The Express.
London, England, 1851-06-14 00:00:00

richnea of

of eresury ,
am pattern produced in velvet, an astonishing dif-
iletemeewill be instantly perceptible, but the superio-
rity el the goods more immediately alluded to renders
thiededuction still more evident and striking. We
sauy Mine OW of these velvets, with a pure white
ground inked with lines of purple, red, and blue,
as the et the most remarkable.
Mr. NM" of Yately, is Hampshire, has a fine
spethera d damask silk and English cloth, which
will be viewed with peculiar interest when it is
known that the embroidery thereupon is wrought in
silk the produce of worms actually reared at t ately.
The mandeetnre is that of Messrs. Houldsworth. d
Manchester. While adverting to the above circa's-
stance,we maytake occasion to call attention Massey
astonishing and gratifying contribution to this dep
meet, sent in, as we were informed, by the family of the
late Mrs. Whitby, of Newlands, in Hampshire. *lt con-
slats of a magnificent silken banner, bearing upon its
surface a number of carefully designed and beauti-
fully executed emblematic figures ; and adorned
along its margin by a deep and elaborately COIF
pounded fringe. Our readers will scarcely te pa-
pered for the announcement that the whole of doe
material here used was spun by silkworms rear=
the above lady at her own residence during a
of fourteen years. Under her care the cocoons were
formed; by her hands their external covering was
reeled, and under her immediate superintendeuns
11 were all the requisite arrangements conducted to a
successful issue. It may not be generally known
that, with due diligence, the worms themselves can
be bred without much difficulty, even in this variable
mad ungenial clime, the main difficulty being to pro-
vide them with sufficient sustenance in the form of
the leaves of the Philippine mulberry, or morus I
*midis, a tree scarcely calculated to withstand the
trying viciaeitudeeofour. northern winter. Mrs. Whitby,
bowel' er, contrived by judicious cultivation to maintai n
a sufficient plantation of these delicate trees for her
purpose, and we cannot but pronounce her experi-
ment to have been most encouraging, notwithstand-
ing all the difficulties she necessarily had to en-
counter. Whether the system can be carried out
upon an extensive and remunerative scale remains
yet to be seen. We have been informed, however,
that in more than one locality in the south of Eng-
land it is still carried on, though, we apprehend,
upon a limited scale. Judging from the appearance
of the raw silk enclosed in the same case as the ban-
ner above alluded to, there appears to be no very mate-
rial difference, in a commercial poiut of view, between
the British sample and that imported from China.
We must express our perfect approbation of the
feelings which actuated the exhibitors in their desire
to hold up to honourable example a lady whose ener-
getic perseverance strove to compass a labour of such
great public utility and moment.

The banner and the damask accompanying it arc
from the looms of Messrs. liouldsworth, whose repu-
tation as silk manufacturers is deservedly high.
Their display, as we anticipated, is extremely beau-
tiful, and requires patient consideration, as well on
account of the richness of their fabrics as of the
beauty of their designs. Their silk brocade, and
their embroidery of silk upon cloth ground, is appli-
cable to a variety of purposes for internal decoration,
' and is calculated, from its peculiarly gorgeous ap-
pearance, greatly to enhance the magnificence of any
apartment in which such manufactures may be intro-
duced. Nor does the price place it beyond the reach
of those possessing only moderate means, for the em-
broidery we so much admire is almost entirely ac-
compliahed by mechanical means.
The same firm have introduced chairbacks of a
rich quality of silk, on which, woven by the Jacquard
loom, are a variety of figure subjects, such as "Acts
of Mercy," &c., all grouped and arranged with very
considerable artistic merit. We believe we are cor-
rect in stating that Messrs. Honldsworth are the only
"figure" weavers in the country, a brunch of their
business which they seem to have introduced and
brought almost to perfection. The eye will not long
remain in the vicinity of these goods without turning
in admiration to the superb hangings from the same
looms. They are distinguisod by various and appropriate
titles, and are executed in a diversity of glowing yet
harmonious colours. The most successful of these
patterns are the " Grand Scroll," the " Mclianthus,"
and the " Mulberry." The first will no doubt meet
with the greatest amount of approbation from the
public, while to those of artistic mind and refine-
ment the last will undoubtedly prove the most ac-
ceptable. We understood that they wore all de-
signed by Messrs. Laugher, Dwyer, and Co., a firm
justly celebrated for the elegance, freedom, and
beauty of their designs.

It is undoubtedly cheering to find a marked im-
provement under this head throughout the present
exhibition. A few years ago almost all our patterns
were either servile imitations of foreign productions,
and not =frequently ludicrous and grotesque in the
extreme. The establishment of schools of design in
various places has evidently tended to counteract this
blemish, and to introduce a new era into our manu-
factures. Already are the beneficial effects of those
establishments perceptible, and in one case (No. 37,
Section XIII.) we have an interesting and very
creditable display of figured silks, designed
and woven by the pupils of the Spitalhelds
SchooL We do not mean to affirm that
our young artists in this department are yet
enabled to vie with the experienced proficicnts of
the continental schools. It must be borne in mind,
however, that their education has, till of late, been
neglected in this behalf, and that the English cha-
racter is, to a certain degree, devoid of that extraor-
dinary zeal and determination to excel in his pecu-
liar vocation so constantly observable in the French,
the Swiss, or the German artisan. With them we
frequently find that the . paramount object of their
existence is to attain eminence in their trade or han-
dicraft, be it ever so humble, while too frequently
our operatives are only intent upon providing for
the mere exigencies of the day. Those only who
have mixed with the labouring and productive
classes of various nations, who have studied their
physiology and noted their peculiar idiosyncracies,
will be prepared to admit the truth of this observa-
tion. Our opportun'tie' have been numerous, and
it is the confirmed result of frequent and indefati-
gable researches.
Ere we bring this notice to a close we moat not
omit to call attention to the very beautiful and pro-
fuse display of ribbons, &c., from Coventry. In rib-
bons, perhaps, it is that our silk manufacturers ap-
proach more closely than in other branches of the
silk trade to the most finished works of France.
Coventry,
_indeed, has undoubtedly attained, and
miens rthdly quailed to keep an exalted ratios.