(i 



THE AGRICULTURAL GAZETTE 



_ „_. e ong as he coma among mwu um* uc V »» <""> *" -- ^x^w, -* .« 



renumber, but its cultivation checked in consequence of Society, and for the candid manner in which he had de 



-- ■•» ■-• ■ - ■ ... .j ie tenan try of tailed to them the origin, progress, and. result of hi 



>een, and, as he attempt to restore the cultivation of Flax in the south c 



to 



prohibitions in the 

 that count v. These 



gran 



is 

 of 



he 



___«.___. That no market could be found for the pro- 

 -decided, when he came into possession of his own pro- j duce grown on that occasion, was a fact which he thought 

 f>erty some 30 years ago, that a modification should be j must serve to instil caution into the proceedings of the 



ted to his j English farmers. They had been told that if they lost 



their capital in corn, they would find plenty of capitalists 

 in Leeds and the manufacturing districts to take the land 

 off their hands. He would undertake to find for those 

 gentlemen hundreds of acres in the eastern counties, 

 for the growth of Flax, if they would ensure the cer- 

 tainty of a market for the fibre at a remunerating price. 

 M. J. de Cock Kenefecke, from Belgium, then 



It was an experienced fact, he 



» . _ « ■ • i • . 



system 



been crown as Ions as he could among ______ 



" ^«.3_ _? ■* > 



[ been, and, as he attempt to restore the cultivation of Flax in the south of Claussen's Proc 

 thought, very properly, iu many cases disregarded 



j * 1 1 _______ L_ — _ • - • 



__.v,__ _ UtU illS QWn i 



Claussen's Process.— The 



Went, J 



Chevali^ 1 ^^ 



maue in ti 



tenantry, by which, in every 100 acres of land, 5 acres 

 might be under cultivation with Flax, provided the seed 

 were consumed on the land. It had become a standing 

 proverb in Somersetshire, that good Wheat crops always 

 followed Flax. He thought it would much promote the 

 «ause of Max-growing in that part of the kingdom if the 

 tanners could be persuaded to prepare for their own use 

 and satisfaction such a balance-sheet in their respective 



as Mr. Druce had then laid before the meeting ; 



ras, they contented themselves simply with a know- 

 ledge of its value per ton. He attributed much of 

 the discouragement which might arise in its cultivation 

 to the precarious conditions connected with the steeping 



Process. The bundles were laid in ponds of soft water, 

 aving neither inlets nor outlets, and were kept submerged 

 by means of heavy weights placed on them ; and so 

 ticklish was the watering process, and so nice a point the 

 crisis of the operation, that persons were set to watch the 

 particular moment of completion, as a few hours or even 

 minutes beyond the proper period might entirely prevent 

 its success. The following remarks of Mr. Dyke A eland, 

 on Flax cultivation in Somersetshire, may be interesting 

 in tins place. He says (Journal XII., p. 732) : " The 

 district is singularly favourable to the growth of Flax 

 and \\ heat, while neither the straw of the Wheat nor 

 the seed of the Flax are consumed to any extent in the 

 district as food for cattle, although the population is 

 l*rge— if not redundant, wages low, and the poor-rates 

 Mgh ; and yet it is now generally admitted among good 

 farmers that the judicious combination of the use of 

 «traw-chaff with linseed, either as jelly or cake, is one 

 <» Uie most economical ways of making large supplies 

 of meat and manure, while at the same time house- 

 feeding and t lax cultivation both increase the demand 

 Jor labour. 



tended by Dr Ryan, Dr. Bright T^ ,a <5 

 Graves and Mr. J. S . Christopher^' ^? ena % £ 



its introduction into his own estahK; 0l 



* CI; 



•isto h M ' De 

 ...... oc .. uwure ine council, asrreeiM I' J!*, 6 " P**_j 



ment on that day fortnight' prS 3 J? *? *2 

 members a statement of his process XL hy bef o«_ 

 into a substance having similar propertS^? 5 

 manufacturing purposes, and for imnr' 0eotto Bfc 

 bleaching of vegetable productions. 2 7^ •£ 



_ __ then 



addressed the meeting. _« »»**_ *%*_ v,^__ *______. _«•*,», u^ 



believed, that Flax required a continual light moisture, 

 such as prevails in Ireland and the Low Flanders ; and 

 the great part of England being similarly favoured by 

 its surrounding waters, offered a strong presumption, in 

 his opinion, that the Flax crop must succeed throughout 

 the kingdom. The English farmer might thus, he 

 thought, with confidence expect the following advan- 

 tages, differing in some respects from those of the 

 Flemish farmer : — 



1# A valuable crop of Flax. 



