252 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
[AuGrsT, 
SANFORD & BI^LLOIfc Y'S 
PORTABLE 
FLAX AND HEMP DRESSER. 
Date of Patents, Sept. IG, 1862, and April 28, 1863. 
_ 3 £ S 
Made and Sold by 
ALIL(D)3R¥ <k SAI\J1F©]RB 
HARLEM RAILROAD BUILDING, 
Room No. 26, in White-st., near Centre. 
Our terms are Cash on delivery of shipper's receipt or hill 
of lading, and persons ordering can send draft on New-York, 
or Treasury Notes, to some person here whom they know, 
or by Express, to be delivered to us on our delivery of bill 
of lading for shipment of Machine. Price at our Factory, 
at Paterson, New-Jersey, for 
Xo. 1 Machine, (capable of dressing 2,500 lbs. ot Flax 
Straw in ten hours,) S355. 
No. 3, S'355. No. 3, Hand Machine, S155. 
First.— A machine capable of dressing 2,500 pounds ot flax 
straw in ten hours, can be sold at the factory, ready for ship- 
ment, at $355; and the second size capable of dressing 1,500 
pounds of straw at, $255. A third size, capable of dressing 
from 000 to 800 pounds of straw per day, at $155. The small- 
est size weighs about 300 pounds and can be run by hand. 
Second. — The yield of flax fibre by the use of this machine, 
in proportion to the weight of flax straw dressed, exceeds 
bt at least one-fourth that obtained by any other ma- 
chine or process. 
Third.— The fibre, dressed by this machine, is much more 
valuable than that dressed in any other way, on account of 
the greater yield over the hackle. 
Fourth.— This machine is so simple in itsconstruction and 
operation, that the liability to derangement is very slight. 
Fifth.— This machine does not require In its use any pecu- 
liar skill. It can be operated by boys or girls, and does not 
involve any risk to the hands or arms of the operatives, while 
the ordinary machines require the use of skilled labor, and 
as experience has proved, are always attended with risk to 
the operatives. 
SixTn— This machine can be driven by any of the horse 
powers in use, and as it can be operated by ordinary farm 
labor, it enables the farmer to dress and prepare for market, 
at little expense, the fl:ix raised by himself, thus opening to 
him a new and profitable occupation. 
Seventh.— This machine is small, the largest size occupy- 
ing only about four feet square, and weighing not over 1,100 
pounds. 
As there is a demand for larger machines for hemp, the 
proprietors are building such, capable of dressing two and-a- 
halftonsof hemp straw per day. 
The amount of flax fibre produced in the United States in 
the year VSS6 was7,S0f>,SO9 pounds. Had the straw from which 
Him amount of fibre was taken, been dressed by the San ford 
A Mallot-y Machine, the yield would have been not less than 
10,109.078 pounds. The Increased product or the flax saved, 
at present prices, would be worth $650,512. 
When it is remembered that in many of the Western 
Stales an immense quantity of flax is raised for the seed 
alone, the straw being destroyed or wasted as of no value, it 
will readily be seen that the introduction among farmers and 
manufacturers of a cheap and effective machine, capable of 
converting what would otherwise go to waste, into an arti- 
cle of great value, can not fail to produce the most import- 
ant results. 
It is well known that flax can be successfully cultivated in 
all the Northern States. If in addition to the value of the 
seed— sufficient of itself to pay the entire cost of cultivation— 
the straw can be made a source of large profit, a wide field 
of successful industry will be opened. 
That the statements here put forward as to the efficiency 
and value of the Sanford & Mallory Machine, and especially 
as to the great saving effected by it over any other machine 
or process known, are rather below than beyond the fact, 
will abundantly appear from the subjoined reports and let- 
ters from practical flax-workers and dealers. Nothing need 
be added to their direct and positive testimony. 
Over fifty of these machines for flax and hemp have been 
In successful use during the past season, in different parts of 
the country, and the demand for them is now large— conse- 
quently, ordersfor them should be made early, as the coming 
crop of flax and hemp will soon be ready for dressing. 
The demand for flax during the past year and-a-half has 
quite doubled its price, and it is now used for many purposes 
to which it was never before applied, and for which it Is found 
to be superior to cotton and other materials before in use. 
Whatever, therefore, may be the future product of cotton, 
the demand for flax will not diminish, hut, on the contrary, 
increase with its new and useful applications. It is now 
largely mixed with woolen goods of almost every descrip- 
tion ; is used for paper, wadding, batting, belting, druggets, 
delaines, calicoes, stockings, felt hats, and carpeting. Should 
the experiments for cottonizixg flax, for which Congress 
has made a large appropriation, succeed, the already large 
demand for it would not only be enormously enhanced, but 
made practically unlimited. 
Take a given quantity of Flax Straw, either over or nnder 
retted, and pass it once through this Machine and it will in- 
variably have lost four-tifths of the shoove or woody part, 
without the least fibre of tow. The Machine requires two 
men, or hoys, to tend it, and runs from eighteen to twenty 
hundred lbs. of straw in ten hours. There is no risk whatev- 
er to life or limb of the operator. 
A dry or wet day makes no difference with this Machine, 
with reference to its result in the saving of Fibre. 
The Machine oan be seen in operation any day at room No. 
2T>, Harlem K. R. Building, corner of White and Center 
Streets, New-York City, or at Mr. Harvy Wilcox's Flax Mill 
in Union Village, Washington County, N. T. 
This Machine with one-horse power will also run from four 
to six hundred lbs. of Hemp stalks per hour ; leaving the 
fibre perfectly clean and straight, with not one ounce of tow 
to the ton. 
