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APPENDIX I. 

 THE RUSSIAN FLAX TRADE. 



IN Russia, flax is chiefly cultivated in the northern depart- 

 ments. In two of these namely, in the governments of Pskoff 

 and Jaroslav it is the chief crop and source of revenue to 

 farmers and peasants. These two governments, together with 

 the governments of Kovno, Wilna, Witebsk, Smolensk, 

 Novgorod, Kostroma, Viatka, Vladimir, Moscow, Tver, and 

 Kaluga, where flax culture holds sway, extend from west to 

 east and pass just north of Moscow. It is in this huge region 

 that practically all the flax which is exported from Russia 

 is produced. 



Russia is the largest flax producer in the world. The bulk 

 of the flax produced is exported to England, France, Belgium, 

 and Germany. The fibre exported may be divided into two 

 sorts dew-retted and water-retted. The latter is the quicker 

 method of treating the flax straw, and may be accomplished in 

 either still or running water. Flax steeped in rivers is usually 

 of a light yellow colour and much appreciated by spinners. 

 Flax steeped in still water is of a darker colour, but of good 

 spinning quality if the water be soft and stagnant, and free 

 from mineral salts in solution. Ten to fifteen days, according 

 to the temperature, is the time required by the steeping process. 

 The greatest care must be taken that the retting process does 

 not go on too long, as the fibre is thereby weakened. When 

 it is found that the fibre separates easily from the woody 

 matter, the stems are removed from the water and spread out 

 to dry upon the ground. 



