.Sl)c JTavmcf's illmiU ilij biiiitciv. 



71 



Hollaiitl or the provinces on the shores of the 

 Baltir. , 



The mt'llowness and evenness ai every de- 

 scriplion of continental linen, so well known and 

 admired by tliosc ar()nainted will) that riianulac- 

 tnie is considered to arise from the siipenor 

 quahty of the flax of whicii it is composed, m 

 the preparation of which tlie greatest pains are 

 taUen. Viewing, therefore, the treatment ol tins 

 vahiahle plant in the Netherlands in all ils hear- 

 ings, it seems to me that the greater art (il such 

 it may be called) of prodncing it ol' a better 

 quality, and in a more merchantable form, than it 

 is'done in Ireland, rests solely on a well-regulated 

 system, from which no person deviates, Ironi the 

 sower of the seed to the export merchant." 



Notes— 1. In speaking of the qualities of the soil in 

 Holland, Flanders, and France. 1 allude to those places 

 only where 1 have seen liax cultivated. .... , 



o It is well known to those conversant with the treat- 

 ment of flax m Ireland, that the fine plant reiiuiresniore 

 time to steep than the coarse. It is also known that the 

 top ends are not so well atee|)ed as the other parts. Al- 

 lowing the capsule to remain.on the plant in the steeping 

 process, seems to account for the latter defect. 



3.-The mucilage, or, mure properly speaking, the resin 

 of the flax, ia a "permanent die, from which a variety of 

 shades of color has been obtained. 



Extract of letler from Mr. , of France, to 



Peter Bernard, Esq., dated 



London, August 23, 1822. 

 "In answer to your question respecting the 

 causes of tlie different appearances of Irish and 

 Dutch fla.x, I have endeavored to give you, as fol- 

 lows, the best solution iu my power: — 



"The Irish mode of steeping flax, compared 

 with that used in Holland, is defective iu pruici- 

 ple, and injurious in tlie result, to those cpialities 

 essential to constitute a good article. 



" When flax is steeped in a green state, while 

 the plant has not yet attained maturity, it is plain 

 that all the fibre of which it was susceptible is 

 not formed: and its constituent principles, being 

 but iniiierfeclly conibined, are the easier separa- 

 ted. This occasions substantial loss. The car- 

 bon which should go to form the fibre, is, by the 

 process of fermentation, sent off in the shape of 

 carbonic acid gas, which, rising to the surtace of 

 the water, esca|)es, and forms that deleterious 

 atmosphere so liital to animal existence. Again : 

 the flax being exposed to the influence of the 

 light becomes variegated, and the decomposition 

 is'^so rapid and inmultnous that not only tiiucli of 

 the tender plant is destroyed, but the volatile 

 products fly off, and, meeting no resistance, mix 

 with Ihe air, forming a mixlure of suljihuratcHl 

 and aiiimoniated hydrogen, which is but too evi- 

 dent to the olfactory senses of those who come 

 within the sphere of the nauseous and noxious 

 effluvia. The defence set np in favor of this 

 mode, namely, timt the younger the jilant the 

 finer the tissue, even if true, I doubt would com- 

 pensate for the actual waste occasioned. 



"In Holland the fl.ix is not put to steep uiilil 

 at perfect maturity, and even then it is covered 

 over iu the steep with a thick layer of earth and 

 nind, which, while it defends the flax from the 

 action of light, furnishes certain aftiiiities whicli 

 do not fail to take up and form, with the sub- 

 stance thrown off by the lijiincntation, iiLsolnble 

 <'om|ionn(ls, such as earthy carbonates, sulphates, 

 &c., and thus it is that the tissue suffers less, and 

 maintains its uniform ipiality and color." 



Extract of a letler from manufacturers in .\eic 



York, dated ' ''July 2!1, J 824. 



"We have the honor to acknowledge the re- 

 ceipt oi' your letter of the 20th, desiring infor- 

 mation respecting the cultivation and manufacture 

 of hemp in the Uiiiled States; and it affords us 

 much pleasure to comply with your request, as 

 far as our own experieni^e and knowledge of the 

 snbjects, together with the hints derived from 

 other respectable sources, may enable ns. 



"A considerable portion of the lauds in the 

 States of Kentucky, Ohio, lllinoi.s and Indiana, 

 is well adapted to the profitable culture of hemp. 

 It may also be grown to advantage iu several of 

 llu! couiilies of the State of Nevv York, and on 

 the borders of the Couiiecticut river, or indeed 

 in any of Ihe Middle and JOaslern States, where 

 the soil is conqiosed of a rich loam, or on allu- 

 vial bottoms. 



