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May2C 1852.j . .. .; THE LEADER. ^
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ON THE CULTIVATION OF FLAX.. IT, We have...
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MISSIOKABY FANATICISM. The following is ...
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Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. The text has not been manually corrected and should not be relied on to be an accurate representation of the item.
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The Bedfordshire Emigrant. A Bailway 8t0...
,, 1 Hnff g is the sum for the support of five or Seven "" ° It & . thus we keep our " boldpeasantry , eig ht pe . _' riae # » Political Economy , as expounded a C ^ ? rtDloyer 8 of Engineers—by Members of Party * . , V ^ finitely wise Doctors of Labour , teU us liameJVt , . ana fo v ^^ ^ . ^ ^ ^ . ^ ^ ^ th horses young and old , would 'be ' allowed more eIg Cpvpn shillings per week for their support . It is ' T to be a horse than an agricultural labourer . The Li ^ torician sometimes rebukes the poor for being m ™ low as the beasts . The Bedfordshire emi' j . would be obliged by being raised up to the level ^ fj beasts . Surely the plethoric wealth of St . Stei loung ing- at the Opera in town , and preserving p l ! Lants in the country ; might forgive the poor that SdJ saying-- '' When you take away oto Right to
• the Land , yoii ought to concede to us the right Sour at living wages . " Ion .
May2c 1852.J . .. .; The Leader. ^
May 2 C 1852 . j . .. . ; THE LEADER . ^
On The Cultivation Of Flax.. It, We Have...
ON THE CULTIVATION OF FLAX . . IT , We have already described the flax plant as consisting of three component parts , exclusive of the seeds—viz ., the " shove" or woody pith , the gum or resinous matter with which the fibres are made to adhere to each other and to the stem , and the fibres themselves ; but we recal its construction to the attention of our readers on fulfilling our promise of explaining the Chevalier Claussen ' s interesting discovery , by which the separation of these substances is sought to be effected by chemical We will addthat the fibres consist of an iViiL \ ¦ " — ¦•« ———— —¦ — —— ——
„„„„ , TIT ^ OTIS T T- C m » v * - * j v **** v . »' . ™""^ - * - . •»» w — - infinite number of small cylindrical tubes , articulated lilcc a cane or stalk of rye grass , and that they differ froin cotton in that the latter is found , on microscopic examination , to possess a flat ribandlike form , and that there is no gum td be got rid of before it can . be made available for manufacture . This is not an inappropriate place , moreover , for giving a more minute analysis than we have already done of the flax plant ; and we are glad to find that
our theory , hased upon the experience of scientific men ; is so well supported by the eminent Professor of -Chemistry in Ireland , Sir R . Kane . Excluding the seed , the entire plant is found by him / on quantitative analysis with incineration , to be composed of Carbon- . ... .. . . . 38 ^ 5 Hydrogen ....... . 7 " 33 . Nitrogen ' . . . .. . • • 0 * 56 Oxygen ........ . 48 * 36 Ashes ......... . 5-00 10000 The pure fibre , when analyzed , produces scarcely any ash whatever , while the pith and the gum , separately analyzed , yield 1 * 57 and 42 * 01 per cent , of ash respectively . Nearly one half , therefore , of the gum is composed of inorganic matter derived immediately from the soil , and this , it appears , has hitherto been found so difficult of solution ; as to require the aid of putrefaction kept up continuously for from seven to twentyone days . It is effected , as explained in our previous articled , by steeping in rivers or artificial pits , and , so delicato is the operation , that a perfectly pure fibre is seldom obtained except by persons thoroughly versed i » the business . Mr . Mac Adam , the Secretary to the Koyal Irish Flax Improvement Society , in a lecture delivered in March last beforo the Society of Arts , in London , happily illustrated the almost impossibility of ordinary farmers succeeding in this branch of husbandry "i the following words : " Great attention is demanded from the farmer to ascertain the precise moment when "jo gum is entiroly disengaged , and beforo the strength ° i the flhro lias been injured by the action of the water , wl "ch has become charged with the substances sopayatod from the- former , and chemically altered . Nothing js nioro frequent than under-rating or over-rating ; the wo , in the first of these events , remaining harsh and c' ° Wio , and , in tho second , woalc and cottony . " . j * culs and alkalies have boon severally called to aid 111 tho separation of the gum , but without much suc-**» , until M . Claasson thought of tho possibility of so ,,, nm R their . notion as to cause an almost instanta-! integration , by explosion of tho fibres from tho l His V ] tai - is OIU > own » 8 O fup as rolfttc 9 t 0 as !! S out by mechanical means us largo a portion « nk ? ^ th ° woo ( 1 y l ) ith of tho P lant > ^ for tho wiH . | ° Swwor , who uses it for litter , or for mixing diiM- impound , and also on account of tho ro-» thoiiV ° i i bulk " M ' " 8 cn then lioilH tho flax for con * > h () urs »»> water containing about ono-half por « i vok l C ! lU 8 ti ( ' 80 < K n-nd it is afterwards transferred to Dim ,.- ^'" ning w ater sl i ghtly acidulated < with aulwS ^' - 1111 * ^ ^^ 0111 of X of aci 1 t 0 50 °° hy ' \ lhl 8 process ho effectually separates tho ilbro for l ; l 01 nic ° -meohanical action , that , when required Bcuto n ' thut r « m »» ns to bo done h to dry and l ** tho fibre in tho usual manner .
