The greater part of the rags used in paper-making, however, consist of the residual portions of garments, household linen, &c., which vary in quality from clean, almost unused portions, to the very foulest sorts; the latter require a very drastic treatment. The first thing to be done with the rags is to “sort” and cut them into convenient pieces. This is usually done by women, who stand at tables furnished with broad knives firmly fixed into them, with the backs towards the worker, and inclined at a slight angle. Near to the women are placed a number of boxes, corresponding with the number of qualities of rags, lined at the bottom with coarse wire gauze, into which the different sorts are put. The distinctions made are purely arbitrary, but as a general rule the rags are sorted with special reference to their colour and the material of which they are composed. The coloured rags may be allowed to accumulate, and then made into a coloured paper. During the process of cutting, all hard substances, {81} such as buttons, pieces of iron, &c., are carefully removed. The rags are cut into pieces of from two to five inches square. In some mills machines are used for cutting. Fig. 16 shows the construction of a machine that may be used either for rags or rope. The material is passed into the machine along the table A, where it passes between the stationary knife C and the knives B, fixed in the revolving drum D. The cut rags fall into a receptacle placed underneath the drum. Notwithstanding the extra expense of cutting by hand, it is nevertheless preferred by many, especially for the finer grades of paper. One reason for this is to be found in the fact that more perfect sorting and removal of impurities can be effected. It is moreover said that less waste of fibre occurs in the subsequent operations. [Illustration: FIG. 17.] The next process which the rags undergo is that of removing all loose extraneous matter. This may be done in a machine such as is shown in Fig. 17. The rags are fed continuously by the endless travelling platform A into the willow. This consists of two wrought-iron drums, B B, furnished with wrought-iron teeth C, which when the drums revolve pass rapidly near to the stationary teeth fixed into the cast-iron framework of the willow. The sides are covered in with cast-iron doors, and the top is covered over {82} with sheet iron. Underneath the drums is a grating for the escape of dust.