6 VEGETABLE SUBSTANCES. 



seed for the renewal of their plants, a very large 

 quantity of foreign seed is annually imported from 

 the United States of America, from Holland, Riga*, 

 and other ports of the Baltic. Considerable impor- 

 tations are also obtained from Russia and Holland ; 

 the average annual amount for the last eight years 

 being 908,009 cwt. These importations are admitted 

 for home consumption at the merely nominal duty of 

 one penny per cwt. 



From "an account of goods exported in British 

 ships from St. Petersburg, anno 1822," properly 

 authenticated, and given by Captain G. M. Jones, 

 in his Travels in Norway, Sweden, Russia, &c., it 

 appears that in that year we imported from the 

 Russian capital alone, 



Poods. 



Of 12-headflax 190080 



Of 9-head ditto 47129 



Of a third quality 46227 



Besides this we imported 5622 poods of flax yarn. 

 In the same year, our imports of the different quali- 

 ties of Russian hemp were as follow : 



Poods. 



Of clean hemp 1008870 



Of outshot 77914 



Of half-clean 192534 



* Riga exports linseed, or the seed of flax for sowing, in large 

 quantities. The seed is brought to that mart chiefly from Lithu- 

 ania, Courland, and Livonia. " Thence," says a recent traveller, " it 

 is sent in the autumn to the Hanse Towns, Holland, and Flanders. 

 A small quantity is sometimes exported to England, and more to 

 Ireland. As it is unfit for its purpose if stale, the sellers are 

 called upon to make oath, that what they produce is the fresh 

 seed of the year. All that is not exported before the winter, is 

 sent to Holland to be crushed for oil." (Journey from Riga to 

 the Crimea, by M. Holderness.) Riga supplies both flax and 

 hemp in great abundance. Hempseed is also among its exports. 

 The last article is chiefly bought up for the great and admirable 

 oil-mills of Holland, which will be described in the course of the 

 present volume. 



