table
furnace; the roller can be kept at a more uniform temperature than the
plate. The singe obtained by the plate and roller is good, the principal
fault being that if the cloths happen to get pressed down too much on
the hot plate the loose ends are not burnt off as they should be. With
both plate and roller the cloths are singed only on one side, and if
both sides require to be singed a second passage is necessary. Both
systems still retain their hold as the principal methods in use,
notwithstanding the introduction of more modern methods.

Singeing by passing the cloths over a row of Bunsen burners has come
largely into use. This has the great advantage of being very cleanly,
and of doing the work very effectually, much more thoroughly than any
other method, which is due to the fact that while in the methods
described above only the loose fibres on the surface are burnt off; with
gas all the loose fibres are burnt off. This is brought about by the gas
flame passing straight through the cloth. It is not necessary to
describe the gas singeing machine in detail. Singeing machines should be
kept scrupulously clean and free from fluff, which is liable to collect
round them, and very liable to fire. Some machines are fitted with a
flue having a powerful draught which carries off this fluff, away from
any source of danger.

(3) =Singeing Wash.=--After being singed the cloths are run through a
washing machine to remove by water as much of the loose charred fibres
as possible. The construction of a washing machine is well known. It
consists of a pair of large wooden rollers set above a trough containing
water and into which a constant stream of water flows. In the trough is
also fixed another wooden roller and the pieces are passed round this
bottom roller and between the top rollers. The cloth is passed through
and round the rollers several times in a spiral form so that it passes
through the water in the trough frequently, which is a great advantage,
as the wash is thus much more effectual. The pressure between the two
top rollers presses out any surplus water. The operation scarcely needs
any further description.

(4) =Lime Boil.=--After the cloth leaves the singeing or grey wash, as
it is often called, it passes through the liming machine, which is made
very similar to the washing machine. In this it passes through milk of
lime, which should be made from freshly slaked lime. The latter maybe
prepared in a pasty form