how much marled. It could have been done by each commissioner in less time than it has taken to write it here. He, whose labors have furnished so great an increase in the taxable property, so much of the fund for internal improvement, and in other ways so much solid wealth to the State, and who is complimented whenever it suits the politicians to tickle the agricultural interest, literally throwing "a tub to the whale," by-the-by, petitioned the Legislature to do this simple and inexpensive thing, this thing which could by no possibility benefit him, but would be of great service to the State. And instead of granting it with alacrity as a boon to him, and with cheerfulness as an advantage to the State, it was flatly refused by the House of Delegates, and was never reached by the Senate. We have heard that one of the leading farmers of the Legislature was positively opposed to it, and its defeat has been mainly ascribed to him. Now we have but one word to say about it, and that is that such a proceeding was a disgrace to the Legislature. We hope they will yet reconsider it and retrieve their character, but we owe it to candor to say, we fear they

will not.

FLAX COTTON OR BRITISH COTTON.

better than a flail. Here commences the first improvement. At Stepney factory we saw a small apparatus at work, which, costing a mere trifle, removed the wood from the fibre with astonishing rapidity and cleanliness. It is proposed that growers should employ this machine on their farms; by which means they reduce the bulk by one-half, and at the same time retain the portion most useful for manure. In this state it will be brought to market for sale to the manufacturers, who will then have to free it, in the first instance, from the gum resin. Under the old system, this was effected by steeping the flax in cold water, a process which occupied from four to six weeks, and frequently caused much discoloration of the fibres. The Chevalier's mode consists in boiling the material in a weak alkaline solution for about four hours, after which it is washed first in a slightly. acidified liquor, and then in plain water. It is then dried and in a fit state for the various processes of scutching, heckling, &c. necessary to render it fit for the linen manufacture. In order to "cottonize" the flax, according to the Claussen's patent, the fibres are taken from the washing vats direct to a series of other vats, ranged side of chemistry is so brought to bear as to by side; and it is in these that the magic transmute a heavy mass of dark, harsh straw, in the course of some minutes, to a light, silky, snow white wool.

In the first of these vats is a weak solution of carbonate of soda; here the previTwo weeks ago we inserted a letter from ously boiled and washed fibres are steeped a friend, now travelling in Europe, respect- for about fifteen minutes, during which ing the progress made in the manufacture time they become completely saturated of flax cotton goods, or in other words, of with the soda liquid. To explain the chegoods manufactured from flax resembling mical action which fellows, it is necessary cotton, from the newly discovered process to point out the structure of the flax fibre. of preparing the raw material. At the These fibres, minute though they be, are same time samples of this flax cotton, ready cellular, composed of a number of smaller for the mill, were sent to us, which we now cylinders, united closely at their side. It have on hand for exhibition to persons de- is the separation of these finer fibres, sirous of examining them. With these and the consequent addition to the length samples came also an elaborate argument and surface of the whole mass, that has in favor of the new cloths, and a general now to be accomplished; a process that statement describing the process of preparing the raw material, the latter of which we publish below as possessing high claims to consideration for the farmers and manufacturers of this country.-Telegraph.

"The flax plant is composed of three distinct parts, the wood, the fibre, and the gum resin, which causes the fibres to adhere together. To remove the wood is the first object; and this, under the old system, was performed by a machine little

may well be likened to hair splitting.These cellular fibres being thoroughly saturated with the soda in most minute quantities, are removed from the first vat, and placed in vat number two, containing water slightly acidulated with one part in five hundred of sulphuric acid. The change which now takes place is instantaneous. A rapid frothing and ebullition of the liquor may be observed, and the heavy mass of flax which, in the first liquor, sank far

