22 MAXllACTUUKS OF RUSSIA. 



CHAPTER II. 

 Flax, Hemp and Jute Goods. 



THE production of goods made from bast fibrous materials occupies the secoiu! 

 place among the branches of Russian manufactures, that of cotton textile 

 fabrics ranking first. This appears at first sight very strange, and it would seem. 

 on the contrary, that the linen goods industry ought to be the more profitable 

 branch of manufactui-e. as Eussia possesses vast supplies of cheap linen fibre suffi- 

 cient to export 10 to 11 million pouds per annum, over and above its own 

 requirements; while in order to carry on the manufacture of cotton textile fabrics it is 

 necessary to import as much as 9 million pouds of raw material. This apparent inconform- 

 ity is, liowever. explained notwithstanding the fact that flax goods have many advantages 

 over cotton in consequence of which they are in many cases deserving of preference. 

 Flax, for instance, is much stronger than cotton on account of the straightness of its 

 elementary fibres, gives a smoother yarn and textile fabric, and therefore flax stufis 

 are not so rough as cotton and are more useful in certain cases; but on the other hand 

 it is so much cheaper to weave cotton goods that they are considerably cheaper than 

 flax fabrics. In order to be thoroughly convinced of the correctness of the foregoing 

 statements it is only necessary to compare the cost of making yarn of the same fineness 

 from both flax and cotton. One poud of flax yarn, Nos. 50 to 70, costs in material, 

 (that is, combed fiax) from 12.50 to 17.50 roubles, and the cost of spinning is 

 9 to 12.60 roubles, making in all 21.50 to 30.10 roubles, whilst a poud of cotton 

 yarn of the same degree of fineness, that is, Nos. 18 to 25, notwithstanding that the 

 price of raw cotton is from 2.5 to 3 times dearer, costs in material from 9.80 to 

 13.G0 roubles, and the spinning from 2.20 to 3 roubles, making from 12 to 

 16.60 roubles in all. Thus, for yarn of medium fineness cotton is 55 per cent the cheaper, 

 .md for the higher nimibers this difference is still more considerable. If, therefore,^the 

 manufacture of flax goods in Eussia does not seem to be so developed as the manu- 

 facture of cotton goods, it is for the most part due to the smaller demand for the 

 former class of stuffs, which are beyond the reach of the majority of the population. 



