feet. r. THE COUNTf OF FIFE. 307 



The great demand upon the St Petersburgh 

 market, in consequence of the erection of spin- 

 ning-mills in this country, has been the mean 

 of raising the price of flax there from So to 90 

 per cent, above what it was in the year 1791. 



The quantity of flax consumed at present by 

 the spinning-mills in this county, is about 660 

 tons in a year, or 67,200 stones tron, 22 lib. 

 Averdupoise to the stone. Rating it at 60 1. per 

 ton, which is under the current price of this 

 year, it will amount to 39,600 1. 



The number of people'of all descriptions em- 

 ployed at the mills, in the whole process of the 

 manufacture, from the raw lint to the weaver 

 or the market, is about 960. The greatest pro- 

 portion of these are from 8 and 10 to 16 and 

 1 8 years of age. And most of the mills have a 

 person properly qualified to teach the children 

 to read, and to instruct them in the principles 

 of Christianity. 



The spinning-mills have hitherto been general- 

 ly wrought by water, and are therefore fixed in 

 different parts of the county where the conve- 

 nience of the water-falls can be most easily got. 

 But now the steam engine begins to be used in- 

 stead of water. This is considered, by those 

 who are employed in this business, as a very 

 great improvement, as it enables them to place 

 their machinery in any populous town or village, 

 where there is a shipping port, or where hands 

 can be got in plenty, and at easier wages. When 

 the mills are turned by water, the undertakers 

 are often obliged to settle in the most inland 

 parts of the county, remote from a sea port, and 

 with all the inconveniences of long carriages, 



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