Oil Claussen^s Flax- Cotton, 



247 



wsed with advantage by our manufacturers, and, if so, the cost at 

 which it can be produced. According to the answers given to 

 these questions must depend the opinion whether the Chevaher 

 Claussen's invention be a really valuable one, or a merely inte- 

 resting and ingenious application of the laws of chemistry. We 

 have endeavoured to obtain information upon this subject, and the 

 result has been to lead us to believe that the invention must be 

 classed under the former head. With respect to the possibility 

 of manufacturing the fibre upon the ordinary cotton or w^oollen 

 machinery, there appears to be but one opinion among all whom we 

 have had an opportunity of consulting on the subject, and several 

 of the largest manufacturers have expressed themselves as per- 

 fectly willing to take any quantity that may be supplied to them. 

 We have seen samples of the yarns spun on the ordinary ma- 

 chinery formed entirely of flax, and others of a mixture of flas 

 and cotton, flax and wool, and fiax and silk, which we have no 

 hesitation in describing as of excellent quality. We have also 

 seen samples of similar yarns dyed in various colours, and which 

 appear to take the dye equal to any yarns formed entirely of 

 cotton, silk, or wool. The cloth woven from the yarns possesses 

 a degree of softness, and strength, and clearness of appearance, 

 which is seldom found to exist in any other fabrics formed entirely 

 of the one material. The mixture of the flax with the wool 

 appears to answer exceedingly well ; and inasmuch as the two 

 substances may be worked together in any proportion, it follows 

 that our woollen manufacturers will be able to produce <^loths as 

 durable as those formed entirely of wool, at a price considerably 

 less than they have hitherto been able to manufacture them. 

 With respect to the price at which the " flax-cotton," or 

 British cotton," as it is termed^ can be produced, we are in- 

 debted to the Chevalier Claussen for the following statement, the 

 accuracy of which he assures us cannot be impeached. He 

 states that — 



" On the average, 5 tons of fiax-straw will produce 1 ton of 



British cotton, £. s. d. 



the cost of which, at 3/. per ton, would be . . . . 15 0 0 



The expenses of " breaking," " cutting," and " blowing," will 



not exceed . . . . . . . . .119 0 



Chemical preparations and ingredients employed . . .15 0 



Total cost of 1 ton of flax fibre, or " British cotton," equal to 



fair quality American cotton ■ . . . . . , 18 4 0 



Add to this (where required) the bleaching . . . .10 0 



I 16 0 



Total cost of the "British cotton" bleached and washed, 



per ton . . . . ° £21 0 0 



— 09: 2^^. per lb., and which will readily sell at from 4<i. to (od. per lb." 



