The Express.
London, England, 1851-05-10 00:00:00

LONDON, SATURDAY EVENING, MAY 10, 1851.

ously, as in ordinary drilling, but with intervening
spates, as if dibbled: we apprehend the use of them
is not extending. The liquid manure drill of Messrs.
Reeves, of Bretton, in Wiltshire, is a new and
valuable implement. On the light soils in a dry sea-
-1 son nothing brings up the turnip plant like liquid
manure, and this drill renders its application compa-
ratively easy. Next in order arc the horse hoes for
weeding the growing crops, and the specimens shown
are numerous and good. Smith, of Kettering, in
Northamptonshire, has a new one, which appears to
be very manageable, having a lateral motion, by
means of which the workman guiding it may adapt
his boo to any irregularities of lane or surface.
Messrs. Garrett is horse hoe for hoeing drilled wheat
and other grain is an admirable implement, the use
of which is every day extending.
The carts shown are generally of very excellent
construction, arc more convenient than most of those
we sec in use in many districts,and while due regard
is paid to strength, lightness is as much studied as
possible. Nor is the price of these improved carts
higher than that of the ordinary carts in use. Cross-
hill has three, each of very different build, vet—and
it is a curious illustration of the difference of opinion
among agriculturists—each has taken a prize at diffe-
rent meetings of the Royal Agricultural Society,
though on every occasion all were shown. We do
not know whether these carts were subjected to a
trial on either occasion, but people are little aware of
the immense differeneethere is in the ease with whichl
carts apparently only slightly different in construc-
tion carry loads. The above are only a fraction of
the agricultural implements at the Exhibition, and
are intended for the first and most essential operations
of husbandry. On a future occasion we shall insti-
tute a comparison between them and the analogous
implements exhibited by foreigners ; and we shall
also refer in some detail to the more complex machi-
nery now extensively applied to agriculture, as well
as to sonic of that which for the present must be
deemed to be experimental. Together they prove
how much has been done, and what a vast field for
further progress exists.

some fovea or another to swell the amount and add to
the variety of the textile tissues. In some our ad-
miration is elicited by the texture, the gloss. the
richness, and in others by the strength, the thick-
ness, or the tenuity of the fabric.
In most essential qualities our own manufactures
fairly claim to be ranked in the highest class, while
in beauty and perfect harmony of colouring they are
not unfrequently exceeded by the contributions from
France, Belgium, Turkey, and Persia.
The tapestries, carpets of velvet pile, and silken
hangings, aro among the primary objects that catch
the eye on taking a first glance round the building.
Their superb colours, vast masses, and rich designs,
produce a mast imposing effect. Judiciously arranged
and exposed along .the walls mid galleries, they
greatly enhance the splendour of the brilliant scene,
while many of the articles in question testify in the
most significant manner the skill and patience of
their authors.

On the other hand, silks of every hue, lace of the
most costly character, cloths so smooth and soft to
tho touch that they feel like silk itself, embroideries
lin gold, jewels, and silver, fringes of glittering bul-
lion, and draperies of woven glass, are to he met
with along the lower tiers.
We will not trust ourselves at this moment, nor
will our 'pose admit of our commenting upon the
scarfs, the shawls, and other like goodly articles of
feminine srarel here collected. On beholding them,
a strss.ger light well excitant, iu the memorable
words Of Blucher, as he rode with the allied ~over-
eigns through London, " Mein Gott! mein Gott !
what a place for to sack !"

