APPENDIX. Ill 



been solely created by Flax cultivation, I am sure that a 

 landowner can do few greater favours than encourage and 

 aid, if necessary, an intelligent tenant to grow the crop, which 

 being proved non-injurious to the land, must be for his own 

 benefit and that of Ireland. 



I have in my work quoted so frequently from Sir R. Kane's 

 able work on the resources of Ireland, and his speeches at the 

 agricultural meetings, and also from Dr. Hodges, of Belfast, a 

 gentleman that also thoroughly understands the Flax subject, 

 that more would be superfluous, therefore, I leave the 

 Standard's writer to grope his way out of the dark cellar he has 

 dropped into until I kindle a bundle of Flax, that by such 

 flame he may see his way out, and if he should touch on this 

 subject again, I must ask him how it is he forgot his writings 

 in 1850, when he was stirring up all Ireland to imitate the 

 teaching of Swift, on the thriving of a country to produce 

 material for export when manufactured, and import nothing 

 they could possibly avoid for the purposes of meat, drink, 

 furniture, or clothes ; but I have not done with the writer, he 

 shall hear from me on Swift's teaching. 



If anything could be more brought out in favour of the 

 increase of Flax-culture in Ireland, it can be supplied by the 

 speech of the new Lord- Lieutenant on the increase of the 

 power-looms in Ireland, and that such should now be 

 Ireland's hope to give employment to her people ; and as I 

 was the first man in Ireland, in the year 1838, to superintend 

 the improvements of a power-loom in Leeds, until I had the 

 first linen-web ever made by power finished, and brought it 

 and the loom to Belfast, previous to which there were 

 hundreds of silly fellows, like the writer in the Standard, 

 thought me mad, as it was said to be impossible to weave 

 linen by power, because ' ' a good selvage could not be possibly 

 made," and "Flax yarn had no elasticity like cotton or 

 woollen yarn." I refer the reader now with great satisfaction 

 to my letters in this book as proof of the fact, one in parti- 

 cular, published in the Belfast Banner of Ulster, in the year 

 1856. 



