Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1889-02-22
Scotch Expert Opinion OH This Terri
tOry's Flax.

it over to Hon. George d. Shannon o
Olympia. A sample OF the flax Mr.
Shannon raised was sent to Dundee
Scotland, and as result Mr.. Parker
has received the following letter from
Mr.. David Saunders of 6hat city.
The flax you sent Mr.. r. B. McKen
zie is beautiful. 1t is equal to any
ever saw in the finest French districts
The fibre is silky, the staple is strong
and will spin into the finest thread O
cambric. 1t is precisely the flax yor
require for your own mills in the East
ern states. You will not grow enough
of it, for many long year. to over
stock the market.
About growing such fax You have
no difficulty at all; the difficulties be
gin when the flax is grown. Here We
SOW in the last week Of April; you
know from the samn a.sent me the
best time for~ your climate The
ground should be clear from weeds
the seed should be sown broadcast, moi
in drills. Note well when trees stand
close in forest they grow tall and dc
not branch out till near the top. This
is what We desire in flax; for this end
! we SOW on land which has been rolled
and then harrow in the seed with a
grass seed harrow.
The flax should be allowed to grow
till it is yellow half way up the stalk
then PULL, not cut it, and tie it into
small sheaves; ; get strong comb made
of iron pins and fix it on a plank; let
two men sit astride the plank and
comb off the "bolls". These beautiful
seeds, or bolls, on your sample are in.
valuable feeding stuff Note well, the
flax seed only has been used-a grea,
mistake. The husk is a valuable food
is astringent and should be used with
the seed. Too much seed is apt tC
make COW slip her calf. The husks
prevent this. There are two WAYS oi
using the seeds: First crush them,
husks and all, into meal, and use with
corn, for horses, cattle and poultry
Better still: Take to seven pounds OF
barley one pound of "bolls )" (by boil.
] mean seeds and husks, like peas
with the pod), allow them to come to q
boil and you have rich Jelly. Min
this with hot water, salt and hand
ful of meal and give it to cows or feed
ing cattle, or to horses, and you will in
a few weeks see them shine, and theil
skins will become rs soft as q glove
This is an invaluable wrinkle for dail,
farmers.
To ripple the fax over the comb is 8
slow process, but is essential, for the
iibres must be kept square in the end
and straight, ii you are to have good
flax fibre. Whenever rippled, tie W
again into small sheaves. Then fling
the flax into pool of water. 1t should
be laid end down, sloping each sheai
over the other like fish in barrel. l,
must remain till the pith-the wood
which is the stem in the heart of the
| flax-is rotten. This can be ascer
tanned by taking a stalk between the
finger and thumb. Break it over and
if the stalk breaks eff easily, like a
glove offa finger, then the flax is ready
Take it out of the water. Eight TO ten
days is the time here; the warmer the
climate tine shorter in the sleeps. Let
it lie IL night in a mass to drip. Next
day spread it out thin ON grass field
When dry tie again into bundles, and
il perfectly dry it can be stacked, Oh
better still, at once sent to the mill
The lint mill is very simple. For H14C
a perfect mill can be had, il you have
a water power to drive it. The "mill'
consists of three rollers fiuted and very
heavy. The flax goes round the futed
rollers and the pith is broken. Then
it is taken in handfuls called " strikes. u
These are held over rest while wood.
en- swords fixed to a quick-running
horizontal shaft, strike the flax, drive
out the pith or wood and leave the
| fiber in soft, silky masses. The refuse
which is called cordilla, would make
your reaping tw;ne, only it is too good
The flax would make the finest sheet.
ing, the finest handkerchiefs, or the
best sewing thread in the world.
have never seen better fax. Now note
well: In country like yours where
labor is dear. it will not do, / fear tc
farm flax on large scale. Let nc
man try more than two or three acres
/ to begin, and if he succeeds, let him &c
on to more Two and quarter tt
two and half bushels of seed per acre
is Sufficient | would advise You tc
let, say hundred farmers, grow three
acres each The bolls OF themselves
will repay them. Let each farmer
treat the fiber as l have said. Raise
say f200 in shares to buy mill
Then let each farmers interest in the
undertaking he his three acres. Al
the end of the season when it is al
finished and sold, let the $500 be re
paid, and the balance will be the cap
ital of the new company. Were eacl
farmer to los his three acres in the
experiment, The loss would not be very
great, rs he would have bis bolls, which
are, on every farm, simply invaluable
food. The fiber can be sold easily
In any of the Eastern States can sci
it all in u week even if you had squar,
miles of it. Best go to work slowly
If you can grow quality like the sam
pie you will get twice the price OF til,
usual Russian; for the heavier ant
richer the crop, the closer on thu