COTTON OF THE ANCIENTS. 



271 



true fibre that God himself (whose works are perfect) created 

 wherewith man should be clothed, and for which it is well 

 known that cotton is but an imperfect substitute. 



(i You did me the favour to publish a few remarks on the 

 18th August last on the formation of the fibre of Flax and its 

 treatment by the ancients. In my further experiments to 

 obtain a perfect separation of the true fibres of Flax it resulted 

 to be of importance first to extract from Flax-seed its gum, 

 which is given off to water, and then compress the oil. This 

 oil, when applied to the outer covering of the Flax plant, 

 possesses a powerful affinity for, and unites with, the gum and 

 oil that unites the true fibres, and that forms likewise a portion 

 of the actual fibre of Flax at present employed in manufacture. 

 After remaining in this oiled state a few hours, the whole 

 extraneous substance is so softened that it washes away with 

 water, leaving the most beautiful fibre about an inch long, 

 white and brilliant as burnished silver, vastly superior to 

 cotton. It can be produced by our farmers in the United 

 Kingdom in sufficient quantity; giving at the same time 

 abundant employment to our male and female rural population, 

 increasing likewise the means of producing animal food for 

 the people. 



" This is no new theory or great discovery, but one of great 

 antiquity. The Assyrians had this fibre, as also other nations 

 at subsequent periods. In 1747 France was occupied with its 

 production, and in 1775 we find a Mr. T. B. Baily, of Hope, 

 near Manchester, and Lady Moira, in Ireland, occupied in 

 producing this same fibre under the name of Flax-cotton. It 

 is stated that the fine fibres of Flax, when made to separate 

 from each other, were carded with cotton cards and spun with 

 cotton machinery, , and were sold at 3d. per pound. Lady 

 Moira states in a letter to the Society of Arts, in the year 

 above-named, 1 1 have no reason to be vain of the samples I 

 have sent you, they merely show that the material of Flax- 



