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Les diagrammes suivants illustrent la mithode. 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 6 ■<"'!V«.T.'.;- ;;j- - ■ ■■-~\^t'^-' r^'TT^:^ MICItOCOrY RISOIUTION TIST CHART ANSI and ISO lEST CHART No 2. 1.0 I.I i:^ 1^ 112.2 " 2.0 1.8 1.25 1.4 11.6 A APPLIED ;M/1GE Inc , "f. hH; 500 ■ ►*^io'>. vy .yt- PIOPERH OF UMAIY. DEPARTMENT OF AGWCULTUHE. CONFEDEItATWN BLOCK. OHAWA U.II. >/^^' D>le 7^/y/ PLEASE RkTUIN Oct, A REPORT ON AN INVESTIGATION INTO SOME OF THE POSSIBILITIES OF THE RECOVERY AND UTILIZATION OP THE FIBRE FROM THE STRAW OF FLAX GROWN FOR SEED PRODUCTION PURPOSES ON THE CANADIAN PRAIRIES PREPARED BY J. H. Grisdale, D.Sc.A., B.Agr.. Deputy Minister of Agriculture OTTAWA THOMAS MULVEY PRINTER TO IHE KINO'S MOST BXCEL.LENT MAJ£»TT 1920 7070—1 A REPOBT OH AK INYESTIOATION INTO SOM£ OF THX POSSIBILITIES OF THE RECOVEILT AND UTHIZATIOH OF THE nBBE FBOK THE STBAW OF FLAX OBOWN FOB SEED FBODVCTION PTJBPOSES ON THE CANA- DIAN PBAIBIE8. J Thf iiwd for soiiii> (leimrtinciitul iiiv«>stij(ntioii into thi' ponsibilitii« of rcr and utilizinic the fibre from thf utruw of flux Kr<>w» f'lr ^''''l ix'iiihictiou piirpoHc:* in the Prairio Proviiicfs wiitt Hrst brouKht to the Httciition of the Dfpiirtmcnt of Ajrri- cultUH' in the eurl.v part of lUlH, when the Depjty Minister of AKrieulture for Sas- kutehewan, Mr. F. H. Atiid, advised the Hon. T. A. Crerat, M.P., then Minister of AKrieulture, of a nunihor of exj)»-rinient<* that had U-i-n carri««l on in that provimc where binder twine, eordai^e and felt had been nianiifaetured from wwtern flax straw that had been treated by a chemical retting proetris. Thi* work had been carried on largely under tlic aimpices) of the Saskatclurwan (irain (Jrowers' Awtuciation, and in September, lOlH, Messrs. J. A. Mahurg, M.P., and J. B. Musselman, on behalf of that a«soeiation, approached the minister with the sngKeation that the Federal department should assume responsibility for the continuation of the experiments with a \iew to obtainiuK more reliable cost figures aud investiKntiug the e(uiunercial possibilities of the process. The«e gentlemen stated that the samples of twine and cordage 8ubmitt<>d were of sufficiently good ciuaiity to raise exi)<s the min- ister and the acting deputy minister, Messrs. Maharg and Musselman. iis well na Mr. F. Van Allen, who had been carrying on the experiment* for the 'Saskatchewan Grain (irower.>' Association, were present. It was estimated that an experiment on a suffi- ciently large scale to show definite results could be carried out for abt)ut $20,000, and, lifter some further consideration and correspondence, it was fiiuilly decided that the Federal department should undertake the investigations in question. B''"fl", tho obje«'ts of the experiments were to be, benides aiminp to confirm the gcner suits obtained in the |)revious investigations, to discover some means of def ng the wwtern flax straw without breaking or too materially injuring the fibre, to ( lin coft figures on the various processes, from the threshing of the straw to the finr spinning of the binder twine or cordage or the matting of the felt, nnd to obtain figures as to the poundage of fibre, twine, felt, etc., to be obtained from a definite weight of the raw material or flax in the field. The various features of the experiment were to be as follows. A certain amount of straw was to be obtained and deseeded. It was then to be dei-orticated by special machines and the resulting fibre chemically treated to give it spinning value. The treated fibre was then to be t'hipiK'd to a cordage factory and made up into binder twine, commercial twines, roiw and felting material, careful notes being taken of the costs and weights in coimtrtion with each operation. The keystone of the whole. experiment was the chemical treatment received after decortication, the formula for which was the property of Andrews nnd Cruicksh.ink consulting chemists, of Hegina. the disTOverers. The work was placed in charge of Mr. F. Van Allen who, us pre- viously stated, had had charge of the experiments undertaken by the Saskatchewan Grain Growers' Association and also had an interest in the chemical formula men- tioned above. Mr. Van Allen's services with the department commenced on October 7070— li It WR« ii)><-(>ii«Hry Kr«i to obuiii ihr u««> nf ii »iiitut)lf biiildiny in Itrtriim wbt^rr tlif pspcrimenU