mordants are needed there is nothing to impart a harsh feel to the
fabrics.

#On Dress Goods, Suitings and Coatings.#--A large quantity of fabrics
for gentlemen's suits, coats and cloths in general are now made (p. 174)
from wool and cotton. Formerly the dyeing of these offered many
difficulties before the application of the direct dyes was properly
understood. Now, however the ease with which such dyes may be applied
has given considerable impetus to this class of goods, and the trade
has grown by leaps and bounds during recent years, and has been one
cause of the great cheapening of clothes which has occurred in the
same period. The dyeing of the goods with the direct colours offers
very little difficulty, and only requires that a little attention be
paid, particularly to goods in which the cotton either appears on the
surface forming a design, or is spun or twisted together with the
wool.

A good deal of shoddy is used in making the cheaper class of these
goods, and it is quite natural that such "artificial wool" behaves
differently from pure wool, not only with regard to its shade
resulting from mixing and working together differently dyed waste
wools, but also on account of its possessing a greater affinity for
all kinds of dye-stuff than raw wool; this in consequence of the
carbonisation and washing processes it has undergone, and also of the
mordants which the material may retain from previous processes.
Therefore (and especially in dyeing light shades on goods manufactured
of shoddy) only a small quantity of soda or borax is to be added to
the dye-bath and severe boiling is to be avoided. Wherever it is
possible goods which are to be dyed in light shades should be made
from the palest materials, and the dark qualities only used for goods
which are to be dyed in dark shades.

This rule can, of course, not always be adhered to. Quite often a
light and bright shade is to be dyed on comparatively dark material.
This cannot be achieved by simply dyeing it, the goods must be
stripped or bleached before dyeing. For this purpose either
energetically reacting, oxidising reducing agents are applied. Of the
former, bichromate of potassium is principally used. Boil the (p. 175)
goods for half to three-quarters of an hour with 3 to 5 per cent.
bichromate of potassium, 2 to 4 per cent. oxalic acid, and 3 to 5 per
cent. sulphuric acid, wash in a fresh warm bath charged with soda in
order to entirely neutralise the