12 ME. TOPPAN'S NEW PROCESS 



I will simply give to you a few of the most salient points, 

 and leave the technical parts, which would probably be of little 

 interest to the major part of the audience, until I have finished, 

 when Mr. Sherry will be pleased to answer any questions you 

 may see fit to ask of him. 



After mordanting the wool, it is put into the dye-vats, and 

 remains in the hot dye for some hours. Throughout this 

 time the wool is constantly stirred or poled, in order that the 

 dye may take evenly. This poling is an injury to the wool. 



The absorptive quality of the compound causes the dye to 

 take more quickly, and it is evenly distributed. Mr. Sherry 

 says : 



"The dyes take quicker, more evenly, with less poling, 

 and probably with less dye. And further than that, the 

 Toppan wool, being at least two shades whiter than any othtr 

 scour, the color produced is proportionately brighter. The 

 color is also permanent." 



There are here wools done by Mr. Sherry, for Mr. Guild. 

 They have been lying for nine months exposed to the light of 

 two windows ; one east and the other south, and within a 

 couple of feet of the latter. There are some of the colors 

 which are considered as rather hard to hold, yet a close exam- 

 ination fails to show any variation in shade. Here is yarn 

 which was dyed in 1876 and has held its color. 



There is another value to goods which are already mor- 

 danted, and that is with reference to household or home dyes. 

 These dyes are very good under many circumstances, but 

 they must be so put up as to be worked by the inexpert. 

 They lie, therefore, under the disadvantage of not being 

 mordanted, as a rule. The application of a mordant involves 

 another process, and although in some instances the mordants 

 are also given, yet this is usually not the case. The successful 

 working of these colors without a mordant precludes the use of 

 many beautiful shades, and they are as a rule quiet in tone. 

 With goods which are already mordanted, the value of house- 

 hold dyes is largely increased. I have samples of wools dyed 

 in these dyes, and to them I invite your special attention. 



Wool scoured by Mr. Toppan's process has been woven a 

 number of times in different mills in this country at dates as 

 far back as 1878. And by the way, it is interesting to ex- 

 amine specimens which have been made this seven years. At 

 these different times, there has been made a sufficient quantity 

 of cloth to give substantial basis to statements which estab- 

 lish, without question, the value of the process, and which are 

 of themselves of sufficient importance to work a change in 



