average rate of $1.60 per bushel, was $76,800. About 30 per cent, of the total pro- 

 duction of fibre is shipped to Ireland, the rest being exported to New England States. 



Under the straight rental system, the farmer always performs the cultivation, 

 and in some cases hauls in the crop when harvested. The mill operator arranges 

 for the seeding, weeding and harvesting. The mills manufacture the retted straw into 

 flax fibre ready for the hackles of the spinner. Retting in Canada has heretofore been 

 done almost exclusively by the dew retting or meadow system. 



"I look to see a large increase in the acreage of flax as well as sugar beets and beans. 

 Flax is no harder on the land than an ordinary grain crop, but it must be used in rotation, 

 the same as any other crop." 



— Prof. C. A. Zavitz. 



Flax Investigations in Great Britain 



The British Flax and Hemp Growers' Society, Ltd., has just published its first 

 report. This society was formed to administer a grant from the development fund for 

 the purpose of conducting experiments in the cultivation and separation of flax and hemp 

 in order to ascertain the commercial possibilities of these industries in Great Britain. 



A hopeful view is taken of the prospects of the enterprise, more particularly in 

 view of the great prominence which the products of flax and hemp have received as a 

 result of the war. 



Bulletin No. 669 of the United States Department of Agriculture, entitled "Fibre 

 Flax," by F. C. Miles, was reprinted in No. 12, Vol. 5, of the Bulletin of Foreign Agri- 

 cultural Intelligence, issued by the Department of Agriculture, Ottawa. 



FLAXSEED OR LINSEED 



Linseed, the seed of the flax plant, yields a drying oil which is used in the manu- 

 facture of paints, varnishes and linoleum. 



The following table shows the source of the imports of linseed to the United King- 

 dom in 1913 and 1914: 



1913 1914 



From Quarters Quarters 



India 682,948 1,108,430 



Canada 1,277,673 113,372 



Other British 413 367 



Total British 1,961,034 1,222,169 



Argentina 1,126,866 1,027,617 



Russia 99,247 114,278 



United States 42,936 12,339 



China 7,709 5,404 



Netherlands 13,587 14,285 



Germany 9,652 616 



Belgium „ . . . . 5,325 11,750 



Morocco 1,538 17,424 



Other Foreign 6,168 25,896 



Total 3,274,062 2,451,778 



142 



