306 BLEAK 



inch in -width. As this revolves, the waste is thrown from one angle to the other, 

 and throws out whatever dust or other material falls into the holes or spaces. The 

 fibrous matter has little tendency to separate from the mass, which is somewhat 

 agglutinated by being damp, chiefly from the oil obtained during the processes in 

 the cotton-mill. A second duster, however, is used to retain whatever may bo of 

 value ; it is a kind of riddle. It is then transferred to the lattices, which are a series 

 of boxes covered with wire gauze, the meshes of which are about half an inch 

 square, and so arranged as to form a series of sorting tables. The sorting generally 

 is done Ipv young women. Each table has a largo box or basket beside it, into which 

 the sorted material is thrown ; this is removed when filled, by being pushed along a 

 railroad or tramway. Pieces of stone, clay, leather, wood, nails, and other articles, are 

 taken out. The cotton is then put into a devil similar to that which is used in cotton 

 machinery, but having larger, stronger teeth, which tear it up into small fragments. 



The rags are sorted according to quality, woollen carefully removed, and all the 

 unavailable material sent back to the buyer. They are then chopped up by a knife, on 

 the circumference of a heavy wheel, into pieces of an inch wide, devilled, and dusted. 



The rags and the cotton waste arc bleached in a similar manner. The cotton is 

 put into kiers of about ten feet in diameter, of a kind similar to those described, and 

 boiled with lime. The amount of lime used is about 6 Ibs. to a cwt. of cotton or 

 rags, but this varies according to the impurity. The lime removes a great amount 

 of impure organic matter, and, as in bleaching cotton cloth, lays hold of the fatty 

 matter, of which there is a great deal in the waste. When taken out, it is allowed to 

 lie from two to three hours. The appearance is not much altered ; it appears as im- 

 pure as ever. 



It is then put into the rag-engine and washed clean. This is a combined washing- 

 machine and filter, the invention of Mr. "Wrigley, near Bury. The washing may last 

 an hour and a half, or more. See PAPEB. 



The cotton has now a bright grej' colour, and looks moderately clean. It is full 

 of water, which is removed by an hydraulic press, the cotton being put into an iron 

 cylindrical box with perforated sides. It is then boiled in kiers or puffing boilers, 

 where soda-ash is used, at the rate of 4 to 5 Ibs. a cwt. Only as much water is used 

 as will moisten the goods thoroughly. Much water would weaken the solution and 

 render more soda necessary. It is then washed again in the rag-engine ; afterwards 

 put into chloride of lime, acidified as in cotton-bleaching, and washed again in the 

 mg-ongine. 



The cotton rags are treated in a similar manner. The coloured rags are treated 

 separately, requiring a different treatment according to the amount of colour ; this 

 consists chiefly in a greater use of chloride of lime. 



Some points relating to bleaching are necessarily treated of under CALICO- 

 PRINTING. 



The following were the countries to which our bleaching materials were exported in 

 J871, and the quantities exported to each : 



Cwts. 



ToEussia 49,092 



Sweden 4,158 



Denmark 11,059 



Germany 61,207 



Holland 12,698 



Belgium 16,046 



France 4,258 



United States, Atlantic .... 294,224 

 British North America .... 9,085 

 Other Countries 14,293 



Total . . . 476,120 



BX.EACRXNG-IiXQtTXDS. These liquids, manufactured for the bleacher, con- 

 tain metallic chlorides and hypochlorites. The most important are the liquid 

 'chlorides' of lime, magnesia, soda, and potash. See CBXOIUDKS. 



BI.EACHING-POWDER. See CHLORIDE OF LlME. 



BliEAK. (Cyprinus alburnus.) The scales of this fish are used for making the 

 ' essence of pearl,' or essence <f orient, with which artificial pearls are manufactured. In 

 the scales of the fish the optical effect is produced in the same manner as in the real 

 pearl, the grooves of the latter being represented by the inequalities formed by the 

 margins of the concentric laminae of which the scales are composed. These fish arc 

 caught in the Seine, the Loire, the Saone, the Ehine, and several other rivers. They 

 arc about four inches in length, and arc sold very cheap after the scales are washed 



