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A patent has recently been taken out in England by James Murdoch, of London, for a process to accomplish the object indicated by the above caption. It consists in imitating the furs and skins of animals in a more perfect manner than by any of the cloths now designed for this purpose, by simply printing such fabrics before they are dressed, instead of printing them afterwards as is now done. After the cloth lias left the fulling mill and is dried, it is carded slightly, then printed to imitate the particular skin or fur desired. When the printed colors have become sufficiently dry, the cloth is moistened with water and beat by means of rods to raise the nap. after which it is shorn and dressed in the usual manner. By this simple change, for that is all it can be called, in the process, the prints of the spots, stripes, or whatever marks may be employed to imitate furs have not those defined sharp outlines common to the old process, and which give them an appearance more artificial than natural. Another modification of this invention is applied to imitate the skins of animals having wavy or frizzled hair, such as the Astracan fur. After the cloth is printed, and beat in the moist state as has been described, it is subjected to severe pressure in a hydraulic or other powerful press, steam being admitted into the box in which the cloth is contained under pressure. This process flattens out the upright hairs which have a natural tendency to spread in all directions, and produces a surface resembling curling—very like Astracan fur—which the subsequent common operations of carding, shearing and dressing the cloth will not remove.