could Im> ciirrioi on, ami thi' ('raftmiinn KuiltliiiK in th«t city wan ImiMHl ,for ■ iieriod of ei«lit montlu. Thi* building wax c<|ui|>|ml with |M>wi>r, wiring,' iwitchpo, i*tc., for driviiiK the ncccimar.v innchinm, but the wood-working machinfry it containtsi had to In> rcnioT«>'ir,v to obtain nuflicieiit utraw for the punxMc* of the experiment, and as the barvext >ei. >on wao now fur advanc(><], it wan very difficult to obtain nulli' cient uncut matured utraw, and it wan neccMary that the otraw to be used Rhould be cut very clow to the ground in order to necure a goiid length of fibre. It was, how- ever, decided to use fri>/.en flax straw in part, a« there were iiumeroua areas of thii' to be purchased from fanners within easy reach of Regina, where the flrat pr(M-eo c«rried on. One humhed and twenty-seven ai-rwi of froren flnx, and forty-six acn** of mature straw wen- obtained, some of it being stacked in the field and drawn in the following spring. One of the features of the eX|H>riment was the making of a comparii>on between matured straw und straw froxen before maturity, from the |Miint of view of fibre pro- duction. Three "-tands of ordinary western linseed flnx were considered in thi* con- nection, the first consiiiting of straw frozen while the stalk« were still green, the second of utraw frozen just before maturity and after the stalks had become yellow, und the third of fully matured straw hearing ri|)e seed. The first stand was valuelem for fibre production, as the gums in the straw caused the fibre to break into short lengths in threshing. The second ^tand did not produce so heavy or coarse a quality of fibre lis the third, or fully nuiturcd stand, although no material difference in tensile strength WHS apparent. The conclusions drawn were, therefore, that gre<'n straw could not be dtM'orticuted. and that fully maturt^d straw was slightly U-tter than alniofit mature frozen straw for fibre prodtiction, although the difference wan hardly appreciable from the stanil- point of cordage production. The ordinary threshing mnchiiu- breaks up the flax straw into lengths too shoi-t to furnish staple long eiM>ugh to !»«• of value. It had In-en iiitcnde^l to rent a nia<-hine from a firm at Arthur, Out., for this purpose, but owing to unexpected diffi<-ultic« it was found impracticable to do this, and consiHiuently Mr. Van Allen dwigned and built u d».>seedcr which could be operated in a Ma«isey-Harris thresher in place of the ordinary threshing head. lie subsecpiently reported that this deweeder was workinjr quite satisfactorily and was removing practically all the seed. The decorticating of the thresheiits, and they had to lie taken down, transiKirted to Regina, and installed in the (iMftsnuin liuihXii;; liet'orc decorticating could l)e commenced. Owing to transiK)rtatioii difficulties and the fact that one section of the machines was broken .s<«in after arrival, it was I'ound impossible to com- mence active o|H'rations along this line until Mari-li :!. The "Feuillette" machines are reiHirti>-iiuarters of a ton of fibre from three ton- of dean straw in ten hours. However, the open winter and heiavy snowfalls had wet the straw and, in the case of sonie of the sta<'ks, sgioiled it to some extent, so that the work could not be procetMliHl with ns rapidly as had Wn anticipated. Most of the straw was, however, decorticate*!, and the resulting tibre chemically treated in speciall.v prepared vats. This opi'ration, unlike ordinary . water or dew retting, occupies only " tew hours, and can Ih> performed uiuler cover. After Irentment, the tibre was baled ready for shipment to the cordage factory. ^\U ..^ir^ilK^ . Th.' work at (Win*, that i«, d.»i*dinK. d«v.rtic«tiii|r. trwitiiijr Ntxi bNliiiK the r«ultin« Hhn- wmh (-..iiiph'tMl by ihf UviiiniiiK of July, IIMIt. «titn.-iit wa* made with th.- Doon Twinw. \xA.. „f K\U-hvn.-r. Out., for makinir tb« raw «brp up into binder twine. The work waa .-arrie.! out on a .oM plu« peroentaije haiin and w«« und..r the- «u|i..rvi«ion of Mr. Van Allen, who w.-nt to Kitrhener for that puriHrne Thu wax the nio»t nalisfaetory method that ••ould Ih> nrrHn(re |Kiuud*. Some of the e«r,l waxte ai.d oil .r Kbre whh ,ent to « felt manufaeturinK .-ompanv and made into feltiiiK niat.rial. ihi* l„.\ug form.