The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1885-01-01

THE OUTLOOK FOE THE TOW MILLS
The Rock Rapids Reporter recently
&. A. Eadie, one of the flax
mill men of that place, and reports as
follows:
He claims that the product of the
tow mill is continually reaching 4 wiu.
tr and more permanent range OF uses.
The section for the manufacture Of tow
is comparatively limited. The north
west in 4 sense has a monopoly on this
business and if it is fostered rs it
should be it will become one o! our
most renumeratiye lines Of business
Many tow mills Of Ohio. Illinois and
Indiana have suspended and gone " est
in obedience to very simple law, be-
cause of cheaper lands west the grow
ing of flax could he much more clIeaply
and proiitably done than it could in the
eastern states. Dhese mills find it nec-
essary to manufacture the commodity
where the straw is grown. Again the
question arises, is the same fate not in
store for the industry here? We an
swer no for two reasons. First, the
soil and conditions here are especially
favorable to flax growing. Second, the
great. agIjen1t0ral~West-atiittfff-c cheap
lands is rapidly ceasing TO be. The
question again arises, will not the cul-
ture Of flax die out as it is found that
it becomes exhaustive to land? We
think very appropriate answer can be
found in the fact that there is no more
reason why the soil cannot be recuper-
ated in the culture of flax than with
any other crop. The same natural laws
hold in either case. If its culture be-
comes more expensive then the prices
must rule higher because the industry
has reached a degree Of permanency
which will not allow Of its becoming
one of the extinct industries. The
commodity, tow, must and will be- had
in the markets of the world. It is also
question whether the culture of flax
is exhaustive to the soil any more than
other kinds of grain. Constant and
successive growing of any one crop on
the same lard will in time impoverish
it. We have learned that farmers in
this county after having grown nine
successive crops of flax then raised an
excellent crop Of corn following. We
were also Informed by Mr.. Eadie that
the tow mills are, at present, suffering
in common with all other lines of busi-
ness during the depression. We quote
his words in part: 1.-The mills through
the northwest manufacture but two
grades of tOw-one for upholstering
and the other for fine linen paper
stock. Tie general stagnation and de-
preston during the fall has left the
paper mills and manufacturers of par.
lor furniture with large supply Of
raw material on hand which will take
some time to consume. The demand
upon the dealers in the eastern markets
is increasing and there is every reason
to believe that the tow business in the
future will continue to improve"
The flax mill at the Rapids will start
up some time IN January.
WHY $40 ULDN'T THEY7
This has been a jubilee year for the
farmers. Wheat hav-
Ing proved unsatisfactory as a staple
crop, they were driven Il few years ago
into stock raising and dairying, and
were getting into good shape, when
they discovered that flax WAS the pay
ing crop for the present. The sharp
demand and the high price for flax last
year, led to the sowing of large areas
in 1854, and the season proving favora-
BILE, the farmers are on hand with Il
crop that sells readily at 81, 10 to S1.20.
and in some instances as high rs ST. %.
Nearly every farmer has some flax to
sell. the amounts ranging from 200 to
2,CO0 and 2,5GO bushels. Besides fax,
there are steady shipments OF hay, but.
ter and live stock, and the money is
flowing into the hands of the farmers.
The result is seen in improvements
in buildings, ETC., al! over the county,
and in prompt payment of debts
Worthington Advance.
Southwestern Minnesota has cause
for feeling good. Besides the crops
mentioned by the Advance, they have
4 large crop of corn and oats, and for
tunately have stock to consume it, so
that in our local market it is difficult
to find either in large quantity. Ne.
braska corn is the staple crop, and
worth Is cents a bushel. There has
been large decrease in hogs IN that
state the past month or two, from
cholera, and hundreds of thousands of
dollars worth of pork has thus been
lost to the farmers, whose dependence
is chiefly on hogs and corn. The hog
market is of no value, and even with
out these serious losses the price is so
low that the farmers could realize but
little from their pork. The farmers of
Nebraska are depressed and feel poor.
The farmers of Southwestern Mime
sofa are comparatively wealthy, and
decidedly prosperous. They have dai-
ry stock to eat their coarse grain, a
high price for their flax seed. hay ard
butter, and health among their stock.
Why shouldn't they be contented?-
Window Reporter.