The daily intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Territory [i.e. Wash.]) 1876-1881, 1877-03-12
County and City Official Press.
Monday, March IL, 1877.
FLAX CULTURE.

II is less than ten years since Puge.
Sound farmers began TO experiment
with hops as diversion Of the monot-
ony Of the almost exclusive cultivation
Of hay and potatoes that had prevailed
since the first settlement Of the country
The experiment was thorough success
and a great improvement in respect TO
product and profit over the old staple.
Bat all do not want 70 take hold Of
hops. If the culture Of another equal
ly profitable novelty could be intro
duced, lit would be boaus to our agri-
culture.
Among onr earliest "reminiscences Of
this country, was seeing on one Of the
first two or three occupied claims in
this county. a waving field Of blue.
blossomed fax. A finer growth than
was there displayed could not have been
expected, but we are not swsre that
any one in this Territory has since tried
its culture. We have never seen a Sec
ond cultivated patch Of it, but it is
fouEd promiscuously in fields devoted
to other crops in the form Of an obtru-
sive and inersdicsble weed, thus dem
onstrating its right to our soil. and
that it is ito the manor born"
Just atthe present time there is .
great deal of discussion going ON IN
Oregon in regard to the extensive cult
walton Of this textile staple and the To-
cal manufacture Of its numerous useful
). products This is due to the rapidly
growing demand in that State for these
articles.
An Oregon correspondent OF the Sac
ran:ento Record states that the local con.
sumption Of Irvine for sewing sacks and
wool bags is $20OOOO per annum; of
shoc-thresd for making seincs on the
Columbia river fisheries, is $500. 600 per
annum. The number of these fisheries
on both the Oregon and Territorial
sides Of the river is rapidly increasing
and ~ each net requires 800 or 600
pounds of thread costing one dollar per
pound. and lasts only one year, this
will prove a growing item. Besides,
the consumption Of linseed oil in psint-
ing and other manufacturing uses is
enormous, and the oil-cake formed Of
the scrap Of the haxseed after extract
i5s the oil is al important and valus bic
article Of feed for cattle and horses,
which is exported in large quantities to
Great Britain from tho Atlantic States.
An Oregon frn. Messrs Parish & Mil
Ter. have already erected mill in Ore
gon for the preparation Of tow aud lint
for export to the linen factories in the
North Of Ireland for final working up
There is another factory in San
Francisco. established by II. II. Crane,
Tor the manufacture Of twines and
thread, which offers to pay Is cents a
pound in Salem Tor Oregon dressed
flax Of this years crop. For seeding
IN acre O; ground in flax requires one
--bashel-Snd quarter Of seed. costing
about 600. The yield is said to vary
from 800 to 500 pounds Of lint and q
TO 10 bushels Of sced-probably in
direct ratio to the fertility Of the soil
aud tho thoroughness of culture. The
usual toll for thrsshing and scutchina
il half the lint and seed. The harvss,
begins early in July. A subsidiary ad-
vantage Of this crop. is, that its rails
ing is an excellent preparation for a
following crop Of grain. being better
than summer fallow. Probably the
rotting of the roots renews the fertilit,
of the soil ia the ssms manner ~ turn
ing under . crop Of clover.