May 1, 1864.] THE TECHNOLOGIST. 



ON THE STRAW PLAIT TRADE. 451 



invented, called rustic pearl, Italian (made of eleven straws) diamond 

 plait, and other fancy kinds. Much plait was also made by the French 

 prisoners at Stilton, about the year 1810. The plait they made was pur- 

 chased by persons from Luton, who, at much risk, succeeded in holding 

 communication with them. 



Bonnets made of split straw succeeded rapidly in displacing the 

 whole-straw Dunstable hat, and continued a favourite article of fashion- 

 able wear for a long time, but Leghorn hats eventually interfered with 

 them. Chips also had a considerable sale. About the year 1820, Leg- 

 horns were largely imported into England from Italy, by Mr. Thomas 

 Vyse, of London, and their sale was very great for many years, the prices 

 varying from two to four guineas each. 



The great demand for Leghorns led to many attempts being made to 

 produce an article resembling them in England. Correspondence was 

 carried on by the Society of Arts with certain persons who were 

 attempting to accomplish the object, and every encouragement was 

 offered by the Society to parties trying to grow straws like those in 

 Italy, and then making a similar article to the Leghorn hat, in order to 

 increase the manufacture. A Mr. Parry received the Society's large 

 silver medal in 1822, for his method of manufacturing Leghorn plait 

 from straw imported from Italy. No person succeeded so w r ell, how- 

 ever, as the late Mr. Thomas Waller, of Luton, in his efforts to find 

 employment for the population of his native town. This gentleman at 

 first imported seeds of the Italian wheat, and endeavoured to raise straws 

 from it in the neighbourhood of Luton, but though not in the end suc- 

 cessful, being beaten by the uncertainty of our climate, and the want of 

 sufficient heat in our atmosphere, he hit upon the expedient of using 

 straws, which he imported from Italy, in making eleven straw plaits in 

 the English style. The plaiting of eleven Tuscan straws, with the 

 straws set out evenly at the lower edge, and not in the middle as Leg- 

 horn plait, was the new feature of his peculiar manufacture ; the plait 

 so made was a great success, and through his invention he obtained a 

 patent for a bonnet, called by him the " Tuscan Grass Bonnet," which 

 was afterwaids patronised by Queen Adelaide, and great numbers were 

 sold all over the kingdom at prices from 30s. to 50s. each. 



Large importations of Italian straws were made by him, and many 

 thousand persons in a few years were employed on the new plait. 

 Eventually, the same kind of plait from Italy much interfered with 

 the home-made ; but, notwithstanding this, English-made Tuscan em- 

 ployed many thousand of plaiters, both in Bedfordshire and Hertford- 

 shire, for many following years. 



From the time of making the first single plait, called split, at the 

 commencement of the present century, many fancy kinds of plait were 

 invented in the split straw ; the plait called " corkscrew" was one, and 

 a bonnet made from it was worn by Lady Bridgwater. Similar fancy 

 plaits and trimmings followed. About 1820, a new kind of plait, mors 



