COTTON. 



481 



The greatest export in value, of any one year, was 

 in 1815, having exceeded 19,000,000 sterling. 



The following circumstances, connected with the 

 cotton trade, are given here chronologically : 



B.C. 



340 The cotton manufactures of India taken notice of by the 

 Greeks when Alexander overran Greece. 



A. I). 



12SO The manufacture of cotton introduced into China from 

 India. 



1500 The first attempt made to introduce cotton goods into 

 England. 



1565 The first act of parliament relating to cotton goods. 



1631 Printed calicoes imported into England. 



1640 Fustians made at Rolton. 



1670 The Dutch loom first used in England. 



1073 Blone, in his history of Liverpool, speaks of great cot- 

 toii manufactories in the adjacent parts. 



1676 Calico printing first introduced into London. 



1700 The manufacturing of muslins first attempted in Paisley. 



1721 The weaving of India calicoes prohibited. 



1725 Linens, lawns, and cambrics, first manufactured at Glas- 

 gow. Mr James Monteith \vas the first manufacturer 

 who warped a muslin web in Scotland. 



1730 Cotton spinning attempted unsuccessfully by Mr Wyat, 

 at Litchfield, who spun the first thread of cotton 

 yarn ever produced without the intervention of the 

 fingers. 



1735 The cotton plant first cultivated in Surinam. 



1738 Mr Lewis Paul took out a patent for an improved mode 



of cardiner. 

 - The fly shuttle invented by Mr John Kay of Bury. 



1742 The first mill for spinning cotton erected at Birming- 

 ham. It was moved by asses ; but the machinery 

 was sold in 1743. 



1750 The fly shuttle in general use. 



1756 Cotton velvets and quillings first made. 

 1760 Mr James Hargreaves applies the stock card to the card- 

 ing of cotton with some improvements. 



1762 Cylinder cards invented. First used by the father of the 



late Sir Robert Peel. 



1763 Rouen the principal market for the p"Je of cotton wool. 

 1767 The spinning jenny invented by Mr James Hargreaves. 



1769 Mr Arkwright, afterwards Sir Richard Arkwright, ob- 



tained his first patent for spinning with rollers, and 

 built his first mill at Nottingham. 



1770 5521 bags of cotton imported into Liverpool from the 



West Indies, three from New York, four from Vir- 

 ginia and Maryland, and three barrels from North 

 Carolina. 



1774 Power looms invented by the Rev. Dr Cartwright. 



1775 Mule jenny invented by Mr Samuel Crompton. 



1779 Cayenne, Surinam, Essequibo, Demerara, and St Domin- 

 go cotton most in esteem. 



1751 Brazil cotton first imported from Maranham, but very 



dirty. 



1752 Mr James Watt obtains his patent for the steam en. 



gine. 



1753 Surat, and also Bourbon cotton, first imported, or known, 



about this time. 



1784 Mr Arkwright's first patent expired. 



Cotton manufactured in Great Britain this year was 



11,280,238 Ibs., and valued at 3,950,000. 



Cotton imported in small quantities from the United 



States. 



1785 Mr M'Intosh and Mr Dale commenced dying Turkey 



red in Glasgow. 



1786 Bourbon cotton-sold from 7s 6d to 10s per )b. 



1793 Cotton, the growth of the United States, first imported 

 in large quantities, by way of the West Indies. 



1797 Scutching machine, said to be invented by Mr Snodgrass 



and Mr Cooper, first used at Johnstone. 

 About this time the saw-gin was invented. 



1798 The Fame rri ved with the first cargo of cotton from the 



East Indies. 



1800 or 1801 The entire stock of American cotton in Liver- 

 pool ONK bag. 



1803 Radcliff's dressing nnd warping machine invented. 



1813 Trade to British India thrown open under certain re- 

 strictions. 



ISIS 105 millions of yards of cotton cloth manufactured in 

 Glasgow, value 5,000,000. 



1823 Cotton first imported from Egypt direct to Liverpool. 



1825 Steam engines estimated at 893 horses' power, spinning 

 cotton in and around Glasgow, in a space not more 

 than two miles from the cross. 



