36 FLAX CULTURE 



but the truth is, that this Western flax 

 is utterly worthless for linen manufacture. 

 The flax is grown for the seed, and the 

 fibre is coarse and useless for fine goods. 



Such being the condition of the flax- 

 growing interest, what is the state of 

 manufactures of flax in this country ? 

 The tale is almost as doleful. In the peti- 

 tion of the Flax and Hemp Spinners' and 

 Growers' Association to the Tariff Com- 

 mission, it is recited that " Several millions 

 of dollars have been expended by more 

 than fifty flax-spinning mills, in an effort 

 to manufacture linen goods in the United 

 States ; but although capital was not lack- 

 ing, the American Linen Co. of Fall River, 

 Mass., the Willimantic Linen Co., the 

 United States Linen Co., the Sprague 

 Linen Co., and many others, had to aban- 

 don the business, ... so that the pres- 

 ent manufacturing establishments number 

 about one dozen." x It was also shown in 

 evidence, that there were only ten millions 

 of dollars invested in this country [in the 



1 Rep. Tar. Com., p. 287. 



