No. 7. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 451 



States is neglected. The area cultivated for flax seed is considerable. 

 The average annual production of flax seed is about 100,000,000 

 bushels. Of this the United States produces approximately 25 per 

 cent. 



Hemp has been cultivated and extensively used for many centuries. 

 In the United States the quantity produced is small, amounting to 

 about 11,250,000 pounds. This represents a remarkable decline in 

 the hemp growing industry in this country, as the production fifty 

 years ago amounted to 149,000,000 pounds. 



American production of cotton in 1908 was 6,501,210,800 pounds. 

 Wool and hair from Alpaca goat and other like animals, 311,188,321 

 pounds. This does not include Mohair. 



Sheep. We place the number of sheep tit for shearing in the 

 United States at 41,999,500 head, a decrease of 293,705 from 1909. 

 This decrease occurs in the estimated number of sheep in Western 

 states, which, in 1909 was credited with 28,125,000, and now have 

 27,500,000, a falling off of 875,000, due largely to the excessive cold 

 and storms of the winter of 1909-30, in the Eocky Mountain region. 

 The sheep in the Southern group of states are estimated now at 

 1,915,000 head, a loss of 25,000 from the estimate of 1909. There has 

 been an increase in the Eastern and Middle Western states ; the num- 

 ber of sheep of shearing age in this group standing at 12,434,500, a 

 gain of f)06,295 from 1909. 



The wool season of 1910 has unfortunately presented a marked 

 contrast with the active and buoyant year preceding. It has been 

 an unfavorable twelve month for wool growers. The year opened 

 with probably 40,000,000 pounds, or forty per cent, more wool in- 

 cluding that in bond, carried over than was the case at the beginning 

 of 1909. The wool market in January, 1909, was quick, with prices 

 fairly firm, but with a marked hesitation among purchasers to con- 

 tract for new clips. Prices for wool in Pennsylvania for 1910 was 

 about seven and eight cents lower than in 1909 and but little bought 

 until late in the season. Wool values should increase, for several 

 reasons: First, the wool-using population of the world has of late 

 increased more rapidly than wool production. Second, wool's great- 

 est competitor, cotton, has been in short supply and relatively dearer 

 than wool, especially coarse wool. Third, employment at high wages 

 has been so plentiful that the masses have been in position to buy 

 clothes, and clothes made mostly of wool instead of mostly of cotton 

 and shoddy. 



Also, there are over 40,000,000 fewer sheep in the world today than 

 there were fifteen years ago, and over 90,000,000 more people using 

 wool. In the consumption of wool the United States is far and 

 away in advance of either of the other great nations, for although 

 somewhat behind the United Kingdom in the quantity required for 

 her factories, all that is manufactured here is retained here for cloth- 

 ing and other uses of our people, and in addition, vast quantities of 

 woolen fabrics are imported from abroad. A large percentage of the 

 wool consumed in the factories of other countries is manufactured 

 for export and sold for use beyond their borders, giving the United 

 States preeminence as a wool consuming country. 



