no FLAX GROWING IN THE BRITISH EMPIRE 



varieties by a system of selection. They also give 

 advice to the growers and endeavour to promote the 

 industry in other ways. 



Canada. Flax has been grown for many years 

 in the western part of Ontario, and certain other 

 districts. The exports during 1910-1915 were 

 approximately as follows : 



Year. Quantity. Value. 



Tons. 



1910 .... 592 26,084 



1911 .... 348 15,040 



1912 . . . .118 5,037 



1913 . . . . 303 9,660 



I9H . .336 7>!3i 



1915 . . 540 17*978 



Almost the whole of these exports were consigned to 

 the United States. 



Other Countries. Flax was at one time grown in 

 certain parts of Great Britain, and an attempt is now 

 being made to resuscitate the industry. For this 

 purpose, an association has been formed under the 

 name of " The British Flax and Hemp Growers' 

 Society " which is being assisted by grants from the 

 Development Commission. Flax is being cultivated 

 at Selby, Yorkshire, where the industry was carried 

 on extensively in the past, and also near Yeovil, 

 Somerset, and experiments are being made in retting 

 the stalks and preparing the fibre. 



During the last three or four years efforts have been 

 made to ascertain whether flax could be grown 

 successfully in the East Africa Protectorate. Pre- 

 liminary trials proved so satisfactory that in 1913 

 the services of a flax expert from Courtrai, Belgium, 

 were secured, and it has been now demonstrated that 

 flax of a high quality can be produced. A sample of 

 the fibre was valued in London at 65 per ton, a price 

 only jio per ton below that of the best Belgian flax. 

 Samples examined at the Imperial Institute also 

 proved to be of excellent quality. The cultivation 

 is being extended and a. scutching factory has been 



