The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1896-01-15
THE CULTURE OF FLAx.
Results OF Careful Experiments Made
In it, Production.


q. b Barbo read paper on fax culture
as applied TO his own county. Whatcom.
and as there has been much discussion re-
Gently tending 10 prove that tnis climate
IS especially suitable for the success Of
the fax industry, Mr. BarbO's paper on the
subject attracted close attention. This
was how it read.
IL has been my duty as a member OF the
New Whatcom Board of Trade 10 investi-
gate flax culture. OF the fine fiber from
which IS manufactured the higher numbers
Of yarns and what is properly called linen.
not pound IS grown in this country and
We import lax products for at least sl5.
io.01o every year Flax can reach per-
lection IN Europe only in certain regions
OF limited area The acreage there cannot
.ncrease The demand for fax products
has been and is constantly increasing. The
factories refuse orders for want OF proper
raw material The peculiar climate of the
prominent fax producing centers Is strik-
ingly similar 10 the climate on Puget
sound. and the knowledge of this first
prompted flax culture IN Whatcom county.
In the spring OF 1895 Il was pointed out 10
the New Whatcom beard OF trade that flax
had been grown experlmentally "a the coun-
" for three years with fattering results.
That then a number OF acres were being de-
voted 20 the plant. but that the farmers
generally showed no Interest and that The
then took the matter in hand and during the
summer discovered 0or 1t was discovery IS
FAR as the fax producer was concerned
the linen manufacturers IN the United
States collected tata from farmers grow
ing FAX I'm the county, and procured men 10
prepare che fiber according 10 the various
modes in ireland. Sweden and Germany.
At the Northwest agricultural and indus
trial fair held In New Whatcom last Sep
TENDER special premiums We're offered and
given FOR faN exhibits. one part Of the
exhibition was q factory on a small scale.
where fax straw hy scutchiug. hacking
ana spinning WAS converted into thread.
There we're numerous exhibits % flax prod
ucts from the straw rs pulled in the fteld
a. the finished table cloth from the loom.
All this through the Efforts of The board II
trade. and az the faifeVerytody had 10 see
flax. fax was mostly the talk. and the
papers gave part Of their columns 10 this
latest immigrant
After the fair the board of trade sent
samples OF hacked lire 10 all the factories
h the country. The result of The summer
work IS that today there are few farmers IN
WhAtcom county who arc uot interested IN
fax and who are unwilling "a s.Ve &C. "A ne al
The mauufa cturers. who few months aE0
said they had seen no American aaN af FIR
gheir purposes Sow say az the samples sr1t
chem. The tax IL similar o. what wc use
request shipments 81 larger quantities, fer
which VIII he paid market pricvs. one fac-
tary sent samples ~ the .t~t imported ttser
and our haN experts declare ,ee Haet Ef9Fr
In Whatcom county last year longer equ2l-
~ strong arl has ths same ule sllSeo toa
that haxmen speak Of
The board " trade. therefore. feels tusi-
Sea in stating THAI So has demonstrated 20
th, linen manufacture and 10 olr farmers
i
SHEER equal 81 8UV grown 20 Che " GRID M
quality The SOL ana climate that has - '-
3s.rd the ralkeft se-eJat.ca, thc largest
trfes 20 It's k.r3 ju tt- Hcr.l. can also beat
the Worl1 as to Qatatt> az fax. tn Ire
land the average Weld ot Hn~r ptr 2rr" rs.
am tois. iesi pounds lr Na1term coaaiy
the AVERAGE IS @"no po1nis lu 81 gleSot1,
sr%.re FAX is raised tar seed alone. zen
atlsb.{s per acre is thr average lu WHAT
som county the average ger ARE vas ar
tae,, bushels. aheu the plant was pGl.ed Re-
fe-e tHe ~ees was 0aly ma ,ure,l
In Minnesota ana the lskot3s. here 5'a
s.-tv. = burned er otherwise destroy g.
use wheat IS NClas repiaet3 'N flax u psNs
1.srter ia ireland. where ~" S.. aa,t
-s-el1- has .c,n entirely wasted. HaN aas
,,-s.fa the farmer prosperous ANA iUt. b n-
t.D- Ana when 51 NHstrem county >1
s,.h acre we can raise oue-.au-ta -nNrs Z
al.r than iu Irelanl -al Pa a..t..'n s~Ne
seed ona-a8lt more tain .aH sc raised n
Minnesota. &, caea- to Ga\.
F~t..r IS worth at the tsr.r-H tram sssra
r., 10 -urnty-tee ,-5i esats sep YHuai. st4
.h. ensSt quality even higher AZ pr-e
-.t,,, tha AvaraEe. Sas SEN 81" ca1-s PER
,.,t-f eeo pounds So. -.tr Nl t0-2- -'
S....g IS worth en aa att--~ 500. ser -.i-#
t.- s,vv5-- eurfgoe.- Seq t1r OF r 81 say
s. The ar~g vat 8 eia. ..H ,l.'a..7l >s#-
good far SOW uE tEr s-e-] a1l We
IS