e not as adept in
weighting their products with dyes as their French competitors are,
and in consequence English silks, though intrinsically better than
French silks, look inferior and therefore cannot be sold at profitable
prices. But, on the other hand, the JUTE manufacture of Great Britain
is increasing by leaps and bounds. Established only sixty years ago,
the value of its annual output is now twice that of the whole
manufacture of silk, and in twenty-five years has tripled. The chief
seat of this industry is DUNDEE (160,000), in Scotland.

THE HARDWARE MANUFACTURES OF GREAT BRITAIN

The textile manufactures of Great Britain are in the aggregate
first in importance, but the HARDWARE manufactures come a close
second. The total amount of Great Britain's hardware products is
about $750,000,000, or one fourth of the total product of the
world, and of this about one third is exported. Even more than her
textile fabrics, the hardware manufactures of Great Britain are
associated with her coal-fields. The most distinctive "hardware
centre" is that one which is identified with the great coal-field
in the middle of England known as the "Black Country." BIRMINGHAM
(506,000), the chief place in this centre, is unrivalled in
the world for the multifariousness and extent of its metal
manufactures. It is literally true that everything from a "needle
to an anchor" is made within its limits. But though its industries
comprise principally those of iron and steel, its manufactures in
gold, silver, copper, zinc, lead, and aluminium are also very
important. Birmingham, too, is unrivalled in the world in the
application of art to metal work. Its manufacture of jewellery, and
gold and silver ornaments, is enormous. Its manufacture of small
wares is also enormous. For example, it turns out 15,000,000 pens
weekly. Its manufacture of buttons runs into the hundreds of
thousands of millions. WOLVERHAMPTON (88,000), also in the Black
Country, is noted for its manufacture of heavy hardware and
machinery. So also in OLDHAM, in the Lancashire district. So also
in LEEDS, in the West Yorkshire district. SHEFFIELD (352,000), also
in Yorkshire, is historically identified with its celebrated
cutlery manufacture, an industry that first began there because of
the quality and abundance of the grindstones found near by. With
the coal-beds of Durham and Cumberland are identified the great
ship-building and locomotive-building industries of NEWCASTLE
(21