251 



to be imported for the woollen manufafture. Flax feed, feme of the 

 materials of bleaching, and a very inconfiderable proportion of dying 

 fluffs, are all that the linen manufaftures afk from foreign countries, 

 and even with mofl of thofe importations, particularly with the mofl 

 confiderable of all, that of flax-feed, fhe could well difpenfe. 



Prom what has been already advanced, it appears, that the largeft 

 capital of all is requifite for the cotton manufacture, through all its 

 branches ; the next largeft, for the woollen, and that the linen requires 

 the fmalleft capital of any, in the individual, who undertakes it. On 

 this account, the latter is the manufafture, which is beft adapted to a 

 country like Ireland, which does not abound in capital; and may bed be 

 carried on, in a fmall way, by induftrious individuals, in their own habitations. 

 In regard to the number of perfons, to whom thefe different ma- 

 nufaftures can give employment, in order to produce fabricks of a de- 

 terminate value, the linen manufadure holds the firft place, the wool- 

 len comes next, and that of cotton ranks the laft. More perfons, be- 

 yond all comparifon are employed in cultivating forty acres of flax, 

 to produce the primum of linen, than in tending and fliearing flieep, 

 on forty acres of grafs. As to the cotton manufacture, the primum 

 comes to the manufadurer ready prepared for being fpun ; but on the 

 other hand, to counterbalance, in fome meafure, the numbers of peo- 

 ple employed in hulbandry, to provide the primum for the linen and 

 woollen manufaftures ; the cotton manufacfture employs more manufac- 

 turers and mechanics, in the conflruftion of its apparatus of buildings 

 and machinery, than the woollen. The woollen employs more perfons of 

 that defcription, than the linen. In what is properly to be called the 

 manufacture of the commodity, that is to fay, in the feveral operations 

 of fpinning, weaving, and finifliing the refpeftive fabricks, by a num- 

 ber of proceffes of various kinds, till they are fit for the market ; 

 the linen and woollen manufadtures, as I apprehend, employ nearly 

 the fame numbers, the advantage is rather on the fide of the wool- 

 len, the cotton manufacture fewer, in proportion, as its extenlive ma- 

 chinery caufes a great faving of labour. The three manufactures 



( I i 2 ) have 



