New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-05-15
NEW LIFE IN OLD INDUSTRIES
IMPROVED PROCESSES IN FLAX AND HEMP
MANUFACTURE
IN COMPANY TO START LINEN FAcToIrEs IN

a COMPANY TO START LINEN FACroRrES IN
AMrRrcu-A MARKET FOR FLAX.
frEoN AN OCCASIONAL ooRRGsroNDENr Oh TIE rRib0SEl
Iel,ost, May A complete revolution In the
,,reparntion Of fax and hemp and the spinning
weaving and preparation Of the products Tor mar
kct il now NJ hand and promises 20 inctte Amer
lea TO take her place producer OF haA ana me
linen 40 an early day. Up 10 1871 $3.50 America
had a household linen industry which nearly
supplied her people with coarse and hnc Iheh'
bu, with the development OF cotton machinery
and the neglect OF the linen industry by Congress,
tile little fax and linen interest that once eAlstea
snd promised so favornby was destroyed nor
las fax spinning and weaving by any means kept
mace the world over with the other textile In
dustricS. The FAX and hemp fbreS are longer,
stouter and finer than cotton, when properly
twisted, but while vast strides have been made in
cotton. woonen md silk, the sumo old. primitive
procrSsrs have continued 10 be followed with haX-
and the linen industry has heretofore faIei to
find the successful invention and Improvement
Necessary TO make it successful
BY the old-timr processes the fax strnw was
placed In pools Of water for two OK three weeks
and then sprad upon the grass for two to three
wrecks more TO enable the hbres "a be removed
from the woody Stems process both disngrecabls
and laborious. while the effect was indeBby to
blackcn and dscolor the fbrc. This made II
necessary also 20 spend weeks OF time and much
labor in bleaching the linen while Us strength
and value were materially leSSened IN the opera
ton. Tho fibre obtained by these primitive
methods Of rctting was stall harsh and coorse and
not readily or easily made TO yield TO improved
processes Of spinning and weaving, rs with cotton
and silk Beyond this, there was great risk In the
r,.,ting processes, and much labor in the breaking
and scutching, with great waste and destruction
NJ the fibre Old fax people viii readily com
rrchcud this. as spinners will understand and in
dorse the statement.
A new discovery in tho treatment OF the max
and hemp In rettng and the invention OF priIcucal
machinery TO work 1t are now being developed IN
Germany, Frnncc Belgium and here In Ireland,
where companies are formed and the modern aP
narntus - at work. \ company has also been
formed in York, and the farmers OF the United
States nro invited TO furnish abundant supply
Of fax and hcnp for treatment the coming autumn
The process l. known rs the Boyce process, ana
hike very many revolutions in industrial matters
IL is SO simple that it hardly be comprehcndei
rxccpt 10y witnessing lis operation. Instead OF
three TO five weeks time expended IN retiring, tho
whole opcrHtiun Of rctting occupies but i've MIN
utCS and instead OF dscOloring the fibre its
naturally white character Is preserved, ana me
hbrc produced Is OF much greater strength than
that by the old processes, ~ as me, white son
ana flexible aS silk, and may be spun and
woven upon silk machinery There Is no labor
of scutching and no tearing vast" Of FIBRE
while the tow from the fibre Is OF greater value
per pound than any fibre IN the market prepared
by the old processes
This abrc LnS been spun and woven In America
and here In Ireland, where great Roadway has
already been made in preparing fibre for market;
The process hns destructive chemicals employed
in II, no potash, soda, chloride OF hme or acids
in any forT- nothing but q preparation Of hnSccd
OIL in condition 10 be taken up by the fibre,
which, in the short SpnCe OF five minutes Is
thoroughly freed from the gum and woody matter,
and left fine, soft and white. This treatment
gives the fibre an increased oily nature, with much
greater strength than by the old processes while
the Gbre is flexible and readily spun and woven
or silk machinery.
The hire has been spun aud woven nnd pre-
pared for the Exhibition at Paris, showing the
progress now being made in this industry. There
IL every reason 10 say that America will soon have
IiaX and linen industry OF her own second 20 no
nations in the world. There IL no reason why
America cannot grow fax equal 70 any, aud it
Gun be grown and manufactured successfully In
every State in the Union, and with profit equal
20 that Of any other crop. w
Flax and hemp simple crops to grow Flax
should be sOwn nc the rate OF two 10 two and
half bushels Of seed 70 on acre, on good soil, which
be let 70 get sufficiently ripe 70 furnish the seed
In the best condition. The FAX should then b.
pulled, and the cost per Tor this IS in Canada,
same and in Belgium, g.. There should he Mt
least two and half tons Of dry straw TO az acre,
The liaX should be kept under cover in the S'me
manner as hay or grain. The seed may be removed
by rolling, and the straw is then ready
for market, and worth on IN average $50 per ton
Long, fine straw is worth more thnn short or
coarse straw. With m increase OF SIS for seed
and $50 for straw the crop is one OF the most
profitable 10 the farmers. Mills viii be NJ work
In America in September, and viii be prepared 10
purchase all the straw which Is likely to be grown.
For want Of straw grown here the American rom
pRny has for tho present purchased from Canada
and Belgium, and paid e. ton duty 70 get II into
the United States.