Page 79

Woven Fabrics: Asset of the Month's Market.              79 
introduced by the manufacturers, the printed andfillover shawls of Norwich
now 
equal the richest productions of the looms of France. The success which has
attended Mr. Blakely's exhibition of Norwich shawls, at the Society of Arts,
may fairly be considered the result of her Majesty's direct regard for this
class 
of British manufacture. Of the specimens exhibited, the woven shawls are
superior to the printed. The first, though of the usual conventional forms,
are 
excellent. The latter are imitative of the woven character, which we think
they ought to avoid. (See page 44.) 
THE ASPECT OF THE MONTH'S MARKET FOR GARMENT FABRICS. 
(From  r Ct Co-nrrespsdent.) 
We are now in the middle of our ornamental spring trade, and yet it is 
difficult to point out very decided favourites.  The purchases have been
conducted on a most impartial system, so as to notice all decorated articles
in a 
limited way; and, as a natural consequence when so many classes of manufacture
are struggling for notice, not any one has benefited much, so far as trade
has 
gone. Another cause, too, has operated to prevent any particular designs
from 
obtaining extended notice: the retail trade has been, and still is, much
depressed 
both in town and country, and purchases are conducted on the most cautious
and 
starving scale; accounts are now restricted within very close limits, and,
as 
plain goods are the urgent wants that must be supplied, the margin left for
our 
unfortunates, the more decorated, is a very narrow one. Thus fancy goods
suffer in two ways, fom a too extended variety of articles and from a contraction
of trade and means. 
Upon the whole, up to the present time, de laes have borne the bell, and
the printers of these goods must have reaped a good harvest during the past
two months. Their fabrics must now soon give place to lighter goods, as 
muslins, bar~ges, &c., but the cold weather keeps them back, and, during
the 
interval, defuaine still hold their ground. Ornamental flounces of all descriptions
have had a good run, and are still attracting a large share of notice, and
Norwich manufacturers must have done well in this branch of business. 
The embroiderers, too, have had no reason to complain of their share of 
patronag, which has been liberal. The above two articles, however, are 
limited branches of trade, and the great department in which quantity is
usually 
gone through (piece-woven goods) is this season much at fault, and caterers
of 
these articlesjustly express disappointment at the result of their exertions.
The weather has been cold and cheerless, and, in consequence, muslins and
barbges that were last year at this time sold in quantities, are this season
hardly 
commenced upon; but the first few fine days will start us in good earnest
with 
all our summer styles and fabrics, and we shall be able next month to present
our subscribers with novelty and variety in this class. 
The market now is in a singular condition: an outcry is raised on all sides
for something new, and, as the "something new" does not make its
appearance, 
producers are compelled to have recourse to old ideas-to turn out their 
drawers and tease their memories to lay hold of something so old that the
present generation shall know it only as a novelty; and certainly this season,
if 
all the things produced could be got together, they would shew a curious
lot of 
antiquated renovations. Never, certainly, was there a greater prize open
to any 
manufacturer: the first really novel production will command an enormous
sale. Some potent magician is wanted to lead the wandering public back into
the beaten track before the autumn. 
PAPER-HANGINGS. 
PAPER-HANGING, masln paitern, manufactured by W. Woollams and Co. 
The pattern now produced by Messrs. Woollams fairly challenges com- 
parison with that of the French paper given in a previous number. The 
groups are tastefully designed and connected together, and they are well
distributed over the muslin-like ground. For rooms of south and south-west
aspects, in country residences, a more cleanly, quiet, yet lively-looking
paper 
/ could not be desired. It is particularly well suited for a lady's boudoir,
and