The republic., 1851-04-18
Flax Cotton.

The London correspondent of the New York
Commercial Advertiser says Of flax cotton
"The use of fax cotton, manufactured according z
to the process of Chevalier Claussen is now in pro-
gress on an extensive scale at Bradford, in York
shire and at Cork, in Ireland, largo mill owners At
those places having entered into contracts"
One of the most distinguished agriculturists
of Pennsylvania, familiar all his life with the
cultivation Of fax, writes us to the following
effect:
"Flax is Of as easy culture any crop we can
raise, and in cost it bears but small proportion
pound for pound, with cotton grown on new ground
with the best season.
Hemp requires a stronger soil, but the yield is
much greater than fax. My experience leads me
to think that the crop Of either is much less liable
to failure than any crop we could raise. as fax
natures early in July, and hemp in August, both
out OF danger Of injury from drought, tho dry sea
son generally occurring later.
"As q fabric for sheeting and shirting | deem
linen q luxury when compared with cotton, and
laborers would never wear cotton if they could
procure linen at reasonable price. If the fibre Of
these plants can be prepared for power spinning,
it will reduce the demand for cotton fabrics TO
revolutionary extent, greater even than that pro-
duced by the of the gin in the rustic costumes
Of our people,
That the success Of the new operation will
be followed by reduction in the demand for
cotton fabrics to an almost " revolutionary ex-
tent" cannot, we think, be doubted. The peo-
pie Of every part Of the continent of Europe
can raise, and spin, and weave fax for them
selves; and Russia and Poland, which now
supply England SO cheaply with grain, will
find themselves greatly benefited by adding to
the grain large supplies of fax, which can
certainly be raised at less cost than cotton, and
will yield a fabric that will be preferred. We
yet, however, have doubts of the success of
the new operation; and our principal reason for
now bringing the matter before our southern
readers is, that we desire again to invite their
attention to the fact that, for the whole Of the
last thirty years, the tendency of southern poll
cy has been that of driving the spinning ma
chinery to the fax-growing countries of the
world, instead of inviting it to take its place
| among its own cotton fields. Should they not,
then, take warning from what is now going
on, if time be yet allowed them, if failure
from any cause attend the present operation2
Had the tariff of l842 been maintained we
| should be now consuming at least nine hundred
| thousand bales, large portion of which would
be worked up in the southern States; for by
| this time the northern manufacturers would be
chiefly engaged in the production of finer goods,
leaving to the South the production Of coarse
ones. As it is, our consumption, North and
South, is not likely, as we learn, to reach even
half million, and there is little prospect Of
change in the future, unless towards reduction
of the quantity.
few years of thorough and complete pro-
lection would enable the South to ship its own
manufactures to almost every part of the world
and so much below the prices at which similar
goods could be supplied by England, that they
might almost set fax at defiance; and yet they
deny themselves that protection! We entrea
them to look to the fact that they are every
day more and more placing the control of thu
spinning machinery Of the world in the hands o
the fax-grow ers of the world.