The original type of this carpet was the Ingrain or “Two-ply Super.” It was made with a worsted warp traversed by a woollen weft, and was woven in pieces 1 yd. wide. The worsted warp was coloured generally to match the weft, for which two, three, or four shuttles were employed. The design and colour effect depended upon the working of the weft, though the incidental appearance on the surface of the warp threads, which were harmonious or neutral in shade, did not disturb the pattern. There were 1,088 warp ends for a full super warp to the 36 in. width of fabric, two to each reed, equal to 544, or a pitch of about 15 per inch; while the beat-up contained 14 pairs of weft to the inch, that is, 14 above and 14 below. This fineness of pitch and beat-up admitted of delicate and ambitious designing, and of clever and artistic effects in spite of the limitation of colours. The writer has seen an American Ingrain carpet, date about 1893, representing the landing of Columbus, which was admirably drawn and shaded, and at a little distance might easily have been mistaken for a hand-made Tapestry. The Ingrain carpet was made in large quantities at one time in the 36 in. width in Scotland, the North of England, and in the United States, but is more or less obsolete at the present time, having given way before other types. Developments have been in various directions, different manufacturers having pursued different improvements in looms or in textures; but the tendency of the development has been mainly in the direction of rather heavier fabrics and wider looms. There are at least as many as twenty different qualities in this branch of the carpet trade at the present time, varying from each other in more or less important particulars. It must suffice, however, to describe one or two of the fabrics, illustrating variations of the Ingrain principle, the original type of which has been indicated above. Of recent years there has been a considerable demand for plain colours, and these can be made either in the twill or the plain weave. In these fabrics both warp and weft are dyed, with the object of obtaining a solid effect. For a twill, four gears are required; but the plain or “Oatmeal” surface can be obtained from two. For two-colour effects, there are double warps, one of each colour, each warp working with the weft of the same shade. A two-ply carpet is thus formed in such a way that the design shows on each surface but with the colours reversed. Alternatively, a two-colour effect can be produced from wefts of two shades only, working with a black or neutral chain, the pattern being obtained entirely from the appearance on the surface, above the chain, of the dyed weft. [Illustration: FIG. 28 TWO-PLY WARP AND WEFT; 4 COLOURS IN EACH Warps: A, Black; B, Red; C, White; D, Olive Wefts: A, Black; B, Red; C, White; D, Olive]