368 TRANSACTIONS OF THE AMERICAN INSTITUTE. 



Mcxicf), the West Indies, India, and the Islands of the Pacific. The sheep 

 of Cape of Good Hope fni'tiish a skin nearly equal to the kid. The deer 

 skins used here are mostly obtained on this continent. 



CUTTING THE SKIN. 



After the skin passes into the hands of the glove-maker, it is stretched 

 on a piece of marble and rendered uniform with a blunt knife. The skin is 

 then dampened and sounded with a view of discovei-ing faults and blemishes, 

 60 tiiat they may be avoided in cutting' out, or placed in the least promi- 

 nent parts o' the glove. There are regular scales of sizes for inen'f and 

 women's gloves, and for the width of the thumb pieces, which are cut out 

 at the same time. When the skin is spread out to the utmost the cutting 

 is commenced. The patterns arc so placed that the width of the glove may 

 be taken across the narrow part of the skin. The French workman is 

 exceedingly expert in cutting skins to the best advantage. Obtaining even 

 one pair extra, in a dozen skins by adroitly using the patterns, effects a 

 great saving in the aggregate. For instance, in France, where the number 

 of skins of all kinds us(;d annually is about 400,000 dozen. 



In cutting, not only the shape of the glove to be made, but the color of 

 it, must be taken into consideration. The details of the cutting operation 

 may be enumerated in the following steps: 



1. To cut the skin longitudinally in two parts. 



2. To divide each half into pieces of proper width and length for the 

 hand. 



3. To double the parts for the front and back of the glove; allowing a 

 little more width to the back than the front. 



4. To make the slits for the fingers. 



5. To form the gussets to be used between the fingers. 

 G. To form the thumb piece. 



7. T(j cut the hole into which the thumb piece is to be fitted. This re- 

 quires great skill in order to prevent a fullness or puckering in this part 

 of the glove. These holes vary in shape, in different masiul'acttn'ies, but 

 they are all varieties of the rhomboid. 



'J'he sewing of the gloves is connnenced by carefully inserting the thumb 

 piece, after which the two parts are brought accurately together, and the 

 long seam, running from the wrist to the tip ot the little finger, is com- 

 pleted. The outside seam of each gusset is in turn then made, the whole 

 being contiiUKuis to the forefinger, from which pouit, after properl}' shaping 

 the lingers, tlie seam on the inside is made, and the little triangular pieces, 

 which give greater freedom to the fingers, are inserted; the wrist is then 

 hemmed and the button hole made, if required. 



The French manufacturers of kid gloves use an ingenious machine in the 

 BBwing operation. It consists of a vice of iron, having the upper edges of 

 each jaw lined with strips of brass, cut into teeth like a comb, which are 

 of equal width and only ono-twclfth ol' an inch in hmgth. One of the jaws 

 is stationary, and the other moves on a hinge at its base, and is so ar- 

 ranged that it is closed by sjjrings, and opened when the foot of the sewer 

 presses a lever. Into this vice the two parts of the glove are placed, and 

 the sewer passes the needle rapidly between the teeth of the brass plate, 