-.! of m jmt eeiit flux fibre a ,d '0 |M'r cent cow hair. The r<>Multiii|f siiinpleH were iipparentl.v suitable for iiiHulatitiK pur|)oHe«. I he ^(iriiplc Miibiiiitte< ginnl i|uulity and eaue of ' which SamplcH of conmiercial twine-. uikI ro|K. were alw. made, but, aa in the the hinder twine, it Iiuh not yet U-i-u found iH.H»ible to Hublnit these to U-»V would establish their value. The work at Omni was eomplet.- p,.Liiids of feltinK material were obtained, and that the bin.ler twine .'..uld be manufactured by the proee88 followed at a cost of i:j..H .-ents in-r ix.und. and cummer..iul twines for 20.54 eentrt jier pound. Thi^. latter tiKures do not take into consideration any overhead charKes ..r capital expe:i.l,tiire. and. i.. fa.'t. the niaj..rity of the est ti(erf..rminK work .,f a similar character. F..r instance, the cost of curdinfT. drawing. n.viiiK nn.l s|.inniiw. estimated at 4 cents per p..und, is calculated from the manufacturers' c.*t of these o|H-rations on yarns of a similar "lea" (the unit lea U'lntf a yarn of :i(M) yards to the |H.und). The cost .,f de<-.,rticutinK. $25 per ton of fil.re produced, is a j.iirc estimate, based on the capacitv of the " Feuillette " machines under the b«^st ..omiiti.m.-. that is. by the use ,.f pro,K.r dryinff apparatus. f« rlint the stniw- may be fed into the machines in the .•onditi.ri most suitable for decorticating. Tbis dryinK apparatus was lacking in the experiment, and the experi- menter, therefore, gives estimates only. The cost of treating the fibre. IJ cents per pound, is based on the cost of treating ..ne lot of fibre. l.'i.dOl) ,K,unds. namelv. $2-.>5 80 ihe ex-perim.^iter submits that if fa.'iliti,^ for handling larger .piuntities were avail- iil)le, this cost could be niateriallv reduced. It will b« M>«i> fmni ihit atMiVf ilmt tli<> tt){rii i* a ri>ti«iii<>riibl<> iiiiirKiii fur error. Of iiiiirM*, ihi* rxiirpticiM of the >ituatiuii, thr n<«'ci<«it,v fur iinproviitalion <>f apiiiiriitiM, tli» liii4i of otln-r m\>pm- rntiiii which would hv cxim-i'IimI to hv nviiiUhU- uiiil«-r oriiiimry nmnufarturinii coiuli- tionn, toif"thi>r with th<' fm-t that iIm> whole ii|H-ratioii wm. to a gri-at uxtt'Ut, rX|M-rinii'iilal 'ii rhiirurtt'r, iiiailt- it ((iiitx im|HHWi)il« to tfive rtgur«'« which c.ultl b« tuktri a» » iiuiiic iiikIit I'oiaiiii'ri'ial coiiilitioiDi. AftiT U-a>iiii{ Kiti'liiMu-r, Mr. Viiti Allen vinitiil a niiiiilHT of cariH't fiii-tori(>«, etc., ill the Ixinler stMtei., in uti eiuleiivniir to iiitereat otwrntiiri in thji fibre for Une ill their fiietori<"t. Mr. Van Allen'ii rejxirt mi the exiu'riiiH-nt follow. Ecport to the Deputy Miniitcr of Arrienltnre (Or. J. H. Oriedale) at Ottawa. I)\ K. W. V»\ AiiK\. ^'H. — I have the Itoiioiir U> rt'imrt iii»iiii the -irie (if exjieriiiieiitt unci iii<|iiiri<*< eiirriiHl out h.v .voiir iiislruetiolin with H view to: — Ut. Ki'<-ovetiiiK Hiul preiMiriiiK the tihre of liniM'tMl Hax a* u raw inaterial for <-nT<\niti- ami the eonrwr textilcti, b.v iiiethcxiM other fimn tlwme uiiivernal!,v u.teil ill prmlueiiiK linen fihri' from fibre IIhx. °.'iiil. SeeiiriiiK KUeh tlutu Hiiil ireiierHl inforniHtion an iiia.v bt> uneful in the jKjssihle iiulutttrial vhIuch of the nmteriiil anil artieliii imxluced ant] thi> method, of their priHluetion. Throutfliout thin reixtrt tlie tcnn ''liumnHl tlax" is u«h) in i-tmtradiittinetion to the ti'nn "tihre flax." The pUiiit iN-ixliieiikK nitiniltiineoiislv itx •irxi and fihre in Hiihjwt to K|K><-iali«i>d rulfivation and trcatminit for one or the other of these basic produrtx. f.iiisfi-d flijjr i, the plant eiilriviiti-d from u oertniii .xtniiii of stH>d to prodnce n iiiaximiiiii (|uanlit.v of jtrain, irn>«|«>etive of the i|uantity or quality of 'tn fibre. The major ix>rfion of the (Train i* uned in the manufaeturc of liii!«eed oil. It therefore follow* that the .towing should be liRht. The plant grows with plenty of air space. Its stalk is relatively short with a bushy hoaditiff. In many easen branchinn takes lihiee nlxiut twrt inches from the irrouiid. Wherever branching takes place the "line" of the fibre is broken. Thi> average leiiKtIi of the plant, in an averajp' year, is about IH iiK'hes, includiiiif the root. Tlie fibre of siwh a plant woiihl be short in 'Mine" and coarse in "diameter." In recoveriiiK the seed no attention is ffivP" to the fibre. The crop is nllowediii(f is accomplished by passing the flax though a toothed cylinder machine and blower. This breaks the straw, and consequently the fibre if contains, into h-iicths of alMiut thre<> ini-hes. Thus a fibre, short