MANUFACTURE. of cotton. To this article we referred from the word COT TON, having been deprived, by accident, of the information which we are now en abled to lay before the public on this in teresting part of English manufactures.
We shall begin with the description of the fabrication of cotton yarn by the spin ning jenny, both because of its more an cient use, and as it leads best to the ge neral knowledge of the manufacture.
Preparation of the Cotton-wool. The raw cotton is imported in large bales, compressed very closely together by en gines, and contains the seeds of the plant mixed through it in considerable quanti ties, together with more or less foreign matter, from which it must be fired; for this purpose, it is in general sufficient to beat it well with sticks, by which it under goes a process similar to the threshing of corn. This is usually performed on a frame, similar to a table, the upper sur face of which is formed by small cords stretched tightly across, nearly in con tact, the elasticity of which assists the operation, while their intervals afford a free passage the the separation of the seeds and other substances in the cotton. In this process the cotton recovers its ori ginal volume, and loses the hard consist mice into which it had been pressed in the bales.
Picking Engine. An engine has been contrived to render this operation more perfect, which is used in some manufac. tories : this consists of two revolving fluted rollers of metal, about an inch in diameter, and sixteen inches long, placed horizontally one over the other ; a kind of comb of steel in the same direction moves betime these rollers, with a quicker mo tion up and down, very close to the rol lers, so as to catch and draw out the cot ton as it passes forwards between them : underneath an oblong sieve of wire moves back and forwards horizontally, which catches the cotton as it falls from the comb, and frees it from the loose seeds and other matters : above, a sort of frame, like a table, lies behind the rollers, over which an endless cloth is contrived to pass continually, so as to come in one part very close to the rollers ; on the upper surface of this cloth the cotton is spread by hand evenly, and thus is brought forward by degrees to the rollers, which deliver it to the comb, as already described.
Another engine of coarser operation is sometimes used previous to the above. This is formed by an oblong roller, three or four feet long, and about fourteen inches diameter, having longitudinal rows of spikes, of three inches long, at inter vals of four or five inches, projecting from its surface. This roller revolves within a hollow cylinder, furnished in like man ner with rows of spikes projecting in wards, so that the spikes of the internal roller may pass between them : both rol ler and case are formed usually of bars of wood, so as to leave free space Jim the cotton to pass, and the dirt to fly out.
Where these engines are not used, or when they are not sufficiently perfect to completely free the cotton from its seeds and foreign matters, the cotton wool is afterwards carefully picked by women and children, who remove whatever mat ters Might remain in it after the former operations.
When the picking is completed, the cotton next undergoes the process of washing with soap, which not only cleanses it from dirt adhering to its fibres, but it is thought has also a sort of chemi cal action on it, in making the fibres more tortuous and spiral, by which in a great measure the yarn formed from it acquires that elastic softness, which pe culiarly distinguishes it from that spun in mills, which latter does not usually un dergo this operation, and which fits it so well to form the weft of cotton cloth, while the superior firmness and hardness of the mill-twist qualifies it better ter the part of the warp for which it is generally employed.
After being thus washed, the cotton is next carried to the press, where most of the water which it has imbibed is forced out of it : in this operation it is generally put into a strong wooden box, perforated with holes at every side, and open at top ; a wooden cover is then put over it, suffi ciently small to enter the box ; the whole being then put into the press, the cover is forced down by a wooden screw. No thing made of iron should be used about the cotton while it is wet, as it might im part a stain hard to be removed.