422 [Assembly 



• 

 our southern States will forever bear competition with any fibre 1 

 Each plant has its peculiar character — both must be had, and 

 there never will be any rivalship between them. The competi- 

 tion will be a rich reward for both, and the true glory of the 

 flax farmer and the cotton planter will be clothing the world 

 "with beautiful and cheap garments. Such triumphs as these 

 make the only true glory of man ! Oh ! how far beyond his tri- 

 umphs in war. 



Mr. Meigs stated that Mr. Hyde, who has just arrived from 

 England, says that a Mr. Wright, a native of this country, but 

 for the last forty years resident in England, has patented a method, 

 now in operation, consisting of boilers of great strength, in one of 

 which about two thousand pounds weight of flax is placed, and 

 steam from the other boiler is forced among the flax. After some 

 hours, two alkalies are forced into the flax ; at the same time, 

 hot water is forced in, and at last, all water being expelled from 

 the flax, hot air is forced in. The alkalies, with hot water and 

 steam, dissolve the gum or resin, and dissolve the silex, which 

 rendered the flax harsh ; and thus, in twelve hours from the be- 

 ginning of the operation, the flax comes out soft and pure. 



Mr. Scott observed that the bleaching of it is the greatest ex- 

 pense. 



Mr. Carter described methods of rotting flax in holes made for 

 that purpose, about five feet deep. The quality of the water 

 used is of some importonce. After the flax has been taken out, 

 the water and mud left in these holes is very rich manure, and 

 flax enriches the land on which it has been spread. 



W. Blakeslee, of Waterbury.— I have raised flax for 40 years. 

 As to the water employed there is some mystery about it. An 

 attempt was made in Middletown many years ago, to manage 

 flax dry, but it failed. Connecticut has a soil well adapted to 

 raising it. A hard pan not far below the surface soil is good for 

 flax. I have made a clear profit of sixty dollars on an acre of 

 flax, some years ago. It does exhaust the soil — yet it will not 

 grow well more than one year in seven on the same spot, and ma- 

 nure will not help this. The oily matter of flax is not helped by 

 the manure. I have had on an acre seventeen bushels of the 



