ADDRESS. Ixi 



machinery, we may reasonably look forward to a new era in the cultivation 

 of the soil. 



The extraordinary developments of practical science in our system of 

 textile manufacture are, however, not entirely due to the steam-engine, 

 although they are now in a great measure dependent on it. The machinery 

 of these manufactures had its origin before the steam-engine had been applied, 

 except for mining purposes; and the inventions of Arkwright, Hargreaves, 

 and Crompton were not conceived under the impression that steam would 

 be their moving power. On the contrary, they depended upon water; and 

 the cotton-machinery of this district had attained considerable perfection 

 before steam came to the aid of the manufacturer, and ultimately enabled 

 him to increase the production to its present enormous extent. 



I shall not attempt a description of the machinery of the textile manufac- 

 tures, because ocular inspection will be far more acceptable. I can only 

 refer you to a list of establishments in which you may examine their opera- 

 tions on a large scale, and which I earnestly recommend to your attention. 

 I may, however, advert to a few of the improvements which have marked 

 the progress of the manufacturing system in this country. 



When Arkwright patented his water-frames in 1767, the annual consump- 

 tion of cotton was about four million pounds weight. Now it is one thousand 

 two hundred million pounds weight, — three hundred times as much. Within 

 half a century the number of spindles at work, spinning cotton alone, has 

 increased tenfold ; whilst, by superior mechanism, each spindle produces 

 fifty per cent, more yarn than on the old system. Hence the importance to 

 which the cotton trade has risen, equalling at the present time the whole 

 revenue of the three kingdoms, or £70,000,000 sterling per annum. As late 

 as 1820 the power-loom was not in existence, now it produces about fourteen 

 million yards of cloth, or, in more familiar terms, nearly eight thousand 

 miles of cloth per diem. I give these numbers to show the immense poM'er 

 of production of this country, and to afford some conception of the number 

 and quality of the machines which effect such wonderful results. 



Mule-spinning was introduced by Crompton, in 1787, with about twenty 

 spindles to each machine. The powers of the machine were, however, 

 rapidly increased ; and now it has been so perfected that two thousand or 

 even three thousand spindles are directed by a single person. At first the 

 winding on, or forming the shape of the cop, was performed by hand ; but 

 this has been superseded by rendering the machine automatic, so that it now 

 performs the whole operation of drawing, stretching, and twisting the thread, 

 and winding it on to the exact form, ready for the reel or shuttle as may be 

 required. These, and other improvements in carding, roving, combing, spin- 

 ning, and weaving have established in this country an entirely new system of 

 industry ; it has given employment to greatly increased numbers, and a more 

 intelligent class of work-people. 



Similarly important improvements have been applied to the machinery 

 employed in the manufacture of silk, flax, and wool ; and we have only to 

 watch the processes in these different departments to be convinced that they 

 owe much to the development of the cotton manufacture. In the manufac- 

 ture of worsted, the spinning jenny was not employed at Bradford until 1790, 

 nor the power loom until about 1825. The production of fancy or mixed 

 goods from alpaca and mohair wool, introduced to this country in 1836, is 

 perhaps the most striking example of a new creation in the art of manufac- 

 ture, and is chiefly due to Mr. Titus Salt, in whose immense palace of 

 industry, at Saltaire, it may be seen in the greatest perfection. In flax 

 machinery the late Sir Peter Fairbairn was one of the most successful 



