CHAPTER V 

 FLAX, HEMP, AND RAMIE 



FLAX 



FLAX is a fibre obtained from the stems of Linum 

 usitatissimum, of the natural order Linaceae, which 

 is cultivated over wide areas in the temperate and 

 sub-tropical regions of both hemispheres. The plant 

 is grown not only for fibre, but also for its seed which 

 is known in commerce as linseed. In European 

 countries, it is grown chiefly for fibre, except in Russia 

 where large quantities of both seed and fibre are 

 produced. As a general rule, the flax plant is grown 

 either for fibre only or for seed only, for although 

 a certain amount of linseed can be obtained as a 

 by-product of flax cultivation, attempts to obtain 

 both products from the same crop usually result in 

 the production of an inferior quality of each. 



The flax plant is an annual with a slender, erect 

 stem, branching only . at the top and bearing blue 

 flowers ; the fruit is a small five-celled capsule con- 

 taining ten seeds. 



CLIMATE AND SOIL 



The flax plant flourishes best in the colder parts of 

 the temperate zone, which are not liable either to 

 excessive heat or to drought. During the period of 

 growth, the climatic conditions should be fairly 

 equable, so that the plants may not receive any check 

 to their regular development. Coast lands, in which 

 the sky is often clouded and the atmosphere is humid, 

 are particularly favourable. 



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