"Kentucky is the only State where ir is at 

 present raised in any considerable quantity, and 

 the crop of last year, in that State alone, ^^■as 



probably from 500 to 1,000 tons, which is maini- 

 facturcd chiefly into (-otton bagging and the 

 coar.ser kinds of ropes, such as bale ropes, &c. 



"With respect to the extent to which i: niay 

 be cultivated we have no hesitation in expressing 

 our belief that Kentucky alone- can furnish a 

 sufficient sui'ply lor the eousumptiou of the Uni- 

 ted States. . . 



" Hemp beiog nn exhausting crop, it is said 

 that the best of land will not advantageously 

 bear a snocessioii of moie than three crops; but 

 iu Kentuckv it has been ascertained by experi- 

 ence that the land, by being afterward put into 

 grass, especially clover, will, in three years, be 

 restored' to its'ability to produce a further suc- 

 cession of three crops of hemp. 



"The quantity obtained from an acre by the 

 ordinary process of rotting and preparing the 

 hemp, is from 500 to 800 pounds; but v,'hen 

 cleaned in an unrolled state, it is supposed that 

 the yield will be from one half to two thuds 

 more. The {x;rfection to which machinery for 

 cleaning hemp, both in a rotted and unrolled state, 

 is now brought, warrants tlie coiickision that in a 

 short time it will be iu general use. 



"The ordinary mode of sowing the seed is 

 considered to be deti^ctive, from the small ipian- 

 tity put into the ground. .Vt present a bushel 

 anil a quarter is the usual quantity, which pro- 

 duces too rank a growth, and of course the fibre 

 is coarse and harsh. It is said by judicious far- 

 mers that, upon rich soil, two bushels of seed at 

 least ought to bo used to the acre. 



"The hemp of this country, before rotting, is 

 fully equal to any hemp of foreign growth ; the 

 texture of the fibre, generally, resembling that of 

 the St. Petersburg and .\rcliaiigel ; and the finest 

 kinds being fully equal to the best Riga. 



"The price of St. Petersburg clean hemp here, 

 at the firesent, is $170 per ton. [The average 

 price for this kind, may be taken at $180 to J5200 

 per Iqn.] Riga is worth $10 to $20 more ; while 

 American (solely from the imperfect manner of 

 rotting il) sells now for about .$1 10 per ton. 



"Our hemp is almost invariably what is termed 

 dew-rotted, am\ experience has satisfactorily shown 

 that cordage made of hemp of this description, 

 is by no means so durable as that made of trater- 

 rolled Uemp; and the foreign hemps, abovemen- 

 tioued, are all water-rotted. Dew-rotted hemp 

 does not retain the tar necessary to the protec- 

 tion of the cordage from the ettects of the wet, 

 anil without tar it is injuriously affected by the 

 water, in a much greater degree than water-rotted 

 hemp. 



"In order to make our hemp equal to any of 

 foreign growth, and to supply its place altogether, 

 as fiir as quality is concerned, nothing further is 

 necessary than that it be water-rotted, or prepared 

 without rotting, if, upon proper investigation, it 

 he found that the machines, whicli have been 

 conslrncted for the imrpose, will make the hemp 

 suitable for all kinds of cordage. 



" We have long and anxiously looked forward 

 to an improvement in the cullnre and prepara- 

 tion ot tlie hemp of our own country, and in- 

 quiries which we have diligently made, have re- 

 sulted in the conviction that the expense and 

 difficulties of water-rotting hemp, have been 

 much overrated with ns. It was tried upon a 

 small scale, iu Orange county, in this State, the 

 .last year, iu wooden tanks, and the experiment 

 resulted very satisfaclorily. 



"The usual mode of waler-rottiiig hemp, is to 

 steep the pl.ints in pools of standing water, or in 

 clear and ruuning water. The length of time 

 reipiired for steeping is various, and a complete 

 knowledge of it can only be attained by practice ; 

 much will, of course, depend upon the tempera- 

 ture of the water. In some cases, ten or eleven 

 ilays may be necessary, whereas, in others, four, 

 or five, or si.x, will be found sufficient. The 

 slenderest hemp is said to require the most soak- 

 ing, and the operation is known to be flnislied, 

 by the lieai t separating easily from the reed or 

 woody part. 'I'lie bundles should he laid in the 

 water crosswise upon each other, taking particu- 

 lar notice of the manner in which they lie when 

 put ill, ill order that Ihey may be taken out -svith- 

 oiit difficulty. 



