22 
BULLETIN 322, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 
Table VIII. — Yield of washed fiber front flax strati:, medium tote, and imported 
flax trast a. 
Material tested. 
Lime 
used. 
Time of 
treat- 
ment. 
Pressure 
per 
square 
inch. 
Yield of 
washed 
fiber. 
Per cent. 
18 
17 
10 
Hours. 
6 
5 
10 
Pounds. 
100 
100 
45 
Per cent. 
41 2 
Medium flax tow 
50.4 
It should be remembered that these are experimental results, and 
although necessarily they do not represent the mill yields, they are 
strictly comparative. Probably the yields are lower than those in 
mill practice. Although domestic flax tow yields a lower percentage 
of washed fiber than does imported flax waste, the lower price paid 
for the former makes the total cost of the washed product made from 
domestic tow delivered as far east as Boston very little more than 
the total cost of washed fiber produced from imported waste. It would 
thus appear that, so far as both cost and quality of product are con- 
cerned, the domestic flax tow from the region of the Dakotas can 
compete against imported flax waste in the manufacture of counter 
boards even if the manufacture is conducted as far east as Boston. 
If the board manufacture is conducted near the flax region, the 
results would be about as T to 5 in favor of domestic tow. 
SUGGESTIONS FOR FLAX FARMERS. 
Many letters have been received from the farmers of the flax region 
asking for information in regard to the profitable disposal or utiliza- 
tion of their waste flax straw. 
So far as its use in the paper industry is concerned, it is obvious 
that no immediate benefit can be derived until its value in this line 
is proved and industries are established which will create a market 
for it. The success of the project depends to a certain extent upon 
the farmer. The price of his straw must net him a fair profit, but 
at the same time this price must be such that the material will be 
attractive to the paper manufacturer. YYTien the time comes that 
the paper industry will be in a position to use this material the flax 
farmer should have made arrangements to supply the material in 
such a manner that he may secure his proper proportion of the bene- 
fits and profits. 
It would seem, from the paper-maker's as well as the farmers 
standpoint, that the most beneficial and profitable as well as generally 
satisfactory method of assembling this material for the market would 
be to establish a number of small tow mills throughout the region 
where the most flax is grown rather than to establish a smaller num- 
ber of larger tow mills. This method would render more material 
available, benefit more farmers, and place the product on the market 
at a lower price. 
