Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1888-03-28
Flax and Linen.

A great need of this region, if not of the
whole country, is diversity of employ
ment by which people, especially women,
may earn comfortable livings. Farming is
found by most tillers Of the soil very unre-
munerative, and often the unmarried daugh-
ters Of farmers are subjected to great straits
for the means of subsistence. What shall
young woman do who finds it necessa-
ry to support herself, or, maybe, aid in
the support of the family? If she has the
benefit of education, she proposes to
teach school but that profession is over
crowded, and many worthy young female
is toiling with pupils for pittance not
sufficient to furnish her clothing, while
many more seeking such positions cannot
find them. Thus for the want of suitable
employment, many females are left to idle
ness and poverty.
Manufactures of one kind and another
are often suggested as remedy for the
state of things referred to. But when in
dustries of this sort are mentioned, nothing is
thought of but a joint-stock company with
large capital, extensive buildings and expen-
sive machinery. AS we have neither capital
nor skill the thought is dismissed, and thus
the matter rests. And if we had both, it Is
hardly desirable to take young females
from their homes and assemble them pro-
miscuously IN factories. What we need,
therefore, is strictly ''home manufactures. I"
Some fifty or sixty years ago, flax was
extensively cultivated and manufactured in
the Valley. Almost every farm had patch
| Of it, and almost every farmhouse had a
loom for weaving linens. The men raised
and prepared the flax, and the women did
the spinning and weaving. Most of the prod
uct was for home use, and probably only
ANAL quantity was offered for sale but
why the manufacture for sale might not be
extensive and profitable, we do not per-
ceive. Until the close of the last century,
all the linen fabrics of Ireland were home
made and at the present day, notwith-
standing the establishment of linen facto-
ries, large quantities are made by means of
hand-looms and brought together in public
halls for sale. On the continent of Europe
hand-loom weaving is more common than
weaving by power. Indeed, the finest
yarns must be hand-spun. At the great cx-
hibition in London, in 1851, the yarns
which took the premium were spun by a
woman 81 years of age.
We know of only two linen factories in
the United States-one at Falls River,
Massachusetts,, and one at Paterson, N.
]. In 1859, the linen goods imported into
this country amounted to 100000; and
in 1881, 81, $50, 900 yards, valued at nearly
$12.000,000, were imported from Great
Britain alone.
But whether the flax is spun and woven
at home Or not, why may it Lot be made a
profitable crop for farmers? Hardly any prod
uct of agriculture is susceptible of more
uses. Every part Of the plant may be
turned to good account. The seed are val
liable for the Oil they yield, and also as
food for stock, while the refuse parts of the
| pldubS are useful DIS manure. LII mas DeeH
thought that the cultivation OF fax was
particularly exhausting to land, like tobac-
co /; but the Introduction of artificial fertil-
izsrs has to great extent obviated that
objection. Still, however, the raising OF
flax on the high-priced lands of Great
Britain is not thought to be desirable, and
therefore at a recent date from so, 900 te
$4,000 tons were annually imported into
that country from the continent.
1t would certainly be imprudent for q
farmer to put out large crop of flaz
Immediately. The great difficulty is about
beginning. One fault of our people gener
ally is that unless they can make big
start they will not begin at all. Yet nearly
every successful and extensive enterprise
in the country began in a small way and
went on little by little to great results.