7 



1851.] 



THE AGRICULTURAL GAZETTE. 



107 



Robert Price, Bart., M.P., Mr. Alcock, M.P., Mr. Ray- 

 mond Barker, Mr. Bramston, M.P., Mr. Burke, Mr. 

 D. Burton, jun., Dr. Calvert, Mr. Pole Carew, Colonel 

 Challoner, Mr. Christopher, M.P., Mr. Clavering, Mr. 

 Commerell, Mr. Laytos Cooke, Mr. Dyer, Mr. T. B. 

 Evans, Mr. Folev, M.P., Mr. R. Fox, Mr. Fuller, M.P., 

 Mr. Brandreth Gibbs, Mr. Leveson Gower, Mr. Hamond, 

 Mr. Fisher Hobbs, Mr. Jacson, Mr. Langston, M.P., 

 Mr. W. Long, Mr. Maddison, Mr. Magendie, Mr. Mar- 

 shall M.P., Mr. Wykeham Martin, Mr. Miles, M.P. 

 (Leigh Court), Mr. W. Mundy, Mr. Ralph Neville, M.P., 

 Mr. C. E. Overman, Mr. Paynter, Mr. Pendarves, M.P., 

 Mr. C. Pocock, Mr. D. Pugh, M.P., Captain Rushout, 

 M.P., Professor Sewell, Mr. Villiers Shelley, Professor 

 Simonds, Mr. Slaney, M.P., Mr. Augustus Smith, Mr. 

 Stansfield, M.P., Mr. H. Strafford, Mr. Spencer Trower, 

 Professor Way, Mr. Wilson (Stovvlangtoft), and Mr. 

 Wrightson, M.P. Among the distinguished visitors 

 present (not being members of the Society), were Sir 

 George Grant Suttie, Bart, Mr. Macartney, LL.D., Vice- 

 President of the Flax Society of Ireland, Dr. Cooke, 

 Professor of Chemistry and Mineralogy in Harvard 

 College, America, Dr. Ryan, and Mr. George Hoare. 

 The following new members were elected : 



Marjoribanks, Edward, Fawley Court, Henley-on-Thames 

 Bell, Matthew ( High Sheriff for the county of Kent), Bourne 



Park, Canterbury 

 Eixon, Win. Augustus, Jan., Carsbalton, Surrey 

 Ainslie, Kev. Robert, Tromer Lodge, Down, Kent 

 Taylor, John, Burnfoot House, Wigton, Cumberland 

 Reynolds, Jamas, Lea-bridge-road, Leyton, Essex 

 Hamil'on, William, Orchard Place, Canterbury 

 Browning, Edward, Bulmer Kitchen Farm, Sudbury, Suffolk 

 Dennis, John Charles, Kosebrough, Alnwick, Xorthumb. 

