production which followed the effectual closing of the ports that only
one bale of cotton was grown in 1864-1865 for every fifteen bales raised
in 1861-1862. The chief menace to the future of cotton production lay in
the efforts that were put forth by other cotton-growing countries at
this time to produce those particular varieties which had for so long
given the United States the monopoly of the European markets; and
nothing could more completely demonstrate the remarkable adaptation of
our Southern States to the growing of varieties which the experience of
generations has proved to be the best for manufacturing purposes than
the fact that it took them only thirteen years from the end of the war
to regain the primacy of position which they held at its commencement.

ROBERT B. HANDY

When cotton manufacture was introduced into England is not definitely
settled. There is no mention of the manufacture or use of cotton in the
celebrated poor-law of Elizabeth (1601), though hemp, flax, and wool are
expressly named. The first authentic record is in Roberts' _Treasure of
Traffic_, published in 1641; but it is possible, and even probable, that
the art was imported from Flanders by the artisans who fled from that
country to England in the latter part of the sixteenth century, as it is
probable that the manufacture had established itself more or less
firmly before it attracted the attention of the author of the
above-named pamphlet. We may presume, then, that it was well established
in England by 1641, but after that date the spread was not rapid. The
crudeness of the machinery for spinning was such that fine yarn could
not be made. Both spinning and weaving were done by individuals and
families in their own houses on clumsy and heavy machines. These
implements were but little better than those in use two thousand years
before. The distaff, the earliest of spinning-machines, was still in
use, and the best to be had was the one-thread spinning-wheel. The loom
used was scarcely an improvement on that which the East Indian had used
centuries before, though it was constructed with greater firmness and
compactness. Owing to imperfections in their machines, it was impossible
for the Europeans to make cotton yarn combining strength and firmness.
The yarn when spun was loose and flimsy; to make it strong it had to be
heavy.

The finished web had often to be carried a long distance to market. It
was only in 1760 that Manchester merc