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 184 PRODUCTS AND MANUFACTURES

in the museum at Srinagar. They show much tasteful arrangement of colour and fineness of workmanship.

Carpets have now surpassed shawls in order of importance, and two European firms, Messrs. Mitchell and Co., and Mr. Hadow, have quite as much as they can do to keep pace with the orders they receive, of which a very large number come from America. Many of the old weavers have taken to carpet-making, and the pashm used formerly for shawls is now being increasingly used_ for the finer kind of carpets. The dyes are good in Kashmir, and as the finest wool is to be had the carpet industry ought to have a good future before it.

Silk is another most thriving industry with great future possibilities. The State have now in Srinagar the largest silk factory in the world, employing about 3800 men, and turning out about 200,000 lbs. of silk a year, most of which is sold as yarn in the European market, bringing in a very handsome profit to the State. A small amount of silk weaving is also carried on in the same factory. When it can be turned out dyed and finished it should have a great sale in India, though the State