May 1, 1864] THE TECHNOLOGIST. 



ON THE STRAW PLAIT TRADE. 46 1 



very wet, for which purpose each person is furnished with a jar, which 

 is filled with cold water, iu which the bundles of straw are put, as 

 required ; it softens the straw and assists the workers to plait fine, and 

 makes it appear as if drawn together, without which quality it is not 

 considered good. 



To obtain the whiteness so much required, it is smoked with sul- 

 phur, previous to being worked, also after being worked ; and 

 lastly, after being formed into the hat or bonnet. It is done by 

 placing a chafing dish, filled with sulphur and set fire to in a 

 large box, or small close room ; sometimes the bleaching requires 

 repeating two or three times. The mode of plaiting is as follows : — 

 The straws being picked and put into separate bundles, accord- 

 ing to their quality, let thirteen of them be taken and tied first 

 together by the seed ends ; attach them to anything, such as the back 

 of a chair, to keep them steady ; then take hold of the loose end of the 

 bundle, putting six straws into the one hand, and seven in the other. 

 Take the outermost and with it cross over two, then carry it behind the 

 next two, and lastly, before the remaining two. After which, lay the 

 straws into the other parcel of six. The first parcel of six being now 

 made seven, take the outermost straw of it, and carry it across the 

 bundle by two, as in the former case, laying at last this seventh straw 

 into the outer parcel, as befure. It will be understood that this outer- 

 most straw of each parcel is always made the acting straw, and that in 

 the progress of the operation, each of the straws of both parcels are thus 

 employed in its turn. 



Besides bonnets, the straw is made into many articles, cigar cases, 

 &c, and plumes, and other ornaments and trimmings for females, and it 

 also has combined with it chenille, horsehair, and aloe fibre. Bonnets 

 at a more moderate price than those of wheaten straw are made of 

 barley straw, in Italy, but not being so durable, they are less esteemed, 

 although they are of finer texture, and have a larger number of turns in 

 a given width, which constitutes the standard of fineness. 



Straw may be bleached by a solution of chloride of lime. The straw, 

 after being aired and softened by spreading it upon the grass for a night 

 is ready to be split, preparatory to dyeing. Blue is given by a boiling- 

 hot solution of indigo in sulphuric acid, called Saxon blue, diluted to 

 the desired shade ; yellow by decoction of turmeric ; red by boiling 

 hanks of coarse scarlet wool in a bath of weak alum water, containing the 

 straw ; or directly by cochineal, salt of tin, and tartar. Brazil wood and 

 archil are also employed for dyeing straw. 



In the Duchy of Baden, considerable attention is given to the manu- 

 facture of straw hats. Those, particularly, from the districts of Neustadt, 

 Freiburg, and Schonau, fear no competition save that of Italy. The 

 superiority of these districts of the Black Forest is due, first, to the 

 excellent quality of the straw, and, secondly, to the numerous schools 

 which the government has carefully established there for teaching this 

 particular branch of trade. It is worthy of remark that, in the Wur- 



