The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-10-04
NEGLECT AGOLDM MINE.
FARMERS OF MINNESOTA DO NOT
KNOW VALUE OF FLAX
STRAW
FORTUNES BURNT ANNUALLY
Should Be Saved for Commercial
Purposes-Successfu Expert
ments by U. s. Depart
ment of Agriculture.

William M. Woodbridge industrial agent
for the Great Northern Railroad COM
pany at Hinsdale, Mont, is of opinion
that Minnesota farmers are yearly vast
ing thousands of tons of flax straw which
might be made to yield returns which
would more than cover the expense in
Cured in raising the entire fax crop.
In an interview on the subject he says:
81 remember, years ago that farmers In
Eastern Illinois did the same thing.
They kept the seed and destroyed the
straw. It occurred to some enterprislng
men to build paper mill to manufacture
this straw into paper. Up to that time
practically no use had been made of it.
A very small part of that product was
fed to stock, but the straw had no mar
ket value. After the establishment of the
paper mill the price of flax straw steadily
advanced until it reached the price of 81
and So per ton for this purpose alone.
The money received from the sale of
what was formerly a waste product more
than paid the entire expense of producing
the crop.
Regarding the cultivation of fax for
its fiber, the investigation by the United
States department of agriculture, under
the direction of Charles Richard Dodge,
special agent, has demonstrated that this
can be made one of the most profitable
agricultural crops of many localities in
the United States suited to its culture.
He has proven by the results of sever
al years work that, contrary to the pre-
vailing public opinion, fax fiber and
seed could be profitably produced upon
the same plant.
SHIPMENTS WE'RE LARGE.
ga shipment of flax straw was made
from the Puget sound region of the
state of Washington to Ireland to be
treated by the skilled labor of that coun-
fy~NY afa6
at $3.50 per ton and hacked flax worth 500
per ton, even when only one and one-ha1f
bushels of seed to the acre was used
The principal obstacle in the way OF
success is the lack of interest on the
part of the farmers themselves, who are
really the ones who should be Interested
and it is urged that farmers cooperate
with the United States department of
agriculture at Washington, D. G..
GOOD FIBER PRODUCTS.
''The best flax fiber product in America
has been at Green Bay, Wis, and ST.
Paul, MINI. Fine flax fiber has also
been produced in Kansas by the aid of
irrigation It is thought that in many
sections where irrigation is possible
this can be made one of the most profit
able agricultural crops. 1t has been said
that good flax fiber canont be produced
outside of certain European countries
that possess a. humid atmosphere. This
has been proven not to be true by the
experiments conducted by Mr.. Dodge
1T is necessary that some experiment
Should be had to insure success. One
Of the principal points to be determined
is the proper time when the fax should
be harvested in order to save both the
straw and seed. Another point to be con-
sidered is the proper drying of the straw
old world farmers have been brought
to America in the hope that they could
teach Americans how to produce the best
quality of flax fiber. but who persisted
IN Following their Flooding ways and re-
fusing to learn anything new if they We're
able, positive failure resulting in their
work, although they were counted good
fax growers at home. The successful
man in the American flax fiber industry
viii be the man who learns by actual
experience the conditions necessary for
success in this important industry