The San Francisco call., 1899-05-04

NUR recent reference to the experiments made
at Wala Wala penitentiary in the manufac-
- ture of grain bags from fax tow raised in
California, has reused considerable interest among
farmers and manufacturers 1t is developed that i'm
proved machinery for conversion OF the fiber into
awaits opportunity for trial and that the
double crop OF seed and fiber is possible We import
largely of Calcutta nseed oil for use on this coast and
there seems no good reason why we should not pro-
duce it all here The tariff on linseed oil is 20 cents
a gallon, or boiled; on fax tow it is $40 ton
and on faxseed 25 cents per bushel OF ffty-six
pounds.
The success in using our fax tow with the jute
machinery OF Washington penitentiary would indicate
that it is time for farmers to take advantage Of
the protection given by the Dingey bill to the fax
industry The bottom lands OF the Sacramento
Feather and Yuba rivers doubt offer as good ad-
vantages as be found anywhere for growing fax,
and the same may be found in the San JOAQUIN Val
ley. 1t is good crop for rotation, and where the
production of seed is sufficient to warrant the use OF
the oil mill the OF the oil cake in feeding stock
returns the elements OF fertility the soil In Tulare
County increasing attention is being paid to dairy
ranching and there is much land there adapted to
fax. The linseed oil cake would find ready mar
ket part Of dairy ration.
During the spring many Farmers Institutes will
be held all the State and those who attend them
should secure some information from experts on the
cultivation and preparation OF flax This crop was
produced by the pioneers in the States OF the Upper
Mississippi Valley where it was retted and the fiber
prepared and woven into coarse but very durable
tow for garments AS the domestic loom was re-
tired from service fax came to be raised for the
seed alone and was found profitable.
We have no statistics OF the production per acre of
seed and tow, but they attainable and should be
studied The first point for experiment is with the
jute machinery in San Quentin.
Two industries quite peculiar to California and
are related to our permanent resources These are
the manufacture OF grain bags and that of fruit boxes
Anything that affects them is of vast and enduring
interest 1t is supposed that the annual consumption
OF bags is about sixty millions.
II the jute import prove an annoying bompe-
tition the tariff be at any time amended to ex-
cude it. 1t is only necessary to demonstrate that this
State produce the material for all the bags
used and there will be no lack of protection
AS we have intimated, this most primitive use OF
fax tow may lead to the discovery of localities where
its more refined for linen fabrics can be carried
It's extra quality for that purpose having been al
ready demonstrated in Belgium when crop is pro-
duced experiment will go on here
This State has spent some public money and off
cal effort upon the production OF silk and we have
to our labor system The opposite is the case with
fax Now all that is required is that the Prison
Directors pay some official attention to the matter
and secure the tow required for experiment on the
jute machinery.