Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1889-04-13
A HINT To FARMERS.
Can Flax Culture BE Made a Profitable
Industry Here?


EDS. RECORD UNION: More than year
ago propounded through your paper the
question as TO the practicability of econ
omizing the seed and the fiber of fax of the
| same stock. | awaited an answer i'm
patiently, because it was simple and vet of
gfeat importance. have recently had the
good fortune to see two persons, one of
whom has had practical experience aud
| the other close observation, and both an.
swer that the fiber and seed may and in
deed must be utilized.
With no statistics before me, | shall not be
able to write the best article upon this SUBJ
| Ject, but am quite sure | can say all that
would be most beneficial for the interest
| at present. The crying want of California
and of our fair city mot that we are in want
and crying is not to say manufactures but
| winter employment-and this manufact-
ures give IN large measure. If it can be
| shown that the cultivation of flax is profit
able to the farmer, and that fax seed and
| the fber would be profitable TO the manu-
| faciurer, it would be an instance of a call
| ing that would give employment after
farming had ceased in the winter.
The principal product from the cultiva-
ton of flax would be the seed. From this
| the linseed cake can be formed, simply by
grinding, / suppose. This is the extent to
which small community would carry the
work upon the seed. The cake would be
bought by the merchant or manufacturer
and put through a process by which linseed
oil would be extracted. The result would
be useful article of commerce and for
use in the arts and food of great richness
for stock.
l am informed that expensive machinery
g r,rrfr faxc - 4
matter, and PROBABLY large buildings for
the machinery and for storage of both pre-
ducts. This. so far from being detriment.
would be one of its chief advantages. The
production of fine machinery by skilled
labor would not only be profitable, but q
great credit to the head and heart OF a CITY.
II may so say. 1t would mean winter
employment for industry. and make the
city prosper all the year. The oil being de-
manded in every village and hamlet, would
add largely to the freightage of the rail
roacs and steamboats,, and in measure
quicken the pulse of trade.
The use oil the remains" after the oil is
extracted would stimulate the raising and
fatiening of stock, the care of which would
add small atom to our stock of industrial
help, besides our local use of this stock food.
It's so compact that it would bear shipment.
The fiber, except the tow from the hatchel-
ing, is product for shipment to other
countries at present.
OF course this would bring bsck money
and add much to our prosperity. The
| tow can be used here in the manufacture Of
sacks. as believe. linen rags are used 10
the manufacture of our finest paper, and
possibly the fioers of flax could be con-
yerted proiitabiy and usefully into the same
| article directly. This seems to me to be a
matter worthy OF investigation. Why may
NE not convert the flax fiber into linen it.
sell 2 In all my Irish acquain,ances /
have never met u linen manufacturer. AMI
80 far as know they have left all their
! knowledge of this industry behind them.
| am of the opinion that for all the cd
vaniages they got by the change of resi-
dence from Ireland TO the United States
that they might place this industry here in
return. The importation OF the machinery
might be expensive bat soon its produc-
ton here might be profitable.
Not the least motive 10 the writing of this
article Is the help to the farmers. There is
always danger of overptocuction. Too
many raise the same article, and then some
| give ii up often at a great sacrifice. a sin
| gle acre of flax would be worthy of the
care of the farmer. No. rnfrequently il
may be made TO grow in a nook thar MOTH
ing else would occupy. There are many
steep hillsides that cannot be used so well
Tor anything else.
| ! ieel very sure that very few farmers
would be without this representative plant
4 if 1t shonld get into demand and general
use. To our city il is worthy OF our los