Review of the Practical Tovrist. 221 



calender rollers. The sjiongj^ texture of the cloth sinks into all the 

 engraved cavities and imbibes the coloring matter lodged in them ; 

 whilst from the smooth surface of the copper, cleaned by the doctor, 

 it receives no dye to stain it. The cotton cloth is seen to enter be- 

 tween the rollers as white and spotless as pure snow ; and as if by a 

 magical transformation to issue from between them on the other side, 

 covered with gay flowers, or with pictured landscapes, spread over 

 the surface in all the fair proportions of hills and dales and winding 

 rivers. Three or more distinct colors may be printed and duly blend- 

 ed together to produce an harmonious effect, at one operation, by 

 arranging an equal number of the printing cylinders, each engraved 

 and supplied with its own peculiar color, to bear or press against the 

 surface of the large smooth central cylinder, around which the cloth 

 to be printed is made to pass. Beautiful chintzes of several bright 

 dyes, thus perfected at one operation, pass off over machinery to be 

 dried nearly as fast as one can walk." 



This is followed by a description of block printing which is much 

 used in this country, and is peribrmed with pieces of wood twelve or 

 fifteen inches long, and six or eight inches wide, varying so as to 

 suit the required patterns. They are used on the principle of com- 

 mon type printing, and when sevet-al colors are to be printed on one 

 piece, several blocks are passed over it so as to produce the variety 

 of colors required. 



"The prints are finally completed by being glazed or polished. 

 This is accomplished by first impregnating the calico or chintz with 

 gum, starch or beeswax as may be best adapted to the purpose 

 for which it may be intended. Thus prepared, the cloth is passed 

 between two cylinders, one of which is hollow, and is heated by red 

 hot pieces of iron inserted in the cavity, or by steam. To one of 

 the rollers is given by the machinery a quicker rotation than to the 

 other. The two calender cylinders are thus not only caused to roll 

 in contact, but also a rubbing effect is produced, owing to the differ- 

 ent relative velocities with which the surface of each is caused to 

 move. By this means, the hot surface of the polished cylinder is 

 made to partially slide over the surface of the cloth to be glazed, 

 as the polished surface of a flat iron or sad iron is passed over cloths 

 by the laundress in the familiar domestic operation of ironing. 



" Some of the machine shops of Manchester are constructed on 

 a most extensive scale. The proprietor of one of these establish- 

 ments informed me that he employed three hundred and eighty 



