Cedar Falls gazette. [volume] (Cedar Falls, Iowa) 1860-1895, 1860-05-11
Flax Cotton.

Henry G. Bowen, Esq, in the independent,
says this new material can be made from flax,
hemp, iute, China grass and several fibrous
plants now considered valueless. Flax is the
most profitable, because the seed-15 or 20
bushels to the acre-is worth 81 so per bush
81, and the straw, after the seed has been
threshed, Yields S46 lbs of tow to the ton,
worth, if properly cleaned, from to cents
per pound. "The woody part remains val
iiable food to the farm stock, and the roots
left in the ground restore to the soil some OF
the properties extracted" This flax cotton
can be produced in the Northern States at a
less cost than the cotton at the South, and can
be spun and wove on ordinary cotton ma
chinery. A new process for making the cot
ton from the tow has just been patented by
Mr.. Stephen Rowall, of Rhode Island. We
import manufactured fax to the amount
of about 5000, 900, and seed (average) about
$50, 900 bags per annum-eqnal to 250, 900
gallons of linseed oil and 80, 900 tons of lin
seed cake. Linseed is the largest article OF
import from Calcutta, and increases more rap
idly than any other. In 1S41, $4,000 bags
1857, 81 ,00O-increase, % per cent, each
year." In 1870 the amont will be almost
fabulous" We raise 100000 lbs. of fax
100000 of it in Kentucky. Now that
the Northwestern States have bsgun to be in
dependent of the South, for sugar, by raising
sorghum, why not also for cotton by raising
fax? Then let us have the machinery and
make our own cloth, instead of sending our
flax along with our wheat and wool down
East " 1t is estimated that the State of
New York, which raises about half as much
flax as Kentucky, say 100000 lbs. per an
mum, could devote four out Of her thirteen mil
lions of acres of tllable land to this culture of
flax and hemp, and produce crop which
would riDal the entire cotton crop ofthe South );
and that EACH STATE OF THE UNION is ABLE
TO PRODUCE MORE POUNDS OF FIBRILA FLAX cot
tony THAN 1T NOW CONSUMES OF COTTON !'-
Iowa. with her ten millions and half of till
able land -still more productive than that of
New York-could do still better We ap-
pend two paragraphs from report to the
Massachusetts, Legislative Agricultural Society
in regard to the cultivation of flax, by Mr..
Stephen NJ. Allen:
The flax plant may be grown in almost any
climate or soil on the face of the globe; al
though the constituent elements of the fibre,
or woody stalk, will be somewhat different,
on account of changes in either soil or climate.
The atmosphere furnishes nearly all the cl-
ementary principles ofwhch the fibre consists !;
therefore if the woody part of the stalk and
the oil cake from the seed shall be retained
for consumption on the farm, the product
will not impoverish the soil more than any
other crop.
The districts where the temperature is the
most equable will be the most suitable for
the growth Of flax, where neither drought
no excessive moisture prevails. In the event
of long continuous drought with hot sun
when the plant has gained height Of but
three or four inches, the leaves are unable to
protect the soil from the sun, the roots hay
ing penetrated but slightly, are unable to get
sufficient moisture, the plant is in great dan
ger of destruction. In such case it should
be watered, if possible. Flax viii bear a
good deal ofmoisture and thrives best in moist
climates - a -
If the States ofthe Northwest will 90 large
~ into the raising Of flax, the drain, caused
by its extensive importation of American
gold may be sensibly diminished, and the
cost of articles made Of Southern cotton,
manufactured in the factories of the East,
materially losscned.