AND MANUFACTURE IN IRELAND. 259 



Ulster, were little acquainted with Flax-culture, nor could 

 they otherwise than slowly, in the course of years, acquire 

 knowledge in a new trade, which we know to be difficult to 

 manage ; and as the importation of seed was a heavy expense, 

 and few capitalists would venture in such a business, this 

 circumstance, added to partial failure in the crops, proved 

 discouraging. However, large sums were awarded by the 

 " Irish Parliament" in premiums to encourage its cultivation, 

 and a public board, called the Linen Board, was constituted 

 for the improvement of the linen manufacture, with an annual 

 grant of 20,000, which was voted to it by Parliament for 

 upwards of a century. 



This board appointed inspectors to various districts, whose 

 duty it was to give instruction to those who might be desirous 

 of receiving it ; Flax-seed was also provided for those whose 

 character for industry, and having land adapted for its 

 cultivation, were a recommendation ; and premiums were 

 offered for the best crop, according to the quantity of ground 

 sown. At this time the spinning and weaving of Flax were 

 more the object of the farmer than the profit by its cultiva- 

 tion if he brought it to market, as it occupied the female 

 branches of his family through the whole year in the various 

 processes of scutching and spinning; and weaving it into 

 linen employed the men-servants and sons of the small 

 farmers, in days when work in the fields could not be 

 followed up. A web, or piece of linen containing fifty-two 

 yards, was the work of a man from sixteen to eighteen days ; 

 and at that time the weaver could have for his labour often 

 2s. 4d. to 2s. 8d. per day. The cultivation and manufacture 

 of this useful vegetable, through its different stages, afforded 

 remunerative employment to the small farmers and labourers 

 in the north of Ireland, and may be regarded as being, in a 

 great degree, the means of promoting the industrioua habits 

 and general intelligence of the inhabitants of the province of 



