Fairhaven herald. [volume] (Fairhaven, Wash.) 1890-????, 1892-07-22
CULTIVATION OF FLAX
DR.. Thornton Points Out the
Adaptability of Our Soil
and Climate
The Growing Demand for the
Flax Fibre On the Pacific
Coast
A Future Belfast On Belling.
ham Bay---Statistics of
Imports

To The EDITOR OF THE HERALD:
What is the matter with fax? It's all
right, The adaptability of our soil and
climate to fla culture is beyond ques-
ton, as actual experience has shown,
that we can grow in Whatcom and
other Sound counties, quality of fax
suitable for the finer fabrics, as well as
the coarser burlaps and twines equal,
If not superior, to that produced any
where in the world. The requirements
OF the flax plant being a moderately
rich soil, mild and moist climate and
good supply of soft water for wetting,
all Of which conditions exist in What
com county.
The chief difficulty in starting the
flax industry upon a sound basis is the
question Of capital, as it is Improbable
for the farmer to grow flax until a mar
ket IS assured, and the capitalist is dis
inclined 10 invest until he sees a sup
ply Of the raw material in advance.
The same difficulty existed in the
north Of Ireland some seventy-five
years ago, when the country around
Belfast was just as poor and miserable
as any other less favored parts of Ire
land, When the flax industry-the
manufacture of linens, thread and
twine, etc.-was established there, that
section rapidly attained a commercial
importance beyond that of any other
part Of Ireland, and Belfast, from being
q small country town, has become a
city Of Dos, I'D inhabitants.
The same results may be attained
right here in Whatcom county. by the
est ,biishment Of rope works and linen
factories. Nor would the amount of
capital required be very large. One
hundred thousand dollars to Sl5O. 900
would be sufficient to inaugurate such
an enterprise, and all the flax required
could be secured by contract with the
farmers. Skilled managers and oper-
ators could easily be induced to come
from Europe, if necessary, and i'm n
very short time we would have a CITY
upon Bellingham bay extending from
Chuckanut to Lummi and from Lake
Whatcom to the sea.
Mr.. A. X. Turner, president of the
n ASipNtio borDllullOils Ill MIlllIlK 10
the special agent Of the agricultural de-
partment, for fibre investigations, says
"The successful raising and manipulat-
ing Of many new fibres is matter of
speculation, but with flax and hemp
you have positive matter in hand and
fibres about which there is no specula-
tion. The United States is the first
nation in the world in the cOnsump-
ton of linens and binding twine, and
this should inspire US to secure home
production for our own HON market"
To show the large field this industry
opens to the profitable investment Of
capital, the importations for the year
1888 may be quoted as follows:
The importations Of brown and
bieached linens, ducks, can
vas, elc........ .....sl4, ,tH3,2
Ihe lmportatlons Of max. ...... l,s02, ,O59
The importations Of thread and
tWlne ....................... 5lO,Ol3
Sl6,32l ,257
And since that time the demand for
binding twine for harvesters has quad
rupled.
Among the products in which the
common coarse fibre can be utilized,
not taking into consideration the tex
tile goods made from the finer grades,
ninety thousand tons of burlaps are re-
quired TO bale the cotton crop. Cali
fornia uses q 800, 900 sacks for her grain
every year. The u. s. postofilce de-
partment consumes Of one kind of
twine 100000 pounds. For cereals
we use 1900 tons of binding twine.
There are other articles, as burlaps.
carpet backs, other twines and bag
gings are all made from imported fibres.
costing $40 100000 annually, and which
could be better made from domestic
fax fibre.
1t is unnecessary for me at this time
to enter into details of the culture and
Encouragement Of flax, as until capital
Is secured 1t would be labor In vain, AZ
the farmer cannot grow IL with profit
until market IL assured, and special
machinery supplied for proper thrash
ing, breaking and other details Of ma
nipulation. The object Of this COM
munication is to start capitalists who
are largely interested In Whatcom
county property TO. thinking how their
property would increase In value by
the formation ofa company 10 establish
the fax Interest In all It's branches, (the
manufacture OF twine, thread, linen,
canvass and duchng,) here upon
Whatcom creek, where the petty local
jealousies would be merged in one great
city. The new Belfast which would
soon overshadow all the other towns
on the Sound and Irish linen and bal
briggan hose would be supplanted by
newer and better grades Of Whatcom
manufacture.
With the Mckinley bill, with protec-
ton to the raw material, together with
high transportation charges upon Eu-
ropean products, as well as the use Of
recently invented improved American
machinery would practically secure
monopoly prices 10 investors In such an
enterprise In Whatcom county.
A. w. THORNTON,
West FerndaIe, Whatcom County.