62 



The tall nettles and wild hemp by the road sides are fa- 

 miliar examples of the former, and the Althea and Holly- 

 hock of the latter. 



Any person who has seen the Cotton plant in blossom, 

 would at once associate it with the Mallows family, and not 

 only does it furnish Cotton within its capsules, but from its 

 stems can be manufactured a fair quality of fibrilia. 



Jute of commerce, is of this order, and it is known in 

 some parts of the world as Jews' Mallow ; its leaves being 

 cooked by that people for food. 



The genus Linum, or flax, is not strictly of this family 

 but is closely allied. 



Hemp and China grass belong to the nettle group. 



Fibrilia or Flax Cotton can be wrought either alone, or 

 with wool or cotton. Various fabrics were here exhibited 

 together with the article in the raw state and mixed with 

 other materials both manufactured and unmanufactured. 



The calico prints were very brilliantly colored, and it is 

 well known that when made of this material they both take 

 and retain colors better than all cotton goods. It is found 

 also that fibrilia is the only material that can be wrought 

 with wool, without injury to the fabric made ; on the con- 

 trary, it imparts lustre, strength and durability to it. 



It has been supposed by some that articles made of fibrilia 

 would be cold in the wear ; as is known to be the case with 

 linen goods, but this quality is almost entirely overcome by 

 the fineness of elimination to which the fibre is subjected 

 before spinning ; this is chiefly performed by a newly in- 

 vented brake, which reduces the flax to the shortness and 

 tenuity of cotton staple, after which it can be wrought upon 

 cotton machinery. This brake, the invention of Mr. Stephen 

 Randall, of Rhode Island, it is believed, will work as great 

 a change in the manufacture of flax, as did the Cotton Gin 

 of Whitney with cotton. 