below the surface, is now seen floating lightly on the surface of the water. It is no longer flax-it is British cotton. And how has this happened? The acid in this liquid, finding its way into the liquid cylinders, already saturated with the soda, immediately effects a chemical change; the sulphuric acid combinés with the alkali, and forms sulphate of soda, giving out the carbonic acid gas from the carbonate of soda, which, seeking its liberation, expands and bursts open the cellular tubes. The cottonized flax is next placed in a weak solution of soda, in order to free it from any remaining acid; and thence transferred to the bleaching vat, which contains a mixture of solution of chloride of lime and sulphate of magnesia. Here it remains during two hours, at the end of which time it wears a perfectly snow white appearance. The process is then completed by washing, first in a weak acid liquor, and afterwards in pure water. It then only remains to dry the flax cotton, in order to fit it for the after processes, preparatory to spinning. The same method as has been here described, can be made available for converting the refuse tow from the flax establishments into a fine white article, admirably adapted for paper making, and at a less price than he pays for linen rags. The value of this latter preparation may be estimated, when it is known that one manufacturer of linen in the north of Ireland throws aside "refuse tow" to the yearly value of five thousand pounds sterling; all of which, at present, is utterly useless.

From what has been stated, it is evident that the objection held against this process, of its converting a dear article into a cheap one, does not hold. Not only is the value of the British cotton greatly enhanced by being rendered capable of spinning at the low cost of ordinary cotton goods, but the yield of marketable fibre is much increased, and at a much less cost of time and labor than was needed under the old method. The new fibre is so completely assimulated in character to cotton, that it readily receives the rich dyes imparted to the latter, and is, in short, capable of being printed or dyed in a precisely similar manner.

At the Stepney model factory we examined specimens of flannel, felt, and woollen cloth, manufactured of equal parts of British cotton and wool; also, a felt that was composed entirely of the former material. All of those goods had a remarkably stout feel, and appeared to be strong in their body.

Combined with silk British cotton may be worked up with great ease on the existing silk machinery, and when so wrought, is capable of receiving the same colors in dying, and materially adding to the strength of the fabric manufactured.

We saw two other substances, which, it appears, are quite as susceptible of being "cottonized" as flax; one was a coarse species of China silk, at present of little value; the other was "Jute" or Indian hemp. Both of these fibres were materially improved in appearance and feel, and are, no doubt, in their new form, adapted to purposes for which they were not at all available previously.

Looking at this "Flax Movement” in an agricultural point of view, we shall find as many advantages likely to arise from it in that direction as in any other. Hitherto it has been a most prevalent opinion that flax crops were exceedingly exhaustive in their effect upon the soil. Experiments fairly carried out have shown this to be a fallacy. Chemical analysis of the plant, and a series of flax crops taken from the same land, have proved beyond a doubt, that not only does this cultivation not weaken the soil, but tends to keep it in a state of great productiveness.

An examination of the structure of the

plant demonstrates that those portions of it which absorb the alkalies and the nutritive properties of the soil, are those which are not required for the purpose of manufacture; namely, the wooden part, the resinous matter, and the seed. The fibres derive their elements almost entirely from the atmosphere, one hundred parts containing not more than two parts of mineral matter. Under the old process of steeping, the nutritive portions contained in the wood and gum, as well as the whole of the seed, were lost in the fermentation during steeping; so that nothing whatever was restored to the land. By the new method, these properties are capable of being returned whence they were taken. The seed may be either employed in feeding cattle, or crushed for oil; the oil cake being in that case returned for the cattle yard.

Estimates, based upon several years of actual experience, go to show that, by this cultivation, the farmer may realize a yearly profit of from fifteen pounds to eighteen pounds the acre, and that, too, upon land which has been just previously heavily cropped in cereals. Many thousands of acres which hitherto have yielded but indifferent and uncertain crops, or which

SEASONABLE RECIPES.

In exchanges we have met with several valuable recipes for remedies of disease generally prevalent, and often dangerous, at this season of the year. This first is from the New York Sun, and introduced by the following editorial remarks of that paper:

have scarcely been worth cultivation, may | less than two bushels per acre, and the inbe brought under flax without any fear of crease by ashes of manure nothing.-Ruthe result. Hitherto, the absence of linen ral New Yorker. manufactures, and the consequent want of markets, in so many parts of England and Scotland, have proved a serious obstacle to any attempts at extending flax culture. But now that every grower may, by the purchase of an inexpensive and simply constructed machine, convert the flax-straw into a fit condition for economical and convenient transport to a market, and now that conveyance is so much lessened in cost, and that the patent process will before long be in active operation in every agricultural county of Great Britain and Ireland, it is to be hoped that a widely extended cultivation of this article may take place, affording active employment to a vast number of persons in all ages.

