103 



had a fancy to sow a field alternately with turnips and white 

 peas, from each of which he had a good crop ; in the following 

 year he appropriated the same field to Jlax, but at the harvest 

 his field was in sti-ipes, the land on which the peas grew 

 having produced good flax, whilst the flax which followed the 

 turnips proved good for nothing. 



Letter from Marshall and Co., Leeds. — Addressed to 



J. Warnes, Esq. 

 Sir, 



We are in possession of your letter of November 30th, 



and have much pleasure in learning that we can assist in 



promoting your object of introducing the cultivation of flax 



into Norfolk, which we arc convinced will be a great benefit to 



your neighbourhood. 



We have received the samples of flax-straw, and your 

 pamphlet, in which we observe you chiefly draw the attention 

 of the farmers to the value of the flax crop as to its produce in 

 linseed. 



•* This is no doubt a very valuable part of the produce of 

 this crop, and, in an agricultural county, where so much lin- 

 seed is used, and where at present there is a scarcity of good 

 linseed, this argument would be very likely to induce the farm- 

 ers to take up flax-growing ; but when it was once established, 

 we think it will be found that the cultivation of the plant for 

 the fibre is of far more importance, and that by sowing seed 

 suitable to produce fine flax, and sowing it thick (say 3 to 3^ 

 bushels per acre) the farmer, though he sacrifices something in 

 the value of seed produced, will get a more remunerating crop 

 from his land than he now obtains. From calculations which 

 we have obtained of the cost of growing flax in part of Bel- 

 gium, we find it to have been lately IIZ. to 16Z. per acre, and 

 the value of produce 19Z. to 28/.: at the same time we must 

 remark, that the price of flax has been very high, and that 

 the cost of growing the flax in England would most likely be 

 different. 



"The best system of retting abroad is practised at Courtrai, 



