Varieties of Cotton Cloth.
The principal makes of cotton cloth are given below, together with remarks concerning export, sizing, etc., and at the end a list of the standard sizes is attached. The first group of cloths includes the shirtings, dhooties, and long-cloths:—
Shirtings are heavily-sized goods, 125 per cent. not being unusual. The widths vary from 38 to 50 inches, length about 37-1/2 yards long-stick. Reed and pick from 12 square to 19 × 18. These goods are made to weight—thus, a 39-inch 16 × 15 weighs 8-1/4lb.; a 45-inch, 9lb.; a 50-inch 10lb. Various kinds are made, some medium-sized. What is known as Indian shirting is the heavy-sized class.
Shirtings are exported to India, China, Japan, Turkey, Italy, Levant. A good class is made, bleached, and exported to Egypt, Japan, India, and China, as white shirtings.
Dhooties are shirtings ornamented by stripes of grey or coloured yarn, and in suitable lengths for Hindoo loin cloths. The stripes are not of very varied character in grey dhooties, being simply tape edges formed by cramping grey or bleached yarn at the selvage. In coloured dhooties, stripes of vari-coloured warps are introduced about an inch from the edge of the cloth, and varying from half an inch in width to 4 inches, sometimes being introduced at intervals all across the piece. In dobby-dhooties these stripes are woven in figures.
A range of dhooties includes all widths from 22 to 50 inches, and the length of scarf varying from 2 yards in the smaller size to 5 yards in the larger. A scarf is the distance between the headings, which in these goods are very extensive, sometimes reaching to 20 inches in length at the juncture of the two scarves.
A Range = 22 inches and 23 inches = 2-yard scarf.
24 inches and 25 inches = 2-1/2 " "
26 inches and 28 inches = 3 " "
29 inches and 32 inches = 3-1/2 " "
35 inches ... ... ... = 4 " "
The higher widths being variously 4-1/2 or 5 yards.
Dhooties are made up in about 40-yard lengths—thus, a piece 44 inches wide would contain 4 double scarves. The yarns employed vary similarly to shirtings, from 30/40’s warp, 36/60’s wefts.
The dress of a male Hindoo consists of a dhootie containing 4 square yards, a doputta of 8 square yards, and a turban of 12 square yards; whilst in addition the Hindoo woman wears sarrie, a similar cloth to the dhootie. India is the recipient of the dhooties in greatest quantity. Sarongs go to Java, patadiongs to the Phillipines.
The shirtings here mentioned must not be confused with the home trade shirtings—goods in which only the finest yarns are used, free from any of the objectionable filling referred to above. To this class belong long-cloths, mediums, Wigans (plain and twill), double warps and twills. Export long-cloths are plain goods, shirting style, 36 yards long, generally 36 inches wide, 12 square, medium size.
Another group of sized cloths, next in importance to the shirtings, consists of the T-cloths, Mexicans, domestics, and madapollams. T-cloths are always 24 yards in length, of coarse yarns, heavily sized, from 28 to 32 inches wide, 12 × 10 to 16 × 16,[4] 4lb. and 6lb. in weight. The name is derived from the mark [T] of the first exporters. Exported to India, China, Japan, South America, Roumania and Servia.
Domestics are from 28 to 39 inches, 60, 72, 80, or 96 yards. Warp, 18/24’s; weft, 16/40’s; and from 14 to 16 reed and pick; medium to heavy size. Exported to South America, Italy, Levant, Turkey, Egypt. A somewhat better class is made and used extensively by the home trade.
Mexicans are of better quality than the foregoing, and are always above 17 × 17 reed and pick, yarns, twist, coarse; weft, medium; medium size; 28 to 32 inches in width. Exported to South and Central America.
Madapollams are lighter in reed and pick than the foregoing, being about 11 and 12 square; width, 28 to 32 inches, and similar in length to the T-cloths and Mexicans; sized medium. Exported to India principally, also to Mediterranean States and to South America.
Dyeing and printing cloths form an important department.
Under the first heading Turkey reds are prominent. These, like printers, are cloths of good quality. Shirting counts and widths, but about twice the length; pure size. Exported to Japan, China, India.
Printers, Burnley makes, sometimes dubbed Burnley lumps, are 32 inches, 116 yards, 16 × 16, 32’s/50’s yarn. Quality important, yarns good, lightly sized, warps even and hard-twisted, weft free from unevenness, snarls, etc.
Glossop printers, 36 inches, 19 × 22; 50 yards, 11-3/4lb.
These are not the only descriptions of printers, coarse cloth of varied dimensions being required, which, when stamped with patterns of every conceivable style, are exported to India, Persia, Italy, Brazil, Levant, Java and Japan.
In light goods, tanjibs, jacconetts, mulls and cambrics may be classed together.
Tanjibs are the coarsest; 30 to 50 inches wide, 38 yards long, 12 square, 32’s/40’s; lightly sized.
Jacconetts and nainsooks are finer; 39 to 44 inches, 14 × 14 to 16 × 16, 32’s/50’s, about 20 yards long.
Mulls are somewhat similar in style; 39 to 50 inches wide, 20 yards, 16 × 16 to 20 × 20, from 60’s to 100’s yarn; pure size.
