istinctive marks in bags for identification often take the form
of coloured stripes woven in the cloth, and as illustrated at
_S_, Fig. 32. It is obvious that a considerable variety can be
made by altering the number of the stripes, their position, and
their width, while if different coloured threads appear in the same
cloth, the variety is still further increased.

Many firms, however, prefer to have their names, trade marks, and
other distinctive features printed on the bags; in these cases, the
necessary particulars are printed on the otherwise completed bag by
a sack-printing machine of the flat-bed or circular roller type. The
latter type, which is most largely used, is illustrated in Fig. 50.
It is termed a two-colour machine, and is made by Mr. D. J. Macdonald,
Dundee; it will be observed that there are two rollers for the two
distinct colours, say red and black. Occasionally three and
four-colour machines are used, but the one-colour type is probably
the most common.

[Illustration: _By Permission of Mr. D. J. Macdonald_. FIG 50 SACK
PRINTING MACHINE]

The ownership of the bags can thus be shown distinctly by one of the
many methods of colour printing, and if any firm desires to number
their bags consecutively in order to provide a record of their stock,
or for any other purpose, the bags may be so numbered by means of a
special numbering machine, also made by Mr. D. J. Macdonald.

The last operation, excluding the actual delivery of the goods, is
that of packing the pieces or bags in small compass by means of a
hydraulic press. The goods are placed on the lower moving table upon
a suitable wrapping of some kind of jute cloth; when the requisite
quantity has been placed thereon, the top and side wrappers are
placed in position, and the pumps started in order to raise the
bottom table and to squeeze the content between it and the top fixed
table. From 1 1/2 ton to 2 tons per square inch is applied
according to the nature of the goods and their destination. While
the goods are thus held securely in position between the two plates,
the wrappers a sewn together. Then specially prepared hoops or metal
bands are placed round the bale, and an ingenious and simple system,
involving a buckle and two pins, adopted for fastening the bale. The
ends of the hoop or band are bent in a small press, and these bent
ends are passed through a rectangular hole in the buckle and the
pins inserted in the loops. As soon as the hyd