286 



DICKSON ON 



when the spinning by machinery was introduced into the 

 north of Ireland, all the other blanches of the manufacture 

 were already established there, the weaving, the bleaching j 

 the commercial establishments, and besides this the Flax 

 (the raw material) was grown at their own doors.* In England 

 the linens manufactured have been more of the heavier and 

 higher priced description, and suited more for the home 

 market than for export. In Scotland, the manufacture has 

 consisted chiefly of the coarser and cheaper description of 

 linens and of yarns, and the export of the latter has been 

 materially affected by the high protective tariffs of the Con- 

 tinent, especially of France. Much attention has of late been 

 attracted to the object of encouraging and increasing the home 

 growth of Flax in England and Scotland ; but the introduc- 

 tion of this species of agricultural produce into districts where 

 it is entirely new, is attended with many difficulties, and but 

 little has yet been effected in that direction. Many attempts 

 have also been made to introduce new fibrous materials from 

 our colonies and foreign countries for use in the linen manu- 

 facture ; and the new material Jute, imported from India and 

 used chiefly in Scotland, has been of valuable service to the 

 manufacture of that country. I may now draw attention to 

 the following table, showing the exports of the linen manu- 

 factures of the United Kingdom : — 



Export — Linens. 



Linen Manufactures Thread, 

 Years. Entered by the yard. Tapes, and Linen Yarn. 



Small Wares. 



Yards. Value. lbs. Value. 



£ £ £ 



1831 to 1835 65,571,770 ... 2,292,906 ., . 74,883... 1,297,603 .. 108,415 

 1836 to 1840 78,468,192 . . . 2,901,299 . . . 97,723 . . . 12,383,825 . . 637,121 

 1841 to 1845 84,682,490 . . . 2,733,160 . . . 178,580 . . . 25,465,785 1,001,618 

 1846 to 1850 99,346,562 . . . 2,957,401 . . . 249,301 . . . 15,876,004 . . 726,425 

 1850 to 1855 125,226,539 . . . 3,924,^07 . . . 342,327 . . . 20,307,571 1,024 488 



* This is the doctrine of Swift, first produce, and then work up to the 

 greatest degree of perfection, for exportation, your own home-grown material, 

 as a first step to a country's thriving. 



