190 



DICKSON ON HIS NEW 



berland by Mr. Dand, one of his lordship's tenants. I 

 prepared it, and the following is the result : — 



MR. DICKSON'S METHOD OE PREPARING FLAX. 

 " We (Bell's Messenger, London) have received the follow- 

 ing statement from Mr. Dickson : — 



c; ' Grove Street, Deptford, May 30th. 

 " ' Sir, — I have this day prepared Lord Lovaine' s sample 

 of Flax, 4 libs. 14ozs., which produced 19 Jibs, of clean green 

 fibre. This is more than I have before obtained Lord 

 Lovaine sent the sample to ascertain how much fibre I could 

 produce out of a given quantity. At his lordship's request, 

 on its arrival, I had it weighed in its green and damp state, 

 as when taken from the field ; its weight was 53lbs. 4ozs. I 

 placed it in the drying room over the steam pipes, and on 

 Saturday morning again had it weighed, and found that the 

 weight was reduced to 4 libs. I4ozs. I prepared it in the 

 presence of \ Messrs. Elster and Co., Flax merchants, New 

 Broad Street, London, and several other gentlemen, all of 

 whom I requested to see the result, and weighed in their 

 presence 19 Jibs, of excellent fibre, sufficiently broken and 

 free from wood for my purpose of preparing it for the 

 market. 



' 1 ' I remain, Sir, your obedient servant, 



" < J. H. DICKSON.' " 



The above letter appeared in the Banner of Ulster, Belfast 

 and the Armagh Guardian, and Bell's Messenger (London), 

 copies of which I sent to Lord Lovaine that he might see 

 the result of the experiment on his tenant's Flax. 



The following letter from the late F. Loyd, Esq., governor 

 of Cork Gaol, deserves the consideration of the public, and is 

 well worthy of being in my "third edition on Flax-culture. 

 He (Mr. Loyd) was the first person that I heard of, that had 



