WOOLLEN FABRICS.

Timaru Herald, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 12904, 15 February 1906, Page 3

WOOLLEN FABRICS.

TRADE DEFINITIONS.

_ By way of clearing up some anise 01. captions it may be as -well to put into concise form what is the'mear.Qg of the various "names cf m :very-i!:«y rse in the wool industries.

"Woollen, is t".:e name <iien to fabrics made from >!iort, fit* w<>r.i. Tu» ,\»o-.l is carded and «pun »s?. "mi.-L a tji'i-ner : n> i'a cause and fibres to intersect each -other and become involved, so that the yarn is as bulky as possible, and is Huffy or .sjioiijiY. In woollen goods the weave or make is not visible. They are milled and finished with a smooth surface as in broadcloth, or left rough as in cheviots and tweeds, or they have the nap raised as in flannels or blankets.

"-Worsted" is the name given .to goods made from '.long wool; The preparation and spinning of, the yarns is the reverse of that practised in woollen. The wool is combed for the purpose of separating the long fibres from the short. The long portion is called 'tops, and is used in Ihe worsted manufacture. The short is called noils, and is sold to the woollen branch. The tops pass a number of ..protrasses, which may be described as persuasive, to cause tie fibres to lie flat- andparallel. In worsted goods the weave or make is distinctly visible. All the British long and half-bred wools are used in this branch of the trade. The weft yarns are worsted, spun ;in exactly the same manner as in tie worsted trade proper, but the warp is cotton, which is used to secure greater lightness .-and strength. The presence of cotton in .these goods iis avowed and evident. The wools used are the same as in worsted, with the addition of alpaca, mohair, camel hadr, and cashmere. " Shoddy" and " mungo" are names of wool which has been used before.

Shoddy iis produced iby picking to pieces woollen or.soft rags -or soft spun yarns, such as -stockings or other hosieiy. inVlriding tailors' and hosiers" cuttings. and the yarn -waste -made in the onills.

Mnngo Is -produced from hard rags, oui of -worsted or worsted staff goods, and is consequently longer and coarser >t9ia» shoddy.

The cotton -or any other vegetable mat*ter in these rags- is destroyed by a process known as carbonising or extracting. The rags are dipped in "dilute sulphuric acid, and afterwards dried- by hot air. when the cotton is be;:ten out as a powder. Shoddy rags go through She sasne prr. when tlttie is- airy of ilio ;■;."■• stnce of anything that is not -.too:. It w:i! be sea-; from this that goods mail-.- fron: shoddy and rnungo are always in ijcsod san: , tarv rendition. " * | -vftev being extracted, the wool is carded j and spun hist in the sajne -manner ns i f vr!l * m in ; ' : - instance. j

the v-.>iue of this second-hand wool i<. ior Ui--- best fjualities. about twice thn; of Izir average value of the English clip, btu. just lls i n \\ ie oase r .f jivst-haiid woo;. Virnr ;, g]«at variety t.f pikiv. S"t.m-> of :-t is raked with the raw uia:erial f< ■- making- the very finest cloths, for various reason*, of which price is not alwav* the

(principal. Some of it used to form the j back of worsted coatings to give weight J and warmth. The cheaper sorts are " scribj bled" together with cotton before spinning. or are spun alone and woven with a cot ton -warp. The goods thus produced an called Union Cloth.

Shoddy and mungo are not usrd with English wool, and, s;.-.*King ge:tral'v they are not used in either branch of tie worsted trade. All the fabrics which are popularly known as ladies' dtess goods are entirely free from shoddy. What are known as tailor-made costumes pad dresses belong to the woollen branch therefore may contain shoddy. * It cannot, be too clearly understood that this article is consumed entirely in th* manufacture of 'woollens, and is'consemMniLr generally worn by men. The names given to various cloths produced in the woollen trade are too uutrous tc mention here. and. as a rule convey no idea of what ...vet.d hey /ohm*;' of, as the name is usaaiiv ?i-s-«-|.iiv e only of the method of cons :r i .';.-»n. Some of the names ». woo tn roods will however, be quite fatniihir, su.-.T ,t* pilot' president, nap, wltney, inc'iton, vtiw! army clotb. Anj o r tit»» unv coi.m;d shoddy, especially the lMv-|i:-;.:ed*'»iies .\ s shoddy is wool. <t is ;o t uv»:-.b:c f>de'<<t it, wLen once mixed in, by any chemical or microscopic test. * ,

The Union Clothe are ; ;so given the same names as in the woollen tu:de when made the same v.ay, together with such names as back -worsted and s--rge, duffel, twill, fancy costume cloth. etc. C "These contain cotton 'either scribbled or c.-nded into the shoddy weft, or made of pure shoddy weft with a cotton warp. The presence of cotton is easily detected, and there is no excuse for ignorance in (he matter on the part of any tailor or dealer in cloth. Dilute sulphuric acid will burn out- the cotton and leave the wool. Caustic soda will destroy the wool and leave the cotton. Any person can form an idea for himself by picking the cloth to pieces and applying a lighted match to the thread*. Cotton blares up quickly and has but little smell, -wool scorches and forms a cinder, and gives off a pungent odour which is •Easily recognisable.