The Port Gibson herald, and correspondent. (Port Gibson, Claiborne Co., Miss.) 1848-18??, 1851-04-18
Linen a. q Substitute for Cotton.
From fhe MdlsrilIe Z Ky.1 T70St Bon.

I
great deal Of interesti is excited Just r,ow.
Both in Europe and America, by the experts
mems now making with the view of subsitu.
ting Flax for Cotton. Some of the English
writers seem to think that il Wi nnt be long
before they will be able TO do wiflinut eAme-
rican cotton. Some Of the American Press
have already taken the alarm, and are en-
deavoring to solve The question, aWIlat will
become Of the cotton growing States?" in case
fax shall be found TO answer as substitute for
cotton. We are satisfied that the fax will taEe
precedence of cotton, and displace il TO large
extent, but we do not foresee, as some do, de-
strnction to the cotton states. The fact il,
flax grows as well atsthe South as al the
North, and, by introducing manufactures there,
when they change from cotton 10 flax, general
prosperity will prevail there, in place of that
huctuation and uncertainty they now have be-
tween those years Of high prices, as the pre-.
sent, and those when they are compelled to
sell their cotton for less than it really can be
grown for, as a regular, perm anent business
We do not see that the South can be loser by
the change, but, on the contrary, will be greatly
benefited. We reasonably suppose that the ma
nufactured products Of fax would beat as great
an advantage in price over the raw material a.
cotton fabrics usually do-from three to fise
times the price OF the raw material -ahd II 80,
the sales of Southern products will be equal 10
what they now are, if only from one-ffth 10 one
third as much fax or hemp is grown there as il
now grown Of cotton. Bit linens at present
bear an advance Of from tento twenty five times
the first cost of the raw unro;ted flax, whichit il
understood is used BY the new methods; so that
the chances are, for many years TO come, the
South will be able TO double, or perhaps quadru-
Pile the amount Of her exports, unless she neg
ects To embrace the golden opportunity Of nni-1
ting manufactures to her agriculture. The
great error Of the South has been her too excfh@,
siye reliance upon agriculture alone, which now
she viii be compelled to correct, should this cx-
pected revolution take place. e .
1t is true the North and West will come in
for goody share Of this expected prosperitg,,
and certainly there can be no objection to this.
The advantages this country Of cheap lands
must have over all others in supplying the world
with linen and cotton fabrics. are SO great. that
no one portion conld possibly do the business
II il is true that linens from unrotted flax can be
made cheaper than cotton goods otthe same fine-
ness, when cotton is at the lowest paying price,
itfollows, as an inevitable consequences that
this country, and the other new countries, with
good governments and cheap lands, n1ust furnish
tios HllJ EuIpPcs Out FSSt ul ftldDkiiluS WRH
nearly all thin fabrics OF fax and cotton; that
the British islands cannot much longer produce
linens or cotions, except perhaps some OF fancy
tineness as Injuries for the rich. 81 +. !.
The British press must soon cease bmstin1
oftheir promised Independence Of American cot
ton growers. When we produce our own
S6090,o60 worth which she now exports to-
them. (besiGes the same amount To- nsl aud ex-
Trlt
consumption, to say nothing Of The untold unan-
titles which will take the place of cotton both 10
England and to other countries. which England
| can no longer sapPly,why the English song will
be changedt II something in the nature OF "IIark.
from the tornbs." "
We have sample before us Of "fax cotton"
which is as white, and soft, and fine as any cnt4
ton, bu. of richer and more glossy sllk.iike aps
pearance, and which evidently can be spun into
very fine yarns as cheaply as cotton. Now this
material can be produced from unrotted fax for
seven cents per pcundI And we know that nn.
rotted flax can be procured 40 that the lint shall
stand at one and a half cents pound, leaving
pretty wide margin sor the preparation TO bring
the material To seven cents Ii ia known that
there is no object in growing cotton for less
sum, so that is far from being an mpossibilits
that linen may yet be produced as cheap a.
cotton.
We understand that the inventor, DIR. LEAy-
TIT, and his associates, are making their ar
rangements to bring out therinventons prompts
y and vigorously; that they are to throw Them
wide open to The public, and afford every facility
possible for the establishment of linen factories,
BY contracting TO furnish the machinery as ex-
peditiously as possible, at fair prices. and with
such guarantees as the safety of the mantifac-
lures will require. They propose TO put ont df-
ferent parts OF this work in different machine
shops throughout The country, East or West.
near where the factories are to be built, as il
frequently done with cotton factories, so that az
little delay as possible may be occasioned in get-
ting factories into operation.
We also understand, that they are now IN
negotiation with several companies who are
Preparing to go into The business.