346 



Wool and Shoddy. 



It will be seen that the proportion which shoddy bears to the 

 total consumption of material is a trifle under 17 per cent, for 

 the two countries together. 



The position of the linen trade is shown by the following 

 statistics of the production of goods (in millions of yards) 

 annually : — 



Period. 



England. 



Scotland. 



Ireland. 



Total. 



1 791 — 1800 



13 



22 



42 



77 



1821 — 1830 



24 



60 



90 



. 174 



1861 — 1870 



54 



140 



204 



• 398 



1S91 — 1893 



42 



.. 130 



. 172 



344 



1895 









400 



The Yorkshire Daily Observer gives the value of the output 

 of cotton goods in 1900 as ^79,922,000, of which amount 

 ^65,903,000 went for export. 



By way of clearing up some misconceptions, it may be as well 

 to put into concise form what is the true meaning of the 

 various names of goods in everyday use in the wool in- 

 dustries. 



" Woollen " is the name given to fabrics made from short, fine 

 wool. The wool is carded and spun in such a manner as to 

 cause the fibres to intersect each other and become involved, so 

 that the yarn is as bulky as possible, and is fluffy or spongy. 



In woollen goods the weave or make is not visible. They are 

 milled and finished with a smooth surface as in broadcloth, or 

 left rough as in cheviots and tweeds, or they have the nap 

 raised as in flannels or blankets. 



Most of the wool for use in the woollen trade is imported. 



" Worsted " is the name given to goods made from long wool. 

 The preparation and spinning of the yarns is the reverse of that 

 practised in woollen. The wool is combed for the purpose of 

 separating the long fibres from the short. The long portion is 

 called tops, and is used in the worsted manufacture. The short 

 is called noils, and is sold to the woollen branch. The tops pass 

 through a number of processes, which may be described as 

 persuasive, to cause the fibres to lie flat and parallel. 



In worsted goods the weave or make is distinctly visible. AH 

 the British long and half-bred wools are used in this branch of 

 the trade or in worsted stuffs. 



" Worsted stuff " is the name of the most important class of 

 goods in the ladies' dress trade. The weft yarns are worsted, 



