IS
then dampened and placed for twenty
four or thirty hours in the upper part ot
an apparatus consisting OF two compart-
ments, one over the other In the lower
is burning sulphur. the fumes OF which
enter the upper through hundreds Of little
holes. bleaching the dampened straw. Tho
next step consists In again sorting. ac-
cording 10 length and thickness. and
splitting by drawing the straw over
toothed, saw-like piece of steel. Even tho
very coarsest straw can be utilized Tor
fine work by splitting. The straws ara
then plated into bands. trimmed. wound.
and sewed. Formerly the sewing vas
all done by hand; rapidly-increasing COM
petition compelled manufacturers 10 in-
troduce machines. Even now IL is ques-
ton whether Germany or any Western
people will be able 10 compete In this
and kindred industries with Jspan and
China.
"In this branch as In almost. n not
quite, every other industry OF the empire
education Is developing a class OF skilled
labor whose capacity to compete In
creases with the years Saxony alone has
six such schools. / wish Il were possible
TO impress on our people thu importance
of manual training and technical educa-
ton"
In Belgium the industry has also az.
suned large proportions, A consular re-
port from that country says that ths
braiding OF straw and the rnanufacture
OF straw hats is a speciality OF the VALLEY
OF the Geer, which is one or the most
productive agricultural sections OF Be-
GUM Straw-braiding is a house industry.
and gives profitable employment 20 all
the peasants OF the valley During the in-
clement weather the whole family Is oc-
cupied In selecting and braiding tho
straw. which Is sold for cash or ex-
changed for provisions. etc.
The opinion Is expressed that N the
braiding OF straw goods could be estab-
lished In some OF the agricultural dis
tricts OF the United States Il would be
found TO YELL good profit In return fer
light and agreeable employment during
spare moments.