THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
/ 49 
IMS 
A NEW INDUSTRY ON PUGET SOUND. 
GROWING FLAX FOR FIBER. 
For some years past, Dr. A. W. Thornton, of Fern- 
dale, Wash., has been conducting a series of investi¬ 
gations to demonstrate the special adaptability of 
Puget Sound to the culture of flax for fine fiber. It 
seems that the localities adapted to the flax fiber in¬ 
dustry, are few and far between, and may be stated 
generally as in northern Europe, with its centers in 
Belgium and Belfast, and in the United States as the 
extreme northwest coast region with its chief center 
on Puget Sound. The results of these investigations 
were so favorable, that the Department of Agricul¬ 
ture determined to enlarge upon Dr. Thornton’s ex¬ 
periments, and made suitable appropriations for that 
purpose. He was, accordingly, appointed special 
agent, with instructions to conduct one five-acre ex¬ 
periment in the culture of flax on Puget Sound for 
seed and fiber, besides a number of others of smaller 
area. The Department imported a supply of pure 
Riga seed from Europe. This experiment being still 
in progress, the details will not 4 beavailable for public 
use until after Dr. Thornton’s report has been received 
by the Department of Agriculture. 
On the first page of this issue, we show the five-acre 
field of flax in process of being pulled—for differing 
from flax culture for seed, where fiber is the principal 
requirement, the straw requires to be pulled and kept 
straight throughout all the subsequent processes. 
The crew of pullers is also shown. Something like 
$28,000,000 of flax and hemp fiber products are im¬ 
ported into the United States, owing to the climatic 
conditions of the greater portion of the country being 
unadapted to the production of fine fiber ; yet in this 
favored region of Puget Sound, every pound required 
for our home use could be produced in quality equal, 
if not superior, to the imported. Not only so, but a 
large margin would be left for export to Europe. It 
is a well-established fact that wherever the conditions 
exist specially adapted to the culture of flax for fine 
fiber, the fiber industry has become the leading one 
in such sections ; this is exemplified in the case of 
Belgium, Belfast, etc. Puget Sound seems to be thus 
specially favored. 
Flax for fiber is one of those crops requiring much 
care and manipulation, and its special requirements 
must all be met. First, it requires clean, well-tilled 
land, as weeds and clods are “ death on flax.” Suit¬ 
able rotation of crops is also a necessity, as is heavy 
seeding—at least two bushels per acre for fiber. 
Hulling and properly tying the straw, rippling or 
removing the seed, setting the straw in pools of soft, 
stagnant water, grassing, drying, breaking, scutching 
and hackling to produce the commercial product of 
fine “line” and tow, are all processes which can be 
performed by the ordinary farmer with only the re¬ 
sources of an ordinary Puget Sound farm, at a profit. 
Yet the establishment of cooperative scutching mills 
in suitable locations, upon similar lines to the coopera¬ 
tive creameries already so generally adopted, will 
prove the most advantageous system of work. 
We shall keep an eye upon this investigation as one 
of far-reaching importance. Not only to our Puget 
Sound friends, but to the country at large, the de¬ 
velopment of a new industry producing a new source 
of supply of a valuable and extensively used com¬ 
modity, cannot but benefit our financial condition. 
SOME POTATO NOTES FROM IOWA. 
FRICKS, COST, SCAB, SPROUTS, ETC. 
Shippers here are paying 10 cents a bushel for pota¬ 
toes, and have shipped a number of car-loads. As a 
rule, growers are holding their potatoes in hopes of 
better prices when the weather gets cooler. Is over¬ 
production the sole cause of these low prices ? One 
thing we notice, and that is, that freight rates are as 
high as ever. Whatever happens, our servants (?), the 
middlemen and the railroad companies are always 
well paid for handling our crops. 
Oh, well, with our rich soil which needs no fertiliz¬ 
ing or irrigation, and by the aid of improved ma¬ 
chinery, we can raise potatoes for 10 cents a bushel, 
and get a dollar a day for our time. That, probably, 
is all we deserve ; but it would be very comfortable 
to make a little profit besides. 
Though this year is remarkable for the great abun¬ 
dance of all crops, yet, with potatoes at 10 cents; 
oats, 12 to 14 cents ; corn, 15 to 18 cents; and hogs, 3 
cents, it will be nearly as hard to make both ends 
meet as it was last year, the great poor-crop record- 
breaker for Iowa. In fact, merchants say that it is 
harder to collect money from the farmers than it was 
a year ago, and it is pinching some of them pretty 
hard to meet their bills. 
Small potatoes, used for seed, and with the sprouts 
left on, yielded at the rate of 324 bushels per acre. 
The same seed, with the sprouts rubbed off, yielded 
294 bushels per acre, a difference of 30 bushels in 
favor of leaving the sprouts on. The unsprouted seed 
ca m e up first, and kept ahead of the other for a month 
or more. Large potatoes sprouted and cut in the 
usual way yielded 290 bushels. This confirms me in 
the belief that when the crop is to go on the general 
market, small seed is as good as large. Three rows 
of this same large seed, cut the same as the above, 
only not treated with corrosive sublimate, as all these 
others had been, yielded at the rate of 200 bushels per 
acre, a decrease of 30 bushels. Quite suggestive, 
though the fact that this patch grew where potatoes 
grew last year, while the others grew on a stubble, 
might have had something to do with the yield ; so 
we must not put too much value on the difference. 
