Mineral Point weekly tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1859-1868, 1866-03-28


/ t.nrGpp. and his heen cultivated for its
Hhre and seed from time immpmarial The
Celtic name of the plant is Lin. from
/ which are derived the words linen. lint,
/ lining, liniment linden. etc. In some
! rarts of Europe it is very extensively
/ gto1n for the manufacture Of linen. and
a so fnrthe oil and cake which are obtained
! from its seed Before the introduction of
steam power into col,on factories, fax was
grown hy almost every farmer for the
1 manufacture of linen for familv use, and
! tire hum of the flax wheel and the click
/ of the reel were heard in cverv rural
/ home. The immense quantity Of cotton
! raised by slave labor in the Southern
| States. and the facilities afforded for max
! ING it ito cloth hv the labor saving ma~
chinerv Of the British cotton factories
I had the effect of checking the progress of
/ fax culture. and the manufacture Of linen
would probably have been almost entrrlv
superseded bat for the indnmitah hle
energy of the linen manufacturers Of the
North Of ireland These enternriSinq
men carried on their business in the face
of oppos ;tion ard encouragement. intro
dncing every useful iraprn pmpnt and
erecting factories furnished with the most
costly Tna"hinnrv
In the United States fax ia raised in
knntuck-. Now y ork Ohio. Penn<v'va min, ,
Fjr iuia. IndiInn Missouri Michigan
etc 1fnr easy nnd chean mode Of nra-
plrinr II for market were introduced the
cron would become more noDu ar than II
is 1T present Flax Ia one Of the farm
products which requires the assistance of
the manufartu ALONGSIDE with the pro
dncer. as it does not plv te turn e~erv
farn;er's house into n factory nor 70 carry
the raw prOduct = considerable distance to
be manufactured
The soil of Nrhican. Illinois. Wiscot.ain
and other Western Statos IL well suited 70
the production of fax. and as mills are in
process Of erection in ono ofthnsn States
farmers vii have an oporfnuitv ofinrrer=-
inr their resources hr cnltivatinr fax f,r
fibre or sped Linspnd oil is scarce and
dear Linseod madl Is rerv nutritious at3i
is much used IN Europe For fatteninc crIves
and pigs Iinsee1 cake is the residunm
OF tho oil mills II is in great esteem for
by animals fed on it has most extra
ordinary effect in producing a luxurant
growth Of green rrons
Machines have been brought into opera
t;on in Europe which in ? great measure,
relieve the grower Of fax from the n
pleasant labor Of sterping. scutchinr. etc
An -Americar inventor named Schnnk
has patented q p'nn Of stneping or soften
ing the straw nv steam, which has heen in
one~ation for some time in ireland II is
sard 70 he an inunuorous labor saving pro
cess. hnt il is apt TO damace the fibre
Tho kind of soil host suited ror the rails
inc oF fax depen = unon the nurnnse for
which the rron j. intsuiad IF the fax is
intended for seed II cal scarcely he too
rich If ror the fh-n it must not he such
as viii cause roo rank : growth In all
cases thu land must he kept clear of woods
n in ita frs. stage nf Growth the fax
plant j. deli"atc and liahle To be emo+hnr.
rl hv these posts Of the farm Woods are
iniurinus 70 tho cr0n in every stage Of its
growth. "a they absorb the ingredients or
the soil ocrunv the ground. and inter-
mingln with the seed Land contoininr
ormanic ,nnttnr and ahnurdinr in lime. Is
we sni'pd for the orowth IF this crnn -
Tnorg mic nnalvSos or the fax rlnnt. show
that It consists of si1ir, nntaah. soda. lime.
rhoSnhorir acid alum;na and mnrnosia
TIE sopcial manurn- best afHntnd for ~
turn;nr ~ III aoil tho in.rrciicnts carried
away hv the 1av, are honn-drSt and @vn-
sum and the carhona-eS Of potash, soda
ana n1"nH~la
In rrcnar;nr for fax. tho soil shouId hn
n ownd d"cnlv in the Fall ~ orl"r thot II
nav 10 ~ ;ntc"rated AM rendered. rriahlp
Nv ex. osrro - tho frost "A soon as tho
.ri.nuuA ! in working orlnr in Surin" II
shoull be nlowod an1 rendered mellow
hv frequent harrowin@s md when II has
hnnu not into rronor condition. to soed
should he Sown lroadrn-t and covered hv
light hut careful harrow nr From two
u three hnshals of s"cd lre used accord
IN to the purnospe for which tho rron j.
intended Whom fibre i required ernA
ShnuI 10 sown thick whs@ sne1 - tnr
object thin sowing viii he necessary In
the first case, the stem .rrnws "A and
Straight p~odu.;nr hnt little seed. hnt y
large amount or fibre: IN the la'tcr. il
grows course and sureadinr, produces n
/ great dea of seed and vnfv inferior
quality of fibre The snod j. generally
/ deposited aonut m inch deep and rolling
/ finishes the nrooezS If woods appear tc
( he getting ahead of the crop, thnv must
! he rullei hv h"n1: If they ONLY form ar
underrrow n the fax will ovprshadow the VI
and keen thnm down efTrctuallv. The
nraeisr time for harvesting the crnn mus
he rc'rnlat"d by the purposes for which i
is intended