The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-07-03
FLAX FOR LINEN.
Why the Crop Is So Little Cultivated
in This Country.

Boston Transcript
Despite the fines and the bounties and.
contrary to all the theories of the protec-
tionists OF those times, both linen manu-
facture and flax cultivation languished The
former because the manufacturers were
obliged to depend for their supply on the
domestic product, which was neither ade-
quate in quantity nor satisfactory in quality.
The latter, because the farmer could not see
a reasonable recompenSe for himself in its
cultivation and preparation for market.
While the conditions have changed materi-
ally for the manufacturer inasmuch as he
has the markets of the world to draw UPON
for his fiber and his yarn, they are the same
as regards the farmer. The growing of this
crop does not offer any greater profit than
can be made with others with much less
trouble than is consequent upon its cultiva-
ton and the preparation necessary to its
marketing. This latter consists Of pro-
cesses so distasteful to the American farmer
that greater inducements than any yet Of
fered him will be necessary to his under
taking it as business. And even the irish
farmer has become so dissatisfied with the
returns from the flax crop that the past year
showed a reduction in the acreage of fully
one-Quarter of the area given to its cultiva-
ton previously, and the Irish manufacturers
are importing flax from Russia in large
world would have TO look to Russia for its
supply of flax fiber, as, with its two million
acres devoted to It's culuvation, 1t Is Iar ana
comes next, producing $4,000 tons of fibre
against Russia's 100000 tons. Ireland and
Belgium, the countries most noted for linen
manufacture, produce only 10000 and $1,000
tons, respectively getting their supply above
this amount from Russia.
In the raising of flax, however, for seed
the United States leads the rest of the
world barring Russia, her acreage devoted
to flax-growing being more than half the
area given up to it in that country and
more than three times that of any other
nation. In value our crop of fiaxseed, as
appears from the statistics, exceeds that
Of the flax fiber raised in Great Britain
and Ireland is, perhaps, five times more
valuable than all the flax fiber, straw and
tow OF fax now imported into this country
for domestic manufacture, while it equals
in value the Belgian fax which is the
standard acknowledged by users of the hber
everywhere. Compared with the manufac-
lures of linen imported our seed crop is ten
times greater in value than all cur linen
the latest statistics at hand show that the
production Of f1axseed in Dakota alone ex-
ceeds double the value of all the flax fibre
amount of seed 100000 bushels and up
wards. is of course valueless for fiber. as its
growth f the gTofS or Ss Is
for Seed it is thinly sown, on ground that
is simply plowed, the crop is mown with
a machine, the stalks are dried |. and then
which separates the seeds and leaves the
stalks in the field.
from two to four bushels to the acre in
stead of about half bushel as in the other
instance; and this in land that has to be
fertilizers. Weeds must be fought off from
start to finish and, where the greatest sue
cess. is attained, women and children are
employed to crawl about their hands
and knees from the time that the plants
are few inches high to the maturity Of
the crop and the OxOTs
ground At the proper time the stalks
have to be pulled up by the roots each by
ITSELF as they have oftentimes length as
great as that attained by the fax above
ground. But this gathering of the crop is
but the first step toward it's marketing.
After ripping" the .'retting" or rotting
fiber from the wood and the process con-
ssts of the fermentation of the gummy
substance which binds the two. To obtain
the best results the stalks are laid in rows
in ponds or slowly-running streams and
SO weighted as to have them entirely under
water. After few days fermentation sets
in and the fiber is tested every few hours
to prevent any injury happening to the
fiber. The removal of this mass of ill-smell-
ing material is done by, a man who stands
which makes an excellent liquid manure
and is strong enough to kill the fish that
venture yer into it. The flax being dried upon
pith removed. The hacking" follows this
.Sscut9chingr process. and at its completion
land. meanwhile, has been so Impoverished
that. following the practice. Of the CONT
mental farmers. a crop Of flax would not
years. Unfortunately for the American
farmers, who can be depended upon to
grasp any opportunity for planting a pay
ing crop when it presents itself, the ma
chinery with which he does the bulk of his
work is not available with flax when grown
for fiber. 1t is hand work or nothing and
such hand work as is, to say the least, not
attractive to the American farmer or his
family Until some expedient is found
whereby the "retting'' can be done by a
mechanical process our farmers will not en-
gage in the business to any great extent
If Yankee ingenuity ever invents such pro-
cess and there Is any money in it for the
farmer. the blue fax flower which blooms
now on SO many Western farms, simply that
for an advance in fiber production which
cannot fail to prove advantageous to our
New England mills.