2. A good cattle food in autumn from the Clover or Carrot 

 crop. 



3. A genuine article for cattle food in winter from his Un- 

 set d meal. 



4. A good market for the oil produced from his seed. 



5. An excellent soil for winter crops. 



6. The satisfaction of affording relief to the labouring 

 classes. 



He then advocated the preparation in England of 

 coarse Flax, to be employed in Flanders for .Russian 

 duck fabrics, the sowing of Clover with Flax on a brown 

 soil, and the particular manure required for such crops. 



II. Preparation for Manufacture.— Mr. Beale 



composed of such pi 



:op 



>ro 



I. Claussen hil^ 



■Ting j* 



njes' Magazine," No 1437, published a f e " a 

 viously, and to winch we refer for the Z ajl 1 

 those of our readers who may wish t ° enien «< 

 document in detail), requested Dr R va „ t C ° m]i fc 





 if 



plain % 



o <* the p, 



Browne thought it would be well for the public gene- 

 rally, as well as for the owners, and tenant-farmers 

 more especially, to come to no hasty conclusion on any 



of . the »ew systems of Flax management proposed for 



It is surely premature to talkof thin, no i I , - i" 1 ^ "* however plausible such systems may on 

 rut.- _.......,. ... b o i the.r first presentation appear to them ; but in this pur- 



suit, as in that of higher objects, to " prove all things " 

 and only « hold fast that winch is good." The separa- 

 tum of the seed capsules from the stalk, the woody part 

 from the Flax-fibre, the Flax-fibre from the glutinous 

 nutter, and also the Flax-fibres themselves from each 



Af now i.-fA-n.-. _* 1 1 _.__ _____ ■ . • _ _ . 



he growth of Flax. Would it not be better to review 



«Lh I ''L Pr0CMB ° f itS ?*•***> and t0 inquire 

 whether improvements winch have been adopted in 



Belgium, Norfolk, and elsewlwr,-, mav not be imported 



" o ?__ :: tnct ' rs combin , ed witu the *****& d 



a£d 12? i' m *° the 8heep now **" on the 



?,♦!..'• I ? lea ' Im S Proprietor would pick out an 



preparat 



neighbourhood. 



other, were all important practical objects, for the attain- 

 ment of which various modes had been proposed, differ- 



attend-.! t^ K_ , T I T" "- ™ u u, " sl "-«n_jy ^V^ ? effici f nc y: economy, and the circum- 

 «tenaed to, he would confer a _reat benefit „„ k„ s *f nce cu of 8/eater or less injury, or otherwise, to the 



j i lax-fibre for manufacturing purposes. Mr. Browne 

 Preferred the hot water system of steeping to any of the 

 former modes, as it was not only the cheapest, but fell 

 IT" ' " e , __*- r ° Utbe , 0f busines ^ -™-er and 



him to the Council the nature and bearing 

 cesses in question. « 



Dr. Ryan commenced his address to tbo 

 stating that since the subject of the Chevaier^'f 

 had been brought before the Council he htt 1 "^ 

 to Bradford, for the purpose of wilneS £" *• 

 scale, the practical operation of M. Claussen', Z "* 

 he should now have much pleasure in detailin- 1£»__ 

 of . his observations. Dr. Ryan begged also" to 3 

 that he was not there for the purpose of «„?• 7 11 

 with any of the existing , process £ ^ g 

 fibre, but merely, as the Chevalier's chemical i? 

 to point out to the Society the advantages of B 

 might be allowed to term a most beautiful diJl 

 Before, however, he proceeded further he would tT_ 

 liberty of answering at once an objection made bvft 

 Beale Browne, that it would be impossible to mis ; f_ 

 cotton, or fibre/with common cotton, because of the difS 

 ence in the specific gravity of the two ; that Flax 3 

 make cotton goods heavier. This was Mr. Browne's! 

