UTILIZATION OF AMERICAN FLAX STRAW. 3 



The utilization of the remaining 1,400,000 tons would be of im- 

 mense economic importance, since (1) its paper-producing possi- 

 bilities are equal to the annual production of wrapping paper and 

 more than double the annual production of writing paper in the United 

 States: (2) its sale would represent an added revenue to the- farmers 

 of about $5,000,000 annually; (3) it would exert a very strong 

 tendency toward maintaining the flax crop in our agricultural 

 system ; (4) it probably would result in the establishment of paper- 

 manufacturing industries in sections where there are none; (5) 

 it would aid in making our paper industry more independent of 

 foreign raw paper-making materials; and (6) it would produce a 

 keener realization of the latent value of some of our enormous crop 

 wastes. 



MIGRATION OF THE FLAX CROP. 



The acreage of the flax crop has not remained permanent in any 

 one section, and it is this constant migration which is of as vital 

 importance as is its total available tonnage. 



The total crop is variable in acreage and yield to the extent shown 

 bv Table I. 



Table L- 



Acreage and yield of the flax crop in the United States for 1899, 1902, 

 and from 1909 to 1914, inclusive. 



Year. 



Acres. 



Bushels of 

 seed. 



1899 

 1902 

 1909 

 1910 



2, 110, 000 

 3, 740, 000 

 2,0&3,000 

 2,467,000 



19,979,000 

 29,285,000 

 19,512,000 

 12, 718, 000 



Year. 



1911 

 1912 

 1913 

 1911 



Acres. 



2, 757, 000 

 2,851,000 

 2,291,000 

 1,885,000 



Bushels of 

 seed. 



19, 370, 000 

 28, 073, 000 

 17, 853, 000 

 15, 559, 000 



During its entire history flax has been a pioneer crop, being 

 used as a first crop on the upturned virgin soil. This soil is 

 claimed to be too rich for com and other cereals, but, on account 

 of the very meager root system of the flax plant, it thrives here at 

 its best. Flax does not do as well on the same land until after other 1 

 ciops have been raised and the land put into grass again, when it is 

 ready to be broken up for a new flax seed bed. The old prevalent 

 idea that the flax crop is very exhausting to soil fertility has been 

 shown to be a fallacy, 3 and it has been proved that it does not tax 

 the soil fertility as much as either Avheat or oats. 



Table II gives statistics of flax acreage which show the migration 

 of the crop in certain States since L899. 



'Bolley, if. t.. ETlaj culture, x. Dak. Agr. Exp. Sta. Press Bull. 46, I p., 3 figs, 

 lit 1 1. 

 Bull, C. P. Bias growing. Minn. Farmers' Llbr. Ext, Bui. ii7, 8 p., lllua. 1 1> t u. 



