Commentaries on the Productive Forces of Russia

Woollen Manufacture. Estimated Production. Comparative Consumption of Woollen Fabrics in Russia, France, England, Austria, and other German States. Bad Washing and Assortment of our Wools. - Defects in Manufacture. Improvements. — Cloth for the Chinese Market. - Statistics of Importation. — Exportation. - Manufacture in Poland and in the German Provinces.-Carpets. Shawls. - Number of Hands employed. General Observations. Silk Manufacture.-Estimated Produce in Russia and in other Countries.- Number of Hands employed. - Importation of Silk. - Defects in the Russian Manufacture. Causes of Inferiority. Cotton Manufacture. General Considerations on the Progress of this Manufacture in Europe, its Benefits and its Evils.— How far suitable for Russia. - Its Progress. Number of Hands employed. · Consumption of Cotton Fabrics in Russia and other Countries. Estimate of the Sacrifices imposed on the Country for the sake of protecting the Cotton Manufacture. Chemical Manufactures.- Acids, (Sulphuric, Nitric, &c.).— Soda.-Alum.-Estimate of their Value.- Leather.-Importance of the Manufacture. Cause of its backward Condition. - Defects in the Processes. - Estimate of Produce and Consumption. - Number of Hands employed.—Soap, Candles, Stearine.-Importance of these Manufactures for Russia.-Conditions of their Progress.-Statistics.-Number of Hands employed.-Paper.-Progress.— Defects. Statistics. Paper-hangings. —Papier Maché. - Playing Cards. Manufacture of Sealing-wax.—Of Tobacco.- Metallic Manufactures.- Iron. General Considerations. Exceptional Position of England in regard to Mines, and its Influence on the Metallic Industry of the Continent.-Position of Russia. -Prices. - Statistics. Influence of Railways. Can the Production of our Iron Mines be greatly augmented and the Article supplied at lower Prices? — Prohibition of Foreign Iron ought to be withdrawn.-Estimate of various Iron Manufactures.- Copper.- Jewellery.-Plated Articles.- Pottery.— Crystal.— Looking-glasses. Cabinet-work. - Musical Instruments. Carriages. Recapitulatory Table. Comparisons with other Countries.. General Considerations on the relative Importance of the various Branches of Industry in Russia.

CONSIDERED in regard to its utility, the woollen may be ranged side by side with the linen manufacture. It is still

capable of being greatly developed: it works up a raw material produced in the country: it is intimately connected with the progress of our agriculture: warm clothing is more necessary in our country than in any other; and thus the woollen manufacture acquires with us additional importance. Our manufacturing statistics, however, being still very incomplete, it is only an approximative estimate that we can attempt to form of its products.

We have already (ante, Vol. I. p. 176.) estimated the number of sheep in European Russia, including Finland and the kingdom of Poland, at 50 millions; and, notwithstanding the great mortality among the merinos in 1849 (which must have been nearly compensated by the production of the three following years), we think we may adhere to this figure. Now, 50 millions of sheep, at the rate of 2 lbs. Russian of washed wool per head (see ante, Vol. I. p. 330.) yield 137,500,000 lbs., or 3,437,500 poods. Deducting the excess of exportation over importation, amounting on an average of the three years 1848-50 to 465,100, or, with the exportation from the kingdom of Poland, to 560,000 poods, there remains for home consumption 2,880,000 poods. M. Hagemeister estimates the raw material employed in the manufacture of country cloths, without reckoning the common stuffs worn by the peasantry, at 300,000 poods of common wool, and the same quantity of merino wool, which yield, according to his calculation, 44 million archines of army cloth (of which from 120,000 to 130,000 archines are for the Imperial Guard), and 9 million archines of fine and medium cloths; but as these estimates refer to the year 1843, since which period the manufacture has extended, we think we shall be within bounds in estimating the quantity of wool employed in the home manufacture at 700,000 poods, and the product at 5 million archines of army cloth *, and 10 million archines of fine and medium cloths. There would thus remain for peasants' cloths and other fabrics 2,180,000 poods, from which deducting 15 to 16 per cent. for waste, and for the wool used in making mattresses, and in other purposes, we would have in round numbers 1,800,000 poods for the manufacture of coarse fabrics of the sort, which we may value on an average at 7 roubles per pood. The army cloth sells at from 60 to 135 kopecks per archine, according to colour and quality, the cloth for the Imperial Guard fetching from 100 to 140 kopecks per archine. We may adopt 90 kopecks per archine as the medium price for the total

*We here include not only those cloths which are intended for the army, but cloths of similar quality intended for commerce.

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Commentaries on the Productive Forces of Russia, Том 2