and 104.

ments) between two steel plates, like those represented in Figs. 103

The holes A A, in these plates, correspond to those of the cylinder shown in Figs. 93 or 99. BB (Figs. 103 and 104) are large holes to fit on the knobs M M in Figs. 93 and 94; CC are hinges which connect the plates, and they must be well fitted, so that the plates may present no impediment to the punching of the pasteboard or card paper, when it is placed between them; DD are handles attached to the upper plate, by which the operator raises or lowers it, when he wishes to take out or put in a card; the large holes B B correspond to those marked O O O Fig. 97.

The method of cutting cards in these plates, from the design paper or pattern, is so well known to all persons having the least knowledge of figured weaving, that we need give no further description of it in this place. We would state, however, that on this plan, an active man can only cut from 100 to 150 cards per day; whereas, on the great French card-cutting apparatus or machine, (to which the reader is referred,) he can cut from 2500 to 3000, with the assistance of a boy, in the same time.*

* We would here mention for the benefit of the manufacturers of this country, that a card-cutting machine of this kind, in its most perfect state, may be purchased from our friend, M. Dioudonnat, No. 12 Rue St. Maur, Paris, for 2400 francs; this includes the copying and stamping machines, the simples and all the other necessary apparatus, as well as the packing or boxing of the whole and its carriage to Havre for shipment. One of these splendid machines would, at least, be sufficient to cut cards for a manufactory containing 300 looms.

SECTION SEVENTH.

CARPETING.

The progress of almost any of the arts may be safely taken as an' index of civilization. The arts, indeed, are so intimately interwoven, that one of them can scarcely flourish without giving rise to and receiving support from others. This is particularly the case in regard to the manufacture of carpets; which, like the other branches of weaving, has received improvements at every hand, and has lately made important advances. The very fact of the existence of such a manufacture speaks volumes as to the increase of our domestic comforts.

In the superficial texture of the common carpet, nothing appears to distinguish it from an ordinary web; and a first observer is at a loss to imagine by what means its variety of colours can be produced. On examining the figure more narrowly, it appears that the designer has laboured under considerable difficulties: for in many places where purity of colour would have been advantageous, a mixed colour, of the warp and weft, only is to be found, while scarcely any gradual shading of the tints depending on the nature of the figure is to be seen. A still closer examination explains at once the source of these imperfections. The ingrain or double carpet is found to consist of two contiguous webs, intermingled with each other in such a manner as to produce the pattern: each of these webs, if woven singly, would have a striped appearance, being partly coloured in the weft. One set of coloured stripes is thus imposed upon another and in designing the colours of the pattern, no selection beyond what is afforded by the judicious arrangement of these stripes can be made. The number of full colours is thus very limited; and these can only be obtained where the weft traverses warp of the same colour. To bring up then a part of the figure full red, red warp must be traversed by red weft ; these colours can be immediately concealed by sending the threads to the other web, but were they to remain long there, both webs would become monotonous. It is therefore extremely difficult to avoid a strong tendency to striping in the colours, and, except in the principal part of the figure, the colours can hardly be well managed, the secondary embellishments being almost matters of chance.

Yet, in the face of all these difficulties, patterns of great beauty are being continually formed on the carpet loom.

The invention of the triple carpet, claimed by Mr. Morton, of Kilmarnock, has almost removed these difficulties,* This carpet is composed of three webs, which interchange their threads in order to produce the pattern. The primary object in the introduction of the third web, appears to have been the obtaining of greater variety and brilliancy of colouring; but another curious effect has followed, that the two sides of the carpet are necessarily counterparts to each other. To a certain extent the figure of the under must depend on that of the upper side, since threads may be needed from the under web to produce what is wanted in the chief pattern on the upper side, but there still remains the choice of an interchange of threads between the two inferior webs. It is obvious that the tendency to striping must be much less on this than on the common carpet, and that the designer having a far greater choice of colours, may produce effects that could not before have been obtained. After the principal figure has been determined on, the skill of the designer is most severely exercised on the wrong side of the carpet. His choice of materials is indeed as great as with the common carpet, but then he is hampered by the restriction in figure, and can only be entirely at ease opposite a piece of plain texture on the other side. The superior beauty of the triple carpet over the common ingrain or two-ply is at once acknowledged: it possesses almost all the freedom in colouring of the floor-cloth or paper-hanging, while its great thickness and comparative cheapness bring it into competition with the more expensive kinds of carpeting.

