New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1860-03-31

FLAX TO SUPERsEDE CoTToS-It has been the set
lied belief of the most intelligent minds connected with
the linen manufacture for than twenty years past
that tie time could be far distant for the advent Of
scme new process by which fax could be converted
into cloth as cbesply cotton The superior cost Of
manufacturing fax consists in the greater expense of
rottag, breaking out and preparing the fiber for
markets The cost Of breaking, dividing the faments
and separating the long from the short 6bers and the
greater eott Of the preparing machinery, not the ma
CliDery for merely spinning it. The anticipated i'm
prOyemenis, it ia now believed, have been accom-
Pbshed, and are gradually being put in operation the
FAX growing regions Of the West Tney consist of
machinery for breaking the fax without rotting or
wetgi for washing ont the glutir mater and sep
aratipg and purifying the fbers for classifying the
hong and short fbe.s, by which expert boy do
the work of fifty hackers and in far better manner,
and in the general simphfcation of the preparing
ehnery, such al the drawing and rowing frames, 30
that linen factory viii require capital than
one for cotton. Experience with this improved ma
cbDery has shown that fax straw at s. per tun can be
converted into fine linen fiber which will cOst only u
GEMS per pound, and that to 90 and f, ii for pin-
ming il as cheaply as cotton, the whole cost will be
only cents. At these figures, linens VIII be IS cheap
as eottons Machines are now in use at Eaton, Day.
TOD Xsps Piqua and other places in Ohio, for break
ing unrotted fax costing about 500 each which break
out two Of unrotted fax per day enough make
when refined and purified, some 400 pounds Of linen
goods. Al Raton the fax thus produced is, for the
frtt time in that region, converted into ad nirabe
article for covering cotton bales In these machines
the AK straw passes through succession of huted
rollers which hold crush and carry forward the sheet
of straw, which is simultaneously acted on by several
pai,s of sharp steel tOothed combs, which divide the
fbers without uptuIng them, aud clearing away the
shovts The fax comes from the rollers in the form Of
beautiful and comparatively clean silver, fel.ed TO-
eether ike cotton from the drawing frame Of cotton
factory
Now this machinery has not yet been applied to
manufacturing linens but it will be. There no
good reason for linens being two 10 three times dearef
than cotton goods when the cost OF the raw fiber Of
both is so Iearly equal. Flax will not be gro wn ex-
tensivty in this country until the farmers can be re-
heved of all trouble Of preparing for market Bat as
new mills are established supplied with this cheap
American machinery, the case will be different. The
seed alone pays well to grow it, and what may be
realized from the straw now thro away, will be 30
much clear gain. Colt IN grows only in hot countries,
but fax in all climates. Europe consumes Ear more
linen than we d. because the price there s only one
half what il Is with Whoever, therefore, sets up
the fret linen factories in this country will probably
realize enormous profits, Just as the earlier English
cotton spinnes amassed princely fortunes. As every
STATE can grow fax, the consumption of linen would
be 70 great as to weaken the only prop which Amer-
can Slavery possesses