144 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
[April, 
special difficulties, or requirements of climate, 
but which almost any farm in good tillage 
can supply. For this purpose the land and 
method of culture need not be such as are de¬ 
manded to produce the finest fibre, such as is 
required for thread and linen, as a coarse ma¬ 
terial will 'answer for binding-twine. It 
would appear that this new demand for flax, 
by the binding machines, is likely to influence 
and give a new impetus to its cultivation. 
As showing how inventions influence and 
supplement one another, we described in 
Fig. l.“—A BAM. OF TWINE. 
June last (1880), the Flax Brake of the 
“ American Vegetable Fibre Company,” of 
Philadelphia. This machine, or some similar 
one, it seems to us, is to play an important 
part in meeting this new demand for Flax. 
In the description referred to, it was stated 
that one great merit of this machine was, 
that it allowed the straw of flax grown for 
seed, to be utilized instead of going mainly 
to waste as heretofore, and gave assent to 
the assertion of the Fibre Company that the 
machine “ bids fair to give a new history to 
the whole business ”—referring to flax grow¬ 
ing. This demand for fibre for binding- 
twine is just such as this machine can supply, 
and the Automatic Binder, though probably 
invented without a knowledge of the ex¬ 
istence of such a brake, may be the means 
of bringing that into extended operation. 
In all cases, where the demand for a crop 
depends upon a manufacture, there is a diffi¬ 
culty at first in bringing the two together. 
The farmer will not raise the crop unless fair¬ 
ly sure of a sale. The manufacturer will not 
establish his factory unless he can feel sure 
of a supply of the raw material to work up. 
Let us see how the case stands in the pres¬ 
ent instance. The makers of Automatic 
Binders assure 
us that there is 
to be a large de¬ 
mand for bind¬ 
ing material; 
that the uncer¬ 
tainty of a suf¬ 
ficient supply 
of cheap bind¬ 
ing-twine is a 
source of no 
little anxiety to 
them. There is 
always a sale 
for Flax seed, 
and as many 
Fig. 2.— a sack filled with grow the crop 
twine. for the seed 
alone, it is likely to be fairly remunerative. 
Flax grown for seed does not need the high 
culture required by that for choice fibre ; any 
good grain land, or a turned sod, will give a 
fair crop. There are no special difficulties 
attending the culture. If the fibre is to be 
saved as well as the seed, the flax is harvest¬ 
ed when the stem has lost its green color for 
two-thirds of its length, and made into small 
bundles. The top, or seed-bearing portion, is 
cut off with a hay-cutter having a single 
lever knife, to remove that portion at a clip, 
and the stalks rotted in the usual manner— 
either by steeping or by dew-rotting. Up to 
this point all is done by the farmer without 
any unusual machinery or appliances. The 
next step is the separation of the fibre for 
sale, and in this day of dear labor, hand-break¬ 
ing, and scutching, will not be thought of. 
Just here is where the farmer who would 
raise flax, meets with his first obstacle. He 
must have a machine, and it is beyond his 
means. What can he do with his flax? If 
several farmers, especially if one has water¬ 
power, or steam-power, can club together and 
purchase a brake, or if they can induce some 
manufacturer in the vicinity to establish one, 
and break at a fair price, the difficulty can be 
removed. We have no other interest in the 
American Vegetable Fibre Co.’s machine, re¬ 
ferred to, than the fact that it is of impor¬ 
tance to the farming industry, and having 
seen it in operation, we know that it does its 
work most effectively. If we knew of an¬ 
other equally useful we should also speak of 
that. It would seem that here is an oppor¬ 
tunity for some one of enterprise, and with 
moderate capital, in each township, to do a 
fair business, by proposing to put a brake in 
operation if the neighboring farmers will 
agree to raise enough flax to keep it running 
for a certain length of time. Here is the 
sticking point. The makers of Binding ma¬ 
chines ask us with much emphasis, to inter¬ 
Fig. 3.—INTERIOR VIEW OF TWINE-BOX. 
est farjners in the culture of flax, in order to 
meet the coming demand for cheap binding- 
twine. We are most willing to do this, if 
we can also show them how to get the flax 
into marketable condition. The cordage 
makers will not buy the flax unbroken, nor 
would it pay to transport such a bulky ar¬ 
ticle to a great distance. The case is one 
that calls for a co-operation of producer and 
manufacturer. Those farmers who are able 
to become manufacturers so far as to pre¬ 
pare their own and their neighbors’ flax for 
market, will be likely to find it profitable. 
