Indiana American. [volume] (Brookville, Ind.) 1833-1861, 1853-12-23
AarituItaraI.'


Irfr4 7Tftn II liza n.
4 We cut the following from The Farm
and Shop, published at indianapolis.
II is an extractof q letter from a mem
Der of the firm at Fall River, Mass. en-
titled the American Linen Company
It's suggestions are worthy the consid-
Grafton Of our farmers. We doubt not
that Flax raising may be made as profit
able as corn raising:
Esteemed Friend;--I have received
with much pleasure, the report you were
SO kind as to send me, of the proceed
ings Of the State board Of Agriculture
\ for the year 1852 The prominent and
influential part you have so long taken
in the improvement of the industrial
resources of your State, seems TO war
rant me in availing myself of this oc-
casion to call your attention more ear
nestly to one snbject, intimately con-
nected with your agricultural industry
and highly important to the interests Of
the State of Indiana, as well as to
those of the whole Northern section Of
our country. 1 allude to the question
of the proper culture, preparation, and
Manufacture Of flax. 'ig 20
This company is Incorporated with
capital of $500 900, and of this sum
$3.50, 900 have been already paid in,
and invested in buildings, machinery,
and other preparations.
We expect to consume inthe ensuing
twelve months, over SIR hundred and
fffy tons of F4ar FIBRE; and when
in full operation, shall consume annu-
ally over one thousand ntons, or two
millions of pounds. h1r s W
Being about commencing operations
we have already been obliged to inn
port from abroad over one hundred
tons, at an expense Of more than thirty
thousand dollars.
Now in passing through your State
and that of Ohio, in company with my
friend, Chas. Hartshorne, who has al
so paid considerable attention, abroad
and at home, TO the fax culture, we
have found that many thousands Of
acres of fax are grown for the seed a.
lone; the stalk and its fibre being en-
tirely wasted and thrown away. And
my object in addressing youis to ask
your earnest attention to this great and
important error, in the agricultural
management ofthispart ofthe country.
1t seems to me that such exertions
on your part can be appealed TO no less
1 in your position as President of the
/ Agricultural Board, than as Governor
of the State Of lndiana--for the sub
ject is Of equal importance in its bear
ings on the commercial interests of our
country, and Of every portion thereof.
We have found that the farmer, on
an average, obtains about ten bushels
Of Flax seed TO the acre, which has
yielded him from 80 cents to one dollar
per bushel, and often much less
price. sea-
Now in the first place this is hardly
a kalf crop of the seed. In Great
Britain and Belgium they obtain from
90 to 25 bushels of the seed. besides
saving the fibre. The secret lies in the
proper preparation cfMe ground, before
sowing the seed.
If the farmer would give the land
Fall ploughing, and leave it over
the winter TO mellow, then plough il
deep again in the spring, reducing
it as fine as possible without too much
labor, he would. on good ground, av-
erage 90 bushels Of seed to the acre.
The Flax plant is peculiarly sensitive
to such attentions and amply repays
them; the roots striking down almost
as deep and straight, where the
ground is open and mellow. as the stalk
shoots upward. 1t is not too much to
say that taking into consideration the
increased seed as well as the fibre, ev-
cry dollar spent in ploughing, and pull
verizing the ground would yield ten
fold in the harvest gathered.
The land best suited for Flax, is an
open rich loan, with a clay subsoil if
possible.
In the next place, for the FIBRE
If the farmer would sow two BUSH
els or two and half TO the acre, on
rich ground so prepared, he would while
obtaining 20 bushels Of seed, also OBJ
tain two tons or more Of flax straw per
acre.-At present with the poor prep
aration and thin sowing, not over one
or one and quarter tons are obtained
on an average. Every ton Of straw
Yields three hundred pounds Of Flax
fibre, so that he would then obtain, If he
chose torot and prepare It, as was done
in the days of our grandfathers, jout
six hundred or six hundred and fifty
pounds per acre Of Flax fibre rotted
and scutched. For this fibre we would
gladly contract for two years TO come
at the rate of i2l to l5 cents a pound
{ $3.50 to $500 per tom according to
quality. Ii costs us this price cash to
import il, and we should much prefer
paying il to our own industry. II,
however, the farmers preferred TO sell
the straw. and would grow and prepare
1t asabove, there are parties who would
purchase such straw 80 grown and
prepared. Of good length and not IN
jured in the rippling. or removing the
the seed, at the rate Of five dollars
ton for the straw. This would give,
by the slight addition Of fall ploughing
enriching. ifthc land needs it, and ai-
ter sowing light brush narrowing or
rolling, a great increase OF profit TO
the farmer. lie could then get say
90 bushels Of seed at 81, 90 $4,000
2 tons of straw ats5,oo 1000
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