 Bortoit, John. Barton le-Streer, Maiton, Yorkshire 

 Cardeu, Captain, 1:), Cumberland-terrace, Regent's Park 

 Kinglake Arthur, (banker), Taunton, Somersetshire 

 Searby, John, Faith Bank, Boston, Lincolnshire 

 Sandford, Murk, jun., Martin, Dover 



Bram 1' y, Charles, Westville, New Bolingbroke, Lincolnshire 

 Rayer, William Carew, Tidcombe, Tiverton, Devon 

 Morgan, Thomas, Maesgwrda, Laugharne, Carmarthenshire 

 Comes, James, Barbridge, Nantwicb, Cheshire 

 Maybery, Rev. Cnarles, Hector of Penderyn, Brecon 

 Hulton, James Dott, Islington-hall, Lynn, Norfolk 

 Stephens, John, Wilton, Tauuto,, Somersetshire 

 Howell, Francis, Etby, Lostwithiel, Cornwall 

 Trevelyan, Sir Walter Caiverley, Bart., Nettlecombe, Taunton 

 Wilson, Srepden, Boakfield, Ballitore, Ireland 

 Bland, Nathaniel, Leatnerhead, Surrey 

 Langton, Capt. Edward Gore, Stapleton-park, Bristol 

 Toplis, James, Bernard-street, Russell-square 

 Peel, Lawrence Henry, Llanstephan, Radnorshire 

 Sharpe, William, Copthall, Epsom, Surrey 

 Savery, A. B., Hard wick-lodge, Chepstow, Monmouthshire 

 Chapman, James, Tontine-street, Folkestone, Kent 

 Jackson, Th mas, Eltham-park, Kent 

 Mangles, George, Givendale-grange, Ripon, Yorkshire 

 Serrell, Shu meld, Leeson-house, Swanage, Dorsetshire 

 Carnegie, W. F. L., of Boysarth, Kimblethmont-house, 



Arbroath, Forfarshire 



Evans, George, Wimborne, Dorsetshire 



Hood, Alexander Acland, St. Audries, Bicknoller, Taunton 



"Webber, Henry, Park-hull, Bromsgrove, Worcestershire 



Dunn, Thomas, York-gate, Regent's park, London 



Orde, Sir John Powlett, Bare, Kilmorey, Lochgilphead, 



Argylesl.ire 

 Firmin, Ilarcourt, Stratford-hills, Colchester, Essex 

 Campbell, Alexander, Achindarrock, Argyleshire 

 "Walker, Lawrence, 46, Wei beck- street, London 

 Newton, Robert Pillans, Haly burton, Coupar-Angus.Fifeshire 

 Broadmead, Philip, Milverton, Somerset- hire 

 Thomi »n, Frederick, Sherift-Huttoa Park, York 

 Balmer, Thomas, jun., Goodwood, Chichester 

 Dearslev, Henry Richard, 3, Plowden-buildings, Temple 

 Yeoman, Thomas Lawrence, Richmond, Yorkshire 

 Lewis, Rf. Hon. Sir Thomas Fraukland, Bt., Hampton-court, 



Here ford -.hire 

 Sergeauntsou, George John, Camp-hill, Ripon, Yorkshire 

 Prosser, Francis Wegg, M.P., Belmont, Herefordshire 

 Baxter, Henry John, Brook-lodge, Chtadle, Cheshire 



The names of seven candidates for election at the 

 next meeting were then read. 



Flax-Cotton. — The Chairman informed the Council, 

 that in consequence of the great interest, in a national 

 point of view, attached to the recent discoveries of 

 M. Clause en in rendering Flax subservient to the pur- 

 poses of cotton, and the importance to the farmers of 

 this country of every fact affecting the cultivation of 

 Flax ; he had requested that gentleman to favour them 

 with his attendance on that occasion, in order that he 

 might explain to those members present his views on 

 the subject of the increased demand that might possibly 

 arise for the article of Flax by the British manufacturer, 

 in consequence of the facilities offered by his new pro- 

 i for adopting it to purposes of a more general 

 character, and the greater attention the Flax crop 

 would deserve on the part of the agricultural com- 

 munity, reserving to a further meeting the opportunity 

 of detailing to the Council the chemical and mechanical 

 processes by which Max is converted into a substance 

 possessing for manufacturing purposes all the properties 

 of foreign cotton. The Chairman hoped that this dis- 

 covery, if found to be equal to the expectation formed 

 of it, might, perhaps, constitute a new bond of union 

 between the farmer and the manufacturer of this 

 country. He need scarcely add the caution, that the 

 Council were not responsible for the opinions which 

 might be laid before them on this subject, as their own 

 rule, like that of other similar bodies, guarded them 

 Irom any danger of misapprehension on that point, 

 lne statement of M. Claussen would rest on its 

 own rr.<ms,or otherwise ; and they were obliged to 

 tuat gentleman for favouring them with his views 

 on the subject, at their first weekly Council of the 



****** and previously to the final enrolment of his 

 specifications. 



