304 



twenty young women are now preparing to become teachers. Of these 

 interesting accounts, the beautiful specimens of fine yarn before us, sent 

 from the Sister Island, are confirmatory. 



Information disseminated. 



Every possible assistance has been aiforded to the growers of flax 

 during the past year, through the personal attendance of the Belgian 

 and other competent instructors, as well as by the circulation of printed 

 directions for the management of both seed and stalks. A copy of the 

 extracts from ancient and modern authors on the flax crop, affording 

 more information in a condensed form than could be obtained from any 

 other work extant, was forwarded to each member of the National 

 Association. This pamphlet was published at the request of the Right 

 Hon. Lord Hastings, President of the West Norfolk branch ; and when 

 the remaining copies are sold, the expenses of printing to our Associ- 

 ation will be trifling. The increasing spirit of inquiry respecting the 

 operations of your Society is evinced by the sale of, and demand for, 

 new editions of the Honorary Secretary's Works on the Cultivation 

 of Flax, the Fattening of Cattle upon Native Produce, Box-feeding, 

 and Summer grazing. The numerous inquiries from distant counties 

 have all been answered by the public and private letters of our Hon- 

 orary Secretary, by the correspondence of the Honorary Secretaries to 

 the branches, and by the visits of Mr Brown, especially into Oxford- 

 shire, the cost of which are not placed to the account of the National 

 Association. 



Factorship. 



Your Committee are of opinion that the establishment of District 

 Dep6ts for the reception and preparation of the growers' flax stalks un- 

 der the control of Societies, would tend greatly to the permanent intro- 

 duction of the crop. But when it is remembered that they must at first 

 be mainly conducted by foreign instructors, the prospect of affording 

 satisfaction to all parties would be doubtful. They are therefore dis- 

 posed to think that the formation of a Joint Stock Company, with 

 branches attached, to purchase the crops, would be the more eflTectual 

 expedient. 



That our wealthy spinners would form a conspicuous part of a Joint 

 Stock Company, to encourage the native growth, can scarcely be 

 doubted ; because they now import flax to the amount of five or six 

 millions a year ; and are compelled to pay the exorbitant duly of forty 

 and sixty per cent, to Foreign States, before they will re-admit it in the 

 shape of yarn and linei:. 



It is worthy of observ.ition, that the Messrs. Marshall of Leeds have. 



