150 [Assembly 



goods, that cannot now be manufactured of our o^vn wool, as perfect- 

 ly as in any other country. Great improvements are manifest in 

 many articles, the styles and finish of which have hitherto been ob- 

 jectionable. In dying and inter-weaving fast colors, and making 

 fancy vesting and pantaloon stuflfs, it is admitted, even by our most 

 fastidious tailors, that there is great progress evinced. In our loool 

 dyed cloths, we can this year exhibit fast colors equal to the French 

 or German, and better than most of those sent us from England. Some 

 of the cloths are also of more uniform finish and better framed and 

 dressed than any in former exhibitions; particularly those from the 

 Northampton factory, to which the first premium was awarded. Of 

 the difficulty of producing such fabrics as these, our citizens have 

 scarcely any correct ideas. 



There are from twenty io jive and twenty different and distinct ma- 

 nipulations combined in the manufacture of a yard of broad cloth. 

 Most of these, in foreign countries are distinct and separate trades, to 

 which usually the life of the artist is devoted. In selecting, sorting 

 and scouring the wool, in dying it after it is picked^ and again per- 

 haps after it is woven, in carding, roving, spinning, warping, and 

 weaving, all of which must be well done to get the wool into what 

 is called a flannel, and then the minor operations of scouring and 

 hurling it, and the more important ones oi falling, teazling, tenter- 

 ing, shearing, steaming, and after various other processes of dressing, 

 including listing, lettering, Sfc, if all of these are successful, the 

 manufacturer is at length in possession of a cloth. If he is enabled 

 to do this at all he considers himsell fortunate and entitled, perhaps, 

 to some credit if not some emolument for the risks run, and the time 

 and talent devoted to this art. But he must not expect to escape 

 censure; thousands have found to their cost, that it requires almost 

 a magician's art to prevent loss. Not only must every one engaged 

 in any of the above manipulations, know how to do his part, or (if 

 he has to do the whole) well, but he must watch and perform al- 

 ways, and all the way through the operation of every piece of cloth 

 made tvilli surgical precision, or ruin will follow, and disgrace over- 

 whelm him. His fabric has at last to pass the ordeal of a critical, 

 and often censorious public, who are perhaps " ignorant of what 

 they are most assured," and condemn flippantly those who are fully 

 entitled to the respect of their countrymen. 



After thus stating what we are assured is correct in regard to the 

 almost mysterious and very hazardous art of making such broad 

 cloths as our citizens choose to wear, we are proud to assert that 



