especially is safe to last, even when applied to cotton. In the
general disapproval of mineral dyes, this one may certainly be
excepted, as well as the crimson red known as "cardinal," which is
both durable and beautiful, in silk or woolen fibre or texture.

After good warps are secured, the second material needed is _filling_;
and here the subject of old and new rags is to be considered. Of
course, cloth which has served other purposes, as in sheets,
pillow-cases, curtains, dress skirts, etc., is still capable of
prolonged wear when the thin parts are removed and those which are
fairly strong are folded and bunched into carpet filling; and for
family use, or limited sale, such rags--dyed in some colour--are
really desirable. Good varieties of washable rugs can be made of
half-worn cotton without dyeing (although they will not be as durable
as if made from unworn muslin) by using blue warps to white fillings.
The colour effects and methods of weaving will be the same whether
old or new rags are used; but in making a study of rag rug weaving
from the point of view of building up an important industry, it is
necessary to consider only the use of new rags and how to procure the
best of them at the cheapest rates.

There is a certain amount of what is called waste in all cloth mills,
either cotton, wool or silk, and also in the manufacture of every kind
of clothing. The waste from cotton mills, consisting for the most part
of "piece ends," imperfect beginnings or endings, which must be torn
off when the piece is made up, are exactly suitable for carpet
weaving; and, in fact, if made for the purpose could hardly be better.
These can be bought for from ten to twelve cents per pound. The same
price holds for ginghams and for coloured cottons of various sorts.

Cutting from shirt-making and clothing establishments are not as good.
In shirt cuttings the cloth varies a good deal in thickness, and, in
addition to this disadvantage, cannot be torn into strips, many of the
pieces being bias, and therefore having to be cut. It is true that
while this entails additional use of time in preparation, bias rags
are a more elastic filling than straight ones, and if uniformly and
carefully cut and sewed a rug made from them is worth more and will
probably sell for more than one made of straight rags.

Shirt cuttings sell for about three cents per pound, and while a
proportion of them are too small for use and would have to be re-sold
fo