state a considerable
amount of colouring matter and intracellular substance. Since the
individual fibres are very short, the complete removal of the latter
would be attended by a disintegration of the material. Although it is
possible to bleach jute white, this is seldom if ever carried out on a
large scale owing to the great expense involved. A half-bleach on jute
is obtained by steeping the goods alternately in bleaching powder (or
hypochlorite of soda) and sulphuric acid, washing intervening. For a
cream these treatments are repeated.

_Bleaching of Straw._

In the Luton district, straw is bleached principally in the form of
plait, in which form it is imported. The bleaching is effected by
steeping the straw for periods varying from twelve hours to several days
in fairly strong alkaline peroxide of hydrogen. The number of baths
depends upon the quality of straw and the degree of whiteness required.
Good whites are thus obtained, and no further process would be necessary
if the hats had not subsequently to be "blocked" or pressed at a high
temperature which brings about a deterioration of the colour. After
bleaching with peroxide and drying, the straw consequently undergoes a
further process of sulphuring, i.e. exposure to gaseous sulphurous acid.
Panama hats are bleached after making up, but in this case only peroxide
of hydrogen is used and a very lengthy treatment entailing sometimes
fourteen days' steeping is required.

_Bleaching of Wool._

In the condition in which it is delivered to the manufacturers wool is
generally a very impure article, even if it has been washed on the
sheep's back before shearing. The impurities which it contains consist
in the main of the natural grease (in reality a kind of wax) exuded from
the skin of the sheep and technically known as the "yolk," the dried-up
perspiration from the body of the sheep; technically called "suint," and
dust, dirt, burrs, &c., which mechanically adhere to the sticky surfaces
of the fibres. In this condition wool is quite unfit for any
manufacturing purposes and must be cleansed before any mechanical
operations can be commenced. Formerly the washing was effected in stale
urine, which owed its detergent properties mainly to the presence of
ammonium carbonate. The stale urine or _lant_ was diluted with four to
five times its bulk of water, and in this liquor, heated to 40 deg.-50
deg. C., the washing was effected.

At the present day this method has