BOTANY OF FLAX. 261 



Roman empire leaves a blank in our history until towards 

 the end of the twelfth century, when we gather from 

 documents relating to that period that flax was cultivated 

 to a considerable extent in this country. As the country 

 became .more settled, and civilization advanced, the use 

 of linen became more general; and we find that in 1532 

 (Henry VIII.) an act of parliament was passed, requir- 

 ing that each person occupying land fit for tillage should 

 for each quantity of 60 acres sow at least 1 rood of it 

 with flax each year. This quantity was increased from 

 a rood to an acre in 1562 (Elizabeth), under pain of a 

 heavy penalty. In 1691 (William and Mary), with the 

 view of encouraging the flax cultivation as much as 

 possible, an act was passed fixing the tithe on flax at 

 only 4s. per acre. In 1713 a bounty of Id. per ell was 

 allowed on the exportation of home-made sailcloth (12 

 Anne, cap. 16); and in 1806 (46 Geo. Ill, cap. 46) a 

 bounty was offered for the importation of flax and hemp 

 from the American colonies. These references and we 

 could readily add to them tend to show that the culti- 

 vation of flax has always occupied the attention of differ- 

 ent civilized countries; and as regards our own, they 

 would lead us to infer that, although probably the pro- 

 portion grown in former times, when countries had to 

 rely almost entirely upon their own productive resources, 

 was superior to that of late years, still the demand was 

 always, as it now is, greater than the supply. 



The botany of flax is of a less complex character than 

 that of most of our " Farm Crops." It forms the character- 

 istic genus of its order LINE^E a small order, containing, 

 according to Lindley, 1 three genera, and about ninetv 

 species, which are to be met with scattered irregularly 

 over the greater part of the world. Europe, North Africa, 

 and North and South America seem to be its principal 



1 Vegetable Kingdom, p. 485. 



