No. 149.] 441 



The following are the advantages detailed by the Chevalier 

 Claussen and his friends, as possessed by the new process over 

 the old methods : 



1. That by the Chevalier Claiissen's process the preparation 

 of long fibre for scutching is effected in less than one day, and he 

 always produces a fibre uniform in strength and entirely free from 

 color, much facilitating the after process of bleaching either in 

 yarns or in cloth. 



2. That he can also bleach it in the straw at very little addi- 

 tional expense of time or money. 



3. That the former tedious and uncertain modes of steeping 

 are superseded by one perfectly certain with ordinary care. 



4. That in consequence of a more complete severance of the 

 fibres from each other, and also from the bark and boon, the pro- 

 cess of scutching is effected with half the labor usually employed. 



[These advantages referred to that portion of the invention that 

 includes the preparation of flax for spinning upon the ordinary 

 flax macliinery, and suited to existing markets. The further 

 advantages have reference to the creation of new markets for 

 British produce.] 



5. That by the new process flax is rendered capable of being 

 spun, either in whole or in part, on any existing spinning 

 machinery. 



6. That the fibre, to be mixed with cotton, or spun alone on 

 cotton machinery, is so completely assimilated in its character to 

 that of cotton, that it is capable of receiving the same rich opaque 

 color tliat characterises all dyed cotton ; and, consequently, any 

 cloth made from flax-cotton yarn can be readily printed, dyed or 

 bleached by the ordinary cotton processes. 



7. That flax-fibre can be alw^ays produced with profit to the 

 British grower at a less price than cotton can be imported into 

 this country with profit to the foreign producer. 



8. That as a consequence of this advantage, the manufacturers 

 of this country will be less dependent on the fluctuations of the 



