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spinning and weaving, has taken deep root. The total num-ber of stocking frames employed on cotton in Scotland does notexceed 2000; and the amount of goods manufactured is some-where about 160,000/. per annum. The cotton weaver’s weeklywages average about 18s. 6d. When the frame he works on isnot his own, which is often the case, he has to allow about Is. perweek out of his wages for the use of it. The workmen are allpaid by the piece, at so much for each dozen of pairs of stock-ings, &c. according to the gauge of the frame in which they arewrought,
The gauges run from 14, the coarsest—to 42, the finest;—and are calculated by the number of leads contained within thespace of three inches, two needles being in each lead. Thus, ina 21 gauge frame, there are 16 needles in one inch.
Since water-twist was invented, much of it has been used herein the fabrication of tapes and other incle goods, either wholly of'totton, or mixed with linen or woollen.
Scotland , as already mentioned, has long been famous for herlinen threads. Within these few years, a new species of that ar-ticle has been introduced, which has succeeded far beyond ex-pectation. It is composed of two, and often of three plies oftotton-yarn twined together; and, when the material is consi-dered, its tenacity is wonderful: hence it has obtained the nameof Wire Thread, and proved a formidable rival to thread madeof linen, being both cheaper, and more evenly. Before the pre-sent war, large quantities were sent to America . It is still anarticle of considerable export to the West Indies and other parts,and generally pays the maker well. The twisting process is per-formed either on a jenny, fitted up for the purpose, on a throssilframe; or on the old Dutch thread-mill. It is then bleached ordyed, and sold either in hanks, or coiled up into neat balls ortines of different sizes. The balling machine is also a new in-vention, commonly driven by hand, and contains from 6 to 40spindles; each of which have two motions, similar to two oftnose of the earth; one on its own axis, the other a diagonal orequatorial motion, but both very slow, round each spindle : But,independent thereof, a kind of metal finger revolves, similar tothe heck of a lint-wheel; at the end of this finger is a hole,through which the head passes, and is laid with great accuracyand despatch on the spindle, in layers or wreaths, until the ballaccumulates to the size wanted. The cotton thread-making andboiling is kept rather a secret work in Scotland . The total quan-tity made, per year, does not exceed 560,000 lib.; value about196,000/. Sterling.
Connected with the Cotton manufacture, we may notice thetnode of finishing the goods.
Some sorts of cotton goods, before being bleached, are sub-jected to the process ef Singeing. The Singeing machine ecus.'