Above: Pusher-type combines in use in an Im
perial Valley flax field. The usual type farm
machinery used in harvesting grain is used for
flax. Right: Examining neivly-cut flax straw.
the manufacturing of fine flax papers by Ecusta.
The present relationship between Ecusta and
the Imperial Valley flax growers had its beginning
in the early 1930’s. America was importing most
of its cigarette paper from France. Champagne
Paper Corporation of New York, predecessor of
Ecusta and one of the chief importers of the
French paper, became concerned over the reliabil
ity of the paper supply from the foreign mills.
Should a war break out in Europe—and, with Hit
ler assuming control of Germany in 1932, it
seemed almost a certainty—cigarette paper im
ports would be halted.
What to do.^ Build a cigarette paper mill in
the United States—yes. But the raw materials?
The French used linen rags—why not import linen
rags from Europe since there was practically no
linen industry of ai^oreciable size in the United
States?
Again the question of supoly came up, should
a war in Europe break out. The only solution lay
in finding a suitable raw material, that could be
found in abundance in America, to use as a sub
stitute for linen rags.
Since linen is made with flax fibre, the most
logical starting point in finding an American raw
-- V
material was with the fibre flax plant. Experi
ments were started in Estill, South Carolina under
the direction of Mr. W. H. Ramsey, Jr., now Resi
dent Manager and Vice President of the California
Central Fibre Corporation, an Ecusta subsidiary at
El Centro. Several thousand acres of fibre flax
were cultivated but it was found that the growing
of it for paper purposes was not economical and
the work was concluded in 1935.
While the fibre flax experiments were under
way, Mr. L. F. Dixon, now Vice President and
General Manager of the Paper Division was in
vestigating the seed flax crop in America. Experi
ments had proved that seed flax fibres could be
used satisfactorily, and left only the question of a