New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1851-03-04

cotton, bow widely different is the princinl.
adopted by ChevsiIer Cis1ssen to that Of otbs,
/ persons who have come forward with the saDs
/ object
Persons 10 the slightest degree conyers.nt xi,.
the subject we'll knOH that there is a yast ,Hs,
eRce IN the structure OF the 6Der of aAx AMI ca.
ton and We were not 81 pr'sed that our anpounca
ment OF the practicabiity OF sabstitutiuy the a.,
/ for the other was received st first with coz
siderable degree OF hesitation. The fiber Of cot.
ton Is what may be termed ribbon fo,msS'r
/ while that OF flax is . lnidcal We WEE C,li,,
aware Of this material fiierence in tha tra -
/ ticles; but also knew that the mod. a4oo,as
IN the preparation bad the effect Of so conolstel,,
changing the character 81 the fax as 20 ,a,ks 4,
matter OF the utmost difficulty 70 Distinguish h
/ wien properly prepared. from cotton. Upon the
/ ~ 1oyal OF the wood substance. which forms GA
Of the compliment psrts of the stem OF the Cav
/ plant, there remains q quantty Of fiber held h.
7 sether by the gluten gum resin, which adhera,
10 them. Ia order 10 separate these haers il Il
necessary 70 employ ferme utatiOn. or other chem
icsl sgency, which viii have the effect Of dssolv
ing this glutiEous natter and OF setting the 6he,,
| free, and IN such state as q lit them Coz tia
further manipulatious required in the prOcesses
OF manufacture. These hners when so Separated
are, however, coarse. harsh. and elastic, as com,
pared with cotton, and their length woald ev
IDENTIFY unit them for spinning In the existing cot
ton machinery. Ii their length, however, were
the only obstacle, it Is obvious that there are
many MODES by which that dlticulty nigh, be
obvisted the great points TO overcome being their
harshness and elasticity.
By the present mode Of sleeping in bot or cold
water, and the subsequent operations OF break
ing and scutching' usually resorted 10, partial
decomposition Of the rssinous substance and
separation of the hbers take place, suthcent 70
adapt them 10 the linen aud other manalactarea
In which fax is now employed. But, Tor the
reasons above Indicated is requisite that more
complete separation should take place before the
material can be operated upon Tor the purpose Of
adapting 10 as a substitute Tor cotton. A complies
division Of the hDers aad removal Of the resinoas
matter is therefore tho hist step res0rted TO by
Chevaher Claussen. TINS IL ELECTED oy him
either by operating directly upoL the fax stem
as il comes from the field or upon the 6ber, after
il has been cleared, by purely mechanical means,
from the woody portion OF the plant. Ehe present
modes ot sleeping are entirely dispensed VITA,
aud one Oh the Ert Attest obstacles 70 an extension
of the growth OF fax Is thus etfectually removed.
The grower is not required to transform himself
into a clumsy chemist or IN resort 70 tedious and
extensive processes Ia order 10 prepare his pro.
duce for the market. He may, where conyenleni,
dispose of his fax in the straw, or by simple me-
chanical means he may move the wood from the
plant which will form valuable ioOd Tor cattle,
and thus facilitate the means OF transport by re-
ducipg it's bulk That which under the present
,
in periods ranging from two or three days to as
MANY weeks, is accomplished by Mr. Claussen, by
chemical agency, in less than three hours, and
without deteroratiDg or injuring the material
Complete, however as may DO the dIslntesratlon
obtained by this process the cylindrical hax h0ers
still possess ali that hgrshness and elasticity
which it is necessary to remove before they can
be adopted as a substitute tor cotton. La order 70
effect this removal the inventor splits tne hbeS
into number of small ribbon like strips possess
ing fiat sides and ragged edges, OF agravty some
what less than cotton, aud which, examiner un'
der the microscope present all the appearance
of that material We are not at liberty al pres
ent 70 state further than that this result can DO
eiIectualy obtained by the application, IN very
ingenious and simple mode, OF electro gaYanic
or chemical agency. IL ls ia TINS part OF the pro-
cess that the really valuable part OF the Invention
comes into action and those who are acquainted
with any Of the former sys ems by which max mas
been enceavored TO be transformed INTO cotton'
like substance sBoh as boiling IN sea-water, lime
or other solutions OF a similar character, WI q.
once perceive the great difference Ia the Inooe Oh
treatment adopted by NJ Claussen. and that oil
other persons foe the purpose OF enectlnB 'he oo
iect IL is obvious therefore, that any argument
which might be drawn from previous failures IN
similar attempts can have no weight Whatever n
the decision on the merits of an invention, the
principle and details of which are 50 perfectly
unique in their character
The ihers having been alllt, ana tntiF CJht
drical character thereby completely destroyed
they are in lit state for the ordinary treatmen!
required in placing cotton upon the machinery
In addition, however, % this change OF structure
IL the material, and ts coDsequent adaptation 20
cotton purposes, another very important obstacle
is at the same time removed. Owing 70 tue
great difference ia the relative GRANTEES oil tae
two materials, Eud N adv aufage Ia the lengthd
fiber " hch could be obtained from given weigh!
of cotton, as compared with lax, it would be Oh
viOus that, ia al economical pOnt OF view. ne
latter could never be substituted for the former
unless a considerable dimnutiou IL the cost OF Ae
D.. one, or increase w the price OF the other were
TO take place Thus 10. OF fair bowed GeOr'
gia' cotton, costinasay 20 per 10, spun into sos
would yield 20 200 yards } 10. OF fax, however
costing the same price, 50 per 10 spun into 70a
that number in line" being about equivalent 70
3O's in cotton, would produce bat 2l,OOg yards
being difference ia length OF yarn, 10 favor o.
cotton over fax, OF upward OF 1000 yards or aoOo.
90 per cent but the cotton yarn could be prepared
at cost which would admit of its being sold
lid while the I" line yarn would not be sold lol
less than Sd. being difference Of 7d Ia uo
pound in favor Of cotton. By the process aooYe
described, however, the produce Ia yarn VI
pound Of fax 10 increased from 80 70 100 per con-
over the old mode Of treatment and by regaiasns
the proportions and strength VI the agents en-
poyed it can be increased to a tar greatefo
tent. 1t is not requisite, however, that the nag
and higher priced flax should be used Tor 1n'
purpose on the contrary, by this mode Of urea
ment, the full npe and cOarser kind oil nAS
that which can be used with the greatest adFh
tage. This is a circumstance highly favorable /
an extension Of the grow III of flax, as the grove
will not be under the necessity Of pulling his Jas /
before the seed is fully and completely ripeoee
MOVEMENTS Is HARVARD lsr3
that Professor Edward I. Charming has resign'9 /
his post of Boy ston Professor Of Rhetoric @.
Orstory in Harvard College. Professor Channls
is the oldest Professor connected with the onas,
orndn are danartnent Of the Cnlla0a having neH ]