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an impetus to the business, witli such success, that the export of flax now forms 

 no inconsiderable item in the commerce of Egypt; though the quahty is poor, 

 and not fit for making the " fine linen" of former days. 



In Sweden some flax is grown, but all for home manufacture. Machinery has 

 been introduced ; and an extensive spinning mill erected at Gothenburg, which 

 was in successful operation when I last heard of it. 



In Rhenish Prussia a good deal of flax is grown, also for home consumption. 

 Under the operation of the Foll-Verein tariff", a friend of mine has erected a large 

 spinning mill at Bielefeldt, which will realize him a handsome return on his out- 

 lay of capital, and promote the welfare of all around him, whether farmers or 

 operatives. 



There are spinning mills in Stvitzerland, but not sufllcient flax grown in the 

 country for their consumption. The supply of flax is drawn chiefly from Holland 

 and Belgium. 



I do not believe that we can manage the flax trade in Wisconsin, by the indi- 

 vidual effbrts of farmers, as is done in Ireland and Belgium, because we have not 

 the indispensable water at every door as there; but my conviction is firm and 

 sure that we can nevertheless make flax a staple article of produce, and compete 

 successfully with any other country, though labor has to be better remunerated 

 here than elsewhere. Yv'ho would wish it otherwise? I need not say that I con- 

 sider my own plan of managing it the best; it is this: — I pay the farmer a rent 

 for his land fully equivalent to what he could make b)' raising a good crop of 

 anv other article. I take the entire manaa:eraent of a certain number of acres 

 off" his hands, except ploughing and dragging. He can thus have part of his land 

 under cultivation at remunerative rates certainly^ while he has more time to de- 

 vote to the rest in harvest time, to make it so too. There are localities enough 

 through the country for similar establishments to mine, and I think in this way 

 the most good will be done for the present. By and bye I have no doubt there 

 will be scutching mills for flax as we have mills for flour, of which those who 

 have water for rotting purposes can take advantage; but to make Wisconsin a 

 flax raising State to an extent worth noticing, I believe there must hi a division 

 of labor and profit between farmer and flax factor. When I came into this 

 country I had no choice but to grow my own flax, (and I still thii k it the best 

 plan to get fine quality, as farmers can rarely pay the necessary attention to the 

 minutia of handling while they have other crops to care for;) but since the 

 culture has become more general and oil mills established for the seed, another 

 system is being introduced, and I have no doubt will be useful and successful. 

 Messrs. Hatch and Weed have built a flax mill at Beloit, where they buy the 

 flax straw and manufacture it, the farmer managing his own crop up to, and 

 stopping at, the point of rotting, selling the seed where he chooses. These gen- 