The makers of Heaping Machines, with 
Binders, feel, very properly, that the success 
of their machines depends upon the ability of 
those who use them to readily procure a suf¬ 
ficient quantity of suitable cord at fair prices. 
One Company has the matter so much at 
heart that it has sent out a circular to show 
just what kind of cord is needed, and how it 
should be balled and packed. This circular is 
more especially intended for cordage makers, 
but we give its essential points to make our 
article more complete. The cord, if of flax, 
should be 3-ply or 4-ply ; should not run less 
than 600 nor more than 700 feet to the pound, 
and be able to withstand a strain of 80 
pounds ; one meeting this description will 
answer for use in any of the successful bind¬ 
ers now made. Figure 1, shows the ball as 
sent from the factory, it being about 7‘/» 
inches in diameter, and the same in hight 
the inner end is drawn out from the middle, 
looped around a few strands, and tied in a 
bow knot; a small tag is attached here 
directing “ use from this end.” In the mak¬ 
ing of the cord, vegetable oils should not be. 
used, as they heat and encourage insects, but 
coal oil, or animal oils will answer; it may 
be made insect proof, and weather proof,, 
by the use of a mixture of tar and coal oil. 
The outer end of the cord is wrapped half 
a dozen turns around the middle of the ball,, 
the end looped around a few of the strands; 
and tied in a bow knot. Figure 2 shows the 
manner of sacking the twine for market, in 
three tiers of four each. The twine-box of 
the binder usually holds two balls, and fig. 3 
shows the manner in which the outer end of 
one ball is connected with the inner end of 
the other, so that they may run off continu¬ 
ously. In the circular before us it is esti¬ 
mated that from four to five thousand tons 
of cord will be required by binders this year, 
and that next year the demand will be 
doubled, etc. It appears to be a manufac¬ 
ture which commends itself to enterprising; 
persons as one of increasing importance- 
Lights in the Stable. 
Mr. J. T. McLaughlin, Westmoreland Co.,, 
Pa., describes a device for holding a lantern 
in a stable, as follows: “It is often very de¬ 
sirable to have some artificial light in the sta¬ 
ble or barn. Assuming that no light should 
be taken into the out-buildings unless it is a 
perfectly safe one, and properly protected by 
a lantern of some kind, the question where to 
so place this lantern that it will be both con¬ 
venient and safe, is 
one of importance. 
To set the lantern on 
the floor is as incon¬ 
venient and as unsafe 
as possible. It is not 
safe to hang it near 
the hay, straw, etc. 
The inclosed drawing 
will give an idea of an 
arrangement I have 
long used in my cow 
stable, which works 
well. The arm a is 
made of good hard¬ 
wood, and is fastened 
to the post at b by a 
pivot on which it 
moves freely. It is so 
formed that the short 
end is the heaviest. 
When in use the posi¬ 
tion is as shown in 
the drawing; a nail 
or pin at c prevent¬ 
ing it from falling 
below a horizontal a lantern 
position. When the 
lantern is removed from the support, the 
weight of the short end causes the arm to fall 
into the position shown by the dotted lines, 
where it is entirely out of the way.” The ac¬ 
companying engraving,made from Mr. McL.’s 
drawing, shows the “ hook ” with a lantern 
hung upon it. So simple a device as this, 
that can be made ill a few minutes, should' 
be in every stable where a lantern is used. 
