The Minnesotian. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn. Territory) 1851-1852, 1851-09-17
From The London Morning chroniclc.
Flax Cotton a, the Worlds Fair.

new TO the readers of the Morning Chron.
icle. Some time since we announced the
discovery Of 4 process by which the harsh
and elastic iibers of the ay-plant might
be converted into soft down-hke sub
stance, analogous to the fibers of cotton
and capable Of being treated, in It's after
stages, in every respect similar TO it. But
we stated that, unlike cotton in one re-
spect, it possessed felting properties which
adapted it equally for spinning in combi-
nation with wool, and that fabrics pro-
duced from mixture of flax and cotton.
or fax and wool, possessed degree oil
sof,ness and strength which did not char
acterize those formed entirely of the one
staple. We stated also that, in conse-
quence of the alterations effected in the
character of the fiber, the flax would be
capable of taking dye and receiving i'm
pressions similar to any other fiber, wheth-
er animal or vegetable; and further, that
the substance so produced could be pre-
pared and sold with profit to the producer,
at price less than that at which cotton
could be proiitably imported into this
country.
The announcement of such discovery
was received by many persons with in
creduliiy. Some supposed that We had
been grievously imposed upon; but others,
Judging more correctly, inferred that we
should not have committed ourselves day
after day to statements pf facts, the accu-
racy of which we had not the fullest op-
portunity of testing and verifying. For
this reason we decline to notice attacks
made upon us by parties who ought 10
have been the first to hail such an inven-
ton, which, if successful, would do SO
much to promote and encourage the growth
of fax in the United Kingdom. We
thought it sufficient TO leave the great cx-
hibilion to give satisfactory answer to
all the objections, and to afford practical
demonstration of the acc,lrao os' of u'rr STATE
| menls. The event has more than justi-
fled our anticipations, and in the nuner-
Gus specimens exhibited by Chevalier
Clausscn in the south gallery Of the exhi-
bition, as well as in the departments Of
Canada, Russia, France, and Austria, will
be found the most complete confirmation
of every statemer- which we have made
upon the subject.
With respect TO the great value of the
invention, when carried out, to the coun-
try-wheiher regarded in an agricultural
OF mechanical point Of yiew-whether as
affording to our agricaiurists a market
for profitable and beneficial crop. as rem
dering them independent of foreign aid
for their supply of oil-cake produced from
the Hax-seed, OF as bringing to the assist
ance of the cotton and woolen manuiac-
lures valuable auxiliary. available at all
times and all seasons--there cannot, we
apprehend, exist difference of opinion in
any reasonable mind.
The history which Cheva!ier Claussen
gives of the causes which first led him to
experiment upon flax, for the purpose of
''cottonizing' it, is exceedingly interest
ing, illasmuch as it shows that his success
was the result of inductive research, and
net the offspring of mere chance. Hc
tells us that, in wandering along the lux
uriant banks of the Brazilian rivers, bis
attention was attracted to white, down
like substance, adhcring to the branches
of trees overhanging and touching the
= stream. On obtaining quantity OF it, he
was so pleased with its character that
thinking he had discovered some hitherto
unknown vegetable product, he was de-
termined TO traceit, if possible, its source
and to ascertain the plant which had
yielded ii. With the ardor OF natural
ist he commenced his task, and eventually
found that the substance had been washed
from bed Of flax straw, the produce Of
some Of his own land, and which, long be-
fore, he had caused to be thrown, as use
less, near the banks of the river. To this
heap the swollen waters had occasional
access-icrmentation and the dccomp posi-
!. ton Of portion of the plant had taken
place--and in time the influence of natural
chemistry had so separated the filaments
of the flax fiber as TO give the mass cot
ton-like appearance; and some of it, hav-
ing been washed into the river, had been
arrested by the overhanging branches
Although the substance thus accidentally
discovered was far from being in that con-
tition which would fit it for the hands oi
the cotton-spinncr, yet, even in its then
imperfect state, it led the Chevalier TO cn-
terrain the idea of the possibility of COM
pleting, by the aid Of artificial chemistry,
that which nature had but partially ac-
compished.
The first object worthy of notice in the
stand of the Chevalier Claussen, is ma
chine for the purpose of reducing the bulk
of the flaw cron by tho rpmovol of n con-
siderable portion of the straw from the
stem Of the plant, leaving the fiber in a
partially cleaned state. Hitherto the great
difficulty with all growers Of flax has been
the preparation Of the crop for market
the grower having been compelled either
to resort to the tedious and precarious pro-
cess of sleeping his flax, or to dispose oI
it to factors as il came from the field, upor
any terms which they might think proper