JUTE AND FLAX-SPINNING. 



297 



in Ballygoney, two miles from Moneymore, who has woven 

 during the last four years not fewer than 216 webs of linen 

 cloth, being one every week, and two in each year over. 

 Every Saturday during the whole time she wove none, 

 but was employed on that day in sewing and washing for 

 herself." 



According to my calculation, this girl made, at 7s. 6d. per 

 web, which is a low figure for coarse linen, £20 5s. per annum, 

 and as that sum is sufficient to pay the rent of at least fifteen 

 if not twenty acres of land in that country, I cannot but think 

 that it presents to farmers a sufficient reason for acquiring a 

 knowledge of the use of the spinning-wheel and shuttle, as well 

 as of the plough. If the people of Connaught are open to 

 receive instruction, I am certain there is, in the above example 

 of youthful industry, sufficient to show them that, if they go to 

 work like this Ulster girl, with the same energy and per- 

 severance, they cannot fail to promote Irish manufactures ; 

 they will not commence at the wrong end, like the Manufac- 

 ture Board of Essex Bridge, Dublin^ in 1851. 



The English and Scotch spinners are now paying for Armagh 

 hand-scutched Flax 10s. 6d. to twelve shillings and six-pence 

 per stone of 16|ibs. which I frequently bought for them at 

 5s. 6d. to 6s. per stone; and they are now paying 10s. 6d. 

 to 16s. per stone for mill-scutched Flax, which for many 

 years I bought on an average of from 7s. 3d. to 9s. per stone. 



Ireland can and should supply all her wants, and if the 

 people of the South were only once to taste of the sweets of 

 such industry, they would get rid, not only of provincial but 

 of national vanity, and be no longer as Swift has said — 



" Deluded mortals whom the great 

 Chose as companions ' tete-a-tete.' " 



To which I shall add, 



Proud of superiority that never can, 

 That never ought to be the lot of man. 



