AGRICULTURAL MUSEUM ST 



personal use, and my success in that undertaking, in 

 mj own family. 



I commenced by taking ten pounds from my stock of 

 wool, after washing. A diiiftculty occurred of which I 

 was not aware, inassordng the proper wool for the bet- 

 ter kind of cloth ; and which i have since learned to 

 avoid, from jour " Five minutes reflections on Sheep," 

 whi'jh states, that the wool ought to be assorted, while 

 in the fleece, and before it is washed ; but, being then a 

 novice in the art of manufacturing, I had every thing to 

 learn. A coat, however, I must have. 



The wool being assorted, it was put into the hands of 

 negro women to spin, who, 1 have no doubt, did their 

 besi; but, when done, it did not look well, on account 

 of the ditference in the wool; some fine, some coarse; 

 some from young sheep, and some from old : but, 

 having taken great precaution in breaking and card- 

 ing, to mix the difterent kinds of wool thoroughly, so as 

 to prevent its drawing up after weaving, which is the 

 case generally with country made cloth, we had succeed- 

 ed better than was at first supposed ; as no signs of puck- 

 ering appeared in the cloth. The yarn being leady for 

 Uv? loom, I had it wove by a young woman, in the neigh- 

 borhood [Miss Edwards,] having then no weaver of my 

 own. Some d.iiiculties arose on account of its width, 

 five quarters. However it was woven of this width, 

 and well done, considering it was her first attempt at 

 cloth for fulling. The lOlbs. of wool turned out 31 1-2 

 yards It resembled from the loom, coarse flannel. I 

 then hastened it to the fullei's, [Mr. Jacob Divenhoven] 

 near Frederiektown in Maryland. He fulled, dressed, 

 and (\ye(\ it a Navy Blue. The 31 1 2 yards turned out 

 when finished 21 1-2 yards, having shrunk about one 

 third in length, and from 5-4 to 3 4 in width, as may be 

 seen at my Taylor's shop in Georgetown [Air. Calder] 

 who has had some ofiers for it, to purchase ; but not 

 being for sale, a remiiaat of it still remains there. I 



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