"Fine and soft fibriul hemp is the best: ours 

 is too frequently the reverse, owing to the seed 

 being too sparingly sown. The strongest and 

 richest land will, of course, yield the most a6u?i- 

 c/aii? crop; but that whicli is poorer, will pro- 



duce the finest and softest hemp. Hemp which 

 has stood for seed, is not considered equal to that 

 which is pulled before it is ripe ; consequently, 

 it would seem proper to set apart a piece of 

 ground upon which to ripen seed for a subse- 

 ipient season, and the seed thus raised, will be 

 better than that raised in the common way. 



"The foreign hemp received here, is not gen- 

 erally of as good quality as is produced in the 

 places where it i% grown. It is frequently old 

 liemp, having in part lost its sireiiath. It is, more- 

 over, all more or less injured on the voyage, by 

 being heated in the hold of the vessel, and, in 

 many instances, very materially so, even in car- 

 goes whicli are here deemed inercliantable. If 

 we would require any additional inducement to 

 encourage the cultivation and proper manage- 

 ment of the hemp of our own soil, so as to avoid 

 a dependence upon foreign countries for this in- 

 dispensable requisite in the equipment of our 

 ships, both national and of private characler, it 

 may be found in the fact that the supply of for- 

 eign hemp, at all times precarious, has, on some 

 occasions, been sadly deficient. 



" We have been furnished, lately, through the 

 instrumentalily of the commissioners of the navy, 

 with a small' quantity of water-rotted hemp, 

 grown on Onnecticut river; we have, also ob- 

 tained a similar quantity of hemp raised in Ken- 

 liickv, prepared and dressed by machinery, with- 

 out watering or exposure to dew. Both these 

 hemps look extremely well, and we have no 

 doubt will make strong cordage. It is our in- 

 tention to have some of each |)arcel spun and 

 prepared for cordage, in precisely the same man- 

 ner to be made into ropes of the same size and 

 weight, as nearly as may be, and then to test 

 their conijiarative and respecfive strength with a 

 rope of the best Russia hemp, of similar size, 

 and similarly made in every respect. The result, 

 with any remarks which shall be deemed per- 

 tinent, shall be commuiiicaled to yon as soon as 

 the experiment shall have been made, which, 

 we trust, will be in about a fortnight. 



" We consider that the foregoing remarks up- 

 on the quality of hemp are equally applicable, 

 whether it be converted into cloth, twine, or cord- 

 age. Hitherto, cordage has constituted the al- 

 most entire consumption of hemp. A consider- 

 able quanlily, we conceive, will now be wrought 

 into cotton bagging." 



From the Tenn. State Agriculturist. 

 Flowers, &c. 



Pho, pho, flowers are not fit to eat, what do 

 you plant them for? they take iq) too much room, 

 require too much time to attend them, we have 

 heard some utilitarian old lather say; its a waste 

 of time: the sturdy old liiruier does not think 

 the time wasted, when he sits him down at mid 

 summer in his "cool entry," "ith bees humming 

 around liii>i,ona he. is regaled with the delightful 

 perfume of the sweetbriar and honeysuckle; in 

 that half dreamy, half coiisi'ions state that en- 

 sues after enjoving "a farmer's dinner," he never 

 troubles himself with the cause, it is enough 

 that he feels the effect. 



Young ladies, cultivate flowers, you will find 

 your interest will be so great iu them, that you 

 will be up with the lark, to see what progress 

 your buds have made through the night; the 

 morning air will brace and invigorate you; you 

 will find intruders, in the sliaiie of sprigs of 

 ijiass — which your bump of order will not toler- 

 ate; pulling it out will be good exercise; air and 

 exercise will promote health and cheerfulness; 

 your cheeks will rival your rose from natures 

 own pure hue. 



ftlothers, cultivate flowers, that your children 

 may emulate your good example, that home may 

 be the sweetest spot to them ; our first tiiother 

 was placed in a garden, as the most appropriate 

 place for one who was to be the partner of him 

 who was formed after the image of his Maker; 

 that her first lessons might be taught from na- 

 ture's most beautiful leaves of instruction, if we 

 feel troubled and care-worn, for troubles will 

 come, does not a walk amongst the flowers calm 

 and soothe ns by leading our thoughts to more 

 pleasant things," to the manifold kindness of our 

 heavenly Father in studding the earth with so 

 "wels; our imaginations can scarce keep 

 color and 



many j 

 pace 



id texture. 



with the varieties of 

 lis handiwork; are we not taught that this is 



not our abiding place, by the flowers ; in autumn 



