Charles City Republican intelligencer. [volume] (Charles City, Iowa) 1861-1864, 1863-03-26
Charles City, Iowa, March Is, 1868
The Flax Culture.
1t is time that the attention of on

It is time that the attention of our
agricultural population were more
fully turned to the cultivation Of fax
than it appears to- have yet been.
That article now sells at fnlly one
hundred per cent. above what it COM
mandcd twelve months ago. There
can be no donbt that the extraordinary
prices will prevail for some years to
come, If it were for no other reason
than the cotton famine. Admit that
three millions OF bales alleged to be
stored up at the South were available.
the market has been 50 depleted Of
late that the whole could be manufac-
tured within six monts and the fab
RIGS made from it be disposed of at
fair prices. After this, the prospect
is not the deluge," but further
drought. The South produced only
about one million Of bales last year,
and will probably grow less during
that on which we have entered, SO
utterly disorganized is it's labor, and
SO urgent is the delnaud for bread to
sustain its population. Next to the
great necessaries Of life among our
selves, may be justly placed such
products as fax and wool, of which
we cannot possibly have surplus,
and are likely to have great def
cheney.
A senseless prejudice has more to
do in lettering our farmers from cult
waiting fax than any other cause that
we are aware Of 1t has been alleged
that it is too exhaustive on the soil /:
but there is no reason to condemn it
any more than an ordinary grain crop.
If fax be one of series of rotation
crops, and succeed one Of vegetables,
like potatoes, turnips, &C., and be fol-
lowed by clover, which may be sown
with it, no detrimental effects to the
soil will be observable. The labor or
disagreeableness of preparing it for
market are also grounds Of complaint /;
but these are growing less every year
from the application of improved ma
chinery. Even by the old plan pursued
in Ireland and Belgium, the cost Of
bringing certain value to market was
little if anything in excess of crop of
grain. The plant requires no atten-
tion after the seed has been put in
q moderately rich, friable and loamy
soil, until pulling up time. To pull it
is neither laborious nor disagreeable,
the principle matter which requires
attention being to have the root ends
in the bundles uniform. The next step
is to inmcrse in it a pound whereit can
be well kept below the surface by
means of logs, stones, &c, the bundles
having at first very buoyant tendency
The water should be soft, not rum
ming stream, nor yet altogether stag
nant. Here is the most unpleasant part
of the performance. The ordor arris-
ing from the pond is disgusting for
two or three days. and if fishes exist
therein they are certain to die.
The next process is Cor was) to take
the rottcd fax out Of the water and
spread it on the ground to dry. On
the average, ten days for each of these
Operations will suffice. The pith
being by this time separated from the
outside fiber, nothing remains but to
take up and rebind it for the mill,
where it is cleaned Altogether not
more than four weeks are usually re-
Qured from the time when fax is pull
ed until it is ready for manufacturing
purposes. We have referred to these
matters little more in detail, as an
impression seems to prevail among
farmers that many months must elapsc
before tho crop can be turned into
money. The inventions lately brought
before the pnblic arc known to effect
a still further saving Of time and la
Dor, to say nothing Of the unpleasant
part of. the process.
4 Our present situation as people
is such that we must return to the
wearing of both coarse and fine linen ;
and he will be public benefactor
who shall undertake to make two
plants of fax grow where only one
grew before. We have abundance OF
soils admirably adapted to the culture
ofthis ancient and almost forgotten
product. We have many thousands
among US who are familiar with every
detail of the labor required. We have
inventive genious. We have an ex
traordinary demand from the pape
mills, which can absorb every pount
that will be raised for years to come
The seed is highly valuable as food
and a fertilizer Let our agricultur
lists, then, apply themselves SO as to
be able to plant an unusual breadth Of
fax in the ensuing spring, in the full
! assurance Of pocketing amply re-
munerative prices. should the season
be ordinarily propitious.
UNION WAR MEETING. large au.