A S I NFL UENCED B Y LEG I SLA TION. 89 



A similar society in New York gave gen- 

 erous encouragement to domestic industry 

 for a number of years, but the North-River 

 industry in New York seems to have been 

 begun at a much later date, at a time when 

 flax-raising had no legislative protection. 1 



In some Colonies the local authorities 

 took steps to encourage the industry ; and 

 Annapolis and Baltimore in Maryland, in 

 1731, both offered premiums for linen 

 cloth made of flax grown in the Colony. 



It is thus evident, that, while England 

 was encouraging the production of flax at 

 home by protective measures, her Colonies 

 were quite as active in their own behalf; 

 and it is also clear that the governments of 

 Great Britain and America have not been 

 successful in inducing the farmers to grow 

 flax for fibre by any system of duties, 

 bounties, or penalties. It is also to be ob- 

 served, that flax-growing has had as much 

 protection granted it in this country as by 

 Great Britain ; and that while the protec- 

 tion granted by the latter country was long 

 ago removed, raw flax having been placed 

 on the free list as early as 1731, notwith- 



1 2 Bishop, p. 205. 



