COTTON 
321 
bon form ready to go iirto a large roll or sheet, 
known as the completed "lap." 
carding 
The carding machine receives the lap. Its series 
of cylinders covered with wire brush take it around 
their course and deliver it at the front of the ma- 
chine, now in the shape of a cord of untwisted 
cotton known as the sliver. . 
And here you see a beautiful sight indeed ! 1 he 
fleecy white lap rushes eagerly into the combs, and as 
quickly disappears, soon again coming into view, 
white and spotless as ever, but now changed m 
form, for it has become a long round cord that is 
by and by to be the thread used in weaving our 
cotton fabrics. 
Next the sliver goes to the drawing -frame. Here 
a sort of doubling-up work is to be done. Some- 
thing like six slivers or untwisted cords are fed into 
the machine, out of which comes but one, but that 
one is better than the other six, for the fibers, at- 
tenuated and drawn out, are now more nearly 
parallel, more even and uniform. 
While the sliver that leaves the drawing-frame 
is but a sixth of the size of all that entered it, it is 
still too large and altogether too easily broken; 
the cord must be lessened in size and twisted a 
number of times that it may be strong and even. 
This work can be done only gradually, else mis- 
haps will occur and make good thread an impos- 
sibility. , 
From the drawing frame the sliver goes to the 
slubber, which gives it its first twist, reduces it in 
thickness, renames it roving, and then passes the 
roving on to the intermediate and roving frames, 
