V egetable Fibres. 147 
that of the tow from which it was produced with great 
loss of weight, (borne by the fibre instead of the cloth), it 
would have commanded a large use (!) There is indispu- 
tably in flax-cotton, from whatever fibre produced, much to 
recommend for extensive use. It will produce close upon its 
own weight of cloth. It requires simply carding on tow or 
_ other cards to produce a clean, even yarn, as fine as is prac- 
ticable for an ordinary combed flax. It will produce a 
character of cloth greatly needed, widely different from 
any tow-cloth; equidistant from cotton and linen cloth; 
firmer and more durable than cotton ; softer, warmer, and 
more even than linen, whilst equally fine; its firmness and 
strength being desirable qualities in fabrics, such as sheet- 
ings, towellings, shirtings, jeans, &c., all of which would be 
better fabrics produced from it than if produced from 
cotton; yet their price would not reach so high as 
if produced from the lowest Indian cotton, with its 
40 per cent. waste, and high cost of spinning. The ob- 
jection that fibre, minus trash, costs more, whilst producing 
a valuable cloth, than fibre, plush trash, producing a poor 
_ cloth, is not worthy of attention. Surely, Britain possesses 
men of more honourable discrimination! No fear need 
exist that good materials of this class will ever become 
high in price:—The various fibres are so abundant and so 
wide-spread which are useful chiefly in this state, (and 
which now are largely rotting as they grow,) that a great. 
abundance must always exist of fibres available for flax- 
cotton at low rates, to sustain a large class of manufactures 
of great excellence in all heavy fabrics extending from 
body-linen down to the lowest uses. It does not appear 
probable that cotton will ever again compete so much in 
price with other fibres, as to completely drive them out of 
the market, as heretofore. There seems, therefore, every 
reason for supposing that a manufacture of fabrics from 
this class of fibrous materials, would be highly successful, 
and would meet with a ready market; an eager one after 
their excellencies become tested, with a rapidly increasing 
production of a safe lucrative character. 
Jute and its kindred fibres scarcely need attention here, 
having already found their legitimate uses, which seem 
little likely to be extended with advantage. Itis compara- 
tively little improvable by art, from the state in which it 
comes onthe market. It consists of fairly regular fila- 
ments difficultly separated into their cells, which do not 
possess the character necessary for spinning into fine yarns. 
