Dakota farmers' advocate. (Canton, S.D.) 18??-1890, 1890-07-11
AGRICULTURAL TOPICS.
Selected and Original Articles On Var
ious Topics Of Interest to Rural
Readers.
The 7vins Report TO The Governor
Better Prospects For cattiemen
Predicted. .

Predicted.
WARDALL's TwINE REPORT. 5
Report Of committee from South Dako-
ia upon the feasibility of establishing
factories for the manufacture of binding
twinc in that state and approved by COM
mittee from Minnesota, appointed at same
time and for same purpose.
To His Excellency, A. G. Mellette,
Governor of the State of South Dakota.
Your committee appointed to investi-
gate the subject of feasibility of establish
ing the manufacture of binding twine in
the state prison or other points in the
State of South Dakota, makes the follow
ing report:
Your committee proceeded first to Pat
terson. n. j., and visited the twine mills of
Mr.. J. B. Todd, who is not only manu-
facturer of twine, but probably one Of the
largest manufacturers of machinery for
making fix and jute binding twine in the
United States, if not in the world. We
find that Mr. Todd has been manufact-
urer of this kind for the last 30 years, Mr..
John Cheyne, who came back to this state
at the request of the committee, has run.
a system of Todds machines for that
length of time. We find that Mr.. Todd
has furnished machinery during the pre-
sent year, amongst others, to the follow
ing twine and cordage companies; Barbom
& Co.. Cable Flax Mills, Field Cordage
Co., Middleton Twine Co.. Peru Bagging
Co., d. Aliens Sons, Portland Cordage
Co., and others. The answer attributed
to young MIR. Deering in the report, by a
Minnesota committee, that there was not
supposed to be any flax machinery man
ufactured in this country your COM
mittee conclude must have been misun-
derstood, or else the answer was made on
purpose to mislead the committee. In
confirmation of this view we quote from
Mr.. William Deering's admissions to the
present committee when we visited his
mills in Chicago, on, our way back to
South Dakota. In that interview Mr..
Deering, ST., informed the committee that
John Good, Of New York, was making
first class jute and flax machines, AMI was
ali olurtlanufacturer of such machinery,
and in tRs course Of conversation inform.
ed us that he was interested in Mr., Goods
machines as partner in some Of his in.
ventions. "a there remains any doubt
the abilit! RfI the American manufact-
urers to f,sr, flax and jute machines
for making KSsding twine, the fact that
on Mr.. Det fg's showing, the Dolphin
mills furniS IA him last year five car loads
of jute bill King twine which was all
made on MI chimes manufactured in the
| United Stiles, and according to Mr..
John Cheyhe, on Todd's machines, ought
to dispel hat doubt.
In regkH to the quality. and value OF
flax twinqfo binding grain, that depends
upon the{grade of the material used. Al
Mr.. Haryshorn's mills we were shown a
sample II flax twine said to be sure,
which sl6ad,a tensile test of from IS tc
lis pounds, and which runs between 7Ol
and 800 feet to the pound This twint
we examined and pronounced very fine
and itiwas the unanimous opinion of al
\ the memders of all committee that it was
Il egtr, If not superior to the best MANILA
I II iptwine Mr.. Hartshorn offered to sell
Fht taHcommittee in limited quantities al
BITS per pound, f. o. b.
Nm. Eodds mills in Patterson we saw
81; j rs Of flax twine made under oul
o{res Yes, both from Canada tow an6
freq Kansas tow, costing much less
S,r,'fsh it to say that your committee con,
clnk that making flax twine for binding
grne lis no longer an experiment.
estthis connection it may be as well tc
stat that the same machine used in max,
ing flax twine will make jute or any short
fiber; that is to say fiber that is first made
into tow
From our Investigation into the subiec,
of binding twine, we conclude that the
Twins to be used in dinding grain in the
tfutqre will be either jute or flax, as this
'klna of twine can be made and sold much
I eaper than either MANILA or sisal
With the right kind of machinery and
properly handled the flax straw now
wasted in the state is in our opinion
amply sufficient TO furnish fiber for al
the twine required in harvesting our small
grain. Of course when such an industry
is once started better methods, both Of
} preparing the fiber and making it into
twine, will be found
We think that the establishment o1
such system of machinery would be thu
means of opening up to the farmers Of
!. South Dakota a new source of income, a!
it would not only furnish market fol
our flax straw, which is now wasted, bu
would lead to bettersmethods in the cnlti
vation and handling of this crop, and