Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-07-03
WE CAN GROW FLAX.
Government Expert DOdge's Views On
the Live Subject.
THISIS A NATURAL FLAX COUNTRY
And There is No Reason Why Linen Should
Not be Made Here.
IMPORTANT REVIEW OF THE SITUATION

In order to get at the facts in regard to
the cultivation of fax for fiber in this coun-
try, the Washington correspondent of the
DrygoodS Economist was directed to call on
Mr.. Charles Richards Dodge, OF the Agri-
cultural Department, who is well known as
the Government expert and authority In
this matter. The correspondent Submitted to
Mr. Dodge a series of questions, to which
the expert gave full replies. The corre-
spondent writes:
Mr.. Charles Richards Dodge has just re-
turned from the South, where he has been
studying fiber growth, and the trip has con-
frmed his belief that there is no reason in
the world why there should not be the finest
fax raised and the finest linens made in this
country, except that the industry is not
properly encouraged. He thinks the eli
matte conditions are by no means against
the development of such an industry, and
that it would not take many years OF suitable
encouragement to induce the culture OF the
fiber and the building up of the manufac-
tories The necessary technical knowledge
and skill of manufacture he thinks would
soon be developed. His tour in the South
has been very fruitful, and he has brought
back some fine specimens of vegetable hber
o. various sorts.
FARMERS TAKING HOLD.
Meeting Mr.. Dodge by appointment,
yoqr correspondent opened the conversation
by asking: Are the farmers of the country
interested in the fiber industry and are they
ready to begin the cultivation of lax?"
'Emphatically yes, as is proved by the
constantly increasing correspondence oil the
Department OF Agriculture upon this sub
Al @f, lor adj
of the fax and hemp report recently pub
lished will be soon exhausted from the
demand made by farmers everywhere for
COPIES Letters (and samples of fax have
been received from farmers in many sections
of the country, detailing past expert
ence, inquiry into the possibility or mar
ket tor the fax when grown, and praying
for sufficient encouragement. in the change
in the tariff laws, to enable them to make
beginning. Samples of good fax have been
received from many Northern States, and
Virginia, and Texas, and some of these, as
have stated in nv report, are good enough
for fine linen. Many farmers are greatly
interested, and with encouragement and an
assurance that there will be home market
for their product when grown, will not hesi-
tate to embark in the industry"
CANADA's SUCCESS.
fully a considerable amount of flax?"
''It is fact that Canadian farmers are
producing, and have produced for years, a
considerable quantity of fax which our
manufacturers prefer to foreign fax of the
same grade, and for which in past time
they have been willing to pay slightly
higher price. 1 regret that our investiga-
tions on this side of the water, so far, have
not extended beyond the limits of the
United States. and L am unable to make
any statements as to quantity produced.
One New York manufacturing concern
which buys in Canada IS per cent of the
fax it uses. makes the statement that the
Canadian product is superior to all grades
of Russian, but equal to best qualities of
Dutch, Flemish or Belgian fax. The Can
adian farmers grow from imported seed
(chiefy Dutch) and find the culture fairly
remunerative. Some fine samples of
Michigan fax sent to the Department in the
spring, were grown and worked by Messrs.
J. & J. Livingston, of Baden, Ont, who
have built a mill at Yale, Mich. When
the samples were received (from an Eastern
manufacturer we were told that they would
have iullv 100 tons of dressed fax from last
wears CROP This fax straw $500 tons) was
pulled from the ground by hand, as all
straw must be if used for fine spinning. As
stated in our report, the Messrs. Livingston
have been successful workers oil fax in
Canada for over 25 years. where they are
now running 20 mills, and annually SOW
5000 acres of fax, and work as much more
grown by farmers. Messrs. Livingston have
demonstrated that they can grow as good
fax for fiber in Michigan as can be pro-
duced in Canada.
A TARIFF NEEDED.
"Our correspondent firmly believes that
within five wears fax could be made one of
the largest and best paying crops in the
Western States, as 1t now is In Upper
Ontario, Canada.
'.Mr. Dodge" continued the correspond
- eht, "a writer in BrGdStreet'S quotes your
statement that some farmers are now making
money out OF fax culture, and argues that
il this is so no protection to the American
fax farmer is necessary. What have you to
say in answer to this argument?
Said Mr. Dodge: 81 had not intended to
make reply to any part of this answer to
my statement of facts in the article in ques-
ton; for while the attempt is made, by ex-
PLANTATION, to belittle my statements and
weaken the force of the arguments pre-
scented in favor of an American linen indus
try. not a fact was disproved. 1 am glad,
however, that you have called attention to
this one point as it should have been made
clearer in my article.
There is no disputing the fact that very
little fax is now grown for fiber, because
the attention of farmers has not, in recent
wears, been directed toward the industry.
But this fact is a very silly argument with
which to prove thatswe cannot grow any
quantity Of fax in the future. or when there
are manufacturers who will take the prod
uct. And in this connection it may be said
that without the cooperation of farmer and
manufacturer there can be no linen indus
try. One of the strongest features of the
Mckinley bill was that the duties it i'm
posed made 1t possible for American farmers
and manufacturers to work together against
the interests of foreign farmers and manu-
facturers in the establishment of a national
linen industry.
NOT HARD TO CULTIVATE.
'The farmers who produced spinning fax
last season (before the agitation of the ques.
tion of fax culture in the United States)
were chiefly men who learned the business
in the old countries and were perfectly
familiar not only with the agricultural and
subsequent operations, but with the require.
ments of the manufacturer who was to pur
chase the product. This kind of skilled ha1
culture is shown TO have been remunerative
and were the good farmers of the country
generally as skilled the present duty
meager as it is, might suffice. They hav,
not the requisite knowledge to-day, how
ever, though there are thousands Of Ameri
can farmers of intelligence who voulC
not need to see the crop growI
bv skilled neighbor longer than Q seasol
or two to be able to produce q fair qualit!
of fax suitable for crash and similar liner
goods; and with practice and eIperienc
there is no question that in favorable
localities they would in time be enabled tc
grow fine fiber. The present possible
margin of profit is too small for the sverag,
farmer to grow fax TO compete With the olC
world, and the TACT that skilled Belgian
fax grower can now cultivate hax in thu
United States at profit, is strong argu
ment in favor of q higher tariff on the raw
material to give farmers generally an op
portunity to make q beginning and ado
this crop to the paying crops OF the farm.
Gas wheat Is q well-known crop in tn
Hnffad Sfafau 7 Mill illuefrata the mint b,