VEGETABLE FIBERS. 



569 



Keferriiig to tlie customs figures we find that for the year ending June 

 oO, 1879, there were 2,935 tons of raw flax fiber, including tow, imported 

 from seven countries, at a cost of $909,451, a falling oil" from the pre- 

 vious year of $207,778, and a smaller amount than in any year since 

 1870, when th€> raw flax imports were 100 tons less. 



Tlie following table of quantities and values shows the sources of for- 

 eign flax supply for the last ten years. 



The finest foreign hemp, and that which brings the highest price, 

 comes from Italy, this little kingdom producing over 90,000 tons annu- 

 ally, the yearly production of the United States not being over 20,000 

 tons. The principal foreign supply of hemp, however, is derived from 

 Kussia, and in the past year large quantities have been imported, owing 

 to the insufficiency of the American supi^ly. 



Mr. Joseph Chisholm, of Salem, Mass., states that there are three 

 grades or selections of St. Petersburg hemp for general importation, 

 the clean, outshut, and half clean, the first being the best, the second 

 that which is rejected upon government inspection, and the third the 

 lowest and poorest grade. " The cleaned was that of which stays and 

 shrouds for ships, &c., used to be selected," because of its less elastic- 

 ity. Archangel hemp is shorter than the St. Petersburg, showing the 

 effect of high latitude on length of staple. Of other Eussian hemps 

 may be mentioned the Riga, which is also shorter than St. Petersburg, 

 and the Polish, which is an excellent hemp. Russia exported to the 

 CTnited States in 1879 but 53 tons of th^i different grades, and in 1878 

 but 49 tons, valued at $6,788. In 1878, Great Britain imported from 

 _ Russia 287,678 cwt. of all kinds, at a total valuation of $2,389,830 la 

 ' American money. 