THE COTTON GOODS.
Adopting primarily, for the convenience of our
readers, the arrangement of the Official Catalogue,
though we correct at the same time the errors and
supply many of the deficiencies necessarily inherent
to the first issue of a work of that magnitude, we
proceed to conduct our readers to the north-western
extremity of the main transept. Here, assorted under
the able superintendence of -Mr. George Wallis and
Mr. William Hawkins, will be found all the varied
THE TISSUES. productions of British cotton manufacture, comprising
Among the bewildering variety of objects that in
every direction solicit the attention and dazzle the thread, yarn (bleached and coloured), cloths, mualins,
calicoes, dimities, shawls, ginghams, quiltings, table
eye of the beholder, none, perhaps), are more inte-
cloth, jeans, cumbries, handannas,
resting, and yet ut the same time less likely to be ,
I'haso desirous of understanding thoroughly this
dwelt upon by the ordinary spectator, than those interesting branch of art, now brought probably to
classified under the denomination of textile tissues.
its
.hir ghest perfection,
thewiall do well to commence
Nationally, their importance is very great ; indeed,
investigation att• table hearing upon its sur-
it may be questioned whether in this the most compre-
tsa.cta, by side the rival contributions of two great
hensive point of riewther are surpassed by any of the
other productions of hinimn ingenuity. f'or this is.ionchester manufactumrs, Messrs. Bailey and
reason it is desirable to investigate minutely the Ilworth. Here they may see the cotton plant
merits of each specimen, to, indicate where requisite, in different stages actually growing before them—in
any predominant peculiarity, and to point out for the instance.bearing gruceful leaves of bril-
ther sciosing the singular pod
benefit of the uninitiated those qualities which other- aant green, in another
wise they would never detect or appreciate. When that envelopes its delicate wool.
it is remembered that out of the whole community In the case (No. 41, sec. 11) immediately below,
of this country, not less than two millions are con- specimens of the cotton wool and staple from the
tinuully occupied in the preliminary processes items- southern states of America and from the Indian pe-
sary for the manufacture of clothing of all kinds, ninsula lie side by side, together with yarns of all
little more need be added to induce our readers the finer varieties, and threads of every possible
to ponder fur a while upon the marvel- tenuity, some, indeed, so exquisitely slender that
hilts results of so vast a mass of industry. they more than vie with the spider's web. To scru-
By the labour of their lives it is, that the flocculent tunuse with advantage the contents of this ease, the
masses of cotton, the slender filaments of silk, of flax, examiner should be provided with a lens of some
and of wool, are wrought into those indispensable Power f without such aid he may pass unobserved
integuments intended to moderate the severity and the three marvellous threads, strained over a black
alternations of the seasons. card in the centre of the lowest compartment, bear-
Hence is it, too, that the shops and warehouses of hug the number 1,000.
the world are stocked with cheap and gaudy prints, We may here observe, that the degree of fineness
filmy tissues of almost impalpable gauze, ponderous is designated by the number of hanks contained in a
bales of costly velvet, glossy satins, snow-white pound of 7,000 grains, each hank measuring $4O
cumbrics, manv-coloured broadcloths, and all the yards in length, thus one pound of No. 700 would
numberless similar commodities adapted to the exi- extend to the astonishing distance of 334 miles
geodes of every rank and clime. while a pound of No. 1,000 would measure upwards
To examine with minute and careful attention the of 470 miles.
different samples here exposed—to review critically Messrs. Houldsworth furnish a specimen of No.
the verdicts of the juries—and to express approba- 1,400, together with other sizes somewhat larger,
thin or disapproval of the judicial decree—is a task strained over a dark ground in the form of a star,
of no ordinary difficulty and responsibility. It re- showing at a glance the comparative dimensions of
quires a thorough knowledge not only of every pro- each. they give also specimens of fine doubled cot-
ma, but of every modification of each process ; an ton yarn, or lace thnwd, cross-reeled, and in hand,
intimate acquaintance with each tedious and delicate front No. 100 to 670, the fineness of these being
operation intervening between the conversion of the indicated by the number of hanks required to weigh
seed-pod of the cotton plant, the cocoon of the silk- two pounds or 14,000 grains. Apoundof this quality,
worm, the inner bark of the flux and the fleece of the No. 670, comprises 160 miles. new eases cannot
sheep into the different tissues exposed before us. be inspected without exciting a degree of lively in-
' Nay, more ; it wile incumbent upon him Wrestm, and astonishment at, the amount of
who assumed the present office to be able to pro- labour and ingenuity therein expended. Nor
=wee authoritatively an accurate judgment upon will those feelings be diminished by the
each individual ease—to detect at a glance the con- consideration that the cotton manufacture of
parative value of divers specimens similar in ex- this country has wholly arisen within the last
ternal appearance, but, in reality, of very different two centuries. Of the extent to which it is cur-
quality. This was to be accomplished, moreover, ried at the present day some idea may be formed
without those aids and appliances that science has of front the l'act that in the single parish of Bolton there
late revealed. Neither microscopic investigation nor are at this moment eighty-three factories, while in a
chemical analysis were available. The assistance of circle round Manchester not mans- miles in diameter
either would have materially facilitated the duty. there are no less than eleven hunared, many of which
It may not, indeed, be generally known that have cost not les, than a hundred thousand pounds
to the eye of the skilled observer the con- each. Here it is that the cotton yarn is spun, that is
ponent elements of any given tissue are at afterwards consumed according to its quality by the