and coarse by nature, is rendered still more useless for textile purposes by the present procedure in recover- ing the grain. If the plant was harvested by pulling, then "retted" and "scMtched" lUi is done with fibre Hax, it would give a linen fibre with a "line" averHuing alv)iit iii. e inches but with a very coarse "diameter." .Such a fibre would be immeasurably HU] crior to cither jute or hemp. Any (ibre securifl from lins<>ed flax would be in the form of tow. This is owing to the crop not In-iiig Ixiuiid into sheaves, but handliHi after the manner of a crop of hay which is raki>d or forkt-d and wi'irowed. Fihr^ flax i* the plant ciikivat«i princiiwlly, if not wholly for its fibre, which is spun and wovi'ii into linen. Any seed obtained from this plant i» used for reproduc- tion iiiily. Detail.-* dI the procedure in re<-overing the fibre from fibre flux are occasioiuilly rcfcrrtHi to in this rei)ort but only for the puri>.)se of comparison or illus- tration. lir^- ('timali<> coiiilithiiiii, nIiiiikiiIiitu- iii<>, t»'<'<'i|>itatirttrurf«, |t*iigtlt nf utni are all impurtant fiii'tor* ■{•>vi<'iil<< wliii-h VHrit-ty nf flan i* m iro iiri>ri(iihlt> in a diatrirt or «-iunlr The fhrw wi-adTn |iriiviiii'i'« nt Canailii, o'viim •" niil'ir«l "suiditinriK. culliMHf van! ai-r'-NK*"* •" liiiwHil riax. The nrrciiKi' .town in thi> yt-ar I'.MU »it«:- Atr-m 104.000 tio.aiKi 99 OOi) l.US5,«tf Manlloha. . Alti*rt« Tr.lJll In till- i-x|NTiMiriil» jiiKt tiTMiinnlt'tl tlirrc liaa Invn ii radical d<-|utrturu fri)ni ihi' ordinary nuth.MU in pri'imrinif ll»' rilin- •<( thf Hax plant for tcxtili« puriKwu-a. In llii« c'MM« the Hlirc viu* Hritt wpHratiit from tlu' lin'U'ixl flux utraw l>y nii-chanical niPan* and without "rt-tliiiK" Tlii' raw Hhn- whs tlim tn-Hliil .•liiininilly hy tin- ( 'niii'k«liiitil, mpthod. Thi» priwcs* in nimplc. can Ih- carrini out undi'r cN)vt'r, in all m'aaona of the yoar and within a |>frio.{h the ditferent operations at the factory in IWina. The pri'pared and treated tihrc was then tiikciv to Kitchener. Ont., and there manufactured into difl^erent arti'-les by the Doon Twines Limited, tli. oidy soft-fibre manufactory in the Dominion. Straw purrlitiufd.—Wl lins.ed flax was purchast>d stan..in(f after freeze-up. One stand was pureha.sed after the first fall of snow. The pur<"hnse was hy acre cstimnte"d were »troyerniission was given, but upon condition that the straw should be worked up practically as it was drawn. Their wishes were complied with us nearly as possiWe. This resulted in our having to haul the straw into liegina throughout the whole winter. Some stacking at the factory * 'M^:i^isZ:,^ 7mmf:.^ s had to be resorted to. Snow fell on the uncovered stacks on the faring and on the stacks built in the city. Where the straw drawn to the factory ww used before the spr g thaw, no evil results followed. Where the straw, either in the citv stacks or in the uncovered stacks on the farms -v. re subjected to the spring thaw, blue mold set 111 and destroyed a certain proiwrtion. u ."•■^"""C ■*'""'' ,"^ ^a.r.-This was ordinary wosforn linseed flax sown on new breaking. This stand was frozen very gn^n. It proved worthless at the decorticating iiiach.nes. There seemed no possibility of separating the fibre from the stalk of the plant. Experinients with this straw ran over the whole iH-ri.Kl of operations at Regina It was steamed thoroughly and dried. It was treated whole in the baths. It wns spread under the snow and in the spring rains and then allowed to dry in the sun In each case the results were the same. The fibre would not come away frwly from the woody part of the plant. '• (ireioQ ■•'"«' "Fre.tln,- dnndn of /far.-Both of these stands were from the Japanese or Siberian swd distributed in the Wt^t by Wayland a id Co. to produce hbre seetl for the Irish market. One <.f these stands was very .beautiful in appearance. I he other stand was full of wmls, as it had been sown on ground where oats j.reviously s..wm had been blown out. These stands h.-d been frozen when the straw was_ yellow. The fibre, when de<-(,rtieated. was of p„„r tensile strength nnc;' had a tendency to break down in all operations. 1 ht-se stands were drawn to the factorv partly during the winter and there dealt with during and after the spring thaw. About five tons (estimated) of the (Jreigg stand was left on the farm after '.e stacks had been uneoverw). 