80 FLAX CULTURE 



hemp or flax yearely, and some one in every Towne to 

 be appoynted to see the same donn, and present it 

 to the Court in June yearely." x 



In the next year it was further en- 

 acted, 



" That all such person or persons as have sowed any 

 hempe or flaxe according to the former act of the 

 Court, shall not waste the same but shall dress the 

 said hemp or flax, or procure it to be dressed fitt for 

 some good use, and preserve the seed ; and the Com- 

 ittees of the several Townes shall see the same soe 

 donn the week before the Eleccon Court, and to 

 make report thereof to the Court, upon penalty of five 

 shillings to be forfaited to the Colony's use for every 

 delinquent therein." 2 



This is a reminiscence of the statute of 

 Henry the Eighth. In the same year the 

 Colony of Massachusetts Bay granted a 

 bounty of three pence on every shilling's 

 worth of linen cloth of the growth of the 

 province " for the incuragment of the 

 manifocture," but this was repealed within 

 a year " because too burthensome to the 

 country," but not until some bounties had 



1 Plymouth Colony Laws, p. 63. 2 Ibid, p. 68. 