The Chrvalier Claussex, attended by Mr. Edward 

 M Demott, Mr. J. S . Christopher, of Graham-street, 



werV t \\ 0m ™? r ^ I*- %an, and Mr. C. J. Pownall, 

 ^ert then introduced to the Council, when M. Claussen 



wated that as he feared he should not be able to make 



w 



himself sufficiently intelligible in English, he had re- 

 quested his friend, Mr. M'Dermott, to draw up a paper 

 on the general question of the cultivation of Flax, which, 

 with the permission of the Council, that gentlemao*would 

 read ; after which, he and other of his ii-n nds would be 

 happy to afford the Council such information, as to his 

 process, as the circumstance of his not having finally 

 enrolled his specification would be prudent for him to 

 state. Mr. M'Dermott then read the following paper : 



IN FAVOUR OF A^T EXTENDED CULTIVATION OF FLAX 



AND HEMP IN THE UNITED KINGDOM. 



My object, gentlemen, in reading the prp^ent paper, at the 

 reque«c of your esteemed Chairman, is to submit to you, and 

 through you, to the great asrricu 1 tural body of England, a 

 few facta hearing: on the imp^r'ance and advantaer* which, 

 in a national and individual point of view, would result 

 from a more extensive cultivation of fibrous plants in this 

 country. In venturing humblv to «= u hmit these fact* and 

 OD ; nions to so imoortant and influential a body of gentlemen 

 as those who compose the Council of the Royal Agricultural 

 Society. I am far from wishing it to be understood either th^t 

 I conceive them to be ignorant of many of the facts which I 

 shall have occasion to adduce, or that the subject of Flax 

 culture is one to which tbev have not alreadv paid some con- 

 siderable attention. On the contrary, many of the valuable 

 reports of your Society, and the prizes given for Essays on the 

 subject, prove that it has at various times engrossed you** 

 consideration, and formed the theme of serious deliberation at 

 your Councils. Markets comparatively undeveloped ; igno- 

 rance of the true character and structure of the plant ; preva- 

 lence of modes of cultivation and preparation of the fibre, 

 wasteful and injurious in themselves, and attended with an 

 enormous amount of risk and trouble to the grower, have, 

 hitherto each had their weight in inducing vour Society to with- 

 hold its valuable recommendation in favour of an extension of 

 Flax culture. 



The progress of science, and the skill and enterprise dis- 

 played by many of the agriculturists of England and of Ireland, 

 h 



different footing, and upon one which I venture to submit 

 should induce the Royal Agriculural Society, in the most 

 strenuous manner, to urge upon the farmers of the United 

 Kingdom the propriety of immediately devoting some portion 

 of their land to the cultivation of Flax. 



CLIM4TE AND SoiL OF ENGLAND 8CITED TO ITS GROWTH. — 



That Flax can be produced in this country is a point upon 

 which I apprehend lit*le doubt now exists ; and it is unnecessary 

 for me, especally before such a body as that which I have now 

 the honour of addressing, to argue such a question. Suffice it, 

 therefore, upon this point, to say, that in many respects our 

 climate is better adapted for its growth than even Belgium, 



inasmuch as we are not subject to those severe droughts 

 which, occurring in the spring, in that country, frequently 

 inflict very serious damage upon the young crop. Flax is 

 grown, to some extent, in almost every part of the United 

 Kingdom — it has been grown with success upon an Irish boar, and 

 in the fen districts of England — on the summit of the Wicklow 

 mountains, and upon the Beacon-hill of Norfolk, in the midland 

 counties of England and the western shores of Gal way and 

 Mavo, upon rich and poor, clayey, gravelly, alluvial, and every 

 variety of soil. 



ImPOSTANCE ATTACHED TO GROWTH OF FLAX BY GOVERNMENTS. 



