Cultivation of Flax in Belyium. 177 



The three members composing this Commission were — M. 

 Taek, a great linen-manufacturer at Courtrai, and member of the 

 Chamber of Deputies; M. Rey, the most important " filateur" 

 in this country ; and M. Van den Broeck, an experienced 

 chemist. 



Nothing can be more favourable than their Report, of which 

 1 subjoin the following passages : — 



" M. Lefebure's system differs from those hitherto practised, 

 and we will commence by stating that the flax steeped by it is 

 whiter, stronger, and more silky than that produced by any one 

 of the older systems. 



" We must beg leave, however, to differ on one point from 

 M. Alkan, who has shown in detail the important advantages of 

 this process in his able Report, i. e., that relative to the compa- 

 rative expense of steeping in the two systems. 



" According to experiments made by one of the members of 

 this Commission, the expense was found to be about the same 

 as that of the steeping performed in the River Lys, agreeing per- 

 fectly with that announced by M. Lefebure, but exceeding M. 

 Alkan's calculation. The great advantage, then, lies in the 

 immense superiority of the 'textile matter' produced by the 

 system Lefebure ; and we may justly ask why, in spite of such 

 incontestable proofs, our great spinners and manufacturers have 

 not as yet more generally adopted this system. 



"The opinion of those who have been consulted is that the 

 machinery should be modified, in order to admit of the flax being 

 spun at its full length, and in cold water (as in hand-spinning), 

 instead of being cut into three lengths, as is now the case. To 

 effect this revolution in their machinery would be a considerable 

 expense for the spinners, and without it they cannot conveni- 

 ently use the flax prepared by the new system ; and under 

 existing circumstances the manufacturers cannot procure a suffi- 

 cient quantity of flax prepared in this manner to feed their 

 establishments : the spinners are consequently afraid of being 

 losers by this new outlay. 



" On the other hand, the cultivators cannot individually under- 

 take a system of steeping requiring an apparatus and motive 

 power appertaining rather to manufacturers. 



" Under these circumstances it appears to us that the system 

 Lefebure is destined to create some great undertaking for steep- 

 ing and spinning that will furnish weavers with thread of a 

 quality that will replace the ' fil creme ' (skimmed thread). 



" This thread, being already ' crem^ ' by the steeping, would 

 be stronger, would produce superior tissues, and would bear an 

 extra value of 20 per cent. 



VOL. ir. — S. S. . N 



