302 
COTTON 
known to a limited extent to England and to other 
countries of average civilization. Cotton possessed 
value as a textile fabric. And that these advan- 
tages were early appreciated there can be no doubt, 
since it was readily used whenever it could be 
obtained. Naturally, however, there could be no 
large growth so long as the supply varied constantly. 
We must understand, however, that for a century 
or more cotton had been used in a limited way for 
the weft or transverse threads of the web; the warp, 
or longitudinal threads, being of linen yarn, pro- 
duced mainly in Germany and Ireland. Cotton 
factories were of course unknown in those days, 
weaving being largely done in the homes of the 
weavers. This cotton-linen fabric was, during 
these times, made in these cottage homes, and later 
carried to the market, to which points the city 
merchants came and made their purchases. 
Sometime about the middle of the eighteenth 
century we find the beginning of a new era, when 
merchants began to send agents into the country to 
develop this embryonic but isolated factory system. 
The plan as introduced and carried out, secured 
linen for warp, and cotton for weft as had been used 
before; but now the merchants (through their 
agents) provided the raw materials, and hired the 
weavers to do the work. Before this time the 
weavers made all their purchases and sold their 
products themselves. Now the materials were 
furnished and they received wages for their labor. 
A radical change, you will see, had been inaugu- 
rated which doubtless worked to the common 
advantage of both parties. 
Up to this time cotton had been spun by means 
of the common spinning wheel in the weaver's 
own house — the same spinning wheel whose monot- 
