FLAX. IIKMI- AND JLTIi (JOOUS, 27 



tity scut abrond, which between 1887 and 1891 aveiujiiMl alioiit 3.000,000 pouds 

 per annum, the amount used in Eussia is therefore 4,900,000 pouds, of which about 

 2,500,000 pouds are consumed by various factories and mills, the remainder being- used 

 in the numerous hemp-stripping establishments, or else in the village industries. 



The superior qualities of the Eussian Hax, Avhich is successfully cultivated over 

 a wide area of the Eussian Empire, enable it to fui'nish most excellent ftbre, quite 

 capable of being spun into fine yarn, as was confirmed by the work of (iribanov, and 

 Hill & Dieti'ich, where before 1870 they used already in some cases to spin JS" 160. 

 It may be mentioned that the numbers of fiax yarn are determined by the number oi 

 skeins in a pond (36 pounds) divided by three, the length of a skein bein;: 

 3,600 yards. In Eussia, unfortunately the work of flax culture is not subdivided in the 

 same way as abroad, and the peasants who are the principal cultivators, as land- 

 owners sow comparatively little fiax, have also to do all the work of parting- the fibre 

 from the stalk. If then these peasant flax farmers, on account of their small store of 

 agricultural knowledge, experience great difficulty in forsaking the primitive methods 

 of flax culture, it is still more difficult for them to improve in any way their old- 

 fashioned means of flax dressing, which is a separate occupation from their ordinary 

 agricultural duties. Thus the most usual way of dampening the flax, by allowing it 

 to lie in the dew, or by spreading it about the fields, is less rational than steeping it 

 in w^ater ; this spreading is also generally done in cold, unfavourable autumn weather ; 

 and the breaking and stripping are very often efl'ected with very inefficient appli- 

 ances, after which it is found necessary to powerfully dry the fiax straw in kilns, 

 undoubtedly injuring the quality of the fibre. 



The unsatisfactory nature of the flax dressing and sorting has drawn upon itself 

 the attention of the Agricultui'al and Farming Department, and experienced instruc- 

 tors were first prepared and then a whole series of measui'ss were pointed out for 

 ]tlacing the flax trade on a more rational footing. One of the most important of these 

 was the establishment of the first flax station as a practical school for flax cultiu-e. 

 Notwithstanding the short career of these first instructors, the successful manner in 

 Avhich they applied new and improved methods not only again drew public attention 

 towards this deeply rooted branch of Eussian farming, but had also the practical re- 

 i^ult of leading to the establishment of large flax farms. These first experiments proved 

 That by improving the method of treating flax straw alone, the value of the fibre 

 rose 50 per cent, and at the same time increased the output by 75 per cent. The 

 (iuality of the fibre was so good that it was used for spinning yarn of those num- 

 bers which had previously been made of Belgian flax, and it was sold at 10 to 11 

 roubles per poud. These results are good omens for the further success of the Eussian 

 fiax trade. 



Although there is a great difiereuce in the fibre of the various kinds of Eussian 

 flax in the market, they may yet be divided into two distinct groups : steeped flax. 

 being those kinds which are prepared by soaking in water, the fibre being much 

 stronger, longer and more uniform ; spread flax, which is moistened only with dew 

 and is known by its softness and greasiness. Each of these two groups may be divided 

 into three classes according to the quantity of combed flax and combings obtained 

 and also as regards their spinning properties: 



