VEGETABLE FIBERS. 567 



ive title aud iu its appropriate place. Tliis plan lias been carried out 

 with libers of wlioae growtli aud mauufactui-o wo possess only experi- 

 mental kuowledge, and also with flas, hemp, and jute, in matters of 

 general information, history, &c. The economic considerations, ques- 

 tions of production, supply, manufacture, and tariff relations of the three 

 named fibers, however, are so intimately related and their interests so 

 connected, I have concluded to treat them conjointly in this chapter, 

 forming Part II of the fiber report. The best methods of cultivation 

 and preparation, particularly of flax, have been presented, and a por- 

 tion of the report devoted to^ ramie and other fibers with which practi- 

 cal results have been accomplished. The report is presented in the 

 hope that our farmers may become more intimately acquainted with 

 these great soui'ces of national wealth, and do their share towards mak- 

 ing fiber production in this country an assured success. 



PEODUCTION. 



It has been stated that next to wool in the fiber production of the 

 United States flax stands third on the list. In 1850 the product of raw 

 flax for the whole country amounted to 7,709,676 pounds, falling in 18G0 

 to 4,720,145 pounds, while, according to the census of 1870, there was a 

 product of 27,133,034 pounds. Of this quantity over 87 per cent, was 

 grown in the three States of Ohio, New York, and Illinois, Ohio alone 

 ])roducing over 17,000,000 pounds. In order of quantity New York and 

 Illinois come next, with something over 3,000,000 and 2,000,000 pounds 

 respectively. These States are followed by Pennsylvania, Iowa, Wis- 

 consin, Michigan, Kentucky, and New Jersey, aU producing above a 

 quarter of a million pounds, Pennsylvania and Iowa together producing 

 1,500,000 pounds. It is difiicult to estimate the present area in flax, but 

 it cannot fall much below 400,000 acres. There has been a decrease in 

 acreage in some of the easterly States, but this is more than compen- 

 sated in States lying west of the Mississippi, formerly producing com- 

 paratively little. 



The five States of Ohio, Indiana, Wisconsin, and Kansas had a little 

 more than 150,000 acres under flax cultivation in 1869, and about 250,000 

 acres in 1877-'78. Ohio produced in 1869 17,880,624 pounds of fiber, 

 and iu 1877-'78 but 7,343,294 pounds, a tremendous falling off. I cannot 

 find satisfactory reports of amount of lint ijroduced iu other States for 

 the last-named date, but the seed figures show an enormous increase in 

 cultivation in Western States, especially Kansas and Iowa. In 1869 

 Kansas produced but 1,553 bushels of seed and Iowa 88,621 bushels. In 

 1877-'78 the production of the same States amounted to 291,309 bushels 

 and 529,878 bushels of seed respectively. The census of 1880 will show 

 still larger figures. Hemp cultivation has for the most part been con- 

 fined to" Kentucky and Missouri, other States producing it only in very 

 limited quantities. As long ago as 1842 the production of Kentucky 

 amounted to 15,500 tons. The following table gives the production of 

 five States since the year 1850 : 



