THE very elaborate and lengthy papers of Mr. Browne and Mr. Leavitt on the history, culture, and manufacture of flax, appended to the able report of the Commissioner of Patents for the year 1861, preclude the necessity, at this time, of further inquiry into those important branches of the subject.

It is proposed to make this paper very brief. and confine it mainly to the inquiry whether or not flax fibre can, by mechanical, chemical, or other means, be converted into flax-cotton of a suitable quality for use as a substitute for cotton in the cotton-mills of our country. The vast amount of capital invested in the mills, (nearly $100,000,000,) the absolute necessity of production to meet the wants of consumers, the dependence of the loyal portion of the country upon the disloyal portion for the staple to insure that production, the amazingly increased value of the staple, and the uncertainty of a supply at any price, all give this question of substitution the strongest claim upon the attention of the people and the government. That this claim will be favorably recognized by the government in the present crisis of our national affairs can hardly be doubted.

No opposition to the enterprise can arise from capital invested in flax-mills similar to the flax-mills of Ireland and Great Britain, for we have comparatively no such investments. This is a most singular fact in our industrial history, considering the adaptation of our country to the culture of flax, the abundance of our capital, the inventive and enterprising character of our people, and our immense consumption of flax products. But such is the fact, notwithstanding that in Ireland, as early as 1856, there were not less than 100 flax-mills, with 560,000 spindles, 50,000 operatives, and $20,000,000 of capital; and in Great Britain, at the same time, not less than 300 flax-mills, with 700,000 spindles, 7,000 power looms, and $30,000,000 of capital, while in this country, even at the present day, there are not more than 15,000 flax-spindles, and those are mostly employed in spinning flax-yarn of the coarsest kind.

The question is not, however, whether mills shall be built here after the Irish and British models for the manufacture of flax-yarn and linen goods, but whether or not flax can be so treated as to be available for the manufacture of those staples on the machinery of our cotton-mills; and, if so, whether the substitution can be accomplished economically, and on a scale commensurate with the wants of the mills. Both phases of the inquiry being equally important, they will be examined briefly in detail. It is generally known that flax and cotton are handled in a similar manner, preparatory to the spinning process, i. e., they are first made to assume the form of drawing and roving, and also that they are both spun from rolls moving at different speeds to reduce the rovings to a suitable fineness for the yarn, and that the rolls are located at proper distances from each other, to suit the lengths of the two kinds of fibres.  These mechanical analogies seem to favor, at the outset, the substitution of flax for cotton. They should not be overlooked. Neither should corresponding analogies (if there be any) between cotton and flax, in their natural state. Do any analogies of the latter kind exist? Cotton consists of cylindrical fibres individualized and separated in the bolls of the plants during the ripening process.  The fibres when first developed are in a milky or glutinous state.  As the bolls open under the influence of the sun and air the moisture evaporates and the fibres begin to assume their distinctive character, until they are finally separated from each other and cohere only to the seeds, which they partially envelop. In this liberated form they are characterized by uniformity in length, firmness, and strength, and by a slightly spiral or bearded surface, which fits them for uniting equably during the carding, drawing, roving, and spinning operations.

But cotton, as sold in the market and worked by manufacturers, has not, throughout its bulk, the characteristics of uniformity in length and strength.  The different pickings from the fields frequently vary the character of the fibres. A drouth or a frost, by suspending their growth, shortens their length and weakens their strength, and, as the pickings are usually ginned promiscuously, the result is a variation in the fibres of all cotton on the market, in both marked peculiarity, i. e., with uniformity in length of a large proportion of all the fibres as a mamimum length. Sound gulf cotton has the maximum number of its fibres, about seven-eighths of an inch in length; uplands, about six-eighth of an inch. The greater or less percentage of this maximum length of fibre, with the other properties of fineness, strength, and cleanness, give the grade of cotton.  When cotton is disproportionately short and weak, it is undesirable, because the fibres, in the process of manufacturing, fly off in the form of waste.  But short and weak fibres, in small quantities, interspersed and commingled with those that are long and strong, can be carried with very little waste through the different operations into yarn.

Such are the leading characteristics of cotton. What are the leading properties of flax? The fibre of flax is the inner bark of the stem of the plant. It was formerly considered, when separated from the wood, a continuous layer, capable of being split info almost infinite fineness. But flax fibres are now known to be cylindrical, and straight, like cotton, and lapped upon each other in filaments about two or three inches in length. The filaments cannot be split. They are united by a glutinous substance that causes them to cohere with the greatest tenacity, until it is more or less decomposed. The decomposition of the gluten, to a limited extent, has for ages been effected by water or dew rotting, in all flax designed for spinning from “long or cut line.” After the rotting the straw is subjected to the operation of breaking, to rid it of the woody portion or shives, and then to the operation of heckling, to liberate the fibres.  This is the mode of preparing flax for the flax-mills of Ireland and Great Britain, and also for hand-spinning. But, as the operation of water or dew rotting is attended with much care, labor, and expense, and endangers the strength of the fibre, the effect has seen to discourage the culture of flax in this country, except for the seed.

