C 135 ] 



On Flax Millsy by Mr. William JVeill, Delaware County. 



Read, January 12, 1813. 



16 Mile Stone, P/iiL £s? Lan, Turnpike, 

 November 24, 1812. 



Sir, 



From the progress of our manufactories and the 

 situation of our country, labour saving machinery 

 is daily becoming of great importance. 



I have often thought that the introduction of mills 

 for dressing and cleaning flax, would be of great utility 

 in the United States, and had I v^ater on my place, I 

 would have erected one long before this time. 



In the north of Ireland they are to be met with every 

 two or three miles, and although labour is there at a 

 very low rate, they have entirely abandoned the mode 

 of dressing flax at home by hand, and send all to the 

 mill, as it is lifted oflf the ground : when broken and 

 swingled ready for the hackel, it is returned at an ex- 

 pense of six cents, United States money, per pound. The 

 quantity done by a mill in Ireland was from 150 to 220 

 pounds per day, but that depends much on the quality 

 of the flax, and state of the weather. No mill is more 

 simple in its construction, and less than half the water 

 requisite for a grist mill will be fully sufficient for it, 

 and as all the inside works are light, they can be erect- 

 ed at a very small expense ; I think not more than 300 

 dollars : a mill house of 30 feet by 18 feet, of one story, 

 would be large enough ; which with a frame building 



