344 



DICKSON ON HIS PATENTS 



places. The part made use of is, the petiole or footstalk 

 of the leaf, which grows from eighteen inches to two feet long, 

 and readily divides into strips of any dimensions, and contains 

 a strong firbe, while the common plat made from the fan- 

 palms does not, and seldom retains colour long. These 

 advantages may tend to bring the plant into notice, after a 

 while; and if, through my humble endeavours, any of the 

 undeveloped resources of the country are brought into notice, 

 a happy result will be effected." 



The patentee having discovered that parties were infringing 

 his patents, had the following advertisement inserted, weekly, 

 for twelve months, in Yorkshire newspapers : — 



NOTICE TO SPINNERS AND MANUFACTURERS. 



Vegetable fibre, resembling silk, prepared from East and 

 West India fibres by J. Hill Dickson's patents. Mr. Dickson 

 begs leave to inform the Norwich, Nottingham, Leicester, 

 Lancashire, Yorkshire, Scottish, and Irish spinners and 

 manufacturers of wool, alpaca, mohair, silk, shoddy, and Flax, 

 that he has secured a fifth patent for softening, bleaching, and 

 combing the East and West India fibres, and for mixing; and 

 drawing them in the same sliver with wool, alpaca, mohair, 

 silk, shoddy, and Flax, so as to be spun in one thread on silk, 

 woollen, worsted, or Flax machinery. 



He is prepared to supply machinery, grant licences, and 

 send competent instructors to work the patents to any firm 

 desirous to avail themselves of a supply of the raw material, 

 out of which forty varieties of lustre goods have been made, 

 consisting of velvets, plush, moreens, Orleans, damasks, and 

 other fancy figured, and plain goods — the greater portion of 

 which has been made near Bradford during the last four 

 months, and also at Amiens and Lyons. The patentee's price 

 for the material has been 2s. per lb., or £224 per ton. 



