CALICO-PRINTING. 43Q 



the printers besmear a block, cut out into the figure of the print, 

 with acetic of iron, thickened with gum or flour ; and apply it 

 to the cotton, which, after being dried and cleansed in the usual 

 manner, is plunged into a potash ley. The quantity of acetite of 

 iron is always proportioned to the depth of the shade. 2. For 

 yellow, the block is besmeared with acetite of alumina. The 

 cloth, after receiving this mordant, is dyed with quercitron bark, 

 and then bleached. 3. Red is communicated by the same process ; 

 only madder is substituted for the bark. 4. The tine light blues 

 which appear so often on printed cottons, are produced by apply, 

 ing to the cloth a block besmeared with a composition, consisting 

 partly of wax, which covers all those parts of the cloth which are 

 to remain white. The cloth is then died in a cold indigo vat ; and 

 after it is dry, the wax composition is removed by hot water. 5. 

 Lilac, flea brown, and blackish brown, are given by means of ace. 

 tite of iron : the quantity of which is always proportioned to the 

 depth of the shade. For very deep colours, a little sumach is 

 added. The cotton is afterwards dyed in the usual manner with 

 madder, and then bleached. 6. Dofe. colour and drab, by acetite 

 of iron and quercitron bark. 



When different colour are to appear in the same print, a greater 

 number of operations are necessary. Two or more blocks are 

 employed, upon each of which that part of the print only is cut, 

 which is to be of some particular colour. These are besmeared 

 with different mordants, and applied to the cloth, which is after- 

 wards died as usual. 



Mr. Henry Maudeslay has a patent press for calico-printing : 

 it is described in No. 54, Rep. of Arts, N. S., and No. 7, Retro* 

 spect of Discoveries. 



In the towns of Manchester, Glasgow, Paisley, &c. many thou. 

 sands of industrious hands are employed in the manufacture of this 

 article; which, according to its different degrees of fineness, is sold 

 from 6d. to 6s. and upwards a yard. 



Cotton cloth is an intermediate substance between that made of 

 flax and animal wool; but by no means deserves to be commended 

 as a substitute for flannel, next the skin. Calico imbibes and re. 

 tains the perspired humours, unless it be as frequently changed as 

 linen ; while flannel admits a free evaporation through its name* 

 rous pores. 



[Bancroft. Chaptal. Gregory. Nicholson. 



