PREFACE. IX 



real designs be pleaded as an excuse: for the League 

 possessed reports and publications of its proceedings, in 

 which the desire to increase production and to ameliorate 

 the condition of the poor was clearly defined. 



Under the improved management of flax, the price 

 must ultimately approximate to that of cotton, and enable 

 linen to compete with calico; this would prove more 

 fatal to the manufacturers of the latter than agricultural 

 protection. Were the climate of England genial to cot- 

 ton, the spinner, unquestionably, would be anxious to 

 promote the home growth, regardless of those injurious 

 effects upon wheat, deteriorations of soil, and prohibitions 

 in leases, which he now advances against the inestimable 

 flax-plant; but, if any grounds ever existed for such 

 objections, they have been rendered obsolete by modern 

 discoveries and by scientific improvements in agriculture. 



Another opposition arose from the scheme of substi- 

 tuting for flax the Camelina sativa, a plant pompously 

 called " the Gold of Pleasure." The stalks were repre- 

 sented as containing superior flax, and the seed to be 

 of more value than linseed. Through circulars, adver- 

 tisements, and public letters, glowing descriptions were 

 promulgated: the project attracted much attention, and 

 obtained some converts. I sowed a little of the seed 

 myself by way of experiment : the result induced me to 

 warn the public against the delusion ; on which account 

 an action was commenced against me, but quickly with- 

 drawn for obvious reasons : afterwards Mr. Taylor secured 

 a patent for extracting lamp-oil from the seed, for which 

 it appears to be well adapted. 



About the same time Mr. Hutcheson obtained a pa- 

 tent for compressing into cake linseed-oil with the meal 



