The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1889-05-30
Flax Culture.

OQe OF Cle uOSG 1mpOIlaut .eCououlC
questions of the times is, "What shall
take the place of wheat on farms where
it can no longer be raised to proft?"
This question is one that has received
earnest consideration at the Agricultural
Department at Washington, but asyet
no product has been presented that fully
commends itself to the officials as fur.
nishing the answer, although many have
been suggested.
Last week Professor Willets, the As
sistant Secretary of Agriculture, had
under consideration letter from Ireland,
which he thinks may offer solution Of
the problem if the statement made in it
can be sustained. The writer says:
have long had very earnest interest
in fax growing and linen manufacture,
and now address you in behalf of these
industries. I have been familiar WITH
fax growing in America since 1910, and
thoroughly informed of the household
manufacture, and later the efforts to spin
and weave linen by machinery, and tho
almost complete failure Of all efforts in
this direction, until now there are only
two establishments weaying-one at
Webster, Mass, and the other at Apple.
ton, Wis.-the latter doing but little and
neither weaving anything finer than
crash. Besides these there are thread
and yarn mills, mostly branches of Brit.
ish manufactures, and the twiue and
cordage mills.
"a part of the reason why linen is not
made in America is that the raw mate
rial ia not flexible and requires more
land more costly) manipulation and
much more labor than cotton, wool and
silk.
"Another reason is that when in 1861
Congress enacted tariff laws there was no
association to SET forth the linen interest,
and the duty Was left too low to cores.
pond with the high duty on the raw ma
terial, while, with low duty upon cot.
ton, wooden and silks, capital turned to
the latter as the safest Investment, and
fax and linen have been neglected.
There can be no raw flax industry until
there is market for the fibre.
"There is nothing in the climate or
soil conflicting with the assertion that
just as good fax and linen may be pro-
duced in every State in the American
Union as in any country. Germany now
spins and weaves the finest linen; and
she has no essential differing climate
from America.
eff the inducements of protective
duties can not be given in favor of linen
manufacture, then bounties must be
offered in shape of the appropriation Of
the present income from duties TO
encourage the making Of linen from
American fax fibre. At least such an
experiment must be made as will test
and demonstrate the practicability. or
impracticability of establishing this im.
portant industry upon American soil.
"Many things become successful n
America from the facility with which the
people take up and adopt improved pro-
cesses and appliances, and this may be
the salvation of the linen industry. Of
the Importance of which there is no
question. There is every reason why the
American farmers should produce q
million acres of fax for both seed and
fibre over and above what is now pro.
duced, which would give 100000 to
100000 bushels of seed worth as many
million dollars, and two millions and q
half tons of fax straw, worth $50, ,000, 600,
from which 100000 tons of fax fibre
would be obtained, worth $1O0,000,0oO.
Once established, American invention
would, as in all other industries, soon
build up an industry to consume this raw
material.