Already the patent has been taken in hand in Scotland; arrangements are in progress for a similar undertaking in Ireland; and should the like activity be manifested in England, there can be little doubt that two most important results will have been attained-the providing a great portion of our poorer population with good employment, and rendering our manufacturers less dependent upon the United States for the supply of flax and cotton."

THEORY OF MINERAL MANURES.

Messrs. Lawes & Gilbert have published in the Journal of the Royal Agricultural Society, the result of many experiments, made by them in the course of many years to ascertain the correctness of the idea advanced by Liebig that it is only necessary to apply the ashes of plants or mineral substances, for the support of crops. They took plots of ground of equal superfices, and applied different substances to the same crop. In one instance, ground which had no manure, produced sixteen bushels of wheat to the acre; fourteen tons of yard manure produced twenty-two bushels; the ashes of fourteen tons of yard manure, sixteen bushels; mean produce of nine plots supplied with artificial mineral manures, fourteen bushels three and a half pecks; on other plots the addition of sixtyfive pounds sulphate of ammonia, (which Liebig held was unnecessary,) gave an average of twenty-one bushels. The increase by the use of the mineral manures recommended by Liebig, was, therefore,

CURE FOR DIARRHOEA.-At the request of many readers, we republish the recipe so generally known and appreciated since the summer of 1843, as the "Sun's Remedy," for bowel complaints, incidental to the summer season. To those who are not already aware of the merit of this remedy, we may say that no other prescription was so successful during the cholera season, in checking the dreadful disease' when used promptly on the appearance of the first symptoms. We advise our readers to preserve the recipe.

Take equal parts of the tincture of laudanum, tincture of cayenne pepper, treble strength, tincture of rhubarb, essence of peppermint, treble strength, spirits of camphor, mix in a bottle; dose from five to thirty drops, according to the violence of the symptoms. To be repeated every ten or fifteen minutes, if needed, until relief is obtained.

The following recipe will be found exceedingly valuable during the hot months, when there is so much liability to affections of the bowels: Parch half a pint of rice until it is brown; then boil it as rice is usually done. Eat slowly, and it will stop the most alarming cases of diarrhea.

WEIGHTS AND MEASURES.-The "Western
Agriculturist" provides the following table of
the number of pounds of various articles to a
bushel, which may be of interest to our readers:
Of wheat, sixty pounds.
Of shelled corn, fifty-six pounds.
Of corn on the cob, seventy pounds.
Of rye, fifty-six pounds.
Of oats, thirty-six pounds.
Of barley, forty pounds.
Of potatoes, sixty pounds.
Of bran, twenty pounds.
Of clover seed, sixty pounds.
Of timothy seed, forty-five pounds.
Of flax seed, forty-five pounds.
Of hemp seed, forty-four pounds.
Of buckwheat, fifty-two pounds.
Of blue grass seed, fourteen pounds.
Of castor beans, forty-six pounds.
Of dried peaches, thirty-three pounds.
Of dried apples, twenty-four pounds.
Of onions, fifty-seven pounds.
Of salt, fifty pounds.

We clip the following from an exchange paper, the Germantown Telegraph. It looks like a promising idea. And it will cost very Professor Henry, of the Smithsonian Insti- little to try it. If any one should try it we tute, replied in an able speech, explaining and defending the objects of the Institute. He will be glad to hear the result. We would said, the will of Smithson was much misun- try it ourselves, but we have no river bank to derstood. His object in making that rich be-enclose. quest was not an ordinary one; it was not merely useful knowledge, in the general acceptation of the word, that he contemplated the increase and diffusion of, but he had high objects, expanded and elevated purposes, for he was a man of much acquisition and research. The object of Smithson was not to confine the benefits of his institution to this country only, but to the whole brotherhood of mankind. The people of the United States stand as mere trustees for execution of his