The Athena press. [volume] (Athena, Umatilla County, Or.) 18??-1942, 1896-02-07
MORE ABOUT FLAX.
Col. Parker Makes Sugges-
tions on the Subject.
LETTER FROM SCOTLAND
Concerning Planting and Har
vesting Of Flax.
LETTER FROM SCOTLAND

Frank J. Parker, editor Of the
Walla Walla Statesman, furnished
the Sunday Oregonian with follow
ing article on fax culture, which
may be of interest to our farmer
friends:
WALLA WALLA, Jan. 30.-[To
the Editor. lin view Of the inter-
est now being taken in flax culture
for fiber, as we'll as seed, | inclose
you an article received some years
ago, which is more pertinent than
ever. On several occasions | have
gone to the expense Of importing
haxseed for fiber from California
and distributed it among the farm
| ers east Of the Cascades. but with
the exception Of one man who in
formed me it made firstrate poul-
tices that was all the returns made
me. The honorable exception from
Puget Sound was the late George
Shannon, of Olympia. who consis-
tently raised all | sent him in 1888
| exhibited it in his name at the
Portland exhibition that year, and
he received q silver medal. | sent
samples Of this fax, fully four feet
high, to Belfast and Dundee for ex.
animation. They replied there was
a market there for hundreds OF
thousands Of acres of such fax, fol
"it was superior to that raised in
the best French and German dis
tricts.
My idea on the subject is that
while the average farmer will raise
anything he can get a price for, he
cannot be expected, and will moi
take the trouble to prepare it for a
market because he has not had the
experience. The alternative, there
fore is a small company with the
machinery mentioned in the article
to whom the small farmer or ex-
perimenter can send his flax after
"rippling," for then he can save
| the bolls for bis own use for stock
etc. It should be understood that
the fax as commonly grown fol
seed alone is not the best; but seee
| for fher is easily obtained in Cali.
fornia at about the price of the
common variety.
As | have known scores of prom
ising enterprises in this country
| fail for want of proper manage
| ment, let ME impress upon every
one who would like to take a hand
| in creating an industry that vii
| bring comfort to thousands event
ually, not to allow any trio to un
dertake the management, but u
| employ man who has had th,
necessary experience. Also, whel
it il started, pay the producer suct
prices that will encourage him ano
bis neighbors to keep going aheat
and raise more every succeedin,
year. FRANK j. PARKER.
The article referred to by Col
Parker is as follows. 1t is in tia
form of letter from Dundee
Scotland. and is signed David II
SAUNDERS
DUNDEE, Scotland, Sept. 2, 1887
Dear Sir.-You ask me abou
fax culture. / am now engaged il
conducting an experiment from
Messrs. Carmichael & Dalghish
They are the largest tiaxspinner
Lin Britain In days gone by ever.
small farmer in Scotland grew
little flax. When wheat rose {
70s quarter and our farmers her
displaced, the most Of our fax wa
imported from Russia. The yer
great prosperity Of tha jute trad
here also led the faxspinners t
develop that industry. But now
when owing to the very low prie
Of silver, a rupee is purchased fc
Is sd, instead of 2s or Is Id. Indi
!. gives us wheat at prices which ha
! forced down the prices to 28s to 81
quarter for wheat. Il may be il
teresting to your farmers TO sho
I exactly how this operates. 4 ma
/ wishes to buy wheat in Indi
First Of all he buys silver Now
J II pence gold can buy a silver RI
] pee while before it took 24d to bu
{ as much silver, and If this silv'
4 rupee still buys as much wheat |
3 ever in India, it follows that frol
: this one cause there is vast ia
5 in the price of wheat in Londo
q Add to this the fact that the tran
& port has been made very easy al
z that day By day India is openiE
4 up. it follows that the America
= farmers has nos to compete again
) the Indian grower, The Briti'
s consumer gains, for he can no
s buy twice as much wheat for Il
E same money as he gave befOr
Z Nor is It the quantity that con
= from India which is SO impOftar