Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1867-06-07
THE GROWTH OF FLAX.


Editors Of the Enquirer:
/ Why is it that with q country so exten-
/ sive, a soil so varied, and a climate so
well adapted to its growth, the eultiva-
1 ton of flax should be all but entirely
neglected? ? Why is it that with people
so energetic, so ready to profit by the
/ discoveries or invention of others, and
/ to improve On them, Es have scarcely
mads-sn effort to naturaliZe the linen
l maz~-cture on this continent? Ireland,
| Scotland, France and Belgium, to-day as
twenty years ago, supply us with every
thing in this line from a shirt collar to q
table cover.
We clsmor for protective duties, get
/ them, and make no use of them after
ward. A few small establishments fo-
/ the spinning of linen thread comprise, As
we are informed, all the manufactures of
! this beautiful and substantial fabric in
the United states. Ia time past, when
cotton threatened TO choke out every
other description of material capable of
| being spun snd woven into dress, there
may have been some excuse for the COM
paratiVe neglect Of the fax plant. The
- fine linen of EgyPt,h though cheap
ened and popularized by modern MAJ
chineFy, appear to give way in the
9 4
aud even the middling" 4" variety of the
focculent fibre raised on the uplands Of
the south. But all this has changed.
Insurrection has dethrGned king cotton
as effeetually as King Francis and King
OthO.
Like these potentates, he IS now q
homeless wanderer, stretching out his
hand for relief. We are compelled to re-
vert to first principles, and once more to
betake ourselves to the fabric, which, in
days of yOTe, swOathed the limbs Of
mummieS and adorned the person of roy
aItv. We must cultivate by the Hudson,
the Delaware, the Ohio and the Missis-
sippi that plant, which "boiled" by the
river Nile, at least as early as the time
Of Moses. Generally any good corn land
will grow good flax, but the best land is
an upland, gravelly loan, which yields
the finest lint, and is generally best
coated. Seed should be sown as early as
possible. but not so early as to be injured
by Che frost. One bushel Of seed TO the
acre, as a general thing, would De suffi-
cient: but where the land is strong, five
peeks would be better. It should be
sowed from the fifth to the tenth OF May.
II the land IL rolled aftersOwing the seed,
the crop may be cut with the reaper IN
stead Of pulling it-it would also benefit
the crop. The time TO pull or harvest
the crop is when the stalks begin to turn
yellow, and the leaves begin TO drop off.
The cost of pulling per acre is from tive
toeight dollars when pulled or cut 1t
should be bound in bundles of from four
to five inches in diameter, and stacked
in small shocks, so that the air can cir
e1late through it freely until dry, then it
should be taken to some convenient place
for taking of the seed.
The flax for retting or rotting should
be spread on grass land, and if in dry,
warm weather, early in the season, it
should be spread on low meadow land;
If late in the season, any grass land is
good. At any season of the year il should
be spread thin, not more than one pound
to two feet, running measure. It should
be allowed to remain until the fibre turns
silver gray, then turn and let it remain
until the other side is like the first. II
the weather is rainy and the straw 10
consequence is likely TO be 0ver-rotted,
in order TO save it, it should be placed on
end in small shocks of from two and a
half to three feet ia diameter and remain
until dry weather. when il should be
bound in bundles of convenient size for
handling, and either stacked like oats
and thatched on the top or placed under
shelter. II stacked, the seed ends should
point to the center Of the stack. One
year with another, one acre Of good corn
land will yield one ton of rotted straw,
an average of ten TO twelve bushels Of
seed. and an average of from three hun
dred and fifty to four hundred and fifty
pounds of lint, if the most improved
machinery is used in dressing. WAC.