But as the object of M . Claussen is to provide a substitute of home growth for foreign cotton , capable of being spun upon the existing cotton machinery , a further process is required , aiid we cannot better explain it than by using his own words , as stated in a paper read last year before the Eoyal Agricultural Society of England : — . " Complete , however ,. as may be the separation produced by this mode of treatment , the fibres , from their tubular and cylindrical character , are still adapted only for the linen or present flax manufactures , as their comparatively harsh and elastic character unfits them for spinning on the ordinary cotton or woollen machinery . At this stage , therefore , it is , that the most important part of the invention is brought into operation . The flax , either before or after undergoing the processes required for the severance of the fibres , is cut by a suitable machine into the required lengths , and saturated in a solution of sesqui-carbonate of soda ( common soda ) a sufficient length of time to allow of the liquid entering into and permeating , by capillary attraction , every part of the small tubes . When sufficiently saturated , the fibres are taken out , immersed in a solution of dilute sulphuric acid of the strength of about one part to two hundred parts of water . The action of the acid on the soda contained in the tube liberates the carbonic acid gas which it contains , the expansive power of which causes the fibres to split , and prodrces the results above described . " The next process , that of bleaching , is effected by placing the mass of flax in another vessel containing the hypo-chlorite of magnesia , by the action of which it attains the colour , as it had before received the texture , of cotton . . This discovery has now been sufficiently tested for us to pronounce it of the first national importance , although it may be long ere the arrangements necessary for carrying it out , so as to make it available to our farmers , will be as complete as we should wish to see them . The best way of bringing it within their reach would be the association of a certain number of growers in a district , for the purpose of erecting a factory where their flax could be worked up , under a licence from the inventor , which he is ready to accord on very moderate terms . They would thus share the profits of a very valuable establishment , and , Under proper arrangements— -which none could so well define as the farmers themselves—they might receive in their return-carts their due proportion of matters which ought to be restored to their farms , just as a Middlesex farmer loads his hay-cart with London stable manure . The profits may be fairly stated as follows—viz .: Cost of 5 tons of flax straw . . . £ 15 0 0 " Breaking , " " cutting , " and " blow-Cheinical ingredients ..... 160 b . £ 18 4 0 Bleaching , washing , drying , & c . . 2 16 ° £ 21 0 0 The produce being one ton of flax cotton , equal to " fair quality American , " which will sell at Leeds or Manchester for about 561 . per ton . Thus , exclusive of interest , carriage , packing , and other incidental charges , there will appear a gross profit of 35 ? . upon every five tons of straw worked up . If we estimate these charges to amount to as much as 10 / ., it will still leave 251 . to divide amongst the growers of five tons of straw in addition to 3 / . per ton already carried to their credit . It is stated that the cost of a " plant" capable of preparing 10 or 15 tons por week of flax straw is only 2000 ? . ; and we think this is a very proper subject for tenant farmers to introduce to their landlords , who might safely undertake tho erection , receiving , or rather sharing in " tho royalty to bo stipulated for with tho inventor . " , Cotton now ranges in price from 3 fd . for common Surat , to 2 s . per lb . for finest Sea Island samples ; and flax cotton may fairly bo placed in tho category of " fair bowed , " which now commands about 6 < l . por lb . in tho market . It appears , therefore , that a subetituto for , or an auxiliary to common cotton may bo produced at our own doors for something Iobb than ono-half tho price at which foreign cotton is now Hold ; and when wo add to this that flux cotton is capable ofbeing " milled" with or without wool , and of being ovon so prepared as to admit of an admixture with silk , tho full value of tho discovery will bo apparent to our readers . Wo cannot more appropriately confirm our present . remarks upon M . Clausnou ' s discovery , than by quoting from a speech of Sir James Gmham ' n on tho 13 th of Fobruary , in last year , delivered in a debate upon agricultural distress : —¦ " I cannot conooivo any dispensation of Providonco moro merciful , than that soionco and skill should suceood in overcoming tikis difliculty , ( tho thon short supply of cotton , —J 2 » . ) whereby wo ahull bo rendered in a ^ roafc doL'veo indopondont of foroign supply * whilo a great
stimulus would be given to our manufactures \ and if , happily this encouragement to the cultivation of flax here should succeed , I am very confident we shall hear no more of . the distress of our hand-loom weavers , that the cultivation of land will be largely improved by the introduction of capital in growing this new plant , and that this plant will be of great service to the agriculturist , from its being peculiarly adapted to increase the fertility of the soil . " ( Cheers . ) Sueh of our readers as may desire to inform themselves more fully on this subject , may obtain full particulars , and see samples of the manufactured cloths , on applying to Mr . Christopher , at 26 , Gresham Street , or to the Chevalier Claussen at his works on Stepney Green .