Those desiring Machines this fall should order at once, as 
we shall supply according to the date of orders. 
TESTIMONIALS. 
Lake, Washington Co., N. Y„ Nov. 7tb, 1862. 
Messrs. Mallory & Sanford: 
Gentlemen.— On the fith of Nov. I took two lots of very 
tender straw, as nearly alike as possible, each weighing 26 )< 
lbs. One lot I bad dressed at a neighboring flax mill (as 
good as the average of mills In this country), and the yield 
was 2 lbs. 13 oz„ dressed flax, and %y t lbs. of tow. I then had 
the other 26V* lbs. broken in your brake, and scutched in the 
usual way — the yield was 5 lbs. 5>^ oz. dressed flax, and no 
tow of any amount. I can assure yon I was much surprised 
at the result. To-day I have seen, at the mill of Mr. Harvy 
Wilcox, a very thorough experiment, testing the relative 
working of your machine and the old brake. 50 lbs straw 
broken in your machine weighed after breaking %\% lbs. 
The same quantity broken in the old brake weighed after 
breaking 38 lbs. A lot of 350 lbs. was then broken in your 
machine and scutched with the following results: 
Time of breaking lh. 36 min. Yield of coarse tow... 10 1bs ( 
" " scutching lh. 30 min. " " fine tow 1% lbs 
Yield of dressed flax. ..79K lbs. 
A lot of same quality and weight was then broken in the 
old brake and scutched : 
Time of breaking.. lh. 25 min. Yield of coarse tow.. 26 lbs 
" scutching, lh. 28 min. " " fine tow G% lbs.' 
Yield of dressed flax ...64 lbs. 
I have been engaged in the flax mill business nine years, 
and have experimented a great deal in flax dressing, and 
from what I have seen of your machine, I am confident that 
with skillful use it will yield, when tender straw is dressed, 
at least 10 lbs. of lint to 100 lbs. of straw, more than any oth- 
er machine in use — and when straw of average quality la 
dressed, the saving will average at least lbs. to the 100. 
And I think the coarse tow from your machine is worth full 
one cent per pound more than that from the old mode ol 
dressing, while the flax dressed is invariably softer, longer 
and freer from shoove than any I have ever seen from the 
old process. Another feature of your Machine is, that it can 
be worked without the slightest risk to the operator. I have 
this day ordered from your Agent, Mr. Wilcox, two of youi 
machines for my Mill. 
Yours truly, ENOS DURHAM. 
Lake, May 11th. 1863. 
Messrs. Mallory & Sanford ■— 
Gentlemen— I think that I promised you that I would 
write you and let you know how the brakes work after hav- 
ing the new gear put on, and now (after working them two 
months' I think I can safely say that they are perfect. They 
work perfectly easy, that jerking noise is entirely done away 
with; consequently there is little or no strain on the gear, 
and not liable to get out of order. In regard to the working 
of the brake I have seen nothing to alter my mind siucelast 
Fall, after running them six months ; on the contrary, I have 
become confirmed in what I stated last Fall, have triec 1 them 
in opposition to the old brake several times, and alwa js with 
nearly the same results. I will give one or two specimens. 
I was at Wm. McMillen's mill last winter, and we were in 
conversation about your brake. We finally agreed on a test. 
Accordingly, he selected two bundles (nine and one-half 
pounds each), first quality of straw, and cast lots, by turning 
his back, &e. The bundle that fell to him was dressed in his 
mill, and made two pounds, six ounces, of lint ; the other I 
brought home and broke it with your brake, and dressed three 
pounds of lint. The tow we paid no attention to In either 
case. This morning I took a bundle oi straw that weighed 
eieht pounds, ran it through the brake, and it weighed three 
pounds, four ounces. I then dressed it, and got two pounds 
of flax and four ounces of tow, not very heavy coated. I 
think with good quality of straw, well-rotted and dry. it 
will take out nine-tenths- of the shives. I do not want you 
to think that flax can not be wasted after your brake ; on 
the contrary, I know that hands do waste a great deal of 
flax that might be saved by good management, but that is no 
fault of the machinery. I suppose you have forwarded a 
machine to Richardson in Iowa. 1 hope so. 
Tours truly, ENOS DURHAM. 
"Roughfort, Ireland, April 9th, 1S63. 
" Dear Sir,— I have to report to yon on the merits of Mal- 
lory & Sanford's American brake, which has been at my 
scutch mill for the last three weeks. I have tried it on va- 
rious kinds of straw, and find the results as follows: On 
very poor and hard straw I found a gain of one pound per 
hundred weight over the same broken by ordinary rollers; 
on medium quality of straw a gain of two pounds, four 
ounces per hundred weight, the yield by your brake being 
eighteen pounds, four ounces against sixteen pounds on same 
straw broken by ordinary method; on very tender straw, 
over- watered, the gain was three and a half pounds per hun- 
dred weight, the yield by your brake being fourteen and-a- 
half pounds against eleven pounds by ordinary method. I 
find the flax from your rollers easier scutched, and the yield 
softer to feel and quality improved over Jhat rolled in the 
ordinary way. 
Tours truly. 
JOHN WILLIAMSON. 
"Mr. Alex. Guild, Belfast." 
Springfield, Clark County, Ohio, May 5lh, 1S6S. 
Messrs. Mallory & Sanfokd:— 
Gentlemen.— I have tried one of your brakes, and I have 
run through thirty-one hundred pounds in ten and one- 
fourth hours, which was well broken, and every way satis- 
factory. I am, gentlemen, yours respectfully, 
E. MEEK. 
Descriptive Circulars sent free on application to 
MALLORY & SANFORD, 
Corner White and Center-Sts.. New-York. 
