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is done vertically. The patent loom possesses some advantagesin point of form ; the small compass in which it stands ; and afew other peculiarities, that certainly render it of some conse-quence, as a mechanical improvement in Power weavingithas been used in the linen and woollen, as well as in the cottonmanufacture.
Of the power looms recently made, the frame, and many ofthe other parts, are constructed of cast iron, which is both ul-timately cheaper, and is found to answer almost every purposemuch better, and to last longer than wood: and although onlycoarse goods can as yet be woven on them, yet there is everyreason to expect that finer may in time, when farther improve-ments are made :—but they will never altogether supplant theweaving of superior fabrics in the usual way.
At Catrine, in Ayrshire, there are 234, on many of which,excellent tweeled cottons for sheeting and other similar purposesare wove ; but, in general, the power looms are employed onplain cotton cloths for printing—-27 or 30 inches wide—in a 9 ,10, or 11 hundred reed; that is, the reed containing respective-ly 900, 1000, or 1100 splits in the space of 37 inches—2 threadsworking in each split. Of these cloths, one loom produces, weekly,from three to four pieces of twenty-eight yards each ; some otthe coarsest of which, have lately, during the stagnation of theCotton trade, been sold in a bleached state at 13s. 6d. each; aprice extremely low, when we consider the immense capital sunkin the machinery, for the various stages of manufacture throughwhich they pass.
In some places a girl superintends the working of one, in o-thers, two of these looms. Ten or twelve of them can be drivenby one horse’s power, the expense of which has already been'calculated; so that the comparative advantage of this mode otweaving should be considerable ; though the exact ratio of it willdepend much on the prices paying at the time, for such workdone by hand, as well as on other contingencies, which, in aninfant branch of manufacture, cannot be either exactly foreseenor calculated. In general, however, the difference is somewhereabout 20 per cent, in the amount of weaving, and from 6 to 10per cent, on the value of the goods ; besides the certainty withwhich the manufacturer can count on forwarding his article in agiven time. As a drawback, however, on these advantages, thepower-loom manufacturer, in bad times, cannot easily get rid othis machinery; and if not employed, it soon gets out of repair;whereas those Who employ hand-weavers only, can drop themwhenever their webs are finished. There are just now, severallarge factories in Lanarkshire, &c. fitting up for the reception otabout 500 power-looms, which are preparing ; besides 1560 most-ly at work, and principally at Milnton in Dumbartonshire, Dean-ston in Stirlingshire, Catrine in Ayrshire ; Pollockshaws, Pais-ley; Johnston, Thornly-bank ; Busby and Fareneze in Reufr elt ''