AS INFLUENCED BY LEGISLATION. 69 



they are well worth reading. The facts as 

 to the history in America are taken mainly 

 from Bishop's " History of American Man- 

 ufactures," a standard work published in 

 1 86 1. The source of the information as 

 to Great Britain is the work of a Scotch 

 linen merchant, Alex. J. Warden, entitled 

 " The Linen Trade, Ancient and Modern " 

 (London, 1864). 



GREAT BRITAIN. 



By the statute of 24 Henry VIII., chap. 

 4, in 1532, it was enacted that, 



"Every person having in his occupation threescore 

 acres of land apt for tillage, shall sow one rood with 

 flax or hemp-seed, upon pain to forfeit three shillings 

 fourpence for every forty acres." 



And elsewhere fines paid for non-com- 

 pliance with this law are recorded. In 

 1562 this statute was re-enacted, with the 

 amount of land to be sown in flax increased 

 to an acre, and the penalty to five pounds ; 

 and it was not until 1593, after sixty years 

 of protection, that these statutes were re- 

 pealed, because they failed to accomplish 



