CULTURE IS ENGLAKD. 9 



liniers are paid by him for their task at the rate of four 

 sous, or two-pence, the kilo, or about two pounds and a 

 half weight ; and in that way the flax is delivered, either 

 to private parties or to flax-mills, to be combed there, 

 and then spun by hand or by machinery, according as the 

 case may be. The advantages resulting from this division 

 of labour are enormous, in a social point of view. It is 

 the absence of the intermediate tradesman, who acts as a 

 purchaser and preparer of flax, which is the main present 

 difficulty attending its cultivation in England. The 

 Belfast Society were right in their recommendation ; and 

 an attentive perusal of the following pages, we believe, 

 will convince the reflective reader that such unavoidably 

 is the case. "We also believe that men who would devote 

 themselves to this pursuit, w T ho would spend a little 

 leisure time in seeing how things are managed in France, 

 and would then set up as merchants and preparers of 

 flax, would not only realize a good income themselves, 

 but would confer important benefits on the farmer on. 

 one side, and on the labourer on the other, by relieving 

 the former of an inconvenient task, and by supplying the 

 latter with never-ending work. 



The ignorance generally prevalent in England respect- 

 ing the value, uses, and application of the flax crop, was 

 strongly instanced about ten years ago by an agricul- 

 tural controversy between Norfolk and Suffolk gentlemen, 

 touching the comparative merits of cameline, or gold of 

 pleasure, and flax. They might as well have compared 

 flax with beans or wheat, with turnips even, or with any 

 other crop in their usual rotation. The leading error 

 was, that flax was principally valuable for the fattening com- 

 pound made from its seed ; the fibre, as a source of em- 

 ployment and profit, was scarcely thought of in the course 

 of the discussion. Cameline, or gold of pleasure, Myagrum 

 sativum or Camelina sativa, is a plant that is useful enough 

 in its way. It is cultivated on poor, light, or exhausted 

 soils, in many parts of Germany, Belgium, and the north 

 of France, sometimes to be ploughed in green as manure, 

 sometimes to be fed off by sheep and cowa, and some- 