 jection ; but Dr. Ryan could inform him that, althori 

 Flax fibre, in its usual state, was specifically heaviertZ 

 cotton, yet, when prepared by Chevalier Clauan 

 plan, it became exactly of the same gravity as Ameria 

 cotton. He then proceeded to detail the operations a 

 the works of Messrs. Quitzow and Co., at Appeik 

 bridge, near Bradford, Yorkshire. He described, 

 process of preparing the straw for scutching as. 

 which only occupied four hours, instead of five dajs- 

 the shortest period under even the patent of the _ 

 Mr. Schenck, the one now patronised by the Bo* 1 

 Flax Society of Ireland. The materials employed'^ 



Lord Monteagle made an interesting statement of 

 h. own case in reference to the introduction of th^ ^Flat 

 S7f_rmi ' a Jr C t ^ a ? d _* hia recommenditron on 



-5__S35_t_3?2-- , tts 



ia te ?»^3_&^__?S 



gone, to enSour L • COn 1 sumer , a » (l "pinner were 

 Sop and Hto SmT£J ^""? I ab r t tHe restor ^ion of the 

 to do in h tZ f^u 6 { T m were "ow about 

 tiration : 1? obtoined \L *Z f" 8 „"? ab ° Ut its cul ' 



to injure the most delicate fabric. Thus the proper* 

 of soda was only one part in 200 parts of water. Hi 

 acid was added after the straw had been boiled vidt 

 the soda; and the objections to the employmal 



The remnvnl ^If be T"* 1 ° n b ^ the same han «S- ine Soda '> aad the objections to the emplojffli 

 __mSTm.n„ 7 Part fr ° m the F 'ax-fibre, by of such a substance would be overcome by remark 



Mr n Brl f n iendS ° f ^ ?° wno ' but in »° ^*S 

 Mr. Browne was aware of, in which the Flax-fibre did 



-aktd 3E.*«** -W- — 3 and become 



induced 



and other infiuential"iL^ 1 ^!' as / e , u M Jj0rd Devon 



^ved the fefourairlfi^ &J» Q «*ecime_, 



Society 



lowne— i 



XbM - ° nl J' at that time, 

 rices, but which would 



-P Bucceeded te Vfi_SSa^ %\^ had ** 



know edge within their reach 



"hood there was no water 



In his 



•ont all their Fax _ X- " .T' his 

 h_ n< _ . 7??__7» x *° •"-» and he had 



fttsur 



handa 

 than o 

 the F 



could 



within 



*at ^ had at that ZuTZ **> lt ' 

 i^f ^« u-i tlme more stacks 



eat on h,s farm, and had no m ~ .. 



their 



vailed 



f^ers, he !£ 



n, - i », i- ^ Whatever M. Claussen's plan mi^ht 



cu S- bv emT d '^ h , 6 ^/^ t0 SUr « that difn- 

 T& 1 em ^°y m S only such chemical agents as will 



Claussen's yarns, he had sent for a samnle to it 

 mill at Rochdale, where M n«n«_^ P 



ggSfif__^ 



strength required, and inferior to that poie Sse d bv ! 

 ordinary cotton yarns. Mr. Browne Sffth^ 



destroy that fibS >tZ uV^ f 1 ^ 3 "^ to 

 with cotton ; and tht 1 1 ffl t i 8ufficientl 7 tender to mix 



would accordimdy be 'art t Sara r s,z f ed y»™, there 

 of Flax in any doth manSet ff 8 r, C * ton to on e 

 the Flax it contaS^vwld WK ?"* f lax " Cot ton, as 

 the cotton. He th^JI? . d _ be . abo . ut as heavy again as 



as all cloth is 



object Vined by'this^xtdTh a '"'J* S ° much a " 



** M. Claussen's ma™ uf al" f r- he aIs ° thou S ht 

 examined in cloth ]Z „r , 8 P eci men should be 



fabrics, like stock^f 4Si ^C /T' " 0t in ribbed 

 knee. Mr. Browne am M °/ d f d , U0 test °f excel- 

 » their attemntit ' tll!"!? d °/. his ' ha 'I "occeeded 



tliat the proportion of the acid was only one tt 

 500 of water, and that the soda present in the staff 



ihe acid, and forms a nemal 

 sulphate of soda. Dr. Ryan then proceeded ti 



salt 



s hdTweigh H t C thr f0re ^H 

 ohW^iTL t'f.^'ug would not be 



«»% either l^n^^ ^.^ ^od^ecomZl 



have obtained a market for StS? 7 ' he "«« «*» 

 «P would have answerS £ SS^ and *• FJ« 

 *— of the land he had planted^K^^ a fa ™ e r. 

