Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1885-1890, 1886-02-13
HISTORY OF THE FLAX-PLANT.
No. I.
WRITTEN roR TIE TRIBUNE.

plant; its growth and production frou
an agricultural standpoint; anG
finally, Of its position in the manufae
turing world,
As far back as history reaches, W
find that fax has been cultivated b,
man. In the remotest antiquity thl
plant was well known and highl,
priced for the tenacious fibre con
tanned in its bark. Taking Hol.
Scripture for our guide we can easil,
trace the migrations of the plant from
the early periods of its culture dowI
to more modern tunes. Mention i!
made of linen Zone Of the products O
fax in Genesis XII. A., or ILL.,
years before Christ and, again i'll Exc
dus TX. 81, or 1491 years before
Christ. In the latter place the
plaques with which the hard-hearteo
Egyptions were tormented are
enumerated and, in connection with
the other misfortunes mentioned it
SAYS, "* i The fax and the barley
was smitten; for the barley vas in the
ear, and the fax was boiled" The
history and industry of flax belongs
to nearly every nation on the globe.
In Egypt, the cradle and nurse OF
civilization, it was cultivated for the
manufacture of linen, which compos-
ed the raiment Of the wealthy and re-
fined while living, and was used as
the only proper fabric for protecting,
their bodies from decay when dead.
Pictured on the Egyptian monuments
we find the peasant as he there exist
ed 1000 years .ago c%ultivating and
preparing the fax-plant andthe weav-
er plying his shuttle to the warp, e1-
hibiting the same processes as adopt
ed in more recent times. And, per-
haps one Of the most singular circum-
stances connected with the fax-plant
is that of its being subjected to the
same slow mode Of preparation at
present. as it did, in all probability,
in Egypt Of old. The steep-pools Of
Ulster and Livonia, as well as the wa
ter courses of Flanders, furnish the
media for the most delicate and IN
certain conversion that the plant IN
dergoes, exactly as did the Nile to the
f%ax-grower 1000 years ago.
From Egypt we follow the cultiya-
ton OF flax to Palestine where it form
ed a prominent feature in the indus
trial p~ersuits of that country, as can
be conceived by the mention that Sol
omon makes Of the distaff and spindle
and, the working of flax by the "vir-
tuous woman" as we'll as by the pro-
.hets Isaiah and Ezekiel, who have
left vivid impressions of the manu-
features and commerce of the two
great marts of maritime activity,
Tyre, and Sidon in Phenicia, where
his material extensively prevailed,
Doth in a raw and manufactured state;
it was the most important staple
Egyptian export on the one hand,
and on the other, amongt the cherished
of general request throughout
he holy land. It was, also, the Phn-
1%icians, who first impaired to the
the skill of preparing and
making fine linen at Memphis and
rhebes.
Infollowing down the stream oftime
We find in Greece, the Athenian maid
rs preparing faxen yarn by the
anne simple process (the spindle and
.llstaf) as those of Egypt and Pales-
inc had done before them, and as still
aay be witnessed in some of the rural
districts of Madeira, Teneriffe, and
he Spanish peninsula. ]
From Greece, we trace this indus
to Carthage, to Earseilles, and to
rome. Under the powerful sway and
tide diminions of the latter, the use !
f flax became geneaal; and as an ar {
.cle of necessity has been cultivated !;
most European countries ever {
ince. The citizens of the Roman t
adopted linen for their ordi- I
airy dress in warm weather, and even |
winter, it was not discarded, a |
'oolen garment being adda to pro- 6
set the wearer against the cold. l
When the Roman empire tottered g
nd fell, and the tide of barbarian c
st%ragradation flowed in, threatening !
} completely destroy every sign Of 7
lanipulative art, the spindle and dis {
# escaped, and flax as before, sup c
led the material for clothing, and 8
robably will continue SO to do until t
le end of the world. I
Thus. we see from this brief review
the history of the fax-plant that,
has administered to the material I
ants of civilized man through every :
age of his varied career. Moreover, :
ON its power to thrive under almost :.
cry degree of temperature incident :
vegetable life, it grows in all coun- :