— This suitability of our climate and soil, to the production of 

 Flax, and the importance which in earlier times was attached to 

 it. is sufficiently evidenced by the numerous legislative measures 

 which at various times, from the reign of Henry VIII. to that 

 of George III., have been passed in order to promote and 

 encourag-e its growth. The " Transactions of the Board of 

 Agriculture" for 1742, contain a letter, written by Robert 

 Somerville, Esq., of the East Lothians, in which the writer 

 regrets, notwithstanding these encouragements and the 

 bounties offered by the liherality of the Government, that the 

 cultivation of Flax should then have been so extremely limited, 

 and the management in every stage, both of its culture aud 

 manufacture, so very defective. 



u This," he says, "is the more to be regretted, as there can 

 be little doubt that immense quantities nvght be raised in 

 Britain with little labour, and that, too, upon soils where hardly 

 anything else will grow. The accomplishment of an object so 

 truly desirable as that of the extended cultivation of Fla*, 

 would be attended with the most salutary effects, by affording 

 employment for an increa-ei population, and materially less- 

 ening our dependence upon foreign countries." 



But if, upwards of a century since, great importance was 

 attached to this subject, on the ground of increased population 

 and dependence on foreign countries, of how much greater import- 

 ance and advantage ought it not to be considered at a time 

 when our population is more than doubled, and our consump- 

 tion of cattle food, formed from Flax seed, and of raw material 

 for our manufactures, have increa«ed to an extent which, a 

 century since, would have been considered fabulous and incre- 

 dible ; and at a time, too, when our railways and improved 

 means of transit give such increased facilities to the grower for 

 the disposal of his pro 'uce. 



Markets. — In urging upon the agriculturists of England the 

 propriety of an extended cultivation of Fl »x, I am anxious firs 

 to show them the enormous extent of the existing markets for 

 their produce, which is now almost exclusively engrossed by the 

 foreign producer ; and the vast demand which is n >w opening 

 up, in consequence of the ree^n*. discovery by which Fiax may 

 be employed in our silk, woollen, and cotton manufactures ; 

 and which, if not speedily secured by our home producer, must 

 in like manner, be supplied by the foreign grower. Themarkets 

 which at present exist for Flax are twofold in their character — 

 agricultural and manufacturing. Under the former are com- 

 prised those large quantities of oil-cake, and of Flax seed for 



sowing and crushing purposes, which are annually consumed 

 in this country. 



Oil-cake. — Upwards of 70,000 tons of oil-cake are annually 

 imported, the value of which exceeds 500,0001. The whole of 

 which might be produced by our agriculturists with the most 

 perfect ease, and with profit and advantage to themselves. In 

 connexion with our supply of foreign oil-cake, ic is worthy 

 of remark, that by far the larger proportions are sent from 

 those countries which are the largest exporters ot cattle to thi* 

 country. By the a 1 most total neglect of the cultivation of 

 Flax our farmer -."are thus placed in the anomalous position 

 of dependence upon those countries for the supply of food for their 

 catle, which compete with them in our markets, and in sewral 

 instances we are actually compe'leu, in addition to the price 

 sec upon the c;:ke, to pay a considerable duty imposed by the 

 Government of the exporting countries. 



Flax-Seed for Crushing. — From Russia we import annual'y 

 half a million of quarters of Flax-seed, the value of which is 

 upwards of a mil ion sterling. Our total imports of Flax-seed 

 for sowing and cm-hing. from all countries, in round numbers, 

 is about 650,0 f >0 quarters, the va'ue of which, at the low price 

 of 7$. per bushel, i^ 1,820,0002. Tture is no reason whatever 



of the oleaginous properties from the seed ; or it it should be pre- 

 ferred by some still to use cake, the seed could ba sol \ to the 

 " otl-pres«er * and the grower might fatten his cattle upon cake 

 produced from home-grown instead of from foreign Linked. 



Sowing Seed.— With an increased cultivation of Flax at 

 home, we should also be * pared the dependence upon foreign 

 countries for our supply of seed for sowing purp >ses, and 

 which we now import to the value of some 200,0001. per annum ; 

 for it is absurd to suppose that flax can onlv be grown in this 

 countrv from foreign seed. The reason for thif opinion be-ng 

 no d >ubt traceable to the prevalent mode of pulling the Flax 

 before fully ripe. 



