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now moved by water, or by wonderworking steam, have 

 put an end to these last branches of domestic industry, 

 and cotton having in consequence almost entirely super- 

 seded the use of hemp and flax in domestic use, in the 

 abodes of our countrymen, the sounds of the loom, the 

 distaff, and the spinning wheel, are no longer heard. 



Even machines for knitting are now constructed. I 

 have seen them and witnessed their operations. They 

 were lately invented by a Pennsylvania farmer; they 

 work to wonderful perfection, and to immense saving of 

 labor and of time, and will soon make an entire change 

 in this remaining branch of domestic manufactures. 



The reeling of silk in France and Italy, is performed 

 almost exclusively by females. In these countries there 

 are innumerable domestic filatures, where the cocoons 

 raised by one or more families are reeled by the wives 

 and daughters of the farmers. These employ from one 

 to five or six reels, and the art of reeling is preserved 

 in families, from generation to generation. There are, 

 also, in these countries, large establishments, or filatures, 

 which employ from fifty to five hundred reels ; these es- 

 tablishments have a superintendent, who is thoroughly 

 and practically a perfect master of the business in every 

 department. Women there are here, who work at the 

 reeling all their days as an exclusive occupation. 



At these large establishments, the most perfect silk is 

 reeled, and that which commands the highest price. 



At the establishment of the Harmony Society, at 

 Economy, in Pennsylvania, on the Ohio river, silk is 

 cultivated and some figured silk vestings have been pro- 

 duced, which may vie with the most beautiful fabrics of 

 Europe. The celebrated Mr. Rapp, who is the pa- 

 triarch of this establishment, hesitates not to affirm that 

 the raising of silk is as easy as the raising of wheat, and 

 much less laborious. 



At Lisbon, and at Mansfield in Connecticut, there 

 are new manufactories of silk, and many foreign work- 

 ttfen are there employed. 



