The enterprise. [volume] (Harlem, Mont.) 1899-1926, 1916-11-16

Within the last two years a new in
dustry has been established in Mon
tana-an industry with almost illim-
liable possibilities as source of
wealth to the state. This is the grow
ing OF flax for fiber together with
the manufacture of the fiber itself
from the harvested stalks. Today
Montana is the only state in the union
in which flax is grown for fiber and
it has, at Conrad, in Teton county,
the only flax fiber mill in the United
States. Here the fiber is separated
from the straw by "A secret process,
invented by George Pearson, chemist
and resident manager-a bacteriolo-
glcal process that completes the ret
ting in 48 hours, or at the most 72|
hours; whereas from five to eight
weeks are consumed by the dew ret
ting process used in most of the fac
tories abroad and nearly as long is
required by the water retting pro-
cess in vogue in other mills.
Montana Now Third
In Seed Flax Yield.
Within the last two or three years
also Montana has advanced from
fourth to third place in the production
OF flax for seed. In 1900 not
bushel of flax either for seed or fl
Der was produced in Montana. In
1901, Is acres were planted to seed
flax and in 1902, 1850 acres. Last
year the production was 100000
bushels, while the United States de-
partment Of agriculture estimates that
this years production is 2,0S3, 900
bushels. The state with the largest
production on the showing of this
years estimates is North Dakota with
7,752,000 bushels, Minnesota coming
second with 2,974,0 bushels. South
Dakota is fourth.
Hitherto flax has been a pioneer
crop, being used as first crop on the
upturned virgin soil. It is claimed
that the soil is frequently too rich
for wheat or corn, but, because of it's
meager root system, flax thrives here
at its best.
Does Not Tax Soil
As Much as Wheat. i.
A recent report of the department
Or agriculture says:
b Flax does not do as we'll on the
same land until after other crops
have been raised and the land put into
grass again, when it is ready to be
broken up for few flax seed bed.
The old prevalent idea that the flax
crop is very exhausting to soil fer !.
,ility has been shown to be fallacy,
md it has been proved that it does
lot tax the sail fertility as much as I
either wheat or OATS"
With the recent increase in the :
orice Of flaxseed and new POSSIBLE !!
les for the utilization of flax waste
in the manufacture of !
is probable that seed flax
lot only will continue to be pioneer
rop but also will find favor as a
rop for planting in alienation with
Wheat, corn and other cereals.
dany Flax Crops Have More
han Paid for Land.
It is claimed that many flax crops
his year have more than paid for the
and. Seed flax NAV be grown to
dvantage on either dry or irrigated
and, but irrigation is required for
he best fiber flax.
-Four years ago, the mill at Conrad
'as built by the Northern Flax Fiber
of Great Falls. This CON-
any obtained exclusive rights to the
Sc of the secret retting process in
ented by Mr.. Pearson, which lessened
ne cost of labor, increased the speed
f manufacture and raised the quality
the output of flax fiber, but three
ears were required to convince the
ryers Of flax fiber and the inter
sted public that it was possible to
reduce in the United States fiber
1ual in grade to the ordinary Euro
can product. Yet tests made in 1913
English Irvine and linen factories
roved that the fiber grown in Mon
ma and retted at the Conrad plant Ii
hen converted into Irvine had B
rength not equaled by the Russian, Il
elgian, French, English or Irish Fl
'oduct.
Consul Testifies h.
D Toughness Of Fiber. tb
At one Of these tests Benjamin F.
base, American consul at Leeds; in
nomas Couch, president of the Nor W
ern Flax Fiber company, and al
Gorge Pearson were present. Mr.. VI
1ase drew up a report, which he
omitted to his government at W,
ashington, as follows: he
eat the request of Mr.. George tn
carson I visited the spinning mills til
the Moss-Remington company at tn
lby on September Is, 1913, and saw nc
periments made with Montana pc
Jaw after treatmont nv tha paaro M