7t was finally left there as the spring thaw had set up blue mold, and It was III su.-h a ix.or state, after drying, that it would not i)ay to haul it to the factory. " Kidd " stand of ^n.r.— This was a good ordinary stand of western lii.seed flax fn.z.n when the straw was yellow. This stand of straw was hauled • the factory in the spring after tlie weather had settled. It remained in a propef-i> covered stack during the winter and had not been touehixi in the bad weather. ' McUonnld" niand of //(/.r.— This was a good ordinary stand of western linsei>d flax which had ripened ,.iid <-ontaiiied its grain. This flax was hauled to the factory during the winter and there dealt with before the si)ring thaw. Tkreshiu,, xfraw ^inrhaxed.— The McDonald stand of flax was the onlv stand j.ur- chaM'd which had riixned and contained its grain. The stand c,.mpris.>d Mi acres and .Yielded 41 tons l.OTO pound-, gross weight, of harvested flax. When threshed at the factorj- by the new deseeiage S^lrav I'linhnnrd. Stand. ArreH. I*ane 29 lireiKl; 3S Frrethy 20 Kidd 4)) McDonalil ' ' 4^ Ton.s r>plivcred. It tons ttOO lb. Ill •■ l.l,-)ll ■• f' " loft in field 13 '• lino lb. 22 " i.X2', lb. 2!t ■• 1.1»4 ■• Lb. p. 790 SIS 1.300 1.18S 1,2S6 = S-l£S?Sfi%£tei2a ^Mi^^t^ .t.nl^t'^JVZ'^l''^'''^' ^^- "^ "''""■ P*' ""^- The two representative Btanda, Kidd and McDonald, give an average of 1,209 lb. of straw per ac-re. VecorHiatitia Straw Purchated. l^^"^- Straw. Haw Fibre reaultlng. U„i_i. ]\ '°"» **" ">• worthle«i, not used. ?" 10 •• 1,150 ■• L*»B J .. • 9 toim 1,1.W lb. 4.203 lb. ^'""^ Straw. Raw Fibre r.-miltlnB. ^^<'i*» 13 tcng 0000 lb. J-^ens 3 t. McDonald.. .. 11 "^^^i ^^ 11.584- " 11*< 15,157 •' The uvoraKo yield of r«w fibre from the straw was 24.31 per cent The two representative «ands. Kidd and McDonald, gave an average .yield of raw fibre ,.? *.0'0o per cent. Treating the raw fihrv.-T\w 3.1,012 pounds of raw fibre, when treated, gave 31 16' Z^rawfibrr' " '^'" '"' " '"'"•'"" •^"'^•"'' '"""""'^'^ '" ^^ S'^'nt of On/'^Tr"" 'tl *''Tu'! fi'T--'^^" t''"«t'''i fi^^*- ^va^ baled and .shipped to Doon. wlnlH he \^Tu tl ^'^"^ '''"*' ""'* *''''*' P" *'"''' *'■•' '»"' "•'■i«l^' "^ the shipment would be about .11,235 pounds, or an average of about DO pounds per bale. The bales were of unequal weight. runniTig from 87 to i»8 pounds eaeli. lie bales Working the treated fihre.-The treated fibre, b.v actual weight, workt^d into all classes of cordage, was 10.709 pounds. Thi. amount produced 5,987 ,«,und. of cordage mad wi't"b th " '"•'"' '""",''' -I-scnted 12G bales. Arrangements could no, be made with the s,.inners to work up greater quantities of the fibre into cordage owing to pressure of business aiid their own contract work. ' Cost of working th^ treated fibre.-One of the primar.y objects of the experiment was to produce a raw material which would lend it.self to certain mechan cal " non upon standard machinery to a desired end. Carding, for instance Ts a or^Zlt T , VI' '"'^'' "^ tnanufacturing cordage. Different mat;,! Is! or uifferent shipments of the same material, may behave differently during anv given mechanicHl operation, but the limits of such differences are ver - narrow, btft'ide of these hm>t« the operation is not ,H.rformed. If the operation i. performed then the cost of such operation is fciown in manufacturing circles. The capacity of a textile machine and the cost of it.<. operation is governed bv equirements ,n the foot-pound, known in the trade a. "lea." The lea equals ^m yards to the ix)und. The treated fibre produced during the experiments lent itself successfully to the mechanical operations of carding, drawing, roving mui spinning within a r'ange of The binder twines were from: Yarn of 3 lea twisted in 3-ply givlnjf al.mit 60n feet to the pound. 'Mi.ki^ikMs.'^m 10 The commercial twines produced were from: Yarn of 2J lea twliited In 3-|>ly. a •• •• 3 •• jj .. .. J .. 4i •■ •• 3 •• The rope produced was from : Yarn of ] lea twisted In 5-|)ly and 20-ply. Tiierefort", tlic cost of these operations are computed upon the fixed costs prevail- ing in the trade for operations of like nature, plus a slight margin. Cost of treating the ran' fibri'. — The cost of treating the raw fibre resulting from the McDonald stand of flax, accordi-.ig to records, is an follows: — labour I 95 50 (Tiemlst 78 00 Chemicals Water ........ '. . '. . — Heat 52 30 Total $223 80 The amount treated was I.'),!")