NEW ZEALAND FLAX. 365 



The last two are from rheea waste, and I have had bank- 

 note paper made from it, of first-rate quality. 



But one of the above-named spinners could tell that the 

 material was Flax, although it was the reverse in feeling. Had 

 it been known to be, in reality, what it was, such a price 

 would not have been offered. 



NEW MATERIAL FOR COTTON SPINNERS, NOT 

 HALF THE PRICE OF COTTON. 



J. HILL DICKSON'S PATENT COTTONIZED FLAX, HEMP, 

 RHEEA, AND NEW ZEALAND FLAX. 



WTLt FLAX-GROWING PAY FARMERS, TO SELL WHEN SCUTCHED 

 AT 6D. PER LB. OR 56 PER TON, AND CAN IT BE PRE- 

 PARED FINE, SOFT, AND SHORT, TO BE SPUN ON COTTON-SPINNING 

 MACHINERY ? 



From the " Armagh Guardian" Friday, February I9th, 1864. 



"DEAR Sm, The above-described question is, (in my 

 humble opinion) one of great national importance, not only 

 as to a supply of material for our manufacturers,, but also 

 the farming interests, especially at this time of year when the 

 plough should turn down the barley or wheat stubble, with a 

 view to another ploughing by the end of March to prepare for 

 growing Flax. At no time for the last half century, has the 

 subject become worthy of so much consideration as at this 

 moment, not only because of the great prosperity of the linen 

 trade of one province, Ulster, in Ireland, but because this 

 crisis, when Surat cotton is now being sold in Liverpool at 

 from Is. 5d. per Ib. up to 2s. per lb., that would scarcely find 

 a buyer at 4d. to 5d. per lb. two years ago, and because, if we 

 are not able to find or obtain material that will be a substitute 

 for cotton, we should not lose sight of such a want, or allow 

 an opportunity to pass without trying to produce some material 

 that it may be possible to convert into fibre sufficiently soft 

 and fine, and capable of being made sufficiently short by 



