1 6 Sir William Crawford on 



he proceeded, was of world-wide fame, and perhaps examination of 

 its manufacture might help to explain why this was so. 'J'he moist 

 climate of Ireland was admirably suited to the growth of flax and 

 the processes of its manufacture up to and including that of 

 bleaching. The lecturer then referred to the pulling, retting, and 

 subsequent treatment of flax, including scutching and hackling, 

 until it is ready for spinning. He also described the process of 

 spinning, and went on to deal hiiefly with the history of the linen 

 trade in Ireland preceding the introduction in 1830 of flax-spinning 

 by steam-driven machinery. Prior to 1700 the export of linen 

 goods from Ireland seemed to have been of small dimensions, but 

 from that date, under the stimulus of bounties amounting to 10 per 

 cent, to 15 per cent., its growth was rapid. In 1689, the year of 

 the accession of William III., the Export of Linen barely reached 

 _;i^6,ooo worth; in 1741 it reached ;^6oo,ooo; in 1770, ^^i, 500,000; 

 and in 1825 the declared value was ^2,893,018. At the beginning 

 of the nineteenth century a large quantity of linen yarn was manu- 

 factured in Ireland, its manufacture being spread widely, and all 

 yarn being hand-spun. Fermanagh was called " a great yarn 

 county," and he found it reported that a considerable portion of the 

 yarn made in Connaught was carried by dealers into Ulster, a great 

 portion of the coarse linens being made from it. A great deal of 

 weaving was done in Tyrone, the yarn being obtained from Fer- 

 managh, Leitrim, and Donegal. Early in the nineteenth century 

 flax-spinning mills driven by water power were started in various 

 places in Ulster, and a bounty of 30s per spindle was given to en- 

 courage the erection of these mills. During the seven years in 

 which this bounty was given (1805 to 181 1) twelve spinning mills 

 were erected in Ulster, with 6,369 spindles, the mills being scattered 

 over Antrim, Armagh, Down, Donegal, and Tyrone. The bounty 

 was given to encourage the manufacture of sailcloth, canvas, and 

 duck, and the articles encouraged were those suitable for the navy, 

 the object being to have a manufacture which would render the 

 country indej^endent of foreign supply. Along with the bounties 