All the seed was quite free from scab, and where the 
seed had been treated, the potatoes were perfectly 
smooth ; on the other, there was only a little scab. 
The size of the potatoes was the same—quite large, 
with the proportion of small ones very few. 
I learned something, though, that influences the 
yield more than the size of seed or treatment for scab, 
and that was, vigor of seed. I bought four bushels of 
seed that had been kept in a pit, and was in fair con¬ 
dition, apparently, at planting time, the last week in 
May. The variety was White Neshannoeks, the old 
standby here; as were all the others, they were 
large potatoes, but had quite long sprouts on them. 
Two bushels treated with corrosive sublimate yielded 
at the rate of 157 bushels per acre, and two bushels 
untreated yielded 152 bushels. This gave five bushels 
per acre for treating, but was a loss of 133 and 108 
bushels per acre, as compared with yields from similar 
seed of my own, quite enough to make it worth while 
to have vigorous seed. But, besides having a smaller 
yield, the potatoes were considerably smaller, aver¬ 
aging, perhaps, one-quarter less in size than potatoes 
from the more vigorous seed. My own seed was kept 
in the cellar. E. b. watson. 
"DOING THE JOB AT HOME.” 
‘‘skilled labor” paid in farm crops. 
Having a little repairing and building to do this 
summer, my thoughts were forcibly attracted to the 
present prices of farm produce compared with the 
prices demanded by the trades unions. The first of 
the trades required, was the stone mason ; his price 
was $3.85 per day of nine hours. There were about 
10 days’ work for him, footing up the nice little bill 
of $38.50. The next was the carpenter ; his price was 
$2.50 for 10 hours, and his job lasted about three weeks, 
and cost $45. Following him, and the last of the 
trio, was the painter, paper hanger and decorator ; he 
was hired by the job, but he managed to earn about 
$4 per day of 10 hours, his week’s work footing up 
about $25. In all, the 34 days’ work of union men, 
cost $108.50 Now, to pay this bill, how much of the 
product of my labor must be sold. Of course, I sell 
what I can spare best : 
One load tine potatoes, 50 bushels, at 20c. $10.00 
Two loads of hard wood, five cords, at $1.75 per cord. 8.75 
One load of {rood apples, 30 bushels at 30c. 0.00 
Two loads of Yellow Danvers onions, 80 bushels, at 18c. 14.40 
Three loads of good cabbage, or 800 heads, at 2c. 10.(X) 
One load of oats, 80 bushels, at 22c. 17.(X) 
One load of corn, 40 bushels, at 35c. 14.00 
One load of wheat, 33 bushels, at 57c. 18.81 
Total.$108.50 
In all, 12 heavy loads for my teams, hauled 10 miles 
to market, or 20 miles for each load, a total of 240 
miles travel to say nothing of hunting up the men, 
and carting them and their tools to and fro. To sum 
it all up, it has cost me 318 bushels of produce, two 
loads of wood, 800 heads of cabbage, and 12 days’ 
work for myself and team, to pay for 34 days’ work of 
comparatively ignorant men, who had acquired a 
knack at one particular job. So much for combina¬ 
tion and ability to fight. A lifetime of experience in 
agriculture and horticulture, set at naught by the 
knack of a year or so, and made to pay the price of 
three or more to one ! Capital and intelligent labor 
ruled by ignorant labor, because ignorant labor com¬ 
bines and fights. 
What Is the Farmer To Do About It? 
Now, this case is all imaginary ; but the prices of 
produce and the prices of the labor union are only too 
real. I have no fight to make because labor, separ¬ 
ately or in combination, demands and gets all the 
market will or can be forced to pay. For the val ue 
of a thing is what it will bring, no more, no less. 
But the point I wish to make is right here : when a 
thing gets so high on tke market that it is out of 
reach of my pocketbook, I either go without or use a 
substitute. To my notion, the point has been reached 
in labor union prices when the producer must either 
go without or do the work himself, if he wishes his 
home renewed, repaired or beautified. 
The prices of all kinds of raw materials are low, 
almost in proportion with farm produce. The par¬ 
tially finished merchandise of the stores and factories 
is low and reasonable ; the only thing that bars the 
farmer from having all the comforts, and many of the 
luxuries of life, is the high price demanded by skilled 
labor so-called. Winter work on the farm is getting 
very scarce. Our predecessors have swept our mag¬ 
nificent forests with fire and ax from the face of the 
earth. Armour, Swift and others have destroyed the 
beef production. Our sheep have left us, and there is 
nothing left in the way of labor for our grain pro¬ 
ducers through the winter, but to attend the little 
live stock necessary for home subsistence, and to look 
after the horses. 
Go and Do It Yourself. 
