Knight's cyclopædia of the industry of all nations, 1851 / [edited by George Dodd].

Date:
[1851]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Knight's cyclopædia of the industry of all nations, 1851 / [edited by George Dodd]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    986/1000
    and scoiu'ed from the adherent grease, and dried in a heated room, it is carried to a machine called a liktcker, containing a pair of spiked rollers, hy the action of which the wool is cleansed, separated, and the fibres straiglitened, preparatory to the process of combing. This combing is sometimes per- formed by hand, by means of two instruments filled with spikes, between which the wool is drawn till the fibres assume a regular arrange- ment ; but a veiy efficient machine, somewhat on the principle of the carding machine, is now frequently used for this purpose. • When the wool has been combed either by hand or machine, it is transferred to the hreaking-frame, the object of which is to open out any fibres which may have escaped the action of the combs, and to bring the wool into the form of a roll or narrow belt. This roll is then lapped round a large bobbin or cylinder ; then passed a second time through a breaking-frame ; and then subjected to the action of a machine analogous in principle to the drawing-frame of the cotton manufacture; the object being to extend the length, diminish the thiclmess, and equahse the number of fibres of the roll or sliver. Hitherto the woolly fibres are merely slightly coherent, without having any twist; but they are now passed through a roving machine, preparatoiy to the process of spinning. The roving and spinning ai-e conducted much in the manner described in the article Cotton Spinning. When spun, the worsted yam is woimd on a reel, and is then made up into hanks. Here terminate the operations of a worsted mill. Tlie dyeing of the yam, and the weav- ing into the various kinds of textile fabrics, lead us to other departments of industry. [Dyeing ; Weaving.] Woollen Trade. Plain broad cloth is a spe- cimen of plain weaving, followed by the ful- ■ling process ; whereas kerseymere is a t^villed fabric, similarly fulled. Serges are twills having worsted warp and coarse woollen weft. Blankets are made of very soft yarn, afterwai-ds worked up into a kind of pile by milling; and many varieties of coarse cloth are of ana- logous structure. jBojwftazem is a twilled mix- ture of worsted and silk; Poplin is an un- twUled mixture, showing more silk than worsted at the surface. Goods called Saxo- nies and Orleans are made of woollen, some- '>imes mixed -with cotton, and afterwards jirinted. Stuff is made wholly of worsted; while Merino is a fine woollen twUl, some- times printed. The material called Cashmere, !(f properly so named, is made of the shawl- goat wool, much in the same way as meiino ; hui most of the fabrics so called are made of sheep's wool. Challis Ls a mixture of woollen weft with silk warp, and is generally printed. Mausseline-dc-Laine was originally all wool, but is now frequently mixed with cotton, and generally printed. Norwich Crape, unlike common crape, is composed of wool and silk, something like challis, but without being printed. Crepe de Lyon is formed of worsted and silk; and Italian Net of worsted only. These examples are only intended to indicate the sources of the varieties in woollen and worsted goods, for to enumerate all the varie- ties themselves would be nearly impossible. This is particularly the case in respect to Waistcoatings, where fancy weaving adds to the som'ces of diversity. Mr. McCulloch made a rough estimate, a few years ago, that the value of woollen and worsted goods made in the United Kingdom averages about 23,000,OOOZ. yearly; that about two-fiftlis of this sum are paid in wages; and that about 350,000 persons are durectly em- ployed in it. But it is admitted that the data for forming such estimates are very insuffi- cient. The value of all kinds of woollens, worsteds, worsted hosiery, and wooUen and worsted yam, exported from Great Britain in 1830 was estimated at 4,728,666^.; in 1840, at 5,327,853Z.; and in 1849, at 8,420,342/. WOOLWICH DOCKYABD. The Boyal Dockyard at Woolwich much resembles those already described as existing elsewhere. [Chatham; Plymouth; Portsmouth.] The same groiipings of manufacturing arrange- ments are to be met with in aU of them, sub- ject to certain minor differences. Woolwich is also rich in other government establish- ments ; but they belong rather to military than to manufacturing operations, and scarcely come within the scope of this volume. WOBCESTEBSHIBE. There are coal deposits of various degrees of richness in this cotmty. The town of Dudley stands on the thicker coal-measures. In the neighbourhood of Droitwich and Stoke Prior are saliferous beds, from which a lai-ge quantity of salt is manufactured. The northern part of the county is well supplied vnth. railways and canals. In respect to agriculture, the average produce of wheat in Worcestershire is higher than in many other counties. Potatoes are raised in great abundance for the supply of Bii-mmgham and other large towns. Wolverley Sands have long been famous for the growth of carrots, and for raising caiTot seed. Or- chards are numerous, but many of the trees ore old. The northern part of the county contains many manufacturing iovms. The industry