Mandfactcees. — Parsing on. however, from the agricul- 

 tural demand which exists for the production of the croo itt 

 the shape of seed, I will n »w call your attention to the existing 

 market and the sources of supply for the fibre of the plant re- 

 quired in our manufactures. It cannot fail to be a mat'er of 

 eep regret to every well-wisher of hi* country, that in the 

 two main branches of our textile manufactures we are so com- 

 phtely dependant for the supply of the raw mat rial upon 

 foreign countres. Our cotton manufactures absorb, daily one 

 thousand tons of cotton wool, the produce of foreign countries 

 alone. For our supply of cotton, we muor, no doubt, still con- 

 tinue to be dependant upon foreign countries, inasmuch as the 

 material cannot be produced at home ; but there is every reason 

 to believe, that bv the adaptation of Fiax to cotton machinery, 

 this extent of dependence will in future be considerably 

 le^s than i* has hitherto been, provided our agriculturists will 

 but eome forward in earnest and endeavour to supply the 

 new demand for their produce thus created. Our linen and 

 other manufactures in which Flat is employed, are all but 

 completely dependant upon foreign countries for their supply, 

 and of the 100,000 tons now annually consumed, not more than 

 one-fourth is produced in this countrv The total value 

 of the Flax fibre importei for manufacturing into linen, 

 sail cloths, tarpaulines, rick covers, sacking, and other mate* 

 rials, exceeds 5,000,0005. annually ; and there is no doubt, 

 judging from the rapid progress of our limn manufacturers, 

 that if the supply of the raw material could be more readily 

 obtained fat home, the consumption would be increased to a 

 still greater extent. The progress of the 1 nen tr»de, in con- 



w w sequence of the great improvements which have been made in 



however, now placed the matter upon a perfectly I machinery, has within the last 20 years been aim »- ua- 



paralleled. The exports of linen hav»» increased since that 

 time from 50,000,000 to 105,000,000 of yards, and is declared 

 value from 1,700,000/. to upwards of 3,«)0",0^l No at empt 

 whatever has been made on the part of our agric ult-insts to 

 meet this enormous and rapid in«re«se in the demand for the 

 raw material ; a"d as a consequence, the foreign producer has 

 been reaping a golden harves' fron t he monopoly which he has 

 »-se«sed. The imports of forvitrn Flax have in- rea-ed from 

 930,000 cwts in 1831 to 1,80 -,00> cwts. in 1^1? Th- v due of 

 the increased imports b in* not les* than twj millions and a hilf 9 

 nearly the whole of which is paid for in money sent out of the 



country. 



Hemp.— We also import large quantities of Hemp, wrncn 

 might, like r Iax, be easily and profitably grown at home. *l>e 

 value of the Hemp annually imported is about 1,600.000'. Wo- 

 have thus a demand existing for Flax and Hemp, and for the 

 supply of which we are dependant upon foreign countries, 

 shown in round numbers, by the following figures : 



Flax fibre £5,000,000 



Seed for crushing 1,800,000 



sowing 200,000 



. Oil-cake 600,000 



Hemp 1,500 000 



£8,^00.000 

 New Markets.— Hitherto I have spoken only of the existing 

 markets, I am now anxious to call your attention to that great 

 demand which will be opened up by my discovery of the mode 

 of adapting flax to cotton aud woollen machinery. The sub- 

 stitution of flax for cotton is now no longer a matter of doubt. 

 Recent experiments at Rochdale have completely ser that ques- 

 tion at rest. Important as may be the con si eratiors connected 

 with the present linen manufactures, and cogent as may betne 

 arguments deduced from them, in order to induce you to ob- 

 tain possehsion of the ground now occupied by the foreign pro- 

 ducer— infinitely more important, and far more forcible, are 

 those which may be drawn from the prospective dermnd now 

 springing up in our cotton manufactures. The consumption 

 of the raw material must of necessity be governed by the 

 machinery wh'ch exists for its manufacture, and the spind!es 

 of Belfast, of Dundee, and of Leeds, are already supplied with 

 the produce of foreign countries. Not so, however, with re- 

 spect to flax and its adaptation to the cotton manufactures. 

