Evening star., 1909-03-14

were national industries; nearly every farmer
grew a little, and he grew it we'll; and the
women of the household spun and wove it into
creamy linens tor score of domestic uses.
Within fifteen years the writer has seen flax
spun and woven in Virginia households; for
in the mountain regions Of Virginia. Tennessee,
and the CarolnaS, remote from the shrek of
the locomotive, a remnant of this ancient
household industry has survived. The decline
in the general use of flax save for table linen
and some kinds of clothing, came about largely
by the more extended use of cotton and it's
employment for household stuffs formerly
made from flax, the factory system cheapening
production to an extent that made it more
economical to purchase and use cotton goods
Now we have no flax manufacturing indus
try in the United States beyond the pro-
duction of cheap toweling. thread, and twine.
and linen industry worthy the name.
Yet the importation of flax and linen manu-
factures is enormous. OF raw, dressed flax
and tow we import annually nearly two
million dollars worth, while the value of inn
ported flax manufactures has reached total
of twelve million dollars in single year. We
are able to grow flax fit for linen in many
portions of the United States and we do culti-
vate a million acres or more OF flax tor seed
purchased by the oil mills. the coarse fiber
burned to get it out of the way. tremendous
waste when the world is crying for paper ma
teria1i The best flax is produced in Belgium
though much of the Irish flax is high grade.
In this connection it IS an interesting fact that
Fle1n1Sn max sent TO Ireland 10 Oe dressed De-
comes Irish fax" Russia produces some
good flax. as we'll as very poor. the
cheaper grades that we import coming from
that country. Egypt. from being flax pro-
ducing country in ancient times, IS now the
source of supply of the finest cotton that is
manufactured in the United States, which
brings the price of high grade Flemish flax
to twenty to twenty-five cents pound.
How 1t Is Prepared
THE preparation of fax involves many labo-
rious operations. and the display of skill and
judgment. After the crop is grown the stems
are pulled by hand, dried and the seed re-
moved, after which the straw is immersed in
water for ten days or two weeks to be retted
(the subsequent value of the fiber depends
largely upon this operaton). After carefully
drying, the straw is then broken in a machine
and the fiber scutched or cleaned by means
of rapidly revolving blades of wood. 1t IS
then repeatedly combed or hacked to re-
move all tow and broken fibers, after which
it is ready for the spinner.
The domestic spinning wheel was not in
vented until I533,-afterward greatly inn
proved flax having been spun prior to that
date on the spindle,-a long slender stick or
reed with weighted disk whor at the
bottom. Ike an elongated top The spindle
was made to revolve rapidly. the fiber being
drawn down from the distaff by the fingers.
and twisted into thread. The Navajo and
other Indians of the West are using to-day a
spindle similar to that used by the Egyptians
four thousand years ago. 1t is possible to
draw out a pound of fine flax fiber into length
of seven miles