These disadvantages have also been felt abroad, and machines were long ago invented and tried for breaking and working flax in the unrotted state.  The results of repeated trials, both in Ireland and Great Britain, of machines for this purpose not having been satisfactory, the “cottonizing” of flaw from unrotted straw was attempted. Very little success was achieved in cottonizing until the time of Claussen. His modes consisted mainly of cutting the flax into short lengths, and bleaching it, to explode and liberate the fibres. He created a great sensation in the United Kingdom, and in this country, by his supposed discoveries; but it was soon ascertained that the glutinous matter was too imperfectly dissolved under his patents, and that his preliminary process of cutting was too unreliable to secure a sufficient assimilation of the fibres to the fibres of cotton, in fineness and length, for cotton machinery. Since then the trade has been constantly experimenting, and it is now well authenticated that the gluten of flax can be effectually dissolved by alkalies and acids, and the fibre evenly liberated lengthwise, and also transversely at the laps. With this knowledge the attention of manufacturers and flax-growers is at present intensely directed to the “getting up” of cheap mechanical contrivances for cutting or breaking flax straw to the requisite length for cottonizing the fibres and throwing off the shives.

From this summary it is apparent that the analogies between the fibres of flax and cotton are striking.  While they differ from each other in length, they agree in being cylindrical, fine, and strong; flax having the advantage in strength and perhaps in fineness. Both cohere in their natural state; cotton fibres to the seeds, and flax fibres to the stem and to each other. And the cohesion of both is overcome by art—one by the cotton gin, and the other by the shive-breaker and gluten solvent.

The machinery for manufacturing cotton into yarn is arranged for fibres mostly of a length not exceeding seven-eighths of an inch. Any increase beyond this length is objectionable in the spinning operation, as there is only room between the rolls for an equable draft of fibre of the usual length.  Hence it will be desirable, in spinning flax on cotton machinery, to have the maximum number of all the fibres correspond in length, as nearly as possible, to the maximum number of the fibres of cotton. It will also be desirable to have the fibres evenly liberated by the joint operation of the solvent of the glutinous substance and mechanical force to secure uniformity in their fineness, and thereby avoid, what is termed by the trade, “stumpy ends.” The want of equality in length of the portion of the flax fibres that are shorter than those having the desired maximum length, which will not be more injurious than the same want of equality in cotton, renders the assimilation of flax-cotton to cotton more complete; so that if a cutting machine is used for reducing the length of flax straw to the length of cotton, it will not be an objection to the machine that it makes some of the fibres of an uneven length by cutting at ox near the laps of the filaments as well as intermediately.

The slightly spiral or bearded surface of the cotton fibre is probably the result of its light specific gravity. All gossamer fibres have more or less tendency to assume this form according to their density. Flax is specifically heavier than cotton. Hence the fibres of the former of the same fineness as the latter would have less disposition to assume a form favorable to a union, which would make it rather more difficult to keep the fibres in contact during the carding, drawing, and spinning operations. But this difficulty could probably be entirely overcome by the capacity of flax to an almost infinite subdivision of fibre. Should machinery be used to break or pull apart the straw (instead of cutting it) to a length agreeing, as nearly as possible, to the length of cotton, the result would not give a decided uniformity of length to the maximum number of fibres, and would, thereby, cause a partial failure of the analogies between the two kinds of fibre. The disagreement, however, might not injuriously affect the carding operation; but it would be necessary to change the condition of the rolls as arranged for drawing and spinning cotton, and arrange them to draw the lengths of the flax fibre that exceeded the maximum length of cotton. This could be accomplished without expense by relieving the intermediate rolls of their weights, which would enable the long fibres to be drawn and spun into yarn of nearly a uniform diameter. Which of these modes for equalizing the length of the fibre will be eventually adopted for flax-cotton is uncertain. Perhaps both will be successfully used. At present the process of cottonizing is too undefined to warrant the prediction of details of a fixed and positive character; but enough has already been discovered to authorize the prediction of an early and satisfactory mode of cottonizing, in a simple and feasible way, under suitable encouragement from government. Such encouragement should, of course, be based upon the expectation that it is not only practicable to cottonize flax, but that its cottonizing can be effected economically, and on a scale commensurate with the wants of the mills. That it may be so cottonized, it is indispensable that the preliminary operations of cutting or breaking the flax straw of suitable lengths, and divesting it of the shives, should be performed at convenient points in the producing districts, to save the transportation of the woody portions, precisely as cotton is ginned at the plantations to save the transportation of the seeds. These operations would ot only give another analogy between flax and cotton, but would, in connexion with the abandonment of water and dew-rotting, remove the greatest impediment to the extensive culture of the former throughout the country. Flax under such handling would, like cotton, be baled for market in the growing districts. This arrangement, whether connected or not with the decomposition of the glutinous substance, and the fining of the fibres at the producing points, would insure the transportation at a cost as low as that of cotton. It would be desirable to decompose the gluten before transportation, as this substance constitutes a considerable percentage of the weight of flax.  If this was effected, the cost of transportation would be less than that of cotton.

