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THE BELFAST LINEN INDUSTRY. 



Flax Spinning. 



Flax spinning by machinery was not introduced into Ireland until shortly 

 after the beginning of the nineteenth century, and in the first five years 

 ending December 31, 18 10, bounties amounting to 

 £g,6iS had been paid by the Government for the 

 erection of 6,369 flax spindles, and preparing machi- 

 nery for different manufacturers. These spindles 

 ^were all for what is termed " dry spinning," which is the system still in use 

 in some places where coarse yarns are produced for certain classes of goods. 

 On the introduction, between the years 1825 and 1830, into Ulster of the 

 ■' wet spinning " process, which was invented by Kay and Marshall of Leeds, 

 .a great advance was made in spinning the finer descriptions of linen yarns. 

 Since that time the trade has become in reality a national one, and the 

 linen manufactures of Ireland are now known in every civilized country. 

 From the peculiarity of the climate, its linen can, when adequately treated, 

 "be brought to a snowy whiteness, which no other country can equal. From 

 Russia, Prussia, Belgium, Holland, and FrEince, we import flax, and yet to 

 :all these countries we are sending our yarns and linen. Italy and Spain 

 also take a share of our exports ; and had the people of Great Britain as 

 great a taste for fine linen and cambric as the Spaniards, our home trade 

 would be trebled. Linen fabrics are really cheaper than cotton or " union '' 

 •goods when the greater endurance and the greater beauty of the texture are 

 taken into account. 



The following figures* indicate the extent of the linen manufacture in 

 Ireland for the past twenty years. 



■ These figures are taken from the "Belfast and Province of Ulster Directory" for 1902. 



