No. 161.] 491 



Chairman. — I am for encouraging^ every profitable operation. No 

 doubt exists as to the profit of raising flax on the rich lands of the 

 west. 



Mr. Wakeman. — "With flax at 9 cents a pound, why cannot we 

 manufacture linen? Linen keeps up in price, while cotton fabrics 

 have fallen 75 per cent. Before long, probably we shall prepare flax 

 for 1| cents instead of 3 cents a pound, and improve in machinery. 

 We ought not, at all events, to depend on foreign nations for that, or 

 for any other necessary of life. There is no land in Europe equal 

 to ours for the production of flax and hemp, viz: the rich alluvial 

 soil of the west. 



Dr. Underbill. — We have much to do if we undertake to supply 

 our own domestic wants, for we import now some millions. We use 

 now cotton thread. The linen thread is much the best and strongest 

 and we cannot do without linen towels. 



Mr. Fleet. — We have had a specimen of manufactured linen from 

 the household of Dr. Crispell, of Ulster county. He does it all in 

 the old way, and the articles are very excellent. I agree that flax 

 is peculiarly adapted to the rich soils of the western country. 



Judge Van Wyck. — Flax is now admitted free. 



Mr. Abbott. — In Ireland they pull flax after the leaves begin to 

 turn yellow at the bottom of the stem and at\er the flower is off, 

 but before the seed has been matured. 



Statistics of Flax Cultivation and Manufacture in Ireland. 



Before the year 1825, the linen manufactured in Ireland, was 

 made of yarn spun by hand. In 1829, some Irish capitalists at Bel- 

 fast, embarked in the flax spinning trade, and built factories, which 

 were soon followed by others in different parts of the north of Ire- 

 land. By the report of the Factory Inspectors, in 1830, it appears 

 that the number of flax spinning mills then in Ireland, was 40; work- 

 ed by 1,980 horse power — employing 9,017 persons. Since then 

 it has increased to 62 — worked by 2,860 horse power — givino- em- 

 ployment to 13,600 persons; and adding the subsequent processes 

 of manufacture, the number of persons supported by the Irish linen 

 trade, cannot be estimated at less than from 500,000 to 600,000 in 

 all. 



