"WOOLLEN GOODS. 39 



great importance, interested himself in the improvment of sheep farming-, procnring- 

 from abroad experienced sheep farme)s, and also did much to facilitate improvements 

 in the manufacture of cloth from a technical point of view. Having founded Govern- 

 ment mills, he let them to experienced parties on advantageous terms, at the same 

 time binding- the tenants to teach free of charge all those who were desirous of 

 learning the trade. Notwithstanding many privileges and encouragements on the part 

 of the Government, the woolen manufacture developed very slowly, and at the end 

 of the last century the output was very small. 



From the beginning of the present century the industry commenced to develop 

 more rapidly, both in respect to quality and quantity, althougli at first the produc- 

 tion sufficed solely for the wants of the Government and for the clothing of the army. 

 In the year 1822 the woollen mills for the first time fulfilled the purpose the (io- 

 vernment had in view in founding these establishments, as the production then reached 

 about 4,000,000 arshines, which quantity exceeded the requirements of the Gov- 

 ernment. The remarkable increase in the woollen manufactures at this time should 

 be attributed principally to the springing up of the Polish industry. 



The government, desirous of developing this manufacture in the Vistula regions, 

 invited woollen merchants, manufacturers and artizans from abroad, giving them 

 various advantages, means of immigration, freedom from taxation, free use of land 

 and forests. The small village, Lodz, situated on the river Lodka and surrounded by 

 small woods, which guaranteed a supply of building material and fuel for a long pe- 

 riod, was considered suitable for the construction of fulling mills, and was fixed upon 

 as a settlement for woollen manufacturers, from Saxony and Prussia. The small 

 German manufacturing colony thus formed in Lodz was changed in a short time. 

 through the constant influx of the foreign manufacturing element, into a large vil- 

 lage devoted principally to the production of woollen goods. 



In 1830 the number of woollen mills in Eussia was 390, with 67,000 work- 

 people, and a production of 7,700,000 arshines of cloth. The events of 1S30 compelled 

 many of the masters to remove from the Polish to the Russian mills, wliich from a 

 technical point of view greatly facilitated the development of the industry in many 

 other parts of the Empire. Another branch of the industry made its appearance about 

 this time, namely, the making of smooth, napless cloth. When first this manufacture 

 was introduced it was made solely from imported yarn and continued to be so 

 fabricated until woollen spinning mills were erected at home. 



Commencing from the third decade, both branches of the woollen industry grad- 

 ually developed and in the fifth decade assumed considerable dimensions; thus, du- 

 ring the time of the Crimean campaign in 1856, woollen mills could easily supply 

 13,000,000 arshines for the clotbing of the army. 



The further progress made in the manufacture of woollen goods is shown in 

 the following diagram. Fig. 1, the value of yearly output being collected from official 

 statistics: A, total production of woolen goods; B, manufactiu-e of cloths; C, manu- 

 facture of napless woollen, and half-woollen goods; and also in diagrams showing 

 the importation of foreign goods. Fig. 2 ; D, the importation of yarns ; E, the 

 import of goods, unknitted and woven. On examining these diagrams, the unceasing 

 and gradual growth of both branches of the woollen industry up to the seventh 

 decade must be remarked ; attention must also be given to the proportionate de- 



