The most distinctive manufacture of France, the one in which she
surpasses all other countries of the world, is the SILK MANUFACTURE.
France's total production of silk is not far short of one third of the
total production of the world. LYONS (466,000), on the Rhone, is the
chief seat of the industry, having had this pre-eminence ever since
the Jacquard loom was invented there at the beginning of this century.
Its production is not far short of three fourths of the total
production of the country. The most important manufacture of France,
however, is her manufacture of WOOLLENS. In this manufacture she comes
next after Great Britain, her total production being a little ahead of
that of both Germany and the United States. Her woollen mills number
over 2000. Her consumption of wool for this industry is about three
fourths that of Great Britain, but the value of her production is only
two thirds that of Britain. LILLE (216,000) and RHEIMS (108,000) are
the chief seats of the woollen industry. Of about equal value with the
woollen manufacture of France is its HARDWARE manufacture, but the
importance of France's hardware manufacture is national rather than
international. Of next importance is the manufacture of COTTONS and
LINENS. The chief seats of these industries are, for cottons, ROUEN
(113,000), the "Manchester of France," and for linens, LILLE. Near
Lille is CAMBRAI, the chief place of manufacture for that finer class
of linens known as cambrics. A second distinctive manufacture of
France is that of GLASS and PORCELAIN. In this manufacture France
quite equals Great Britain in respect of value, and surpasses her in
respect of the artistic character of the wares. LIMOGES (77,000) and
ST. CLOUD (near Paris) are the chief seats of the French porcelain
manufacture. It is at St. Cloud that the celebrated "Sèvres" porcelain
is made.