The Minnesota pioneer. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn. Territory) 1849-1855, 1851-09-11

, It's character became nt once changed, from
J that Of damp, rigid aggregation Of fax I.
8 a light, expansive mass Of cotIOny texture
3 increasing in size like leavening dough, oi
= an expanding sponge. The change was nt
less striking when this converted mass il
: its turn was placed in the next vessel, which
. contained the hypo-chIor,te OF magnes,a and
, became at once bieached, attaining then ihs
color, Ms it had just before received the
, texture, of cotton" .-.......5
One great advantage in connection with
this mode of preparing the fax-and It i.
one of the highest importance to the agri-
culturist-is, that the flax will not be re-
quired to he pulled before it in fully anil
. conpletely ripe, as is now the case where
: a fine flax is required. A valuable crop Oi
fully ripened seed may therefore be obtain.
ed, IN addition to the fiber. Moreover, we
are told, that The fax Cotton may BE- pre-
pared at Il cost considerably less than that
at which cotton can be protitably grown and
imported. .-.t .
VI course, IL is not To he supposed that
F in order TO prepare flax cotton, any person
would act 50 aiisurdiy AZ to purchase flax
stepped and scutched IN the node ia which
+ IT Is usually brought into the market for the
hax-Sp'nner. The great point in the inv Ell
ton Is, that the fax may be taken from the
held, and converted into n soft, cotton-like
substance, at a cost considerably less than
that incurred even in the ordinary modes of
sleeping and scutching, in order TO prepare
It for the tlax-spinner. Prepared for the
market by sleeping an.l scutching, fax will
range in price from f4O TO EI2O per tan;
aud to operate upon fiber so prepared, in
order TO produce 4 material which would
sell for half that amount, would he indeed
something like an attempt to trans,nute gold
intO copper. This, however, is not the OBJ
Ject OF the invention. The Cheyalier
Ciaussen commences, as is shown by the
samples IN his stand, at the same point
where the ordinary flax dresser commences
at that of the flax in the straw; and 10y
producing larger quantity at greatly re-
duced cost, and without incurring any waste
IN the shape OF refuse tow, he obtains an
article capable Of being spun on the oriina-
ry cotton machinery, aud of being sold at q
price which, While it is less than that OF
the long flax prepared for the linen manu-
tncturer, is also lower than that a, which
cotton itself can be proftably grown, either
by tree or sla'e labor, in the great cotton
producing district OF the United States.
The fax cotton is shown dyed in various
colurs Immediately after carding; it is also
shown dyed in various colors in yarns spun
entirely from flax, or mixed with various
proportions Of cotton, and in the case of
the mixed yarns no difference Of color of
the two substances is at all percertibe---
thus showing that the flax so prepared il.
capable OF taking the same Opaque dye as
ordinary cotton. Some samples Of warn
prepared as silk are also displayed, and. as
illustrating The great command which the
inventor has over this fiber, these are dyed
III coIors possessing all the glossiness and
brilliancy of the most beautiful silk. Sew.
eral pieces Of calico formed entirely Of flax
and others formed Of mixture of flax and
cotton, bleached and dressed as ordinary
cloth, are exhibited.
Continuing his inspection, the visitor " i'll
next see specimens Of yarn formed Of a
mixture of wool and fiax-cotton. Hitherto
il had been found impossible to felt or mill
yarns, or fabrics formed Of a mixture Of
flax d.woOl, or even tO produce a yarn
formed Of these two substances, as the fax
naturally does not possess the same feiting
properties as wool. As we stated, howev-
er, at the commencement, the fax, and even
cotton itself, undergOes considerable
change in its structure when prepared by
the Chevalier ClauSseD, and the former is
found to felt equally we'll as wool. Indeed,
some specimens of felt formed of rabbits
hair and flax are shown, as illustrative of
the great telling properties which the scot
tonIZed'' flax fiber possesses. In addition
to the mixed wool and fiax-cotton yarns
shown, there are displayed several pieces
of excellent flannel formed Of those yarns, g,
and pieces of broadclOtb, grey and dy Ell, of
a remarkably clean, bright, and pure color,
ami OF great strength and durability. The
great advantages which this discovery
places in the way Of the woolen nanufnc
turer are too obvious TO require comment.
A substance equal in every respect to wool,
and admirably adapted for mixing with il,
is given TO the manufacturer at price
something less than one-tourth of that of
his Ordiusry staple--tb enabling him to
produce Il mixed WOODEN fabric mt a prnpor-
tOnally lower rate than be is able To manu-
facture his woolen goods; while, ut the same
time, the purchaser will he benefited, by OBJ
tanning at greatly reduced price an article
equally durable with one formed entirely of
the more expensive fabric.
The last series Of specimens shown are
those which illustrate the applicability of
the flaxcotton to the purposes of the Lei
cester aud Nottingham hosiery trade. The
articles shown consist of stockings. draw
ers, ard other ordinary articles OF hosiery,
and both in colors and in ts xture, they are
everything which can he desired. To those
Interested in the continued and increased
prosperity of our great agricultural and
manufacturing industries, we would recon-
mend an attentive examination of the nrti
.. cles shown Ivy the Chevalier Claussen.--
The advantages attendant upon fax culture
are points from which We have abstained in
our present remarks; but we would corsli-
ally commend to the notice Of agricul,urists
the desirableness Of Immediately putting
themselves in position TO supply the ex-
tensve demand which will no doubt shortly
arise for fax, and to obtain possession Of a
market for the supply of which our ener-
getic transatlantic cousins appear to be al
ready making great prepar a,ions. .-.f