The difference in specific gravity of the two kinds of fibre is said to be equal to twenty per cent. in favor of cotton. This is shown by the different modes of ascertaining the numbers of flax and cotton yarn. A reel for flax yarn is two and a half yards in circumference, and 120 threads make a lea of 300 yards in length. The number of leas to the pound gives the number of the yarn.  The fineness of flax yarn necessary for fine shirtings or print cloths is about number 70, equal to 21,000 yards in length to the pound. The reel for cotton yarn is one and a half yards in circumference, and 7 knots of 80 threads each make a skein of 840 yards in length. The number of skeins to the pound gives the number of the yarn. The fineness of cotton yarn necessary for fine shirtings or print cloths is about number 30, equal to 25,200 yards in length to the pound. If the same number of flax or cotton threads to the square inch are put into shirtings or print cloths, then a pound of flax yarn, number 70, will fall short, of the length of a pound of cotton yarn number 30, 4,200 yards, which is equal to twenty per cent. of its number of yards. Hence in the substitution of flax-cotton for cotton, there must be added about twenty per cent. * to its weight to obtain cloths of the same number of threads to the square inch and yarn of the same size. This, although a striking difference in the weight of cloth of the same fineness and the same number of threads, will, fortunately, not so enhance the cost of flax-cotton, as compared with the value of cotton in ordinary times, as to render its substitution impracticable. The loss of weight in flax-cotton by the decomposition of the glutinous substance of the fibres is considered to be about twelve per cent., which is less than the average loss of cotton in waste; so that the diminution of the weight of flax from loss of gluten will be more than balanced by the corresponding loss of cotton in waste.

It remains to show what will be the probable cost of flax-cotton after the adoption of the necessary facilities of production to determine whether or not it can be afforded at rates that will compare favorably with the value of cotton in ordinary times. Much has been said about the proper time for harvesting flax to secure the fibre in the best condition for cottonizing. Some suppose it should be harvested before the maturity of the seeds; others that it may be safely permitted to stand until the seed is in the glaze; and others, again, that it may be harvested when the seed is fully ripe, without injury to the fibre.  Berthollet taught that all fibres of flax are equally fine, whether the straw is harvested early or late. But while there is a diversity of opinion on the subject of harvesting, it is universally admitted that in order to prevent lateral ramifications from the stems, which would eclog the vertical filaments, it is necessary to sow plenty of seed—more than has generally been sown in this country; at least two bushels and a peck to the acre. Thick sowing may reduce the quantity of the seed crop, but this will be more than compensated in the improved quality of the fibre. Cutting the flax at harvest time will probably be found the hest and cheapest mode of securing the crop. This would greatly favor the handling of the straw for liberating the fibres and shives, and be just as well for obtaining the seed. The quantity of flax-cotton that can be obtained from a ton of flax straw properly sown and harvested, and grown upon good soil, is said to be about 400 pounds. This, at ten dollars per ton for the straw, would be two and a half cents per pound for the fibre. To this must be added the twenty per cent. for the additional weight of flax to make cloth of the same number of threads as cotton, equal to half a cent per pound. What it will cost per pound to cut or break it, and free it from the shives and gluten, with machinery properly constructed and chemical processes properly defined, besides baling it for the market, cannot be stated with certainty, but may be safely estimated not to exceed five cents, thereby giving an entire cost of about eight cents per pound.

From the preceeding analysis it is inferred, first, that flax can be sufficiently assimilated to cotton to be drawn and spun on cotton machinery; and, second, that the assimilation can be accomplished economically, and in quantities commensurate with the wants of all the cotton-mills of the country.

Prominent among those who have labored indefatigably to accomplish the cottonizing of flax in our country is the Rhode Island Society for the Encouragement of Domestic Industry. This society has raised committees, appropriated funds, and collected a vast amount of information. The committee was composed of practical gentlemen, (long identified with the manufacture of cotton and woollen goods,) who gave very thorough attention to their duties.  They reported to the society, as the result of their labors, that with proper encouragement the cottonizing of flax could probably be fully realized. A realization so desirable would soon cause such an agricultural, mechanical, and chemical revolution in handling a staple venerable by age and universally endeared to the people, as would soon free the inhabitants of the loyal States from a mortifying dependence on the leading product of the disloyal States, and give to the civilized world endless quantities of this most desirable material for raiment at a cost within the reach of all classes of the community. The society, deeply impressed with the responsibility it had assumed, and with the chances for successful results, memorialized Congress, at its last session, to make an appropriation for aiding in these investigations. It is hoped, now that the price of cotton is so exorbitantly high, and the growers of it are gloating over their monopoly, and that while so much capital invested in our cotton-mills is unproductive, and the cost of supplying raiment to the people so enormous, that Congress will meet the wants of the times by an appropriation sufficiently liberal to insure the happy consummation of this great national enterprise.