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management, flax can be afforded, in a state prepared for 

 the manufacturer, at a cost of 3d. to 3|d. per lb. The price 

 of good American or Georgia cotton has, within the last 

 thirty years, varied exceedingly. At the beginning of that 

 period it was 20d., and about two years ago it had gradually 

 fallen to the very low price of 4^d.; at present, owing to the 

 deficiency of crop, it is from 7d. to 8d. per lb. It appears, 

 therefore, that in comparing the respective cost of the raw 

 material of the two manufactures, flax has an advantage (and 

 occasionally a great one) in point of cheapness ; and allowing 

 the after-waste in process of spinning to be twenty per cent, 

 greater than that of cotton, (the actual cost of the operation 

 in other respects being much the same,) still flax may be well 

 able to compete with its foreign rival. I understand that the 

 process of heckling the flax, that is, separating the long from 

 the short fibre, or the Jlax from the tow, is about twenty per 

 cent.; which will, I find, bring the price or cost to about the 

 same as that of cotton two years ago. Formerly, the loss 

 from the short fibre which was separated was great; but 

 now machinery for the preparing and spinning of that portion 

 of the raw material has been brought to so great perfection, 

 that yarn of almost equal fineness can be produced from it, 

 and in many descriptions of goods is used, to the manufacture 

 of which formerly only the long flax yarn was appropriated. 



I ought, perhaps, to apologise for introducing a subject on 

 which my own personal experience is so deficient; but my 

 great desire to aid in calling public attention to so important 

 a crop as flax, and my firm belief in the power of extension 

 in the linen manufacture as a competitor with that of cotton, 

 and the advantage that would be derived to the country from 

 its promotion, must plead as my excuse. I trust that what I 

 have now said may elicit a discussion from those present who 

 may be more able to do justice to the subject ; and I cannot 

 but hope that soon the requisite knowledge will become 



