The daily journal. (Salem, Or.) 1899-1903, 1903-04-21
WILL
III GROW
FLAX
willamette Valley to
Raise it
Experts Declare the Fiber of
the Very Best
Mr.. BOSSe, Growing 20 Acres
for the Government

Among the many products for which
tho soil and climate OF the Willamette
valley Is so perfectly adapted. fax
promises. in the near future. to be
quite an important one. The agitation
OF fax culture kept up SO persistentiy
and so courageously by Mrs. Lord and
the ladies' associated with her. will yet
bear good fruit. and thousands Of
acres or waving fax. with It's bright
blossoms. will add beauty to the fields
and bring not only wealth 10 its grow
ers. but give employment 10 hundreds
OF cheerful toilers al loom and spin
die. Il IL not 10 the discrcdit of Mrs
Lord and her associates that they
failed In their attempt az fax growing
and manufacturing. but to their ever
lasting honor that they 30 brayely I'M
dertook H. They succeeded. al least
In showing that fax. and good fax.
too. could be grown here and In draw
ing the attention Of practical lax.
growers TO the fact
The department OF agriculture has
for some years taken a deep interest
IN FAX culture and has caused expert.
ments 10 be made In almost every
place where the industry was liable TO
prove successful
In report on FLAX Culture for
Fiber In the United States" made In
1892 10 the department Of agriculture.
Mr. Dodge states that. under the
auspices Of the department. three va.
rletles OF FAX were imported from Eii.
rope aud distributed over a territory
representing all possible fax growing
localities. and embracing the entire
range Of northern states. from Massa-
chusetts 20 the DakotCs. including al.
80 Maryland Virginia. Kentucky. Mis-.
souri, and Oregon and California on
the Pacific coast The distribution
was made to directors OF agricultural
experiment stations. to farmers known
TO be- successful growers Of Gax for
iibre. and 10 flax manufacturers es.
pecially interested In the establish.
mcnt OF the fiax.fibre industry. The
three varieties were as follows. Pure
Riga or Russian. White Blossom Dutch
and n variety called Belgian. the seed
FsT saHhN oh Nltrfs
seed grown one year In Belgian soil
This seed was distributed IN two and
four huahel lots, allowing the cultiva.
ton Of half as many acres. and about
80 such lots were sent out In all. Up
90 the FIRST OF January 40 replies had
been received from the following
states; Massachusetts,. Connecticut
New York. New Jersey Maryland.
Virginia, Kentucky. Ohio. Indiana. Illi.
nols. Missouri, Iowa. Kansas, Michi.
kan. Wisconsin. Minnesota Nebraska,
North ard South Dakota. California
aud Oregon"
So far as these experiments went.
the two Pacific coast states came out
ahead Of all others. and the report
says Of Oregon;
Oregon agricultural Experiment
statlonl.--A careful report was re-
ceived from this state. with lot of
admirable samples closely resembling
the preceding. These were of good
length some OF the straw quite coarse
but welLgrown and cured. and giving
an abundance of clean, silky hbre OF
superior strength Well prepared. Il
would make superior fibre, nc for
iine linen. This comes nearest the
Courtrai straw in appearance OF any
examined from the United States:
among the best and strongest re-
ceived The agrloulturist reports as
follows
"'From the results this year and
last. am OF the opinion that fax can
be proftahly grown In this valley for
the seed alone. and the Indications are
that the dbre production would be Of
uh nANtAlA NHRANNNAf Nv NAAANAA ANAAAA'
ity OF the soil throughout a large por
tion OF the valley would enable the
farmersto grow the crop without the
aid OF commercial fertilizers"
The valley here spoken OF In the re
port OF the agrlculturist OF the Oregon
Agricultural Experiment Station Is
the willamette valley. IN which. al
Corvallis. the station and agricultural
college are located And Il Is not con.
tended that every portion Of the Pa
ciho Northwest is equally well adapt
ed 10 FAX culture, II Is certain how
ever. that thh Willamette valley Is
peculiarly well adapted 60 such cul.
ture. and 4 Is exceedingly probable.
and. indeed. almost certain. that the
coast counties and the greater part OF
the west Of the mountains" district