The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1888-08-11
AMERICAN LINENS.
A Branch OF Manufacture That Might Ne
UeXeIOped In This Country.

a Branch OF Manufacturs That Might he
Developed In This Country.
tits a mistake to suppose that there
Is any radical difference between the
flax tibers grown in different countries.
The variations In result depend not on
original quality, but on the treatment
of the material. The fibers produced
in this country are equally fine with
those grown in Belgium and Ireland,
and the length is the same in each case.
The ultimate iibers are only about two
inches long. They are Tapped or shin
gled upon each other in the process OF
growth. forming long, hair-like fila
ments which have often been mistaken
for the fibers themselves. The coarser
the flax the more firmly are these fla
ments cemented together by glutinous
matter, requiring n greater amount OF
effort in the separation. That is, the
process Of retting may be so conducted
us to render the product from different
countries and the yield of different
years precisely equal in quality and
equally well adapted to the manufact-
ure of linen. Furthermore, the long
sought "cottonized flax" is nothing else
than the short tibers separated mechan-
ically from their gummy blending into
tilaments. II has also been ascertained
that the formation of fiber in the plant
begins about two inches above the root,
so that pulling the stalk out of the
ground confers no advantage that may
not be gained by cutting off the stem
just above the surface of the soil
After removing the seed the retting
process is employed for the purpose of
getting rid of the sap. This involves
fermentation, after which the straw
must be thoroughly washed and dried.
The fiber is now combined only with
'boon," which is removed by breaking
and scutching. The modern efforts to
get rid of the sap by stepping and boil
ing in solutions of calistic soda, sulphu-
ric acid or other chemical reagents
have failed, as it is found that these
chemicals, and even the operation of
| boiling, destroy the strength and luster
which form what is called in Ireland
"the nature of the fiber" These pro-
cesses take out natural oil, the result
being that the material will not spin.
| The process of retting may be correctly
and eXpeditiously performed by keep
ing the sleeping tanks in warm build
ing, in which a uniform temperature
is maintained by the use of steam.
| This obviates the peculiarities due to
climate, if any there be, the steam
making an artificial climate, which can
be obtained equally well here as in
Western Europe.
1t is true that the Courtrai and other
high-priced flax are grown only in cer-
tain localities and retted in waters the
peculiar qualities of which are sup
posed to give them their superior rich
and glossy appearance. But if the air
in this country We're simply to produce
at first an article equal to the poorest
that is imported it would surely pay
well. That poorest stuff, used chiefly
for the making of twines. sells readily
at eight cents per pound in New York,
which is equal to nearly two cents per
pound for the stalk, as a ton of the
plant will make not far from five hun.
hundred pounds of good flax fiber
The cleaning or scutching is performed
to-day in the same crude manner u:
ages ago, twenty-five pounds Of clear
flax being an ordinary days work
A machine that would clean twenty
times as much was successfully oper
ated in New Jersey for several years
but stopped recently because it was
not found possible to obtain the re.
quired four tons of straw per day tC
keep it running, though $25 per tor
was willingly paid for it. Yet many
thousands of tons of straw are each
year burned, though a man with two
horses and harvester and binder
could easily cut ten acres per day close
enough to the ground for the purposes
of the manufacturer, against half al
acre, which is the stint of u worker
who pulls the stock up by hand in Eu
rope.
There would seem to be no good rea
son why the flax industry should no
be developed in this country as sue
cessfully as that of cotton was severa
years ago. Nothing but ignoranc,
stands in the way of making American
linens equal to all ordinary require
ments and etfecting vast increase il
the value of the products of Western
soil. Chicago Tribute.