once revealed under the combination of power- bobbin-net maker, the weaver, or the stocking maker.
ful lenses ; while chemistry has indicated the In some of the more gigantic factories there are
mans whereby the introduction of spurious fabrics looms in which the yarn produced in another isortion
into the market, may be immediately discovered. of the building is woven into muslin, or " cloth."
For instance, the presence of cotton in a tissue pus- At an adjoining table and on the walls surround-
porting to consist of linen only, is in a moment ing this compartmeut are exhibited the products of
ascertainable by the use of a powerful minerul acid, these looms.
which at once dissolves the cotton threads, leaving Amongst these, the fabrics that will in all pallet-
the linen apparently unchanged. In a given par- bility first attract attention, are the muslin hangings
Lion, say an inch square, the threads arc carefully and curtains, remarkable as many of them arc for
numb eied bola before and after the immersion in their singular beauty and richness of design, as well
the solvent, when the diffitrence, if any, accurately as for their transparency, perfect uniformity, and
represents the extent to which the fraudulent prae- regularity of texture. One eqweially, front *lessrs.
Lice has been carried. Symington 's manufactory at Glasgow, calls for par-
On the present occasion, however, it was not to be ticular commendation. It represents an Oriental
anticipated that many faulty or defective attieles forest scene, in which the luxuriant foliage, and
would be displayed, or that the nature of the ex- some of the ferocious inhabitants of the jungle, are
position would admit of such investigations. delineated with fidelity, and with artistic ability of
The majority of specimens now displayed in such no ordinary choracter. Messrs. Young, of Glasgow,
magnificent profusion court inspection on very dif- contribute also numerous varieties) of muslin, each
fere:agrounds. Manyofthefabriesdeveloped,onThurs- adapted, from some peculiarity in the tissue or in the
day week, for the first time to the gaze of men have I pattern, either for the East Indian, the continental,
never before been wrought, and in all probability lor the American markets. Nor can we for-
will never again be manufactured except for a par- j bear from expressing our approbation at the
pose like the present. The expense incurred in many light muslin drapery. elegantly arranged under
eases in perfecting these show goods would amaze a gilded ccniiee by Messrs. Crocker, of Friday-street.
those who are not acquainted with the spirit and , The pattern, no less than the disposition of the folds,
enterprise of our manufacturers. j evinces great decorative taste and skill. Much im-
To cite an instance, we may call attention ! provement will benefited in the substance, patterns,
to a sample of Saxony wool, suppled by and spotless purity of the quilted fabrics, such as
Messrs. Pease, of Darlington (it is distin- veatings, toilet-covers, counterpanes, dc.: their
guished from their other goods as E. No. 15), whiteness, when the light falls immediately in that
and was taken from the third roving frame. In direction, is almost clazzling ; the bleaching has,
order to insure the utmost regularity in this roving ' indeed, been here canied to perfection, as has been
in the process of drawing the wool or diminishing • the weaving process in a coverlet exhibited by Mr.
the size of the thread, it has been doubled more Sudworth. Others, as those from the Tamworth
than two million times! The result is, as might be Cotton Mils at Bolton, display a pale, rose-coloured
expected, marvellous ; but scarcely any price could ground, upon which the design appears in slight
requite the labour herein expended. Prom the same .relief.
establishment we have also a gross of Southdown At the western extremity of this transept
yarn, weighing just 16 ounces, yet measuring 45 an elaborate and not inelegant coverlet is
miles 1,440 yards in length ! The firm above al- to be seen, the production of a poor widow
luded to exhibit, under five heads, as many con-' of ('upur. Fifeshire, whose name (Mackenzie)
plete aeries of woollen manufacture, from which deserves to be recorded. For fourteen years
much may be learned, even by the inexperienced, she has been prevented by severe bodily afflic-
upon the subject of the relative merits of the fleeces lion from leaving her bed, and during a seventh of
of Lincolnshire, the Cheviots, the Southdowus of that period she was continuously engaged in the ma-
Australia and Saxony. ' nufacture and completion of this article.
But we cannot yet turn to the consideration of in- I Messrs. Lethem. of Friday-street, have forwarded
dividual apecimens• or we might at some length i KUM fqxeimens of various muslins woven from the
expatiate upon the beauty of the Irish poplins viii- same description of yarn, tamboured muslins and
bited by Messrs. Reynolds, of Dublin, at whose knots that will bear minute inspection, together with
'aims the tissue WILS produced which her Majesty , stout and serviceable ginghams. The specimens of
wure at the inauguration on May-day. Its hue is filmy window curtains from Messrs. Bradbury and
that of the pale rose. bearing upon the surface a rich I Beale, and those from the looms of Messrs. Maw, arc
pattern, designed with considerable taste, wmught in I of a very superior order, while the muslin displayed
threads of silver. Near it is another specimen. in by the 'titter house may be regarded WI a marvel of
design the same, but in this case the ground is snow- art. Some idea may be formed even by the general
white. Should any of our fair readers be curious to I reader of its extreme tenuity. when we add that it
know at what coat they may array themselves in jis wholly composed of No. 5,408 s-arn (spun by the
royal apparel we inform them that the robe is to beMt,,rs. Houldsworth, above alludCd to).
rc puhased at two guineas per yard. The 1)1.1)(1140n of checked muslin cravats, many-
These, however, and an infinite number of minutes coloured handkerchiefs, tartan mufflers, &c., will not
details, we must defer until we come to treat of them' in all probability be minutely examined by the ordi-
under their respective heads. I nary visitor, though, to the slated eye of the menu-
Every quarter of the globe has contributed in fecturer, merit of a high order wile be discerned is