LANCAS1IIRE. To the coal-field of South Lancashire this county owes its manufacturing pre-eminence. It occupies a large irregular tract between the Ribble and the Mersey. The pits in the northern coal field are chiefly in the neighbourhood of Hornby. The principal mineral production of Lancashire is coal. Lead and iron occur to some extent, copper in small quantity, slate, flag-stones, free stone, scythe-stones, brick clay, and pipe clay are among the mineral products of the county.
The cuunty of Lancashire is richly provided with those highways of commerce—canals. The Sankey Canal was the first executed in England; it extends from St. Helens to War rington, about 12 miles. The Duke of Bridgewater's Canal, one of the most celebra ted of Thindley's works, extends from Leigh to Manchester, with extensive tunnels and underground works at Worsley. The Leeds and Liverpool Canal, one of the most exten sive in the kingdom, connects those two im portant towns, and passes near Colne, Burnley, Blackburn, Wigan and Ormskirk. The Lan caster canal begins near Kendal in Westmore land, and runs to Wigan. The Ashton Canal commences on the eastern side of the town of Manchester, and runs to Fairfield, about 4 miles from Manchester ; it has branches to Stockport ; to the Huddersfield Canal at Dukinfield ; to the collieries at Hollingwood, near Oldham ; and to the Rochdale Canal. The Huddersfield and Peak Forest canals belong rather to Yorkshire and to Derbyshire respectively than to Lancashire. The loch dale Canal commences in the Calder and Hebble Navigation in Yorkshire, and proceeds by Todmorden and Rochdale to Manchester. The Manchester, Bolton, and Bury Canal commences in the Mersey and Irwell Naviga tion at Manchester, and runs to Bolton, with a branch to Bury.
Nor is Lancashire less richly provided with railways. The first locomotive line in England was the Liverpool and Manchester. Since the opening of thatrailway in 1830, the railways of Lancashire have taken the lead of those in every other county. The lines open are the following :— Liverpool to Manchester ; War • rington to Newton ; Warrington to Heyton ; Runcorn to St. Helens ; Runcorn to Heyton ;
Liverpool -to Bury ; Liverpool to Preston ; Manchester to Preston ; Newton to Preston ; Kenyon to Bolton ; Bolton to Clitheroe ; Clifton to Comm; Manchester to Todraorden ; Manchester to Stockport, to Ashton, and to Oldham ; Preston to Accrington ; Preston to Fleetwood ; Preston to Lancaster ; and many minor branches. They form a complete net work, the proprietorship of which we need not here disentangle.
From the moist nature of the climate, Lan cashire is more productive in grass than in corn. Oats are more cultivated than wheat. Potatoes were early cultivated in the fields in Lancashire, and they retain their celebrity. Meadows and pastures are very extensive. Even the extent of grass which is kept for the purpose of bleaching linen on is very consi derable, especially in the neighbourhood of Manchester, of Bolton, and other manufac turing towns. A great quantity of new milk is required in the manufacturing towns, and much butter and cheese are also made in the county.
Lancashire is the most important manu facturing county in England. Not only is the cotton manufacture the largest branch of industry, but it has probably no parallel in any other country. The cotton factories are exceedingly numerous, and are spread over most parts of the county. Silk, woollen, and flax manufactures are also carried on, but to a much smaller extent than cotton. Engineering of every description, and ship-building, are other branches of Lancashire industry. Iron and brass manufactures ; hat factories; glass, bottle, and pottery works ; alkali, soap, and che mical works ; pin manufactories ; watch move ment manufactories—are among the numerous branches of Lancashire industry.
The commerce of Lancashire consists mainly in the immense trade carried on at Liverpool : the shipping at Lancaster and Fleetwood is of no great amount. The canals and railways conduct a vast inland traffic with other parts of England.