190 



I expect to obtain 12/. or 15/. per acre. I have sent a sam])lc 

 of the seed taken from the stalks when pulled, and afterwards 

 dried on a sail-cloth in the sun. The produce 16 bushels per 

 acre, which will pay the expense of pulling, steeping, &c. ; 

 and when given to cattle crushed, or as compound, will return 

 a valuable manure to the land. I sincerely hope your endea- 

 vours to promote the cultivation of flax in this country may be 

 crowned with success. It is only by giving employment that 

 we can expect to raise the labouring classes above the depress- 

 ing and contaminating circumstances with which they have to 

 contend. 



I remain, dear Sir, yours very truly, 



"Richard Glasspoole." 



" To John Warnes, Jun., Esq." 



My neighbour, Mr. Brown, grew several acres of flax, and 

 has ascertained the weight of an acre to be 53 stone 6 lbs. ; this 

 was grown principally for the sake of the fibre, and yet he 

 obtained 16 bushels of seed. Two acres were sown by the side 

 of this flax for seed primarily, of which he had 43 bushels, and 

 a fibre as fine as the other. Mr. Harlee Playford, of North- 

 repps, made the same experiments with like results. I could 

 also refer to Mr. Smith, of Gunton ; Mr. Cubitt, ofWitton; 

 and numbers of other growers, whose crops, besides my own 12 

 acres, are very abundant. As a quietus for the present, I will 

 just mention that Mr. Barrett, of Barney, tenant to Lord 

 Hastings, threshed out an acre of flax that produced six coombs 

 of seed, and so excellent a crop of strong flax that he sold one- 

 half of it for \\l. to a rope and twine spinner at Holt, who is 

 now engaged in making the finer parts of it into yarn and 

 twine, the coarser into rope and line, and the refuse into door 

 mats, &c. 



With regard to Mr. Rous's declaration, that " unless the 

 manufacturers can afford to give 8^. per stone for the flax after 

 being scutched, the farmer cannot afford to grow it ;" the fol- 

 lowing calculation upon an average of 35 stone an acre only, 

 with the average rental of 30s. per acre, rates, tithes, &c. 

 included, will prove that the hon. gentleman is still in his 