Fig. 105 is a correct representation, in perspective, of an imperial Scotch carpet loom.

The frame of the loom consists of four perpendicular posts A A A A, with capes BB, and cross rails CCCC, to hold them firm at suitable distances apart; these posts are generally 6 feet 41 inches in height; D is the cloth roller, which must be made of wellseasoned wood of 5 inches in diameter, with an iron gudgeon of aths of an inch in diameter driven into each end of it, in the usual way; on one of these ends a ratchet wheel E is fastened, which is operated upon by two clicks FF, for the purpose of holding the web in its proper place when wound upon the roller by the weaver,

* Mr. M. is one of those sanguine mortals who believe, that if a man could produce a machine which would generate the power by which it was worked, he would become a creator! Oui!!

in a similar manner to that formerly described in section 1st under the head of plain weaving; G G is the lay or batten; H the reed; I the upper shell to hold the reed; J the under shell or sill of the lay; K the rocking tree or cross bar, which connects the lay swords G G above, as in Fig. 9, section 1st (which see;) L the harness, with double necking, connected to each of the Jacquard machines; M the treadles; N a rack or guide which serves to keep the treadles in their proper places; O treadle cords or wires which connect the treadles to their respective levers or lifters, in the usual way; P the harness board; Q the warp roller, with its ratchet wheel R, similarly fixed to that of the cloth roller D, and held in its place by the catch or dog S, as in Fig. 7, section 1st (which see ;) T the warp yarn as

it proceeds from the warp roller through the harness L, and from thence into the reed H, where it is woven into cloth, then passes over the breast beam U, and on to the cloth roller D; V the cloth; W a strong cord, fastened to the catch or dog S at X, passing over the pulley Y, and attached to the loom frame at Z, on the right hand side of the loom, and convenient to the weaver's hand; on this cord a small wooden bob A' is fixed, which the weaver pulls when he finds it necessary to draw his bore or sink, and he winds the same length of cloth upon the cloth roller that he draws of warp from off the warp roller; B' B' Jacquard machines of the common description, mounted on the top of the loom in the usual way; C' C' the pattern cards, and, D' D' two wooden boxes into which they drop when delivered from the cylinders, as represented more clearly in the description formerly given of the Jacquard machine, and in the drawings Figs. 93, 94, 95, 96, 97, and 98 (which see.)

The introducer of this texture (Mr. Morton) has conferred on us a very great benefit: he has furnished us with a higher embellishment for the interior of our dwellings, and presented to us another evidence of the active benevolence and social disposition of man. And it is agreeable to reflect. that in the nursing of the idea, and the carrying of it into effect, he must have felt a pleasure much more intense than is likely to be experienced by any of the multitudes who will enjoy the fruits of his abilities.

A desire for something in the interior of a dwelling analogous to the soft clothing of the external world, seems to be generally felt; for in all states of society attempts are made to remove the hardness and unseemliness of the floor. Among the poorer nations, these attempts are confined to the mere dormitories, but, as advances are made in wealth, the mat and carpet begin to appear. The softness of the turf and more than its smoothness having been attained, it was natural to imitate also its embellishments: for this purpose several distinct kinds of carpet texture have been contrived. On one of these (the ingrain) we have already reported an immense improvement, and proceed to describe a no less striking improvement on another.

The Brussels carpet is distinguished from the common one by having a raised pile, and by the circumstance that the figures and colours are entirely produced from the warp. The pile is raised by inserting a wire between the body of the warp and the previously raised colouring threads. These threads descend and are fixed by the weft, which is of linen, two picks being given before the insertion of each wire, and these picks are called binders, and after a few