sect. JK. THE COUNTY OF FIFE. 213 



portation of foreign flax ; and thus keep the 

 money circulating at home, that would other- 

 wise be sent to a foreign market. 



5/, Supposing no restrictions of this kind to 

 take place, there can be no danger that the cul- 

 ture of this plant will ever be carried to an ex- 

 treme. At present, there is not above the T j-^tli 

 part of the arable land in the county applied to 

 the raising of flax. But though the T ^th part 

 should be occupied this way, and beyond that 

 there is no probability it can ever go, this would 

 never give any serious cause of alarm. The 

 land is not generally proper for flax : And wise 

 farmers will always avoid raising the least pro- 

 fitable crops. Water is not to be got every 

 where at a convenient nearness ; and it is a crop 

 which requires a great deal of attention, labour, 

 and expence ; and consequently must occasion 

 considerable loss in t:ase of failure. These cir- 

 cumstances will, of themselves, be sufficient r - 

 straints, without any formal or express prohibi- 

 tions. Accordingly we find, that, in many parts 

 of the county, particularly on the north side, 

 these considerations have had their effect, and 

 little flax is produced. 



In short, it is highly probable, that, as the 

 science of agriculture in general, and the culture 

 of flax in particular, come to be better and more 

 universally understood, flax will in no case be 

 raised on land where grain crops can be culti- 

 vated with superior, or even with equal advan- 

 tage, but will be entirely confined to such farms, 

 or to such parts of farms, as are peculiarly a- 

 dapted to this kind of crop, and consequently 

 can be more profitably applied to this, than to 



