MARTON A. & E SHOW

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 83, Issue 30, 6 February 1939, Page 10

MARTON A. & E SHOW

WINNING ESSAY. THE STORY OF A WOOLLEN SHIRT. The following essay was awarded first prize by Mr. F. Gabitis, judge of school work, at the Marton A. and P. Association’s show last week. The essay was written by Miss Stella Tremain, Ohakea School. The world’s production of wool amounts to 3700 million pounds a year, with a quarter of this amount coming from Australia, which has well over 100,000,000 sheep. Each sheep yields about eight pounds of wool a year, this quantity being about double compared with that of half a century ago. After the wool has been shorn from the sheep, it is transported to a large shed where experienced men sort it into classes, according to its weight, quality, and texture. Before the sale begins the buyers inspect it in order to know what it is like and what value to place on it. Diffsrent means of transport are used to get it to the nearest railway station, such as bullocks, horses, camels or oxen which draw huge and heavy waggons. When it reaches some suitable point on the coast, it is picked up by a coastal vessel or large liner which stands off the shore to receive the bales from a small surf boat. After getting a full load, it carries it to a port for shipment over seas. On arriving at the docks in London the bales are unloaded and placed in warehouses. After the wool sale, it is taken to the mills, where it is washed with potash soap, to get rid of the grease and other impurities. It is then passed through a machine which dries the wool and removes some of the harshness which is caused by the process of scouring. -Another machine, known as the willowing machine, then opens out the wool and separates it into locks, which is another step in making it ready for the spinner and weaver. Then the wool is passed through a carding machine which is a number of leather covered rollers with wire teeth that separate and rearrange the fibres. For the making of worsted cloth the wool is combed out and then from a machine, the fibres come out parallel and In the form of a fleecy silver strand ready for spinning into yarn for the weaver. Next the fibres are spun or twisted into yarn, in a huge machine with many whirling spindles. One machine is able to produce over 340 miles of yarn in a single day. The process of warping is then carried out, 1.e., every piece of cloth has two sets of threads with one running lengthwise called the warp, and the other crossing these are called the weft. The warp is then wound on to a warp roller, or beam, so that each thread will be delivered regularly during weaving. The clusters of ends of threads are attached to hooks and the threads are held down by a rod. The threads wnich form the weft and the warp, are woven into cloth on a loom. This Is a wonderful machine, as it produces cloth at an enormous rate. After coming from the loom it is carefully examined for faults, and then it is washed and goes through a process known as “fulling.” in which it is saturated with water containing Fuller’s earth. Next it is passed between rollers, and drawn through holes, so as to press the threads tightly together. After that it is dried in what is known as a tentering machine and raised. The nap or the soft surface of the cloth is then cut evenly all over by means of a shearing machine, in which there is a cylinder and a number of sharp blades pointing downward. and which works on the principle of a lawnmower. After going through a machine which presses the cloth, to remove creases, it is then steamed to take away any glaze or shine from the c’oth, and then it is stretched in a drying-room. Lastly, the cloth is folded down its lengf.. which makes it easier for handling. A disc on the machine marks on the cloth the length that has gone through. The cloth is then folded or rolled ready for tho shop where we buy it. When we-buy a length of dress material from the large department stores, little do wo realise the large amount of labour, or lhe wonderful