Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1912-08-16
SAYS BEST FLAX
GAN Be GROWN IN
THURSTON COUNTY
Expert Urges Farmers to Begin
Culture of New Product
Tells of Early Tests.
TO sUPPLANT JUTE BAGS.
Man Who Has Studied Question
rs Years Gives Full Details
of Investigations.


That ThurstOn county is particular
ly adapted to the growth of fax and
that the best fax grown in Washing
ton and Oregon in a series of tests con-
Quoted some years ago was raised in
Thurston county, are statements made
by Frank ]. Parker, for some years
chairman of the board of penitentiary
managers, in letter to a Seattle news
paper. Mr.. Parker strongly urges the
farmers of Washington and particular
ly those of this section, to engage in
the raising of flax as new product
that would be highly remunerative.
Mr. Parker's letter treats of the mat
ter fully. 1t reads:
Grain bags were successfully manu-
factured Of flax at the jute mill in the
Walla Walla penitentiary about ~
years. When tested with jute sacks
there was literally no comparison. Sacks
Of both kinds were filled with wheat.
lifted by two of the strongest convicts
and dashed to the concrete floor. The
jute bags burst at once, but the flax
sacks stood three and sometimes four
tests.
I was chairman Of the board of peni-
tentiary commissioners four years and
constantly advocated the raising Of flax
for making grain sacks as being more
profitable and more satisfactory than
importing jute from Calcutta. 1t Is be-
y0Ad dispute that this state and Ore
gon are the natural home of flax. 1t
grows wild in the bunch grass country.
nnriUO n IN oil nd In,
1887, where l went as the European i'm
migration agent OF the Northern Pacific
railroad. 1 had charge of the roads fine
exhibit at the American exhibition held
at Earls Court, London. We displayed
many varieties of fax from the Pa
louise country. which, to my surprise.
caused more inquiry and interest than
any other exhibit we made. When the
inquirers were informed that the flax
we raised was solely for the seed. which
then sold for less than 40 cents BUSH
ell, they were astonished and said that
seed was the last thing they thought Of
when raising flax in that country.
! at once saw ia great opportunity for
our state and gathered all the informa-
tion 1 could on fax raising. I visited
Belfast. the center of the linen indus
try. consulted the editor Of the Textile
Journal; then went to Dundee. where 1
received every encouragement. In fact.
1t was encouragement all along the line.
They all said. Raise flax; here is your
market"
Finds Fly In Ointment.
But there was little fly In the oint-
ment. for when I inquired of them
about fax manufacturing machinery
they sat down on me pretty hard; said
we never could successfully manufacture
linen or other fabrics in America. What
we had to do was simply to raise the
flax, prepare 1t for market and ship 1t to
them and they would pay well for 1t
and do the rest.
On my return to Walla walla in Sep
tember. 1887. I at once wrote to Pro-
fessor Hildegard. Of the University Of
California, asking him to kindly send
me a sack of fiaxseed for fiber. He gen.
erously responded with more than 100
pounds. I distributed 1t all over. the
state and also in Oregon. with printed
instructions how to prepare the ground.
sow the seed. poll the stalks, ret them.
together with other details
Olympia Best Of All.
The next season showed results, for /
had returns from many districts. but
the fax raised by the late George Shan
non at Olympia was the best Of all.
exhibited all the samples at the
Portland Mechanics fair in 1888. Every
exhibit of fax received honorable men,
tion," but that raised by Mr.. Shannon
received fine silver medal, which the
committee presented to me at first, but
finally sent 1t to where 1t properly be-
longed.
Mr.. Shannon afterwards informed me
that he had taken no particular pains
with the seed-just sowed 1t as he
would wheat
/ sent samples to Belfast, Dundee and
London. with requests for the Judgment
Of experts. They all expressed aston
ishment at the length, quality and tex
ture. saying that every sample was
French and German districts"
Work for Practical Men.
The thing to be done Is for few of
our practical citizens who take an in
terest in the welfare Of the state to get
together and organize; encourage every
small farmer to sow an acre or so Of
flax. teach them how to pull 1t, ret it
and prepare the fiber 1t will pay we'll
Last spring an oil company in Port
land distributed q large quantity of
fiaxseed among the farmers of Oregon
and Washington. Reports received were
that from IL to 20 bushels to the acre
would be the yield. The company
agreed to pay $3.50 bushel at least
for all the seed shipped to it. 1t now
appears that 50 bushel will be the
price. With the seed sent out, 1000
acres were planted near Chehalis. but
1t was for oil and not for fiber.
1t will be seen from Mr.. Parker's
letter that q new field is opened to the
farmers of Thurston county, II they
care to avail themselves of 1t. Mr..
Parker has made a study of fax cul-
ture for the. last Is years. has investi-
gated the various soil attributes need
ed for its profitable cultivation and
strongly urges its growth.
Eighth grade examinations were be-
gun by Superintendent L. A. Kibbe at