20 FLAX CULTURE 



good. The flax from New York and 

 Vermont was strong but not clean. 1 



As has been said, the invention of the 

 cotton-gin, and the consequent cheapen- 

 ing of cotton cloth, destroyed this house- 

 hold industry ; but it by no means killed 

 the linen industry. For certain purposes 

 linen is indispensable ; and its strength, 

 beauty, and durability so far surpass 

 cotton, that it maintains its place in defi- 

 ance of all competition. 



However, the domestic production of 

 flax fibre gradually fell off and died out ; 

 and, to quote from the report of a Con- 

 gressional commission in 1864, "It is 

 well known that the only mill of this class 

 in our country, fully equipped for spin- 

 ning and weaving fine long line yarns 

 (located at Fall River, Mass.), was, after 

 a great outlay of capital and immense 

 exertions to operate at a profit, converted 

 into a cotton-mill at a heavy loss, in con- 

 sequence of an insufficient home supply 

 (of raw material) , the mill being precluded 



1 Rep. of Dept. of Ag. for 1879, P- 573- 



