7 6 



FLAX CULTURE 



encourage the industry. Much was done 

 by way of bounties, but mostly for the 

 production of linen cloths ; yet for some 

 reason no mill for the spinning 1 and 

 weaving of linen by machinery was erected 

 in Ireland until some forty years after 

 similar mills had been put in operation in 

 England. 1 



This generous assistance from the gov- 

 ernment, continued for more than a hun- 

 dred years, does not seem to have been 

 entirely successful. Mr. Warden gives 

 tables showing the acreage of flax in Ire- 

 land, and also the imports of raw flax, 

 which are worth summarizing : 



YEARS. 

 1815 

 1820 

 1825 



ACRES SOWN. 

 148,124 

 148,584 



YEARS. 

 1850 



1855 



1860 



ACRES SOWN. 

 91,040 



97,075 



128,595 



The imports of raw flax into Belfast 

 were as follows : 



YEAR. 

 l8 4 8 

 1851 

 1854 



TONS. 

 4,665 



7^55 

 8,986 



YEAR. 

 1858 . 

 1862 . 



TONS. 



7,816 

 10,965 



The Linen Trade, p. 404. 



