The Express.
London, England, 1867-09-21 00:00:00

sEcnox IL-ECONOMY A 713 TRADE.

In 'him section the special question for consideration
was, " Can any measures be taken to develop and extend
the manufactures of Ireland?" Mr. John Mulholland,
J.P., presided.
• • --

The first paper on the subject was read by Mr. Wm.
Ewart, juu., J.P. After some introductory remarks, he
said :—lt had been said that flax exhausted the soil. On
this subject be would give them the opinion of Dr.
Hodges, than whom there was not a greater authority.
That gentleman said that "if it were rightly managed, flax'
would be one of the least exhaustive crops grown by far-
men. Flax was peculiarly suited to the soil of Ire-
land." The same authority stated that Ireland possessed ad-
vantages which, if her fields were previously cultivated,
would enable her to produce more fibre than would meet
the wants of Europe. The American markets would take
a great deal of their produce, and they might supply the
English and continental markets, as Irish flax was much
superior to that grown on the continent. It was math-
factory to know that through the means of the Flax
Extension Society, efforts were being made to develop
this branch of industry ; and he Moped they would succeed
in stimulating the production of the flax crop in the
south. In referring to flax spinning, the writer said that
the enoourageinent that the government had for centuries
given to the spinning of linen yarn had not been attended
with much success until 1b28.9, when the spinning of
flax was commenced on an extensive scale. From that
time to the present the progress of the trade had been such
that there were now SO mills with 80,000 spindles, erected
at a cost of 4,500,000/. There was no want of mercantile
enterprise in this branch of the trade. He next referred to

[TWOPENCE

the linen manufacture in all its branches. and to the great
improvements that had been effected in the trade by the
introduction of steam-power looms. At the present time
there were 12,000 power looms at work in Ireland. As a
means of further developing this trade, he would suggest
that an inquiry aheuld be instituted with re to the
partial clothing of the troops and the in work-
houses with Irish linens. Mr. Swart next tided to the
Irish woollen trade, and stated that at present there were
40 mills at work in Ireland, employing about 1,000 hands
in the manufacture of woollens. The U•ade was beginning
to show some signs of recovery. Extra encouragement
was required for this trade, and he would rejoice that the
suggestion made by Mr. Baker—namely, that the Irish
constabulary should be clothed with Irish woollens—should
be carried into effect.

Mr. Y. H. Burgess read a paper on " Flax Extension in
Ireland." He said—Let us take • typical Irishman on
flax wing intent, and let us name him ' Paddy Blake."
Pad lives somewhere in Munster or Connaught. He
has nerd of the fortunes made by flax, and re-
solves to try his hand at it. To such • roam
as ploughing in the autumn, to give the soil the
benefit of the winter's frosts, he is • total stranger.
It follows that there is no subsequent cross-ploughing to
clean the land. The soil, thus tilled with weeds, is, more-
over, undrained, or the drains are so unskilfully made as
to be worse than useless. Paddy's purchase of seed is far
from promising, for he gets it from a man who keeps • sort
of ironmongery, grocery, and general tailoring establish-
ment and spirit store in a neighbouring country town, and
who, not having • very regular demand, is not very parti-
cular as to the brand or the age of the seed which be sup-
plies to his customers. This remark is no more intended
to apply to retailers of seed generally than is the descrip-
tion of Paddy Blake meant to picture the generality of
Irish farmers. Well, as may be expected from all the cir-
cumstances, the braird comes up thin and irregular, and
alternate visitallons of rain and droughts at moat trying
times make the crop present • very sorry aspect, and the
weeds alone show signs of vigour. At last, however, the
flax is palled and ready for the watering. But the bole is
too deep ; so that which lies near the bottom is
" shined," to say nothing of a taint of mineral
1 ore, which has an injurious effect upon the water.
Then the flax is taken out again before the straw is
sufficiently detached, to make up for which it is left
on the grass till the fibre begins to rot. No wonder, then,
that the scutcher (to whom Paddy has to cart his flax
thirty miles or so) exclaims—" Man alive, ye'll have no
yield out of that flax at all at all! But fist lave it to use,
and I'll docther it for ye." So the flax is " docthered." A
" fine skin " is put upon the outside, but the inside of the
streaks is all bristling with shoves, and the ends are one
mass of scutehing tow. To complete this history, Paddy,
after many disappointments and vicissitudes, sells for
le. lid, per stone the flax for which he had fondly hoped
to get lOs. feel. ; and it is dear at the money to the spinner
who buys it, being short, deficient in quality. and giving
a very bad yield at the hackle. And if the yield to the
spinneris bad, the yield to Paddy is far worse ; for he finds
himself with only about half as many stone to the acre as
good draining, good ploughing, good cleaning, good manur-
ing, goad handling, anti good aoutching would have
insured to him. What is the remedy? Till some
paternal government shall have undertaken the
necessary, but too long neglected, task of imparting
agricultural instruction to our agricultural youth
through the medium of night classes at our national
schoola, we most not attempt to encourage indiscriminate
flax growing. But we may safely exhort landowners to in-
troduce the crop in their favoured spots, where they know
good tillage farming to be already in vogue, provided that
the soil be suitable, and tkat the crop be not repeated in
the same field more than once in an ordinary rotation. The
paper concluded by insisting further upon the necessity of
skill in the cultivation of fiat.
Mr. Arnold Baruchson read a paper on "The advantages
that would accrue to Ireland from the cultivation and
I manufacture of sugar from beet root." The principal
points taken up in the paper were three in number : first,
the rise and progress of the manufacture of sugar from
beet-root ou the continent ; second, the benefits and ad-
vantages to these countries ; and third, the reasons why
Great Britain, and still more Ireland, should at once
adopt it as their own. Sugar was by no means the
only product of beet-root. Spirits were distilled from
the molasses, potash from the refuse of the distillation,
I and the pulp which remained was much used in food for
cattle. Even isiangel wurzel was thrown into the shade
by the great nutritious qualities of this refuse. He saw
nothing to prevent Ireland and Great Britain from mirth
cipating in the benefits which attended this enterprise.
The weight of raw material Irish soil was capable of pro-
ducing varied from Iti to 40 tons per statute acre. This
being the cane, they were much surprised on the continent
that England and Ireland and Scotland did not avail
themselves of the advantages to be derived from this
branch of enterprise, which, he believed, in time would
altogether supplant the colonial auger in the market.
Mr. Arthur Cleary, Barrister-at-Law, read • paper on
the organization of industry with a view to cheap produo-
tion. He advocated as most suitable under the present
circumstances, the co-operation of capital and labour on
equal terms, on the basis of an equitable distribution of
property, after certain definite proportions, with a super-
added contract insuring the workman minimum wages.
A lengthened discusaion having taken place on the
several papers,
The section adjourned.

SIR MOSES MONTEFIORE'S MISSION TO
ROUMANIA.