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XXVII. Anew Method of bleaching and preparing Flax. By 

 the Rev. J. B. Emmett.* 



|N account of the great distress which prevails in most of 

 the manufacturing districts, I have been induced to pre- 

 sent to the pubUc the following means of bleaching and pre- 

 paring flax and tow, by a simple, easy and cheap process, 

 whereby it is reduced to a beautiful degree of whiteness, be- 

 comes possessed of a silky lustre, and is made sufficiently fine 

 to be manufactured into the finest goods ; hoping that it may 

 become the means, in the hands of opulent manufacturers, of 

 giving employment to some of the workmen, who are unable 

 to meet with it. 



The process is as follows : Steep or boil the flax or tow in 

 a weak solution of subcarbonate of potash or soda, in order to 

 extract the colouring matter, resin, &c. I prefer the subcar- 

 bonate to the pure or caustic alkali, because, however diluted 

 the latter may be, its powers of corrosion are so great that if 

 it extracts the extraneous matter perfectly, it will almost cer- 

 tainly diminish the strength of the fibre ; whilst I find that it 

 may be thoroughly extracted by the former, without produ- 

 cing any such effect : this I have proved by experiments made 

 upon rather large quantities. Wash it thoroughly from the 

 alkali. 



The bleaching-liquor is prepared in the following manner : 

 Reduce perfectly fresh burnt charcoal of soft porous wood, as 

 willow, or fir, to a very fine powder ; tie up the powder in a 

 bag made of cloth of a close texture ; immerse it into cold 

 soft-water, and work it by pressing it with the hands, until such 

 a quantity shall be diffused through the water, that on rinsing 

 a little flax through it for a few minutes, and then withdrawing 

 it, it shall be lightly blackened. Put into it the flax to be 

 bleached, taking care that each parcel shall imbibe it to its 

 middle. When all is put into the liquid, the water, on being 

 well agitated, ought to be clouded by the charcoal. I cannot 

 specify the exact proportion, as I observed it no further than 

 this, — that I always used more than was actually requisite : in 

 bleaching 6 or 7 pounds, I never used more than half an 

 ounce. Agitate the liquid, and press the flax under it several 

 times in the day, in order to bring as much charcoal as possi- 

 ble into contact with it. After about 20 or 24 hours, remove 

 it from the liquid, having it well wrung; put it into a second 

 which may contain less charcoal : agitate as before, and after 

 the same interval of time, examhie a small parcel by washing 



• Comniunicated by the Author. 



