OR, A TREATISE ON PILE. 156 
describe the modus operandi, the learned and the unlearned were equally at fault. ‘The 
skilful operator has a mass of wool, which, with his magic bow, he has formed into the 
desired shape ; this fleece, “light as the thistle-down that floats on the air,” with no other 
agency than a damp linen cloth, and the pressure of his hands,* he, in a few moments, 
transforms into a firm cloth or felt; but neither he, nor the scientific looker-on, could 
explain the phenomenon. At léngth a filament of wool was placed under the mcroscope, 
and THE MYSTERY WAS REVEALED.+ 
It is the scales of the cortex of pile that cause the filaments to felt. They are circularly 
disposed. Upon hair they are less numerous, smoother, rounder at the point, and embrace 
the stalk more intimately; upon wool they are more numerous, rougher, sharper at the 
point, and at their anterior extremities stand a little out from the shaft. 
The scales from the different wools should be drawn, described and classified to under- 
stand perfectly their felting power. 
The first attempt to count the number of these scales was made by Mr. Youatt. He 
found upon a filament of Anglo-Merino wool, 2,400 to a linear inch. 
Let us here pause for reflection. If one inch, in length, of this wool has 2,400 scales, 
and it is (as Mr. Youatt tells us) in diameter -1, of an inch, there are, upon the whole 
area of its contour, 23,040 scales, ever ready to hook and fasten into as many to be found 
upon every similar inch of filament with which it comes in contact!{ Mr. Youatt after- 
wards counted the scales of other wools, from the result of which we have made the 
following table :— 
No. 1. Saxony, - = = = - 2,720 scales on an inch in length. 
“© 2. Lord Weston’s Merino, picklock, 2,560 “ “ “ 
« 3. Ryeland, Herefordshire, 2 2420 * « ‘ 
‘© A. Lord Weston’s, (common,). - 2,400 “ ‘ “ 
“ 4. Australasian, M’Arthur’s, - 2,400 * ‘“ “6 
“ 5. Southdown,. - - : - 2080 « ‘“ «6 
« 5. Odessa, - = : 8 2080 « & “ 
«“ 5. New South Wales, = = 2080" MS « rr 
“5. Southdown, picklock, - - OS®“ “ ry 
“ 6. Australasian, - - = S720 4 « rr 
“ 6. Irish Long Wool, = - 1,920 « ce ‘ 
‘¢~ (72) wlueicester, = ee ee - 1,560 « & &< 
98. “SNorfolls, ilo - - - - 1,600) 1“ “ & 
* The nitrate of mercury is sometimes used to facilitate the felting. 
} In an article published in the Plough, the Loom and the Anvil, tor 1850, we have given a history of the discovery of the 
cause of felting, and endeavored to do justice to the memories of those concerned in its discovery. 
t The following calculation was made for us by Ferdinand Hubbel, Esq. There are 2,400 points (which are the edges of 
scales) upon one inch in length of Merino wool—assuming it to be of the same circumference, there were 2,400 in the 
contour, and multiplying 2,400 by itself, will give 5,760,000 for the number of points on the one inchof cylinder. But the 
filament has a diameter of only 73> of an inch—7.22 3}5::0,004=7555=325- 
Divide 5,760,000 by 250, and you will haye 23,040 for the number of scales upon one inch in length of a filament of wool 
that has a diameter of 74+ 5 of an inch. 