1830 The' Danforth throstle frame introduced into England. 



1832 Mr Montgomery of Johnston improves the throstle frame. 



The value of cotton goodx now manufactured in Great 

 Britain estimated at 40,000,000 yearly, .0,000,000 

 of which are exported. 



1834 Mr Smith of Deanstou invents a self-acting mule. 



Ill the United States of America the progress of 

 this manufacture has partaken of the characteristic 

 energy and vigour of the country. It is only since 

 the introduction of the power loom, that it can be 

 considered as having been established on a perma- 



nent and useful basis; the scarcity of skilful weavers, 

 and the high prices of weaving, had been found seri- 

 ous obstacles to its success, which was secured 

 by this invention. The first successful experiment 

 with this instrument was made at Waltham, Mass, 

 in 1815, applied to the coarser fabrics ; but so 

 rapid has been the extension of the manufacture, 

 that, besides furnishing the United States with its 

 full supply of the more staple productions, and a con- 

 siderable export of coarse goods, the beautiful prints 

 of Manchester and Glasgow are imitated in great 

 perfection ; and more than half the consumption ot 

 the country, in this important branch, is supposed to 

 be now furnished from native industry. The actual 

 extent of this manufacture, in the United States, at 

 the present time, is matter of estimate only ; a very 

 moderate one is believed to be the consumption of 

 35,000,000 pounds of cotton per annum, manufac- 

 tured into 140,000,000 of yards of cloth, of which 

 about 10,000,000 are exported, and upwards of 

 20,000,000 printed; the value, 12 to 14,000,000 of 

 dollars ; and employing a capital of 25 to 30,000,000 

 dollars. Several improvements, originating in the 

 country, have been introduced into the manufac- 

 ture, and the whole process is believed to be per- 

 formed to as great advantage as in any part of the 

 world. The descriptions of cottons exported are 

 mostly of a coarse fabric, which are taking the place 

 of the cottons of India, and are known abroad by the 

 name of American domestics. They have been ex- 

 tensively imitated by the English, and a competition 

 is going on, between the manufacturers of the two 

 countries, for the possession of the foreign markets. 

 It is thought, that the possession of the raw material 

 on the spot, and the use of the comparatively cheap 

 moving power of water, instead of steam, with the 

 proximity of the great markets of South America, 

 are advantages, in favour of the United States, more 

 than sufficient to counterbalance some disadvantage 

 in the higher cost of machinery, and, as is common- 

 ly supposed, in the higher wages of labour. But the 

 labour in the cotton mills producing these goods, 

 being wholly performed by females, has been ascer- 

 tained not to be dearer than the same description of 

 work in Britain ; and, as it is not easily applicable 

 to any other branch of industry, it would seem not 

 improbable, that that country will be the future 

 source of supply, in coarse cottons, for foreign mar- 

 kets. The great profits attending this manufacture 

 have attracted to it, in a very short period, a great 

 amount of capital, and produced a violent competi- 

 tion : the consequence has been a sudden reaction 

 and great depression of prices, producing consider- 

 able embarrassment in those establishments operating 

 with inadequate capital, and unable to meet the 

 shock of impaired credit. But although individuals 

 may meet with heavy losses by imprudent specula- 

 tions, there is no reason to distrust the eventual suc- 

 cess of the manufacture, which must soon find relief, 

 under the increasing consumption of the country. 

 The price of coarse cottons, in 1829, was less Uum 

 one-third of the price in 1815. The largest esta- 

 blishments for the manufacture of cotton, in the Unit- 

 ed States, at present, are at Dover, N. H. ; Lowell 

 Mass. ; Pawtucket, R. I. ; Patterson, N. J. ; and 

 in the neighbourhood of Philadelphia and Baltimore. 

 The increase of the production of the raw material is 

 even more wonderful than that of the manufacture. 

 In 1791, the whole export of the United States was 

 64 bags, of 300 pounds each ; the average of 1826, 

 7, and 8, is 235,000,000 pounds; and, if we include 

 that consumed in the country, the average produc- 

 tion is 270,000,000 pounds, valued at 27,000,000 

 dollars ; the price having fallen to about one-third of 

 that of 1815 This reduction of price si-ems destined 



