The Dickinson press., 1910-08-13
+ FtAx1 ~ STRAW 7E1:!t " FoR E Tv!NE y y u +
MANUFACTURED AT HOME
Proposition Of Gra Binder Attachment Co. Want
Establish Fiveon Mill Dickinson. Produce Good Twine
Five Gents Pound Allow Farmers $500 per Ton for
Flax Straw Mechanical Knotter Successfully Tried

Some thirty or forty business men went
to the Dickinson experiment station
Wednesday afternoon in autos and teams
to see a new twine knotter demonstra-
ton. President w. R. Everett of the
Commercial Club took the newspaper
men of the city out in his auto in order
to insure the fullest publicity of tie
matter. III
The demonstration was made by T..
M. Barrett of the Wares Grain Binder
Attachment Co. of 3O8 Palace Bid.
Minneapolis, and was watched with a
GREAT deal of interest. The company
has evolved the idea of supplying a
knotter for the twine and not the twine
for the knotter, as is the practice of to-
day. They have a mechanical device,
supplied with spools of % gauge tin,
fitted on to any binder, that will make a
perfect knot on any kind of twine.
The device is simple aad probably could
be sold at good profit at SIS each.
The proposition of the company is to
put in plants in various parts of the
country and manufacture the flax straw
into twine which it is claimed can be
done so as to sell at Sc per pound, half
the present price of twine, and make a
handsome profit, paying the farmers $5
per ton for their straw delivered at the
factory.
Four tons of straw will produce little
over one, ton of twine and three tons of
oakum, worth about $50 per ton and the
other ton of by-product is worth $6. An
investment of about $40, 600 is necessary
for 5-ton mill. employing perhaps 10
to IS men. A three-ton mill costs about
SIS, 600. ,
The twine manufactured from flax
straw appears to be strong enough for
Grain binders, and many other uses. but
Of course this has not been fully demon
strated, and 50 far as can be seen the
knotter does its work perfectly and there
does not appear ;to. be any serious objec-
tion to the shi3ll amount of metal
carried on the bundle string, fragments
of which might now and then get into
the grain: 25s5'f = s7sf ;.fs
The company wishes to put in a
manufacturing plant at Dickinson. A
three-ton plant has been successfully
operated the pasta8 months at Mime.
apolis and a two-ton plant is now being
installed at Winthrop, Minn. in con-
nection with a canning factory already
in operation there. The company wants
good bonus when entering a city and
become a co-partner with the citizens
in the enterprise. supplying knotters to
the farmers at rental of about 81. so
per year. The machines will not be sold
under any conditions.
When it is considered that the Inter-
national Harvester Co. spent over a
million dollars in futile attempt to
perfect a flax straw twine for the
common knotter in use. it looks like the
Wares Grain Binder Attachment Co. had
started out on the right tract in perfect
ing a knotter for the twine, thereby
enabling the farmer to zee his flax straw
piles converted into twine. Our readers
are generally aware of the fact that
twine contains oil and other ingredients
to make it smooth in order that it may
be successfully knotted on the present
binder devices end this adds materially
to the expense in addition to the raw
sisal fiber shipped in from Mexico.
If twine can be manufactured from
flax straw right at home, at half the
present price Of twine. at the same time
giving farmers good market for their
straw, it looks like it was worth while
for our people to investigate the prop
,osition. which the Wares Grain Binder
Attachment Co. have.
The president of the company will be
ID the city III q few days to explain the
matter more fully. If the plan is
feasible. lickinson could be made the
manufacturing center for twine for all
of Western North Dakota. This in it.
self would be 9reat thing for our
people. and in addition to this there
appearg sbe libefat return on the In:
vestment that our people would be
askel lstosmake. ss,
It ~ up to the company TO show our
business men that they mean business
and are in position to make GOOD all
Of their claims.
Dan !. WRITES L Z! ] ABoylI !! !! |! us rs.
illouIblE IS ii. MELlosE