FLAX 



2205 



FLAX 



FLAX 

 Stalk and flower. 



chiefs and tablecloths, twines, sailcloth, rope 

 and cordage. From the seeds linseed oil is 

 obtained; this is used in mixing paints and var- 

 nishes, in making linoleum 

 and oilcloth and -for me- 

 dicinal purposes. Linseed 

 meal, which is manufac- 

 tured from what is left of 

 the seeds after the oil is 

 pressed out, is an excellent 

 food for farm animals. 



This valuable plant has 

 been cultivated from th 

 earliest historic period. 

 Mummies over 4,000 years 

 old, wrapped in linen cloth, 

 have been found in Egyp- 

 tian tombs, and flax is 

 mentioned in the book of 

 Exodus as one of the prod- 

 ucts of the country when 

 it was ruled by the Pha- 

 raohs. Egypt still pro- 

 duces large quantities of 

 flax, and the plant has also 

 an extensive growth in In- 

 dia, Argentina, Uruguay, the United States, 

 Canada, Russia, Austria-Hungary, Belgium, 

 France, Holland, Rumania and Italy. 



The so-called New Zealand flax, which is of 

 economic importance in New Zealand and has 

 been introduced into California for its fiber 

 and into Europe as a decorative plant, is, 

 strictly-speaking, not flax at all. Its correct 

 name is phormium. Its leaves are sword- 

 shaped and grow from the base of the plant, 

 and its flowers blossom on a stalk once or 

 twice the height of a man. The fiber is chiefly 

 valued for rope and twine. 



In the United States and Canada flax is 

 raised chiefly for its seed, but farmers are 

 beginning to cultivate it for the fiber. North 

 Dakota leads in the United States in the 

 amount of flaxseed produced, with 660,000 acres 

 in 1915, yielding about 6,534,000 bushels. The 

 annual yield of flaxseed for the United States 

 is about 23,000,000 bushels. In Canada from 

 1910 to 1915 the yield varied from 4,000,000 to 

 17,000,000 bushels, Saskatchewan produced 

 nearly six-sevenths of the Dominion's crop 

 from 1911 to 1915. 



Description and Cultivation. The country 

 landscape affords no more charming sight than 

 that of a field of flax in full blossom. The 

 slender, erect stem grows to a height of two 

 or three feet, branching near the top and bear- 



ing small nodding flowers of a beautiful shade 

 of blue, though in some species the blossoms 

 are white. Longfellow was thinking of the 

 more commonly-known plant when he de- 

 scribed the little maiden in his Wreck of the 

 Hesperus: 



Blue were her eyes as the fairy flax, 

 Her cheeks like the dawn of day. 



The flax fibers, which are remarkable for 

 their strength, fineness and silky luster, are 

 found on the inner side of the bark, next to 

 the central woody core. The best flax has 

 fibers as long as the stem, running from the 

 flowers to the roots. 



Flax requires the utmost care in all stages 

 of its growth. It thrives best in a strong, rich, 

 well-drained soil, from which all weeds have 

 been removed by previous cultivation, but 

 crops can be grown on new ground. A good 



Belgium 

 52 



Austria 

 50 



Ireland 



Hungary 



17 

 Figures Represent Millions of Pounds 



Netherlands 

 16 



AVERAGE ANNUAL PRODUCTION OF FLAX 

 The figures by comparison represent the aver- 

 age year's production of flax fiber, the raw mate- 

 rial of linen. 



yield cannot be obtained in a wet soil nor in 

 one infested with weeds. Plants raised for the 

 seed are mowed when they are ripe; those 

 cultivated for the fiber have for ages been 

 pulled up, root and stem, by hand, and before 

 they have ripened. The reason for this is that 

 the fibers become stiff and coarse if left too 

 long, and cutting the stem with a mower would 

 injure the best part of the fiber, which is found 

 near the roots. Of late, many growers have 

 adopted the quicker machine methods, not- 

 withstanding the waste. 



Removal and Preparation of the Fibers. 

 When the stems have been pulled from the 

 ground they are shaken free from dirt, tied 

 into bundles, and drawn through iron teeth 

 to remove the seeds at the top. This latter 

 process is known as rippling. Next, the bark 

 and inner core must be prepared for removal 

 by a process known as rotting, or retting. That 

 is, the stalks are steeped in running or stagnant 

 water until the woody portions rot. Another 



