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a piece of ground adoyalty of Glasgow, in of Charles II. It apok place seventy-two ad also acquired some are, "dissolving the longing to the Town lesdale, and annexing

mill on the site of the he Town's mill, served rchased from the Masnuff and malt mill at bove the Partick mills. operty into a flour mill, 1; they have also from o the establishment at

Iroughty weather, that ve the trade, the falls on only from four to five 01, made a considerable achinery in this part of gine of thirty-two horse of flour is ensured for

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It may be naturally inquired, how it happens that bread is frequently sold in Edinburgh and Perth cheaper than in Glasgow? Without knowing the proper bearings of this question, it may be observed generally, that, as the Assize Table is the same over the whole Island, the difference most probably arises from these towns lying in the vicinity of the Lothians and the Carse of Gowrie, the principal districts in Scotland for the growth of wheat; while, in Glasgow, a very great proportion of the whole wheat consumed, has either to be imported or subjected to land-carriage.

MILLS AND GRANARIES AT PARTICK AND CLAYSLAP.

The extensive mills at Partick and Clayslap, lying on the south bank of the River Kelvin, about two miles west from Glasgow, belong to the Incorporation of Bakers in that City. Before the Reformation, the Bakers of Glasgow were in use to grind at the Town's Mill at Partick, and also at a small mill which then belonged to the Archbishop, and subsequently to the Crown. The mill which belonged to the Church was situated a little to the east of the Town's Mill, and had nearly gone into decay. These mills being of small dimensions, were barely sufficient to supply the inhabitants, and by no means capable of producing an extra quantity on any emergency.

In the year 1578, the forces of the Regent Murray, who successfully opposed those of the unfortunate Mary, Queen of Scots, at the battle of Langside, were quartered in Glasgow and its neighbourhood; on this occasion the Bakers were called on for an extraordinary supply of bread for the troops, which they accomplished by uncommon exertions in bruising and bolting grains, not only in the mills, but also in their own houses, so much to the satisfaction of the Regent, that he gave them a grant* of the Archbishop's mill, which had now

* See page 14, vol. I.

become the property of the Crown, and a piece of ground adjoining it, which was annexed to the Royalty of Glasgow, in the first session of the first parliament of Charles II. It appears from the annexation, (which took place seventy-two years after the grant,) that the Town had also acquired some kind of right to this mill; the words are, "dissolving the lands of the wheat mill on Kelvin, belonging to the Town and the Baxters, from the Shire of Clydesdale, and annexing them to the Town of Glasgow."

In 1664, the Bakers erected a small mill on the site of the old one, which, in conjunction with the Town's mill, served them till the year 1771, when they purchased from the Magistrates and Council of Glasgow, the snuff and malt mill at Clayslap, a few hundreds of yards above the Partick mills. The Corporation then fitted up this property into a flour mill, which has been subsequently enlarged; they have also from time to time made large additions to the establishment at Partick. It frequently happens in droughty weather, that there is not a sufficiency of water to serve the trade, the falls on the Kelvin, adjoining the mills, being only from four to five feet; the Corporation, therefore, in 1801, made a considerable addition to the Clayslap mill. The machinery in this part of the premises is moved by a steam-engine of thirty-two horse power, so that now a regular supply of flour is ensured for the trade during the whole year *.

* The flour during its manufacture, undergoes a threefold process: the first is the sheiling, by which the wheat is cleaned and prepared for the mill; the next is the grinding of the wheat between the stones, in which the flour is not separated from the bran; and the last is what is called bolting, or the process of separation. When the grain has completed its second stage of manufacture, it is fed into an inclined cylinder in the bolting machine, whose divisions, lined with brush work, form five spaces, covered with wire cloth on the outside, usually denominated bolting cloth. This cloth is warped, so that it has from fifty-six to sixty-two threads in the width of one inch.

The bolting machine is so constructed, that the first, second, and third qualities of flour, hens' meal, and bran, are produced at one and the same time.

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The Clayslap mills, it is believed, are not inferior to any in the Empire, in point of situation, management, and the internal arrangements of the machinery. The principal mill has four floors; is 207 feet long, and 41 feet wide, within the walls; it contains three water-wheels, each 17 feet diameter, and 6 feet 6 float-boards; has fifteen pairs of stones, double motion, on one floor; four bolting and two sheiling machines. The mills at Partick contain four water-wheels, seven pairs of stones, two bolting and one sheiling machine, so that there are seven water-wheels, twenty-two pairs of stones, six bolting and three sheiling machines, connected with the establishment. There are also four granaries; two of these are four stories high, each 140 feet long, and 35 feet wide. The kilns, and the other buildings, are proportionate to the mills.

These mills are on a scale capable of grinding 3,000 bolls of wheat per week, or 156,000 per annum. In 1815, there were upwards of 90,000 bolls manufactured. The granaries are calculated to contain from 30 to 35,000 bolls of grain. The millstones used in these premises, are from 4 feet 8 inches to 4 feet 10 inches diameter, and 12 inches thick. They are built on the spot, with small stones from the neighbourhood of Bourdeaux, called French Burrs; they are very hard, free from sand, and are joined together by stucco cement, within an iron hoop. The grounds connected with these works extend to about fourteen acres. The value of the whole may be estimated at somewhat between- 45,000l. and 50,000l.

The advantages arising from these premises, are alike beneficial to the public, and the members of the incorporation; by their means the latter has the advantage of commodious premises for the storage and manufacture of their grain, while the former are ensured in a constant supply of bread, which, before the extension of these mills, was not the case. In severe droughts, the price of bread has been increased from the want of water to grind the wheat. At a particular period in 1800, before the erection of the steam-mill, there was not

as much flour in the City as would supply the wants of the inhabitants one day; the Bakers were, therefore, under the necessity of carting their wheat to Alloa and other distant places, to get it ground, at very considerable additional expense.

The buildings are all erected, and the business carried on, from the funds of the incorporation, the members paying a converted multer for what grain they grind. This multer or rate has invariably fluctuated according to circumstances, and the state of the times: in 1780, it was 64d.; and in 1816, it is 134d. per boll, including cartage from the mills to the Baker's premises in the City, the wheat being sent to the mills at the expense of the individual. The profits arising from this extensive milling and storage concern, are regularly carried to the credit of the incorporation. In times of great drought, when the whole mills are not sufficient to accommodate the trade with their usual quantity, the Deacon fixes the grist or rotation conformable to the business of the respective members.

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The Cess is levied on rental and trade, and is laid on the inhabitants by Commissioners chosen annually by the Magistrates and Council: it has been customary to apportion one-fourth on trade, and three-fourths on rental. The rate has been greatly reduced of late years, in consequence of the increase of rental and trade; at present, the rate chargeable on rents, amounts to about one penny and three farthings per pound.

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