82 ANNUAL OF SCIENTIFIC DISCOVERY. 



to family machines, but has been used by the proprietors for several months 

 past in the manufacture of a new kind of ruffles for the market, which are 

 applied to a great variety of uses. 



Except in its perfection and the uniformity of its gathers, the Magic Ruffle 

 very nearly resembles the old article worn by our grandmothers; but on 

 close inspection it is found to contain no gathering-thread, the gathers being 

 confined by the same line of machine-stitching that holds it to the strip of 

 cloth to which it is attached. 



The patent for this machine was granted in May, 18GO, since which time 

 the manufacturing of the new ruffles has developed into a gigantic business; 

 one company in New York turning out from ten to fifteen thousand yards of 

 ruffling daily, while the orders for the goods are constantly in advance of 

 the production. New York Tribune. 



PRINTING FABRICS IN IMITATION OF EMBROIDERY. 



M. Perrot, France, has recently discovered a novel mode of ornamenting 

 fabrics, by the printing process, so as to produce an effect similar to embroi- 

 dery. This process consists simply in printing, by the aid of rollers, any 

 desired pattern upon a fabric, in a solution of gutta-percha, previously 

 bleached by the aid of chlorine, and dissolved by any of the well-known 

 solvents. The fabric so printed is then passed through a box or casing con- 

 taining woollen, cotton, silk, or other fine flock or colored powder, which 

 adheres only to those parts impressed with the solution, and forms beauti- 

 fully raised patterns and devices, having a fine, soft, and velvety surface. 



CHINESE EMBROIDERY. 



Probably the finest modern examples of pure embroidery in silk, unmixed 

 with gold and silver thread, pearls, or precious stones, are executed by the 

 Chinese. Not only in execution, but in design and the fitness of the forms 

 of the ornament to the material and purpose, the embroideries of the Chi- 

 nese generally exhibit a great superiority to the usual examples of European 

 skill. The extreme care taken with the work, especially in the more costly 

 specimens, renders them very instructive examples of textile decoration. 

 From seven hundred to seven hundred and fifty stitches may be counted in 

 the space of a square inch. Some years ago I took the trouble to dissect 

 some of the best examples I could meet with, and the more closely they 

 were examined the more marvellous the work appeared. Mr. Wallis, Jour- 

 nal of Society of Arts, London. 



NEW METHOD OF EMBOSSING WOOD. 



At a recent meeting of the Franklin Institute, Mr. Wood exhibited some 

 specimens of wood embossed by his patent process. The wood is soaked 

 in water, and then subjected to pressure under a metal matrix heated suffi- 

 ciently to burn away the superfluous material. The wood is not finished at 

 one operation, the matrix being removed several times in order to brush off 

 the charred wood. The specimens possess more softness than is usual in 

 wood carvings; and when varnished have a beautiful appearance. The 

 design is first modelled in clay or wax, and a plaster cast taken from it; 

 this serves as a pattern from which the matrix is moulded. The saturation 



