A manual of home-making

•In this discussiem are frequent qiioUitiom*^ iia indiciitetl, fixim Soino points in C'htM>Hirij2 TrxtilfSj Uy Vhnrhittx^ M, (liljbs? (Bakor), Univ. of Ill.» liull, 1'), Af-knovvli'dgmiiit is itls<i mado Utr Viihiabie pyKgestioiis fnjm The .Study of 'I'cxiiips, l)y Nt*l!it^ Cnioks in ttu* Pron^ijugs of the Lake Plai'id Qinfercnce on Honie Eeonon^it'fi, 190H, and from Hint^on Choosing Textiles, hy Bertha E. Tit^worlh, Bull. 45, in the Cornell Reading-Course for the Farm Home, 207 308 .1 MANUAL OF HOME-MAKING fine threaci (Fig. 57). The quality of cotton materials depends on the stren^h of the fibers, the fineness or coarseness of the material, the weave, the color and dasign, and the adultera- tions,* Aduliercdion. Cotton, being the cheapest filxjr, is not aduUeratetl with any other fiber when the material is to be sold iis e(jttori *'loth, but it can l>e made to apf>ear heavier by the atldition of mixtures called siz- ing. Starches, jfihiis, dextrin, glue, china clay, as well a.s other ingreilients in varying proportions, constitute tfiis sizing which may add a large |)er- centage to the weight of the cloth. The spaces between the threads are filled up, and a good finish is given to the clot h. although the wearing quality is not iniprovcHl If present in large quantities, the cloth is greatly riHluced in weight and firmncs*? after the first washing. Adulterations of this kind can l>e detected by the feel- ing, a large quantity imparting a harshness to the material.* If material susjif^cted of l)eing heavily weighted or sized is rublxnl vigorously Ix^tween the hands, the white chalky sp(»eks of sizing may Ik* seen on the hands. If the material is held up and torn quickly, a small clout 1 of starch or sizing may Ik; seen. If very heavily starched material is touchetl by the tongue, the starch may Ix* tasted or a sticky spot left on the material. In very thin fal>rics the sizing may often l>e detected by hold- ing the cloth up to the light, when tfie starch shows between the threads. Wiishing or thoroughly lK*iling a sample in soda wat^r will show the amount of sizing present. Another methtnt of a*lylterating cotton is ^'hown in certain kinds of dotteil swiss, A gofxl swiss lias thread <lots woven or eml)roidere<l in the cloth. These dots are generally woven • Univ. uf 111., Bull iri. Ffo. 67. — Ccittoti fibers, ahow- I ti ff the charRct«tistio twist. TEXTILES 309 with continuous tiireads on t.lit? back of the rlotli; and in a later process of finishing, tlu* threads between tfie dots on t[ie wrong side of the material are sheared off, leiivin^ only the threads which catch through to make the dots on the right wide. Oc- casionally one fi ntis a piece of kwIss selling at the regular price, on which tlie dots instead of being woven as just described ai^ mei'ely dots of very stiff paste. In washing, these dots dis- appt^ar; or if they do not clisappe^r entirely, they are made brown from the heat of the iron. Occtisionally (*otton cloth wliich has been on the market for some time is weakened Ijy the action of the chemicals useii in bleaching, dyeing, or in the sizing. This may i>e easily detected by tearing the cloth.* MiTcerimtion,