The other continental centres making straw plaits were Switzerland and Belgium. By the former practically all the straws used were imported from Italy, only quite a small portion being home grown; but Belgium produced some beautiful straws, and the “Split” and “Piping” made in that country have never been surpassed. The “7 end cord,” of same detail as “Patent Dunstable,” although excellent in make and colour, missed the sharp twisted head (from whence the name “Twist”) peculiar to the British made article, the straws being of too soft a nature to retain the desired effect throughout the hat-making processes. The methods of gathering and preparing the straws in Belgium closely followed the British. China, the first Far Eastern straw plait competitor, is able to count on almost limitless quantities of straw, and the plaits made there are, as far as appearance is concerned, second to none. But while the British plaitter inserts only one or say two straws at a time, the Chinese frequently insert what is known as the _whole sett_; this naturally causes a greater weakness at the junction than is found in British plait, and for that reason many Chinese patterns, although beautiful to look at, are very difficult to work, and the probability of some of these _setts_ coming undone and the consequent raggedness of the _speels_ (as the loose ends are called) make these plaits undesirable for the highest class work. But the Chinese, although not too adaptable, are nothing if not deft, and a few makes of plait are put on the market, which from their altered “setting” are known as “speelless.” “Speelless Maslimpo,” an imitation in very fine whole straws of Italian 7 ends pedal is one of the most beautiful fine plaits made, and although it seldom entirely justifies its adjective, in the main it is the least difficult Chinese plait to work up. The methods employed by the celestials in preparing the straws are tantamount to those employed in Britain, and the methods of splitting them are identical.