 •*Iy .rather exhaust^ STI^. Flax had been 



charact 

 cesses 



x from 



!p as _*° confer on the Flax the 



pro- 



had become 



estate 

 ••that 



»nd become b< 

 nieadow, indeed 



2_?ft-.^ 



on his 

 Grass 



raent 



_• 



lonisi 



«^«e, capital, and establir", tbkx with all the 

 of land, ^Sa^^h the manage! 

 rowiip, in cotipluoiv^ i/ ... ^ P re -emment • nnri 



=sSS£_[Sfi 



^ wis* ^ ™^r ith ha ' f Brituh «^». »• 



grain" '* llf<Me, K° co "on/ 12 



3__fcaf_5_V_2" «■ ~*_ 



of cloth, and to make k hL, ?, ke the same ■»* 

 a '-e. The doSTtv !_*&* ^ f g ^ 



foreign cotton and half Brit sh^otton [ 6 1 tl \ read . half 

 ance of the clotl, . Bln i„.. J T 1 ? otton > had the am> P nr. 



20 yards long, weighed 56 



state that means had been adopted to ascertain tk 

 strength of fibre thus prepared, in comparison will 

 that prepared by Schenck's process, and the result « 

 highly satisfactory. In the next place Dr. Ryan ex- 

 plained the process of cottonising the Flax, or in otte 

 words, of splitting its fibre, and converting it into am* 

 terial which could scarcely be distinguished from 4 

 finest American cotton. This he considered the mi 

 beautiful and useful portion of the discovery, opening 

 as it did, a new market to the flax grower, and enabliaj 

 the manufacturer to spin it on any machinery hither- 

 employed for cotton, silk, or wool. Dr. Ryan then de- 

 tailed the process itself, pointing out the elastic force* 

 the carbonic acid gas liberated in the tubes of thefto 

 fibre by the action of an acid on the carbonate of sods, 

 or of potash. He also stated that he came prepared;* 

 show to the meeting, practically, by experiment,* 

 processes of splitting and of bleaching— experin*-- 

 which would render the matter intelligible to everyone 

 present. 



At this moment Dr. Ryan handed to Professor Wty 

 the consulting chemist to the Society, a copy of Cne* 

 Her Claussen's specification ; and it may be stated •» 

 in a few moments the Professor returned to^e Coo* 

 cil-room, and remarked that he had just himself '» 

 the experiments according to the directions of the* 

 ventor, and had perfectly succeeded in s P littlD £*j 

 bleaching some Flax fibre. It was therefore sugg^ 

 to the Chairman by Dr. Ryan, that as Professor^ 



•rofe-S* 

 split« 



mimites. 



ice 

 sign cotton 



^T^°Zt u ^ the Con ^ » 



TO Al0I >teagle for hia kindness 



every 



-- .-_„ remark! in perfect 

 other motive than that of obK 

 wishing it to m^J r°_ °» ta «»'"S the truth 



coming 



v es and strain 



sincerity 

 wng the 



for him to operate before the meeting. This 

 Way did most successfully, bleaching and „ 

 a quantity of Flax in the course of about two min^ 



Although we have long been practically family 

 the expansive effects of aeriform fluids sudden)' 

 engaged chemically from an apparently solid and u» 

 substance like gunpowder, either in fire-arms or 

 blasting of rocks, and with their elastic recoil * 

 released from the pressure of condensation, as i» 

 air-gun or the liquid gases of Dr. Faraday, we were 

 prepared for so beautiful an instance of the a 



_- k 4 * 1 • • •« ____ 



splitting 



Claussen 



ege table 



than the 

 ould 



its interstices the carbonic acid gas concealed in c^ 

 sat.on and chemical alliance with soda, and then ^ 

 it free by the addition of acid, which breaks on 

 a hance by its own superior elective affinity ^ 

 1 alkali. Means shown in their result to be so po* e 



