REPORT OF MR. KNIGHT.
83
the expense, occupying less than one-quarter the space than the most improved process now in use in Europe.”
Flax, hemp and jute-spinning were probably best represented by Great Britain, though there were interesting exhibits from other countries. Flax-breaking machines were largely represented in the Austrian, German, and other departments. Dr. Collyer exhibited a flax-breaking and scutching machine in the American department.
Machinery and apparatus belonging to the silk industry were represented by Switzerland, France, Italy, Germany and Austria; also in an interesting manner by Turkestan and Japan. There was a remarkable exhibition of machinery for working silk waste, by Theodor and Fredric Bell, engineers, at Kriens, near Lucerne; all of which is worthy of description and illustration. Great progress is being made in this comparatively new branch of industry.
Caspar Honegger, of Rüti, Canton Zurich, showed the most numerous exhibits for silk-weaving. There was also interesting silk machinery from another Swiss house, that of Scheller & Berchtold, of Thalweil, near Zurich. Looms for weaving silk ribbons, with six shuttles, by F. Wahl, of Basle ; and a series of looms for various purposes and materials, by M. Kuffmaul & Son, of the same place, were deserving of notice. Among the latter was one for taffeta ribbons, with revolver- slay, and a new motion for the leaves, actuated by means of eccentrics; and one for velvet ribbons, with a crochet-slay, an( l a jacquard apparatus at its side.
In-the German department there were looms for silk-weav- i Q gj by Felix Tonar, of Dülken, including one for weaving glazed silk-stuff. It is said that the works of Mr. Tonar have been started for the purpose of making the Rhenish silk industry independent of foreign manufacturers of machinery.
Looms for mixed stuffs and for heavy goods were prominently represented. The new and novel apparatus for weav- , hig, by George Hodgson, of Bradford, England, is believed 10 ,J e Avorthy the attention of all interested in textile industry. He exhibited other looms, including one of the best construction, with the circular box and six shuttles. There was also a collection of looms, apparatus, etc., for the weaving process,