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VOLUME I. 



ROCHESTER, JULY 23, 1831. 



MMBI H 29 



PUBLISHED BY I.. TUCKEH &, CO. 



At tlie Office of the Daily Advertiser. 

 Terms— $-.50 per annum, or 



$-2.00 if paid in advance. 



N. GOODSEI.L, EDITOR. 



FLAX AND HEMP. 



As the growth and manufacture of Flax and 

 ! Iemp are of great national importance, we re- 

 gret that any political bickerings should prevent 

 our Legislators from giving to this branch of ag- 

 i i. -allure and domestic manufacture that encour- 

 agement which their importance demand. Was 

 our Government to form a Linen and Hempen 

 Hoard, and place funds at their disposal, for the 

 encouragement of the growth and manufacture of 

 i hese articles, we think it would accelerate our 

 national prosperity. 



Of so much importance has England consider- 

 . i liie growth and manufacture of flax and hemp, 

 i hat she has placed in the hands of the Linen 

 Board of Ireland about one hundred thousand dol- 

 lars annually, to be distributed in the form of pre- 

 miums, for encouraging improvements in the 

 growth and manufacture of these articles. 



Notwithstanding the attention paid to this sub- 

 ject, in Ireland, previous to 1823 there was an ac- 

 knowledged superiority in favor of the Dutch, in 

 producing not only a finer manufactured article, 

 but the flax in its merchantable shape. Under a 

 proper conviction of this difference, the Linen 

 Hoard of Ireland commissioned Peter Besnard, 

 Esq. Inspector-General of Leinster, Minister and 

 Connaught, to proceed to the Netherlands and 

 make such examinations of the manner of treat- 

 ing " Flax and Hemp, as well in the tillage and 

 preparation of the soil, as in the after manage- 

 ment and regulations of the market until bought 

 for exportation.'' 



This gentleman, from his long acquaintance 

 with the subject, was well prepared for the ap- 

 pointment conferred upon him by the Board, and 

 H hich he executed to their entire satisfaction. 



During the subsequent year the Editor of this 

 paper was in Ireland, and had an introduction to 

 .lames Corry, Esq. Secretary to the Board, and 

 also to Mr. Besnard ; both of these gentlemen 

 were extremely polite to us, and gave us the lib- 

 city of perusing such papers respecting the linen 

 and hempen business, belonging to the society, as 

 we deemed of importance, and also in answering 

 such inquiries as we thought proper to make of 

 [hem personally. They also presented us with 

 several printed pamphlets and circulars relative to 

 the .:ljove business, which we forwarded to the 

 United States, — the substance of which was em- 

 bodied in the Message of the President, of the 

 r ith of January, 1825, transmitting a report from 

 the Secretary of the Navy, in relation to Ameri- 

 • :m canvass, cables and cordage, and which has 

 since been reprinted in compliance with a resolu- 

 t ion introduced into the House by Mr. Spencer of 

 New York, April 22d, 1830. 



As many of our readers may not have had the 

 opportunity of perusing the publications alluded 

 to, we will select such parts of them as we think 

 will be most beneficial to them and the public gen- 

 erally, for this and subsequent numbers of the 

 Hcnesee Farmer. 



It will be perceived by these documents, when 

 they shall appear, that two points are clearly es 

 tablished, viz : 1st — That flax which is allowed 

 to ripen the seed, is capable of being manufactured 

 into the finest fabrics without any diminution of 

 quality in comparison with that pulled when 

 in blossom, but an increase in quantity. 2d — 

 That water rotting of flax not only increases the 

 quality but the quantity, in a sufficient ratio to 

 meet any extra expenses which may accrue in 

 this over the common method of dew rotting. — 

 And 3d — That the present differences in the pri- 

 ces of the two articles, (dew rotted and water rot- 

 ted) bear no proportion to their real value for the 

 purposes of manufacturing. 



With regard to the growth of flax in the Uni- 

 ted States, we have to observe that we have seen 

 what we considered a finer growth than we ever 

 saw in Ireland, but would not be understood that 

 we think the average produce better. We know 

 that there is a great difference in different parts of 

 the United States, as regards this crop, — those 

 parts which are most subject to droughts do not 

 produce as fine as those in which the atmosphere 

 is more damp. On this principle Ireland is better 

 adapted to the growth of flax than the U. States 

 generally, and yet the average price of flax in A- 

 merica, will be found to be less than in Ireland. 

