olR GREAT OPPORTUNITY. 



Flax cultivation were adopted, whereby both the seed and the fiber were saved, and, instead 

 of the present inferior, dwarfish Flax-straw, a fiber of good quality, suitable for manu- 

 facturing purposes, were produced. 



OUR GREAT OPPORTUNITY, 



The jilea put forward by protectionists that on account of the so called " pauper-labor " 

 in Europe, Flax cannot be grown as cheaply in the United States as in Europe, is entirely 

 unfounded, as the following figures will demonstrate : 



The cost of production of Flax in Holland, as communicated by my Rotterdam Cor- 

 respondents, under date of September 27, 1882, is as follows : 



Per Hectare. Per Acre. 



Rent of land, including plowing, harrowing, etc., fl. 300.0 $ 48.00 



Seed 2# hectolitres, 38.0 6.10 



Sowing and freight on seed, 2.0 o 32 



Weeding, - 25.0 4.00 



Pulling and binding, 30.0 4.80 



Freight by water, 35.0 5 . 60 



Totals, - fl. 430 o $68.82 



(One hectare is equal to about 2j^ acres, and one florin is equal to 40 cents United 

 States currency.) 



The cost of production of Flax in France, communicated by the President of the 

 Societe d'Agriculture of Calais, France, under date of October 7, 1882, is as follows : 



Per Hectare. Per Acre. 



Preparing the land, three plowings, harrowing, etc., frs. 150.0 $12.00 



Seed 2^ hectolitres, - 62.0 5.00 



Weeding, 80.0 6.00 



Pulling and binding, 50.0 4.00 



Rent of land, - - 125.0 10.00 



Other small expenses, 18 o I oo 



frs. 485 .o $38.00 



(One franc is equal to 20 cents ; the hectare is the same measure as in Holland). 

 The following is the cost of production in Ireland of one acre of Flax, as stated by- 

 Mr. Wm. Charley, Seymour Hill, near Belfast, viz : 



Two plowings - - - ,0.17.6 $4.40 



Grubbing and harrowing, . 0.10.6 2.60 



Twice picked of weeds, - - o. 2.6 0.60 



Harrowing seed and rolling, o. 1.9 0.45 



Weeding, - o. 4.0 i.oo 



Preparing rushes and ropes, o. 2.8 0.70 



Pulling, ---. 0.8.02.00 



Seed, one barrel, I. 5.0 6 25 



Rent and taxes, 2. o o 10.00 



Totals, - 5.11.11 $28.00 



The cost of Flax production in Illinois, according to the Report of the Illinois State 



Board of Agriculture, in various counties, is as follows : 



Hamilton Co. Cook Co. Kane Co. 



Use of land, $2.00 $3.25 $ 4.50 



Plowing, 0.75 1.50 1.30 



Harrowing, - 0.25 0.25 0.25 



Planting, 0.40 o 25 0.30 



Seed, 0.60 1.35 i.oo 



Cutting, 0.50 0.60 0.50 



Stacking, 3.30 o 50 o 80 



Threshing, i.oo 0.80 3 50 



Marketing, - - 0.15 0.60 1.25 



$ 5.95 $ 9.10 $13.10 



