FLAX, HEMP AND JUTE GOODS. 35 



Hungary tlie production and consamption are aliout equal: (in-at iJritain •:rows no 

 hemp; in France the ratio is 1 to 4, in Germany 2 to 7, and in Beliiium. 7 to 1, les- 

 pectively, between the crop and the consumption. 



As regards quality, it may be observed that the continuous decrease in tlie 

 small amount of imported goods of this branch of manufacture is a proof of improve- 

 ment in the quality of the Eussian flax and hempen goods, and also of the satisfactory 

 progress of manufacture of jute textile fabrics, lately started here. The flax spinners 

 and linen manufacturers, stimulated by the increasing demand for cotton goods and 

 the rapid success of the jute trade, have laboured to improve the quality and excel- 

 lence of their wares. 



At present, besides the Zhirardovsk mill, of Hill and Ditrich, which has long 

 been famed for the variety and excellence of its goods, such as yarn as fine as 3^ 100, 

 and that of Ciribanov, who has been spinning fine yarn, 3€ 140 to Jt 160 for many 

 years and making high class linen from the excellent Vologda fibre in the vicinity, 

 there are many other mills spinning Nos. 50 to 60, and even small quantities of M 70 

 from the highest quality of Eussian raw material, and Xos. 100 to 120 from imported 

 Belgian flax. The combings and tow are used for warp, Xos. 4 to 25, and weft Nos. 6 

 to 22, and the combed flax for warp, Nos. 3 to 90, and weft Nos. 24 to 70. The 

 ■difficulty of weaving fine yarn not only consists in the using of high class imported flax, 

 but the cost of manufacturing it in Eussia is very high as the spinning jennies for 

 fine yarn are not productive, and therefore their amortization is very expensive : 

 furthermore, as there are no works in Eussia for making spinning machinery it has 

 to be ordered abroad, thus consequently greatly increasing the price of the yarn, 



Besides the usual old-fashioned unbleached, half-bleached and bleached kinds of 

 coarse stuffs, such as sailcloth, tarpaulin, lining, canvas, raven's duck, shirting from 

 */* to ^ji arshiues wide, flemish linen */* to '*/4 arshines wide, sacking, and ticking made 

 of Nos. 6 to 20 yarn in large quantities, the Eussian mills turn out from Nos. 20 to 70 

 a variety of medium fine narrow linen ^ji to ^4 arshines wide, and sheeting ^/4 to 

 "/4 arshines wide, generally sold ready bleached. The finer qualities, such as linen, batist, 

 liandkerchiefs. are made partly of local and partly of imported yarn, and in comparatively 

 small quantities, and usually when specially ordered. The medium fine goods leave 

 nothing to be desired at present, either in weaving, bleaching or dressing. As has 

 been already said, the manufacture of low class and medium linen is, besides the 

 ^•reat expense of weaving fine yarn, stimulated to compete, at all events within cer- 

 tain limits, with cotton goods, and cheap good linen still finds a ready sale with 

 the middle and lower classes. The manufacture of damask table linen, a most 

 ■difficult branch of the trade and therefore only open to the best mills, is also 

 making constant progress, and at present many of the factories are making table- 

 cloths and napkins both unbleached and bleached and with coloured borders, or half- 

 linen in colours or with a coloured silk weft in various distinct designs. 



The manufacture of hemp goods is undoubtedly also improving. Besides ropes, 

 ■cord, string, fishing nets, sacking and sailcloth, hemp mattresses, covers, fire hose, 

 belting, tablecloths, napkins, stuffs for covering furniture and for making curtains, 

 -are also manufactured. 



The jute manufacture is mostly limited to sackcloth, but it also includes plain 

 and coloured stair carpets, mats, furniture stuffs and other goods. 



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