OUR YORKSHIRE LETTER.

Otago Witness, Issue 2242, 18 February 1897, Page 6

OUR YORKSHIRE LETTER.

(Feom Our Special Correspondent.) Bradford, November 20. THE MANUFACTURE OF SOAP FOR WOOL SCOURING. There can be no doubt that a good style of scoured wool is in good demand to-day, but those conversant with the coloni.il wool sales often meet with a clip of wool, which is said to be scoured and clean, yet it is distinctly evident that before such a clip can ba used it , will want a rescour at the hands of the mauu- ! facfcnrer. Often for the want of a little more • attention on the station or farm when this oprration is iv progress has a penny perlb been sacrificed, and it is for the purpose of helping the . colonial grower to get a better colour, and more freedom from " clamminess " or nature, that I ask attention to the following particulars on the , art of soap manufacture. It is a well-known fact that wool when gro .vI ing is preserved by nature with an oily mb- | stance called "yolk," containing a large quantity of potash, and usually termed grease. The proportion of grease in unwashed wool varies from 60 to 70 per cent., which has to be removed before the wool fibres are ready for manufacture. Iv enabling the •beepfarmer where scouring i 3 attempted to get the best po3.wble results I propose to give the best i method known in wcol-scouriug so far as j cleaning agents are concerned, so that the I | delicate fibres of the wool shall not be injured i ; and its natural brightness unimpared. The experience of woollen aud worsted manufacturers whose products are standard in the trade point to the fact that the best agent for scouring is a good potash soap, which, ! whilst lpn.ving the 3ctual weight of the real j wool undimimshed, gives a soft, silky handle J obtained by no other treatment, and which is ' so much relished by wool buyers. If soda soap is used in scouring, the wool, bt sides turning yellow, will become harsh and brittle, while on the other hand potash (which is natural to the wool) made with tallow into a neutral soap in the manner describad further on will be found to be the best in every way. The materials and proportions for three tons of tbe best potash soap are as follow :—: — v £ s (I j Half ton caustic potash at £25 per tou... 12 10 0 j Half ton soft water 0 0 0; Two tons tallow ut £20 per ton (English ' price) 40 0 0 j Total cost £52 10 0 i Costing £17 10.3 per ton, or l|d per lb. | To colonial sheep-farmers and others interested in the trade, where the tallow is of considerably less value, the benefit will be im- ' mense, for they reap the advantage both ways ; ' as leaving out the cost of tullow, they obtain the j best potash soap at £4- 3s 4d per ton, or under one halfpenny per lb delivered on the spot, or about one-fourth the cost at wbich English soap manufacturers can produce it. j To make the ilueat potash soap for wool ' scouring, washing woollen or flannel goods, &c, ' take 201b of CAUitic potash, and put the contents j into an iron or earthenware ve«el, with an I equal quantity (20lb) of water. As the potash ! dissolves, the mixture <<or lye, as ifc is called) ' will become heated, but ifc must not be used till j it has become only warm, or about 90deg Fahr. ! In a sufficiently Urge iron pen melt 801b of tallow, free f mm salt, until the whole is liquid. The heat of this, though warmer than the lye, must only be about 120deg Fahr. Now pour the potash lye in a gentle stream into the melted tallow (not the tallow into the lye), stirring it with a wooden atirrer all the time, and continue to stir until the whole appears to be perfectly smooth and combined, which will be in a few minuter This mixing rcuy either be done in the melting pan after withdrawing the fire or in a wooden barrel, as may be convenient. Now pour the mixture into any suitable square

brx, lining it with damp calico to prevent ii sticking to the sides ; wrap the box up~ with flannel, sheepskins, or something of a warm nature to retain the heat, and pub it in a warm place for a week. Duriog this time a chemical reaction takes place, resulting in its slowly changing into 1201b of the best hard potash soap. After this it may be cut into bars, and though ready for use, it has the merit of improving the longer it is kept. I shall have something to say on thin subject; nexb week. WOOL STILL QUIET. Since last writing the market for wool and it» allied textiles h*s exhibited the same quieb aspect which characterised it at the dote or the laAt preceding period reviawed. The faot is. the Bradford market refuses to be " coddled," if, indeed, auch a pcoceas has been in vogue : and resting to-day on its real foundation it fiuds itself somewhat slack. Bub although only quiet, the trade generally is nob altogether dormant, and tb« large houses are not unemployed, as has been sufficiently evidenced from the number of bate"?, ful^-top bags, yarn skips, and nail teara which have been seen daily borne away from the doors of many of the establishments located in the principal streets of the wool districts in town. There have been, ifc is true, tew out-of-town buyers here, aud there nan been nothing like avidity manifested by general buyeis of wool and tops. This may be ;in part explained by ,the heightened con- \ servatiam which naturaUy enough possess ab thi3 season of tbe year in a greater degree the larger consumers of the staple articles before mentioned. But for all that there is no uneasinecs maniftst about the future, and the holder* of real ability seem inclined to have fully tn*de up their minds to allow things quietly to rtsfc till the new year rather than accept less than cost price of the article. A few needy sellers are about, aud this, of course, is the soft " nettling " spot in the market, adding weakness rather than strength. All told, the stocks available in town are within easy con« sumption, aud this gives a fairly firm footing; but in point of absorption, particularly of tops and yarns, there in much to be desired. On these grounds tho market may be described as steady, neithrr usera nor holders showiug the least inclination to push business. Medium cnEsbred tops may be said to be the strongest iv position, the good general utility of them coupled »lso with their comparative scarceness causing them tp stand very firm. Mohair tends lower and is very quiet. The export trade in yarns ia very flat, aud merchants are very iodiffercnk about entering into uew contracts. There are * ftw small orders hero and there, but bejond thii there is no ditpoiition to do business. The whole attitude is one of waiting, and iv what little business is transacted prices are in favour of the buyer. Iv the ordinary botany coating yarns business is very quiet. In pieces there i* no change, the American trade keepiDg very flit.