The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1901-06-19
Popularity of Mating.

AS late as 1886 Japanese mating was
ty, and its import to America for that
year was only 100 rolls, whereas today
the finest, most artistic of the art mat
tings come from Japan. In some respects
the Japanese producer adapts himself
more quickly to the suggestions of the
American consumer than 40 the China
man, who today uses practically the
same patterns and colors which distin-
guisheu his products in the beginning,
and it was the japanese who first pro-
duced f'jointless matting''-that is mat
ting woven in continuous piece of any
required length.
During the infancy of the mating in
dustry' weaving was done in sections of
two or three yards, afterward Joined to-
gether, the joining, of course, indicated
plainly enough by an unsightly streak.
Another original feature introduced by
the Japanese is a cotton instead of a jute
or grass warp, with the result that ia
pan mattings are softer ana more pliable
than those of Chinese manufacture
though not so durable. Their inferiority
IN strength, however, is partly due to
the straw, which is round instead OF tri-
angular, like that grown In China, and
a reason why the Chinaman is chary of
a cotton warp is because he considers it
hardly strong enough to support his
heavier weave of triangular straw.
In growing the straw the same condi-
tons are obtained in both countries, but
not with the same results, Chinese soil
yielding two crops to one in Japan. The
crop is sown and partially grown under
water, from which it rises, according to
the varying richness of the soil and
abundance of the water supply, to
height of from thirty to forty inches.
When it reaches maturity as much of the
water as possible is drained off, and har-
vesting is begun slowly and iaboriously
by men, women and children, who wade
up to their knees in mud and slime.
cutting down a handful Of the straw at
time. In China the straw is split be-
fore it is woven into mating; in Japan
it is used whole.
The process of manufacturing mating
Is interesting and picturesque. Except in
two or three Chinese cities all the work
is done by hand in the open air and
under rude sheds Whole families work
side by side, oftentimes in their homes,
which at certain times of the year, espe-
cially in Japan, are turned into miniature
factories.
Reaping, partial drying, splitting and
named. The dyeing is a crude, lengthy
process. consisting of dipping a small
quantity Of straw at a time into shallow
pans filed with liquid prepared over
wood fire, and when a deeper tint Is de-
sired soaking it for a longer time in
earthenware tubs or jars. Weaving is
begun with both warp and filing in a
damp state and on looms which consist
mainly of cylindrical crosspieces above
and below, over which the straw runs.
The wool is introduced without a shut
tie, shot in, one straw at a time, by the
aid of a fat piece of bamboo, finished at
one end with an eye or split. Every two
or three yards the warp is loosened and
the finished mating turned back under
the loom.
American agents who make frequent
trips to China say that modern factor
les with power looms, and where the
manufacture of mating could be sys-
tematized under the direction of compe-
tent oYerseers, are much needed in ia
pan.
er looms even in China, and perhaps the
best representation of factory to be
found in the Celestial empire was at
Canton, where manufacturing was car
ried on within a certain area studded
with small buildings and sheds fitted up
for the purpose and supplied with reg
ular force of weavers-men and boys
About year ago an English firm erect
ed a wooden factory in Canton equipped
with power looms and other up-to-date
lparaphernalia- at the present time,
however. japanese mattings are made
by hand only, and under the most prim-
tive conditions.
Apropos of the more recent productions
of mating. 1t is only by touch that one
can gain a correct idea Of their beauty
and delicacy. Some varieties, made of
younger straw-straw cut when only half
green-are, in commercial language, ''1ne
as broadcloth." and patterned with beau
J ufully tinted designs. These grades are