34 



DICKSON ON THE PROFITS OF FLAX 



of this country should, like us, visit Mr. Dickson's W orks, and 

 they will be repaid for their trouble. 



u We understand a firm in Brussels is negociating for Mr. 

 Dickson's Belgian and Dutch Patents at £10,000 each, and a 

 French firm, for the French Patent at £10,000. We know 

 the Patentee has for many years been trjdng to bring out his 

 useful inventions, and having succeeded, we are glad to hear 

 that he is about to reap the full reward of his arduous and 

 praiseworthy ] ajbours . 



"During our visit we saw Bombay Hemp, valued at £15 

 per ton in Liverpool, prepared by Mr. Dickson's machines, in 

 the presence of several London and Liverpool merchants, 

 hemp and Flax brokers, and Messrs. Stevens, Brothers, 

 Bombay Merchants, and in a few minutes it was made worth 

 (as valued by a brokei) from £36 to £38 per ton. Green 

 unsteepecl Belgian Flax- straw was broken, scutched, and 

 hackled, and a marketable clean long fibre produced, in an 

 incredibly short time. The machines are so simply con- 

 structed, that a boy or girl may learn how to attend them 

 in one day. This Bombay Hemp was sold in London at £34 

 10s. per ton, and also in Liverpool at £35 10s. per ton, by 

 Mr. Bencke, Broker. The large profit arising from this 

 practical exhibition of the invention, has enabled the patentee 

 to arrange with large capitalists for more extensive operations, 

 by dividing the profits in working his patent machines. He 

 is now preparing fibre from the INDIAN Aloe Plant, which 

 cost £10 per ton in Liverpool, and £4 per ton for re-dressing 

 it, and it has been sold in London at Brokers' Auction, at £28 

 per ton." 



The above, together with the following paragraph, appeared 

 in a North American Newspaper, the Chronicle and News, 

 Kingston, Canada, on Friday the 11th of October, 1855. 



" Hemp and Flax. — We find in the London Agricultural 

 Magazine, Plough and Farmers' Journal, for August, the above 