Now why not hire a cheap hand for the winter to 
do the necessary chores. Build or utilize a pretty 
good sized building for a shop, make it warm and 
comfortable, buy the tools and go at it, to make or 
mend those things you need. Go ahead with a strong 
will to succeed ; when in doubt on any subject, write 
to The R. N.-Y. for a technical work on the subject 
in hand. The knowledge you need is to be had in 
book form, and the beauty of knowledge in a book is 
that you can have it on the bench when you need it. 
The kits of tools that we have bought and found the 
most constant use for, are of value to us in the order 
named : Carpenters’, blacksmiths’, masons and plas¬ 
terers’, painters’, glaziers’, plumbers’, harnessmakers’ 
and shoemakers’. My rule has been for the last 10 
years, when we were not pressed for time, when a job 
came up that required skilled labor, to put a day 
laborer in my place, buy the tools and go at it. I 
generally did a job that was strong, and oftentimes 
just as good as anybody could do. And I always had 
the experience and the tools left, and the job seldom 
cost half what the skilled artisan would have charged. 
There is a comfort and independence derived from a 
job done by one’s self, that has to be experienced 
to be realized, and the increase of one’s power of ob¬ 
servation is wonderful. We are constantly obtaining 
knowledge from unexpected sources; very often a 
chore hand will have a knack at some kinds of work, 
totally unexpected. The advice of neighbors often 
saves dollars. The constant thought of how to make 
better, and beautify, gives new zest to life; we grown¬ 
ups are all children, and we must be constantly 
studying, or we shall retrograde. Drive away idle¬ 
ness, dou bts and fears with constant study and employ¬ 
ment. Make friends of the Master Mechanic of any 
large factory, and go to him for advice. Men of in¬ 
telligence like to be consulted ; it is an acknowledg¬ 
ment that they know some things better than you do, 
and it is human nature to like to be flattered that 
way. The trades unions have no cinch on the knowl¬ 
edge of their work ; the bosses always know the trade 
better, and knowing more, are not afraid to tell what 
they know. When a man refuses to tell what he 
knows, it is, nine cases out of ten, because he has 
little to tell. It was the wise man that said, “There 
is that scattereth and yet increaseth ; and there is 
that withholdetli more than is meet, but it tendeth to 
poverty.” _ w. H. w. 
BUSINESS BITS. 
Lawrence & Co., 20 North Side, Faneuil Hall Market, Boston, 
Mass., have a large export trade in apples and poultry, as well as 
a good local trade in Boston. They will give all necessary infor¬ 
mation and particulars on application. They also send report of 
export trade. 
The Keystone Woven Wire Fence Co., formerly of Tremont, Ill., 
are now located at Peoria, Ill., where facilities for making and 
shipping their fence are better. This is one of the popular, dur¬ 
able and cheap fences that are now being used so extensively. 
Their catalogue is sent free to inquirers. 
The Collins Plow Co., Quincy, Ill., seem to have shaken them¬ 
selves of traditions and old-style methods when they placed on the 
market their Eli baling press. The merits of the press were 
promptly recognized, and it is now in use all over the country 
Their catalogue will be mailed free to inquirers. 
There are some good points about the IXL tank heater that 
should not be overlooked. It is made of iron, cast in one piece, 
nothing to rust or melt; sits right into the tank, and burns any 
kind of coal, cobs, or wood. The U. S. Wind Engine and Pump 
Co., 113 Water Street, Batavia, Ill., will send full particulars and 
catalogue of other implements for the asking. 
Wili.is Whinery, Salem, O., has a novel way of holding an auc¬ 
tion sale. His catalogue, describing his Chester White swine and 
Jersey and Holstein cattle, is mailed to any applicant. The pur¬ 
chaser sends in his bid for any animal wanted. If the bidder is 
successful, the animal is shipped ; and the receiver settles with 
the express agent, if satisfied that the description was correct. 
The present sale opened October 21, and closes November 11, so 
that those who wish to bid, should apply for a catalogue at once. 
The R. N.-Y. is responsible for an error which we fear has 
caused some annoyance to readers, as well as to Messrs. Jos. 
Breck A Sons, of Boston, Mass. In their advertisement, they asked 
us to say that they would send a poultry marker or three sweet- 
scented tulip bulbs free to the purchaser of another order. We 
made it appear that the marker or bulbs would be sent to any 
one who wrote and mentioned the paper. We regret having made 
the error, as it must be especially annoying to Messrs. Breck A 
Sons, which is a house of the strictest integrity, and one that can 
be depended upon to do what it jjromises. 
There is just as much in having a horse blanket that will fit a 
horse, as there is in having a coat that sits well on a man’s back. 
If the blanket fits well, it is not likely to get trampled, dirtied and 
torn under the iron feet of the animal. The Burlington Blanket 
Co., Burlington, Wis., stem to have succeeded in making a blanket 
that wili stay on. In fact, they call it the “Stay On.” When they 
got a good thing, they seemed to know it, and had it patented; 
and some others seem to have recognized the good things, as we 
understand that they are trying to imitate the “Stay On” pattern. 
The Burlington people have a little book that tells a great deal 
about blankets. They will send you one if you ask for it. 
