196 DICKSON ON FRENCH FLAX, PREPARED Itf 



First. Tibs, of hemp-straw was weighed and worked by 

 the patent machines. The produce was 



Long fibre Olb. 12oz. 



Tow, or short fibre Olb. 14oz. 



lib. lOoz. 



From this it appears that 12cwt of retted hemp-straw, 

 would produce 2cwt. 3qrs. 4lbs. of clean fibre of marketable 

 value. 



Second. 71bs. of Flax-straw was weighed and worked by 

 the same patent machines. The produce was 



Long fibre 2lbs. 2oz. 



Tow, or short fibre . . Gibs. 6oz. 



2lbs. 8oz. 



From this it appears that 12cwt. of retted French Flax- 

 straw, would produce of 



Long scutched Flax 3cwt. 2qrs. 16lbs. 



Tow, or short fibre ...... Ocwt. 2qrs. 161bs. 



4cwt. Iqr. 4lbs. 



Please compare this with the experiment of Mr. Arthur 

 Marshall, of Leeds, on 12cwt. of Flax-straw, as reported in the 

 Banner of Ulster, of April 5th, 1856. From 12cwt. of green 

 Flax-straw, Mr Marshall had only 9cwt. 8lbs. of retted 

 Flax-straw, and this when scutched, only produced Icwt. 4lbs. 

 of scutched Flax, which is only at the rate of 1 Jib. to 14lbs. 

 of retted Flax-straw. See Mr. Marshall's letter on his 

 produce. 



The new patent machines and patent preserving liquid 

 alluded to by the editors of the Armagh Guardian and the 

 Londonderry Standard, by which I produce FLAX, HEMP, and 

 the various FIBRES OF INDIA in a fit state for being spun 

 into yarns, without being retted or decomposed, and the 