? lb. which ciiuals about l.J cents jier lb. The chemist's charges are disproportionate to the quantity of material treateerly organized installation the treating can be d(r;ie at less than one cent per jwund of fibre. Cost of dfrorticatlnq. — Decorticating cannot be classed as a purely mechanical oi>eration. The efiiciency of the mechanical operation is dependent upon the state of the flax straw when it is fed into the machine. Decorticating is the mechanical pro- "css of separating the fibre from the flax i»traw in its -.latural or raw state. Scutching is tlic met'hanical process of .separating the fibre from the flax straw after the straw has been " retted." In each case there has to be preparation of the straw prior to the mechanical operation. Flax i.s hygroscopic by nature. The atmospheric moisture attracted has the tendency to soften the adhesive gums in the raw flax and render them " tacky." To decorticate successfully the flax straw has not only to be apparently dry but it must be minus the atmospheric moisture. The gums must be i-ri a dry and brittle state so that they will powder under pressure and release the fibre from the stalk of the plant. This super-drying is accomplished by specially constructed appliances which permit the straw which is forked into them, to travel backwards, forwards and downwards in a strong current of dry, warm air. The (Jried straw is fed into the decorticating machines immediately upon its leaving the drier. The drying system was lacking n the in.stallation during the experiments, and while the same proportion of fibre was recovered from the straw as that obtained usually by manufacturers of this class of material, the operation was not rapid. The 'Fouiliette" decorticating machines were used in the experiments. These machines i;re capable of extracting three-quarters of one ton of fibre from three tons of kiln- dried straw in ten hours. The cost of this oi>eration is based upo-.i the manufacturers' tiiriires. Cost of scrurlnn straw an J tronxporling. — The fibre required for good average cordage must have a staple of from 4 to inches. This staple cannot be secured from flax straw that has l)een threshed in the usual western manner with a toothed cylinder machine. During the experiments a machine, specially co^istructed for deseeding the flax without damaging the straw, was uswl. From trials carried out it is con- sidered that from 2<> to io acres per day can be threshed with this machine. SKk-M.M 11 It is not supposed that the farmer would purchase these specialized machines, but that those interested in securing the unbroken straw would thresh the farmer's flax for him and make the usual charge for so doing. The deseeded straw would be baled as it comes from the thresher. It is evident that custom threshing is not carried (^1 at a loss but that a profit results. It has been considered by competent authorities that the profits resulting from the threshing undertaking, plus $2.50, is a fair esti- mate for the price of the straw per ton deliyered at the nearest railroad station to the farm. Baled flax straw is now transixjrted by the railwa.y companies under class No. 10, which is roughly i cents per ton per mile. Transjportation at $1.50 per ton would ffive a working railroad radius of about 100 miles from a centre. If Winnipeg was takea ns a centre such a radius would tap a very considerable proportion of the flax lands of Manitoba. It should be tnkon into cowideration that a aoft-fibre manufac- tory has reached its limit of economic efficiency when it produces 3i to 4 million pounds of cordage per annum from the standard number of machines. Its duplica- tion on the spot or in a-nothcr centre is a matter of convenience. Such a unit would use about ^5 per cent of the flax straw grown in Manitoba in the year 1919. Comparison hetween frozen and ripr strau: — It will be seen from the foregoing that the experiments were carried out with different classes of flax straw, or with the same class of straw cultivated under different circumstances or influenced by different temperatures. It has been considered that frost would not materially affect the fibre cf the flax plant. The experiments show that this theory will have to bt> somewhat modified. The " (ireigg " and " Frcethy " stands of flax may be left out of consideration, as the seed .sown was of a strain foreign to the West and will not be recurring. The fibre resulting -.vns not of good tensile