428 [Assembly 



mere refuse and husks which remain after the expression of the 

 oleaginous properties from the seed ; or if it should be prefered 

 by some still to use cake, the seed could be sold to the " oil-press- 

 er," and the grower might fatten his cattle upon cake produced 

 from home-grown instead of from foreign linseed. 



Sowing Seed. — With an increased cultivation of flax at home, 

 we should also be spared the dependence upon foreign countries 

 for our supply of seed for sowing purposes, and which we now 

 import to the value of some X200,000 per annum ; for it is ab- 

 surd to suppose that flax can be only grown in this country 

 from foreign seed ; the reason for this opinion being, no doubt, 

 traceable to the prevalent mode of pulling the flax before fully 

 ripe. 



Manufactures. — Passing on, however, from the agricultural 

 demand which exists for the production of the crop in the shape 

 of seed, I will now call your attention to the existing market and 

 the sources of supply for the fibre of the plant required in our 

 manufactures. It cannot fail to be a matter of deep regret to 

 every well-wisher of his country, that in the two main branches 

 of our textile manufactures, we are so completely dependent for the 

 supply of the raw material upon foreign countries. Our cotton 

 manufacturers absorb daily one thousand tons of cotton wool, the 

 produce of foreign countries alone. For our supply of cotton, 

 we must, no doubt, still continue to be dependent upon foreign 

 countries, inasmuch as the material cannot be produced at home, 

 but there is every reason to believe that by the adaptation of flax 

 to cotton machinery this extent of dependence will in future be 

 considerably less than it has hitherto been, provided our agricul- 

 turists will but come forward in earnest, and endeavor to supply 

 the new demand for their products thus created. Our linen and 

 other manufactures in which flax is employed, are all but com- 

 pletely dependent upon foreign countries for their supply ; and 

 of the 100,000 tons now annually consumed, not more than one- 

 fourth is produced in this country. The total value of the flax 

 fibre imported for manufacturing into linen, sail cloths, tarpau- 

 lings, rick covers, sacking, and other materials exceeds .£5,000,000 

 annually; and there is no doubt, judging from the rapid progress 

 of our manufactures, thatif the supply of the raw material could 



