34 
ROYAL GARDENS, KEW, to FOREIGN OFFICE. 
SIR, - Royal ee a 16 November 1889. 
I HAVE the honour to nae you t Mr. Thiselton-Dyer has 
received an inquiry in regard to Siberian nae described as a perennial, 
much taller than the ordinary flax (which is an annual) and capable of 
yielding a succession of stalks from the same root for many years. 
2. The only information on the subject so far attainable is given in 
heen iced extract taken from Dr. Carpenter’s “Vegetable Physiology ” 
lon 
ew.—“ Vom perennirenden sibirischen Leine und dessen auch 
“ uns t Nutzen einzufuehrenden Baue handelt vorgaenzig, ete.” 
D, ' Gottlieb Schrader, Halle, 175 
f this perennial flax i is still cultivated in Siberia and yields a 
of the flax exported from the Russian Empire, the fact would posses 
considerable interest to flax growers in the North of Ireland. At eat 
the museums of the Royal Gardens possess no speci s of perennial 
Siberian flax, and beyond the meagre andsomewha k oN6TSto information 
ai cited, nothing is known of iti in this country. 
4. . Thiselton- Dyer would therefore express the hope that the 
T aeaa of State will approve of the kind offices of Her Majesty’s 
Ambassador at St. Petersburg being mue a obtain particulars of the 
different kinds of flax cultivated in Sib If a perennial flax is 
own there answering to a descri pioi wa by Dr. Carpenter, 6 
would be desirable to obtain for the Kew Museums specimens of t 
stems in various stages of preparation, and of the flax yarn as alia 
exported. It would also be desirable to pein two or three pounds of 
seed of this perennial flax, in order that it may be experimentally 
cultivated in this country ; in this eal any information as to its 
— En APEEF nee be see hin 
Ta add that moderate expenses hema in this service 
will be ioe by this secon ci in usual ¢ 
Sir Villiers Lister, K.C.M.G. (Signed) <= D Moni 
[ENCLOSURE. ] 
EXTRACT from “ Vegetable Physiology,” by Dr. CARPENTER (para. 517), 
London, 1859. 
The e only other species of this order, which is cultivated for the same 
purpose, is the Siberian perennial flax. This is a much taller plant, 
having coarser fibres; these are found to be very strong, ran not so 
white or fine as those obtained from common flax. They serve very 
well, however, for the manufacture of coarse fabrics ; and there is this 
advantage attending the cultivation of them, Trg from the same root, a 
succession of stalks will be developed for many years; 80 that they 
require no further attention, than to be kept free from weeds, 
Sir ROBERT B. D. MORIER, G. ~i B., G.C.M. = &c., to the MARQUIS OF 
SALI BURY, K.G., 
MY LORD, St. RSE -g, 20- March 1890. 
IN reply to your Lordship’s ey. he 83 of this series, and 
of the 21st November last, I have the hono name o your Lord- 
ship herewith a copy of a letter, together with its enclosure, which I 
a ay = RE as 3 ress Sk 
eT Se ar Se ORE PU ete a ae oe ee ee ee 