 The difference would be sufficient to warrant the 

 exportation from this country to that, if the qual- 

 ity would answer, — but it will not. 



During our stay in England, a friend of ours 

 tried the experiment by importing into England 

 from the United States, several tons of our dew 

 rotted flax, which would have allowed him a 

 handsome profit as the prices were, but it was 

 found unfit for the manufacturer, and the trade 

 abandoned. 



To the Senate of the United States : 



In compliance with a resolution of the 

 Senate, of the 17th May last, I transmit a 

 report from the Secretary of the Navy, which 

 contains the information requested. 



JAMES MONIIOE. 

 Washington, 5th Jan. 1831. 



Navy Department, Jan. 5, 1325. 



Sir — In answer to the resolution ot the 

 Senate of the United States, of the 17th 

 May last, " That the President of the United 

 States be requested to- cause a report from 

 the Secretary of the Navy to be laid before 

 the Senate, at the commencement of the 

 next session of Congress, showing the rea- 

 son, if any, why canvass, cables, and cord- 

 age, made of hemp, the growth of the Uni- 

 ted States, may not be used in the equip- 

 ment of national vessels, with equal advan- 

 tage as if of foreign fabric and materials," I 

 have the honor to present to you the follow- 

 ing report : 



The resolution was communicated to the 

 Board of Navy Commissioners, who have 

 fumished the answer, marked A. 



A variety of questions were proposed to 

 growers and manufacturers of hemp, and 

 answers received, from which the extracts, 

 marked No. 1 to 5, are taken. 



From these and other sources of informa- 

 tion, the following conclusions are drawn. 



1st. That hemp may be cultivated in the 

 United States to any extent which our ne- 

 cessities may require. 



2d. That, in the present mode of cultiva- 

 tion, there are some errors which may read- 

 ily be corrected when more attention is paid 

 lo it. 



3d. That, in its natural state, it is, in all 

 important qualities, equal to that which we 

 are in the habit of importing. 



4th. That it is injured in the mode of rot- 

 ting and preparing it for manufacture. 



5th. That if sown thicker on the ground, 

 water-rotted, and prepared with care, it will 

 be, for all purposes, equal to any other. 



6th. That canvass, cables, and cordage, 

 manufactured out of it, as now cultivated, 

 are inferior in color,strength and durability, 

 to those manufactured from imported hemp, 

 and consequently are not as safe or proper 

 for use in the navy. And that this is the 

 reason, and the only reason, " why canvass, 

 cables, and cordage, made of hemp, the 

 growth of the United States, may not be 

 used in the equipment of national vessels, 

 with equal advantage as if of foreign fabric 

 or materials." 



1 have the honor to be, with sentiments of 

 high respect, Sir, your obedient servant, 

 SAM'L.L. SOUTHARD. 



President U. States. 



Navt Commissioner's Office, 



17th November, 1824. 



Sir — The Commissioners of the Navy 

 have received a copy of a resolution of the 

 honorable the Senate of the United States, 

 of 17th May last, calling for a report "at the 

 commencement of the next session of Con- 

 gress, showing the reason, if any, why can- 

 vass, cables, and cordage, made of hemp, 

 the growth of the United States, may not be 

 used in the equipment of national vessels 

 with equal advantage as if of foreign fabric 

 or materials." 



Early after the passage of this resolution, 

 the Commissioners opened an extensive cor- 

 respondence with persons engaged in the 

 manufacture of canvass and cordage, and 

 they have consulted all the authorities with- 

 in their reach, with a view to gain such in- 

 formation upon the interesting question em- 

 braced by the resolution, as would assist in 

 forming satisfactory conclusions ; and they 

 now respectfullv submit the following re- 

 port : 



The Commissioners beg leave to premise, 

 that the canvass manufactured in the United 

 States, is made generally of flax. They 

 believe that hemp has not been used for thai 

 purpose in any of the large factories : though 

 it has been suggested, that, if hemp were 

 sowed unusually thick, and pulled at a peri- 

 od lo produce a fibre or hurl, on a medium 

 between the ordinary hemp and flax, that is 

 stouter and stronger than the latter, yet not 

 so coarse and rough as the former, it might 

 be found to be an advantageous substitute 

 in the manufacture of canvass. 



With regard to flax in the manufacture of 

 canvass, there can be no doubt that the A- 

 merican plant, if water rotted and proper- 

 ly dressed, will make a cloth which may be 

 used in the equipment of our national ves- 

 sels, with equal advantage as if of foreign 

 materials. We have purchased a consul- 



