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ON THE POLITICAL ECONOMY

Germany. The French revolutionary war almost ruinedthis trade to the European Continent . But the hosiery ma-nufacture has been revived in a different and improved state,in consequence of the introduction of machinery for spinningthe yarn ; and it is now carried on, including all its branches,to a greater extent than at any former period.

Stockings. — Stockings are either knit by wires, or wroughtby frames. The former kind are preferred to the latter, asbeing more durable. The statute Geo. I, c. 13, ordains, thatall stockings shall be made of three threads; but this regulationis not strictly adhered to, particularly in frame-work; andstockings are frequently made of only two, and even of onethread. The latter are denominated “ yarn-hose.” The ma-nufacturers in the northern districts, employ women chiefly toknit their stockings, at a certain rat eper pair; and in gene-ral, the quality is coarse, the price of the article when finish-ed being only from 10 s. to 40 s. per dozen. The making ofbreeches and pantaloon-pieces has become a considerableand increasing branch of the hosiery trade.

Lamb-Wool Hosiery _This branch of the stocking manu-

facture was only introduced about thirty years ago. Theyarn is made of the short wool of lambs, carded by machine-ry, and spun on wheels resembling the common cotton-jen-nies. It is soft and oozy, which constitute its principal pro-perty; as being elastic and spongy, it forms an agreeable andwarm covering. This manufacture is carried on chiefly inthe southern counties—about Hawick , Jedburgh, Galashiels,Selkirk, Peebles, and Dumfries. At these places, the scrib-bling and carding machines are driven by water, but theroving and spinning processes are performed by jennies,wrought by hand. This branch is also carried on to consi-derable extent at Glasgow and Edinburgh , and in their vici-nity. The power of steam is applied to drive the machinery,and not only the teazers and cards, but the jennies, reels,and twisting machines, are moved by this power. Thenumber of frames at work, on lamb-wool stockings, breeches,