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ON THE POLITICAL ECONOMY
Pressing-machines .—After they have been finished andfolded, they are subjected to pressure, more or less, accord-ing to circumstances. Presses with an iron-screw, wroughtby levers, are generally used. Several of Braham’s aquaticpresses were lately introduced for this purpose, and havegiven much satisfaction; but the number in Scotland doesnot exceed twenty.
With machinery so highly improved as that which wehave noticed, in regard to spinning, weaving, and other suc-ceeding operations, it was to be expected that the cotton manu-facture would be carried to the highest pitch of improvement.Accordingly, every variety of goods is made in Scotland )from the coarsest to the finest fabrics j and while the an-nual value of the cotton manufacture exceeds six millionssterling, it gives employment to 150,000 men, women andchildren *. A general view of these important particularsis given in the following tables.