Missiokaby Fanaticism. The Following Is ...
MISSIOKABY FANATICISM . The following is an extract from a let ter we have received from " F . B . B ., " taking us to task far the manner in which we spoke of the unfortunate Patagonian
missiones : — { To the Editor of the Zeader . ) Sir , —I was exceedingly surprised and grieved to find the Leader missing so good an opportunity of exposing and denouncing superstition and fanaticism as was afforded by the fate of Captain Gardiner and his party on the coast of Patagonia , instead of which , these infatuated men are held up to admiration on account of their faith ; as if there were any merit in faith when unsupported by any evidence , when in direct opposition to reason and facts ; it then surely becomes contemptible and culpable credulity . For-a man who has lost his companions by starvation , and is himself on the eve of the same fate , to talk of
" the great and marvellous loving-kindness of his gracious God , " is nothing but the ravings of insanity , which usually precedes death By starvation . Fanatics , from their want of knowledge and thought , first place themselves in difficulty and danger , and then look to the miraculous interference of Providence to rescue them from the deserved consequences of their folly and credulity . Nay , so blinded are they by superstition , that if they meet with any little unexpected relief , which is not enough to save them , they break out into rapture about the " infinite mercies of their gracious Father , " as Captain Gardiner does because he managed to get a little water by means of his India-rubber shoes— " what combined mercies am I receiving at the
hands of my heavenly Father ; blessed be his holy name !" —as if it would not have been much , more kind and merciful in Providence to have saved Captain Gardiner from so much , suffering and misery , and so painful a death , than having sent him ( for every event is by fanatics ascribed to G-od ) into such a deplorable position , merely to give him a little water only to prolong a miserable existence for a few days . Fancy a human parent acting in this way with his child , and then being extolled by the victim of his cruelty , for his mercy and loving kindness ! Really it requires a hundred-Job power of patience to read Captain Gardiner ' s language with calmness , and to taftne teaa
still more , to find a journal that proicsses ce against cant , superstition , and fanaticism , eulogizing such miserable delusion as " faith , " which we should do well to imitate ! From such deplorablo credulity , miscalled "faith , " may reason and common sense deliver us ! I cannot consider the death of those who perish in such an enterprise as that of Captain Gardiner and his party as any loss to society , but rather as a gain ; for think for a moment how huge an obstacle to human progress would be removed if all tho most activo agents of superstition and fanaticism wcro immersed ton fathom deep in the Pacific ocean !
Tho Leader complains that from want of " faith" we sco the " canoe" and tho " India-rubbor shoe , " but wo do not seo " God . " That is to say , wo see and employ visible , material agencies , and do not see , do not know , and therefor do not rofor to tho Invisible tho and Unknown ; wo take account of the real and tangible , and noglect tho visionary and incomprehensible : this surely is wise and rationalwould that such procedure woro universal ! " F . B . B . assumes tho attitudo of a man who is perfectly reasonable ; hut wo havo seldom road a moro remarkable tissue of assumption and unreason than the preceding passage . Tho writer speaks aa if all religious men woredoficiont in tho " knowledge" which ho scorns to assumo to his
own side ; whereas wo all know that many mon of strong religious convictions havo boon modols of philosophic thought and liberal accomplishment . Ho presumes that Captain Gardiner must havo lookod moro especially to his rcscuo whereas it is evident that that dovoted man waa thinking moro of tho evolution of good out of things advorso , whothor it enrao in the- shapo of hope for tho entorpriao or of a mouthful of water . Such phrasos us " culpab le credulity , " " victim of his credulity , " and so forth , oxomplify tho illogical temper of tho writer . That which wo hold up to imitation in Captain Gardiner was not tho peculiar colour which may havo distinguished his creed , hut his trust in tho working of truth such as ho conceivod it to bo , and Iub willingness to stake himself upon , tho
pursuit of that truth . "F . B . B . " is ovidontly ono of those philosophers who trust only to " visiblo and material agencies , " to nothing that is unknown ; in which caso ho must stop short at tho first stngo in tho process of His own digestion , and investigate no moro ; for tho transmutation of food into chymo is as much concealed from our knowledge as its transformation into ohylo , again into blood , and ultimately into flosh . Tho faob is , that with tho modicum wo know is minfjlodan indofuaito proportion , of . tho unknown , which
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Citation
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Leader (1850-1860), May 29, 1852, page 15, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse2.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/cld_29051852/page/15/
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