354 FIELD CROP PRODUCTION 



with laundering, and on account of the length of the fiber, 

 which is commonly from 10 to 12 inches, it does not 

 become fuzzy with wear as do cotton materials. 



373. Use of flax seed. — Flax seed has a large, oily 

 embryo, which yields from 30 to 38 pounds of oil per 100 

 pounds of seed. The removing of the oil is done by crushing 

 the seed and heating it to 165° F. and either subjecting it 

 to high pressure or treating it with naphtha to extract the 

 oil. The oil is known on the market as linseed oil, and is 

 used largely for paints and varnishes, for which purpose 

 it is highly prized on account of its quick drying proper- 

 ties. It is also used in making printer's ink and in the 

 manufacture of a substitute for rubber. 



The part of the seed remaining behind after the removal 

 of the oil is linseed meal, which is highly prized as stock 

 food because of its high protein content, which is from 20 

 to 25 per cent. 



374. Production and distribution. — Flax is grown to 

 some extent in almost all agricultural countries. Russia 

 produces approximately two-thirds of the world's crop 

 of fiber, while Austria-Hungary, France, Belgium, and the 

 Netherlands are responsible for almost all of the remaining 

 third of the world's crop. In the production of flax seed, 

 Argentina in South America ranks first, producing about 

 one-third, and the United States ranks second, producing 

 about one-fifth of the world's crop. The total production 

 for the world is about 100 million bushels of seed and 1500 

 million pounds of fiber. 



In the United States, North Dakota produces about one- 

 half of the total crop, while Minnesota, South Dakota, 

 and Montana produce the greater part of the remainder 

 of the crop. Very little flax is grown in the United States 

 for fiber, it being grown for seed almost exclusively. The 



