REPOET OF THE STATISTICIAN. 



417 



FLAX. 



The area in flax has declined lieavily, in recent years, in Ohio, Indiana, 

 and Illinois, and increased largely in Minnesota, Iowa, Kansas, iSTe- 

 braska, and Dakota. The crop of the present year is abont GO per 

 cent, larger than that of the census year, or nearly 11,000,000 buslicls 

 of seed apparently. There is little now produced in any Eastern State. 

 It has been seeded in preference to wheat on large areas of the North- 

 west during recent years. 



A comparison of the returns of th§ United States Census of 1880, for 

 tbe crop year 1879, with the returns of several of the llax-growing States 

 for 1884, exhibits these local changes of crop area in a striking light. 

 It shows a tendency to enlargement of flax culture on the virgin soils 

 of the once Western States, and to reduce it on soils wlhich have been 

 longer in cultivation. 



'Crop of 1883. 



t Crop of 1885. 



In the Ohio Yalley there is objection to flax on the score of injury to 

 the soil. " It is hard on the land," is a common remark of correspond- 

 ents. It was deemed a profitable crop between 18G0 and 1868, when 

 cotton was high and the liber was in demnnd. ISTow the fiber is either 

 wasted or sold for $3 to $G per ton, when it can be sold at all. The 

 price of seed is likewise reduced. Some farmers object to the crop on 

 the ground that it increases the labor at harvest time. 



West of the Mississippi, where the surplus of cereals is mostly ob- 

 tained, low prices have turned the attention of growers to flax. The 

 opinion is expressed that it would be one of the most profitable crops if 

 the fiber could be sold. Eeports indicate an increase of area in 1885 in 

 Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, jSTcbraska, and Dakota. The Calcutta 

 seed is sown in Oregon. It produces short straw and large seed. 



FARIM ANBIALS. 



NUMBERS. 



The returns (January, 1880) of the number of horses indicate an in- 

 terest ill horse-breeding of late, which is due to the steady demand for 

 serviceable animals for draft purposes ami for the farm and road. A 

 gradual improvement is noted by the introduction of famous breeds of 

 European draft horses, especially the Norman and Percheron, and to a 

 coDsiderable extent the English Shire horse and the Clydesdale. There 

 is little need of new blood in thoroughbred racing or in trotting stock. 

 It is evident that the every-day working horse of America is to be a 

 heavier and stronger animal than has been seen heretofore, and that 

 the exportation of horses may in the future conduce to the stability of 

 27 AG— 'S6 



