OCR Text |
Show Silks Tfhlch Are Xot Silks. The "wash silks" now exhibited in the shops In reality contain but a small percentage of the web of the silk norm. Like most of the Inexpensive In-expensive Oriental silks, they are mode In part or wholly of the fiber of ramie, a plant of tbenettle family, grown extensively in India" and China. This exquisite silken vegetable fiber has long beeti used in the adulteration of silk. It Is fine, lut probably not as strong as flax. Pongee "silks" are commonly made wholly of ramie, but are always al-ways calendered that Is, passed over hot rollers to give them a glace silken finish. This makes them more attract! ve on the shop counters, but causes tliem to spot with "water until this finish has been removed by sponging. The improvements made of lato yearsln the manufacture of ramie have materially afiected the cost of all low priced silks, and bid fair iu time to make such "silks" as cheap as cotton. There la no reason why ramie should not be sold under its own name. It has virtues of IU own apart from silk, one of n hlch is that it can be washed; and It certainly cer-tainly is not Improved by mixing with silk. A'ew YorL Tribune |