206 
CULTIVATION OF FLAX. 
SHORTHORN BULL SPLENDOR. 
By omission for the want of space, the follow¬ 
ing remarks in regard to this fine hull, were not 
made up to accompany his portrait, in our May 
number, page 152. These remarks were written 
by Mr. D. II. Aibertson, of Lima, Livingston 
County, N. Y. 
Steers of Splendor’s get, when broke, make 
good workers, are active, and full of mettle, yet 
very kind and gentle; usually attain large size, 
and are of fine proportion, and always sell for 
large prices. I have known several pair sold 
for $200, when four years old. I sold a lot of 
steers last fall, two years old, for $50 per head. 
So far as my knowledge extends, cows of 
Splendor’s get prove excellent milkers, and are 
much sought after. I now own one, which has 
given 70 pounds of milk per day; and this, I 
think, she would do for weeks together, in good 
feed. His get, when three years old, (often at 
two,) fatten remarkably well, making more 
pounds of meat, and of course, paying better for 
food consumed, than any other stock in this 
section. 
It is a well-settled opinion, among the breed¬ 
ers of good stock, that Splendor is the best get¬ 
ter ever introduced into this section of western 
Mew York; which opinion is fully proved, by 
the avidity with which his get are sought after, 
and the prices which they command. 
CULTIVATION OF FLAX. 
For the past five years great attention has 
been given in Ireland and some parts of Eng¬ 
land, to an improved cultivation of flax, which 
it would be well for the farmers of the United 
States to imitate. The value of flax and its 
seed might be made at the north and west, what 
cotton is at the south. It is said that Great 
Britain imports flax to the value of $30,000,000 
annually; 120.000 tons come to London alone. 
It is computed that k would require upwards of 
400,000 acres of good land to raise this quantity 
of flax. 
In a letter from Mr. Blow, published in Hunt’s 
Merchants’ Magazine, we make the following 
extract relative to flaxseed, and linseed oil:— 
“In the consumption and sales of linseed oil, 
here, to the amouik of $5,000 or 200.000 gallons, 
it would require, say, 100,000 bushels of good 
flax seed, which at $1.50 per bushel, (fifteen 
cents below the present market rates,) amounts 
to $150,000. The manufacturer could pay the 
price and afford oil at 80 cents per gallon, and 
the farmer could receive a large return for his 
labor and capital, as I will presently show you, 
and not the least of all, the money be retained 
at home—the simple fact is, that at present 
there is little or no seed in the country, and we 
are forced to import oil from all directions, re¬ 
ducing the usually heavy stocks abroad, until 
the value of linseed oil is so appreciated that it 
cannot be laid down here for less than $1.05 per 
gallon, and scarce at this; whilst a further 
drain on the reduced stocks of England and 
Germany must run up this important article to 
an unprecedented price. But let us continue 
with the calculation. We are forced to buy 
200,000 gallons of linseed oil to fill up the re¬ 
quirement of the trade—$1.05, say $210,000 
Deduct the cost of same to consumers 
and dealers of like amount, made 
from Illinois and Missouri seed, at the 
high price of $1.50 per bushel for 
seed, 200,000 galons, at 80 cents, $160,000 
Loss to consumers and dealers by im¬ 
porting, instead of raising at home, $50,000 
Again, as you doubtles know, and as 
numerous good farmers have told me, 
flax seed can be raised and laid down 
in St. Louis, wagoned 75 miles, at a 
cost of 80 cents per bushel to the 
producer. Then haul in 100,000 
bushels, and sell it for $150,000 
Deduct cost of the same laid down, $80,000 
There is left the enormous profit to the 
farmer of $70,000 
which is certainly a large margin to 
work on. 
Of the manufacture of linen and its value, Mr. 
O. S. Leavitt thus speaks in the New-York Tri¬ 
bune :— 
“ That we are on the eve of a great revolution 
in commerce and manufactures, growing out of 
a substitution of linen for cotton, there can be 
no queston. Raw cotton is now worth 14 a 15 
cents per pound, while linen filler can be pro¬ 
cured for less than one third this price, espe¬ 
cially in those districts where flax is grown for 
the seed only, the lint being thrown away as 
worthless, or at least not worth the expense and 
trouble of preparing it for market, in the usual 
way. In those districts, flax can be produced 
in the unrotted state—the very condition for 
producing fine linen at the least cost—for about 
two cents per pound. Then, by the use of ma¬ 
chinery somewhat similar to that which 1 am 
now using successfully with unrotted hemp, in 
the manufacture of Kyanised cordage, flax can 
be broken out for less than two cents per pound 
Then, by process of machinery, it can be refin 
