New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1851-04-26
The Flax lIaYement.


fs National To- po,frnes aa9 fdraasrees s,A dyses, s
hsTyeya,as5a of FL,N CorroS. AID as c-ltrIssssf
flaE By ne C1sraio CL.vssEN'
Such is the fall title Of fresh Loadon
pamphlet Just reprinted in neat, compact
octave of as pages by John Wiley, 30l
Broadway. The subject is Just now one of
deep interest 10 America as we'll as Eng
land. and portends speedy and compre-
hensive Revolution in Agriculture, Com
merce and Manufactures. NJ. Claussep's
essay embodies msny facts of general in.
terest. though it by no means exhausts the
tonic. 1t was Lot needed to convince rs
that Flax is destined speedily and formid.
ably 70 rival Cotton. and it was not posi-
bic 10 Print within 80 narrow compass all
the facts and explanations pertinent 10 the
general theme. But the whole ground is
gone over. and toe conclusions ara most en-
couraeing. We copy from it NJ. ClauSseu's
description of his process Tor the
PREPARATION OF FLAX COTTON.
The principle OF the invention by which aax Is
adapted for spinning upon cotton, wool, and sill
indepeudent OF fax machinery, consists in aes.
troying the cylindrical or tubular character Of the
fire. bv means of carbonic or other gas, the &c.
tion of which splits the tubes into a number Of
ribbon Ike ilaments, solid In character andda
gravity less than cotton, the upper and under Sr.
faces of which are segmeuts OF circles, and the
sides Of which are ragged and serrated. In order
70 explain the nature ot the process by which
this change is effected = IS necessary hrst to ex.
plain the structure Of the AZ plant. The stem
If the plant consists Of three parts the shove o.
WOOD. the pure fibre, and the gun, resin or glas.
nous matter which causes the iiores to adhere to-
eether. Ina the preparation OF the plant for any
uurrose Of fine manufacture II is necessary frs.
10 sepsrate from the pure fibre both the woody
part sud the sluyinous substance. The toemer OF
these may be removed by mechanical means
previously referred to, almost as simple IS those
employed Ia the threshing of wheat In order how.
ever 20 remove the gutinous substance from the
fibre, recourse must be had either 20 the iefmen.
ta,on produced in the sleeping process or TO some
other chemical sgent The present system OF
steepipe in water whether cold or hot, Is, how.
ever, Intellectual for the complete removal Of the
elutinous substances sdherng to the hbres, "a
large per centage OF which 10 lnsoluble IN water.
The first process, therefore, which II Is Necessary
20 adopt in the preparation Of flax cotton Is TO OBJ
tain perfect and complete disintesraIion OF the
fbres from each other, by the entire removal Of
the substance which binds them together
This il effected BY boiling the tiax tor about
three hours either in the state in which It comes
from the field or in partially cleaned condition,
in water containing about one hall per cent Of
common soda After undergoing this process, the
fax is placed in water slightly acidulated with
sulphuric acid: the proportions OF acid used being
l 70 500 of water ANY objections urged against
the employment Of such substances, even IN me
small proportions above stated, are at once met
by the fact that the soda present IN tue straw
alter the first process, neuiralses the whole OF
the acid and forms neutral salt, known as sui
phate of soda. This process producing ih does
a complete separation of the integral hbres from
each other, il equally adapted for the preparation
of long fibre for the linen, or OF short fibre Tor the
other branches of textile manufacture. Whenre'
ouired 10 be prepared for linen, all that 10 necei
sary aler the above process, 10 to dry anu scuicn
IL in the ordinary modes The advantages whcn
this mode Of preparation possesses over any other
mode now in use, are stated IN the oiheia repoH
of the proceedings 1T the Royal Agricultural 90
cety 10 be the following;
That the preparation ofiong fibre Tor scn;chiogbG
fected ia less thsn one day, ana Is hwsys uniorn -
Strength and entirely free nom color much %
AFTER process Of bleaching either In yarns or IN ccln ~
Tha. It can be- also oeaohed In the straw @'epH~'
2 = Thai he former tedious and uncertain modes Of
sleeping superseded by one perfectly certain WIN oral
nary care. ,.- ...
THAT 10 consequence Of more complete severance
Of tho fbres from each and from the BAH .ai
boon the process ofscuicbing 10 eheced WIN hN noW
Dor usually employed
Complete, however as may be the separation
produced by this mode Of treatment the hOres
from their tubular and 6 lIndrical character are
still adapted only for the linen or present hn
manufactures, as their comparatively harsh ai
elastic character units them for spinning on tne
ordinary cotton or wooden machinery. Az ub
stage therefore il is that the most important pax
& ~ il. hreugbt infn onaFaki0u. Ina
flax, either before or after undergoing the Pv
cesses required for the severance OF the hores,n
cat BY a suitable machine into the requires
lengths, and saturated in a solution oil Dl CARGO
nate OF soda common baking soda a sufficient
length Of time 70 allow ot the liquid entering hw
and permeating by capillary attraction every pay
of the small tubes. When sufficiently saturated,
the fbres are taken out, immersed in a solution Of
dilute sulphuric acid of the strength OF about one
part 10 two hundred parts OF water The ACTON
OF the acid on the soda contained 10 the EaDe
lberates the carbonis gas which II contains !no
expansive power OF which causes the hofes "
spit, and produces the result above described
The fibre is then bleached, and after having oeeD
dried and carded in the same manner as cot'oH
is fl for being spun upon the ordinary cotson "
wooden machinery the material at this sst'
possessing the qualities described in the MAY
chester Examiner and Tunes, and 10 which hna
sion has already been made The practlcaoihV
oftransiorming fax into this cottonke substance
was demonstrated at the last meeting Of n'
Royal Agricultural Society, by Professor Wa
the consulting chemist to the Society, and w
Secretary Mr.. Hudson referring, in bis report
the proceedings, to the experiment which thH
took place, says
"A hough have long been practically familiar "
The expensive effects Of ssrform buds suddenly dssns
chemically from apparently cold and inert sabssss
Ike gEnposcer either IL firearms The blasting OF ROB
and IN their elastic reoo when released from no pr
sure Of ndenssOn Ia the air gun tho liquid gB
OF Dr. FuadAy, We were not prepared for 90 bosuunb
instance Of tho spplicsion Of this principle as NO
ChevAier ClAnssen has given IN tho splitting OF yes
bic FIBRE by conveying Toto ia in1rsuces The csf0oae
gus concealed Ia condensation and chemca -
ance with sOts, sni then setting II ffes " ~
addition Of seid which br-ass of that alliance w
its own superior elective affinity for The alEsJ: No.
shown Ia their resu 10 b. so.pOwerf1l and 10 lbf o1
ton gentle YET scsys 70 The simple ez penm7
made 10 The presence Of Tho council BY Profe"F W.
more the air Of new Instance Of natural magic msa
sober reality q 40 ordinary operation Of osnLs ssrs
which the application only novel and ~ enses ~ -