Report on the Manufaffure ef Hat:. 25 



phuricacid added to the liquor is not fufficient to give a four tafte, but only renders it rough to 

 the tongue. In this liquor, heated rather higher than unpraSifcd hands could bear, the ar- 

 ticle is dipped from time to time, and then worked on the planks with a roller, and alfo by 

 folding or rolling it up, and opening it again ; in all which, a certain degree of care is at firft ^ 

 neceflary to prevent the fides from felting together; of which, in the more advanced ftages of 

 the operation, there is no danger. The imperfeftions of the work now prefent themfelves to 

 the eye of the workman, who picks out knots and other hard fubftances with a bodkin, and adds 

 more felt upon all fuch parts as require ftrengthening. This added felt is patted down with 

 a wet brufti, and foon incorporates with the reft. The beaver is laid on towards the conclU- 

 fion of this kind of working. I could not diftindlly learn why the beer grounds were ufed 

 with beaver-hats. Some workmen faid that, by rendering the liquor more tenacious, the hat 

 was enabled to hold a greater quantity of it for a longer time ; but others faid that the mere 

 acid and water would not adhere to the beaver facing, but would roll off" immediately when 

 the article vras laid on the plank. It is probable that the manufaflurers who now follow the 

 eftablilhed practice, may not have tried what are the inconveniences this addition is calculated 

 to remove. 



The acid, no doubt, gives a roughnefs to the furface of the hair which facilitates the me- 

 chanical a6tion of felting. Mr. CoUinfon Informed me that they ufe nitrous acid in a procefs 

 called carrotting. In this operation, the material is put into a mixture of the nitrous and ful- 

 phuric acids in water, and kept in the digefting heat of a ftove all night. The hair acquires 

 a ruddy or yellow colour, and lofes part of its ftrength. I did not fee any part of this procefs, 

 nor of the material fo treated ; neither did I gather any further information refpedting its utility, 

 than that, for fome kinds of work, the carrotted ftuff is better. 



It muft be remembered that our hat ftill poffefl'es the form of a cone, and that the whole 

 of the feveral a£tions it has undergone, have only converted it into a foft flexible felt, capable 

 of being extended, though with fome difficulty, in every direction. The next thing to be 

 done is to give it the form required by the wearer. For this purpofe, the workman turns up 

 the edge or rim to the depth of about an inch and a half, and then returns the point back 

 again through the centre or axis of the cap, fo fer as not to take out this fold, but to produce 

 another inner fold of the fame depth. The point being returned back again in the fame 

 manner, produces a third fold ; and thus the workman proceeds, until the whole has acquired 

 the appearance of a flat circular piece, confifting of a number of concentric undulations of 

 folds, with the point in the centre. This is laid upon the plank, where the workman keep- 

 ing the piece wet with the liquor, pulls out the point with his fingers, and prefTes it down 

 with his hand, at the fame time turning it round on its centre in contact with the {dank,-till 

 he has, by this means, rubbed out a flat portion equal to the intended crown of the hat. In 

 the next place he takes a block, to the crown of which he applies the flat central portion of 

 the felt, and by forcing a firing down the fides of the block, he caufes the next part to afifume 

 the figure of the crown, which he continues to wet and work, until it has properly difpofed 

 itfelf round the block. The rim now appears like a flounced or puckered appendage round the 

 edge of the crown j but the block being fet upright on the plank, the requifite figure is foon 

 given by working, rubbing, and extending this part. Water only is ufed in this operation of 



Vol. III.— April 1799. E fafliioning 