 Millions of cotton spindles are ready at once to take to the 

 new material and spin it for you, without the slightest altera- 

 tion being required in their arrangement. A thousand tons 

 of cotton daily, or 770,000,000 of lbs. annually are consumed in 

 our cotton manufactures, and the result ot my re ent experi- 

 ments has been such as to show that flax may be substi- 

 tuted for one-half at least of this amount. In order, there- 

 fore, to supplv the new demand for a new material thus 

 created, the produce of 2000 acres will be required for i.ach day* 

 and the whole of the Fiat grown in the United Kingdom does 

 not amount to more than one-seventh of the supply required 

 for Manchester alone. It is a duty imperative ujoa the agri- 

 culturists of the country to endeavour to meet this enormous 

 demand, and not to allow it to pasB into the bands of foreign 

 countries, which will inevitably be the case, if they do not 

 immediately exert themselves in this respect. 



Wool. — But not Manchester alone, but the woollen districts 

 of England await with anxiety au increased supply of Flax 

 which ehali be available for the purpose of Ifjiohlng In com- 

 bination with wooi, upon the existing wool machinery. I will 

 not trouble you with statistics upon the subject of our woollen 

 manufactures. The population of Leeds, Bradford, and other 

 towns iu the woollen districts, are kept in a state of prosperity 

 by the employment which it affords ; and the introduc- 

 tion of Flax into that particular branch of our manufactures 

 would have the effect of reducing the price of the material by 

 ") per cent., and of giving an increased amount of employ- 

 ment in those districts. A firm in Brad ord has already taken 

 steps to carry on the manufacture, and will aloae require the 



produce of 5000 acres in the ensuing year. 



Deficient Supply of Cotton*— In connection with the supply 

 of th^ markets already referred to, a further argument is to be 

 found iu the fact of the present dioanisbed supply of the raw 

 material from foreign countries. " There is," says Mr Porter, 

 iu his remarks on the statistics of the co ton trade, in a paper 

 read before the British Association last year, " a g» ow'm, 

 opiniou that now, and for some years past, we have reiche 

 the maximum supply of cotton from the United States 

 —a fact which, should it prove to be correct, makes- 

 it a mat er of absolute necessity, either to seek for further 

 supplies of the article from other sources, or to find some 

 ethcien substitute that shall provide the means of employment 

 for our continually growing numbers." So grea- has been 

 the dchcency or cotton in the United States dining the past 

 year, tbat the prices have risen cent, per ceut. as com- 

 pared with those of 1849, and our manufacturers are 

 why this larg^ sum might 'not be annu illy saved to the pockets I straining every nerve to endeavour to obtain ai addi- 

 of our agriculturists, nor why ihe makers of linseed oil ihoud tional supply of coVon, and to re nee the r dt i.dence 





not be supplied exclusively with home gronu see'l for the pur- 

 poses of their manufacture. The cultivation of Flax at h .me, 

 if only for the seed, woulu render our oil-presser> independent 

 for tbe»r supply upon foreign coun'rits. ad would give to onr 

 agriculturists a Teturn of upwards of 2.000 '. annually. It 



woul'i also give them an arti le mom Valuable for cattle I jod than 

 theod-cake purchased f< om foreign c untried, and which consists 

 of the mere refuse and husks which remaiu aitei the expressiun 



upon the United States tor tue supply of tticir staple 

 ariicle. The Manchester Chamber or Commerce, feeling 

 the impor ance ot the subject, have at conMderabe expense, 



to I idia for t e purpose of obuiu;i« *™» r r 



they tuiJv. epend 



sen' a gene t mau to 1 idia tor t e purpo 



mati »n a^ to the probable extent to w i 



upon that country for an iu created supply ot 



co 'ton. 



Bu. to real se thi- much desired benedc th re » ir ^* u r ^ 

 duced into inJiu a tutally new sjsteai of maua^ ng toe uop, 



« 