strength. This seenk* to Ik; the general opinio-.i. for when this strain of seed was sown in Ontario and the resulting crop prepared for linen fibre by '• retting." the fibre was lacking in quality. The •' Lane " stand of flax wa= ti.e usual western linseed flax, but had been frozen when the stalk of the plant was yet green. As will be seen, the straw would not decorticate. The immature stalk seemed to be heavily charged with gums whicn thoroughly permeated both stalk and fibre. During the process of decorticating the-c gums acted som-nvhat as a lever in breaking both stalk and fibre abruptly instead of independently crushing when the pressure was applied. It, therefore, may be taken that the flax plant frozen green will not decorticate. The McDonald stand of flax ripened, was yellow and bore its seed. The Kidd stand of flax straw was frozen when the stalk of the plant was yellow. Its seed perished. Both these stands of flax ran the whole gamut of operations successfully. The resultant fibres were of equal quality up to the spinning range for -which they were required in these experiments. In analysing the results of operations up to and includ- ing decorticating, the difference in figures permits the drawing of certain conclusions. The -McDonaid" stand of fiax which had ripened gave an average of 1,286 pounds of straw per acre and an average of 329i pounds of fibre per acre. The " Kidd " stand of flax which had frozen, gave an average of 1,133 pounds of straw per acre and an average of 2S9i pounds of fibre per acre. The inference is that the matured flax plant is somewhat heavier and coarser than the 4.1ant that has been frozen immediately previous to maturity. No difference in the tensile strength of the two fibres was apparent. If the straw of each stand had been '• retted " under identical conditions it would probably be found that the fibre of the frozen straw would be of a finer diameter and would spin to a slightly higher number. It must be remembered, however, that the spinning of high numbers is dependent upon the length of the " line " as well as on the " diameter " of the fibre. In such a test as the above the lines of both fibres would have to be relatively equal. 12 It may be taken for granted that for cordage pur|)o«e« the fibre of flax froren immediately previous to maturity and when the straw is yellow, ia eiiually as good an fibre from flax that has fully matured and borne its grain. Linseed flax is understood in each case. Felt for inaulating purpoaes. — During the working of ♦'le treated fibre into cordage it was found that there was a heavy percentage of fibre wu ed at the carding machine. This was partially due to the equipment available. Kxpei imentation was carried on with a view to the commercial utilization of this short fibre, a fibre too short for drawing or spinning. It was eventually found that by mixing a percentage of cow hair with this short fibre a soft, pliable coarse felt could be produced. The flax fibre alone will not felt. Such a felt as that produced would be most iluahle for insulating purposes in buildings of all descriptions and would be in un,.'ersal demand if the selling price was moderate. Basic tables. — Following are two basic tables: No. 1, Coininodtty Poundage anil Loss; Xo. 2, Manufacturing Costs. Table No. 1 contains only those actual facts and figures that are peculiar to and result from the experiments. Table No. 2 is co-relative to and influenced by No. 1 in so far as quantities and losses are concerned. Where operations came within the four corners of known manufacture and were carried out commercially on standard machinery, a manu- faetUi-er's cost is taken. In one ca.te only is an estimate given, founded uiKin deduc- tion and enquiry. the conv felt Table No. 1. — Ascertained jKiundages in commodities and losses resulting fron •onversion of one ton of linseed fla.x, minus its sec^ and chaff, into cordage am om i Per cent. Straw freed from Its grain anil chaff, 2,000 pounds — l.jOO pounda ahlves 7-, BOO " raw flbrc 25 2.000 pounds 100 Haw fibre. ."iiiO pounds — 44."j ponnd.s treated fibre 89 .">5 '■ loss abs 11 ■lOO pounds 100 Treated fibre. 44.") pounds — 267 pounds card silver 60 I"^ " *■ waste 40 44.'> pounds. 100 Curd sliver, 267 pounds — 24!" pounds binder twine 93 1^ " pliver 7 267 pound.**. 100 Card wa.«te, 17S pounds — 124 pounds felting material 70 •'•4 ■' loss abs 30 17S pounds. 