98 CORDAGE FIBRES 



made a law that (i) Flax must contain no admixture of 

 refuse, and must not be damped to increase its weight. (2) The 

 bundles of flax must not weigh more than 20 lb., and must 

 consist of fibre of like quality and scutching. (3) They must 

 be tied with one band only, at a distance of one-third from the 

 top, so that the ends of the fibre will hang down freely, and so 

 that the fibre may be examined without loosening the bundles. 

 (4) The bands with which the bundles are tied must be of flax. 



These rules have had a good effect, and it is now not so 

 common as it was to find stones, sand, and pieces of metal in 

 the heads of Russian flax. 



Riga flax is generally exported in mats, weighing about 

 i cwt., with a tare allowance of 3 lb. per mat. Other flaxes. 

 are exported in "bobbins "or bundles, without matting, and 

 weighing rather more than i cwt. 



The Russian weights used in the flax trade are the berkowitz 

 = 10 pouds = 400 Russian pounds = 356^ English pounds, 

 and the poud = 40 Russian pounds = 35^ English pounds. 

 The money used is the rouble, which at par is equal to 3^d. 



Contracts are usually made from September to December, 

 the flax being delivered as required, and paid for ninety days 

 after delivery. The usual conditions of sale and expedition are 

 as follows : 



F.O.B. The seller must put the flax on board at the port of 

 shipment; the. buyer must furnish the ship for the time of 

 delivery arranged. 



C. and F. (cost and freight). The selling price includes the 

 cost of the fibre and freight. The buyer must insure it. 



C.I.F. The selling price covers all cost, insurance and 

 freight. The insurance is usually made according to the con- 

 ditions of the picking clause when the insurance company 

 agrees. It is made at the risk and peril of the buyer, on whom 

 falls the responsibility of the solvability of the insurance 

 company. He has a right to demand a policy of insurance. 



In the C. and F. and C.I.F. arrangements the freight is 