Cambrics are the finest of the group; generally wide from 24 square to 36 square, 80 to 160’s yarn; pure size.
Turkey, India, China, Japan, Roumania, the Levant, Egypt, are all customers for these four cloths.
Book and tarletan muslins are very fine home trades.
A variety of cambric called embroidery cloth is largely made in some districts. It is of first-class quality, usually about 50 inches wide, and cut up into short lengths. It is chiefly exported to Germany and Switzerland, there to be embroidered by the machines spread over the country districts, and returned as Swiss work, etc.
Sheetings are very wide goods; 60 to 100 inches. The yarns are coarse, generally 12’s to 20’s, although fine sheetings are frequently made.
Waste plains are coarse goods woven with yarn spun from waste.
Ginghams, checks, zephyrs, although coloured goods, are of plain weave, and of unclassifiable dimensions.
Other plain cloths needing little remark in consequence of their unimportance are:—
| Tarletan Muslin | 52 inches 40 yards, 13 square |
| Chambrey | 28 inches 30 yards, 27 × 22 |
| Hair-cord Muslin | 59 inches 24 yards, 20 × 22 |
| Warped 1 twofold, and 1 fine single. | |
| Blue Mottle | 27 inches 96 yards, 16 × 11 |
| Blue warp, white weft. | |
Victoria lawns, fine goods, and Taffechelas, formerly important goods, are now in little request.
Cotton cloths other than plain:—
Drills.—Heavy 3-shaft twills, narrow, heavily sized. Exported chiefly to China, few to Cyprus, Levant, Turkey, and Brazil.
Cretonnes.—Printed twill, made from coarse waste wefts, finer warps, various widths, generally narrow. Home trade; also exported to Turkey and British Colonies.
Jeans.—Finer 3-shaft twills, plain borders, narrow, for printing or finishing.
Sateens.—5-shaft broken twills, 30 to 36 inches, 75 to 90 yards, 70 to 96 reed, 40 to 80 picks, 36’s to 80’s weft.
Velveteens.—Narrow, heavy-picked cloths, from 90 to 120 to the quarter-inch, yarns fine and best quality, 80 to 100 yards. Home trade and general export.
Cords, Fustians, Corduroys.—Heavy, figured cloths, 20’s yarn, 90 to 140 picks to a quarter-inch, 70 to 90 yards.
Brocades.—Fancy jacquard goods; 36 inches, 75 yards; 72 to 96 reed, 20 to 26 picks.
Doriah Stripes.—Cloth carrying crammed stripes—not in colour—are often narrow, 26 to 30 inches, 10 yards long, 12 to 30 reed by 13 to 14 picks; yarn, 40/50’s T; and finer wefts.
Leno.—Narrow, generally 30 inches; 24 to 40 yards, very variable in reed and pick; yarns.
In white check we find:—
Figured Checks.—30 to 36 inches, 13 × 16 to 18 × 20; 12 yards single cuts.
| Satin Check | 40 inches 32 yards, 16 × 20 |
| Tape Check | 36 inches 24 yards, 22 × 20 |
| 37 inches 48 yards, 20 × 24 |
STANDARD MAKES.
| Width. | Length. | Reed and Pick. | Yarn or Weight. | ||
| Shirtings | 39 | 37-1/2 | 16 × 15 | 30/36’s | 8-1/4lb. |
| T-Cloths | 32 | 24 | 14 × 14 | — | 6lb. |
| Mexicans | 32 | 24 | 18 × 18 | — | 7lb. |
| Jacconetts | 44 | 20 | 14 × 14 | 40/50’s | — |
| Mulls | 50 | 20 | 20 × 20 | 80/100’s | — |
| Domestics | 29 | 80 | 14 × 14 | 18/18’s | — |
| Dhooties | 44 | 40 | 16 × 15 | 30/40’s | — |
| Printers | 32 | 116 | 16 × 16 | 32/50’s | — |
In this connection, as reliable and comprehensive a list as it is convenient to gather is placed before the reader; although, from the varied character of cotton cloth, many specialities are omitted, such, maybe, as those cloths used in the hat trade for lining, the oilcloths, umbrella cloths, and numerous milliners’ and drapery requirements for the home trade.
CHAPTER VI.
FANCY WEAVING, TAPPET AND DOBBY WORK, ANALYSIS OF CLOTH, TAPPETS, CLOTH, DOBBIES, DOBBY CLOTH, GAUZE, HANDKERCHIEF MOTION.
An important and increasingly successful department of cotton manufacturing is that comprised under the heading of fancy work. Here a great amount of skill and intelligence is necessary, and in the more complicated goods a display of talent uncalled for in the limited and well-trodden ways of plain manufacturing. In fancy weaving not only do we come across the variations of manufacturing details which present themselves in the ordinary branches, but, in addition, an infinite variety of patterns and different designs crowd upon the one side, while on the other an artistic eye is required to combat with and blend the varied groups of colours and shades in harmony and beauty.
A moment’s reflection will remind the reader of the great number of the cotton cloths which come under the heading of fancies, and for purposes of convenience we must treat of them under the headlines of three chapters—Simpler fancies, Jacquard and complicated fancies and Checks.