100 Sliver waste. IS pounds — IS pounds felting material 100 FeltinK material, 142 pounds — 4L'8 siiuaro feet felt J Inch thick 100 13 Thu« 1 ton thrnhed, clean flax itraw li equal to— Per cent. I4» pound! of binder twine or other twinea. . ., i» m 1« feltlnt material Tin «.««i» ahlveii and loaa aba '.■.".■ '! »i).l:, 2.000 pounda. ■:[^^ ThUB 100 pounda of treated rtbre la x]ual to 65. »5 pounda of binder twine or other twinea 31. 9S pounda of feltint material, 12.10 pounda of loaa aba. 100.00 pounda. Thua 31.»5 pounda fellln« material la equal to 95.85 «q. feet of felt i Inch thick. Thua 100 pounda feltinj material la eaual to 300 8q. feet felt 1 Inch thick or 1 roll ready for ahlpplni. Table No. 2.-A8cert8ined and eBtimated co»t of producing binder twine, com- mercial twine and felt from linseed flax. ■« .^r i ine, com straw — Threehlng by apeclal de.eeder. baling and hauling one ton of flax atraw to nearest railway station, after applylna cro """"iH* '"**"*'^'"' '''°"' '■'* '"■'"«'■ '<"• threahing hi' Transporting one ton of straw' from ■railway 'ataVlon' within *^ ^" a radius of 100 miles from factory , r,^ %t 00 4 tons straw (equal to 1 ton fibre) at 34 • 3 ifr 00 Decorticating — Decorticating 4 tons straw at 3fi.2.'. per ton 2.-> 00 Treating — Treating 2,000 pounds raw fibre at U cents per pound.. . 30 00 I.OB8 In treating or 11 per cent of 371.00 .'. ;." 7 ", Cost of one ton tre:\ted flbre "TTTTl Preparing and twisting — One ton treated fibre equals 1.119 pounds twine. 1,119 pounds binder twine at 4 cents per pound 3 44 76 Stiffening and scouring — 1.119 pounds at li cents per pound jg -, Balling and packing — 1.119 pounds at 1 cent per pound 11 10 Thus 151.-,4. cents "''' ^* \Mi pounds -l'-^'< "^enta per pound for binder twine. The binder twine was Cill ..,,1,,,, or n ticht rove twist..,! :! ,,lv. Tlu- ,„,o.,u.rci.l twines are from ysrns of higher numbers «nd are .spun from a loose rove. Spinning cos^s 4 cents per lb, more. As tbe eo„t„,erei«I twines have ,0 be .lres.s.Hl and polishej izir::::z:z " '""'""■ ■"' "^'"'^ "^'- "• ''■""^ "'^- --^ -' —-■«' --- It will be noted that the felting material is inclu.led in the cost of the twines it materW " '"" '" '"" "' '""''^ *''"' '^'""'^ " ^^^'-^^ "' «•■'••» »>«. iVln'n^ of fibre'istl^r "["'lu'^iir '■■" r'" ;"' ^"'^"'•. ••'"'» -l- f- '■•< t^e price of li)() lbs. r II Tl •..; i /;, '■ " "'■'""''■' '"'"' '"■■ *'"' '•"*' '•* tberefore $1..'V1 per iff^uV 1 . ; *'"'"*' """""■'"' '^ '"«"»f"<-55,686 acres sown to Ihiseed flax in the three western provinces. The average per aore of cleaned flax straw was about one-half ton. The twine produced from one ton of flax straw was 249 pounds. The felting material, 8.s a residue in the manufacture of the twine, was 142 pounds from one ton of straw. Thu* in the .veiir 1019 there was sufficient linseed flax grown to produce: — Threshed, clean flax straw, .'>27,84.3 tons. Twines, commercial or binder twines, 131,432,907 pounds. Felting material (a residue only), 74,».'53,70fl pounds, or 749,537 rolls. It is computed that the present annual consumption of sizal binder twine in the Dominion is 50,000,000 pounds; of this about 40,000.000 pounds is allotted to the tluree western ])rovinces. Sizal bindtr twine was sold in car load lots in 1019, f.o.b. Winnipeg, at 24 cents JXT pound. This e«iuals an annual expenditure of $12,(J00,000 for binder twine alone. It is estimated that over 10,000,000 pounds of commercial twines are imiwrted into Canada annually. The commercial twines produced during the experiments were appraised at from 35 cents to !>6 cents per pound, factory prices. The binder twine produced was (JfiO feet to the pound, with an average tensile strength of 4.1 pounds. The Canadian standard for sizal binder twine is 540 feet to the pound, with a minimum breaking strain of 40 pounds. Thus it will be seen that there is a 20 per cent margin in favour of the flax twine. The nearest approach to the flax felt produced is pure cow hair felt, which sell* at $13.50 f.o.b. factory, Ontario. If the flax felt, as produced, was sold at $8 per roll f.o.b. western destination the demand would be very large. The estimates for a complete installation, capable of producing «60,000 pounds of twine per annum from linseed flax, i> |I40,00(>, and for an installation with a capacity of 3,950.0(tO pounds of twine per annum the estimate is $600,000. (Sgd.) F. W. VAN ALLEN. ^^l ^.■0".'-.si^tiC>i'?*?:i^=iif33Sn-.;