“In fermenting muslin goods, we surround them with our spent leys, from the temperature of 100° to 150° F., according to the weather, and allow them to ferment for 36 hours. In boiling 112 lbs. = 112 pieces of yard-wide muslin, we use 6 or 7 lbs. of pearl-ashes, and 2 lbs. of soft soap, with 360 gallons of water, and allow them to boil for 6 hours; then wash them, and boil them again with 5 lbs. of pearl-ashes, and 2 lbs. of soft soap, and allow them to boil 3 hours; then wash them with water, and immerse them into the solution of oxymuriate of lime, at 5 on the test-tube, and allow them to remain from 6 to 12 hours; next wash them, and immerse them into dilute sulphuric acid at the specific gravity of 31⁄2 on Tweedale’s hydrometer = 1·0175, and allow them to remain an hour. They are now well washed, and boiled with 21⁄2 lbs. of pearl-ashes, and 2 lbs. of soft soap for half an hour; afterwards washed and immersed into the oxymuriate of lime as before, at the strength of 3 on the test-tube, which is stronger than the former, and allowed to remain for 6 hours. They are again washed, and immersed in diluted sulphuric acid at the specific gravity of 3 on Tweedale’s hydrometer = 1·015. If the goods be strong, they will require another boil, steep, and sour. At any rate, the sulphuric acid must be well washed out before they receive the finishing operation with starch.
“With regard to the lime, which some use instead of alkali immediately after fermenting, the same weight of it is employed as of pearl-ashes. The goods are allowed to boil in it for 15 minutes, but not longer, otherwise the lime will injure the fabric.”
More recently the plan adopted is as follows; by which the purest whites are produced for the London market.
“Lime is seldom used for our finer muslin goods, as it is found to injure their fabric, and the colours do not keep for any length of time.
“An alkaline ley is made by boiling equal weights of lime and soda together for an hour: this alkali is used for boiling goods the same as potash, but without soap.
“In finishing jacounets or muslins, after washing them from the sour, they are run through spring-water containing a little fine smalts, which give them a clear shade; if of a coarse fabric, a little well-boiled starch is added to the water. From this they are wrung or pressed, and taken up by the selvage for the breadthing frame, and are run off it upon a tin cylinder heated by steam, by which the piece is completely dried in 15 minutes: it is then stripped from the cylinder, neatly folded and pressed, which finishes the piece for the market. From 6d. to 9d. per piece of 12 yards is obtained for the bleaching and finishing of those goods.
“Book muslins, after being washed from the sour, are wrung or pressed; then they are hung up to dry in a heated stove, previous to being put into starch, prepared by boiling 3 lbs. of it to every 5 gallons of water, with 20 ounces of smalts: they are wrung out of this starch, and taken to a room heated to 110° F.; the starch is wrought into the piece till clear, then taken into a cold room, and the selvages dressed or set, before being put on the breadthing frame in the heated stove, where the piece is stretched to its length, while three or four persons at each selvage keep the piece to its breadth. If a stiff finish is wanted, they keep exactly opposite each other; but in breadthing the piece of elastic, they cross the piece in breadthing, which gives it a springy elastic finish. From 9d. to 15d. per piece of 12 yards is obtained for the bleaching and finishing of these goods.
“Sewed trimmings, flounces, and dresses are run through spring water containing fine smalts with a little well-boiled starch. They are then taken to the drying stove, where they are stented till dry, which finishes the piece for the market. From 6d. to 8d. per piece is obtained for trimmings and flounces, and from 9d. to 1s. for dresses, bleaching and finishing.”
In the bleaching of cotton cloth, where fixed colours are previously dyed in the yarn before it is woven into cloth, such as the Turkey or Adrianople red, and its compounds of lilac or purple, by the addition of iron bases, various shades of blue from indigo, together with buff and gold colour, tinged with the oxides of iron, great care is necessary.
The common process of bleaching pulicates, into which permanent colours are woven, is, to wash the dressing or starch well out in cold water; to boil them gently in soap, and, after again washing, to immerse them in a moderately strong solution of the oxymuriate of potash; and this process is followed until the white is good: they are then soured in dilute sulphuric acid. If the goods are attended to in a proper manner, the colours, in place of being impaired, will be found greatly improved, and to have acquired a delicacy of tint which no other process can impart to them.