Year: 1873

EDITORIAL CORRESPONDENCE.


While at Mankato a 1ew days ago, visited the
Aankato Linseed Oil aud Tow Co. works, aad
was shown BY Mr.. Willard. one Of the company,
the various processes by whicn the oil is extracted
from the seed.


First. The fax seed is run between the large
iron rollers and is simply mashed, although 1t
comes from the rollers with the appearance of hav
ing been ground.


Second. It is then shovelcd on to large plat
form where it is more thoroughly crushed or
munched by means Of two immense wheels which
roll around upon This process is facilitated by
little moistening


Third. 1t is then placed into heaters. o. which
they have four. These heaters are much the shape
Of millstones. The inside is hollow and divided
into two circular compartments, into the inner and
larger OF which the crushed seed is placed, and in
to the other steam is conveyed by tubes, which
furnishes the heat


Fourth. When it is sufficiently heated, it is
placed into little bags, and these bags are put into
the presses, of which there four corresponding
with the four heaters The presses are operated
ny hydraulic power, but they use oil instead of
water. 1t remains in tho presses about twenty
minutes.


In short. the processes are crushing, heating,
and pressing, and when the oil is produced it is
conveyed into large tank in separate building,
from which it is barreed to sell raw as it is then
put through the process which produces what is
known as boiled OIL The advantage of this pro-
cess is that when used for painting buildings, the
boiled oil dries much quicker than the raw When
the pressing is completed the mash is taken from
the press in cakes about feet long and nine in
ches wide. and in this condition is called oil cake
This is packed in large coarse bags which hold
about 235 pounds each, and is shipped to England
where ii is used feed for horses and cattle The
Company sell this oil cake at Sa5 per tou while the
English and Scotch farmer pays SIS per ton for the
very same article. Now it becomes u very import
ant question for our farmers to consider whether
II Will not pay them to use this oil cake for feed.
twould seem it the English farmer afford to
pay $65 per ton it would pay farmers TO use it
at S25. submit the question for their consider
atlon This company has shipped near 5000 tons,
While they have sold less than five tons at home
The Cake has to be ground before it is used and
so limited is the home demand that :he company
have not yet put in their grinder The capacity
OF these works is about 600 gallons Of Oil per day


MI Willard Informed me that last spring the
MankatO co furnished the farmers with 10000
bushels OF seed, which AZ three pecks to the acre.
was sufficient TO SOW 12,500 acres, anu that the
demand would probably have exhausted 90 900
bushels it they could have supplied it. lam very
sorry that the peculiar circumstances of last sum-
mer and fall will admit of an accurate estimate
OF the amount yielded. The y:asshoppers de-
stroyed large portion OF it, but how much Can
not easily be ascertained The Company furnished
the seed at a certain price and upon the agreement
that they should take the whole OF the crop at
$1,35 per bushcl, provided the farmer delivered
the same by the 18th Of September. This was not
very generally done, although the company con-
tinued to take the seed upon these terms up to
the time of the money panic. The company now
have about 1000 bushels in their warehouse, and
crop so far this year has cost them about S12OO
There is yet large quantity unsold. There is
also another source of profit for those who live
near lhe works The Company pays about $1a
per to2 for straw, the price being regulated some
what by the distance OF transportation. They
have two mills running iE Blue Earth County
making tow, but the amount of straw that they
can take is somewhat limited. Mr.. Willard saws
that upon careful estimate, based upon ali the
facts at his command, the same acaleaye of wheat
would not have returned the farmers WITHIN $4O.-
00O as much as they will realize from the flax seed


These are ali the data that l can now
furnish in relation to growing flax seed, and am
aware that they are rether meag1e, but shall at
some other time cal! upon the Minneapolis Com
pany, and perhaps gather additional facts. In the
mean time would suggest that some OF the farm.
crs who have grown fax seed furnish the GRANGE
ADVANCE with the results Of their experience,
for the benefit OF the large class who have yet
tried it. 1t is very necessary that farmers should
thus interchange the results of their experience.


II,