The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1895-10-01
THE FLAX INDUSTRY
Promises to Become Important
on Puget Sound.
A GOOD START MADE ALREADY.
Climate and Soil Well Adapted Inter-
eSting Exhibits AT What
com Fair.

whatcon. Sept. -Sssecisl-N, SINCE
exhibit ar the Northwestern fair which
closed Saturday has attracted more al
tent:on than that % FAX. That tho Puget
Sound country Is remarkably well adapted
IN the successful raising Of fax for fiber
has been demonstrated beyond al ques-
ton this Year by experiments conducted
with government aid under the direction
of nr. \. ". Thornton. az West Ferusala
and others on a smaller scale hv various
farmers in he county. who have been
encouraged and assisted by the hoard ~
trade, which has taken an active interest
IN the matter and IS highly elatei over
the results obtained. Altogether about ff-
teSsl acres or fax was sown this season
IN this county. Of which about 0ne-fhiri
vas on the Slater place near Ferndale, 70
which nr- Thornton's attention and the
small government appropriation was most
~ devoted There has not been complete
harmony between the hoard II trade and
Or. Thornton. and for that reason the
board has conducted its work indepenf-
entity. and its exhibit at the fair was in
charge of James Mcconnell who. rs be
expresses II, was horn with flax around
his neck" IN County Down. Ireland As
boy he worked IN the flax fields. and
waen old enough went into the mills. and
he knows the linen Industry from the
sowing Of the fax seed 20 the spinning
or the thread and the weaving or the fAh-
re. He SAYS that there are only three
sections of the old world IN which fax fiber
can be successfully produced-the north of
Ireland. Belgium and the low lands OF
RUSSIA bordering or the Black sea. \
scotch gentleman, however Who Vas a
visitor AT the fair. informs the Post-Intel-
hgencer correspondent that the low lands
or the Baltic are noted for their flax pro-
duction. and that nearly all the fax used
IN the big Scotch mills comes from the
port Of Riga.
Mr.. Mcconnell claims that fax fiber can
be lust as successfully produced here as
II can he In the countries mentioned. and
mat nothing but active and well directed
eHort Is necessary TO make the fax indus
try one of the principal sources Of rev
enue 10 the Puget Sound farmer and
nring about the establishment and protlia-
Die operation OF linen manufactures.
The best fax raised i'm this county this
year was sowed on the "a Of June. and il
would have been considerably better hal
u been planted earlier. 10 get the beneft OF
moro growing weather. He advises seed
ing about the list OF May ANY good soil
except sandy loam will raise good LAX.
nut bottom land is preferable in dry sea
sons The ground should he Moved In the
fall. and In the spring should h we'll drag.
sed before 1t is seeded. and after seeding Il
s1otild be rolled with a heavy iron roller
w hen the flax Is five or six inches high ali
the weeds must be pulled by hand. a nro.
cess which should not be very tedious IN
the ground has been well prepared The
harvesting should be done i'm the latter
part or July, when the top of tho fax * Of
. light yellow color. Tho retting or rot
ting, as Il really is. should he done in pure.
stliI water, and the fiber should then he
spread on the grass four or five davs 10
bleach II. and then taken up and tide i'm
punches and stood on end while in the field
1t doesn't matter how long II IL is not al
lowed TO get wet. II is then ready 10 he
taken to the scotching mill. and when
broken. TO separate the fiber from the shell.
and scotched. to remove the chaf ana
shelly substance, Il is ready for tho fac
tory. and is worth in Great Britain - 10 81.
shillings stone. or fourteen pounds. When
hacked, that Is, drawn between needles OF
various degrees or ineness II Is worth
$1,000 ton. First-class fax land on Puget
sound should produce from four to five
tons Of straw. which should Weld from
LOO 10 lS0o pounds of fiber. AIr. Neon
nell estimates the cost Of production at Si5
TO 80 an acre. and DR.. Thornton's estimate
IS Sf5. Besides the two men mentioned,
Swede by the name Of Polsen had some ex-
cellent fax on exhibition
The Board Of Trade samples will DC SEM
10 Barber Bros, at Paterson. n j.. with
whom the board has had considerable cor.
respondence. and who have sgnined their
readiness TO purchase ali the fiber produced
here. II of sufficiently good quality. and IL
raised In sufficient quantity they will es-
tablish mill here. An ordinary linen fac
tory VIII use from 800 to 1000 tons OF fiaN
annually. The Board OF Trade will furnish
seed tn all who will SOW IT In this county.
and IL is expected that the acreage next
year viii be increased at least ten fold