There are different kinds of finishes, but, as they chiefly depend upon the amount of pressure given in the calender, they do not require further description. In one or two cases, for special purposes, the fabrics are passed through a shearing-machine, and subjected to the action of a revolving knife roller, which clears off all the loose fibre of the yarns.
After passing the finishing processes, the pieces are rolled, folded, or plaited, according to requirement, and made up in the most convenient forms for the different markets.
Sometimes the manufacturing processes are carried beyond this point, and coffee-, sugar-, grain-, and other descriptions of, bags and sacks are made upon the establishment where the raw material has been spun and woven. In this case, the fabrics are cut up into appropriate lengths by 'machinery, stitched by powerful sewing-machines driven by steam-power, piled in bundles, subjected to hydraulic pressure, and packed for sale.
Jute is one of those textile fibres which is capable of very minute subdivision. But for a long time, it proved comparatively intractable in the hands even of the most skilful operators. This confined its use to the most humble domain of the textile industries ; the manufacture of sacking, canvas, carpet-backing, and ooarse carpeting. A few years ago, however, it began to yield to the
efforts made to accomplish the more perfect disintegration of its fibre, which has led to its use in more pretentious fabrics, such as crumb-cloths, table-cloths, towellings, &c. Further success has also been more recently attained, not only in the more minute subdivision of its fibre, but also in bleaching and dyeing it. All attempts to accomplish the former object rendered it weak and brittle, and almost unfit for textile uses ; whilst efforts to dye it succeeded merely to the extent of depositing a thin film of colouring matter upon its surface, which slight friction would rub off. In all these points, considerable advances have been made. The fibre can now be divided so finely that it is capable of being mixed with silk, for assadation with which its natural lustre eminently fits it. The improvements effected in the methods of dyeing have led to the production on it of the most bright, fine, and permanent colours, of lustrous beauty. These results, though practically successful, have hardly yet been commercially so ; but it may be hoped that no long period will intervene before even this is achieved.