1 68 MANUFACTUllES OF RUSSIA 



was, comparatively speaking, not large; but at the present time the making of these 

 articles, especially of pins, has greatly decreased, the foreign manufactories working 

 them on such a large scale, due to very fine machinery, that they are sold so low 

 that Russian manufactories cannot compete in this branch of the industry, especially 

 as brass wire is much dearer in Eussia than abroad. 



The cost of brass together with the lowering of the prices for pins induced 

 the kustars, as well as some of the town makers, to use all kinds of scrap brass 

 and rubbish in the manufacture; the wire made of such poor material is of very un- 

 satisfactory quality, and in drawing it very frequent tempering is necessary. There- 

 fore, the pins made of such wire are very easily bent, while those of foreign make, 

 where very hard wire drawn without tempering is used, are generally very strong 

 and not flexible. For this reason foreign pins, even if dearer, are still preferred to 

 those of the home make. 



The manufacture of needles has been established in Russia a long while, and 

 may be regarded as a regular industry. However, there are some defects in the 

 hardening process, and especially in the boring of the eyes, that should be remedied ; 

 if no improvements be made in this respect Russian needles will always be second 

 to the German make, not to mention the English needles, which as yet have no 

 competitors. Moreover, Russia has no steel wire suitable for the manufacture of needles 

 and is obliged to import all such materials. 



The largest and the best equipped needle manufactory, owned by Count 

 Plater, is situated in the Dvinsk district of the government of Vitebsk ; according 

 to official data its yearly output amounts to 180,000 roubles. The second place is 

 held by the Kolensk manufactory in the Pronsk district of the Riazan government; 

 its yearly production is valued at 90,000 roubles; it is one of the most ancient 

 manufactories of the kind in the Empire; until 1860 it had even been the only one 

 in Russia. If the production of two more manufactories, the one at Goldingen and 

 that at Dvinsk (Diinaburg) amounting to 100,000 roubles be added, then the general 

 output of the needle manufactories may be fixed at 370,000 roubles, not counting the 

 household industry, which is chiefly developed in the Semenovsk and Balakhninsk 

 districts of the Nizhni-Novgorod government, and to some extent in the Serpou- 

 khovsk and Podolsk districts of the Moscow government. The peasants are generally 

 engaged in the making of coarse needles, particularly trade needles in the manu- 

 facture of which ordinary iron is used for the body, covered with cementation steel. 

 Needles for sewing machines are, so far is known, made only at the manufactory of 

 Count Plater. 



Reckoning the average factory price of ordinary Russian needles at 80 kopecks 

 per thousand, and their average number at 125,000 net per poud, the quantity 

 of ordinary sewing needles produced at these four manufactories will amount to 

 .3,700 pouds, and including the wrapping papers, to 4,300 pouds. In reality 

 Russian factories are making also special kinds of needles, such as knitting needles, 

 trade needles and the like; therefore, the output of ordinary needles will be about 

 3,500 pouds. 



The import comprises chiefly ordinary sewing needles. The following table shows 

 the import of ordinary needles, needles for sewing machines and all kinds of special 

 needles, such as knitting needles, embroidery needles and the like, from 1886. 



