196 DICKSON ON FRENCH FLAX, PREPARED IN 



First. 71bs. of hemp-straw was weighed and worked by 

 the patent machines. The produce was — 



Long fibre Olb. 12oz. 



Tow, or short fibre Olb. 14oz. 



lib. lOoz. 



From this it appears that 12cwt of retted hemp-straw, 

 would produce 2cwt 3qrs. 4lbs. of clean fibre of marketable 



value. 



Second, 7lbs. of Flax-straw was weighed and worked by 

 the same patent machines. The produce was— 



Long fibre 2lbs. 2oz. 



Tow, or short fibre . . Olbs. 6oz. 



2lbs. 8oz. 



From this it appears that 12cwt. of retted French Flax- 

 straw, would produce of — 



Long scutched Flax 3cwt. 2qrs. 16lbs. 



Tow, or short fibre Ocwt. 2qrs. 16lbs. 



4cwt. lqr. 4lbs. 

 Please compare this with the experiment of Mr. Arthur 

 Marshal], of Leeds, on 12cwt. of Flax-straw, as reported in the 

 Banner of Ulster 9 of April 5th, 1856. From 12cwt. of green 

 Flax- straw, Mr Marshall had only 9cwt. 8lbs. of retted 

 Flax-straw, and this when scutched, only produced lcwt. 4lbs. 

 of scutched Flax, which is only at the rate of Iflb. to 14lbs. 

 of retted Flax-straw. See Mr. Marshall's letter on his 

 produce. 



The new patent machines and patent preserving liquid 

 alluded to by the editors of the Armagh Guardian and the 

 Londonderry Standard, by which I produce Flax, hemp, and 

 the various Fibres of India in a fit state for being spun 

 into yarns, without being retted or decomposed, and the 



