Page:Encyclopædia Britannica, Ninth Edition, v. 8.djvu/738

Rh 708 EUROPE Britain for its cutlery, though a great deal of attention is devoted to this department by all the chief Continental nations. Austria, for example, produces yearly about 600,000 scythes, more than 1,000,000 sickles, and about 200, oOO straw knives, and of the first it exports a large number, especially to Russia. Vienna has a great manu factory of fire-proof safes, and ranks with Steyr, Letten, Ferlach, Weipert, and Prague, in the production of military weapons. Prussian pens and needles are well known throughout the continent; and still better her cannon and needle-guns. In the manufacture of copper, brass, and lead, the first place belongs to France and Great Britain ; and in that of zinc to Belgium, Great Britain, and Prussia. In bronze France is distinguished both by the quantity and variety of her productions. Great Britain, France, Austria, and Germany are the only countries in which scientific in struments are made in large numbers, and with excellent finish ; in the manufacture of musical instruments the same countries stand high, but have a greater number of competi tors. In watchmaking Britain, France, and Switzerland carry off the palm; the Belgian clocks are accounted excel lent; and the products of the Black Forest in the same de partment are too well known to need even a passing mention. The ruder branches of the ceramic art are almost universally cultivated, but only a few countries furnish a large export of the finer wares. Porcelain is largely manufactured in Bohemia, at the royal potteries of Meissen and Berlin in Prussia, at Dresden in Saxony, at Limoges in France, at Copenhagen in Denmark, at the imperial potteries of St Petersburg, and at Stoke-upon-Trent and Worcester in England. Freiburg in Breisgau supplies the markets of a large part of the world with porcelain button knobs and beads; and the Thiiringenvald and Sicily are noted for their little porcelain figures and ornaments. The manufacture of glass is also of the widest distribution. Austria-Hungary numbers about 300 glass-works, Germany rather more, Britain upwards of 220, France 175, Italy 70, and so on. Bohemia gives its name to a well-known class of goods; France takes the first place for its beads and glass-jewellery; and Belgium is perhaps even better known for supplying the common wants of the glazier. The polishing of precious stones is carried to greatest perfection in France; but Vienna, St Petersburg, London, Dublin, Berlin, and several other great cities also rank high. Amsterdam lias long been the principal seat of the diamond trade. Bohemia and Baden find a valuable industry in the working up of their garnets and rock crystals; and Oberstein in OMen- burg is remarkable as the source of nearly all those fancy articles in agate which, under various names Scotch pebbles and tho like are sold throughout Europe. Rome is the principal seat of the production of cameos and mosaics, and marble-cutting has attained its greatest de velopment ,in Tuscany. It is impossible to enter into detail on the various industries which use wood as their raw material; almost every country and district has its share, and they differ not so much in the nature as the finish of the articles which they produce. In the produce of the turning-lathe Austria, Germany, England, and France rank highest, and they also keep their position in the depart ment of wood-carving. Italy is first in straw-plaiting, which is of prime importance in Tuscany; and next come Switzerland and Belgium. Leather-making and its asso ciated industries are of iiniversal distribution; the brush- manufacture has reached its fullest development in England ; and hair is most successfully turned to artistic account in France. In the great department of spinning and weaving Britain stands facile princeps. Of the cotton manufacture, especially, it has long been the greatest centre, not only in Europe but in the world; but within the present generation the industry has been rapidly developing in Germany, France, Russia, and several other Continental countries. The relative position of each is indicated by the following table of the number of spindles employed in the trade: Spain 1,400.000 Belgium 650^000 Italy 500,000 England 39,500,000 France 5,200,000 Germany 5,100,000 Switzerland 2,060,000 i.a.iiuj.n,i.vi&amp;gt;tii i QAA nnr. Russia 2,000,000 states 00 Austria 1,600,000 Netherlands 230,000 In wool-spinning and cloth-weaving the chief countries are again Britain, Germany, France, and Belgium, and to these succeed Austria, Italy, Russia, Sweden, and Spain. As minor or domestic industries both branches have a very wide distribution. The greatest amount of silk is epun in Italy and France, and the latter country holds the first place in silk-weaving, though she has powerful competitors in Germany, Britain, and Switzerland. Great Britain again outstrips all her rivals in the general manufactures of flax, hemp, and jute ; in linen thread she is excelled by France, and in the extent of its rope works by Russia. Linen weaving is widely distributed as a domestic industry, and is rapidly developing as a factory industry in Germany, Belgium, and the Netherlands. The state of the paper trade may be gathered from the following statistics for 1874: Tnprr works. Produce. Cvrt. &quot;Germany 423 3,535,000 274 3,535,000 404 2,907,000 130 1,414,000 &quot;Italy 67 943,000 Russia 66 658,000. 19 442,000 &quot;Norway and Sweden 20 17 265,000 255,000 &quot;Holland 10 141,000 Portugal 19 117,000 Denmark 5 70,000 Switzerland. . 30 19,000 The countries marked by an asterisk export part of their production. In paper-staining France ranks first, and Britain in the making of papier-machd. Sugar-refining is of most importance in Britain, France, the Netherlands, Belgium, and Germany; and the more modern manu facture of chocolate flourishes best in France and Spain. Britain brews a greater quantity of beer than any other country, and Germany, Austria, and Belgium come next in order, Germany and France are the greatest manufacturers of brandy, and Hulland has almost given its name to one of the principal liquors ; but this whole department of in dustry is of the very widest distribution. Among the more peculiar and local branches may be mentioned the Kirsch- wasser and Eau de Cologne of Germany, the plum brandy of Roumania, Servia, and Bosnia, the aniseed liqueur of Albacete in Spain, and the famous productions of the monastic establishment at Chartreuse. Vinegar is most largely and successfully manufactured in France. In the preparation of tobacco, Germany stands first ; and tho Netherlands are indebted for a large trade in this depart ment to their East Indian colonies. The soap manufacture has reached its highest development in France and Britain; while the greatest exporters of tallow are Russia, Roumania, and Servia. Sweden is especially famous for its matches, which are sent to all parts of the world. The preparation of ultramarine is of great importance in Germany ; and Austria has unrivalled manufactures of white lead in Carinthia. Such are a few of the main features of that wonderful industrial activity which is daily acquiring a more varied aspect and extending over a wider area. The younger
 * Britain
 * Fran co
 * Austria
 * Belgium
 * Spain