YORKSHIRE LETTER

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 227, 13 June 1918, Page 8

YORKSHIRE LETTER

BLACK WOOL AND ITS USES (From Our Special Correspondent.) Bradford, April 25. the question of flannels is otto which can bo discussed with enlightenment to the average reader. This article of everyday wear has plaved a very important part in the conduct of "lhi- war. From Augu.-t 4, 1014., lo December -il, 11)1,, the War Oflice had ordered no lewer than 1.V),215,i;(Hl yards of lianik-i lor shirts, while hospital flannel had been ordered to the extent of S.M'i.OM yards. This (jives the reader .some idea of the extonsive use of this fabric. The. writer well remembers that up to twoniylivo years ago, the average man seldom or never wore anything but a cotton shirt, ami knew one old man who died quite recently turned eighty who never wore eiiliei an undershirt or pants all his life. It can truthfully be said that the wearin-- of under vests and pants, as well as woollen shirts, is quite a thin;? of mod. eru times, nud certainly anyone wearing these comfortable under garments iinils Ihem conducive to health. Jn other words, the reforms which have been instituted in the world of dress during the past, twenty-five to thirty years are remarkable, and in tho accomplishment of these reforms wool-growers throughout ihc world have materially benefited. A large proportion of our consumption of black wool is now used in the. making •:( llanneis. Different Classes of Army Shirting, A careful observer of either British or Allied troop; will have observed that I hero is a difference in lhe shirtings boinjj supplied to tho men on the land and those oil Hid 6ea. Tho former are clothed in what are known as natural ilautiels, the latter being turned out in very good shirtings, known as silver greys. Both are admirable and suitable fabrics. Why silver grey flannels should tie inadu solely for the members of the Fleet is difficult, to say. In order to obtain tho shade, the wool used for giving the colour its atMndigo blue dyed, then blended with unite wool, and in that way a .silver jfrey shade, is obtained. This is exceedingly sound, satisfactory ilamiel, wears well, is warm, and a iillJe heavier in weight than tho shirting worn by the soldiers. The writer has had more lo do with the manufacture of natural than silver grey flannels, being identified with the latter before, war was declared, The natural flannel thai is being worn to-day is usually spoken of in. the trade as sev-euty-thirly. That may be Latin and l.lveek to the average reader, but. it simply means that the blend for producing these natural flannels is composed of 711 per cent, wool and 30 per cent, cotton. Perhaps some readers may find iaull with the blend, but such a combination produces a fabric gootl enough to be worn by any man in the world, and the next time the. reader sees a soldier, if he will carefully examine the natural shirt he. is wealing, he will l>o surprised with the weignt, handle, linisli, and'durability oi the fa]>ric. The price to-daj is 2a. "2Jil. per yard, 30 inches wide, weighc tioz. lo the yard. This is a far better shirting than tho average citizen buys or wears, certainly being a, trifle heavier, while the heat-retaining property is fully as good. The little cotton that is scribbled in with the wool 'blend gives greater wearing capacity to the shirt, it will shrink less, while the heat-retaining property is not. diminished a particle. These are ail important points which are well worth noting'. The Meaning of "Natural." The reader may ask the qii&tiuu, What is meant by the word "natural"? and it is well worth answering. Tliere is an apt quotation that there w n black sheep in every iioek, and it is that black sheep which is responsible for natural • shirtings, and underwear labrics. I'astoral. isß the wide- world over do wisely lo keep the black- fleeces apart Irom the wlute, because the former are just as valuable as the latter, in laci tile writer Ikis seen scored of times at the London wool sales when a balo of black wool litis actually sold for more ihan the while. The explanation is simple enough to the practical man. 'These black fleeces arc usually bought by manufacturers who produce natural underwear or natural grey flannels and shirtings commonly known in the trade as health flannel*. Of course this is the dignified retail term employed by flic storekeepers. Let it be said at once that black, brown, or natural grey wool, Whatever term is employed, must be regarded as very valuable, and vis always most acceptable to the trade, particularly flue crossbred* and merinos. , Of course the latter are by.far the most valuable, and tine black wool will always bo as long as the world lasts. When this wool is scoured and the grease removed, it loso3 no colour, but retains tho natural beautiful black, brown, or grey iliade, which it had when shoru from the sheep. That black wool, as already indie ii.id, is taken by the manufacturer and i,, used for blending purposes. A. uattiral underwear fabric is never so dark in colour as the black wool, simmv because in Ihe blending room white 'is put to the black or brown in order 'o secure the lighter shade, which is exactly what: one. buys when he goe.< to. the drapers lor natural flannel or shilling. /Hiat colour is produced entirely bv blending; in ! other words, mixing together the' black ; and white_ wool, and possibly a litlle I cotton. We again repeat that it- is im- i possible to over-estimate the usei'ii.ness j of these black fleeces, espeiially in qualities of wool from s(i's upwards. Dyeing White Wool Black. We need hard,y remind ihe reader that the weight of blac-k or natural grey wool grown is far too limited to satisfy the extraoidinsrv i.ee-ls 'of tho world to-day. We should sav that in a fortnight the black wool that is grown iu tho _entire world could be used by Yorkshire flannel manufacturers who are making natural flannels, certainly the entire production coiiid be used in a, month. A. difficulty of considerable magnitude therefore presents itself on account of the short supply, and in (jrder to get over the difficulty, manufacturers have for a long time had lo resort to the dyeing of white wool a dark brown shade to resemble natural wool. This dyed wool is then blended with white lo get lite natural shade, and in that way tho shortage of pure natural wnj, has been overcome.' Still, it is remarkable that a natural;flannel made out of dyed wool does not present tha same "bloom" and .shade as that made from undyed natural wool. This fact has been demonstrated over-and over again, and no man can mako as beautiful and attractive a piece from dyed wool as can be produced from the natural grey, brown, or black fleeces from the sheep. This is obvious lo a practical mamifactuiier when two pieces are placed alongside each other, but, of course, the average reader caunot: tell the difference with the same precision. Soldiers' Shirts. Another important point well worth noting is thai in the production' of shirtings for soldiers, the natural wool being used is of s<i's and upwards, though possibly a few luaiiulactuvers are itMiig wools or similar products of aO's quality I hough the specifications it *':illy carried out should be nothing bei iw (id's. Still it. is wonderful the sound, -alisfactory natural flannels which are being produced -from blending even 56's wool with soinelhing finer. Tlu-r:' is a fairly big lest strength applied, lor a piece has to lie passed by an ollicial of the Department, and very se.dom indeed does one have a complaint of an iimloi-g.irmenl. being badly made. We make the assertion that in the caso of pants, nndervests, and shirtings, which are to-dav being worn by lwith the Navy and Army of Ureal Britain and her Allies, they will do credit lo tho average citizen in civil life, it being a remarkable fact that the British and Allied Governments have spared neither pains nor expense in tunning out its whole fighting forces well Ciothodi in every way. The present is certainly a loud call lo shetp-breeders and wool-growers in every country in the world. The raw material is perishing faster than ever on tho battlefields of Jwrope, and the entire industry is iu full sympathy with the movement across tho Atlii-r.lic for "more sheep, :nore wOOi," a, campaign which litis not begun a moment too soon, and which will 'Orlflinly result in the good not only i f the. Ameri(vi.ii textile industry, but the material benefit of the ontir* world.